He was born on March 20 (April 1), 1809 in the village of Sorochintsy, Poltava province, in the family of a landowner. Gogol was the third child, and in total there were 12 children in the family.

Training in the biography of Gogol took place at the Poltava School. Then in 1821 he entered the class of the Nizhyn gymnasium, where he studied justice. IN school years the writer was not distinguished by special abilities in his studies. Well, he was given only drawing lessons and the study of Russian literature. He only wrote mediocre works.

The beginning of the literary path

In 1828, Gogol moved to St. Petersburg in his life. There he served as an official, tried to get a job as an actor in the theater and was engaged in literature. Actor career did not go well, and the service did not bring Gogol pleasure, and sometimes even weighed down. And the writer decided to prove himself in the literary field.

In 1831, Gogol met representatives of the literary circles Zhukovsky and Pushkin, no doubt these acquaintances greatly influenced him further fate and literary activities.

Gogol and theater

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's interest in the theater manifested itself in his youth, after the death of his father, a wonderful playwright and storyteller.

Realizing the full power of the theater, Gogol took up dramaturgy. Gogol's The Inspector General was written in 1835 and staged for the first time in 1836. Due to the negative reaction of the public to the production of "The Inspector General", the writer leaves the country.

last years of life

In 1836, in the biography of Nikolai Gogol, trips were made to Switzerland, Germany, Italy, as well as a short stay in Paris. Then, from March 1837, work continued in Rome on the first volume of Gogol's greatest work, Dead Souls”, which was conceived by the author in St. Petersburg. After returning home from Rome, the writer publishes the first volume of the poem. While working on the second volume, Gogol had spiritual crisis. Even a trip to Jerusalem did not help to rectify the situation.

At the beginning of 1843, Gogol's famous story "The Overcoat" was first published.

Is Nikolai Gogol. Everyone knows his books. Based on his works, films are made and performances are staged. The work of this writer is very diverse. It contains both romantic stories and works of realistic prose.

Biography

Nikolai Gogol was born in Ukraine in the family of a regimental clerk. The talent of the satirist in him manifested itself early. Gogol showed an indefatigable thirst for knowledge already in childhood. Books played in his life big role. In the Nezhin School, where he received his education, he was not given sufficient knowledge. That is why he subscribed additionally to literary magazines and almanacs.

Even in his school years, he began to compose witty epigrams. Teachers were the subject of ridicule of the future writer. But the lyceum student did not give such creative research special significance. After completing the course, he dreamed of leaving for St. Petersburg, believing that he could get a job there in the public service.

Service in the office

The dream came true, and the lyceum graduate left his native land. However, in St. Petersburg, he was able to get only a modest place in the office. In parallel with this work, he created small but they were bad, and almost all copies of the first poem, which was called "Hans Küchelgarten", he bought in a bookstore and burned it with his own hand.

Longing for a small homeland

Soon, failures in creativity and material difficulties plunged Gogol into despondency. northern capital began to cause melancholy in his soul. And more and more often the employee of the small office recalled Ukrainian landscapes dear to the heart. Not everyone knows which book brought Gogol fame. But there is no schoolchild in our country who would not know the work “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”. This book was inspired by a yearning for small homeland. And that's exactly what literary work brought fame to Gogol and allowed him to gain recognition from his fellow writers. A laudatory review of Pushkin himself was awarded to Gogol. The books of the great poet and writer in his youth had a decisive influence on him. That is why the opinion of the luminary of literature was especially valuable for the young author.

"Petersburg Tales" and other works

Since then, Gogol was a member of literary circles. He closely communicated with Pushkin and Zhukovsky, which could not but affect his work. From now on, writing became the meaning of life for him. He took this matter very seriously. And the result was not long in coming.

During this period, the most famous books Gogol. Their list suggests that the writer worked in an extremely intensive mode and did not give particular preference to one or another genre. His works caused a resonance in the world of literature. Belinsky wrote about the talent of the young prose writer, who is distinguished by his amazing ability to recognize unique abilities on early stage. realistic direction, laid down by Pushkin, developed at a decent level, as evidenced by Gogol's books. Their list includes the following works:

• "Portrait".
• "Diary of a Madman".
• "Nose".
• "Nevsky Avenue".
• "Taras Bulba".

Each of them is unique in its own way. In a sense, Nikolai Gogol became an innovator. His books were distinguished by the fact that for the first time in the history of Russian literature they touched on the topic. It was done superficially, but before that the fate of thousands ordinary people portrayed in fiction only in passing.

