He was born in the city of Slobodskoy, Vyatka Governate in the family of an exiled Pole named Stephen Grinevsky. In 1896, he graduated from the 4-year Vyatka college and left for Odessa. He led a wandering life, working as a sailor and a fisherman, panning for gold in the Urals, and serving in the army where he joined the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. In Sevastopol, he engaged in socialist propaganda for which he was arrested and convicted. As punishment, he was sent to prison and three exiles. He was first published in 1906. His first story – The Merit of Private Panteleyev – was a propaganda piece, and gendarmes confiscated all issues of the brochure. Soon Grin desisted from direct political activity and subsequently worked as a professional writer. In 1912, he arrived in St. Petersburg. At this time, Grin was writing mostly short stories. After the revolution, which Grin took very badly as is evident in his works of 1918-1919, the main theme of his work became a lack of freedom and a desire to achieve freedom, especially evident in the novels Shining World (1923), Jessie and Morgiana (1929) and Road to Nowhere (1930). Scarlet Sails (1923), a symbolist fairy-tale, is considered to be one of Grin's best works. In 1924, Grin moved to Feodosia. Gradually, his work came into clear conflict with the ideological constructs of the party. Publication of works by Grin became increasingly rare. In 1930, the writer moved to Stary Krym, where two years later he died of lung cancer.