What is the name of Kuprin's story about the future? Four main passions in the life of Alexander Kuprin, a writer who could not live without Russia

Russian writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin (1870–1938) was born in the town of Narovchat, Penza province. A man of difficult fate, a career military man, then a journalist, emigrant and “returnee,” Kuprin is known as the author of works included in the golden collection of Russian literature.

Stages of life and creativity

Kuprin was born into a poor noble family on August 26, 1870. His father worked as a secretary in the regional court, his mother came from a noble family of Tatar princes Kulunchakov. In addition to Alexander, two daughters grew up in the family.

The life of the family changed dramatically when, a year after the birth of their son, the head of the family died of cholera. The mother, a native Muscovite, began to look for an opportunity to return to the capital and somehow arrange the life of the family. She managed to find a place with a boarding house in the Kudrinsky widow's house in Moscow. Three years of little Alexander’s life passed here, after which, at the age of six, he was sent to an orphanage. The atmosphere of the widow's house is conveyed by the story “Holy Lies” (1914), written by a mature writer.

The boy was accepted to study at the Razumovsky orphanage, then, after graduation, he continued his studies at the Second Moscow Cadet Corps. Fate, it seems, destined him to be a military man. And in Kuprin’s early works, the theme of everyday life in the army and relationships among the military is raised in two stories: “Army Ensign” (1897), “At the Turning Point (Cadets)” (1900). At the peak of his literary talent, Kuprin writes the story “The Duel” (1905). The image of her hero, Second Lieutenant Romashov, according to the writer, was copied from himself. The publication of the story caused great discussion in society. In the army environment, the work was perceived negatively. The story shows the aimlessness and philistine limitations of the life of the military class. A kind of conclusion to the dilogy “Cadets” and “Duel” was the autobiographical story “Junker”, written by Kuprin already in exile, in 1928-32.

Army life was completely alien to Kuprin, who was prone to rebellion. Resignation from military service took place in 1894. By this time, the writer’s first stories began to appear in magazines, not yet noticed by the general public. After leaving military service, he began wandering in search of income and life experiences. Kuprin tried to find himself in many professions, but the experience of journalism acquired in Kyiv became useful for starting professional literary work. The next five years were marked by the appearance of the author’s best works: the stories “The Lilac Bush” (1894), “The Painting” (1895), “Overnight” (1895), “Barbos and Zhulka” (1897), “The Wonderful Doctor” (1897), “ Breget" (1897), the story "Olesya" (1898).

The capitalism that Russia is entering has depersonalized the working man. Anxiety in the face of this process leads to a wave of workers' revolts, which are supported by the intelligentsia. In 1896, Kuprin wrote the story “Moloch” - a work of great artistic power. In the story, the soulless power of the machine is associated with an ancient deity who demands and receives human lives as a sacrifice.

“Moloch” was written by Kuprin upon his return to Moscow. Here, after wandering, the writer finds a home, enters the literary circle, meets and becomes close friends with Bunin, Chekhov, Gorky. Kuprin marries and in 1901 moves with his family to St. Petersburg. His stories “Swamp” (1902), “White Poodle” (1903), “Horse Thieves” (1903) are published in magazines. At this time, the writer is actively involved in public life; he is a candidate for deputy of the State Duma of the 1st convocation. Since 1911 he has lived with his family in Gatchina.

Kuprin’s work between the two revolutions was marked by the creation of love stories “Shulamith” (1908) and “Pomegranate Bracelet” (1911), distinguished by their bright mood from the works of literature of those years by other authors.

During the period of two revolutions and the civil war, Kuprin was looking for an opportunity to be useful to society, collaborating either with the Bolsheviks or with the Socialist Revolutionaries. 1918 became a turning point in the life of the writer. He emigrates with his family, lives in France and continues to work actively. Here, in addition to the novel “Junker,” the story “Yu-Yu” (1927), the fairy tale “Blue Star” (1927), the story “Olga Sur” (1929), a total of more than twenty works, were written.

In 1937, after an entry permit approved by Stalin, the already very ill writer returned to Russia and settled in Moscow, where a year after returning from emigration, Alexander Ivanovich died. Kuprin was buried in Leningrad at the Volkovsky cemetery.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on August 26 (September 7), 1870 in the city of Narovchat (Penza province) into a poor family of a minor official.

