The Russian enlightenment of the 18th century had a special, national character. It relied on a folk basis and contained democratic elements, which were most fully expressed in the works of Novikov, Fonvizin, Radishchev. Young Krylov also joined them.

Krylov the prose writer acts as a successor to the satirical traditions and principles of Novikov and Fonvizin, deepening and sharpening their criticism of noble society; he expanded the scope of this criticism, covering with it the most diverse spheres of Russian life.

The activities of the young Krylov developed under the sign of advanced ideas.

The squandered heliporter and dandy Promot in one of the letters of the "Mail of Spirits" admits to his unfaithful mistress Neotkaze how many serf "souls" he "spent" (spent) on his outfit: "Learn, inhuman! - he continued with a tragic exclamation, showing her his right hand, studded with rings. - Know that my village Ostatkovo sits on these fingers; on my feet I carry two villages: Bezzhitova and Grablennaya; in this expensive watch you see my beloved village Chastodavavo; my carriage and four horses remind me of my beautiful homestead Pimp; in a word, I cannot now look at any of my caftan and not one of my liveries, which would not bring to my mind a mortgaged village, or a village, or several souls sold as recruits of courtyards. In this caustic characterization of noble squandering, Krylov achieves a wide satirical generalization.

Krylov's "Mail of Spirits" is a kind of journal of one author, which contains the correspondence of "spirits" with the "Arab philosopher Malikulmulk". This form of satire made it possible, under the guise of letters from "spirits" about various events in the "water" or "underground" kingdom, to speak quite transparently about the customs and customs of the capital and the entire state apparatus. Despotism and arbitrariness of the royal power, bribery and dishonesty of officials, noble arrogance and extravagance, ignorance and hypocrisy of the aristocratic elite, lack of rights and hard life of the poor - all this was displayed on the pages of the magazine.

Already in one of the first letters of the "Mail of the Spirits" (a letter from the Far-Sighted), Krylov, characterizing the representatives of the ruling circles, gives all of them a sharply negative assessment. First of all, he speaks of a despot-monarch who “to satisfy his exorbitant ambition, ruins his state and leads his subjects to extreme destruction.” The writer speaks no less negatively about the nobles and courtiers, “tormented by ambition, the desire to increase their power and the fear of losing the mercy of their sovereign”, about “clergy”, “tirelessly thinking about increasing their wealth”, about “greedy and greedy merchants”. All of them care only about their well-being, oppress and ruin the people. Krylov also draws with sharp satirical touches judges and clerks who profit from deceit and embezzlement: the Tikhokradovs, the Chastobralovs, the Khapkins, who are equally dishonorable and mercenary.

Krylov severely condemned the representatives of the monetary plutocracy, whose role was increasingly affecting the life of the country. He showed the greed and rudeness of the tax-farmers and the rich Pluta-rez and Zolotosor, who, together with the nobles and officials, robbed and ruined the people with impunity.

Krylov strongly opposed the class privileges of the nobility, considering these privileges ridiculous and harmful. His critique of noble society goes beyond the moralistic satire of the 18th century, which ridiculed "damage to morals." Krylov contrasted the privileges of the nobility with the demand for equality of estates and the honest fulfillment by each person of his civic duty: “A philistine, virtuous and honest peasant, full of kindness, is a hundred times more precious to me than a nobleman, numbering up to 30 noble tribes in his family, but having no virtues, except the happiness that he was born of noble parents, who, perhaps, no more than he brought benefits to their fatherland, as soon as they multiplied the number of barren branches of their genealogical tree.

Reaching Radishchev's pathos, Krylov denounces despotism and cruel arbitrariness of the power of tyrants and enslavers of peoples hostile to the people. In the "Mail of the Spirits" he speaks with anger about the atrocities of the crowned despots, who, with their predatory, aggressive wars, ruin and destroy entire countries and peoples. Krylov compares these “bloodthirsty tyrants” with fierce predators: “Very often ... I mourn the misfortune of mortals who have enslaved themselves to the power and the waywardness of such people who were born for their death. Lions and tigers did less harm to people than some sovereigns and their ministers. According to Krylov, they cause no less harm by robbing and oppressing their own people.

In Spirit Mail, Krylov resorts to the "Aesopian language", not being able to directly oppose the arbitrariness and despotism of the autocratic regime of Catherine II. He describes in the letters of the "spirits" the orders that prevail in the underworld of Pluto and the underwater kingdom of Neptune, in this veiled form, very transparently ridiculing court customs and mores. Krylov reaches a truly satirical intensity, telling how in the kingdom of Pluto, at the insistence of Proserpina, the dancer Furbinius is appointed "the first head of hell", Who "danced at many European courts and was well received by all court women." The very order to appoint Furbinius is an evil parody of imperial manifestos and decrees. Demanding that "all other shadows obey his (i.e., Furbinia) orders," the order notes that "at least they arouse people's lamentation," "with all that, we command that they be recognized as just."

However, while ridiculing the despotism of autocratic power, directing the arrows of his satire at the all-powerful empress and her court, Krylov, unlike Radishchev, remains on educational positions. He shares the illusions of the educators about an "enlightened sovereign" who supposedly can enforce the laws and takes care of his subjects. Following the wise instructions of the "misanthropic" philosopher, such a sovereign can become "worthy of praise."

Krylov's satire in Spirit Mail stands out among contemporary journalism not only in its ideological content, but also in the variety of artistic means. Krylov uses a variety of techniques, creating hyperbolically pointed images, resorting to the grotesque and parodic use of mythology. "Spirits" convey their observations of people's lives in the tone of an ingenuous story, in which the negative properties of those characters in question become especially evident. The soulless, empty representatives of the noble society are likened to dolls in golden caftans, which, like wooden automata, pace around the stage.

