The past century has given mankind many talented authors. Writers of the 20th century worked in the era of world social upheavals and revolutions, which inevitably found its reflection in their works. Any historical event influenced literature - if you remember, the largest number of military novels were written during the Second World War and in the next 15 years.
The most famous Russian writers of the 20th century are Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Mikhail Bulgakov. Solzhenitsyn revealed to the world the whole horror of the Soviet camps in his work The Gulag Archipelago, for which he was subjected to the most severe criticism and persecution in our country. Later, Solzhenitsyn was deported to the FRG, and he lived and worked abroad for a long time. he was returned only in 1990 by a special presidential decree, after which he was able to return to his homeland.
It is interesting that in our country the 20th century became the era of writers and poets in exile - Ivan Bunin, Konstantin Balmont, Raisa Bloch and many others ended up abroad in different years. Mikhail Bulgakov became famous throughout the world for his novel The Master and Margarita and the story Heart of a Dog. It is noteworthy that he wrote the novel "The Master and Margarita" for more than 10 years - the basis of the work was created immediately, but editing continued for many years, until the death of the writer. The terminally ill Bulgakov brought the novel to perfection, but did not have time to finish this work, so one can find literary blunders in the work. And still, the novel "Master and Margarita" became, perhaps, the best work of this genre in the entire 20th century.
Popular of the 20th century is, first of all, the queen of the detective Agatha Christie and the creator of the best dystopia "Animal Farm" George Orwell. England at all times has given the world literary geniuses such as William Shakespeare, HG Wells, Walter Scott and many others. The last century was no exception, and people in all countries are now reading books by Pratchett Terry, John Windom and
In general, the writers of the 20th century did not at all resemble their predecessors - the authors of the 19th century. became more diverse, and if in the 19th century there were only 3-4 main directions, then in the 20th there were an order of magnitude more. Stylistic and ideological diversity gave rise to many genres and trends, and the search for a new language gave us a whole galaxy of thinkers and philosophers, such as Marcel Proust and
Russian writers of the 20th century limited themselves mainly to three stylistic trends - realism, modernism and avant-garde. An interesting phenomenon in Russian literature of the last century was the revival of romanticism in its original form, this fact was most fully reflected in the works of Alexander Grin, whose works are literally permeated with ineradicable dreaminess and exoticism.
The writers of the 20th century have left a noticeable mark on world literature, and we can only hope that the authors of the 21st century will turn out to be no worse than their predecessors. Maybe somewhere a new Gorky, Pasternak or Hemingway is already creating.
Mommy, I'm about to die...
- Why such thoughts ... because you are young, strong ...
- But Lermontov died at 26, Pushkin - at 37, Yesenin - at 30 ...
- But you're not Pushkin or Yesenin!
- No, but still...
Vladimir Semenovich's mother recalled that such a conversation took place with her son. For Vysotsky, early death was something of a test of the "realness" of the poet. However, I cannot be sure of this. I'll tell about myself. Since childhood, I "knew for sure" that I would become a poet (of course, a great one) and die early. I won't live to be thirty, at the very least, forty. Can a poet live longer?
In the biographies of writers, I always paid attention to the years of life. Consider the age at which the person died. Tried to understand why it happened. I think that's what a lot of writers do. I do not hope to understand the causes of early deaths, but I will try to collect materials, collect existing theories and fantasize - I can hardly be a scientist - my own.
First of all, I collected information about how Russian writers died. Entered the age at the time of death and the cause of death in the table. I tried not to analyze, just to drive the data into the right columns. Looked at the result - interesting. Prose writers of the 20th century, for example, often died from oncology (the leader is lung cancer). But after all, in the world in general - according to WHO - among oncological diseases, lung cancer is the most common and causes death. So is there a connection?
I cannot decide whether to look for "writer's" diseases, but I feel that there is some sense in this search.
