Viktor Šklovskij was a Russian literary theorist and writer, born on January 24, 1893, in Saint Petersburg. He is best known for his contributions to the Formalism movement, which emphasized the importance of form in literature over content. Šklovskij introduced the concept of "defamiliarization," which suggests that art should make familiar objects seem strange to enhance perception. Throughout his career, Šklovskij wrote numerous essays and novels, including his notable work, Zoo, or Letters Not about Love. He played a significant role in the development of modern literary criticism and influenced many writers and theorists, including Roman Jakobson and Boris Eikhenbaum. He passed away on December 2, 1984.