This characteristic feature of the narrative manner was noted by Krylov himself in the words of the gnome Zora: “The more I live between people ... the more it seems to me that I am surrounded by countless dolls, which the smallest reason makes jump, scream, laugh ... Nobody does nothing of his own free will, but everything seems to be on springs ... ”Along with emphasizing the“ puppetry ”, the automatism of the gestures and actions of the characters, exposing their inner emptiness and soullessness, Krylov likens them to animals. surname - "Skotonrav". In these images, one can already see the beginnings of Krylov's future fabled images.

The Spirit Mail lasted only until August 1789. The events of the French Revolution, the storming of the Bastille - all this led to an intensification of reaction in Russia, to severe repressions against the press. Apparently, this made it impossible to continue publishing such a sharp satirical magazine as the Spirit Mail. However, even after the termination of the "Mail of Spirits", Krylov twice took up the publication of the magazines "Spectator" in 1792 and "St. Petersburg Mercury" in 1793, around which he rallied progressive forces.

The publication of these magazines was carried out by Krylov in collaboration with the most prominent actors and playwrights - I. Dmitrevsky and P. Plavilitsikov - and the young writer A. Klushin, who formed a partnership for the publication of books and magazines. In the printing house "G. Krylov and Comrades”, in addition to “The Spectator” and “St. Petersburg Mercury”, a number of books of an educational and progressive nature were published.

Krylov (1769-1844). The son of an army captain, noble but poor. There was no material base for the press and fundamental education. He worked as a boy - a clerk in the Zemsky court. At first he studied dramaturgy.

1787 participation in the magazine "The Cure for Boredom and Worry". 1788 Rachmaninov's magazine Morning Hours. Rachmaninov, a landowner, translated and published all of Voltaire. Helped Krylov. Gave access to his library, gave advice, advised to publish his journal and offered his help.

- Spirit mail.

Published solely in the printing house of Rachmaninov. Monthly. It is a correspondence between the Arab philosopher and magician Malikulmulk and representatives of the elements. 1789 - from January to August. Water, air and underground spirits. Most of the things Krylov comprehended himself. He was born in the year of the publication of "Vskhodyaschiny". His journal echoes The Infernal Mail (1769). Criticism of the nobility and arbitrariness, bureaucracy, regime, etc. Not in open form. There was no breakdown of the material into sections, no authors. Personal journalism. I conceived it as a coherent work. 48 letters, general plot. He relied on the traditions of satirical journalism of 69, re-read all the satirical magazines of that time. This magazine is a novel in letters, it also refers to literature. The story relies on the narrator - usually the main character. In "Infernal Mail" it was demons, in "Trutne" it was a lazy person, in "All sorts of things" it was a well-meaning author. Novels in letters appear before magazines in letters - a prototype. Introduction, which tells how the narrator got these letters. The narrator is a fugitive writer who kept going to the grandee's waiting room, but did not get in. Once he returned from there and hid from the cold in the ruins, where he met the wizard Malikulmulk. The narrator shows the features of Krylov himself. The theme of the little man.

48 letters are divided into 4 parts. Correspondents - gnomes (earth) Vestodav, Zor, etc., sylphs (air) Far-seeing, Svetovid, etc., ondin (water) Boreid. Each element has its own functions, its own style and its own themes. Gnomes know what relates to the theme of human life. Ondine is associated with human thinking. Sylphs are responsible for the most subtle topics - philosophy, reflections on nature, society, the place of man. Salamanders (fire) are not represented, although they were considered the strongest.

Spirits were often among people. Two letters from Malikulmulk himself. The dwarf Horus is sent to earth from hell for a fashionable headdress for Proserpina. There are always motivations for entering the world of people. Despite the fact that all letters are clearly assigned to the structure, each of them can be considered as a separate work. The geography of the letters is varied. Gods, philosophers, landowners, officials and peasants act on equal terms. Characters can also be personified objects, such as a headscarf and an English hat.

Serious critical character. The negative aspects of reality are shown - a satirical grotesque. Aesopian language is the language of allegory, most often forced. allegorical style. First of all, the author is concerned about the morals of the nobility. Speaking names: the young nobleman Promot, his mistress Non-refusal, the theme of gallomania. Passion for everything French, disdain for Russian. Mr. Pripryzhkin marries, uses the peasants for this.

theme of favoritism. Letter 6 is a hint at the system of Catherine's favorites. Dwarf Buriston. Major official. The author tries to fix Buriston's style, creates the appearance of participation in the journal by different authors.

literary theme. Parody of Derzhavin. He seized on two inconsistencies in Derzhavin's work - cemetery motifs, motifs of perishability and the theme of Epicureanism, pleasure. In letter 43, the sylph Svetovid writes that he overheard a conversation between two people on a walk, who give the impression of being smart. They complained about the sorrows and meaninglessness of life, and then went to the tavern. The principle of the satirical grotesque.

Development of the Russian literary language. He used dialect adverbs, folk themes.

Circulation unknown. But in one issue there is information that there were 80 subscribers.

Who is Ivan Krylov, what did he write about? We will try to tell you about all this today, relying on various sources from the Internet.

Krylov Ivan Andreevich

Russian publicist, poet, fabulist, publisher of satirical and educational magazines. He is best known as the author of 236 fables, collected in nine lifetime collections.

B iography

Father, Andrey Prokhorovich Krylov (1736-1778), knew how to read and write, but "did not study the sciences", served in a dragoon regiment, in 1773 distinguished himself in the defense of the Yaitsky town from the Pugachevites, then was the chairman of the magistrate in Tver. He died as a captain in poverty. Mother, Maria Alekseevna (1750-1788), after the death of her husband, remained a widow. the family lived in poverty.

Ivan Krylov spent the first years of his childhood traveling with his family. He learned to read and write at home (his father was a great lover of reading, after him a whole chest of books passed to his son); studied French in a family of wealthy neighbors.