Russian prose writers of the 19th century
Name | Years of life | Age at death | Cause of death |
Herzen Alexander Ivanovich |
March 25 (April 6), 1812 - January 9 (21), 1870 |
57 years old |
pneumonia |
Gogol Nikolay Vasilievich |
March 20 (April 1), 1809 - February 21(March 4) 1852 |
42 years |
acute cardiovascular failure (conditionally, because there is no consensus) |
Leskov Nikolai Semenovich |
4 (16 February) 1831 - February 21(March 5) 1895 |
64 years old |
asthma |
Goncharov Ivan Alexandrovich |
June 6 (18), 1812 - September 15 (27), 1891 |
79 years old |
pneumonia |
Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich |
October 30 (November 11), 1821 - January 28 (February 9), 1881 |
59 years old |
rupture of the pulmonary artery (progressive lung disease, throat bleeding) |
Pisemsky Alexey Feofilaktovich |
March 11 (23), 1821 - January 21 (February 2), 1881 |
59 years old |
|
Saltykov-Shchedrin Mikhail Evgrafovich |
January 15 (27), 1826 - April 28 (May 10), 1889 |
63 years old |
cold |
Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich |
August 28 (September 9), 1828 - November 7 (20), 1910 |
82 years old |
pneumonia |
Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich |
October 28 (November 9), 1818 - August 22 (September 3), 1883 |
64 years old |
malignant tumor of the spine |
Odoevsky Vladimir Fyodorovich |
August 1 (13), 1804 - February 27 (March 11), 1869 |
64 years old |
|
Mamin-Sibiryak Dmitry Narkisovich |
October 25 (November 6), 1852 - November 2 (15), 1912 |
60 years |
pleurisy |
Chernyshevsky Nikolai Gavrilovich |
July 12 (24), 1828 - October 17 (29), 1889 |
61 years old |
hemorrhage in the brain |
The average life expectancy of Russian people in the 19th century was about 34 years. But these data do not give an idea of how long the average adult lived, since the statistics were heavily influenced by high infant mortality.
Russian poets of the 19th century
Name | Years of life | Age at death | Cause of death |
Baratynsky Evgeny Abramovich |
February 19 (March 2) or 7 (March 19) 1800 - June 29 (July 11) 1844 |
44 years old |
fever |
Kuchelbecker Wilhelm Karlovich |
June 10 (21), 1797 - August 11 (23), 1846 |
49 years old |
consumption |
Lermontov Mikhail Yurievich |
October 3 (October 15) 1814 - July 15 (July 27) 1841 |
26 years |
duel (chest shot) |
Pushkin, Alexander Sergeyevich |
May 26 (June 6), 1799 - January 29 (February 10), 1837 |
37 years |
duel (stomach wound) |
Tyutchev Fedor Ivanovich |
November 23 (December 5), 1803 - July 15 (27), 1873 |
69 years old |
stroke |
Tolstoy Alexey Konstantinovich |
August 24 (September 5), 1817 - September 28 (October 10), 1875 |
58 years old |
overdose (introduced mistakenly large dose of morphine) |
Fet Afanasy Afanasyevich |
November 23 (December 5), 1820 - November 21 (December 3), 1892 |
71 years old |
heart attack (there is a version of suicide) |
Shevchenko Taras Grigorievich |
February 25 (March 9) 1814 - February 26 (March 10) 1861 |
47 years old |
dropsy (accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity) |
In 19th century Russia, poets died differently than prose writers. The second death often came from pneumonia, and among the first, no one died from this disease. Yes, the poets have gone before. Of the prose writers, only Gogol died at 42, the rest - much later. And of the lyricists, it is rare who lived to 50 (long-liver - Fet).
