ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Early Life and Family Background

Henri Troyat, a renowned Russian-French writer, biographer, historian, and novelist, was born Lev Aslanovich Tarasov on November 1, 1911, in Moscow to parents of Armenian heritage. His family's ancestry originated from the Circassians, specifically the Circassian Armenians (Mountain Armenians), who resided in the Caucasian mountains near the city of Nakhichevan. An ancestor named Toros settled with his family in Armavir after being Russified by tsarist officials.

Troyat's great-grandfather was a prominent figure in the cloth trade, while his father, Aslan Alexandrovich Tarasov (1874-1967), amassed wealth through investments in railways and banking. His mother, Lydia Vasilyevna Abessalomova (or Abessolomova), came from a German background, having been educated at the Smolny Institute before marriage.

Literary Career

Troyat's literary career spanned over six decades, with more than 100 volumes of historical and artistic works to his name. He was a member of the French Academy and won numerous literary awards for his contributions. His notable work, "La neige en deuil" (The Snow in Mourning), was adapted into an English-language film in 1956 under the title The Mountain.

Throughout his career, Troyat wrote extensively on Russian history and culture, with many of his biographies being translated into multiple languages. According to him, these works have contributed significantly to the study of Russia's history and cultural heritage worldwide.

Notable Works

Some of Troyat's notable works include:

- "Le Vivier" (1935)
- "Grandeur nature" (1936)
- "La Clef de voûte" (1937)
- "L Araigne" (1938)
- "Du Philanthrope à la Rouquine" (1945)
- "Les Ponts de Paris" (1946)
- "Tant que la terre durera, tome I" (1947) and its English translation The Red and the White
- "Sébastien" (1949)
- "Strangers in the Land" (1958)
- "La Tête sur les épaules" (1951), translated as Head in the Clouds
- "Amelie in Love" (1953) and its