Orest Somov

Who was Orest Somov?

Orest Mikhailovich Somov was a Ukrainian romantic writer who wrote in the Russian language. He was a writer, journalist, literary critic, and translator. Somov was born in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast. He studied in the Kharkiv University, then moved to Saint Petersburg, where he died.

Much of his writing deals with Ukrainian history and folklore. He was very popular during his life, but after his death his works stopped being widely read.

He is distantly related to the American actor René Auberjonois; Auberjonois' maternal grandfather's mother was a Russian noblewoman, Eudoxia Michailovna Somova, a collateral cousin of Somov's.