Ivan Kondratyev


Ivan Kuzmich Kondratyev was a Russian Empire writer, playwright and poet. According to Ivan Belousov, Kondratyev was a member of Vasily Surikov's circle.

Kondratyev authored a novel called Saltychikha, numerous short stories, plays, poetry, historical essays and translations, as well as two collections: Думы и были and Под шум дубрав. Песни. Думы. Былины. Народные сказания. Both Belousov and Korney Chukovsky were highly critical of Kondratyev's work.
Kondratyev is also known as an expert on songs, publishing several studies on popular Russian songs, the most important of these studies being: You Russian Song, Those Are the Songs of My Motherland and The Power of Song. Many of his poems are written in the tradition of Russian songs and have been used as lyrics for songs by Vasily Andreyevich Zolotaryov and other less known composers. He also wrote the lyrics for various popular romances, the best known of these being Charming Eyes. He is also credited with the lyrics of the song On the Wild Steppes of Transbaikalya