Russian literature of the 19th century

Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin-Sibiryak

Biography

Mamin-Sibiryak ( real name- Mamin) Dmitry Narkisovich (1852 - 1912), Russian prose writer, playwright.

Born on October 25 (November 6, NS) in the Visimo-Shaitansky plant of the Perm province in the family of a factory priest. Received home education, then studied at the Visim school for the children of workers. In 1866 he was admitted to the Yekaterinburg Theological School, where he studied until 1868, then continued his education at the Perm Theological Seminary (until 1872). During these years, he participated in the circle of advanced seminarians, was influenced by the ideas of Chernyshevsky, Dobrolyubov, Herzen. In 1872, Mamin-Sibiryak entered the St. Petersburg Medical and Surgical Academy at the veterinary department. In 1876, without completing the course of the academy, he transferred to the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, but after studying for a year, he was forced to leave it due to financial difficulties and sharp deterioration health (tuberculosis has begun). In the summer of 1877 he returned to the Urals, to his parents. The following year, his father died, and the whole burden of caring for the family fell on Mamin-Sibiryak. In order to educate his brothers and sister and be able to earn money, it was decided to move to a large Cultural Center. Ekaterinburg was chosen, where it begins new life. Here he married Maria Alekseeva, who became not only a wife-friend, but also an excellent adviser on literary questions. During these years, he made many trips around the Urals, studied literature on the history, economics, ethnography of the Urals, immersed himself in the life of the people, communicated with "simple people" who had vast life experience. The first fruit of this study was a series of travel essays "From the Urals to Moscow" (1881 - 1882), published in the Moscow newspaper "Russian Vedomosti"; then in the magazine "Delo" his essays "In the Stones", stories ("At the turn of Asia", "In thin souls", etc.) were published. Many were signed with the pseudonym "D. Sibiryak". The first major work of the writer was the novel "Privalovsky Millions" (1883), which was published in the magazine "Delo" for a year and had big success. In 1884, the novel The Mountain Nest appeared in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski, which cemented Mamin-Sibiryak's reputation as an outstanding realist writer. Two long trips to the capital (1881 - 1882, 1885 - 1886) strengthened literary connections writer: he meets Korolenko, Zlatovratsky, Goltsev and others. During these years he writes and prints a lot short stories, essays. In 1890 he divorced his first wife and married a talented artist of the Yekaterinburg Drama Theater M. Abramova and moved to St. final stage his life (1891 - 1912). A year later, Abramova dies, leaving her sick daughter Alyonushka in the arms of her father, shocked by this death. The rise of the social movement in the early 1890s contributed to the emergence of such works as the novels "Gold" (1892), the story "Ohony's eyebrows" (1892). The works of Mamin-Sibiryak for children gained wide popularity: "Alenushka's Tales" (1894 - 1896), "The Gray Neck" (1893), "Across the Urals" (1899), etc. The last major works of the writer are the novels "Features from the Life of Pepko" (1894), "Shooting Stars" (1899) and the short story "Mumma" (1907). At the age of 60, on November 2 (15 n.s.), 1912, Mamin-Sibiryak died in St. Petersburg.

Mamin-Sibiryak Dmitry Narkisovich (1852-1912) - Russian writer, playwright. Dmitry Mamin (Mamin-Sibiryak - pseudonym) was born on October 25 (November 6), 1852 in the Visimo-Shaitansky plant of the Perm province. His father was a factory priest and gave his son home elementary education. Then Mamin-Sibiryak went to the Visim school, where he studied with the children of workers. He studied from 1866 for 2 years at the Yekaterinburg Theological School. He entered the Perm Theological Seminary in 1872. During his studies, he actively takes part in the activities of the circle of advanced seminarians, is under the influence of the works of Dobrolyubov, Chernyshevsky, Herzen.

Mamin-Sibiryak traveled to St. Petersburg in 1872 to study as a veterinarian at the Medical and Surgical Academy. Without completing his studies, in 1876 he was transferred to the legal department of St. Petersburg University, which, after a year of study, was forced to leave due to financial difficulties and health problems. Mamin-Sibiryak fell ill with tuberculosis.

In the summer of 1877 he moved to his family in the Urals. A year later, the father dies. So that his sister and brothers could study, Mamin-Sibiryak and his family go to Yekaterinburg. Soon he meets Maria Alekseeva and marries her.

He begins to travel around the Urals, researching literature on the local economy, history and ethnography. The first results of the studies were published under the title "From the Urals to Moscow" (1881-1882) in Moscow in periodical"Russian Vedomosti". Essays "In the Stones" and some stories were published in the magazine "Delo", in which also in 1883 the first novel "Privalovsky Millions" was published, which caused big interest at readers.

After a divorce in 1890, he marries M. Abramova and remains to live in St. Petersburg. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak died on November 2 (15), 1912.

Mamin-Sibiryak Dmitry Narkisovich

(06.11.1852-15.11.1912)

The fate of Mamin - Siberian

Probably, there is no such person in the Urals who would not hear the name of Mamin - Sibiryak, who would not read at least one of his books.

But over the years after the revolution, this name was covered with such a thick layer of "textbook gloss" that many do not know either the real fate of the writer or many of his books. Dmitry Narkisovich wrote about his life himself ("Autobiographical note", "From the distant past" ...). And books were written about him, but they were written a long time ago. And, unfortunately, there is not a single new book worthy of his.

In recent years, especially in connection with the 150th anniversary (2002) of the writer, unknown sides of the biography of Mamin-Sibiryak began to open up, new photographs of him appeared for us, and his previously unpublished works began to be printed.

About the life and work of Mamin-Sibiryak.

It is worth pronouncing "Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin - Siberian", as it rises before your eyes famous photograph, where he looks satisfied with life, a respectable man, in a rich fur coat, in an astrakhan hat. According to the recollections of his friends, he was of medium height, but strong build, charming, with beautiful black eyes, with an invariable pipe. Despite his temper, he was the soul of the company, sociable, kind person, an excellent storyteller. At the same time, he did not tolerate injustice, he was a direct, whole person, he did not know how to lie and pretend. But he tried not to betray his grief when it happened to him. Like everyone good man, "he was loved by old people, children, and animals were not afraid." He was so noticeable that the artist Ilya Repin himself painted one of the Cossacks from him for his famous painting.

The life of Mamin - the Siberian was very difficult, only early childhood and fifteen months of a happy marriage were prosperous. He can be considered a very unlucky person. Did not have literary success which he deserved. Not everything was published. At the end of his life, he wrote to publishers that his writings "will be typed into 100 volumes, and only 36 have been published." His family life was very difficult.

Childhood, youth

Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin was born on November 6, 1852 in the village of Visim (Visimo - the Shaitan plant owned by the Demidovs), 40 kilometers from Nizhny Tagil, which is on the border of Europe and Asia. The father of the future writer is a hereditary priest. The family is large (four children), friendly, hard-working ("without work, I did not see either my father or mother"), reading (the family had its own library, magazines and books were ordered from St. Petersburg. Mother loved to read aloud to children. Dmitry's favorite book in childhood was "Childhood of Bagrov - grandson" (Aksakov).Mitya from childhood "dreamed of becoming a writer."

They lived poorly. Father often said: "Fed, dressed, warm - the rest is a whim." He gave a lot of time to his own and other people's children, taught village children for free.

About his early childhood and about his parents, the writer said: "There was not a single bitter memory, not a single childhood reproach." Hundreds of amazing letters from Dmitry Narkisovich to his parents have been preserved, where he writes “Mom” and “Dad” always with capital letter.