The future fabulist set to work very early and learned the hardship of life in poverty. In 1777, he was enrolled in the civil service as a sub-clerk of the Kalyazinsky Lower Zemstvo Court, and then the Tver Magistrate. This service was, apparently, only nominal, and Krylov was probably considered on vacation until the end of the training.

Another "school of life" of Ivan Krylov, whose biography is very multifaceted, was the common people. The future writer enjoyed attending various festivities and entertainment, he himself often took part in street battles. It was there, in a crowd of ordinary people, that Ivan Andreevich drew pearls of folk wisdom and sparkling peasant humor, capacious colloquial expressions that would eventually form the basis of his famous fables.

At the age of fourteen, he went to St. Petersburg, where his mother went to apply for a pension. Then he transferred to the service in the St. Petersburg State Chamber. However, official affairs did not interest him too much. In the first place among Krylov's hobbies were literary studies and theater visits.

After he lost his mother at the age of seventeen, the care of his younger brother fell on his shoulders. In the 1980s he wrote a lot for the theatre. From under his pen came the libretto of the comic operas Coffee House and the Mad Family, the tragedies Cleopatra and Philomela, the comedy The Writer in the Hallway. These works did not bring the young author any money or fame, but helped him to get into the circle of St. Petersburg writers.

He was patronized by the famous playwright Ya.B. Knyaznin, but the arrogant young man, having decided that they were mocking him in the house of the “master”, broke with his older friend. Krylov wrote the comedy Pranksters, in the main characters of which, Rifmokrad and Tarator, contemporaries easily recognized Knyazhnin and his wife.

In 1785, Krylov wrote the tragedy "Cleopatra" (not preserved) and took it to the famous actor Dmitrevsky for viewing; Dmitrevsky encouraged the young author to further work, but he did not approve of the play in this form. In 1786, Krylov wrote the tragedy "Philomela", which, apart from an abundance of horrors and cries and a lack of action, does not differ from other "classical" tragedies of that time.

Since the late 80s, the main activity has unfolded in the field of journalism. In 1789 he published the journal Spirit Mail for eight months. The satirical orientation, already manifested in the early plays, has been preserved here, but in a somewhat transformed form. Krylov created a caricature picture of his contemporary society, dressing his story in a fantastic form of correspondence between gnomes and wizards Malikulmulk. The publication was discontinued, as the magazine had only eighty subscribers. Judging by the fact that the Spirit Mail was republished in 1802, its appearance did not go unnoticed by the reading public.

In 1790 he retired, deciding to devote himself entirely to literary activity. He became the owner of the printing house and in January 1792, together with his friend the writer Klushin, began to publish the magazine Spectator, which was already more popular.

In 1793, the magazine was renamed "St. Petersburg Mercury". By this time, his publishers focused primarily on constant ironic attacks on Karamzin and his followers.

At the end of 1793, the publication of "St. Petersburg Mercury" ceased, and Krylov left St. Petersburg for several years. According to one of the writer's biographers, "From 1795 to 1801, Krylov, as it were, disappears from us." Some fragmentary information suggests that he lived for some time in Moscow, where he played cards a lot and recklessly. Obviously, he wandered around the province, lived in the estates of his friends.

In 1797, Krylov entered the service of the prince as a home teacher and personal secretary. During this period, the author does not cease to create dramatic and poetic works. And in 1805 he sent a collection of fables to the famous critic I.I. Dmitriev. The latter appreciated the work of the author and said that this is his true calling. So, a brilliant fabulist entered the history of Russian literature, who devoted the last years of his life to writing and publishing works of this genre, working as a librarian.

It was for the home performance at the Golitsyns in 1799-1800 that the play Trumph or Podshchipa was written. In an evil caricature of the stupid, arrogant and evil warrior Trumph, one could easily guess Paul I, who did not like the author primarily for his admiration for the Prussian army and King Frederick II. The irony was so caustic that the play was first published in Russia only in 1871.

In 1807 he released three plays at once, which gained great popularity and were successfully staged. This is a fashion store, a lesson for daughters and Ilya Bogatyr. The first two plays were especially successful, each of which in its own way ridiculed the predilection of the nobles for the French language, fashions, customs, etc. and actually put an equal sign between gallomania and stupidity, debauchery and extravagance. Plays were repeatedly staged on the stage, and the Fashion Store was played even at court.

Krylov became a classic during his lifetime. As early as 1835, V. G. Belinsky, in his article Literary Dreams, found only four classics in Russian literature and put Krylov on a par with Derzhavin, Pushkin and Griboyedov.

Krylov died in 1844 in St. Petersburg.

Krylov's fable

Squirrel

Belka served with Leo.
I don't know how or what; but it's just a matter of
That Belkin's service is pleasing to Leo;
And to please Leo, of course, is not a trifle.
For that, she was promised a whole cartload of nuts.
Promised - meanwhile, it flies away all the time;
And my squirrel is often hungry
And he bares his teeth before the Lion through tears.
He will look: in the forest here and there they flash
Her girlfriends in the sky:
She just blinks her eyes, but she
Know yourself nuts click and click.
But our Squirrel is only a step to the hazel,
Looks - it is impossible in any way:
They call her to the service of Leo, then they push her.
Here Squirrel, finally, has already become and old
And Leo got bored: it’s time for her to retire.
Belka was resigned,
And sure enough, a whole cartload of nuts was sent to her.
Glorious nuts, which the world has not seen;
All for selection: nut to nut - a miracle!
Only one thing is bad -
Squirrel hasn't had teeth for a long time.

The olk and the fox

We willingly give

What we do not need ourselves.

We will explain this fable,

Then that the truth is more tolerably half open.

Fox, chicken meat having eaten to the full

And hiding a good little pile in reserve,

Under a haystack lay down to take a nap in the evening hour.

Wolf and Fox Krylov

She looks, and a hungry Wolf is dragging herself to visit her.

