Harvey Pitcher

Abstract is: Harvey Pitcher (born 26 August 1936) is an English writer, historian and translator. He was born in London, and attended Merchant Taylors' School. During his National Service (1955–57), he studied Russian at the Joint Services School of Linguists, qualifying as an interpreter. Afterwards, he read Russian at St John's College, Oxford, graduating in 1960 with First Class Honours. He taught Russian at the University of Glasgow from 1961 to 1963, when he was asked to start the Russian department at the University of St Andrews. He stayed at St Andrews till 1971. He then took early retirement to concentrate on his writing, moving to Cromer on the Norfolk coast where he has lived ever since. Pitcher published his first book in 1964. His two interests are Anton Chekhov and the British expatriate community in pre-revolutionary Russia. He wrote a biography of Chekhov's wife, the actress Olga Knipper. He co-translated Chekhov's early stories with Patrick Miles; this volume was later published in the Oxford World's Classics series. He wrote an account of English governesses in Russia, titled When Miss Emmie was in Russia (1977), reprinted in 2011 by Eland Books. He also wrote The Smiths of Moscow (1984) (on the British boilermakers) and Muir & Mirrieless (1994) (on the Scottish founders of TsUM department store).