Maxim Gorky and Zena Peschkoff, His Adopted Son 1910

This photograph by Alice Boughton shows Maxim Gorky, the famous Russian writer and political activist, along with his adopted son, Zena Peschkoff. It's interesting to consider this image through the lens of early 20th-century debates around family, identity, and social change. Gorky, a figure of immense cultural significance in Russia, was known for his socialist views and his writings often depicted the lives of the working class. His personal life, including his relationships and his role as an adoptive father, would have been subject to public scrutiny and interpretation within the context of the revolutionary ideologies that were circulating at the time. The act of adoption itself can be seen as a statement, an expansion of the traditional family unit to include those who are not biologically related. Boughton captures a sense of intimacy and intensity in the relationship between the two. It encourages us to consider the emotional and personal dimensions of these historical figures.