Yakov Pavlovich Mayorov (Shketan) Some facts of his life & creative activity (1898-1937)

Birthday, birthplace, childhood.. Yakov was born in the village Old Krescheno (now Orshanski region of Mari El) on the 17-th of November 1898 in a peasant family After 2 years at school he lived with his parents, helped his father & read many books of Russian writers

At the beginning… After the army in 1918 he was working in different soviet organizations for 3 years & began to write plays In 1921 Yakov Pavlovich went to Krasnokokshaisk where in 1922 he wrote the drama “Sarday” about the life in a Mari village

The activity of the author In 1923 his drama “Oh, parents!..” was staged at the theatre & had a great success His first book – the story “The God’s sin” - was published in Moscow in1924 The first building of the theatre

Creative years In the 30s Yakov Pavlovich worked in the editorship of the newspaper as a journalist & an editor. At the theatre he was an actor, a director, a playwright who wrote 13 plays & dramas for the theatre

A versatile writer As a writer Shketan published the novel “Erenger”, a number of stories, 300 newspaper articles and 80 satirical articles. In 1931 the novel of Serafimovich “The iron stream” was translated by Shketan into the Mari language.

The recognition of people Y.P.Mayorov - Shketan was a skilled translator, a real folk writer, fame of Mari literature, one of its creators. The Mari State Theatre was named after the famous Mari playwright Mayorov-Shketan on the 29-th of November 1948 Y.P.Shketan’s plays are in the repertoire of the theatre up to the present 90 years old