Russian prose writers of the 20th century
Name | Years of life | Age at death | Cause of death |
Abramov Fedor Alexandrovich |
February 29, 1920 - May 14, 1983 |
63 years old |
heart failure (died in the recovery room) |
Averchenko Arkady Timofeevich |
March 18 (30), 1881 - March 12, 1925 |
43 years |
weakening of the heart muscle, expansion of the aorta and sclerosis of the kidneys |
Aitmatov Chingiz Torekulovich |
December 12, 1928 - June 10, 2008 |
79 years old |
kidney failure |
Andreev Leonid Nikolaevich |
August 9 (21), 1871 - September 12, 1919 |
48 years old |
heart disease |
Babel Isaak Emmanuilovich |
June 30 (July 12) 1894 - January 27, 1940 |
45 years |
shooting |
Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich |
May 3 (May 15) 1891 - March 10, 1940 |
48 years old |
hypertensive nephrosclerosis |
Bunin Ivan |
October 10 (22), 1870 - November 8, 1953 |
83 years old |
died in my sleep |
Kir Bulychev |
October 18, 1934 - September 5, 2003 |
68 years old |
oncology |
Bykov Vasil Vladimirovich |
June 19, 1924 - June 22, 2003 |
79 years old |
oncology |
Vorobyov Konstantin Dmitrievich |
September 24, 1919 - March 2, 1975) |
55 years |
oncology (brain tumor) |
Gazdanov Gaito |
November 23 (December 6) 1903 - December 5, 1971 |
67 years old |
oncology (lung cancer) |
Gaidar Arkady Petrovich |
January 9 (22), 1904 - October 26, 1941 |
37 years |
shot (killed in the war by a machine-gun burst) |
Maksim Gorky |
March 16 (28), 1868 - June 18, 1936 |
68 years old |
cold (there is a version of murder - poisoning) |
Zhitkov Boris Stepanovich |
August 30 (September 11), 1882 - October 19, 1938 |
56 years old |
oncology (lung cancer) |
Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich |
August 26 (September 7) 1870 - August 25, 1938 |
67 years old |
oncology (tongue cancer) |
Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich |
April 10 (22), 1899 - July 2, 1977 |
78 years old |
bronchial infection |
Nekrasov Viktor Platonovich |
June 4 (17), 1911 - September 3, 1987 |
76 years old |
oncology (lung cancer) |
Pilnyak Boris Andreevich |
September 29 (October 11) 1894 - April 21, 1938 |
43 years |
shooting |
Andrey Platonov |
September 1, 1899 - January 5, 1951 |
51 years old |
tuberculosis |
Solzhenitsyn Alexander Isaevich |
December 11, 1918 - August 3, 2008 |
89 years old |
acute heart failure |
Strugatsky Boris Natanovich |
April 15, 1933 - November 19, 2012 |
79 years old |
oncology (lymphoma) |
Strugatsky Arkady Natanovich |
August 28, 1925 - October 12, 1991 |
66 years old |
oncology (liver cancer) |
Tendryakov Vladimir Fyodorovich |
December 5, 1923 - August 3, 1984 |
60 years |
stroke |
Fadeev Alexander Alexandrovich |
December 11 (24), 1901 - May 13, 1956 |
54 years old |
suicide (shot) |
Kharms Daniil Ivanovich |
December 30, 1905 - February 2, 1942 |
36 years |
exhaustion (during the siege of Leningrad; escaped execution) |
Shalamov Varlam Tikhonovich |
June 5 (June 18) 1907 - January 17, 1982 |
74 years old |
pneumonia |
Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich |
September 21 (October 3), 1873 - June 24, 1950 |
76 years old |
heart attack |
Sholokhov Mikhail Alexandrovich |
May 11 (24), 1905 - February 21, 1984 |
78 years old |
oncology (cancer of the larynx) |
Shukshin Vasily Makarovich |
July 25, 1929 - October 2, 1974 |
45 years |
heart failure |
There are theories according to which diseases can be caused by psychological causes (some esotericists believe that any disease is caused by spiritual or mental problems). This topic has not yet been sufficiently developed by science, but there are many books in stores like "All diseases are from nerves." For lack of a better way, let's resort to popular psychology.
