Maurice Druon, one of the most famous modern French writers and a "living classic" of French literature, was born in Paris on April 23, 1918. He has been a member of the French Academy since 1967. He is a son of the actor Lazar Kessel, who was born in Orenburg. Maurice took the surname of his step-father, Rene Druon. Maurice studied literature in Paris.
He was inclined to naturalism ("La nuée de feu" ["Fiery Cloud"], 1938). The struggle against Nazism in 1940 defined the heroic and patriotic pathos of his drama "Mégarée" (1942), and analytic evidence of his "Train du 12 novembre" ("November 12 Train", 1943), "Le Chant des Partisans" ("Partisans' Song", 1943, together with J.Kessel), war stories "La Dernière Brigade" ("The Last Brigade", 1946) and "knightly" stories from the "Des Seigneurs de la plaine à l'hôtel de Mondez " ("Lords of the Plain", 1962) cycle.
The period between the wars, and the story of moral and political degradation of the ruling elite that led France to the Munich agreement of 1938 and national disaster in 1940, are shown in the trilogy "Les Grandes Famille " (1948, Goncourt award).
He is the author of the epigrammatic "Remarques" ("Notes", 1952), the naturalist novel "La Volupté d'être" ("Voluptuousness of Existence", 1954), a series of thriller historical novels "Les rois maudits " ("Cursed Kings", 1955-60) in the tradition of Dumas (Father), two mythological novels "Les Mémoires de Zeus" ("Zeus' Memoirs", 1963-1967), "Le Pouvoir" ("Power", 1965), "Le Bonheur des uns" ("Happiness of Ones", 1967), and a pamphlet, "L'Avenir en désarroi" ("The Future Is Confused", 1968), about the national strike in France in 1968.
Throughout his life he has actively promoted the development of Russian-French cooperation. He regards Russia as one of the key elements in guaranteeing stability in Europe and elsewhere. He was one of the first outstanding French cultural figures to welcome democratic changes in our country. In disputes in the French press he has repeatedly defended the observance of Russian national interests.
He has been awarded several French state decorations. He has also been honoured with blue ribbons from Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Portugal, the Russian Federation, the USSR (People's Friendship Order), Senegal, and Tunisia.
In April 2008, on his 90th birthday, Maurice Druon received greetings and a gift from Vladimir Putin.