Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin is a famous Russian writer, journalist, editor, and government official. His works are included in the required school curriculum. It’s not for nothing that the writer’s fairy tales are called that - they contain not only caricature ridicule and grotesquery, thereby the author emphasizes that man is the arbiter of his own destiny.
Childhood and youth
The genius of Russian literature comes from a noble family. Father Evgraf Vasilyevich was a quarter of a century older than his wife Olga Mikhailovna. The daughter of a Moscow merchant got married at the age of 15 and followed her husband to the village of Spas-Ugol, which was then located in the Tver province. There, on January 15, 1826, according to the new style, the youngest of six children, Mikhail, was born. In total, three sons and three daughters grew up in the Saltykov family (Shchedrin is part of the pseudonym that followed over time).
According to the descriptions of researchers of the writer's biography, the mother, who over time turned from cheerful girl into the imperious mistress of the estate, she divided the children into favorites and hateful ones. Little Misha was surrounded by love, but sometimes he also got whipped. There was constant screaming and crying at home. As Vladimir Obolensky wrote in his memoirs about the Saltykov-Shchedrin family, in conversations the writer described his childhood in gloomy colors, once saying that he hated “this terrible woman,” talking about his mother.
Saltykov knew French and German languages, received an excellent primary education at home, which allowed him to enter the Moscow Noble Institute. From there, the boy, who showed remarkable diligence, ended up on full state support at the privileged Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where education was equal to that of a university, and graduates were awarded ranks according to the Table of Ranks.
Both educational institutions were famous for producing the elite of Russian society. Among the graduates are Prince Mikhail Obolensky, Anton Delvig, Ivan Pushchin. However, unlike them, Saltykov turned from a wonderful, smart boy into an unkempt, foul-mouthed boy who often sat in a punishment cell and never made close friends. It’s not for nothing that Mikhail’s classmates nicknamed him “The Gloomy Lyceum Student.”
The atmosphere within the walls of the lyceum promoted creativity, and Mikhail, in imitation of his predecessors, began to write freethinking poetry. This behavior did not go unnoticed: a graduate of the lyceum, Mikhail Saltykov, received the rank of collegiate secretary, although for his academic success he was given a higher rank - titular adviser.
After graduating from the lyceum, Mikhail got a job in the office of the military department and continued composing. In addition, I became interested in the works of French socialists. The themes raised by the revolutionaries were reflected in the first stories, “Entangled Affair” and “Contradictions.”
It’s just that the aspiring writer didn’t guess right with the source of publication. The magazine “Otechestvennye zapiski” at that time was under unspoken political censorship and was considered ideologically harmful.
By decision of the supervisory commission, Saltykov was sent into exile to Vyatka, to the office of the governor. In exile, in addition to official affairs, Mikhail studied the history of the country, translated the works of European classics, traveled a lot and communicated with the people. Saltykov almost remained to vegetate in the provinces forever, even though he had risen to the rank of adviser to the provincial government: in 1855 he was crowned on the imperial throne, and they simply forgot about the ordinary exile.
Peter Lanskoy, a representative of the noble, came to the rescue noble family, second husband. With the assistance of his brother, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mikhail was returned to St. Petersburg and given a position as an official of special assignments in this department.
Literature
Mikhail Evgrafovich is considered one of the brightest satirists of Russian literature, masterfully speaking the Aesopian language, whose novels and stories have not lost their relevance. For historians, the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin are a source of knowledge of morals and customs common in Russian Empire 19th century. The writer is the author of such terms as “bungling”, “soft-bodied” and “stupidity”.
Upon returning from exile, Saltykov reworked his experience of communicating with officials of the Russian hinterland and, under the pseudonym Nikolai Shchedrin, published a series of stories “ Provincial essays", recreating the characteristic types of Russian residents. The work was a great success; the name of the author, who subsequently wrote many books, will be primarily associated with the “Essays”; researchers of the writer’s work will call them a landmark stage in the development of Russian literature.