But the time has come for the boys to learn seriously. Narkis Mamin had no money for a gymnasium for his sons. Dmitry and his older brother were taken to the Ekaterinburg Theological School (free of charge), where their father once studied. It was hard times for Mitya. He considered the years in the "bursa" lost and even harmful: hunger, cold, humiliation: "... the school did not give anything to my mind, did not read a single book ... and did not acquire any knowledge" (Later Pavel graduated from the same school Petrovich Bazhov). After religious school there was a direct path to the Perm Theological Seminary. There, Dmitry Mamin began his first literary work. But he was "cramped" in the seminary, he became a medical student in St. Petersburg. It was extremely difficult for him to study, his father could not send him money. He often went hungry and was poorly dressed. Dmitry earned his bread by writing for newspapers. And then there is a serious illness - tuberculosis. I had to quit my studies and return home, to the Urals (1878), but already to the city of Nizhnyaya Salda, where his family moved. But soon his father dies. Dmitry takes care of all the family.

Ural singer.

Dmitry Narkisovich had to work very hard, give lessons: “For three years, 12 hours a day, I wandered through private lessons.” He wrote articles and educated himself. Moved to Yekaterinburg. Wrote books. They contain the Urals and its people. He traveled many roads in the Urals, rafted along the Ural rivers, met many interesting people studied the archives archaeological excavations. He knew the history of the Urals, the economy, nature, folk tales and legends. "Ural! Ural! The body is stone, the heart is fiery "It was his favorite expression. He loved the Urals very much, he wrote to his brother: “The Motherland is our second mother, and such a Motherland as the Urals, even more so ...”. And he himself was a typical Uralian. Chekhov wrote about him: “There, in the Urals, everyone must be like that, no matter how much they are pounded in a mortar, and they are all grain, not flour ...”

He signed his first journalistic works D. Sibiryak. In those days, everything that was beyond the Ural Mountains was called Siberia. He began to sign novels with the double surname Mamin - Sibiryak. Now he would call himself Mamin - Ural.

It was not immediately recognized. For 9 years he sent his stories and novels to different editions and was refused. And only later, when his novels were published, did he become a famous writer in the Urals. About his novels, you can conduct a separate serious conversation. "Privalovsky millions", "Mountain nest", "Gold". (Some of them were filmed, turned into plays). The novels required a lot of work from Mamin-Sibiryak, I had to rewrite many times, edit it myself. He was talented in many literary genres: novels, short stories, stories, fairy tales, legends, essays. His works are original. About the language of his works, Chekhov wrote: "Mamin's words are all real, but he himself speaks them and does not know others."

It is no coincidence that he is called the "singer of the Urals." Mamin - Sibiryak "discovered" the Urals to the world with all its riches and history.

We should also be grateful to the writer for the pages dedicated to our Southern Urals.

Mamin - Siberian and Southern Urals

Dmitry Narkisovich dreamed of visiting our places, until the railway was built, which would change life in the Southern Urals. In the summer of 1886, his dream came true. He rode on horseback from Yekaterinburg through Kasli, Kyshtym, Zlatoust, Miass... Then for the first time he saw mountains and lakes, cities and factories, the poor Bashkir villages of the Southern Urals. Mamin-Sibiryak left in his travel notes not only an enthusiastic description of nature, cities, folk life, but also how an experienced economist spoke about industry, agriculture, gold mining, indigenous problems. "Through the Trans-Urals" (as he called our region) - these are 70 pages of vivid impressions from Dmitry Narkisovich's journey along our roads. (By the way, could Mamin-Sibiryak then assume that the engineer and writer Garin-Mikhailovsky, who would become one of his closest friends, would soon build a railway in these places?)

But it is a pity that for many years these travel notes, which are very interesting for us, were almost inaccessible to readers. They were published in 1887 in Yekaterinburg. And later only in the almanac "South Ural" in 1952 (No. 8 - 9).

It is impossible not to quote at least a few lines from travel notes:

“... In general, the Urals is considered a gold mine, but the Trans-Urals are gold itself. Imagine this picture: on the one hand, there is a mighty mountain range with its inexhaustible ore wealth, forests and a whole network of lively mountain rivers, now behind it opens a rich black earth strip, dotted with hundreds of beautiful lakes teeming with fish, and then spreads wavy line a real steppe with its feather grass, salt marshes and Kyrgyz camps.

If a special task were given to come up with best conditions For human existence, then even then it would be difficult to invent a happier combination, except perhaps that this blessed corner is only not connected to the open sea or a large navigable river, although the happiness of such too open places is still a doubtful question "...

It’s a pity that there was no publisher in Chelyabinsk who would publish “Across the Trans-Urals” as a separate book!

On the other hand, his story “Overnight Stay” (1891) was very popular with us, in which he talks about one unsuccessful overnight stay in Chelyabinsk, when the city seemed to him dirty, gray, evil, when bedbugs did not let him sleep, barking dogs. The story is full of sharp irony. It was often published because it was beautiful illustration how Chelyabinsk has changed over the years Soviet power.

Mamin - Sibiryak also had an essay " dead lake"(about Uvildy). Dead writer He named it because then there were no settlements on its shores. And this essay was not published during the Soviet era. Only now we can read everything that Mamin - Sibiryak wrote about the Southern Urals.

The life of a writer at a turning point

Dmitry Narkisovich was approaching his fortieth birthday. Comparative prosperity has come. The royalties from the publication of novels gave him the opportunity to buy a house in the center of Yekaterinburg for his mother and sister. He is married (civil marriage) to Maria Alekseeva, who left her husband and three children for him. She is older than him, a well-known public figure, an assistant in writing

It would seem that there is everything for a happy life. But Dmitry Narkisovich began a spiritual discord. His work was not noticed by metropolitan critics, there were few responses from readers. Mamin - a Siberian writes to a friend: "... I gave them a whole region with people, nature and all the riches, and they do not even look at my gift."

I was tormented by dissatisfaction with myself. The marriage was not very successful. There were no children. It seemed like life was ending. Dmitry Narkisovich began to drink.

But for the new theatrical season (1890), a beautiful young actress Maria Moritsevna Heinrich (her father was a Hungarian) arrived from St. Petersburg, Abramova by her husband and stage. They could not but get acquainted, because. Maria brought Mamin the Siberian a gift from Korolenko (his portrait). They fell in love with each other. She is 25 years old, he is 39 years old. Dmitry Narkisovich rejuvenated, as if reborn. But everything was not easy. He was tormented by debt to his wife. Mary's husband did not give a divorce. The family of Mamin-Sibiryak and friends were against this union. Gossip and gossip spread throughout the city. The actress was not allowed to work, there was no life for the writer either. The lovers had no choice but to flee to St. Petersburg. On March 21, 1891, they left, more than Mamin - the Sibiryak no longer lived in the Urals.

But the happiness of the young family was short-lived. Maria gave birth to a daughter and the next day (March 21, 1892) she died. Dmitry Narkisovich almost committed suicide from grief, cried at night, went to pray in St. Isaac's Cathedral, tried to fill grief with vodka. From a letter to his mother: “... happiness flashed like a bright comet, leaving a heavy and bitter aftertaste ... Sad, hard, lonely. Our girl remained in her arms, Elena - all my happiness. From letters to my sister: “I have one thought about Marusya and I will probably go crazy on her ... I go for a walk to talk loudly with Marusya.”

The life of Mamin-Siberian has become completely different. It must also be said that Dmitry Narkisovich took care of the sick father of Maria Moritsevna and her younger sister Elizabeth. The fate of Elizaveta Moritsevna also turned out to be very difficult. Having matured, she married Kuprin, returned with him from abroad in 1937 to the USSR, and a year later she buried her husband here. And five years later, during the blockade of Leningrad, she committed suicide “from hunger, cold, longing and the meaninglessness of existence” (as they later wrote about her).

