Nikolai Semenovich Leskov(1831-1895) - Russian writer.
Leskov Nikolai Semenovich
Nikolai Semenovich Leskov (1831-1895) Biography
Nikolai Semenovich Leskov was born on February 16 (4), 1831 in the village of Gorohovo, Oryol province.
Leskov's father, Semyon Dmitrievich, worked as an official of the criminal chamber, earned hereditary nobility, although he came from the clergy.
Leskov's mother, Marya Petrovna, nee Alferyeva, was a noblewoman.
The childhood years of Nikolai Leskov were spent in Orel and on the estates of the Oryol province owned by the parents. Leskov spends several years in the house of the Strakhovs, wealthy relatives from his mother's side, where he was given due to the lack of funds from his parents for homeschooling his son. The Strakhovs hired a Russian, a German teacher, and a Frenchwoman to raise their children. Leskov studies with his cousins and sisters, and far surpasses them in abilities. This caused him to be sent back to his parents.
1841 - 1846 - Leskov studies at the gymnasium in Orel, but due to the death of his father, he does not complete the full course of study.
1847 - Nikolai Leskov gets a job as a minor employee in the Oryol Chamber of the Criminal Court. Impressions from the work here will later form the basis of many of the writer's works, in particular, the story "Extinguished Case".
1849 - Leskov leaves the service and leaves for Kyiv at the invitation of his maternal uncle, professor and practicing therapist S.P. Alferyev. In Kyiv, he gets a job as an assistant clerk of the recruiting desk of the revision department of the Kyiv Treasury Chamber.
1849 - 1857 - in Kyiv, Leskov begins to attend lectures at the university (as a volunteer), studies the Polish language, Slavic culture. He is interested in religion, and communicates both with Orthodox Christians and with Old Believers and sectarians.
1850 - Leskov marries the daughter of a Kyiv merchant. The marriage was hasty, the relatives did not approve of it. However, the wedding took place.
The career of Nikolai Leskov in the "Kyiv" years is as follows: in 1853, he was promoted from assistant clerk to collegiate registrars, then to clerk. In 1856 Leskov became provincial secretary.
1857 - 1860 - Leskov works in the private firm "Shkott and Wilkins", which is engaged in the resettlement of peasants to new lands. All these years he spends on business trips around Russia.
The same period - the first-born Leskov, named Mitya, dies in infancy. This breaks the relationship and so not very close to each other spouses.
1860 - the beginning of the journalistic activity of Nikolai Leskov. He collaborates with the St. Petersburg and Kyiv press, writes short notes and essays. In the same year, he gets a job in the police, but because of an article denouncing the arbitrariness of police doctors, he is forced to quit.
1861 - the Leskov family moved from Kyiv to St. Petersburg. Nikolai Semenovich continues to cooperate with newspapers, begins to write for Fatherland Notes, Russian Speech, and Northern Bee. The first major publication by Leskov, Essays on the Distillery Industry, dates back to the same year.
1862 - a trip abroad as a correspondent for the newspaper "Northern Bee". Leskov visits Western Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, France.
1863 - the official beginning of the writing career of Nikolai Semenovich Leskov. He publishes his stories "The Life of a Woman", "Musk Ox", is working on the novel "Nowhere". Because of this ambiguous novel, which denies the revolutionary nihilistic ideas that were fashionable at that time, many writers turn away from Leskov, in particular the publishers of Otechestvennye Zapiski. The writer is published in the Russian Bulletin, signing under the pseudonym M. Stebnitsky.
1865 - "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" was written.
1866 - the birth of his son Andrei. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was he who for the first time compiled a biography of his father.
1867 - Leskov turns to drama, this year his play "The Spender" is staged on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater.
1870 - 1871 - work on the second, just as "anti-nihilistic" as "Nowhere", the novel "On the Knives". The work entails political accusations of the author.
1873 - Nikolai Leskov's novels "The Enchanted Wanderer" and "The Sealed Angel" are published. Gradually, the writer’s relations with the Russky Vestnik deteriorate as well. There is a gap, and the Leskov family is threatened by lack of money.
1874 - 1883 - Leskov worked in a special department of the Scientific Committee of the Ministry of Public Education for "review of books published for the people." It brings a small, but still income.
1875 - the second trip abroad. Leskov is finally disappointed in his religious hobbies. Upon his return, he writes a number of anecdotal, and sometimes satirical essays about clergy ("Trifles of Bishop's Life", "Diocesan Court", "Synodal Persons", etc.).
