In literature, the name of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is associated with an important transitional stage at the turn of two centuries. Not the last role in this was played by a historical breakdown in the political and public life of Russia. This factor undoubtedly had the strongest influence on the writer's work. A. I. Kuprin is a man of unusual fate and strong character. Almost all of his works are based on real events. An ardent fighter for justice sharply, boldly and at the same time lyrically created his masterpieces, which were included in the golden fund of Russian literature.
Kuprin was born in 1870 in the town of Narovchat, Penza province. His father, a small landowner, died suddenly when the future writer was only a year old. Left with his mother and two sisters, he grew up enduring hunger and all sorts of hardships. Experiencing serious financial difficulties associated with the death of her husband, the mother placed her daughters in a government boarding school, and together with little Sasha moved to Moscow.
Kuprin's mother, Lyubov Alekseevna, was a proud woman, as she was a descendant of a noble Tatar family, as well as a native Muscovite. But she had to make a difficult decision for herself - to give her son up for education in an orphanage school.
Kuprin's childhood years, spent within the walls of the boarding house, were bleak, and his inner state always seemed depressed. He felt out of place, felt bitterness from the constant oppression of his personality. Indeed, given the origin of the mother, which the boy was always very proud of, the future writer, as he grew up and became, showed himself as an emotional, active and charismatic person.
Youth and education
After graduating from the orphan school, Kuprin entered a military gymnasium, which was later transformed into a cadet corps.
This event largely influenced the further fate of Alexander Ivanovich and, first of all, his work. After all, it was from the beginning of his studies at the gymnasium that he first revealed an interest in writing, and the image of Lieutenant Romashov from the famous story “Duel” is the prototype of the author himself.
Service in an infantry regiment allowed Kuprin to visit many remote cities and provinces of Russia, to study military affairs, the basics of army discipline and drill. The theme of officer everyday life has taken a strong position in many works of art by the author, which subsequently caused controversial debates in society.
It would seem that a military career is the fate of Alexander Ivanovich. But his rebellious nature did not allow this to materialize. By the way, the service was completely alien to him. There is a version that Kuprin, being under the influence of alcohol, threw a police officer off the bridge into the water. In connection with this incident, he soon retired and left military affairs forever.
History of success
Leaving the service, Kuprin experienced an urgent need to obtain comprehensive knowledge. Therefore, he began to actively travel around Russia, get to know people, draw from communication with them a lot of new and useful things for himself. At the same time, Alexander Ivanovich sought to try his hand at various professions. He gained experience in the field of land surveyors, circus performers, fishermen, even pilots. However, one of the flights almost ended in tragedy: as a result of the plane crash, Kuprin almost died.
He also worked with interest as a journalist in various print media, wrote notes, essays, articles. The vein of an adventurer allowed him to successfully develop everything he started. He was open to everything new and absorbed what was happening around him like a sponge. Kuprin was a researcher by nature: he eagerly studied human nature, wanted to experience all the facets of interpersonal communication for himself. Therefore, during military service, faced with obvious officer licentiousness, hazing and humiliation of human dignity, the creator in a revealing manner formed the basis for writing his most famous works, such as "Duel", "Junkers", "At the Turn (Cadets)".
The writer built the plots of all his works, relying solely on personal experience and memories received by him during his service and travels in Russia. Openness, simplicity, sincerity of the presentation of thoughts, as well as the reliability of the description of the images of the characters became the key to the author's success in the literary path.
Creation
Kuprin wholeheartedly yearned for his people, and his explosive and honest nature, due to the Tatar origin of his mother, would not allow him to distort in writing those facts about the life of people whom he personally witnessed.
However, Alexander Ivanovich did not condemn all of his characters, even bringing their dark sides to the surface. Being a humanist and a desperate fighter for justice, Kuprin figuratively demonstrated this feature of his in the work "The Pit". It tells about the life of the inhabitants of brothels. But the writer does not focus on the heroines as fallen women, on the contrary, he invites readers to understand the prerequisites for their fall, in the torment of their hearts and souls, he offers to see in every whore, first of all, a person.