"Alyonushka's Tales"

Elena - Alyonushka was born a sick child (infantile paralysis). Doctors said - "not a tenant." But the father, friends of the father, the nanny - the educator - "Aunt Olya" (Olga Frantsevna Guvale later became the wife of Mamin - Sibiryak. It was a marriage of mutual respect) pulled Alyonushka from the "other world". While Alyonushka was little, her father sat by her bed for days and nights. No wonder she was called "father's daughter." We can say that Mamin - Sibiryak accomplished the feat of fatherhood. Rather, he accomplished two feats: he found the strength to survive, to write. And he did not let the child go to waste.

When the girl began to understand, her father began to tell her fairy tales, first those that he knew, then he began to compose his own fairy tales, on the advice of friends, he began to write them down and collect them. Alyonushka had a good memory, so the writer - father could not be repeated in fairy tales.

In 1896 Alyonushka's Tales came out separate edition. Mamin-Sibiryak wrote: “... The publication is very nice. This is my favorite book - it was written by love itself, and therefore it will outlive everything else. These words turned out to be prophetic. His "Alyonushka's Tales" are published annually, translated into different languages. Much has been written about them, they are associated with folklore traditions, the writer's ability to entertain the child with important moral concepts, especially the feeling of kindness. It is no coincidence that the language of "Alyonushka's fairy tales" was called "Mother's syllable" by contemporaries. Kuprin wrote about them: "These tales are prose poems, more artistic than Turgenev's." Mamin - Siberian immortalized the name of his daughter in his fairy tales.

Mamin-Sibiryak during these years writes to the editor: “If I were rich, I would devote myself to children's literature. After all, it is happiness to write for children.”

You just have to imagine what state of mind he wrote stories. The fact is that Dmitry Narkisovich had no rights to his child. Alyonushka was "the illegitimate daughter of the petty bourgeois Abramova", and the first husband of Maria Moritsevna, out of revenge, did not give permission for adoption. Mamin-Sibiryak reached despair, he was going to kill Abramov. “Finally, I can adopt her! For ten years this sword of Damocles hung over me! How much I have suffered during this time!” “After all, I live only for Alyonushka!” (from the diary).

"Happiness to write for children"

Mamin - Siberian, long before Alyonushka's Tales, knew this happiness. Long before the birth of Alyonushka, the first story was written - an essay for children "The Conquest of Siberia" (and he has about 150 children's works in total!). He was associated with metropolitan magazines " Children's reading”, “Spring”, etc. “Alyonushka's Tales” were first published in “Children's Reading”.

Everyone knows the fairy tale "The Gray Neck". She, along with Alyonushka's Tales, was included in the collection Tales of Russian Writers (in the series Library of World Literature for Children). When the tale was written, it had a sad ending, but later Mamin the Sibiryak finished the chapter on saving the Gray Neck. The tale was published many times - both separately and in collections. Many fairy tales recent years have not been published. Now they are returning to the readers. Now we can read "Confession of the old St. Petersburg cat Vaska", written back in 1903. and etc.

The children's stories of Mamin-Sibiryak are very famous: “Emelya is a hunter”, “Winter hut on Studenaya”, “Spit”, “Rich man and Yeremka”. Some of these stories were highly appreciated during the life of the writer. "Emelya the Hunter" was awarded the Prize of the Pedagogical Society in St. Petersburg, and in 1884 received the International Prize. The story "Wintering on Studenaya" was awarded the Gold Medal in St. Petersburg. And now these stories are included in the circle of the best children's literature. They have such a knowledge of child psychology, history, life, nature, such a wonderful language that even now they are published and translated into different languages.

Dmitry Narkisovich dreamed of writing books related to history for children. From a letter from my mother: "I want to write Russian history in the form of a journey." But the very first essays were banned by the censors for the "spirit of freedom." The work never came out.

Legends in the work of Mamin - Sibiryak

They are less familiar to our readers. The writer had a longstanding interest in folk legends, especially those created by the indigenous population of the Urals and Trans-Urals: Bashkir, Tatar. Previously, part of the indigenous population was called the Kirghiz (they are mentioned in the legends of Mamin - Sibiryak). In 1889, he wrote to the Society of Russian Literature: “... I would like to start collecting songs, fairy tales, beliefs and other works folk art' He asked for permission to do so. Permission "Open List") was given to Mamin - Sibiryak. He had big plans.

He wanted to write a historical tragedy about Khan Kuchum, but did not have time. He wrote only five legends. They came out as a separate book in 1898, which was later not republished. Some of the legends were included in the collected works of Mamin-Sibiryak, the most famous of which is Ak-Bozat. Legends have strong, bright heroes, their love for freedom, just love. The legend of "Maya" is clearly autobiographical, in it the early death of the heroine, who left small child, the endless grief of the protagonist, who loved his wife very much, and the consonance of names - Maya, Maria. This is his personal song about bitter love, about longing for the dead beloved.

The legends seem to be folk, but Mamin-Siberian took from the people only the language, turns of speech. I would like to believe that the legends of Mamin - Sibiryak will be available to readers, both children and adults.

Christmas stories and fairy tales of Mamin Sibiryak

The son of a priest, a believer - Mamin - Sibiryak wrote Christmas, Christmas stories and fairy tales for both adults and children. After 1917, of course, they were not printed, because. these works could not be linked with the name of the writer - a democrat, with the time of the struggle against religion. Now they are published. IN Christmas stories and fairy tales Mamin-Siberian preaches the ideas of peace and harmony between people different nationalities, different social strata, people different ages. They are written with humor and optimism.

The last period of the life of Mamin - Sibiryak

The last years of Dmitry Narkisovich were especially difficult. He was sick a lot. He was very afraid for the fate of his daughter. He buried his closest friends: Chekhov, Gleb Uspensky, Stanyukovich, Garin-Mikhailovsky. It was almost out of print. March 21 (fatal day for Mamin - Sibiryak) 1910, his mother dies. It was a huge loss for him. In 1911, he was "smashed" by paralysis. Shortly before his departure, he wrote to a friend: “... the end is soon ... I have nothing to regret in literature, she has always been my stepmother ... Well, to hell with her, especially since for me personally she is intertwined was with a bitter need, which even the closest friends do not talk about.

But his anniversary was approaching: 60 years from the date of birth and 40 years of writing. They remembered him, came to congratulate him. And Mamin - Sibiryak was in such a state that he no longer heard anything. At 60, he seemed like a decrepit old man with dull eyes. The anniversary was like a memorial service. Good words were spoken: "Pride of Russian literature", "Artist of the word" ... They presented a luxurious album with congratulations and wishes. This album also contained words about his work for children: “You opened your soul to our children. You understood and loved them, and they understood and loved you…”

But it was already too late. Dmitry Narkisovich died six days later (November 1912), and after his death there were still telegrams with congratulations.

The capital press did not notice the departure of Mamin-Sibiryak. Only in Yekaterinburg, friends and admirers of his talent gathered for a funeral evening. They buried Mamin - Sibiryak next to his wife in the Alexander - Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.

The fate of Alyonushka

For many years, the children read Alyonushka's Tales, but neither they nor their parents knew about the fate of Alyonushka herself (Elena Mamina).

Because of her illness, she could not go to school. She was taught at home. Dmitry Narkisovich paid a lot of attention to the development of the girl, he made toys for the little one, grew up - took her to museums, taught her to draw. He himself was a good artist. I read to her a lot. Alyonushka drew, wrote poetry, took music lessons. Mom - Siberian dreamed of going to his native places and showing his daughter the Urals. But the doctors forbade Alyonushka from long trips.

Elena survived her father by two years. After his death, she insisted on a trip to Yekaterinburg. I looked at the city, the surroundings, met with relatives. In her will, she wrote that her father's house, after the death of the last owner, would become a museum, "which I urgently ask you to arrange in this city and, if possible, in the bequeathed house or the house that will be built in its place."