But no matter how strong and unique the talent of the creator of The Overcoat, he made a special contribution to literature thanks to the writing of The Inspector General and dead souls».

Satire

Early works brought Gogol success. However, the writer was not satisfied with this. Gogol did not want to remain just a contemplator of life. The realization that the mission of the writer is extremely great grew stronger and stronger in his soul. The artist is able to convey to his readers his vision of modern reality, thereby influencing the consciousness of the masses. From now on, Gogol created for the benefit of Russia and its people. His books testify to this good intention. The poem "Dead Souls" the greatest work in literature. However, after the release of the first volume, the writer was severely attacked by adherents of conservative views.

The difficult situation that developed in the life and work of the writer led to the fact that he failed to complete the poem. The second volume, which was written shortly before his death, was burned by the writer.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809 - 1852) was born in Ukraine, in the village of Sorochintsy in the Poltava region. His father was from the landowners of the Bogdan Khmelnitsky family. In total, 12 children were brought up in the family.

Childhood and youth

IN family estate Gogol's neighbors and friends constantly gathered: the father of the future writer was known as a great admirer of the theater. It is known that he even tried to write his own plays. So Nikolai inherited his talent for creativity from his father's side. While studying at the Nizhyn Gymnasium, he became famous for the fact that he loved to write bright and funny epigrams for his classmates and teachers.

Because the teaching staff educational institution did not differ in high professionalism, the gymnasium students had to devote a lot of time to self-education: they wrote out almanacs, prepared theatrical performances published their own handwritten journal. At that time, Gogol had not yet thought about writing career. He dreamed of entering the civil service, which was then considered prestigious.

Petersburg period

Moving to St. Petersburg in 1828 and the much-desired civil service did not bring moral satisfaction to Nikolai Gogol. It turned out that the work in the office is boring.

At the same time, Gogol's first printed poem, Hans Küchelgarten, appeared. But the writer is also disappointed in her. And so much so that he personally takes the published materials from the store and burns them.

Life in St. Petersburg has a depressing effect on the writer: uninteresting work, dull climate, material problems… He is increasingly thinking about returning to his picturesque native village in Ukraine. It was the memories of the motherland that were embodied in a well-transmitted national color in one of the most famous works writer "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka". This masterpiece was warmly received by critics. And after Zhukovsky and Pushkin left positive reviews about Evenings, the doors to the world of true luminaries of writing art opened for Gogol.

Inspired by the success of the first successful work, Gogol later a short time writes Notes of a Madman, Taras Bulba, The Nose, and Old World Landowners. They further reveal the talent of the writer. After all, no one before in his works so accurately and vividly touched upon the psychology of "small" people. not without reason renowned critic of that time, Belinsky spoke so enthusiastically about Gogol's talent. Everything could be found in his works: humor, tragedy, humanity, poetism. But with all this, the writer continued to be not completely satisfied with himself and his work. He believed that his civil position expressed too passively.

Failed at public service, Nikolai Gogol decides to try his hand at teaching history at St. Petersburg University. But even here another fiasco awaited him. Therefore, he makes another decision: to devote himself entirely to creativity. But not as a contemplative writer, but as an active participant, a judge of heroes. In 1836, the bright satire "Inspector General" comes out from the author's pen. The society accepted this work ambiguously. Perhaps because Gogol was able to very sensitively "hurt a nerve", showing all the imperfections of the then society. IN Once again the writer, disappointed in his abilities, decides to leave Russia.

Roman holiday

From St. Petersburg, Nikolai Gogol emigrates to Italy. A quiet life in Rome has a beneficial effect on the writer. It was here that he began to write a large-scale work - "Dead Souls". Once again, society did not accept a real masterpiece. Gogol was accused of slandering his homeland, because the society could not take a blow to the serfdom. Even the critic Belinsky took up arms against the writer.

Rejection by society in the best way affected the writer's health. He made an attempt and wrote the second volume of Dead Souls, but he personally burned the manuscript.

The writer died in Moscow in February 1852. official reason death was called "nervous fever".

• Gogol was fond of knitting and sewing. He made the famous neckerchiefs for himself.
• The writer had a habit of walking the streets only on the left side, which constantly interfered with passers-by.
• Nikolai Gogol was very fond of sweets. In his pockets you could always find sweets or a piece of sugar.
• The writer's favorite drink was goat's milk brewed with rum.
• The whole life of the writer was associated with mysticism and legends about his life, which gave rise to the most incredible, sometimes ridiculous rumors.