Russian poets of the 20th century
Name | Years of life | Age at death | Cause of death |
Annensky Innokenty Fedorovich |
August 20 (September 1), 1855 - November 30 (December 13), 1909 |
54 years old |
heart attack |
Akhmatova Anna Andreevna |
June 11 (23), 1889 - March 5, 1966 |
76 years old |
[Anna Akhmatova was in the hospital for several months after a heart attack. After being discharged, she went to a sanatorium, where she died.] |
Andrey Bely |
October 14 (26), 1880 - January 8, 1934 |
53 years old |
stroke (after sunstroke) |
Bagritsky Eduard Georgievich |
October 22 (November 3), 1895 - February 16, 1934 |
38 years |
bronchial asthma |
Balmont Konstantin Dmitrievich |
June 3 (15), 1867 - December 23, 1942 |
75 years old |
pneumonia |
Brodsky Joseph Alexandrovich |
May 24, 1940 - January 28, 1996 |
55 years |
heart attack |
Bryusov Valery Yakovlevich |
December 1 (13), 1873 - October 9, 1924 |
50 years |
pneumonia |
Voznesensky Andrey Andreevich |
May 12, 1933 - June 1, 2010 |
77 years old |
stroke |
Yesenin Sergey Alexandrovich |
September 21 (October 3), 1895 - December 28, 1925 |
30 years |
suicide (hanging), there is a version of the murder |
Ivanov Georgy Vladimirovich |
October 29 (November 10), 1894 - August 26, 1958 |
63 years old |
|
Gippius Zinaida Nikolaevna |
November 8 (20), 1869 - September 9, 1945 |
75 years old |
|
Blok Alexander Alexandrovich |
November 16 (28), 1880 - August 7, 1921 |
40 years |
inflammation of the heart valves |
Gumilyov Nikolai Stepanovich |
April 3 (15), 1886 - August 26, 1921 |
35 years |
shooting |
Mayakovsky Vladimir Vladimirovich |
July 7 (19), 1893 - April 14, 1930 |
36 years |
suicide (shot) |
Mandelstam Osip Emilievich |
January 3 (15), 1891 - December 27, 1938 |
47 years old |
typhus |
Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeevich |
August 2, 1865 (or August 14, 1866) - December 9, 1941 |
75 (76) years old |
hemorrhage in the brain |
Pasternak Boris Leonidovich |
January 29 (February 10), 1890 - May 30, 1960 |
70 years old |
oncology (lung cancer) |
Slutsky Boris Abramovich |
May 7, 1919 - February 23, 1986 |
66 years old |
|
Tarkovsky Arseny Alexandrovich |
June 12 (25), 1907 - May 27, 1989 |
81 years old |
oncology |
Tsvetaeva Marina Ivanovna |
September 26 (October 8) 1892 - August 31, 1941 |
48 years old |
suicide (hanging) |
Khlebnikov Velimir |
October 28 (November 9) 1885 - June 28, 1922 |
36 years |
gangrene |
Cancer associated with a sense of resentment, a deep emotional wound, a sense of the futility of their actions, their own uselessness. Lungs symbolize freedom, willingness and ability to receive and give. The twentieth century in Russia is a century, many writers "suffocated", were forced to remain silent or say not everything they considered necessary. The cause of cancer is also called disappointment in life.
Heart diseases caused by overwork, prolonged stress, belief in the need for stress.
colds people get sick, in whose life there are too many events at the same time. Pneumonia (pneumonia) - desperate.
Throat diseases - creative impotence, crisis. In addition, the inability to fend for themselves.
Aksakov Ivan Sergeevich (1823-1886) - poet and publicist. One of the leaders of Russian Slavophiles. The most famous work: the fairy tale "The Scarlet Flower".
Aksakov Konstantin Sergeevich (1817-1860) - poet, literary critic, linguist, historian. Inspirer and ideologist of Slavophilism.
Aksakov Sergei Timofeevich (1791-1859) - writer and public figure, literary and theater critic. Wrote a book about fishing and hunting. Father of writers Konstantin and Ivan Aksakov.
Annensky Innokenty Fedorovich (1855-1909) - poet, playwright, literary critic, linguist, translator. Author of plays: "King Ixion", "Laodamia", "Melanippa the Philosopher", "Famira Kefared".
Baratynsky Yevgeny Abramovich (1800-1844) - poet and translator. Author of poems: "Eda", "Feasts", "Ball", "Concubine" ("Gypsy").
Batyushkov Konstantin Nikolaevich (1787-1855) - poet. Also the author of a number of well-known prose articles: "On the character of Lomonosov", "Evening at Kantemir" and others.