The stories describe ordinary hard-working people with particular warmth. Creating images of nobles and officials, Mikhail Evgrafovich spoke not only about the foundations of serfdom, but also focused on the moral side of representatives of the upper class and moral principles statehood.
The pinnacle of the Russian prose writer’s work is considered to be “The History of a City.” The satirical story, full of allegory and grotesquery, was not immediately appreciated by his contemporaries. Moreover, the author was initially accused of mocking society and trying to denigrate historical facts.
The main characters, the mayors, show a rich palette of human characters and social principles - bribe-takers, careerists, indifferent, obsessed with absurd goals, outright fools. The common people appear as a blindly submissive gray mass, ready to endure everything, which acts decisively only when it finds itself on the brink of death.
Saltykov-Shchedrin ridiculed such cowardice and cowardice in “The Wise Piskar.” The work, despite the fact that it is called a fairy tale, is not addressed to children at all. The philosophical meaning of the story about the fish endowed human qualities, lies in the fact that a lonely existence, focused only on one’s own well-being, is insignificant.
Another fairy tale for adults - “ Wild landowner", a lively and cheerful work with a slight touch of cynicism, in which the simple working people are openly opposed to the tyrant landowner.
Saltykov-Shchedrin's literary creativity received additional support when the prose writer began working in the editorial office of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. The general management of the publication since 1868 belonged to the poet and publicist.
By personal invitation the last Mikhail Evgrafovich headed the first department dealing with the publication of fiction and translated works. The bulk own compositions Saltykova-Shchedrin also appeared on the pages of Notes.
Among them is “The Monrepos Shelter”, according to literary scholars - a tracing paper family life writer who became vice-governor, “Diary of a Provincial in St. Petersburg” - a book about adventurers that are not translated into Rus', “Pompadours and Pompadours,” “Letters from the Province.”
In 1880 a separate book The epoch-making highly social novel “The Golovlevs” was published - a story about a family in which the main goal is enrichment and an idle lifestyle, children have long turned into a burden for the mother, in general the family does not live according to God’s law and, without noticing it, is moving towards self-destruction.
Personal life
Mikhail Saltykov met his wife Elizaveta in exile in Vyatka. The girl turned out to be the daughter of the writer’s immediate superior, Vice-Governor Apollo Petrovich Boltin. The official made a career in education, economic, military and police departments. At first, the experienced campaigner was wary of the freethinker Saltykov, but over time the men became friends.
Lisa's family name was Betsy; the girl called the writer, who was 14 years older than her, Michel. However, Boltin was soon transferred for service to Vladimir, and his family left for him. Saltykov was forbidden to leave the Vyatka province. But, according to legend, he twice violated the ban in order to see his beloved.
The writer’s mother, Olga Mikhailovna, categorically opposed the marriage to Elizaveta Apollonovna: not only is the bride too young, but the dowry given for the girl is not substantial. The difference in years also raised doubts among the Vladimir vice-governor. Mikhail agreed to wait one year.
The young people got married in June 1856, but the groom’s mother did not come to the wedding. Relationships in new family Things were complicated, the spouses often quarreled, the difference in character was evident: Mikhail was straightforward, quick-tempered, and people in the house were afraid of him. Elizabeth, on the contrary, is soft and patient, not burdened with knowledge of science. Saltykov did not like his wife’s affectation and coquetry; he called his wife’s ideals “not very demanding.”
According to the memoirs of Prince Vladimir Obolensky, Elizaveta Apollonovna entered the conversation at random and made comments that were not relevant to the matter. The nonsense uttered by the woman baffled the interlocutor and angered Mikhail Evgrafovich.
Elizabeth loved beautiful life and required appropriate financial support. The husband, who had risen to the rank of vice-governor, could still contribute to this, but he constantly got into debt and called the acquisition of property a careless act. From the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin and studies of the writer’s life, it is known that he played the piano, knew about wines and was known as an expert in profanity.