The main themes of the works of N.V. Gogol

"Evenings on a farm near Dikanka" (1831 - 32) - the work is distinguished by romantic moods, lyricism and humor.

The stories from the collections "Mirgorod" and "Arabesques" (both 1835) open the realistic period of Gogol's work.

The theme of humiliation little man"Most fully embodied in the story" Overcoat "(1842).

In the poem "Dead Souls" (1st volume - 1842), satirical ridicule of landlord Russia was combined with the pathos of the spiritual transformation of man.

The religious-journalistic book Selected passages from correspondence with friends (1847) was criticized by V. G. Belinsky.

Topic 1.6 "Petersburg Tales" (1835-1842)

"Petersburg Tales" (1835-1842) - "Nevsky Prospekt", "Nose", "Portrait", "Overcoat", "Notes of a Madman", "Rome". The works included in this cycle are combined common place actions: all events take place in St. Petersburg. Each story is a combination of a fantastic incident and real everyday details in the description of the life of bureaucratic Petersburg. The stories are based grotesque .

"Portrait"

Composition. The work consists of two parts. The first one talks about tragic fate and the death of a hero true reason which is a mystery to the reader. In the second, the author explains the mysterious circumstances and causes of Chartkov's death, without saying a word about him.

The story tells about a young artist named Chartkov, who one day, going into an art shop, discovers an amazing portrait. It depicts an old man in an Asian costume, Chartkov is simply struck by the eyes of the old man from the portrait: they "possessed a strange liveliness." Chartkov buys a portrait and takes it to his poor house.

The young artist goes to bed, and he dreams that the old man got out of his portrait, and shows a bag in which there are a lot of bundles of money. The artist discreetly hides one of them. In the morning he does discover the money.

Having become rich, Chartkov hires new apartment, orders a commendable article about himself in the newspaper and begins to paint fashionable portraits.

He becomes fashionable, famous, he is invited everywhere. The Academy of Arts asks him to express his opinion about the work of a young artist. Chartkov sees how great creativity is young talent. He understands that he once traded his talent for money. And then envy seizes him - he begins to buy best paintings with one purpose: to cut them into pieces. Soon he dies, leaving nothing behind: all the money was spent on the destruction of the beautiful paintings of other artists.

A portrait of an old man is being sold at the auction. Everyone wants to buy strange picture, but among others, one person says that the portrait should go to him, because he had been looking for it for a long time.

The father of the person who bought the painting was an artist. Once the moneylender asked me to draw him. When the portrait turned out to be painted, the usurer said that he would now live in the portrait. Changes are taking place in the artist himself: he begins to envy the talent of the student ... When a friend takes the portrait, peace returns to the artist. It soon turns out that the portrait brought misfortune to a friend, and he sold it. The artist understands how much trouble his creation can bring. Having accepted, tonsured a monk, bequeathed to his son to find and destroy the portrait. He says: “Whoever has talent in himself must be the purest of all in soul.”

Illustrations by artist V.Panov

the main idea story in the fact that true service to art requires from a person moral stamina and courage, understanding of the high responsibility to society for talent. "Talent is the most precious gift of God - do not destroy it" - this is how he teaches his son old painter, this is the main idea of ​​the work.

SECTION 2. Russian Literature II half of XIX century

Topic 2.1 Russian literature of the second half of the 19th century (description)

This period is the time of the rise of Russian culture.

Realism finally established itself in the visual arts. Central theme visual arts a people has become, not only oppressed and suffering, but also a people - the creator of history, a people-fighter, creator of all the best that is in life. In the second half of the 19th century, Russian painting gave such wonderful artists like V.G. Perov, I.N. Kramskoy, I.E. Repin, V.I. Surikov, V.A. Serov, I.I. Levitan.

I. Levitan. Above eternal rest V. Surikov. View of Krasnoyarsk

I. Repin. Barge Haulers on the Volga

IN musical creativity this period leading place occupied by P.I. Tchaikovsky, M.A. Balakirev, Ts.A. Cui, M.P. Mussorgsky, A.P. Borodin and N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov.

of great importance in the social and cultural life Russia in the second half of the 19th century. bought literature. The abolition of serfdom, bourgeois reforms, the formation of capitalism, heavy wars, which Russia had to lead during this period, found a lively response in the work of Russian writers. Their opinion was listened to, their views largely determined public consciousness population of Russia at that time.