1877 - Empress Maria Alexandrovna speaks positively of Nikolai Leskov's novel The Cathedral. The author immediately manages to get a job as a member of the educational department of the Ministry of State Property.
1881 - one of Leskov's most famous works "Lefty (The Tale of the Tula Oblique Left-hander and the Steel Flea)" was written.
1883 - final dismissal from public service. Leskov accepts his resignation with joy.
1887 - Nikolai Semenovich Leskov meets L.N. Tolstoy, who had a great influence on the later work of the writer. In his own words, Leskov "having sensed his (Tolstoy's) tremendous strength, threw his bowl and went after his lantern."
In his latest works, Leskov criticizes the entire political system of the Russian Empire. All the time, starting with the break with the Russky Vestnik magazine, Leskov was forced to publish in specialized and small-circulation, sometimes provincial leaflets, newspapers and magazines. Of the major publications, his works are taken only by Historical Bulletin, Russian Thought, Week, in the 1890s - Vestnik Evropy. Not every work he signs with his own name, but the writer does not have a permanent pseudonym either. The most famous are his pseudonyms V. Peresvetov, Nikolai Ponukalov, priest. Peter Kastorsky, Psalm Reader, Man from the Crowd, Watch Lover.
March 5 (February 21), 1895 - Nikolai Semenovich Leskov dies in St. Petersburg. The cause of death is an asthma attack, which tormented the writer for the last 5 years of his life. Buried at the Volkovsky cemetery
Nikolai Semenovich Leskov
Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov (1831 - 1895) - prose writer, the most popular writer of Russia, playwright. The author of famous novels, short stories and short stories, such as: "Nowhere", "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District", "On the Knives", "Cathedrals", "Lefty" and many others, the creator of the theatrical play "Spender".
early years
He was born on February 4 (February 16), 1831 in the village of Gorokhovo, Oryol province, in the family of an investigator and the daughter of an impoverished nobleman. They had five children, Nikolai was the eldest child. The writer's childhood passed in the city of Orel. After the father left the position, the family moved from Orel to the village of Panino. Here the study and knowledge of the people by Leskov began.
Education and career
In 1841, at the age of 10, Leskov entered the Oryol Gymnasium. The future writer did not work out with his studies - in 5 years of study he graduated from only 2 classes. In 1847, thanks to the help of his father's friends, Leskov got a job as a clerical clerk in the Oryol Criminal Chamber of the court. When Nikolai was 16 years old, his father died of cholera, and all his property burned down in a fire.
In 1849, with the help of his uncle, a professor, Leskov transferred to Kyiv as an official of the Treasury, where he later received the post of clerk. In Kyiv, Leskov developed an interest in Ukrainian culture and great writers, painting and architecture of the old city.
In 1857, Leskov left his job and entered the commercial service in the large agricultural company of his English uncle, on whose business he traveled most of Russia in three years. After the closing of the company, in 1860 he returned to Kyiv.
creative life
1860 is considered the beginning of Leskov's creative path, at this time he writes and publishes articles in various magazines. Six months later, he moves to St. Petersburg, where he plans to engage in literary and journalistic activities.
In 1862, Leskov became a permanent contributor to the Severnaya Pchela newspaper. Working in it as a correspondent, he visited Western Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Poland. He was close and sympathetic to the life of the Western twin nations, so he delved into the study of their art and life. In 1863 Leskov returned to Russia.
Having studied and observed the life of the Russian people for a long time, sympathizing with their sorrows and needs, Leskov wrote the stories “Extinguished Business” (1862), the stories “The Life of a Woman”, “Musk Ox” (1863), “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” (1865).
In the novels Nowhere (1864), Bypassed (1865), On Knives (1870), the writer revealed the theme of Russia's unpreparedness for revolution.
Having disagreements with the revolutionary democrats, Leskova refused to publish many magazines. The only one who published his work was Mikhail Katkov, editor of the Russky Vestnik magazine. It was incredibly difficult for Leskov to work with him, the editor ruled almost all of the writer's works, and some even refused to print at all.
In 1870 - 1880 he wrote the novels "Cathedrals" (1872), "The seedy family" (1874), where he revealed the national and historical issues. The novel "The Seedy Family" was not completed by Leskov due to disagreements with the publisher Katkov. Also at this time, he wrote several stories: "The Islanders" (1866), "The Sealed Angel" (1873). Fortunately, "The Sealed Angel" was not affected by the editorial revision of Mikhail Katkov.