1871 was a difficult year in Kuprin’s biography - his father died, and the poor family moved to Moscow.

Training and the beginning of a creative path

At the age of six, Kuprin was sent to a class at the Moscow Orphan School, from which he left in 1880. After this, Alexander Ivanovich studied at the military academy, the Alexander Military School. The time of training is described in such works by Kuprin as: “At the Turning Point (Cadets)”, “Junkers”. “The Last Debut” is Kuprin’s first published story (1889).

From 1890 he was a second lieutenant in an infantry regiment. During the service, many essays, short stories, and novellas were published: “Inquiry,” “On a Moonlit Night,” “In the Dark.”

Creativity flourishes

Four years later, Kuprin retired. After this, the writer travels a lot around Russia, trying himself in different professions. At this time, Alexander Ivanovich met Ivan Bunin, Anton Chekhov and Maxim Gorky.

Kuprin builds his stories of those times on life impressions gleaned during his travels.

Kuprin's short stories cover many topics: military, social, love. The story “The Duel” (1905) brought real success to Alexander Ivanovich. Love in Kuprin’s work is most vividly described in the story “Olesya” (1898), which was his first major and one of his most beloved works, and the story of unrequited love, “The Garnet Bracelet” (1910).

Alexander Kuprin also loved to write stories for children. For children's reading, he wrote the works “Elephant”, “Starlings”, “White Poodle” and many others.

Emigration and last years of life

For Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, life and creativity are inseparable. Not accepting the policy of war communism, the writer emigrated to France. Even after emigration, in the biography of Alexander Kuprin, the writer’s fervor does not subside; he writes novellas, short stories, many articles and essays. Despite this, Kuprin lives in material need and yearns for his homeland. Only 17 years later he returns to Russia. At the same time, the writer’s last essay was published - the work “Native Moscow”.

After a serious illness, Kuprin died on August 25, 1938. The writer was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery in Leningrad, next to the grave

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on August 26, 1870 into a poor noble family. He graduated from the Alexander Military School in Moscow and from 1890 to 1894 served in a regiment located in the Podolsk province, on the borders of the Russian Empire. He devoted himself entirely to literature after retirement. Literary success came to Kuprin after the appearance of the story Moloch in 1896. The publication of the poetic story Olesya (1898) made the name of Kuprin known throughout reading Russia. His fame was strengthened by the first volume of Stories (1903) and especially the story The Duel (1905).

After the outbreak of World War I, Kuprin opened a military hospital in his house. In November 1914, he was mobilized into the army and sent to Finland as commander of an infantry company. Demobilized in July 1915 for health reasons. The writer received the abdication of Nicholas II with enthusiasm. Kuprin became the editor of the newspapers “Free Russia”, “Liberty”, “Petrogradsky Listok”, and sympathized with the Socialist Revolutionaries. Kuprin’s attitude towards the Bolshevik revolution was ambivalent and contradictory, but he tried to cooperate with the new government - he discussed with Lenin the project of publishing a newspaper for peasants, which was never implemented.

On October 16, 1919, Gatchina was occupied by Yudenich's troops advancing on Petrograd. Kuprin entered the North-Western Army with the rank of lieutenant and was appointed editor of the army newspaper “Prinevsky Krai,” headed by General P. N. Krasnov. Already on November 3, Gatchina was liberated. Together with the retreating White Guards, Kuprin also left his homeland.

2 Helsinki

In November 1919, Alexander Kuprin and his family ended up in Revel. Then, having received a Finnish visa, the Kuprins moved to Helsinki. Finland, which had recently been Russian, had already become a foreign country, and the difference between past and present was striking.

“In Helsinki, as usual, we stayed at the Fenia Hotel - the best, and only climbing its marble stairs, seeing the lackeys and flirtatious maids in starched aprons, we realized how ragged and unsightly we were. And in general, our funds did not allow us to live in such a hotel,” recalled the writer’s daughter, Ksenia Kuprina, in her book “Kuprin is my father.” The Kuprins rented rooms, first from private individuals, then in a boarding house.

Kuprin lived in Helsinki for about six months. He actively collaborated with the emigrant press. But in 1920, circumstances developed in such a way that further stay in Finland became difficult. “It is not my will that fate itself fills the sails of our ship with wind and drives it to Europe. The newspaper will run out soon. I have a Finnish passport until June 1, and after this period they will allow me to live only with homeopathic doses. There are three roads: Berlin, Paris and Prague... But I, an illiterate Russian knight, don’t understand well, I turn my head and scratch my head,” Kuprin wrote to Repin. Bunin’s letter from Paris played a decisive role in the choice.