“What, gossip, troubles! - He says. -

I couldn't get a bone anywhere;

I'm so hungry and starving;

The dogs are angry, the shepherd does not sleep,

It's time to choke yourself!"

"Really?" - "Right, yes." “Poor little kumanyok?

Would you like some senza? Here is the whole stack:

I'm ready to serve someone."

And the godfather is not sentza, I would like myasnov -

Yes, not a word about the Fox's reserve.

And my gray knight

Caressed to the ears by a godfather,

Went home without dinner.

A Crow and a fox

How many times have they told the world
That flattery is vile, harmful; but everything is not for the future,
And in the heart the flatterer will always find a corner.
Somewhere a god sent a piece of cheese to a crow;
Crow perched on the spruce,
I was quite ready to have breakfast,
Yes, I thought about it, but I kept the cheese in my mouth.
To that misfortune, the Fox fled close by;
Suddenly, the cheese spirit stopped Lisa:
The fox sees the cheese,
Cheese captivated the fox,
The cheat approaches the tree on tiptoe;
He wags his tail, does not take his eyes off the Crow
And he says so sweetly, breathing a little:

"Darling, how pretty!
Well, what a neck, what eyes!
To tell, so, right, fairy tales!
What feathers! what a sock!
And, of course, there must be an angelic voice!
Sing, little one, don't be ashamed!
What if, sister,
With such beauty, you are a master of singing,
After all, you would be our king bird!

Veshunin's head was spinning with praise,
From joy in the goiter breath stole, -
And to Lisitsy's friendly words
The crow croaked at the top of its throat:
The cheese fell out - there was such a cheat with it.

Swan, pike and crayfish

When there is no agreement among comrades,

Their business will not go well,

And nothing will come out of it, only flour.

Once a Swan, Cancer and Pike

Carried with luggage, a cart came from

And together the three all harnessed themselves to it;

They are climbing out of their skin, but the cart is still not moving!

The luggage would have seemed easy for them:

Yes, the swan breaks into the clouds,

Cancer moves back, and Pike pulls into the water.

Who is guilty of them, who is right -
it is not for us to judge;

Yes, only things are still there.

Fox and grapes

Hungry godmother Fox climbed into the garden;

In it, the grapes were reddened.

The gossip's eyes and teeth flared up;

And brushes juicy, like yachts, burn;

Only trouble is, they hang high:

Whence and how she comes to them,

Though the eye sees

Yes, the tooth is numb.

Breaking through the whole hour in vain,

She went and said with annoyance: “Well!

Looks like he's good

Yes, green - no ripe berries:

You'll get the hang of it right away."

M arty and glasses

The monkey has become weak in his eyes in old age;

And she heard people

That this evil is not yet so big of a hand:

You just need to get glasses.

She got half a dozen glasses for herself;

Twirls his glasses this way and that:

That will press them to the topic,

Then he will string them on the tail,

Monkey and glasses. Krylov's fables

That sniffs them

then they will be licked;
The glasses don't work at all.

Monkey and glasses. Krylov's fables

Monkey and glasses. Krylov's fables

“Pah the abyss! - she says, - and that fool,

Who listens to all human lies:

Everything about Points was just lied to me;

And there is no use for hair in them. ”
The monkey is here with annoyance and sadness

O stone so sufficed them,

Monkey and glasses. Krylov's fables

Monkey and glasses. Krylov's fables

That only the spray sparkled.

Unfortunately, the same thing happens to people:

No matter how useful a thing is, without knowing its price,

The ignoramus about her tends to get worse all the time;

And if the ignorant is more knowledgeable,

So he still chases her.

Oh ryol and mole

Don't despise anyone's advice
But first consider it.
From the side arriving far
Into the dense forest, Eagle and Eaglet together
We decided to stay forever in it
And, having chosen a high branchy oak,
They began to twist their nest at its top,
Hoping to bring the children here for the summer.
Hearing Mole about it,
Orlu took the liberty to report
That this oak is not suitable for their dwelling,
That almost all of it is radically rotted
And soon, maybe, it will fall down,
So that the Eagle does not nest on it.
But by the way, is Eagle to take advice from a mink,
And from the Mole! Where is the praise
What's with the eagle
Are your eyes so sharp?
And what kind of a mole to get in the way to dare in business
King of the Birds!
So much without saying to the Mole,
Get to work quickly, disdaining the adviser, -
And the king's housewarming
Ripe soon for the queen.
Everything is happy: Orlitsa already has children.

But what? - Once, like the dawn,
An eagle from under the sky to his family
I was in a hurry with a rich breakfast from hunting,
He sees: his oak has fallen
And crushed the Eaglet and the children.
From sorrow without seeing the light:
"Unhappy! - He said, -
For pride, rock punished me so fiercely,
That I did not listen to smart advice.
But could you have expected
So that the insignificant Mole could give good advice?
“Whenever you despise me, -
From the mink, the Mole said - then he would remember that I was digging
My burrows underground
And that, happening near the roots,
Is the tree healthy, I can know better.

With lon and Pug

They drove the elephant through the streets,

As you can see, for show.

It is known that Elephants are a curiosity with us,

So crowds of onlookers followed the Elephant.

Well, and climbs into a fight with him.

No matter how you take it, meet Moska them.

Seeing the Elephant, well, rush at him,

And bark, and squeal, and tear;

Well, and climbs into a fight with him.

"Neighbour, stop being ashamed, -

Mongrel says to her - you and the Elephant
mess around?

Look, you are already wheezing, and he goes to himself
Forward

And your barking does not notice at all. -

“Eh, eh! - Moska answers her, -

That's what gives me the spirit,

What am I, without a fight at all,

I can get into big trouble.

Let the dogs say

“Hey, Moska! know she's strong

What barks at the Elephant!”

