Romain Gary — writer with roots in the Russian Empire
Romain Gary (born Roman Kacew) was a French novelist, diplomat, and filmmaker born in Vilnius (then Russian Empire) who won the Prix Goncourt — France's highest literary prize — twice. He is the only person to have done so, as the second time he was writing as Émile Ajar — a pseudonym he maintained for years while the literary world searched for the mysterious author.
Tracing the roots — Vilnius (Lithuania)
Born in Vilnius (Russian Empire) in 1914 to Arieh Kacew — a Jewish actor — and Nina Owczinska, Romain grew up between Vilnius, Moscow, Warsaw, and Nice as his parents separated. His mother Nina was his great formative influence — her belief in him, her sacrifices, and her Russian intensity appear throughout his work, most explicitly in his masterpiece La Promesse de l'aube.
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Vilnius (Lithuania). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
A career defined by ambition
"Humour is a means of survival. But don't ask me to take it seriously."