Belinsky Vissarion Grigoryevich (1811-1848) - literary critic. He headed the critical department in the publication "Domestic Notes". Author of numerous critical articles. He had a great influence on Russian literature.
Bestuzhev-Marlinsky Alexander Alexandrovich (1797-1837) - Byronist writer, literary critic. Published under the pseudonym Marlinsky. Published the almanac "Polar Star". He was one of the Decembrists. Author of prose: "Test", "Terrible fortune-telling", "Frigate Hope" and others.
Vyazemsky Petr Andreevich (1792-1878) - poet, memoirist, historian, literary critic. One of the founders and the first head of the Russian Historical Society. Close friend of Pushkin.
Venevetinov Dmitry Vladimirovich (1805-1827) - poet, prose writer, philosopher, translator, literary critic Author of 50 poems. He was also known as an artist and musician. Organizer of the secret philosophical association "Society of Philosophy".
Herzen Alexander Ivanovich (1812-1870) - writer, philosopher, teacher. The most famous works: the novel “Who is to blame?”, the stories “Doctor Krupov”, “The Magpie-Thief”, “Damaged”.
Glinka Sergei Nikolaevich (1776-1847) - writer, memoirist, historian. The ideological inspirer of conservative nationalism. Author of the following works: "Selim and Roxana", "Virtue of Women" and others.
Glinka Fyodor Nikolaevich (1876-1880) - poet and writer. Member of the Decembrist Society. The most famous works: the poems "Karelia" and "The Mysterious Drop".
Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich (1809-1852) - writer, playwright, poet, literary critic. Classic of Russian literature. Author of Dead Souls, the cycle of stories Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka, the stories The Overcoat and Viy, the plays The Inspector General and The Marriage, and many other works.
Goncharov Ivan Alexandrovich (1812-1891) - writer, literary critic. Author of the novels: "Oblomov", "Cliff", "Ordinary History".
Griboyedov Alexander Sergeevich (1795-1829) - poet, playwright and composer. He was a diplomat, died in the service in Persia. The most famous work is the poem "Woe from Wit", which served as the source of many catchphrases.
Grigorovich Dmitry Vasilyevich (1822-1900) - writer.
Davydov Denis Vasilyevich (1784-1839) - poet, memoirist. Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Author of numerous poems and military memoirs.
Dal Vladimir Ivanovich (1801-1872) - writer and ethnographer. Being a military doctor, he collected folklore along the way. The most famous literary work is the Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language. Dahl tinkered with the dictionary for over 50 years.
Delvig Anton Antonovich (1798-1831) - poet, publisher.
Dobrolyubov Nikolai Alexandrovich (1836-1861) - literary critic and poet. Published under pseudonyms -bov and N. Laibov. Author of numerous critical and philosophical articles.
Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich (1821-1881) - writer and philosopher. Recognized classic of Russian literature. Author of works: "The Brothers Karamazov", "Idiot", "Crime and Punishment", "Teenager" and many others.
Zhemchuzhnikov Alexander Mikhailovich (1826-1896) - poet. Together with his brothers and writer Tolstoy A.K. created the image of Kozma Prutkov.
Zhemchuzhnikov Alexei Mikhailovich (1821-1908) - poet and satirist. Together with his brothers and writer Tolstoy A.K. created the image of Kozma Prutkov. Author of the comedy "Strange Night" and the collection of poems "Songs of Old Age".
Zhemchuzhnikov Vladimir Mikhailovich (1830-1884) - poet. Together with his brothers and writer Tolstoy A.K. created the image of Kozma Prutkov.
Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich (1783-1852) - poet, literary critic, translator, founder of Russian romanticism.
Zagoskin Mikhail Nikolaevich (1789-1852) - writer and playwright. Author of the first Russian historical novels. Author of the works "Prankster", "Yuri Miloslavsky, or Russians in 1612", "Kulma Petrovich Miroshev" and others.
Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich (1766-1826) - historian, writer and poet. Author of the monumental work "History of the Russian State" in 12 volumes. His pen belongs to the story: "Poor Lisa", "Eugene and Julia" and many others.
