Why was writer Maxim Gorky kicked out of… a New York hotel?
In 1906, the leading proletarian writer went to the United States on a mission from Vladimir Lenin to raise money for the Russian Revolution.
Gorky was greeted with enthusiasm, befriended Mark Twain and was preparing for a reception at the White House.
The writer checked into the luxurious Belleclaire Hotel with actress Maria Andreyeva. But then, the American press discovered that she was not his wife! The real Mrs. Peshkov (Gorky's real last name) had stayed behind in Moscow.
A major scandal erupted. The U.S. turned out to be an extremely puritanical country in those days. The couple was immediately evicted from the hotel and others refused to take them in.
Mark Twain then cancelled their second meeting and the White House withdrew its invitation. In the end, they failed to raise the money for the revolution. Gorky was furious and never visited the U.S. again.
Read more: 5 reasons why Soviet writer Maxim Gorky is so great