In the center of Yekaterinburg there is a wonderful "Literary Quarter", which includes the preserved house of Mamin - Sibiryak (Pushkinskaya 27). There - the situation from those ancient times, books, photographs, drawings of the writer and that very huge beautiful anniversary album.

Alyonushka died at the age of 22 from transient consumption in the autumn of 1914, when the first World War. All her archives, poems, drawings, part of her father's works were lost. Alyonushka was buried next to his father and mother. A year later, a monument was erected to all three. The words of Mamin - Sibiryak are carved on it: “To live a thousand lives, suffer and rejoice in a thousand hearts - this is where real life and true happiness.

In 1956, the ashes of the Mamin family were transferred to the Volkovo cemetery in St. Petersburg.

The memory of D.N. Mamin - Siberian is alive. His books are alive. In addition to the House-Museum in Yekaterinburg (Mamin-Sibiryak bequeathed his manuscripts to this city), the House-Museum of the writer was created in his homeland in Visim. In Chelyabinsk there is a street named after him, a library.

In Yekaterinburg, for the 150th anniversary of the writer, for the first time, a complete 20-volume collection of works by Mamin-Sibiryak began to appear.

The Association of Writers of the Urals established in 2002 the All-Russian literary prize named after Mamin - Siberian. Our writers from South Urals also became laureates of this award: Rustam Valeev, Nikolai Godina, Rimma Dyshalenkova, Sergey Borisov, Kirill Shishov.

When they buried Mamin - Sibiryak, the poet A. Korinfsky read a poem over the grave, which ended like this:

“But I believe: in future generations

You will live, Ural gem!

This is very consonant with the words of Anton Chekhov: “Mother belongs to those writers who are truly read and appreciated after their death.” Almost a hundred years have passed since the death of the writer. His books are outdated. For us, the Urals residents, they are especially valuable. They are in all libraries. We and our children, our grandchildren should be familiar with them.

About life and workD.N. Mamin-Sibiryak

Mamin-Sibiryak D.N. In the memoirs of contemporaries. - Sverdlovsk: Sverdl. book. publishing house, 1962. - 361 p.

Udintsev B.D., Bogolyubov K. Singer of the Urals. D.N. Mamin-Siberian. - Sverdlovsk, 1969. - 116 p.

Kitainik M.G. Father and daughter: Essay in letters // Mamin-Sibiryak D.N. Green mountains. - M.: Mol.guard, 1982. - S. 332-365.

Kapitonova N.A. “Love itself wrote it…” // Chelyab. worker. - 1996. - November 6. - S. 6.

Shevarov D. "There have come some short times... ": (To the 145th anniversary of D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak) // First of September. - 1997. - November 6. - p. 8

Kazyulkina I.S. (with the participation of E.P. Chudinova) Mamin-Sibiryak Dmitry Narkisovich // Writers of our childhood. 100 names: Biographic dictionary in 3 parts. Part 2. - M.: Liberea, 1999. - S. 295-298.

Agareva E. “After all, it is happiness to write for children” // Doshk.vosp. - 2000. - No. 1. - S. 79-81.

Podtyazhkin E. Fairy tales for Elena // South-Ural.panorama. - 2001. - 27 Oct. - S. 44.

x x x

Buyacheva O.Yu. Favorite person: Lit.evening, dedicated. D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak // Reading, learning, playing.-2002.-Vol.3.-P.70-74.

Gaivoronskaya T.A. Tales of evening twilight: / Literary performance for the 150th anniversary of D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak // Reading, learning, playing.-2002.-Iss.3.-P.66-69.

D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak

Along the Trans-Urals

Travel notes

Excerpts from the almanac "Southern Ural" (1952. - No. 8-9. - P. 17-87).

“... In general, the Urals is considered a gold mine, but the Trans-Urals are gold itself. Imagine this picture: on the one hand, there is a mighty mountain range with its inexhaustible ore wealth, forests and a whole network of lively mountain rivers, now behind it opens a rich black earth strip, dotted with hundreds of beautiful and teeming with fish lakes, and then the real steppe already spreads like a wavy line with its feather grass, salt marshes and Kyrgyz camps.

If a special task were set to come up with the best conditions for human existence, then even then it would be difficult to invent a happier combination, except perhaps that this blessed corner is only not connected to the open sea or a large navigable river, although the happiness of such open spaces is still a dubious question..” (p. 21).

“... The view of the lake is especially good. Bolshiye Kasli, to the Cherry Mountains and to the distant panorama of the Kasli plant from Lake Kisegach. This is real Ural Switzerland. And one can only wonder how such a mass of all kinds of grace is collected in a relatively small space. In the nearest lavdas, several duck broods swam up before our eyes, and white gulls bustlingly ran along the wet sand of the coastal surf. To the factory the road goes ten versts all the time along the shore of the lake. Factory churches are beautifully whitened, different buildings are full of colors, and this view does not lose close up, as sometimes happens with beautiful landscapes. Soon our carriage rolled along the wide Kasli street, past such good and so densely set houses - I have not yet seen such outward contentment, because in the richest places it is concentrated only near the market and churches ... ”(p. 35).

“... The road approaches the Kyshtymsky plant itself with a magnificent forest. The factory church is still visible across the lake. This plant is considered the most beautiful in the Urals, even more beautiful than Kasli, but, in our opinion, this is not fair: both plants are good in their own way. Kyshtym is located completely in the mountains, but it lacks water compared to Kasly - the Irtyash is left behind, and there is only one pond in the plant, which you don’t even want to look at after the lakes. Then in Kyshtym you will no longer meet the Kasli contentment and the key of a beating life - buildings are falling down, many empty houses and, in general, the abomination of desolation is settling in. Once Kyshtym was famous as a bustling place, but now everything has gone to Kasli ... ”(p. 43).

“... Soon a corner of the last huge mountain lake Uvildy appeared, which is 25 versts long and 20 versts wide. The depth reaches 25 sazhens. It is remarkable that in Uvildy the water is completely transparent, and you can clearly see every pebble at a depth of several fathoms. As they say, this is the most beautiful of the mountain lakes: there are forests on all sides, many islands, etc. We could only see a small bay into which the Cheremshanka mountain stream flows, but even here a charming panorama opens up to the eye - the entire coast is as if weaved with thick sedge and lavds, and the blue water looks out of its green frame with the most bizarre patterns. In the wide windows, duck broods were quietly feeding, which I counted up to a dozen ... ”(p. 47-48).

“... So, we drove and admired. The further, the better. Fast Miyas spilled wider and wider, taking in the lively mountain rivers: birch groves were replaced by pine forests, the Ilmensky mountains went in bluish ridges on the left, and on the right rose the Southern Urals. And in this blessed valley there is almost no habitation - everything around is empty and free, and apart from the predatory cut down old pines, nothing spoke of the presence of man.

Get out and the Bashkyr went ... - the “teacher” poked with a whip on the huts that were lonely sticking out in the open field. - Palaces!

It was the first real Bashkir village on our way. There were only five or six huts, and what kind of huts: rickety, without roofs, with one window and without any outbuildings. The log cabins were made clumsily, the caulk, too, and there was nothing living around: no cattle, no chicken. This shabby Bashkir housing smelled of something so dead, and a stone's throw from an excellent timber forest, right under the nose of the richest floodplain meadows and Bashkir black soil. We are driving through the village - it is empty, like in a cemetery ... ”(p. 54-55).

“...Lake Turgoyak was the last on our way. It lay in the mountains and scattered its houses along the open shore, more than a village of the same name. From a distance, the picture is very beautiful, but close up it loses its charm, like almost all Russian picturesque areas - the huts stretch out into a dirty wide street, and at least one garden or bush. And the mountains here look very severe with their grayish-blue tones, which indicates a high position above sea level. In Turgoyak there is a stone church, a mill, and it seems that there are no other attractions .. ”(p. 57).