3 Paris

Kuprin arrived in Paris with his wife and daughter on July 4, 1920. “We were met by some acquaintances - I don’t remember who exactly - and were taken to a very mediocre hotel not far from the Grands Boulevards... On the first evening we decided to take a walk along the famous boulevards with the whole family. We decided to have dinner at the first restaurant we liked. The owner himself served, mustachioed, bloodshot... a little tipsy... The father took it upon himself to explain, vainly selecting refined formulas of politeness that had completely disappeared from use after the war. The owner didn’t understand for a long time what we wanted, then he suddenly became furious, tore the tablecloth off the table and showed us the door. For the first, but not the last time, I heard: “Dirty foreigners, go home!” …We left the restaurant in shame…” recalled Ksenia Kuprina.

Gradually, the Kuprins’ life settled into a rut. But the nostalgia did not go away. “You live in a beautiful country, among smart and kind people, among the monuments of the greatest culture... But everything is as if it were make-believe, as if it were unfolding in a cinematic film. And all the silent, dull sorrow that you no longer cry in your sleep and do not see in your dreams either Znamenskaya Square, or Arbat, or Povarskaya, or Moscow, or Russia, but only a black hole,” Kuprin wrote in the essay “Motherland.

Kuprin did not want to live in the city. He rented a dacha near Paris, but it turned out that even nature did not please him: “The alien situation, the alien land and the alien plants on it began to cause my father a bitter longing for distant Russia. Nothing was nice to him. Even the smells of earth and flowers. He said that lilacs smell like kerosene. Very soon he stopped digging in the flower beds and beds,” wrote the writer’s daughter. Eventually, the Kuprins returned to Paris and settled for ten years on Boulevard Montmorency, not far from the Bois de Boulogne.

How Kuprin lived in exile can be seen from his letters to Lydia, his daughter from his first wife. “Our life, I tell you frankly, is bad. We live in two dirty little rooms, where the sun doesn’t shine neither in the morning, nor in the evening, neither in summer nor in winter... The worst thing is that we live on credit, that is, we constantly have to go to the grocery, dairy, meat, and bakery shops; We think about winter with a shudder: a new burden hangs over us - debts for coal.”

The material living conditions of the Kuprin family, like many other Russian emigrants, were increasingly deteriorating. When Ksenia became seriously ill and had to be sent to Switzerland for treatment, she had to organize a charity evening, and even borrow money. Then the doctors advised the girl to live in the south - they organized a lottery where family heirlooms were sold.

In 1926, the Kuprins opened a bookbindery, but the business did not work out, then they opened a bookstore, but there was no success here either. In 1934, the store was turned into a Russian library. In the 30s, Ksenia worked as a fashion model, and then began acting in films and gained some popularity as an actress. But Ksenia’s successes in this field could not ensure the well-being of her family. Almost all the money she earned went to purchase toilets, without which it was impossible to stay in a profession that was then still unprofitable.

Kuprin respected French culture and French traditions, and, comparing them with Russians, did not always give preference to the latter. “We Russians, in the rebellious breadth of our souls, considered even the most modest thriftiness to be a despicable vice. At the beginning of our stay in Paris, we almost unanimously dubbed the French "centimenies", but really - damn it! “For seven years we have not seen the light and are not convinced, with late repentance, that those countries are infinitely happy where general austerity has become more than a law, a habit,” he wrote in the series of essays “Paris at Home.” But, of course, with all due respect to French customs, Kuprin felt them alien.

Alexander Kuprin was an attentive listener, and now, in exile, numerous stories that he had once heard in Russia from “experienced” people came to life on the pages of his works. But by the end of the 20s and the beginning of the 30s, the stock of life impressions that Kuprin brought from Russia had largely dried up, and in the mid-30s Kuprin actually stopped his literary activity. The writer's last significant work was the story "Zhaneta", completed in 1933.

Daughter Ksenia wrote in her memoirs that Kuprin was not interested in politics and quickly moved away from the emigrant press. But a large number of journalistic articles written by him contradict her words. Probably, the low demand for fiction did not make it possible to leave journalism. True, the writer himself assessed this activity critically, and never even tried to collect his journalistic works into one book.