However, Elizabeth and Mikhail lived together all their lives. The wife copied her husband’s works, turned out to be a good housewife, and after the writer’s death she wisely managed the inheritance, thanks to which the family did not experience need. The marriage produced a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, Konstantin. The children did not show themselves in any way, which was upsetting famous father, who loved them endlessly. Saltykov wrote:
“My children will be unhappy, no poetry in their hearts, no bright memories.”
Death
Health is not young writer, who suffered from rheumatism, was greatly undermined by the closure of Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1884. In a joint decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Justice and Public Education, the publication was recognized as a disseminator of harmful ideas, and the editorial staff were recognized as members of a secret society.
Last months Saltykov-Shchedrin spent his life in bed, asking his guests to tell them: “I’m very busy - I’m dying.” Mikhail Evgrafovich died in May 1889 from complications caused by a cold. According to his will, the writer was buried next to his grave at the Volkovskoye cemetery in St. Petersburg.
- According to one source, Mikhail Evgrafovich does not belong to the aristocratic boyar family of the Saltykovs. According to others, his family are descendants of an untitled branch of the family.
- Mikhail Saltykov - Shchedrin coined the word “softness”.
- Children appeared in the writer’s family after 17 years of marriage.
- There are several versions of the origin of the pseudonym Shchedrin. First: many peasants with that last name lived on the Saltykov estate. Second: Shchedrin is the name of a merchant, a participant in the schismatic movement, whose case the writer investigated due to his official duties. “French” version: one of the translations of the word “generous” into French– liberal. It was precisely the excessive liberal chatter that the writer exposed in his works.
Bibliography
- 1857 – “Provincial Sketches”
- 1869 – “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals”
- 1870 – “The History of a City”
- 1872 – “Diary of a provincial in St. Petersburg”
- 1879 – “Asylum of Monrepos”
- 1880 – “Gentlemen Golovlevs”
- 1883 – “The Wise Minnow”
- 1884 – “Crucian carp the idealist”
- 1885 – “Horse”
- 1886 – “The Raven Petitioner”
- 1889 – “Poshekhon antiquity”
The article is devoted to a brief biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin, a famous Russian writer, creator of numerous satirical works.
short biography: public service
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin was born in 1826 in a small village in the Tver province. His family was of ancient origin. Since childhood, the future writer was familiar with all the details of landowner and, accordingly, peasant life. He fully applied this knowledge in his works.
Mikhail received a decent education at home and continued his studies, first at an institute in Moscow, and then at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Here he writes his first poems, being strongly influenced by the works of Gogol and Belinsky's articles.
In 1844, Saltykov-Shchedrin came to St. Petersburg and began serving as an official. Dead bureaucracy and boredom are not to the liking of a young man. He attends evenings where people gather famous writers, scientists and philosophers. During meetings they openly discuss important questions Russian life. There is often criticism of serfdom. These conversations sink deep into Saltykov-Shchedrin’s soul, and his own worldview begins to take shape.
Saltykov-Shchedrin's first works had a strong social orientation. It was taken into account by the authorities and, due to the growing revolutionary movement, a decision was made to deport the young writer to Vyatka. However, even in exile, Saltykov-Shchedrin held a public position in the provincial government. On duty, Saltykov-Shchedrin made numerous trips to villages and observed serfdom. This gave him abundant material for his works. In 1855, after the death of Nicholas I, Saltykov-Shchedrin was granted the right to live freely. He returns to the capital and resumes literary activity.
Saltykov-Shchedrin publishes "Provincial Sketches", which are very popular. The writer is considered one of the heirs of Gogol's talent. Saltykov-Shchedrin gets married.
Saltykov-Shchedrin continues government activities. He took part in the development of projects for the abolition of serfdom at the turn of the 50-60s. served as vice-governor in Tver and Ryazan. At work, the writer tried to surround himself with young people thirsting for change. He was attracted to honest, decent people who strive to do good and do not care about their well-being. He continues to publish short stories.
In 1862, Saltykov-Shchedrin left the service and joined the editorial board of the Sovremennik magazine. The writer is actively involved in journalistic work. However, two years later, due to internal disagreements in the editorial office, Saltykov-Shchedrin left Sovremennik and re-entered the service. For three years he has headed the Treasury Chambers in several cities, but cannot stay in one place for long. The writer writes sharp satirical articles about his bosses. Another complaint leads to Saltykov-Shchedrin being dismissed. The result of this period of life is “Letters about the Province”.