“... How great the fish wealth really is, the best proof is this example: the lakes of the Kyshtymskaya dacha bring more income than the factories themselves, which are considered one of the best in the Urals, although the fishing industry is carried out in the most predatory way, and there was not even a mention of any methods of pisseculture . It can be said with certainty that the Kasli fish merchants did everything they could to kill the fish in the lakes, but the most heroic efforts were in vain: the fish breeds with amazing speed and calls for its extermination of new brilliant entrepreneurs ... ”(p. 60).

“... But now the dam ends, and at the turn a third view of Zlatoust opens up: in front of the factory dam, under it there are a number of factories, near the cathedral there is a pretty square, straight ahead is a large managerial house, which looks like the owner, and then clean little houses stretched out in regular rows , resting against the mountain, which in the background makes sharp turn. Ahead is also a mountain with a chapel at the top. The view is very, very good, although it is impossible to look at everything at once - you will not find such a point, because two mountains that have moved near the pond divide the field of view.

On the dam, where a wooden platform was built, which protruded on piles into the pond, the "clean public" sits and walks - several ladies' hats, two mining engineering caps and even some kind of military uniform. real city, in a word, and everything is “formal” as our driver says ... ”(p. 66-67).

«… General impression from this town the most peaceful and good. It turns out something in between a factory and a city, but all this is on a small scale, as needed for 20,000 people. Personally, I like the lively mountain river Ai and the mountains that surround it: Kosatur, Mis, Palenaya, Tatarka, etc. In the depths, Taganay rises in heavy blue masses, dividing into three branches - small, medium and large. We walked for a long time along the banks of the Aya River, where such a beautiful embankment with such cozy, charming houses stretched out behind the factory. A cavalcade galloped past us twice - two Amazons and several riders. A herd of cows descended from Kosatur; the animals clung to the winding mountain path like boogers. Everything is quiet and peaceful, you don’t hear a rollicking song or a drunken scream, as happens in the evenings in real cities ... ”(p. 68).

“... But Chrysostom is distinguished not only by the absence of taverns - it also does not have a single middle- educational institution: no gymnasium, no pro-gymnasium, but only one county school, and that seems to have been opened recently. It surprises you: a whole city and one county school. Add to this the fact that this is the only city in Russia that exists, as it were, between heaven and earth: it does not have its own land. The secret of this music lies in the fact that Zlatoust was transformed into a county town in 1865 from a state-owned mining plant, and the mining department still does not want to give up its rights related to the land. The city is left without a land allotment…” (p. 73).

“... Approaching the Miyassky plant, you feel that you are going down into the plain, which from here spreads like a boundless carpet, up to the real Siberian ridges.

The Miyassky plant lay along the Miyasu River in a wide valley, and in its outward appearance there is absolutely nothing remarkable, except perhaps for one river, this deep and lively mountain beauty, still full of wild freshness. Around the bare hilly plain, the mountains remain in the west, making up a rather picturesque background, twisted with a bluish-violet haze. Factory buildings are the same as everywhere in factories: straight, wide streets, a bunch of good houses in the center, a church, etc. There is a pond and some kind of factory building. But the interest of Miyasskaya life is concentrated around a long stone building with a sign: “ Main office Miyassky gold mines. By itself, the Miyassky plant in the Urals can be considered one of the main gold nests, followed by Yekaterinburg and Kushva ... ”(p. 79).

“... From the Miyassky plant, the road went already as an undulating plain, where not a single tree was visible for tens of miles. The Urals remained a bluish block far behind, and the farther forward we moved, the higher it rose, like the walls and bastions of some gigantic fortress ... ”(p. 86).

N. A. Kapitonova

The study of stories and fairy tales by Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak was part of the mandatory school curriculum, and the portrait hung in every literature cabinet along with other classics. The writer's works were read easily and with pleasure, as they were distinguished by colorful descriptions and realism, although Dmitry Narkisovich generously used folk tales and legends. Still, with whom the prose writer made acquaintance, spoke about a colleague:

“Mamin’s words are all real, but he himself speaks them and does not know others.”

Childhood and youth

Dmitry, born in November 1852, is the son of the priest Narkis Matveyevich Mamin and the daughter of the deacon Anna Semyonovna Stepanova. According to some reports, the younger sister Elizabeth, brothers Vladimir and Nikolai also grew up in the family. Some sources indicate that Nikolai was the eldest child, because he was born two years earlier.

The writer's father served in the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Visim, not far from modern Nizhny Tagil, and was a member of the Ural Society of Natural Science Lovers. Mother taught for free at the local parochial school. Dmitry had only positive memories of his childhood, which cannot be said about the mature years of his biography. He wrote that he could not remember a single sad moment, his parents never punished or reproached him for anything.

Dmitry went to school for the children of the workers of the Visimo-Shaitan ironworks, owned by Akinfiy Demidov, a representative of a well-known dynasty of industrialists. At the age of 12, at the insistence of Narkis, who wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, Dima entered a religious school in Yekaterinburg. However, the harsh morals of the educational institution so influenced the already weak boy that he fell ill. The father brought the heir home, and for two years Mamin-Sibiryak enjoyed home peace, reading books, and walks.

Then Dmitry was forced to return to the school, from there he moved to the Perm Theological Seminary. I had to live from hand to mouth. Church education, according to the memoirs of Mamin-Sibiryak, did not provide food for thought. The only plus is there future writer entered the circle of advanced seminarians who were fond of the ideas of Alexander Herzen and Nikolai Dobrolyubov.

The young man rushed about in search of his own vocation. He left for St. Petersburg, entered the veterinary faculty of the Medical Academy, and later transferred to the general surgical faculty. The next stage of education was St. Petersburg University, Department of Natural Sciences, then - Faculty of Law.

At the same time, Dmitry worked as a tutor and managed to help his brother Vladimir with money when he studied at Moscow University and the Demidov Lyceum. Subsequently, the younger brother became a famous lawyer and politician. The prose writer himself did not graduate from any university.

Mamin-Sibiryak had to leave the university due to illness - the writer struggled with tuberculosis all his life. Dmitry returned to Nizhnyaya Salda to his parents. After the death of his father, which happened in 1878, the care of the maintenance of the family fell on his shoulders. heavy financial position forced the Mamins to move to Yekaterinburg, where the only breadwinner hoped to find work.

However, the expectations were not met. Dmitry wrote a lot, tried the genres of stories, short stories, essays. He bombarded publishing houses with his writings, but everywhere he met with indifference and refusal. Saving for the family was Dmitry's acquaintance with his first wife and the first publications - in 1881, the Moscow "Russian Vedomosti" published essays about the writer's homeland "From the Urals to Moscow", signed by D. Sibiryak. So the pseudonym joined the surname Mamin.

Literature

Dmitry Narkisovich's first attempt at writing came during his studies at the seminary. The work of the writer, who sang of the beauty, history, people of the Urals, was not recognized in the capital circles for a long time. Mamin-Sibiryak was known as a talented provincial.

Only after the release of the novel "The Mountain Nest" about elemental forces that change the usual way of life, they started talking about the author, and Dmitry bought a house for his mother and sister in Yekaterinburg for a fee. The stories “In thin souls”, “Prospectors”, “In stones” added success.

The logical continuation was the novel "On the Street", in which the writer spoke about the development of capitalism, accompanied by the breaking of old ideals and the search for new ones among the St. Petersburg intelligentsia.

The works "The Gordeev Brothers" and "Bread" were published in St. Petersburg. The novel "Gold" described the flavor of Siberian nature, the life of prospectors, the peculiarities of human nature, which manifests itself in all its diversity under the influence of despicable metal. The fact that not everyone passes the test of wealth was told by the work “Wild Happiness”.

