Aleksandr Ivanovich Kuprin (1870-1938) was a Russian prose writer and one of the most famous writers of the 20th century. His contemporaries called him the "Russian Maupassant" for his ability to create captivating plots and precisely describe the natures of his characters and everyday details. Kuprin was a recognized master of the short story and was able to easily attract readers and manipulate how they felt about characters. IN RUSSIAN.