More than one of Kuprin's works is saturated with the theme of love. The most striking of them is the story "". In it, as in "The Pit", there is an image of a narrator, an explicit or implicit participant in the events described. But the narrator in Oles is one of the two main characters. This is a story about noble love, partly the heroine considers herself unworthy of it, whom everyone takes for a witch. However, the girl has nothing to do with her. On the contrary, her image embodies all possible female virtues. The ending of the story cannot be called happy, because the characters do not reunite in their sincere impulse, but are forced to lose each other. But happiness lies for them in the fact that they had a chance in life to experience the power of all-consuming mutual love.
Of course, the story "Duel" deserves special attention as a reflection of all the horrors of army customs that reigned then in tsarist Russia. This is a vivid confirmation of the features of realism in the work of Kuprin. Perhaps that is why the story caused a flurry of negative reviews from critics and the public. The hero of Romashov, in the same rank of second lieutenant as Kuprin himself, who once retired, like the author, appears before readers in the light of an extraordinary personality, whose psychological growth we have the opportunity to observe from page to page. This book brought wide fame to its creator and rightfully occupies one of the central places in his bibliography.
Kuprin did not support the revolution in Russia, although at first he met quite often with Lenin. Ultimately, the writer emigrated to France, where he continued his literary work. In particular, Alexander Ivanovich liked to write for children. Some of his stories ("White Poodle", "", "Starlings") undoubtedly deserve the attention of the target audience.
Personal life
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was married twice. The first wife of the writer was Maria Davydova, the daughter of a famous cellist musician. In marriage, a daughter, Lydia, was born, who later died during her birth. The only grandson of Kuprin, who was born, died from wounds received during the Second World War.
The second time the writer married Elizabeth Heinrich, with whom he lived until the end of his days. The marriage produced two daughters, Zinaida and Xenia. But the first died in early childhood from pneumonia, and the second became a famous actress. However, the continuation of the Kuprin family did not follow, and today he has no direct descendants.
The second wife of Kuprin survived him by only four years and, unable to withstand the ordeal of hunger during the siege of Leningrad, committed suicide.
- Kuprin was proud of his Tatar origin, so he often put on a national caftan and skullcap, going out in such attire to people, went to visit.
- Partly thanks to his acquaintance with I. A. Bunin, Kuprin became a writer. Bunin once turned to him with a request to write a note on a topic of interest to him, which marked the beginning of the literary activity of Alexander Ivanovich.
- The author was famous for his sense of smell. Once, while visiting Fyodor Chaliapin, he shocked everyone present, overshadowing the invited perfumer with his unique flair, unmistakably recognizing all the components of the new fragrance. Sometimes, when meeting new people, Alexander Ivanovich sniffed them, thereby putting everyone in an awkward position. It was said that this helped him better understand the essence of the person in front of him.
- Throughout his life, Kuprin changed about twenty professions.
- After meeting A. P. Chekhov in Odessa, the writer went to St. Petersburg at his invitation to work in a well-known magazine. Since then, the author has acquired a reputation as a brawler and drunkard, as he often took part in entertainment events in a new environment for himself.
- The first wife, Maria Davydova, tried to eradicate some disorganization inherent in Alexander Ivanovich. If he fell asleep during work, she deprived him of breakfast, or forbade him to enter the house if the new chapters of the work on which he was working at that time were not ready.
- The first monument to A.I. Kuprin was erected only in 2009 in Balaklava in the Crimea. This is due to the fact that in 1905, during the Ochakov uprising of sailors, the writer helped them hide, thereby saving their lives.
- There were legends about the drunkenness of the writer. In particular, the wits repeated the well-known saying: "If the truth is in wine, how many truths are there in Kuprin?"
Death
The writer returned from emigration to the USSR in 1937, but already in poor health. He had hopes that a second wind would open in his homeland, he would improve his condition and be able to write again. At that time, Kuprin's vision was rapidly deteriorating.
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The personal life of the writer is very interesting and will reveal the inner world of this creative person.
