Answer
Maxim Gorky was a contemporary of Andrey Bely, a prominent Russian writer. Both were active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period of significant literary and social change in Russia. Gorky, known for his socialist realism and depictions of the working class, and Bely, associated with the Symbolist movement and his exploration of metaphysical themes, were influential figures in the Russian literary landscape of their time.