Kireevsky Ivan Vasilyevich (1806-1856) - religious philosopher, literary critic, Slavophile.
Krylov Ivan Andreevich (1769-1844) - poet and fabulist. Author of 236 fables, many expressions of which have become winged. He published magazines: "Mail of Spirits", "Spectator", "Mercury".
Kuchelbecker Wilhelm Karlovich (1797-1846) - poet. He was one of the Decembrists. Close friend of Pushkin. Author of works: "The Argives", "The Death of Byron", "The Eternal Jew".
Lazhechnikov Ivan Ivanovich (1792-1869) - writer, one of the founders of the Russian historical novel. Author of the novels "Ice House" and "Basurman".
Lermontov Mikhail Yurievich (1814-1841) - poet, writer, playwright, artist. Classic of Russian literature. The most famous works: the novel "A Hero of Our Time", the story "Prisoner of the Caucasus", the poems "Mtsyri" and "Masquerade".
Leskov Nikolai Semenovich (1831-1895) - writer. The most famous works: "Lefty", "Cathedrals", "On knives", "Righteous".
Nekrasov Nikolai Alekseevich (1821-1878) - poet and writer. Classic of Russian literature. Head of the Sovremennik magazine, editor of the Domestic Notes magazine. The most famous works are: “Who should live well in Rus'”, “Russian women”, “Frost, Red nose”.
Ogarev Nikolai Platonovich (1813-1877) - poet. Author of poems, poems, critical articles.
Odoevsky Alexander Ivanovich (1802-1839) - poet and writer. He was one of the Decembrists. The author of the poem "Vasilko", the poems "Zosima" and "The Elder-Prophet".
Odoevsky Vladimirovich Fedorovich (1804-1869) - writer, thinker, one of the creators of musicology. He wrote fantastic and utopian works. Author of the novel "Year 4338", numerous stories.
Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich (1823-1886) - playwright. Classic of Russian literature. Author of plays: "Thunderstorm", "Dowry", "Balzaminov's Marriage" and many others.
Panaev Ivan Ivanovich (1812-1862) - writer, literary critic, journalist. Author of works: "Mama's Boy", "Meeting at the Station", "Lions of the Province" and others.
Pisarev Dmitry Ivanovich (1840-1868) - literary critic of the sixties, translator. Many of Pisarev's articles were dismantled into aphorisms.
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich (1799-1837) - poet, writer, playwright. Classic of Russian literature. Author: poems "Poltava" and "Eugene Onegin", the story "The Captain's Daughter", a collection of stories "Tales of Belkin" and numerous poems. He founded the literary magazine Sovremennik.
Raevsky Vladimir Fedoseevich (1795-1872) - poet. Member of the Patriotic War of 1812. He was one of the Decembrists.
Ryleev Kondraty Fedorovich (1795-1826) - poet. He was one of the Decembrists. Author of the historical poetic cycle "Duma". He published the literary almanac "Polar Star".
Saltykov-Shchedrin Mikhail Efgrafovich (1826-1889) - writer, journalist. Classic of Russian literature. The most famous works: "Lord Golovlevs", "The Wise Gudgeon", "Poshekhonskaya Antiquity". He was the editor of the journal "Domestic Notes".
Samarin Yuriy Fedorovich (1819-1876) - publicist and philosopher.
Sukhovo-Kobylin Alexander Vasilyevich (1817-1903) - playwright, philosopher, translator. Author of plays: "Krechinsky's Wedding", "Deed", "Death of Tarelkin".
Tolstoy Alexei Konstantinovich (1817-1875) - writer, poet, playwright. Author of the poems: "The Sinner", "The Alchemist", the plays "Fantasy", "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich", the stories "Ghoul" and "Wolf Foster". Together with the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers, he created the image of Kozma Prutkov.
Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich (1828-1910) - writer, thinker, educator. Classic of Russian literature. Served in the artillery. Participated in the defense of Sevastopol. The most famous works: "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina", "Resurrection". In 1901 he was excommunicated from the church.
Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich (1818-1883) - writer, poet, playwright. Classic of Russian literature. The most famous works: "Mumu", "Asya", "Noble Nest", "Fathers and Sons".