Data

Krylov was a very full and literally thick-skinned creature. Those around him sometimes got the impression that he had neither emotions nor feelings, since everything was swollen with fat. In fact, inside the writer, there was a subtle understanding of the world and an attentive attitude towards it. This can be seen from almost any fable.

Krylov began his career as an ordinary clerk in the Tver court.

It should be noted that Ivan Andreevich was very fond of food. Moreover, his appetite sometimes impressed even worldly-wise gluttons. They say that one day he was late for one secular evening. As a "punishment", the owner ordered Krylov to serve a huge portion of pasta several times higher than the one-time norm. It was hardly possible even for two adult men. However, the writer calmly ate everything and continued the common dinner with pleasure. The surprise of the audience was immeasurable!

Ivan issued his first satirical magazine "Mail of Spirits".

Krylov was extremely fond of books and worked in the library for 30 years.

In St. Petersburg, on the Kutuzov embankment, in one of the alleys of the Summer Garden in 1855, a monument to the great Russian fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krylov was opened. This monument is the second of the monuments to Russian writers in Russia.

Immediately after the death of I.A. Krylov, in November 1844, the editors of the Petersburg Vedomosti newspaper announced a fundraiser for the construction of the monument. By 1848, more than 30 thousand rubles had been collected. Petersburg Academy of Arts has announced a competition of projects. The work of the animal sculptor Baron P.K. Klodt.

By the way, it was in the library that Ivan Andreevich developed a tradition of sleeping after a hearty dinner for about two hours. His friends knew this habit and always reserved an empty chair for their guest.

For more than ten years, Ivan Krylov traveled through the cities and villages of Russia, where he found inspiration for his new fables.

The writer was never married, although it is believed that from an extramarital affair with a cook, he had a daughter, whom he raised as a legitimate and native.

Ivan Krylov was the editor of the Slavic-Russian dictionary.

By the way, it should be noted that in his youth the future fabulist was fond of wall-to-wall fights. Due to his size and height, he repeatedly defeated quite mature and strong men!

There were rumors that his own daughter Alexandra worked in the house as a cook.

By the way, the sofa was Ivan Andreevich's favorite place. There is evidence that Goncharov wrote his Oblomov from Krylov.

It is reliably known that Ivan Andreevich Krylov is the author of 236 fables. Many plots are borrowed from the ancient fabulists La Fontaine and Aesop. Surely you have often heard popular expressions that are quotes from the work of the famous and outstanding fabulist Krylov.

The literary genre of the fable was discovered in Russia by Krylov.

All the writer's friends told another interesting fact related to the Krylov's house. The fact is that a huge picture hung over his sofa at a rather dangerous angle. He was asked to remove it so that it does not accidentally fall on the head of the fabulist. However, Krylov only laughed, and indeed, even after his death, she continued to hang at the same angle.

Bilateral pneumonia or overeating was the main cause of death of the fabulist. The exact cause of death has not been established.

Cards for money were Ivan Andreevich's favorite game. Cockfights were another hobby of Krylov.

Such an interesting fact about Krylov is also known. Doctors prescribed him daily walks. However, in the course of his movement, the merchants constantly lured him to buy furs from them. When Ivan Andreevich got tired of this, he spent the whole day walking through the shops of the merchants, meticulously examining all the furs. At the end, he asked each merchant in surprise: “Is this all you have?”... Having bought nothing, he moved on to the next merchant, which greatly ruffled their nerves. After that, he was no longer pestered with requests to buy something.

Krylov worked until his last day, despite a serious illness.

Krylov especially loved his fable "The Stream".

Once in the theater, eyewitnesses told an interesting fact about Krylov. He was not lucky enough to sit next to an emotional person who kept shouting something, singing along with the speaker and behaving quite noisily. “However, what is this nonsense? - Ivan Andreevich said loudly. The jerky neighbor started up and asked if these words were addressed to him. - What are you, - answered Krylov, - I turned to the person on the stage who prevents me from listening to you!

At 22, he fell in love with the daughter of a priest from the Bryansk district, Anna. The girl answered him in kind. But when the young people decided to get married, Anna's relatives opposed this marriage. They were distantly related to Lermontov and, moreover, wealthy. Therefore, they refused to marry their daughter to a poor rhymer. But Anna was so sad that her parents finally agreed to marry her off to Ivan Krylov, about which they telegraphed him to St. Petersburg. But Krylov replied that he did not have money to come to Bryansk, and asked to bring Anna to him. Native girls were offended by the answer, and the marriage did not take place.

In 1941, Krylov was awarded the title of academician.

Ivan Andreevich was very fond of tobacco, which he not only smoked, but also sniffed and chewed.

"Mail of Spirits" - a magazine published by Krylov in 1789 under the title: "Mail of Spirits, a monthly publication, or scientific, moral and critical correspondence of the Arab philosopher Malikulmulk with water, air and underground spirits." An announcement was placed about the publication of the journal in Moskovskie Vedomosti, largely coinciding with the preface prefaced with the first issue of the journal and announcing that “subscription is being accepted for the monthly publication reappearing from January of this year 1789 under the title “Mail of Spirits”. The preface to the magazine, "an announcement of this edition," stated that "the names of the signatories will be printed at each part, which will consist of four months." However, in fact, only two parts came out - the first concluded issues from January to April, and the second - from May to August.

Spirit Mail was published as a monthly publication, "published monthly by the secretary of the Arab magician Malikulmulk, that is, by Krylov himself, a collection of letters from spirits." Within eight months of the publication of the magazine, eight issues were published with the title page of each issue indicating the name of the month ("Mail of the Spirits" monthly publication. The month of January). The January issue included letters from I to V, February - from VI to XII, March - from XIII to XVIII, April - from XIX to XXIV, May - from XXV to XXXII, June - from XXXIII to XXXVIII, in July - from XXXIX to XLIII, in August - from XLIV to XLVIII.