In 1896 Alyonushka's Tales, a symbol of optimism and faith in goodness, were published as a separate book. The writer said that if it were his will, he would compose only for children, since this is the highest happiness. The stories "Emelya the hunter" and "Zimovye on Studenaya" were awarded prizes. "The Tale of the Brave Hare" carries a moral: belief in own forces and the support of loved ones will help move mountains.

In addition to developing children's perception and broadening their horizons, the works of Mamin-Sibiryak pursued a moral goal, so that the reader would think about the fate of the heroes.

The novel "Privalovsky millions" is the pearl of Dmitry's creativity. Subsequent works, according to literary critics, did not come close to this book in depth and artistic power storytelling. And the Russian revolutionaries appreciated the author's attempt to awaken the conscience of the rich and draw attention to the situation of ordinary working people.

Personal life

The writer met his first wife Maria Yakimovna Alekseeva in 1877 at a picnic. The woman was married and raised 3 children. Her father held a high position at the enterprises of the Demidovs. A year later, Maria left her husband and moved to Yekaterinburg.

The couple began to live in a civil marriage, and soon provincial city Dmitry moved own family. In the person of Alekseeva, a man found not only personal happiness, but also a smart, reliable adviser in creative issues and editor of works.

However, in 1890 the union broke up. Dmitry got along with the daughter of a local photographer, Maria Moritsevna Heinrich. And this beloved was also not free, but she did not live with her husband, the St. Petersburg actor Abramov. Finally, Mamin-Sibiryak dedicated the novel "Three Ends" to his first wife and left with Heinrich for St. Petersburg.

The girl, who, by the way, was almost 2 times younger than the writer, never got a divorce. Dmitry's happiness lasted a little over a year - in 1892 Abramova died, a day after the birth of their daughter. The baby was named Elena, and her father affectionately called her Alyonushka.

Interesting fact: younger sister Mary, Elizabeth, the second wife of the writer Alexander Kuprin. His first wife, Maria Karlovna, grew up in the family of the director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Karl Davydov. The musician's widow subsequently sheltered 10-year-old Lisa and Lena while the writer was dealing with adoption issues.

For a child, legally illegitimate, Dmitry had to "fight" in order to give him his last name. Only Minister of Justice Nikolay Muravyov gave the highest permission for that. In addition, the girl developed an ailment, popularly nicknamed "the dance of St. Vitus." And the death of his beloved knocked down the man, he fell into depression, began to drink, thoughts of suicide appeared.

It brought to life the realization that Lenochka needed to be put on her feet. Mamin-Sibiryak devoted the cycle "Alyonushka's Tales", imbued with understanding, to the daughters of Mamin-Sibiryak child character and, according to the writer, written by love itself. The famous "Grey Neck" is practically the personification of a little sick girl who has become the center of the universe for the author.

In 1900, the priest's son finally entered into a marriage in accordance with all laws, leading Elena's nanny, Olga Frantsevna Guvala, down the aisle. The governess took up education adopted daughter. The girl drew well, played the piano, wrote poetry, studied foreign languages ​​and philosophy. At 22, Elena died of tuberculosis, having previously visited her father's homeland and made a will, according to which real estate was transferred to Yekaterinburg. In the house of the Mothers, the girl asked to create a museum.

Death

The last years of Mamin-Sibiryak's life were difficult. The writer, who, it seemed, only yesterday gained fame as an inimitable realist, vegetated in poverty. In 1911, Dmitry suffered a stroke, after which he was partially paralyzed. A year later, pleurisy reappeared. All this together caused the death of the singer of the Urals, as Mamin-Sibiryak was called by fellow countrymen, in November 1912.

Dmitry Narkisovich was buried at the Nikolsky cemetery in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In 1914, the grave of Elena Mamina appeared nearby. In 1956, the ashes of the writer, Maria Abramova and their daughter were reburied at Volkovsky cemetery, in the necropolis of workers of culture and science "Literary Bridges".

Bibliography

• "Secrets of the Green Forest"
• "Privalovsky millions"
• "On Sheehan"
• "Bashka"
• "Alyonushka's Tales"
• "Mountain Nest"
• "On the street"
• "Three ends"
• "Gold"
• "Translator at the mines"
• "Ural stories"
• "Baby Shadows"
• "Birthday boy"
• "Crimson Mountains"
• "On a new path"

November 6 (October 25), 1852 was born Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin-Sibiryak (real name - Mamin) - the great Russian prose writer and playwright.

There is no such person in Russia who has not heard the name of Mamin-Sibiryak and has not read at least one of his books.

In the post-revolutionary years, this name was covered with such a thick layer of "textbook gloss" that many do not know the real fate. famous writer, nor many of his works. It is worth saying “Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin-Sibiryak”, as a famous photograph rises before your eyes, where he looks contented with life, a respectable man, in a rich fur coat, in an astrakhan hat.

According to the recollections of his friends, the writer was of medium height, but strong build, charming, with beautiful black eyes, with an invariable pipe. Despite his temper, he was distinguished by kindness and sociability, was known as an excellent storyteller, and was often the soul of the company. At the same time, he did not tolerate injustice, he was a direct, whole person, he did not know how to lie and pretend. Like any good person, "the old people, children loved him and animals were not afraid." The colorful figure of Mamin-Sibiryak was so noticeable that Ilya Repin himself painted from him one of the Cossacks for his famous painting.

However, the personal fate of Mamin-Sibiryak was difficult and unhappy. Only early childhood and fifteen months of a happy marriage can be called prosperous. The creative path of the famous writer was not easy either. At the end of his life, he wrote to publishers that his writings "will be typed into 100 volumes, and only 36 have been published." There was no literary success that he deserved, and family drama Russian prose writer and completely resembles the plot of the Mexican TV series ...

Childhood and youth

Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin was born in the village of Visim (Visimo-Shaitansky plant, owned by the Demidovs), 40 kilometers from Nizhny Tagil, which is on the border of Europe and Asia. The father of the future writer is a hereditary priest. The family is large (four children), friendly, hard-working ("without work, I did not see either my father or mother"), reading. The family had a large library: magazines and books were ordered from St. Petersburg. Mother loved to read aloud to her children. Dmitry's favorite book in childhood was "Childhood of Bagrov-grandson" (Aksakov).

About his early childhood and about his parents, the writer said: "There was not a single bitter memory, not a single childhood reproach." Hundreds of amazing letters from Dmitry Narkisovich to his parents have been preserved, where he writes “Mom” and “Dad” always with a capital letter. But the time has come to study seriously, and the poor priest Mamin did not have money for a gymnasium. Dmitry and his older brother Nikolai were taken to the Yekaterinburg Theological School (Bursa), where their father had once studied. It was a difficult time for Mitya. He considered the years in the bursa to be lost and even harmful: "... the school did not give anything to my mind, did not read a single book ... and did not acquire any knowledge." (Later Pavel Petrovich Bazhov graduated from the same school).

After the theological school, the priest's son had a direct path to the Perm Theological Seminary. There, Dmitry Mamin began his first literary work. But he was “cramped” in the seminary, and the future writer did not complete the course. In 1872, Mamin entered the veterinary department of the St. Petersburg Medical and Surgical Academy. In 1876, without graduating from the academy, he moved to the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. It was extremely difficult for him to study, his father could not send money. The student often went hungry and was poorly dressed. Dmitry earned his bread by writing for newspapers. And then there is a serious illness - tuberculosis. I had to quit my studies and return home to the Urals (1878), but already to the city of Nizhnyaya Salda, where his family moved. Father dies soon. Dmitry takes care of all the family.

