Ivan Kalishnakov

Ivan Kalishnakov (1883-1938) was a Russian born poet.

Biography
Born in 1883, in Saint Petersburg, Ivan Kalishnakov was brought up in a well off family that believed in the finest of educations. By the prodding of his family, Ivan Kalishnakov was educated at Saint Petersburg State University. During his education there, he took part in the 1905 Revolution supporting the Red Army, as many other students at the time did, that eventually resulted in the removal of the Czar. Kalishnakov never graduated for unknown reasons

In 1909, Ivan Kalishnakov took the chance to travel around the world. After extended stays in Great Britain, and France, he found himself in the United States of America in January 1914. Because of his Russian ancestry he was ushered through Immigration past all of the other South Eastern European Immigrants. He found himself alone in New York City. Unaccustomed to hard labor, he found himself wandering around the city getting any odd jobs that he could find. Being able to learn quickly , he had picked up English while in Great Britain and was able to easily get decent jobs.

In August 1914, however, World War I broke out, giving Kalishnakov an opportunity to work at a factory, making ammunition for the Allies. Despite prospering, when he learnt of the October Resvolution he resoved to return home.

His re-emigration was tied up in red tape, owng to United States' isolationist policy, and he was discriminated against for being a Communist. He wrote "All for Gold" (1923), a communist tract, but kept it hidden, for fear he would be arrested and prevented leaving the USA.

His other writings, although inflammatory, were nothing compared "All for Gold" as inflammatory American public's eyes. For this reason, he crossed the border into Canada, and returned to the newly formed U.S.S.R. in 1925.

After his death in 1938, his writings were posthumously published and translated into English. "All for Gold" was promoted as anti-Capitalist propaganda.

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