In the first edition, each part included four months, go to the general pagination of the entire part. In the second edition, the division into months, which had lost its significance, disappeared, and the letters were divided into four parts, in two books.

The edition of the Spirit Mail remained unfinished. The third part, which was supposed to conclude the last four months, never came out. The termination of the "Mail of Spirits" was hardly due to the insufficient number of subscribers (in total, judging by the lists of "subscribed persons", there were 79 people). Rachmaninoff, as a wealthy man, was not interested in the commercial side of things. Most likely, the termination of the "Mail of Spirits" was due to the intensification of government repressions that followed in connection with the events of the French Revolution. After the termination of the magazine, Krylov transferred the right to republish the "Mail of Spirits" to Rachmaninov, as the owner of the printing house, which funded the publication of the magazine. In 1802, The Spirit Mail was reprinted almost unchanged.

P. Pletnev, who edited the first collected works of I. A. Krylov (1847), included only eighteen letters and an introduction (letters from the gnomes Zora, Buriston and Vestodava); Zora Pletnev did not publish the XII letter of the dwarf, apparently for censorship reasons (it denounces high-ranking embezzlers). Limiting himself to everyday satire, Pletnev did not specify in a single word why he attributed these particular letters to Krylov. At the direction of V. Kallash, Pletnev “when choosing material for his publication from magazines ... was not guided by the instructions of Krylov himself, otherwise he would not have attributed Karabanov’s poems to Krylov ... he would not have rejected works that unconditionally belong to him ...” (Poln. sobr. op. And A. Krylova, vol. II, p. 307). The unreasonableness of the selection of letters from Pletnev becomes especially obvious if one considers that the letters belonging to the dwarf Boreid and in no way different from the letters of Zor and Vestodav are also not included by him. The exclusion of all the other “philosophical letters” of the Spirit Mail, made by Pletnev, was subsequently tried to be interpreted as evidence that more than Krylov wrote in the Spirit Mail. Especially widespread was the opinion that Radishchev participated in the “Mail of Spirits” and that a number of “philosophical letters” by Far-seeing and Vysprepar belonged to him. The source of this point of view was the mention in Masson's memoirs of Radishchev: "Il cultivoit les lettres et avoit d" ej "a publi" e un ouvrage intitul "e: "Potschta Doukow" (La Poste des esprits), la production p "eriodique, la plus philosophique, et la plus piquante qu'on ait jamais os "e publier en Russie" ("M" emoires secrets sur la Russie", t. II, Paris (1800), p. 188). This unreliable testimony of Masson served basis for the opinion that Radishchev participated in the “Spirits Mail” and that the “philosophical letters” belonged to him. Thus, based on it, A. N. Pypin suggested that the “philosophical letters” of the “Spirits Mail” belonged to Radishchev, which are “more occupied with general considerations about the shortcomings of public life, its structure and customs, and reasoning about the subjects of morality". Pointing out that in these letters one can see erudition, which "it is difficult to imagine in the then twenty-year-old Krylov", Pypin attributed them to Radishchev ( A. Pypin, Krylov and Radishchev, Vestnik Evropy, 1868, May, pp. 420–436). Pypin's opinion was supported by A. I. Lyashchenko and others. A. Lyashchenko, Biography of I. A. Krylov, Historical Bulletin, 1894, November, p. 499). L. N. Maikov is inclined to attribute to Radishchev the letters of Far-seeing and Vysprepar, “especially the 20th, 22nd, 27th, which, both in thought and in their heavy style, resemble “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” ( L. Maikov, Historical and literary essays, St. Petersburg, 1895, p. 36).

However, this point of view at the same time aroused objections from such a serious researcher Krylov (and friend Pletnev) as Ya. not admit that ... all her letters form one picture in which it is difficult to distinguish the participation of different authors: everywhere the same techniques, one language, one view of the world and society, frequent repetition of the same images and thoughts - in a word, a common connection and internal unity of content. It is difficult to imagine that such satirical letters could be written by several persons, but even if we assume this, then, one asks, where are the clear signs by which it was possible to separate Krylov's letters from the rest? If he himself, during his lifetime, pointed out his share of labor, then probably the publishers would not have missed relying on such an important evidence. But since there are no such signs, no such evidence, meanwhile, it is known that Krylov recognized the “Mail of Spirits” as his work and, in any case, was its chief editor, it is necessary to include all of it in his writings. The following external, extremely important ... indications are added to the internal evidence of the unity of its origin. In the notice about the publication of the “Mail of Spirits”, Krylov calls himself the secretary of the scientist Malikulmulk, who decided to give out the correspondence of this magician with different spirits, and adds that, since he himself does not have sufficient funds to print these letters (because the place of the secretary is with a learned person very non-profit), then asks the public to subscribe to this collection. Later, apologizing for the untimely release of the first book, the alleged secretary Malikulmulk declares himself "the publisher of these sheets", while the publication calls them "his enterprise" and refers to his "unaccustomed", or, in other words, inexperience. In the same exact sense, the general “Introduction” to the letters is written, which again deals with one secretary, that is, one author or, at least, editor of the letters of the “Spirits Mail” ( J. K. Grot, Proceedings, Vol. III, St. Petersburg, 1901, p. 270). In addition, Grot pointed out that Masson could easily confuse the names of Radishchev and Rachmaninov.

The editor of the Complete Works of I. A. Krylov V. Kallash, who fully included the "Mail of Spirits" in his publication, also joined the point of view of J. K. Grot. “These considerations,” notes V. Kallash, citing Grot’s statements quoted above, “and forced us to reprint not individual letters, but the entire journal” (Complete collection of works by I. A. Krylov, vol. II, p. 313) .