Alexander Kuprin personal life
The writer loved two charming beauties in his life - Maria Davydova and her friend Lisa Rotoni. It so happened that the first marriage ended without a "happy ending". Maria Davydovna was reputed to be a secular lioness and dreamed of making her husband a fashionable writer in a suit of curry, but this way of life was alien to Alexander Ivanovich because of his proud disposition and impatience with flattery. They had a daughter, Lydia.
Although, Kuprin's literary career is in some part the merit of his first wife Maria. The writer was more fond of spending time in taverns, but walking along Nevsky Prospekt. But Maria was unhappy with this outcome and drove her husband out of the house to the hotel, demanding not to return until he wrote a new chapter. It was in this way that the work “Duel” was written, which made Kuprin a world writer!
Once, during the illness of her daughter Lyulusha, Maria invited her friend Elizabeth to look after the child for a small fee.
Over time, Kuprin fell passionately in love with Lisa Rotoni, but the woman proudly left her friend's house so as not to destroy the family. Only now Kuprin did not accept such a fate, broke up with Maria and fell into drunkenness.
After some time, Elizabeth still gave up and also confessed her feelings for the writer, so the lovers lived all their lives. They had two daughters, Ksenia and Zinaida.
After the First World War, Kuprin took his family to France with the hope of a brighter future. But abroad, the writer's work was not successful, earnings were negligible, out of desperation, Kuprin more and more often fell into drunkenness. The family returned to Russia only 20 years later, but the writer, emaciated from cancer, could not live even a year in his native country, he died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad, and was buried near Turgenev's grave. Kuprin's wife Elizaveta died during the siege of Leningrad 5 years after the death of the writer.
Russian Literature of the Silver Age
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin
Biography
Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich (1870 - 1938) - Russian writer. Social criticism marked the story "Moloch" (1896), in which industrialization appears in the form of a monster plant that enslaves a person morally and physically, the story "Duel" (1905) - about the death of a mentally pure hero in the deadly atmosphere of army life and the story "The Pit" (1909 - 15) - about prostitution. The variety of finely defined types, lyrical situations in the novels and stories "Olesya" (1898), "Gambrinus" (1907), "Garnet Bracelet" (1911). Cycles of essays ("Listrigons", 1907 - 11). In 1919 - 37 in exile, in 1937 he returned to his homeland. Autobiographical novel "Junker" (1928 - 32).
Big encyclopedic dictionary, M.-SPb., 1998
Biography
Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich (1870), prose writer.
Born on August 26 (September 7, NS) in the city of Narovchat, Penza province, in the family of a petty official who died a year after the birth of his son. Mother (from the ancient family of the Tatar princes Kulanchakov) after the death of her husband moved to Moscow, where the future writer spent his childhood and youth. At the age of six, the boy was sent to the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school (orphan), from where he left in 1880. In the same year he entered the Moscow Military Academy, transformed into the Cadet Corps.
After the end of the exercise, he continued his military education at the Alexander Cadet School (1888 - 90). Subsequently, he will describe his "military youth" in the stories "At the Turning Point (Cadets)" and in the novel "Junkers". Even then, he dreamed of becoming a "poet or novelist."
Kuprin's first literary experience was poetry, which remained unpublished. The first work that saw the light was the story "The Last Debut" (1889).