Ural singer

Dmitry Narkisovich had to work very hard, give lessons: “For three years, 12 hours a day, I wandered through private lessons.” He wrote articles and educated himself. Moved to Yekaterinburg. Wrote books. The writer traveled many roads in the Urals, rafted along the Ural rivers, met many interesting people, studied archives, and was engaged in archaeological excavations. He knew the history of the Urals, economy, nature, folk tales and legends. "Ural! Ural! The body is stone, the heart is fiery” - this was his favorite expression.

The future “classic” signed his first journalistic works D. Sibiryak. In those days, everything that was beyond the Ural Mountains was called Siberia. He began to sign novels with the double surname Mamin-Sibiryak. Now he would call himself Mamin-Ural.

Recognition did not come to the writer immediately. For 9 years he sent his works to different editions and always received a refusal. Only in 1881-1882, a series of essays by D. Sibiryak "From the Urals to Moscow" was published in the Moscow newspaper Russkiye Vedomosti. The talented provincial was noticed not by publishers, but by radical journalists. The St. Petersburg censored magazine Delo published a number of his essays on Ural land, and later the most famous novel "Privalovsky Millions" was published. However, for a serious writer to be published in the "Delo" of the 80s did not represent a great honor: the magazine lived out its last days and took any material allowed by censorship (up to tabloid novels). The works of Mamin-Sibiryak deserved more. However, this publication allowed the talented writer to finally "get through" to the capital's publishing houses and become famous not only in the Urals, but also in the European part of the great country.

Mamin-Sibiryak opened the Urals to the world with all its riches and history. About his novels, you need to conduct a separate and serious conversation, which will not fit into the scope of this essay. The novels demanded a lot of work from Mamin-Sibiryak. The writer did not have assistants and secretaries: he had to rewrite and edit manuscripts many times, make inserts, and perform technical processing of texts. Mamin-Sibiryak was distinguished by his great capacity for work as a writer and was talented in many literary genres: novels, short stories, stories, fairy tales, legends, and essays. The pearls of his work - "Privalovsky Millions", "Mountain Nest", "Gold", "Three Ends" - made a huge contribution to the development of Russian literature and the Russian literary language.

About the language of these works, Chekhov wrote: “Mamin’s words are all real, and he himself speaks them and does not know others.”

Life at a turning point

Dmitry Narkisovich was approaching his fortieth birthday. Comparative prosperity has come. The royalties from the publication of novels gave him the opportunity to buy a house in the center of Yekaterinburg for his mother and sister. He married in a civil marriage to Maria Alekseeva, who left her husband and three children for him. She was older than him, a well-known public figure, an assistant in writing.

It would seem that there is everything to live calmly, happy life, but Dmitry Narkisovich began a crisis of "middle age", followed by a complete spiritual discord. His work was not noticed by metropolitan critics. For the reading public, he still remained a little-known "talented provincial". The originality of the creativity of the Ural "nugget" did not find proper understanding among readers. In 1889, Mamin-Sibiryak writes in one of his letters to a friend:

"... I gave them a whole region with people, nature and all the riches, and they don't even look at my gift."

I was tormented by dissatisfaction with myself. The marriage was not very successful. There were no children. It seemed like life was ending. Dmitry Narkisovich began to drink.

But for the new theatrical season of 1890, a beautiful young actress Maria Moritsevna Heinrikh arrived from St. Petersburg (by her husband and stage - Abramova). They could not but get acquainted: Maria brought Mamin-Sibiryak a gift from Korolenko (his portrait). They fell in love with each other. She is 25 years old, he is almost 40. Everything was not easy. The writer was tormented by debt to his wife. The husband did not give Mary a divorce. Mamin-Sibiryak's family and friends were against this union. Gossip and gossip spread throughout the city. The actress was not allowed to work, there was no life for the writer either. The lovers had no choice but to flee to St. Petersburg.

On March 20, 1892, Maria gave birth to a daughter, but she herself died the next day after a difficult birth. Dmitry Narkisovich almost committed suicide. From the shock he experienced, he cried at night, went to pray in St. Isaac's Cathedral, tried to fill his grief with vodka. From letters to my sister: “I have one thought about Marusya ... I go for a walk to talk loudly with Marusya.” From a letter to his mother: “... happiness flashed like a bright comet, leaving a heavy and bitter aftertaste ... Sad, hard, lonely. Our girl remained in her arms, Elena - all my happiness.

"Alyonushka's Tales"

Elena-Alyonushka was born a sick child (infantile cerebral palsy). Doctors said - "not a tenant." But the father, friends of the father, the nanny-educator - “Aunt Olya” (Olga Frantsevna Guvale later became the wife of Mamin-Sibiryak) pulled Alyonushka from the other world. While Alyonushka was little, her father sat by her bed day and night. No wonder she was called "father's daughter." We can say that Mamin-Sibiryak accomplished the feat of fatherhood. Rather, he accomplished three feats: he found the strength to survive, did not let the child die, and began to write again.

The father told the girl fairy tales. At first he told those that he knew, then, when they ended, he began to compose his own. On the advice of friends, Mamin-Sibiryak began to record and collect them. Alyonushka, like all children, had a good memory, so the writer-father could not repeat himself.

In 1896 Alyonushka's Tales was published as a separate edition. Mamin-Sibiryak wrote: “... The publication is very nice. This is my favorite book - it was written by love itself, and therefore it will outlive everything else. These words turned out to be prophetic. His "Alyonushka's Tales" are reprinted annually, translated into different languages. Much has been written about them, they are associated with folklore traditions, the writer's ability to entertain the child with important moral concepts, especially the feeling of kindness. It is no coincidence that the language of "Alyonushka's Tales" was called "Mother's Syllable" by contemporaries. Kuprin wrote about them: "These tales are poems in prose, more artistic than Turgenev's."

Mamin-Sibiryak writes to the editor during these years: “If I were rich, I would devote myself specifically to children's literature. After all, it is happiness to write for children.

Mom-Sibiryak with her daughter

One must only imagine the state of mind in which he wrote these fairy tales! The fact is that Dmitry Narkisovich had no rights to his child. Alyonushka was considered "the illegitimate daughter of the bourgeois Abramova", and the first husband of Maria Moritsevna, out of revenge, did not give permission for her adoption. Mamin-Sibiryak reached despair, he was even going to kill Abramov. Only ten years later, thanks to the efforts of the writer's wife, Olga Frantsevna, permission was obtained.

"Happiness to write for children"

Mamin-Sibiryak knew this happiness long before Alyonushka's Tales. Even in Yekaterinburg, the first story-essay for children "The Conquest of Siberia" was written (and he has about 150 children's works in total!). The writer sent his stories to the capital's magazines "Children's Reading", "Rodnik" and others.

Everyone knows the fairy tale "The Gray Neck". She, along with "Alyonushka's Tales" was included in the collection "Tales of Russian Writers" (in the series "Library of World Literature for Children"). When the tale was written, it had a sad ending, but later Mamin-Sibiryak finished the chapter on saving the Gray Neck. The tale has been published many times - both separately and in collections. Many fairy tales were not published until recent years. Now they are returning to the readers. Now we can read "Confession of the old St. Petersburg cat Vaska", written back in 1903, and others.

WITH early childhood everyone knows the stories of D. N. Mamin-Sibiryak: “Emelya the Hunter”, “Wintering on Studenaya”, “Spit”, “Rich Man and Yeryomka”. Some of these stories were highly appreciated during the life of the writer. "Emelya the Hunter" was awarded the Prize of the Pedagogical Society in St. Petersburg, and in 1884 received the International Prize. The story "Wintering on Studenaya" was awarded the Gold Medal of the St. Petersburg Literacy Committee (1892).