In 1881, Leskov wrote the story "Lefty (The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea)" - an old legend about gunsmiths.
The story "Hare Remise" (1894) was the last great work of the writer. In it, he criticized the political system of Russia at that time. The story was published only in 1917 after the Revolution.
Writer's personal life
Leskov's first marriage was unsuccessful. The writer's wife in 1853 was the daughter of a Kyiv merchant Olga Smirnova. They had two children - the firstborn, son Mitya, who died in infancy, and daughter Vera. My wife fell ill with a mental disorder and was treated in St. Petersburg. The marriage broke up.
In 1865 Leskov lived with his widow Ekaterina Bubnova. The couple had a son Andrei (1866-1953). He divorced his second wife in 1877.
Last years
The last five years of Leskov's life were tormented by asthma attacks, from which he later died. Nikolai Semenovich died on February 21 (March 5), 1895 in St. Petersburg. The writer was buried at the Volkovo cemetery
The Enchanted Wanderer ( 1873 )
Summary of the story
Reading in 7 minutes
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On the way to Valaam on Lake Ladoga, several travelers meet. One of them, dressed in a novice cassock and looking like a "typical hero," says that, having "God's gift" to tame horses, he, according to his parents' promise, died all his life and could not die in any way. At the request of the travelers, the former koneser (“I am a koneser,<…>I am a connoisseur in horses and was with repairmen to guide them, ”the hero himself says about himself) Ivan Severyanych, Mr. Flyagin, tells his life.
Coming from the yard people of Count K. from the Oryol province, Ivan Severyanych has been addicted to horses since childhood and once “for fun” beats a monk to death on a wagon. The monk appears to him at night and reproaches him for taking his life without repentance. He also tells Ivan Severyanych that he is the “promised” son of God, and gives a “sign” that he will die many times and will never die before the real “death” comes and Ivan Severyanych goes to Chernetsy. Soon, Ivan Severyanych, nicknamed Golovan, saves his masters from inevitable death in a terrible abyss and falls into mercy. But he cuts off the tail of the owner's cat, which drags pigeons from him, and as punishment he is severely flogged, and then sent to "an English garden for a path to beat stones with a hammer." The last punishment of Ivan Severyanych "tormented", and he decides to commit suicide. The rope prepared for death is cut off by the gypsies, with whom Ivan Severyanych leaves the count, taking horses with him. Ivan Severyanych breaks up with the gypsy, and, having sold a silver cross to an official, he receives a leave of absence and is hired as a "nanny" to the little daughter of a gentleman. For this work, Ivan Severyanych is very bored, leads the girl and the goat to the river bank and sleeps over the estuary. Here he meets the mistress, the mother of the girl, who begs Ivan Severyanych to give her the child, but he is relentless and even fights with the current husband of the mistress, an officer-lancer. But when he sees the angry approaching owner, he gives the child to his mother and runs with them. The officer sends the passportless Ivan Severyanych away, and he goes to the steppe, where the Tatars drive horse shoals.
Khan Dzhankar sells his horses, and the Tatars set prices and fight for horses: they sit opposite each other and whip each other with whips. When a new handsome horse is put up for sale, Ivan Severyanych does not hold back and, speaking for one of the repairmen, traps the Tatar to death. According to "Christian custom", he is taken to the police for murder, but he runs away from the gendarmes to the very "Ryn-Sands". The Tatars "bristle" Ivan Severyanych's legs so that he does not run away. Ivan Severyanych moves only by crawling, serves as a doctor among the Tatars, yearns and dreams of returning to his homeland. He has several wives "Natasha" and children "Kolek", whom he regrets, but he admits to the listeners that he could not love them, because they are "unbaptized". Ivan Severyanych completely despairs of getting home, but Russian missionaries come to the steppe "to establish their faith." They preach, but refuse to pay a ransom for Ivan Severyanych, arguing that before God "everyone is equal and it's all the same." Some time later, one of them is killed, Ivan Severyanych buries him according to Orthodox custom. He explains to the listeners that "the Asian must be brought to faith with fear," because they "will never respect a humble god without a threat." The Tatars bring two people from Khiva who come to buy horses in order to "make war." Hoping to intimidate the Tatars, they demonstrate the power of their fiery god Talafy, but Ivan Severyanych discovers a box with fireworks, introduces himself as Talafy, converts the Tatars to Christianity and, having found "caustic earth" in the boxes, heals his legs.
