[1] Born in Oryol, Russia, to a middle-class family, Andreyev originally studied law in Moscow and in Saint Petersburg.

In 1898 the Kur'er [ru] newspaper in Moscow published his first short story, "Баргамот и Гараська" ("Bargamot and Garaska").

Andreyev eventually gave up his law practice, fast becoming a literary celebrity, and the two writers remained friends for many years to come.

His particular interest in psychology and psychiatry gave him an opportunity to explore insights into the human psyche and to depict memorable personalities who later became classic characters of Russian literature, such as in the 1902 short story "Мысль" ("Thought").

During the time of the first Russian revolution (1905) Andreyev participated actively in social and political debate as a defender of democratic ideals.

Several of his stories, including "The Red Laugh" ("Красный смех", 1904), Governor ("Губернатор", 1905) and The Seven Who Were Hanged ("Рассказ о семи повешенных", 1908), captured the spirit of this period.

Andreyev completed his most well-known work, the play He Who Gets Slapped, in August 1915, just two months before its world premiere at the Moscow Art Theatre on 27 October 1915.

[8] A critically successful Broadway production, using an English language translation of the original Russian by Gregory Zilboorg, was staged in 1922.

In 1916 he became the editor of the literary section of the newspaper Russian Will [ru]l. He later supported the February Revolution of 1917, but foresaw the Bolsheviks' coming to power as catastrophic.

An idealist and a rebel, Andreyev spent his last years in bitter poverty, and his premature death from heart failure may have been hastened by his anguish over the results of the Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917.

In 1908 Leonid Andreyev married Anna Denisevich, and decided to separate his two little boys, keeping the elder son, Vadim, with him and sending Daniil to live with Aleksandra's sister.