Leading direction in literary creativity was critical realism . Second half of the 19th century turned out to be extremely rich in talents. world fame Russian literature brought the work of I. S. Turgenev, I. A. Goncharov, L. N. Tolstoy, F. M. Dostoevsky, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, A. P. Chekhov.

During this period, “new people” entered the arena of social struggle - the Raznochinskaya intelligentsia, nihilists. They were from poor families who did not belong to the nobility; they were well educated and engaged in intellectual work. They were united by the rejection of the existing order in Russia. The emergence of "new people" influenced literature: it became more democratic, closer to life. This type of heroes is depicted in the novel by N.G. Chernyshevsky “What is to be done?” and in the novel by I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons".

The following themes developed in the literature of this period:

• Peasant theme(N.A. Nekrasov, I.S. Turgenev).
• Women's theme- the position of a Russian woman in the family, in public life(N.A. Nekrasov, I.S. Turgenev, A.N. Ostrovsky, N.S. Leskov).
• Finding an answer to the question "what to do?"; coverage of social, political and moral life Russia.

Poetry of the second half of the 19th century is represented by the names of F.I. Tyutchev, A.A. Fet, Ya.P. Polonsky, A.A. Grigoriev, A.K. Tolstoy, K.K. .Ogaryova, N.A. Nekrasova.

1840-50s passed under the sign of the struggle of Westerners (A.I. Herzen, I.S. Turgenev) and Slavophiles (A.N. Ostrovsky, F.I. Tyutchev, N.S. Leskov). The differences between them were in the definition of the main direction in which Russia should go:
according to the Western, focusing on the life experience of the civilized West, or
in Slavic, referring primarily to national characteristics Slavs.

In 1860-80s. 19th century two camps were more sharply defined: Democrats and Liberals. Democrats called for revolutionary reforms, while liberals called for gradual, economic ones. At the center of the struggle between the two camps is the abolition of serfdom. Democrats: Herzen, Nekrasov, Dobrolyubov, Chernyshevsky, Pisarev and others. Liberals: Turgenev, Goncharov, Druzhinin, Fet, Tyutchev, Leskov, Dostoevsky, Pisemsky and others. A heated debate flared up on the pages of magazines of both directions. Magazines of the time - arena socio-political fight.
During this period, journalism began to actively develop in Russia. The magazines Sovremennik, Kolokol, Russian word”, Russian Bulletin”, “Bulletin of Europe” played a huge role in the development of Russian literature.

Topic 2.2 A.N. Ostrovsky (1823 - 1886). Drama Storm.

Born in the town of Velikie Sorochintsy, Mirgorod district, Poltava province, in the family of a landowner. Named after Nicholas miraculous icon St. Nicholas, kept in the church of the village of Dikanka.

The Gogols had over 1,000 acres of land and about 400 souls of serfs. The writer's ancestors on his father's side were hereditary priests, but already his grandfather Afanasy Demyanovich left the spiritual career and entered the hetman's office; it was he who added to his surname Yanovsky another - Gogol, which was supposed to demonstrate the origin of the family from the well-known in Ukrainian history 17th century Colonel Evstafy (Ostap) Gogol (this fact, however, does not find sufficient confirmation).

The writer's father, Vasily Afanasyevich Gogol-Yanovsky (1777-1825), served at the Little Russian Post Office, in 1805 he retired with the rank of collegiate assessor and married Maria Ivanovna Kosyarovskaya (1791-1868), who came from a landowner's family. According to legend, she was the first beauty in the Poltava region. She married Vasily Afanasyevich at the age of fourteen. In the family, in addition to Nikolai, there were five more children.

Gogol spent his childhood on the estate of his parents Vasilievka (another name is Yanovshchina). cultural center the edges were Kibintsy, the estate of D. P. Troshchinsky (1754-1829), a distant relative of the Gogols, a former minister, elected to the district marshals (to the county marshals of the nobility); Gogol's father acted as his secretary. There was a large library in Kibintsy, there was home theater, for whom Father Gogol wrote comedies, being also his actor and conductor.

