Peter Aleshkovsky

• Name — Peter Aleshkovsky • Birth Name — Pyotr Markovich Aleshkovsky • Born — 22 September 1957 • Birthplace — Moscow • Education — Moscow State University • Father — Mark Khaimovich Aleshkovsky • Occupation — writer, historian, broadcaster, television presenter, journalist and archaeologist • Children — Dmitry Aleshkovsky

Peter Aleshkovsky was born on 22 September 1957 to historian Mark Khaimovich Aleshkovsky and Natalia Germanovna Nedoshivina in Moscow. Russian bard and writer Yuz Aleshkovsky is his uncle. Aleskhovsky was the husband of Tamara Eidelman, a son-in-law to Natan Eidelman, and he is the father of photojournalist Dmitry Aleshkovsky. Since 2000, Tamara Eidelman and Aleshkovsky have been separated. He graduated with a degree in history from the Moscow State University in 1979. Working with "Союзреставрация" (Soyuzrestaurations) from 1979 to 1985, he restored several monasteries in northern Russian regions, among them Novgorod, Kirillo-Belozersky, Ferapontov and Solovetsky. He began writing stories since 1989 in the journal Wolga, then switching to numerous other magazines, among them The Youth, October and The Capital. From 2000 to 2002 he worked at the literary magazine Book's Revue, and hosted the TV show with the same name on Rossiya. From 2007 to 2008 he maintained a weekly column in the journal The Russian Reporter. In 2008 he also wrote essays there. He hosted the television show Alphabet of Reading on Culture. Themes and style of his literary works are individual, ranging from Gothic and realistic stories, fairy tales and historical narrations, often with a touch of humour. "His works are richly descriptive and evocative of the uniquely Russian worldview, while at the same time tapping into universal human emotions and experiences".