Tyutchev Fedor Ivanovich (1803-1873) - poet. Classic of Russian literature.
Fet Afanasy Afanasyevich (1820-1892) - lyric poet, memoirist, translator. Classic of Russian literature. Author of numerous romantic poems. He translated Juvenal, Goethe, Catullus.
Khomyakov Alexei Stepanovich (1804-1860) - poet, philosopher, theologian, artist.
Chernyshevsky Nikolai Gavrilovich (1828-1889) - writer, philosopher, literary critic. Author of the novels What Is to Be Done? and "Prologue", as well as the stories "Alferyev", "Small stories".
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich (1860-1904) - writer, playwright. Classic of Russian literature. Author of the plays "The Cherry Orchard", "Three Sisters", "Uncle Vanya" and numerous stories. Conducted a population census on Sakhalin Island.
"Verily, that was the golden age of our literature,
the period of her innocence and bliss! .. "
M. A. Antonovich
M. Antonovich in his article called the "golden age of literature" the beginning of the 19th century - the period of creativity of A. S. Pushkin and N. V. Gogol. Subsequently, this definition began to characterize the literature of the entire 19th century - up to the works of A.P. Chekhov and L.N. Tolstoy.
What are the main features of Russian classical literature of this period?
Fashionable at the beginning of the century, sentimentalism gradually fades into the background - the formation of romanticism begins, and from the middle of the century realism rules the ball.
New types of heroes appear in literature: the "little man", who most often dies under the pressure of the foundations accepted in society, and the "extra man" - this is a string of images, starting with Onegin and Pechorin.
Continuing the traditions of the satirical image, proposed by M. Fonvizin, in the literature of the 19th century, the satirical image of the vices of modern society becomes one of the central motifs. Often satire takes on grotesque forms. Vivid examples are Gogol's "Nose" or "The History of a City" by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.
Another distinguishing feature of the literature of this period is an acute social orientation. Writers and poets are increasingly turning to socio-political topics, often plunging into the field of psychology. This leitmotif permeates the works of I. S. Turgenev, F. M. Dostoevsky, L. N. Tolstoy. A new form appears - the Russian realistic novel, with its deep psychologism, the most severe criticism of reality, irreconcilable enmity with the existing foundations and loud calls for renewal.
Well, the main reason that prompted many critics to call the 19th century the golden age of Russian culture: the literature of this period, despite a number of unfavorable factors, had a powerful influence on the development of world culture as a whole. Absorbing all the best that world literature offered, Russian literature was able to remain original and unique.
Russian writers of the 19th century
V.A. Zhukovsky- Pushkin's mentor and his Teacher. It is Vasily Andreevich who is considered the founder of Russian romanticism. It can be said that Zhukovsky "prepared" the ground for Pushkin's bold experiments, since he was the first to expand the scope of the poetic word. After Zhukovsky, the era of the democratization of the Russian language began, which was so brilliantly continued by Pushkin.
Selected Poems:
A.S. Griboyedov went down in history as the author of one work. But what! Masterpiece! Phrases and quotes from the comedy "Woe from Wit" have long become winged, and the work itself is considered the first realistic comedy in the history of Russian literature.
Analysis of the work:
A.S. Pushkin. He was called differently: A. Grigoriev claimed that "Pushkin is our everything!", F. Dostoevsky "the great and incomprehensible Forerunner", and Emperor Nicholas I admitted that, in his opinion, Pushkin is "the most intelligent person in Russia". Simply put, this is Genius.
Pushkin's greatest merit is that he radically changed the Russian literary language, saving it from pretentious abbreviations, such as "young, breg, sweet", from ridiculous "marshmallows", "Psyche", "Cupids", so revered in high-sounding elegies, from borrowings, which then so abounded in Russian poetry. Pushkin brought colloquial vocabulary, craft slang, elements of Russian folklore to the pages of printed publications.