In 1890, after graduating from a military school, Kuprin, with the rank of second lieutenant, was enrolled in an infantry regiment stationed in the Podolsk province. The life of an officer, which he led for four years, provided rich material for his future works. In 1893 - 1894 in the St. Petersburg magazine "Russian wealth" his story "In the Dark" and the stories "Moonlight Night" and "Inquiry" were published. A series of stories is dedicated to the life of the Russian army: "Overnight" (1897), "Night Shift" (1899), "Campaign". In 1894 Kuprin retired and moved to Kyiv, having no civilian profession and little life experience. In the following years, he traveled a lot around Russia, having tried many professions, eagerly absorbing life experiences that became the basis of his future works. In the 1890s he published the essay "Yuzovsky Plant" and the story "Moloch", the stories "Forest Wilderness", "The Werewolf", the stories "Olesya" and "Kat" ("Army Ensign"). During these years, Kuprin met Bunin, Chekhov and Gorky. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg, began working on the Journal for Everyone, married M. Davydova, and had a daughter, Lydia. Kuprin's stories appeared in St. Petersburg magazines: "Swamp" (1902); Horse Thieves (1903); "White Poodle" (1904). In 1905, his most significant work, the story "The Duel", was published, which was a great success. The writer's speeches with the reading of individual chapters of the "Duel" became an event in the cultural life of the capital. His works of this time were very well-behaved: the essay "Events in Sevastopol" (1905), the stories "Staff Captain Rybnikov" (1906), "The River of Life", "Gambrinus" (1907). In 1907 he married a second marriage to sister of mercy E. Heinrich, daughter Ksenia was born. Kuprin's work in the years between the two revolutions opposed the decadent moods of those years: the cycle of essays "Listrigons" (1907 - 11), stories about animals, the stories "Shulamith", "Garnet Bracelet" (1911). His prose became a prominent phenomenon in Russian literature at the beginning of the century. After the October Revolution, the writer did not accept the policy of war communism, the "Red Terror", he experienced fear for the fate of Russian culture. In 1918 he came to Lenin with a proposal to publish a newspaper for the village - "Earth". At one time he worked in the publishing house "World Literature", founded by Gorky. In the autumn of 1919, while in Gatchina, cut off from Petrograd by Yudenich's troops, he emigrated abroad. The seventeen years that the writer spent in Paris were an unproductive period. Constant material need, homesickness led him to the decision to return to Russia. In the spring of 1937, the seriously ill Kuprin returned to his homeland, warmly welcomed by his admirers. Published an essay "Moscow dear". However, new creative plans were not destined to come true. In August 1938 Kuprin died in Leningrad from cancer.
Aleksand Ivanovich Kuprin (1870-1938) - famous Russian writer. His father, a small official, died a year after the birth of his son. Mother, originally from the Tatar princes Kulanchakov, after the death of her husband moved to the capital of Russia, where Kuprin spent his childhood and youth. At the age of 6, Alexander was sent to an orphanage, where he stayed until 1880. And immediately after leaving, he entered the Moscow Military Academy.
After - he studied at the Alexander School (1888-90). In 1889, his first work, The Last Debut, saw the light of day. In 1890, Kuprin was assigned to an infantry regiment in the Podolsk province, where life became the basis of his many works.
In 1894 the writer retired and moved to Kyiv. The following years were devoted to the wanderings of Russia.
In 1890, he presented readers with many publications - Moloch, Yuzovsky Plant, Werewolf, Olesya, Kat.
Alexander Kuprin is a great Russian writer who left a rich legacy of works to mankind. Observant, subtle and sensitive by nature, Alexander Ivanovich reflected in his works the life and morality of that time.
He was born on August 26 (September 7), 1870 in the family of a petty official in the small town of Narovchat, which is located in the Penza province. His father died a year after Alexander's birth. Three children remained in the arms of Lyubov Alekseevna's mother - older sisters and Sasha himself. The girls are assigned to a boarding school, and Lyubov Alekseevna leaves for Moscow with her son.
It is worth noting that the writer's mother is a native of the ancient family of the Tatar princes Kulanchakovs. She has a strong character, stubborn, she loves her children very much. Life in Moscow was hard, beggarly, and the mother enrolled her six-year-old son in the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school (1876). It was not easy for Alexander, the boy was sad and homesick, he even thought about escaping. He read a lot, knew how to invent stories, and was popular for this. Alexander composed his first creation, a poem, at the age of seven.
Gradually, life got better, and Kuprin decided to become a military man. At the end of the boarding school in 1880, he immediately entered the Second Moscow Military Academy. Eight years later, he studies at the Moscow Alexander Military School. Years of study were not in vain for Alexander Ivanovich, later he would write and denounce in his works. There will be many thoughts about honor, uniform, courage, about the characters of the heroes, as well as about corruption.
He continues to read and study literature, in 1889 his first story "First Debut" is published. In 1890, after completing his studies, Kuprin joined an infantry regiment as a second lieutenant. Its new location is the Podolsk province. Four years later, Alexander Ivanovich retired. Having no specialty, Kuprin tries himself in various fields of activity.
