Born in the Orel province of Russia, Andreyev originally studied law in Moscow, but abandoned his law practice to pursue a literary career. He published his first short story, "In the Fog" in 1902. During the revolution of 1905, he was imprisoned with Maxim Gorky. His best known work in the West, The Seven Who Were Hanged, was published in 1908. His work is characterized by a stinging condemnation of the political structure of Russia in the years leading up to the Revolution. He died in 1917.