A. N. Ostrovsky also pointed out another important achievement of this brilliant poet. Before Pushkin, Russian literature was imitative, stubbornly imposing traditions and ideals alien to our people. Pushkin, on the other hand, "gave courage to the Russian writer to be Russian", "revealed the Russian soul". In his stories and novels, for the first time, the theme of the morality of the social ideals of that time is so vividly raised. And the main character, with Pushkin's light hand, is now becoming an ordinary "little man" - with his thoughts and hopes, desires and character.
Analysis of works:
M.Yu. Lermontov- bright, mysterious, with a touch of mysticism and an incredible thirst for will. All his work is a unique fusion of romanticism and realism. Moreover, both directions do not oppose at all, but, as it were, complement each other. This man went down in history as a poet, writer, playwright and artist. He wrote 5 plays: the most famous is the drama "Masquerade".
And among prose works, the real diamond of creativity was the novel "A Hero of Our Time" - the first realistic novel in prose in the history of Russian literature, where for the first time the writer tries to trace the "dialectics of the soul" of his hero, mercilessly subjecting him to psychological analysis. This innovative creative method of Lermontov will be used by many Russian and foreign writers in the future.
Selected works:
N.V. Gogol known as a writer and playwright, but it is no coincidence that one of his most famous works - "Dead Souls" is considered a poem. There is no other such Master of the word in world literature. Gogol's language is melodious, incredibly bright and figurative. This was most clearly manifested in his collection Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.
On the other hand, N.V. Gogol is considered the founder of the "natural school", with its satire bordering on the grotesque, accusatory motifs and ridicule of human vices.
Selected works:
I.S. Turgenev- the greatest Russian novelist who established the canons of the classic novel. He continues the traditions established by Pushkin and Gogol. He often refers to the theme of "an extra person", trying to convey the relevance and significance of social ideas through the fate of his hero.
Turgenev's merit also lies in the fact that he became the first propagandist of Russian culture in Europe. This is a prose writer who opened the world of the Russian peasantry, intelligentsia and revolutionaries to foreign countries. And the string of female images in his novels became the pinnacle of the writer's skill.
Selected works:
A.N. Ostrovsky- an outstanding Russian playwright. I. Goncharov most accurately expressed Ostrovsky's merits, recognizing him as the founder of the Russian folk theater. The plays of this writer became a "school of life" for the playwrights of the next generation. And the Moscow Maly Theater, where most of the plays of this talented writer were staged, proudly calls itself the "Ostrovsky House".
Selected works:
I.A. Goncharov continued to develop the traditions of the Russian realistic novel. The author of the famous trilogy, who, like no one else, managed to describe the main vice of the Russian people - laziness. With the light hand of the writer, the term "Oblomovism" also appeared.
Selected works:
L.N. Tolstoy- a real block of Russian literature. His novels are recognized as the pinnacle of the art of novel writing. The style of presentation and the creative method of L. Tolstoy are still considered the standard of the writer's skill. And his ideas of humanism had a huge impact on the development of humanistic ideas throughout the world.
Selected works:
N.S. Leskov- a talented successor to the traditions of N. Gogol. He made a huge contribution to the development of new genre forms in literature, such as pictures from life, rhapsodies, incredible events.
Selected works:
N.G. Chernyshevsky- an outstanding writer and literary critic who proposed his theory of the aesthetics of the relationship of art to reality. This theory became the reference for the literature of the next few generations.
Selected works:
F.M. Dostoevsky is a brilliant writer whose psychological novels are known all over the world. Dostoevsky is often called the forerunner of such trends in culture as existentialism and surrealism.
Selected works:
M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin- the greatest satirist, who brought the art of denunciation, ridicule and parody to the heights of skill.
Selected works:
A.P. Chekhov. With this name, historians traditionally complete the era of the golden age of Russian literature. Chekhov was recognized throughout the world during his lifetime. His short stories have become a benchmark for short story writers. And Chekhov's plays had a huge impact on the development of world drama.
Selected works:
By the end of the 19th century, the traditions of critical realism began to fade away. In a society permeated through and through with pre-revolutionary moods, mystical moods, partly even decadent ones, have come into fashion. They became the forerunner of the emergence of a new literary trend - symbolism and marked the beginning of a new period in the history of Russian literature - the silver age of poetry.