Brief biography: literary activity
In 1868-1884. The writer works for the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. He completely switches to writing. At this time, he completed his main satirical work, “The History of a City.” This work is the pinnacle of Saltykov-Shchedrin's satire. "History" is a parody of everything Russian state from the moment of its inception. The development of a fictional city and its changing mayors - analogue Russian history. The heroes of the work are not direct copies of famous Russian rulers, but have many of their generalized features. Fierce controversy arose over the work. Some praised the talent of Saltykov-Shchedrin, others believed that after such a deep insult to their country it was indecent to even read him.
Subsequently, Saltykov-Shchedrin often travels abroad and meets with foreign writers. In the 80s from his pen came “The Golovlevs” and “Modern Idyll”, which are the culmination of the writer’s grotesquery.
Saltykov-Shchedrin begins to publish in the magazine "Bulletin of Europe". At this time, he wrote an autobiographical novel, “Poshekhon Antiquity.”
Saltykov-Shchedrin died in St. Petersburg in 1889. He did not become a great Russian writer, but was always at the forefront of the socio-political thought of his time. His satirical writings although they are considered frivolous, they are among the best accusatory works of the XIX V. Behind fantastic characters and the scenes are rooted in a deep sense of truth and justice.
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin - Russian writer, journalist, publicist and public figure. Born in 1826 on January 27 in the Tver province, a descendant of an old noble family. He excelled in his studies at the noble institute, thanks to which in 1838 he transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. At the age of 22, he was exiled to Vyatka, where he worked for the next 8 years in low positions in the provincial government.
Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Mikhail Saltykov joined the Ministry of Internal Affairs and also continued to write. After retiring, he moved to St. Petersburg and began editorial work at the Sovremennik magazine. Later he returned to public service, and also served on the editorial board of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. The ban on this publication in 1884 greatly damaged the writer’s health, which was reflected in various works. He died on April 28, 1889 and was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery according to his own last will next to I.S. Turgenev.
Creative stages of life
Mikhail Saltykov graduated from the lyceum in the second category. Among the standard lyceum “sins” such as smoking, rudeness and careless appearance he was also credited with writing disapproving poetry. However, the future writer’s poems turned out to be weak, and he himself understood this, so he quickly abandoned poetic activity.
From Saltykov-Shchedrin’s debut work “Contradictions,” it is noticeable that the young prose writer was greatly influenced by the novels of George Sand and French socialism. “Contradictions” and “Convoluted Case” caused indignation among the authorities, and Mikhail Evgrafovich was exiled to Vyatka. He practically did not study literature during this period of his life. It was possible to return to it in 1855, when, after the death of Nicholas I, the young official was allowed to leave his place of exile. “Provincial Sketches”, published in “Russian Bulletin”, made Shchedrin famous and revered in wide circle readers by the author.
Being the vice-governor of Tver and Ryazan, the writer did not stop writing for many magazines, although readers found most of his works in Sovremennik. From the works of 1858-1862, the collections “Satires in Prose” and “Innocent Stories” were formed, published three times each. During his service as manager of the treasury chamber of Penza, Tula and Ryazan (1864-1867), Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov was published only once with the article “Testament to my children.”
In 1868, the publicist completely left the civil service and, at the personal request of Nikolai Nekrasov, became one of the key employees of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. Ten years later he became editor-in-chief. Until 1884, when Otechestvennye zapiski was banned, Saltykov-Shchedrin devoted himself entirely to working on them, publishing almost two dozen collections. This period saw the publication of one of the author’s best and most popular works, “The History of a City.”
Having lost his most beloved publication, Mikhail Evgrafovich was published in the “Bulletin of Europe”, which included the most grotesque collections: “Poshekhon Antiquity”, “Fairy Tales”, “Little Things in Life”.