This person, greedy for impressions, takes on any job, he is not afraid of anything, he is interested in everything. His character is explosive, but he is ready for an adventure. It was important for him to communicate with people, to get used to their atmosphere of life, to capture the feelings, temper and subtleties of each personality. Then Kuprin will skillfully reflect his observations in his works.
Soon he gets acquainted with, and. Publications in Moscow and St. Petersburg begin to print his works, notes, essays. In 1901, Alexander Kuprin marries Maria Davydova, and a year later their daughter Lida is born. In 1905, the story "Duel" was published. In addition to the army impressions set forth in his works, Kuprin writes about love, about animals (“White Poodle” 1902), becomes popular, and is published a lot. In 1907, after a divorce from his first wife, Alexander Kuprin remarries Elizaveta Heinrich. Daughter Xenia is born.
Alexander Ivanovich served in Finland in 1914, but was discharged for health reasons. (1914-1918), then he and his wife Elizabeth and daughter Xenia set up an infirmary at home. They helped the wounded soldiers. Kuprin took the revolution negatively. He was on the side of the white movement, although at first he tried to cooperate with the Bolsheviks. Like many other creative personalities, Kuprin and his family leave Russia, they go to France. Alexander Ivanovich continues to create, but not as productively, he misses his homeland. Actively involved in the anti-Bolshevik press.
In the spring of 1937, the writer and his family returned to their homeland. We met him warmly and cordially. Unfortunately, the writer was seriously ill, a year later he died. He died on August 25, 1938 in the city of Leningrad. The most popular works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin:
"Duel", "Pomegranate Bracelet", "Olesya", "Pit".
Photo from 1912
A.F. Marx
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on September 7 (August 26 according to the old style), 1870 in the city of Narovchat in the Penza province (now the village of Narovchat in the Penza region) into a noble family. Father - Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin (1834-1871). Mother - Lyubov Alekseevna Kuprina (maiden name Kulunchakova) (1838-1910). When Alexander Ivanovich was a year old, his father died, and Lyubov Alekseevna moved to Moscow with her son. The education of the future writer begins at the Moscow Razumov School in 1876, at the age of six. After graduating from school in 1880, he entered the Second Moscow Military Gymnasium. And in 1887 he already entered the Alexander Military School. During the training, a test of the pen takes place: an unsuccessful attempt to write poetry and the story "The Last Debut", which in 1889 is published in the journal "Russian satirical sheet". The writer wrote about this period of his life in the novel "Junker" and the stories "At the Break (The Cadets)".
After graduating from college in 1890, with the rank of lieutenant, he began serving in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment in the Podolsk province (now part of the Vinnitsa, Khmelnitsky and Odessa regions in Ukraine). But already in 1894 he retired and moved to Kyiv.
Since 1894, Kuprin traveled a lot around the Russian Empire and tried himself in various professions, which gave him rich material for his works. During this period, get acquainted with Chekhov, Gorky and Bunin. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg.
In 1902 he marries Maria Karlovna Davydova (1881-1966), with whom he lived until 1907, and in the same year begins to live with Elizaveta Moritsovna Heinrich (1882-1942), and signs with her in 1909, after receiving an official divorce from his first wife.
In the nineties, some works of Alexander Ivanovich were published, but he gained fame in 1905, after the publication of the story "Duel". From 1905 to 1914, many of Kuprin's works were published. In 1906 he was a candidate for the State Duma.
After the outbreak of the First World War in the summer of 1914, he opened a hospital at his home, but already in December 1914 he was mobilized. In 1915 he was demobilized for health reasons.
He enthusiastically accepts the February Revolution of 1917. After the October Revolution, for some time he tries to work with the Bolsheviks, but does not accept their views and joins the White movement. In the North-Western Army, Yudenich was engaged in editorial work in the newspaper "Prinevsky Territory". After a major defeat of the army, he leaves first for Finland in 1919, and then for France in 1920. In Paris, Kuprin wrote three long novels, many short stories and essays. In 1937, at the invitation of the government and Stalin's personal permission, he returned to the USSR. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from cancer. He was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery next to Turgenev.