In 1818-19, Gogol, together with his brother Ivan, studied at the Poltava district school, and then, in 1820-1821, took lessons from the Poltava teacher Gabriel Sorochinsky, living in his apartment. In May 1821 he entered the gymnasium of higher sciences in Nizhyn. Here he paints, participates in performances - as a decorator and as an actor, and with particular success performs comic roles. Tries himself in various literary genres(writes elegiac poems, tragedies, historical poem, story). Then he wrote the satire "Something about Nizhyn, or the law is not written for Fools" (not preserved).

However, the idea of ​​writing has not yet “come to mind” to Gogol, all his aspirations are connected with the “state service”, he dreams of a legal career. Gogol's decision was greatly influenced by Prof. N. G. Belousov, who taught a course in natural law, as well as a general strengthening of freedom-loving moods in the gymnasium. In 1827, a "case of free-thinking" arose here, which ended with the dismissal of leading professors, including Belousov; Gogol, who sympathized with him, testified in his favor during the investigation.

After graduating from the gymnasium in 1828, Gogol in December, together with another graduate A. S. Danilevsky (1809-1888), went to St. Petersburg. Experiencing financial difficulties, unsuccessfully fussing about the place, Gogol makes the first literary tests: at the beginning of 1829, the poem "Italy" appears, and in the spring of the same year, under the pseudonym "V. Alov", Gogol prints "an idyll in pictures" "Hanz Küchelgarten". The poem evoked sharp and mocking reviews from N. A. Polevoy and later a condescendingly sympathetic review from O. M. Somov (1830), which intensified Gogol's heavy mood.
At the end of 1829, he managed to decide on a service in the department state economy and public buildings of the Ministry of the Interior. From April 1830 to March 1831 he served in the department of destinies (at first as a clerk, then as an assistant to the clerk), under the supervision of the famous idyllic poet V.I. Panaev. Staying in the offices caused Gogol a deep disappointment in the "service of the state", but it provided rich material for future works, depicting bureaucratic life and the functioning of the state machine.
During this period, Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka (1831-1832) were published. They aroused almost universal admiration.
The top of Gogol's fiction - " Petersburg story"The Nose" (1835; published in 1836), an extremely bold grotesque that anticipated some trends in the art of the 20th century. The story "Taras Bulba" acted as a contrast to both the provincial and metropolitan world, capturing that moment of the national past when the people ( "Cossacks"), defending their sovereignty, acted as a whole, jointly and, moreover, as a force that determines the nature of common European history.

In the autumn of 1835, he set about writing The Inspector General, the plot of which was prompted by Pushkin; the work progressed so successfully that on January 18, 1836, he read the comedy at an evening at Zhukovsky's (in the presence of Pushkin, P. A. Vyazemsky and others), and in February-March he was already busy staging it on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater. The play premiered on April 19. May 25 - premiere in Moscow, at the Maly Theatre.
In June 1836, Gogol left St. Petersburg for Germany (in total he lived abroad for about 12 years). He spends the end of summer and autumn in Switzerland, where he takes up the continuation of Dead Souls. The plot was also prompted by Pushkin. The work began as early as 1835, before the writing of The Inspector General, and immediately acquired a wide scope. In St. Petersburg, several chapters were read to Pushkin, evoking in him both approval and at the same time a depressing feeling.
In November 1836, Gogol moved to Paris, where he met A. Mickiewicz. Then he moves to Rome. Here in February 1837, in the midst of work on " Dead souls", he receives shocking news of the death of Pushkin. In a fit of "inexpressible longing" and bitterness, Gogol feels "the current work" as a "sacred testament" of the poet.
In December 1838, Zhukovsky arrived in Rome, accompanying the heir (Alexander II). Gogol was extremely educated by the arrival of the poet, showed him Rome; drew views with him.

