Vladimir Zotov

Vladimir Rafailovich Zotov (, July 4, 1821, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire, — February 18, 1896, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian writer, playwright, journalist and editor. The writer and critic Rafail Zotov was his father.

Of the 41 plays he authored the best known were ''Novgorodsy'' (Новгородцы, People of Novgorod, 1844), ''Zhizn Molyera'' (Жизнь Мольера, The Life of Moliere, 1843) and ''Syn stepei'' (Сын степей, The Son of the Steppes, 1844). Zotov wrote several novels, including ''Voltigeur'' (Вольтижёрка, 1849) and ''Stary dom'' (Старый дом, Old House, 1851). With Vladimir Sollogub he co-wrote a libretto for Anton Rubinstein's ''Dmitry Donskoy''.

Zotov edited the newspapers ''Teatralnaya Letopis'' (1843) and ''Literaturnaya Gazeta'' (1847) as well as ''Illyustratsiya'' (1858—1862) and ''Illyustrirovanny Listok'' (1862), the two publications he was instrumental in merging into ''Illyustrirovannaya Gazeta'' in 1863. Zotov was an encyclopedist who compiled and edited a ''History of World Literature'' (1876—1882). His ''Memoirs'' came out in 1890, published by ''Istorichesky Vestnik'', Nos. 1-6. Provided by Wikipedia