Basic motives of creativity
Saltykov-Shchedrin became a popularizer of the social-satirical fairy tale. In his stories and tales, he exposed human vices, relations between the authorities and the people, bureaucratic crime and tyranny, as well as landowner cruelty. The novel "The Golovlevs" depicts the physical and spiritual decay of the nobility late XIX V.
After the closure of Otechestvennye Zapiski, Saltykov-Shchedrin directed his writing talent to the top of the Russian government, creating exclusively grotesque works. A distinctive feature of the author's style is the depiction of the vices of the bureaucratic and power apparatus not from the outside, but through the eyes of a person who is part of this environment.
A brilliant and inquisitive mind, a lively language filled with sharp satire. His works are transferred to Russian reality of the mid-19th century. With the help of pen and paper, he was able to create accurate and succinct images of the official of that time, to expose the main vices - bribery, bureaucracy, fear of the slightest changes.
Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin is one of the brightest writers of his time. His “History of a City” and “The Tale of How a Man Fed Two Generals” are classics and are still relevant today.
Childhood
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov (Shchedrin is a pseudonym) was born on January 15, 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province. Now this is the Taldomsky district of the Moscow region. He was the sixth child in a large noble family. Father Evgraf Vasilyevich Saltykov had the rank of collegiate adviser, and mother Olga Mikhailovna was from a wealthy family merchant family Zabelins. The age difference between the parents was 25 years.
My father, after retiring, did nothing special. He rarely traveled outside the estate, mostly stayed at home and read books. mystical content. The mother was in charge of all affairs - a strict, domineering and calculating woman. Over the course of several years, she was able to significantly increase her husband’s fortune.
Raising children fell on the shoulders of governesses, numerous nannies, and invited teachers. The younger generation of Saltykovs were kept in strictness; their mother often personally punished them with rods for misdeeds. “I remember being whipped, for what, by whom exactly, I don’t remember, but they whipped me very painfully with a rod. The governess of my older brothers and sisters is trying to intercede, because I am still too young. I was two years old."
Members big family will later become prototypes of heroes various works. The novel “Poshekhon Antiquity” completely describes the way of life of a noble family and is largely considered autobiographical.
Best on the course
At age 10, home education is finally completed. Mikhail goes to Moscow to enter the Noble Institute. After the entrance exams, the boy is immediately enrolled in third grade. And after two years, a talented student, the best in the class, is transferred to the prestigious Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.
Here Saltykov also demonstrates extraordinary abilities. For which he receives the nickname “smart guy.” He is also called “Pushkin of his course.” The young man tries himself in poetry, his first poems “Lyrics” and “Our Century” are published in major Moscow magazines. But Mikhail is very strict with himself and after a few years, re-reading his works, he realizes that poetry is not his thing and he doesn’t write any more poems.
At the Lyceum, Saltykov meets Mikhail Petrashevsky, he is studying several years older. They are united by the ideas of democratic reforms in Russia, the abolition of serfdom and universal equality. Strong influence on young man influences the work of Herzen and Belinsky, also imbued with the spirit of change.
Mikhail graduated from the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum in 1844 and was awarded the rank of 10th grade - collegiate secretary.
In the same 1844, 18-year-old Mikhail Saltykov entered the public service. He is accepted into the office of the War Ministry. At the same time, they take a receipt that he is not and will not be a member of any secret societies. The young official does not like his job.
Salvation is meeting with like-minded people on Fridays at Petrashevsky, theater and literature. The young author writes a lot, his stories - “Entangled Affair” and “Contradictions” - reflect idealistic views on life. The works are published in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski.
It coincides that at the same time the publication was closely monitored by a special commission created by order of the emperor. The magazine will be considered harmful, and the young official and writer will first be sent to St. Petersburg to a guardhouse, and then into exile in Vyatka (now Kirov). Mikhail Saltykov will spend 7 years there, from 1848 to 1855. Numerous petitions from parents, influential relatives and friends will not help. Nicholas I will remain categorical.
