Leonid Nikolayevich Andreyev (1871-1919) was a Russian playwright, novelist and short-story writer, who is considered to be a father of Expressionism in Russian literature. Andreyev's style combines elements of realist, naturalist, and symbolist schools in literature. His world view was nurtured by Friedrich Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer. His literary mentors were Dostoevsky and Poe. His writing is described as haunting and disturbing, boiling with despair, pessimism and dark beauty.