In September 1839, accompanied by Pogodin, Gogol arrived in Moscow and began reading the chapters of "Dead Souls" - first in the Aksakovs' house, then, after moving to St. Petersburg in October, with Zhukovsky, with Prokopovich in the presence of his old friends. Total read 6 chapters. The enthusiasm was universal.
In May 1842 "The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls" was published.
After the first, brief, but highly commendable reviews, the initiative was seized by Gogol's detractors, who accused him of caricature, farce, and slandering reality. Later, N.A. Polevoy made an article that bordered on a denunciation.
All this controversy took place in the absence of Gogol, who went abroad in June 1842. Before leaving, he entrusts Prokopovich with the publication of the first collection of his works. Summer Gogol spends in Germany, in October, together with N. M. Yazykov, he moves to Rome. Works on the 2nd volume of "Dead Souls", begun, apparently, in 1840; He spends a lot of time preparing his collected works. "The Works of Nikolai Gogol" in four volumes came out at the beginning of 1843, as the censorship suspended two volumes already printed for a month.
The three-year period (1842-1845) that followed after the writer's departure abroad was a period of intense and difficult work on the 2nd volume of Dead Souls.
At the beginning of 1845, Gogol showed signs of a new spiritual crisis. The writer goes to rest and "recuperate" in Paris, but in March he returns to Frankfurt. Starting a period of treatment and consultations with various medical celebrities, moving from one resort to another? now to Halle, then to Berlin, then to Dresden, then to Karlsbad. At the end of June or at the beginning of July 1845, in a state of sharp exacerbation of his illness, Gogol burned the manuscript of the 2nd volume. Subsequently (in "Four Letters to Different Persons About Dead Souls" - "Selected Places") Gogol explained this step by the fact that the "paths and roads" to the ideal were not clearly shown in the book.
Gogol continues to work on the 2nd volume, however, experiencing increasing difficulties, he is distracted by other things: he composes a preface to the 2nd edition of the poem (published in 1846) "To the reader from the writer", writes "The Examiner's Denouement" (published 1856 ), in which the idea of ​​a "prefabricated city" in the spirit of the theological tradition ("On the City of God" by Blessed Augustine) was refracted into the subjective plane of the "spiritual city" individual person which brought to the fore the requirements of spiritual education and improvement of everyone.
In 1847, "Selected passages from correspondence with friends" were published in St. Petersburg. The book performed a dual function - both explaining why the 2nd volume has not yet been written, and some compensation for it: Gogol proceeded to present his main ideas - a doubt in the effective, teacher's function fiction, a utopian program for the fulfillment of one's duty by all "estates" and "ranks", from a peasant to senior officials and the king.
The release of "Selected Places" brought a real critical storm to their author. All these responses overtook the writer on the road: in May 1847 he went from Naples to Paris, then to Germany. Gogol cannot recover from the "blows" he received: "My health ... was shaken by this devastating story for me about my book ... I wonder myself how I am still alive."
Gogol spends the winter of 1847-1848 in Naples, intensively reading Russian periodicals, novelties of fiction, historical and folklore books - "in order to plunge deeper into the indigenous Russian spirit." At the same time, he is preparing for a long-planned pilgrimage to the holy places. In January 1848 by sea heading for Jerusalem. In April 1848, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Gogol finally returned to Russia, where most spends time in Moscow, sometimes visits in St. Petersburg, as well as in his native places - Little Russia.

In mid-October Gogol lives in Moscow. In 1849-1850, Gogol read individual chapters of the 2nd volume of "Dead Souls" to his friends. General approval and delight inspire the writer, who now works with redoubled energy. In the spring of 1850, Gogol makes his first and last attempt to arrange his family life- makes an offer to A. M. Vielgorskaya, but is refused.
In October 1850 Gogol arrived in Odessa. His condition is improving; he is active, cheerful, cheerful; willingly converges with the actors of the Odessa troupe, to whom he gives lessons in reading comedies, with L. S. Pushkin, with local writers. In March 1851 he leaves Odessa and, after spending the spring and early summer in his native places, in June he returns to Moscow. A new circle of readings of the 2nd volume of the poem follows; I read up to 7 chapters in total. In October, he is present at The Inspector General at the Maly Theater, with S. V. Shumsky in the role of Khlestakov, and is satisfied with the performance; in November, he reads The Inspector General to a group of actors, and I. S. Turgenev was among the listeners.

January 1, 1852 Gogol informs Arnoldi that the 2nd volume is "completely finished." But in last days months, signs of a new crisis were clearly revealed, the impetus for which was the death of E. M. Khomyakova, the sister of N. M. Yazykov, a person spiritually close to Gogol. He is tormented by a premonition imminent death, exacerbated by renewed doubts about the beneficence of his writing career and the success of his work. On February 7, Gogol confesses and takes communion, and on the night of 11 to 12 he burns the white manuscript of the 2nd volume (only 5 chapters relating to various draft editions have been preserved in incomplete form; published in 1855). On the morning of February 21, Gogol died in his last apartment in Talyzin's house in Moscow.
The funeral of the writer took place with a huge gathering of people at the cemetery of the St. Danilov Monastery, and in 1931 Gogol's remains were reburied at the Novodevichy cemetery.