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Orlando Figes was born in London, a city where several profound writers have lived and produced great literary works, on 20th of November, 1959. He grew up to be a Russian historian and currently holds a post of Professor of History at the University of London situated at Birkbeck. Raised by a single parent, Eva Figes, who is a feminist writer and his sister, Kate Figes, who is also an author, Orlando always had a writer’s atmosphere.

Literary Contributions of Orlando Figes

• Peasant Russian, Civil War: This was Orlando’s first book published in the year 1989. The book is based during the Civil War and the Russian Revolution. It depicts the peasantry situated in the Volga region during that time. He emphasizes on the sovereign temperament of the agrarian revolution in the time line 1917 to 1918. This has been regarded as an important book based on the Russian Revolution.
• A People’s Tragedy, The Russian Revolution: This was published in 1996 and was also translated into more than twenty different languages due to its popularity. This is also regarded as a significant book based on the Russian Revolution, as it states the scenario from the famine that occurred in 1891 till the death of Lenin, 1924. The book focuses on political and social history during that period and also narrates about numerous representative figures.
• Interpreting the Russian Revolution: Orlando wrote this book along with Boris Kolonitskii, who is another famous Russian historian. This book focuses on the revolutionary songs, political language, and the historical ideas of the people during the revolution, and the visual symbols.
• Natasha’s Dance: Published in the year 2002, the book proved to be a best seller and was translated into several languages as well. This book is based on the Russian culture and was even short listed to receive the Samuel Johnson Prize. The time line of this book is during the eighteenth century, when the rule of Peter the Great flourished in the country.
• The whisperers: Orlando Figes turned his attention to oral history with this book, which was published in the year 2007. The book holds a significant narration of Russia at the time of Stalin. He had to interview more than four hundred people, who had lived and experienced the Stalin period.

Orlando Figes has also received several awards like the Wolfson History award, the WH Smith Literary honor, NRC Book Award, Longman History Today Book trophy, Los Angeles Times Book award, Przeglad Wschodni Award, and was even short listed for several other awards.