How the Steel Was Tempered

How the Steel Was Tempered is a fictionalized autobiography by Nikolay Ostrovsky, published in 1932–34. It is considered a Soviet classic and a prime example of Socialist Realism, the officially sanctioned literary method in the Soviet Union from the 1930s to the mid-1980s.12

The novel's protagonist, Pavel Korchagin, is a "positive hero" who overcomes physical handicaps and societal challenges to become a writer and inspire workers during the Reconstruction era. The work's passionate sincerity and autobiographical elements lend it a poignant conviction, though many heroes of Socialist Realism lack lifelike credibility. The novel's theme of building socialism and a classless society, while maintaining an optimistic view of socialist progress, aligns with the core tenets of Socialist Realism.2