In the steppe, Ivan Severyanych meets a Chuvash, but refuses to go with him, because he simultaneously honors both the Mordovian Keremeti and the Russian Nicholas the Wonderworker. Russians come across on the way, they cross themselves and drink vodka, but drive away the "passportless" Ivan Severyanych. In Astrakhan, the wanderer ends up in prison, from where he is taken to his hometown. Father Ilya excommunicates him for three years from communion, but the count, who has become devout, releases him “for quitrent”, and Ivan Severyanych settles in the horse department. After he helps the peasants to choose a good horse, he is famous as a magician, and everyone demands to tell the "secret". Including one prince, who took Ivan Severyanych to his post as a koneser. Ivan Severyanych buys horses for the prince, but from time to time he has drunken “exits”, before which he gives the prince all the money for the purchases to be safe. When the prince sells a beautiful horse to Dido, Ivan Severyanych is very sad, "makes a way out", but this time he keeps the money to himself. He prays in church and goes to a tavern, where he meets an “over-empty-empty” person who claims that he drinks because he “voluntarily took weakness on himself” so that it would be easier for others, and Christian feelings do not allow him to stop drinking. A new acquaintance imposes magnetism on Ivan Severyanych to free him from "zealous drunkenness", and at the same time gives him extra water. At night, Ivan Severyanych finds himself in another tavern, where he spends all the money on the beautiful songstress gypsy Grushenka. Having obeyed the prince, he learns that the owner himself gave fifty thousand for Grushenka, bought her out of the camp and settled in his house. But the prince is a fickle person, he gets bored with the “love word”, he gets sleepy from “yakhont emeralds”, besides, all the money ends.
Having gone to the city, Ivan Severyanych overhears the prince's conversation with his former mistress Yevgenia Semyonovna and learns that his master is going to marry, and wants to marry the unfortunate and sincerely loved Grushenka to Ivan Severyanych. Returning home, he does not find the gypsy, whom the prince secretly takes to the forest to the bee. But Grusha escapes from her guards and, threatening that she will become a "shameful woman", asks Ivan Severyanych to drown her. Ivan Severyanych fulfills the request, and in search of an imminent death he pretends to be a peasant son and, having given all the money to the monastery as a “contribution for Grushin’s soul”, goes to war. He dreams of dying, but "neither earth nor water wants to accept", and having distinguished himself in business, he tells the colonel about the murder of a gypsy. But these words are not confirmed by the sent request, he is promoted to an officer and dismissed with the Order of St. George. Using the colonel's letter of recommendation, Ivan Severyanych gets a job as a "reference officer" at the address desk, but falls on the insignificant letter "fit", the service does not go well, and he goes to the artists. But rehearsals take place during Holy Week, Ivan Severyanych gets to portray the “difficult role” of the demon, and besides, stand up for the poor “gentlewoman”, he “pulls the whirlwinds” of one of the artists and leaves the theater for the monastery.
According to Ivan Severyanych, monastic life does not burden him, he stays there with horses, but he does not consider it worthy to take senior tonsure and lives in obedience. To the question of one of the travelers, he says that at first a demon appeared to him in a “seductive female form”, but after fervent prayers only small demons, “children”, remained. Once Ivan Severyanych kills a demon with an ax, but he turns out to be a cow. And for another deliverance from demons, he is put in an empty cellar for a whole summer, where Ivan Severyanych discovers the gift of prophecy in himself. Ivan Severyanych ends up on the ship because the monks let him go to pray in Solovki to Zosima and Savvaty. The Stranger admits that he expects an imminent death, because the spirit inspires him to take up arms and go to war, and he “wants to die for the people.” Having finished the story, Ivan Severyanych falls into quiet concentration, once again feeling the influx of a mysterious broadcasting spirit, which is revealed only to babies.