Finally, P. V. Shchegolev, in addition to the arguments of J. K. Grot, in the article “From the History of Radishchev’s Journal Activities” pointed out that, “now re-reading the “Mail of Spirits” - a series of letters exchanged between spirits and which paint a picture of social vices , - it is difficult to assume that they were written by different authors; if this is allowed, then all the same it is necessary to imagine the matter in such a way that all the authors acted on the orders of one who worked out the form of presentation and supervised the application of the rules for the distribution of topics. But the main person in the magazine was the twenty-year-old Krylov. It is hard to believe that forty-year-old Radishchev acted on his instructions ... "I.E. Shchegolev rightly pointed out that Radishchev has a peculiar style (according to the dictionary, epithets and syntax), easily distinguishable, and" the style of "Mail of Spirits" is not at all similar in radishchevsky" ( P. E. Shchegolev, Historical studies, St. Petersburg, 1913, p. 31). Z. Chuchmarev tried to dispute this indisputable indication of P. E. Shchegolev, citing several images and idioms common to Radishchev and the “philosophical letters” of the Spirit Mail ( Z. Chuchmarev, Naykovi Notes of the Scientific and Preliminary Department of the Ictria of European Culture, vol. II, Ukrgiz, 1927, p. 95. - 123). However, Chuchmarev's arguments do not withstand serious criticism, since the “general” images he cites, historical ones, and idioms are common, in essence, to all literature of the late 18th century.

Unlike the satirical magazines of the 18th century, which included heterogeneous genre material, the Spirit Mail is a single whole. It does not have a variety of genres and independent works (in this respect it is close to F. Emin's Infernal Post and D. Fonvizin's failed magazine Starodum, or Friend of Honest People). The "Mail of the Spirits" intertwines letters of everyday, satirical order and philosophical and moralizing letters, interpreting questions of morality and social problems. Two planes - satirical-everyday and moral-philosophical - do not fall apart, but mutually complement each other. Unity is emphasized both by the fact that a number of plot motifs run through the entire “Mail of Spirits” (the story of petimeter Pripryzhkin and his marriage, events in the underworld of Pluto, etc.), and by the commonality of the ideological orientation. The general provisions of philosophical and moral letters are, as it were, illustrated by satirical, everyday episodes and scenes.

Krylov’s belonging to the “philosophical letters” of the “Mail of Spirits” is also proved by their proximity to his similar statements in other satirical works. So, all the statements in the Farsight's letters about the nobility, his lack of enlightenment and parasitism were later repeated by Krylov in "Nights", "Kaiba", "Eulogy to my grandfather", "Thoughts of a philosopher in fashion", etc. For example, the main idea of ​​XX Far-seeing's letter, which was repeatedly attributed to Radishchev, is expressed both in Kaiba and in Nights. In Kaib's conversation with the shadow of the "pious" conqueror, the same condemnation of wars, violent conquests and the "piousness" of sovereigns is expressed, as in the Farsight's letter. In "Nights" Krylov also talks about the short duration of "imaginary heroes", about the meanings of wise philosophers and virtue.

A thorough analysis of the content and style of the "philosophical letters" of the "Mail of Spirits" leads to the conclusion that Krylov's undoubted sole authorship throughout the entire publication. This conclusion was reached by the commentator and researcher of Radishchev, G. A. Gukovsky, who resolutely rejected the assumption that Radishchev was involved in the Spirit Mail. In the comments to the second volume of the Complete Works of Radishchev, G. A. Gukovsky points out: “There is no data, except Masson's dubious and in any case inaccurate indication, about Radishchev's participation in this journal; all the data from the analysis of the language and style of the "philosophical letters" of the Spirit Mail contradict the hypothesis of Radishchev's participation in this journal; Far-seeing's letters contain thoughts that are impossible for Radishchev; consequently, Radishchev did not participate in the "Mail of Spirits" as an employee. There is every reason to believe that Krylov himself was the author of all the letters of the “Mail of Spirits” (Collected works by A. N. Radishchev, vol. II, ed. of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1941, p. 428). However, the rejection of the assumption of Radishchev's collaboration in the "Mail of Spirits" does not deprive of the significance and interest of the rapprochement of Krylov the satirist with this remarkable revolutionary writer. It testifies to their ideological closeness and perception of the work of the young Krylov in terms of Radishchev's traditions and influences.

It should also indicate the role in the publication of the journal I. Rachmaninov. "Mail of Spirits" was published in the printing house of Rachmaninov (his monogram was affixed on the back of the title) and, undoubtedly, at his expense. This last circumstance is confirmed by the retention of the originals and the rights to reprint. But Rachmaninov's participation was not limited to technical and material assistance. According to I. Bystrov, I. Krylov subsequently told him that “in 1789 he published a weekly magazine called “Mail of Spirits”. “Rakhmanov was his comrade (that is, I. Rachmaninov. - N.S.), whom Ivan Andreevich loved for the sharpness of his mind, for his frankness and cheerful disposition. “I remember, my dear, that Rakhmanov and I once quarreled about what name to give to the journal ... Well, Rakhmanov was a good student: he knew languages, history, philosophy ... He gave us materials ...” (“Northern Bee”, 1845, No. 203 ). Zhikharev’s “Notes” gives a description of Rachmaninov given by Krylov: “He was very well-read, translated a lot and could be called a very good writer at that time ... Voltaire and contemporary philosophers were his deities” (Zhikharev, Zapiski, M, 1871, pp. 296–297). I. G. Rachmaninoff, translator of Voltaire, Mercier and a number of French and English philosophers and writers, was a well-educated person. One can find a number of similarities between the moral and ethical provisions of the letters of Dalnovid, Svetovid, Empedocles and others in the "Mail of the Spirits" and "The Morning Hours" by Rachmaninov, in which abstract ethical and moral issues were mainly discussed. However, judging by the nature of Rachmaninov's literary activity, he himself did not go beyond translations and compilations of French, mainly originals (his translations are precisely established for the "Morning Hours" in the already mentioned work of F. Witberg). Therefore, there is no reason to assume that Rachmaninoff, who acted exclusively as a translator, collaborated in the "Mail of the Spirits" as a co-author; in addition, until March 1789, he was busy publishing his journal Morning Hours. It is possible that Rachmaninov, as a broadly and philosophically educated person, “provided materials”, that is, indicated sources and took part in the discussion of Krylov's letters.