In Vyatka, Saltykov first works as an ordinary scribe. Then he is appointed senior official for special assignments under the governor, and later an adviser to the provincial government. Mikhail Evgrafovich travels a lot around the province, organizes a large agricultural exhibition, conducts an inventory of real estate, and writes his thoughts on the topic “Improving public and economic affairs.”
Writer and Lieutenant Governor
Mikhail Evgrafovich goes to St. Petersburg, where he works in the Ministry of Internal Affairs as an official for special assignments under the minister. He is sent to the Tver and Vladimir provinces to check the work of several committees. What he saw would form the basis of the famous “Provincial Sketches”; they were published in 1857 in the “Russian Bulletin” under the pseudonym Nikolai Shchedrin.
The work will bring fame to the author, and the essays will be published in enormous quantities. The created images are so subtle and truthful, they show the psychology of a Russian official so accurately that they will begin to talk about the author as the founder of accusatory literature.
For a long time, Mikhail Evgrafovich managed to combine two types of activities: public service and writing. Mikhail Saltykov is building a career, holding the position of vice-governor in the Ryazan and Tver provinces, fighting bribery and bureaucracy. Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin is a successful author who writes a lot and is published in all famous magazines in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He is faithful to his chosen path - to expose the shortcomings of Russian reality. The most famous work – satirical novel“The History of a City,” which tells about the structure of the fictional Foolov and its inhabitants, the Foolovites.
Also among the author’s popular books are a cycle of fairy tales, the novel “Poshekhon Antiquity”, “The Golovlev Lords”. In addition, Saltykov-Shchedrin was a successful publisher; under his leadership, Otechestvennye zapiski and Sovremennik significantly increased their circulation.
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin, a famous Russian prose writer and pamphleteer, was born in January 1826 in the village. Spas-Ugol Tver province. The writer's father is from an ancient noble family, and his mother is from a merchant family. All the observations obtained by the young Saltykov on his father’s family estate at the height of serfdom formed the basis for many of his works.
Mikhail received a very good education at home, despite the fact that the Saltykov estate was located in a remote and uncultured place. At the age of 10, the boy was accepted as a boarder at the Moscow Noble Institute, after two years of study there, he was transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. The creative air of this institution also influenced Mikhail Saltykov, who began to write poetry.
After graduating from the lyceum, he began serving as an official in the office of the War Ministry. Faced with the cruelty of army service, equivalent to, and sometimes even exceeding, the cruelty of the feudal landowners, he concludes that everywhere there is “debt, everywhere coercion, boredom and lies everywhere.” He is interested in a completely different life. His social circles include writers, scientists, philosophers, and military men, who are united by an anti-serfdom sentiment.
The first stories of the aspiring writer Saltykov frightened the authorities with their acute social problem and he was sent to Vyatka as an unreliable person. Here Saltykov lived for more than eight years and served as an adviser to the provincial government, often traveled around the province and was able to closely become acquainted with the life of officials. The writer will later reflect all his observations in his works - stories and fairy tales.
After the death of Emperor Nicholas I, the writer returned to St. Petersburg and began to study very intensively literary creativity. “Provincial Sketches,” published in 1857, gained enormous popularity, and the name of Saltykov, under the pseudonym N. Shchedrin, became known to all reading and thinking Russia. Changes are also taking place in the personal life of Mikhail Evgrafovich; he marries the daughter of Vice-Governor Vyatka E. Boltina.
He was in public service as vice-governor of Ryazan, later of Tver. I tried to surround myself in the service with young, honest, educated people. He was always merciless towards bribe-takers and embezzlers. After retiring, he lives in St. Petersburg and writes for Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski.
The culmination of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s work was such works as “Modern Idyll”, “Gentlemen Golovlevs”, “Poshekhonsky Stories”.
IN last years he turned to such a genre as “Fairy Tales”. Literally a few days before his death, Saltykov-Shchedrin began a new work, “Forgotten Words,” in which he wanted to remind the Russian people of the lost words: Fatherland, conscience, humanity and many others. The writer’s works are filled with pain for the Russian people - disenfranchised, downtrodden and submissive .