Nikolai Semenovich (1831-1895) Russian writer. R. in the village of Gorokhov, Oryol province. in the family of a nobleman who came from the clergy. In 1847, after the death of his father and the destruction of all small property from a fire, he left the gymnasium and entered ... Literary Encyclopedia
An outstanding writer, at the beginning of his literary career, known under the pseudonym M. Stebnitsky. Genus. February 4, 1831 in the Oryol province, in a poor semi-spiritual, semi-noble family. His father was the son of a priest, and only in his service ... Big biographical encyclopedia
Leskov, Leonid Vasilyevich Leonid Vasilyevich Leskov (1931-2006) Soviet and Russian philosopher, physicist, author of books on cosmology. Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 Notes ... Wikipedia
Leskov, Nikolai Semenovich, an outstanding writer, at the beginning of his literary activity, known under the pseudonym M. Stebnitsky. Born February 4, 1831, died February 21, 1895. His father, the son of a priest, was serving as a noble assessor ... ... Biographical Dictionary
Russian writer. Born in the family of a petty official. He studied at the Oryol gymnasium. From the age of 16, he began working as an official in Orel, then in Kyiv. For several years it was... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Nikolai Semyonovich (1831-1895), Russian writer. Anti-nihilistic novels (including Nowhere, 1864), chronicle novels about the Russian provinces (about the clergy Soboryan, 1872; about the nobility A seedy family, 1874); stories and stories about the righteous (... ... Russian history
Leskov Nikolai Semyonovich- (18311895), writer. Lived in St. Petersburg from 1861 (with interruptions: trips around Russia and abroad). He rented apartments on Furshtadtskaya Street (now Petr Lavrov Street, 62), on Nevsky Prospekt, 61, Liteiny Prospekt, 24. In the articles of the early 60s ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"
- (1831 95), Russian. writer. According to the memoirs of his son, L. was Leskov's favorite poet; he especially appreciated the lines from The Demon: “Forget? God did not give oblivion, / Yes, he would not take oblivion. The writer's review of the personality and worldview of L. is contained in ... ... Lermontov Encyclopedia
The outstanding Russian prose writer N. S. Leskov inherited his surname from his ancestors who served as priests in the village of Leski, Oryol province. (F) (Source: "Dictionary of Russian surnames." ("Onomasticon")) ... Russian surnames
- (1831 95) Russian writer. Antinihilistic Novels (Nowhere, 1864; On Knives, 1870-71); chronicle novels about the Russian provinces (about the clergy Soboryan, 1872; about the nobility A seedy family, 1874); stories and stories about the righteous (Charmed ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (1831 1895), writer. Lived in St. Petersburg from 1861 (with interruptions: trips around Russia and abroad). He rented apartments on Furshtadtskaya Street (now Petr Lavrov Street, 62), on Nevsky Prospekt, 61, Liteiny Prospekt, 24. In the articles of the early 60s ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)
Books
- Leskov. Complete works in 30 volumes. Volume 11, Leskov N .. Volume 11 of the Complete Works of N. S. Leskov includes the chronicle "Soboryane", as well as articles and journalism of 1872. The appendix includes an arrangement made by N. Leskov for children ...
- N. S. Leskov. Complete collection of works in 30 volumes. Volume 13, Leskov Nikolai Semenovich. The book club `Knigovek` presents to your attention the 13th volume of the complete works of Nikolai Semenovich Leskov. This edition includes the works`The seedy family` and`Peacock`,…
The second half of the nineteenth century was a real golden period of Russian literature. At this time, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Turgenev, Nekrasov, Ostrovsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Goncharov worked. Isn't it an impressive list?
Another great Russian writer, known to all of us since childhood, lived and wrote during this period - Nikolai Semenovich Leskov.
Biography of the writer. Family and childhood
The future classic of Russian literature was born in 1831 in the Orel district, in the village of Gorohovo. His grandfather was a priest, his father also graduated from a theological seminary, but went to work as an investigator in the Oryol Criminal Chamber. After his forced retirement, he moved with his family to Panino (village), in
The writer's childhood passed in the countryside. It was here that he "absorbed" the language of the Russian people, which formed the basis of the unique "Leskovian language" - a special style of presentation, which then became the main feature of his
The biography of Nikolai Leskov contains a mention that he studied poorly at the gymnasium. Later, the writer said about himself that he was "self-taught." Without passing the exam for transfer to the next class, the young man left the educational institution and began working as a scribe in the Oryol Criminal Chamber.