Legends in the work of Mamin-Sibiryak

The writer had a long-standing interest in folk legends, especially those created by the indigenous population of the Urals and Trans-Urals: the Bashkirs, Tatars. Previously, part of the indigenous population was called Kyrgyz (they are mentioned in the legends of Mamin-Sibiryak). In 1889, he wrote to the Society of Russian Literature: "I would like to start collecting songs, fairy tales, beliefs and other works of folk art," he asked for permission to do so. Permission - "Open List" - was issued to Mamin-Sibiryak.

He wanted to write a historical tragedy about Khan Kuchum, but did not have time. Wrote only five legends. They came out as a separate book in 1898, which was later not republished. Some of the legends were included in the collected works of Mamin-Sibiryak, the most famous of which is "Ak-Bozat". Legends have strong, bright heroes, their love for freedom, just love. The legend "Maya" is clearly autobiographical, in it the early death of the heroine, who left a small child, the endless grief of the protagonist, who loved his wife very much, and the consonance of names - Maya, Maria. This is a personal song about bitter love, about longing for a dead loved one.

Christmas stories and fairy tales of Mamin-Sibiryak

The son of a priest, a believer, Mamin-Sibiryak wrote Christmas, Christmas stories and fairy tales for both adults and children. After 1917, of course, they were not printed. During the time of the struggle against religion, these works could not be linked with the name of the democratic writer. Now they are published. In Christmas stories and fairy tales, Mamin-Sibiryak preaches the ideas of peace and harmony between people of different nationalities, different social strata, and different ages. They are written with humor and optimism.

Last period of life

The last years of the writer were especially difficult. He himself was ill a lot and was very worried about the fate of his daughter. He buried his closest friends: Chekhov, Gleb Uspensky, Stanyukovich, Garin-Mikhailovsky. It was almost out of print. March 21 (fatal day for Mamin-Sibiryak) 1910, his mother dies. It was a huge loss for him. In 1911, the writer was paralyzed.

Shortly before his death, he wrote to a friend: “... This is the end soon ... I have nothing to regret in literature, she has always been a stepmother for me ... Well, to hell with her, especially since she personally was intertwined with bitter need, about which even the closest friends do not talk about.

The anniversary of the writer was approaching: 60 years from the date of birth and 40 years of literary work. They remembered him, came to congratulate him. And Mamin-Sibiryak was in such a state that he no longer heard anything. At 60, he seemed like a decrepit old man with dull eyes. The anniversary was like a memorial service. Good words were spoken: “the pride of Russian literature”, “the artist of the word” ... They presented a luxurious album with congratulations and wishes. This album also contained words about his work for children: “You opened your soul to our children. You understood and loved them, and they understood and loved you…”

But the "recognition" came too late: Dmitry Narkisovich died six days later (November 1912). After his death, telegrams with congratulations on the anniversary still went on and on. The capital press did not notice the departure of Mamin-Sibiryak. Only in Yekaterinburg, friends and admirers of his talent gathered for a funeral evening. They buried Mamin-Sibiryak next to his wife at the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.

The fate of Alyonushka

Elena survived her father by two years. After his death, she insisted on a trip to Yekaterinburg. I looked at the city, the surroundings, met with relatives. In her will, Elena Mamina wrote that after the death of the last owner, her father’s house would become a museum, “which I urgently ask you to arrange in this city and, if possible, in the bequeathed house or the house that will be built in its place.”

Her will was fulfilled: in the center of Yekaterinburg there is a wonderful Literary Quarter, which includes the preserved House of Mamin-Sibiryak (Pushkinskaya St., 27) with all the furnishings of those years, books, photographs, drawings and manuscripts of the writer.

Alyonushka died at the age of 22 from transient consumption in the autumn of 1914, during the First World War. All her archives, poems, drawings, part of her father's works were lost. Alyonushka was buried next to her parents. A year later, a monument was erected to all three. The words of Mamin-Sibiryak are carved on it: “To live a thousand lives, suffer and rejoice with a thousand hearts - this is where real life and real happiness are.”

Elena Shirokova

IN Lately site site is increasingly responding to the same search query: “Why is the hero of the fairy tale D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak "Ak-Bozat" left his wife?

The frequency and frightening regularity of this request first surprised us, then puzzled us: “Is it really only this global problem that worries the younger generation of the entire post-Soviet space today?” - we thought.

It turned out that this insoluble question torments only the victims of the current system of secondary education - schoolchildren and students, who, instead of reading Russian literature, are now offered ready-made answers to simple questions, like in a ballot ("yes", "yes", "no", "yes "- cross out the necessary!"). The imperfection of the Unified State Examination is exacerbated by the absolute confidence of students that in the "World Wide Web" one can easily find a solution to all the unsolvable problems that mankind has ever set for itself.

We will not smash this enviable confidence to smithereens, because hope dies last. We will answer this question without using "too many letters", so that the answer can be "assimilated" by every representative of the "Pepsi generation", i.e. - in the spirit of the USE test.

Question: “Why is the hero of the fairy tale D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak "Ak-Bozat" left his wife?
Answer options:

1. He fell in love with a woman from the neighboring harem;
2. He was inflamed with passion for a mare named Ak-Bozat (diagnosis - bestiality);
3. My wife ran the household poorly, did not clean up the wagon and did not know how to milk the mares, and spent the whole day sitting on vkontakte.ru.

Now try, my dear, users who basically do not read anything, point your finger at the sky and choose the correct answer. We would recommend doing this to education officials who compose similar tests in Russian literature. Their sole purpose is to transform Russian schoolchildren into stupid, obedient rams, capable of choosing answers already proposed by someone without unnecessary thought and tedious reading.

We advise all other students to refer to the original source and read a very worthy (not to be confused with the word "sucks"!) literary text fairy tales of the Russian writer D.N. Mamin-Siberian. Reading "Ak-Bozat" will take no more than 10-15 minutes, which in any case is less than the time spent searching for a ready-made answer on the Internet.

So,

“Why is the hero of the fairy tale D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak "Ak-Bozat" left his wife?
(opinion of the authors of the site, familiar with the text "Ak-Bozat")

The hero of the fairy tale Bukharbay, in the past very wealthy man, through his own fault, lost (played, drank, squandered) all his fortune. The only thing he managed to save was a thoroughbred foal named Ak-Bozat (Star). For many years, Bukharbay raised a foal, and the mare Ak-Bozat became the main thing in his life: at the same time, the memory of his father and mother, and the hope for his own better future, an object of self-realization.

Hard work bears fruit: the daughter of a rich man pays attention to Bukharbay, who likes Bukharbay himself. However, as a bride price for her daughter, her father asks for Ak-Bozat! It would seem that a mare is a completely acceptable payment for family happiness with a loving wife.

However, the horse was stolen! And this happens just at the moment when Bukharbay "changed" his destiny - he agreed to exchange Ak-Bozat for family happiness, home And material well-being. As a result, life without Ak-Bozat, without a dream, which he once changed and lost forever, turned out to be unbearable for him. Therefore the hero leaves his wife(!) and rushes on his way to his guiding star - Ak-Bozat, the possession of which, as he understands, was the true meaning of his life.

Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin-Sibiryak(1852 - 1912) - Russian writer and playwright, classic domestic literature.
Many talented writers were born on Russian soil, and one of them is D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak, whose tales still delight young readers. The native Ural man managed to convey through his works the love for native land And careful attitude to nature. The characters of the writer are very diverse - among his heroes you can see boastful hare, a young duck and even a wise taiga tree.

Tales of Mamin - Sibiryak read

Parents will appreciate the cycle of works that Dmitry Narkisovich created for his little daughter Elena. Warmth and love pervade every story that Mamin-Sibiryak came up with - "Alyonushka's Tales" is best read aloud. Having got acquainted with the adventures of Komar Komarovich, Ersh Ershovich or Sparrow Vorobeich, the children will quickly calm down and fall asleep. Rich poetic language Ural writer will improve how general development babies and their inner world.