So, the sole authorship of Krylov in the "Mail of Spirits" should be recognized as indisputable. In addition to the arguments put forward at the time by Ya. K. Grot, P. E. Shchegolev, V. V. Kallash and others, the following should be taken into account: “The Spirit Mail” is a single entity that expresses the ideological and artistic intent of one author.

Krylov himself recognized the "Mail of Spirits" as his work. Undoubtedly, only with his knowledge and consent could an announcement appear on publications issued by Sveshnikov (for example, with Karabanov's "Poems", M., 1812), that the "Mail of Spirits", op. critical iv. Krylov. Krylov's authorship is indirectly confirmed in the "Experience of Russian Bibliography" by V. Sopikov (St. Petersburg, 1813), which indicates the "Mail of Spirits" for 1789 as the publication of I. Krylov.

In 1802, The Spirit Mail was republished by the bookseller Sveshnikov in St. Petersburg in four books, mostly reproducing the 1789 edition.

Documents that have come down to us depict the hysteria of the reprint of the Spirit Mail as follows. In 1791, Rachmaninov retired from St. Petersburg to his Tambov estate Kazanka and moved the printing house, which continued to work there until it was closed by the government in 1793. In November 1801, Rachmaninoff signed a contract with Moscow book publishers Akhokov and Kozyrev "on the sale of book editions." Under this contract, Rachmaninoff transferred to Akhokov and Kozyrev "the originals belonging to him" and the right to reprint them. In the condition with Ahokov, among the originals handed over to book publishers, along with The Morning Hours and other books published by Rachmaninov, there were also “monthly editions” of “Mail of Spirits” in two books” (see “Izvestia Tambovsk. Scientific Archival Commission”, issue XVIII Tambov, 1888, pp. 87–88). However, the reprinting of The Mail of the Spirits was carried out not by Ahokov and Kozyrev, but by the St. Petersburg book publisher Sveshnikov, to whom, apparently, Ahokov assigned or resold the right to republish. Rachmaninov had nothing to do with the reprinting of The Mail of Spirits, so he did not even know that this reprint was not carried out by Akhokov.

Although the "Mail of Spirits" was published by Sveshnikov, it can be assumed that it was printed precisely from those "originals" that were provided by Rachmaninoff. Therefore, the editing of the text for the second edition could have been done by Rachmaninov.

The vast majority of discrepancies in the second edition of the Spirit Mail should undoubtedly be attributed to mechanical distortions and changes in the text during typing, which is not uncommon for publications that lack the supervision of the author himself. So the permutations of individual words, such as, for example, “was useful” - to “was useful”, “I look” - to “I look”, “I read” - to “I read”, etc., are explained by the reprinting of the text . It is quite possible that such changes, which boiled down to updating the language, were also made by publishers or a printing house: “dear child” is replaced by “dear child”, “I promise” - by “I promise”, “until” - by “bye”, “ missing" - to "missing" "find" - to "find", "pulled" - to "got", "if" - to "if", etc. The replacement of the rude vernacular "talking" with "barking" is also characteristic. in some cases, the archaic “one” is replaced by “this”, “golden” by “golden”, etc.

Although the number of discrepancies is relatively insignificant, the preservation of the linguistic features of the first edition gives an idea of ​​the evolution of Krylov's language. In the second edition, the pre-notification from the publisher was also changed, which was reduced in terms of the frequency of publication (starting with the words: “Repeat the news here ...” and ending with the words: “the change necessary for information”). Further, the entire end of the original text is discarded, starting with the words: “so that those who wish to read and receive the collection of these letters published by him monthly ...”) and replaced by the following indication: “so that those who wish to have and read them deign to send money for all four parts of 5 rubles. in a folder in the Sveshnikov bookstore, under No. 3 at the Catholic Church.

In addition to changing the preface and eliminating the division into monthly editions, the table of contents has been abbreviated in the second edition. The abbreviations in it were made very carelessly, apparently to save space.

Numerous distortions and defects in the text of the second edition, omissions of words, and even the very nature of the renewal of the language make it most likely that the editing of the text was made without the participation of Krylov by the publisher or printing house. However, there is one place where the change cannot be classified under this category of typographical correction. In the XX letter of the Farsighted sylph, containing "discourse on some sovereigns and ministers, whose actions caused great harm to people," a whole paragraph was replaced (a variant of the second edition is given here in a footnote to the text),

It is likely that this place was already in the "originals" provided by Rachmaninov, and was replaced during the publication of the "Mail of Spirits" in 1789. It should also be noted the replacement of the names Besshady and Vsemrada (the first edition) with simple everyday ones - Parasha and Dasha in the 19th letter.

V.V. Kallash, in his preface to the texts of the “Mail of Spirits” he published, wrote that the second edition was printed “without changes”, while suggesting Krylov’s participation in it: “You can think that Krylov himself took part in it” ( Complete collection of works by I. A. Krylov, vol. II, p. 310).

However, Krylov's participation in the re-edition of the "Mail of Spirits" is not confirmed by any exact and documentary data. Although Krylov was, apparently, in St. Petersburg in November 1801, having received an appointment there in Riga as secretary of the Governor-General S. F. Golitsyn, he spends the next 1802 in the service in Riga. The nature of the changes made to the text of the second edition also does not provide sufficient data to establish Krylov's involvement in its implementation.

In the present Collected Works, the "Mail of Spirits" is printed according to the text of the first edition of 1789, carried out indisputably with the direct participation of Krylov himself and therefore the most reliable.