Biography of N. S. Leskov. commercial service
After the death of his father, the eldest son Nikolai takes on the responsibility of caring for the family (besides him, his parents had six more children). The young man moves to Kyiv, where he first gets a job at the Kyiv Treasury Chamber, and then goes to the commercial company of his maternal relative, English businessman A. Ya. Shkot (Scott). On duty, Nikolai Leskov often travels around the country. The knowledge and impressions gained during these trips will then form the basis of many of the writer's works.
Nikolai the Writer - an opponent of nihilism
As they say, there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped. In 1860, the Shkot and Wilkens company closed, and Nikolai Semenovich moved to St. Petersburg, where he took up writing in earnest.
At first, Leskov acts as a publicist: he publishes articles and essays on topical topics. Collaborates with the journals "Northern bee", "Domestic notes", "Russian speech".
In 1863, "The Life of a Woman" and "The Musk Ox" were published - the first stories of the writer. The following year, he publishes the famous story "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District", some short stories, as well as his first novel "Nowhere". In it, nihilism, fashionable at that time, is opposed to the fundamental values of the Russian people - Christianity, nepotism, respect for daily work. The next major work, which also contained criticism of nihilism, was the novel "Knives" published in 1870.
Attitude towards the church
Being a descendant of the clergy, Leskov attached great importance to Christianity and its role in Russian life. The chronicles "Soboryane" are dedicated to the priests, as the stabilizing force of their time. The writer has novels and stories, united in the collection "The Righteous". They tell about honest, conscientious people with whom the Russian land is rich. In the same period, the amazing story “The Sealed Angel” was published - one of the best works created by a writer named Nikolai Leskov. His biography, however, suggests that he subsequently succumbed to the influence of Leo Tolstov and became disillusioned with the Russian clergy. His later works are filled with bitter sarcasm in relation to "clergy".
Nikolai Leskov died in 1895 in St. Petersburg, at the age of 64.
Nikolai Semenovich Leskov left behind a large number of original and beloved works by us to this day. His biography reflects the complex path of a thinking and searching person. But no matter how his creative development proceeded, we still know and love his “Lefty”, “The Enchanted Wanderer”, “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” and many other creations.
Nikolai Leskov is a Russian writer, publicist and memoirist. In his works, he paid great attention to the Russian people.
In the late period of his work, Leskov wrote a number of satirical stories, many of which were not censored. Nikolai Leskov was a deep psychologist, thanks to which he masterfully described the characters of his heroes.
Most of all, he is known for the famous work “Lefty”, which surprisingly conveys the features of the Russian character.
There were many interesting events in Leskov, the main ones of which we will introduce you right now.
So in front of you short biography of Leskov.
Leskov's biography
Nikolai Semenovich Leskov was born on February 4, 1831 in the village of Gorokhovo, Oryol province. His father, Semyon Dmitrievich, was the son of a priest. He also graduated from the seminary, but preferred to work in the Oryol Criminal Chamber.
In the future, the stories of the father-seminarian and the grandfather-priest will seriously affect the formation of the views of the writer.
Leskov's father was a very gifted investigator, able to unravel the most difficult case. Due to his merits, he was awarded the title of nobility.
The writer's mother, Maria Petrovna, was from a noble family.
In addition to Nikolai, four more children were born in the Leskov family.
Childhood and youth
When the future writer was barely 8 years old, his father had a serious quarrel with his management. This led to the fact that their family moved to the village of Panino. There they bought a house and began to live a simple life.
Having reached a certain age, Leskov went to study at the Oryol gymnasium. An interesting fact is that in almost all subjects the young man received low marks.
After 5 years of study, he was issued a certificate of completion of only 2 classes. Leskov's biographers suggest that teachers were to blame for this, who treated students harshly and often punished them physically.
After studying, Nikolai had to get a job. His father sent him to the criminal chamber as a clerk.
In 1848, a tragedy occurred in Leskov's biography. His father died of cholera, leaving their family without support and a breadwinner.
The following year, at his own request, Leskov got a job in the state chamber in Kyiv. At that time, he lived with his own uncle.
Being at a new workplace, Nikolai Leskov became seriously interested in reading books. He soon began attending the university as a volunteer.
Unlike most students, the young man listened attentively to the lecturers, eagerly absorbing new knowledge.
During this period of his biography, he became seriously interested in icon painting, and also made acquaintance with various Old Believers and sectarians.
Then Leskov got a job at the Schcott and Wilkens company, owned by his relative.
He was often sent on business trips, in connection with which he managed to visit different. Later, Nikolai Leskov would call this period of time the best in his biography.