Kuprin's health began to deteriorate. The writer suffered from cerebrovascular accident and his eyesight was weakening. The circle of friends and acquaintances began to narrow significantly.

4 Return

More and more often the writer thought about returning to his homeland. But he was sure that the Soviet government would not allow him to return home. When the artist Ivan Bilibin, before leaving for the USSR in 1936, invited the Kuprins to his place, the writer told him that he also wanted to return. Bilibin undertook to talk with the Soviet ambassador about Kuprin’s return to his homeland, and the writer was invited to the Soviet embassy. The return, which seemed like a pipe dream, became a reality.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin and his wife Elizaveta Moritsovna returned to their homeland in the spring of 1937. Daughter Ksenia remained in France. After returning, Kuprin lived a little over a year. His inner world at this time was tightly hidden from prying eyes. It is almost impossible to judge how aware he was of what was happening, whether he was satisfied or repented. Soviet propaganda, of course, tried to create the image of a repentant writer who returned to sing about a happy life in the USSR. But Kuprin was weak, sick and unable to work.

Kuprin died on the night of August 25, 1938 from esophageal cancer. He was buried in Leningrad on the Literatorskie bridge of the Volkovsky cemetery.

A year after the boy was born, his father died. Mother Lyubov Alekseevna Kuprina moved with Sasha to Moscow and settled in the Widow's House. At the age of 6, the child was sent to an orphanage - the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school. After 4 years, the future classic of Russian literature was assigned to the Second Moscow Cadet Corps. Next was the Alexander Military School, after which Kuprin received the rank of second lieutenant and entered the Dnieper Infantry Regiment.

Being a career military man was reflected in the writer’s famous works - “Cadets”, “Junkers” and “Duel”. By the way, for the last story the author was repeatedly threatened with a challenge to a duel - for insulting career officers, creating an impartial image of the Russian military. They say that Alexander Ivanovich simply ignored the calls he received, although in fact he was a brave man. By the way, he was even friends with famous athletes Ivan Poddubny, Ivan Zaikin, Ivan Lebedev and was a co-founder of the first magazine about bodybuilding in Russia, Hercules.

However, despite his courage, Kuprin’s character, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, “was quarrelsome and bilious.” The prose writer even wrote to a friend about his friend Poddubny: “I had dinner with Poddubny yesterday. A man of enormous strength and equal stupidity.” Fortunately, these letters were made public after Poddubny’s death and did not interfere with the fighter’s friendship with Kuprin...

After retiring in 1894, Kuprin went to Kyiv. His life there was not easy. The former military man did not have a civilian profession, and he made a living whatever he had to: he worked as a journalist, an accountant in a forge, a carpenter, a porter, a laborer, and a prompter in the Ukrainian theater. Then there were Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sevastopol, Odessa...

The October Revolution of 1917, although the classic was not received with hostility, still raised concerns. In 1918, Kuprin wrote an essay about the Tsar’s brother, “Mikhail Alexandrovich,” in which he defended the Grand Duke. The writer was almost shot for this publication. In December 1919, the Kuprin family reached Helsinki. In July 1920, the Kuprins settled in Paris. The difficult years of debt and need began.

All the years of emigration, Kuprin dreamed of returning to the Soviet Union, as he acutely felt lost and useless. In his letters, the classic of Russian literature wrote: “I am ready to eat grist from my garden, just let me go home.”

Ksenia (Kisa) Kuprina. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

What finally finished him off was a story connected with his daughter Kisa, who became a famous actress. One day the writer got into a taxi and in a conversation with the driver introduced himself: “I am Alexander Kuprin.” To which I received the answer: “You are not a relative of the famous Kisa Kuprina? Then Alexander Ivanovich finally realized: as a writer in the West he had not succeeded and would never succeed...

The Soviet government denied him entry for a long time, but then permission was finally received. Moreover, Kuprin has repeatedly publicly repented in the press, saying that all these years he felt heavy guilt before the Russian people for emigrating after the revolution.

In 1937, the classic returned to his homeland. But here he did not live even a year, dying of esophageal cancer. Before his death, he was given the opportunity to invite a priest to visit him. Kuprin is buried on the Literary Mostki of the Volkovsky Cemetery in St. Petersburg.