Creativity Leskov
For the first time, Nikolai Semenovich Leskov wanted to take up a pen while working at Schcott and Wilkens. Every day he had to meet different people and witness interesting situations.
Initially, he wrote articles on everyday social topics. For example, he denounced officials for illegal activities, after which criminal cases were opened against some of them.
When Leskov was 32 years old, he wrote the story "The Life of a Woman", which was later published in a St. Petersburg magazine.
He then presented several more short stories, which were positively received by critics.
Inspired by the first success, he continued writing. Soon, very deep and serious essays “The Warrior” and “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” came out from Leskov’s pen.
An interesting fact is that Leskov not only masterfully conveyed the images of his heroes, but also decorated the works with intellectual humor. They often contained sarcasm and skilfully disguised parody.
Thanks to these techniques, Nikolai Leskov developed his own and unique literary style.
In 1867 Leskov tried himself as a playwright. He wrote many plays, many of which were staged in theaters. The play "The Spender", which tells about the merchant's life, gained particular popularity.
Then Nikolai Leskov published several serious novels, including Nowhere and On Knives. In them, he criticized various kinds of revolutionaries, as well as nihilists.
Soon his novels caused a wave of discontent from the ruling elite. The editors of many publications refused to publish his works in their journals.
Leskov's next work, which today is included in the compulsory school curriculum, was "Lefty". In it, he described the masters of weapons in paints. Leskov managed to present the plot so well that they began to talk about him as an outstanding writer of our time.
In 1874, by decision of the Ministry of Public Education, Leskov was approved for the position of censor of new books. Thus, he had to determine which of the books was eligible for publication and which was not. For his work, Nikolai Leskov received a very small salary.
During this period of his biography, he wrote the story "The Enchanted Wanderer", which no publisher wanted to publish.
The story was different in that many of its plots deliberately did not have a logical conclusion. Critics did not understand Leskov's idea and were very sarcastic about the story.
After that, Nikolai Leskov released a collection of short stories "The Righteous", in which he described the fate of ordinary people who met on his way. However, these works were also negatively received by critics.
In the 80s, signs of religiosity began to clearly appear in his works. In particular, Nikolai Semenovich wrote about early Christianity.
At a later stage of his work, Leskov wrote works in which he denounced officials, military personnel and church leaders.
This period of his creative biography includes such works as "The Beast", "Scarecrow", "Dumb Artist" and others. In addition, Leskov managed to write a number of stories for children.
It is worth noting that he spoke of Leskov as "the most Russian of our writers", and they considered him one of their main teachers.
He spoke about Nikolai Leskov as follows:
“As an artist of the word, N. S. Leskov is quite worthy to stand next to such creators of Russian as L. Tolstoy, Turgenev,. Leskov’s talent, in strength and beauty, is not much inferior to the talent of any of the named creators of the sacred writings about the Russian land, and in the breadth of coverage of the phenomena of life, the depth of understanding of its everyday mysteries, and the subtle knowledge of the Great Russian language, he often exceeds his named predecessors and associates.
Personal life
In the biography of Nikolai Leskov there were 2 official marriages. His first wife was the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, Olga Smirnova, whom he married at the age of 22.
Over time, Olga began to have mental disorders. Later, she even had to be sent to a clinic for treatment.
Nikolai Leskov and his first wife Olga Smirnova In this marriage, the writer had a girl, Vera, and a boy, Mitya, who died at an early age.
Left virtually without a wife, Leskov began to cohabit with Ekaterina Bubnova. In 1866 their son Andrei was born. Having lived in a civil marriage for 11 years, they decided to leave.
Nikolai Leskov and his second wife Ekaterina Bubnova An interesting fact is that Nikolai Leskov was a staunch vegetarian for almost his entire biography. He was an ardent opponent of killing for food.
Moreover, in June 1892, Leskov published an appeal in the Novoye Vremya newspaper entitled “On the need to publish in Russian a well-composed detailed kitchen book for vegetarians.”
Death
Throughout his life, Leskov suffered from asthma attacks, which in recent years began to progress.
He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Volkovskoye cemetery.
Shortly before his death, in 1889-1893, Leskov compiled and published the Complete Works of A.S. Suvorin in 12 volumes, which included most of his works of art.
For the first time, a truly complete (30-volume) collected works of the writer began to be published by the Terra publishing house in 1996 and continues to this day.
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