Selected passages from correspondence with friends. My friend gogol
Childhood and youth of Nikolai Gogol “Born on March 20 (1.IV) 1809 in the town of Velikiye Sorochintsy, Mirgorod district, Poltava province. He came from a landowner family: the Gogols had about 400 serfs and over 1000 acres of land. He spent his childhood years on the Vasilievka estate (another name for Yanovshchina), visiting Dikanka with his parents, which belonged to the Minister of Internal Affairs V.P. Kochubey, and to Obukhovka, where the writer V.V. lived. Kapnist, but most often he visited the Kibintsy estate, where Gogol’s distant relative on his mother’s side, D.P. Troshchinsky had an extensive library and home theater. Real name- Gogol-Yanovsky - almost never used it, leaving only (as they sometimes say) less than half of it. “When he was five years old, Gogol decided to write poetry,” recalled publicist G.P. Danilevsky from the words of the mother of the future writer. - Nobody understood what kind of poetry he wrote. Famous writer V.V. Kapnist, visiting Gogol’s father one day, found his five-year-old son writing. Little Gogol was sitting at the table, thoughtfully thinking about some scripture. Kapnist managed to persuade the child writer to read his work with requests and affection. Gogol took Kapnist to another room and there he read his poems to him. Kapnist did not tell anyone the contents of what he heard. Returning to Gogol’s family, he, caressing and hugging the little writer, said: “He will make great talent, only fate give him the leadership of a Christian teacher.” Gogol admired since childhood native nature and people were scared. Even twenty years later, he wrote to one of his friends: “What would this region seem to be missing? Full, luxurious summer. Bread, fruits, everything vegetable - death. But the people are poor, their estates are ruined and their arrears are unpaid... They are beginning to understand that it is time to get down to business with manufactories and factories; but there is no capital, the happy thought slumbers, finally dies, and they (the landowners) hunt for hares out of grief.” In 1821 he entered the Nizhyn Gymnasium of Higher Sciences. The comrades were not very fond of the new student. Shy, secretive, he was extremely tormented by the poorly concealed ambition given to him by nature. But in the gymnasium he developed a talent for imitating - a talent for strange, sometimes simply ridiculous exaggerations, which later spoiled a lot of blood for his friends. HELL. Galakhov, a writer and teacher who knew the writer well, later recalled: “Gogol lived with Pogodin, studying, as he said, the second volume of Dead Souls.” Shchepkin went to talk with him almost every day. “Once,” he says, “I come to him and see him sitting at his desk so cheerful.” - “How is your health? It’s obvious that you are in a good mood.” - “You guessed it right: congratulate me: you finished your work.” Shchepkin almost started dancing with pleasure and began to congratulate the author in every possible way... When they met in Aksakov’s house, Shchepkin, before dinner, addressing those present, said: “Congratulate Nikolai Vasilyevich. He finished the second part of Dead Souls. Gogol suddenly jumps up - “What nonsense? Who did you hear this from? - Shchepkin was amazed. - “Yes, from yourself; You told me this morning.” - “Why, my dear, cross yourself: you probably ate too much henbane or saw it in a dream.” - The question arises: why did the person lie? Why did you deny yourself? own words? In 1828 he came to St. Petersburg. I dreamed of becoming an actor, but the right voice it didn't turn out. Make a career on public service It also failed: in the offices he had to rewrite countless business papers, and this was not Gogol’s character. He brought the poem “Hanz Küchelgarten” to St. Petersburg, which he published with his own money under the pseudonym V. Alov. Too blatant imitation of Pushkin, Zhukovsky, German poet Fossa did not, and could not have caused, anything but ridicule among St. Petersburg writers. A terribly annoyed Gogol decided to go to America, but only got as far as Lubeck. From here I returned back to St. Petersburg. The writer P. V. Annenkov described Gogol’s first visit to Pushkin this way: “He returned again to attack, boldly called and in answer to his question: is the master at home?”, He heard the servant’s answer: “They are resting!” It was already late outside. Gogol asked with great sympathy: “Is it true that you worked all night?” “Well, I worked,” answered the servant, “and played cards.” Gogol admitted that this was the first blow dealt to the school’s idealization of him. He could not imagine Pushkin any other way until he was constantly surrounded by a cloud of inspiration.” Prashkevich G.M., Red Sphinx. History of Russian science fiction from V.F. Odoevsky to Boris Stern, Novosibirsk, “Svinin and Sons”, 2009, p. 39-40
N.V. Gogol knew many famous people of their time - writers, artists, publishers of literary magazines. Among them are great Russian poets: A.C. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov, great Russian critic B G. Belinsky, the first Russian fabulistI.A. Krylov, famous Russian poets V.A. Zhukovsky and E.A. Baratynsky, talented writers S.T. Aksakov, I.A. Goncharov, A.I. Herzen, great Russian artists A.A. Ivanov and K.P. Bryullov, publishers M.P. Pogodin and I.I. Panaev, a famous expert and collector of works of folk poetryV.P. Kireyevsky and many others.
“Gogol loved people. The writer carried many friendships unbreakably throughout his life, and no circumstances changed them. Gogol found friends everywhere, in the most diverse layers of Russian society with which his life encountered him. Gogol was not interested in a person’s social position, his titles, ranks and titles. The writer was attracted by the man himself, his character, his personal qualities,” note researchers of the life and work of N.V. Gogol P.K. Bogolepov and N.P. Verkhovskaya.
The people surrounding the writer were drawn to him - they were attracted by Gogol's talent as brilliant writer, his discriminating taste, wit, selflessness.
Among Gogol's many acquaintances, he had close friends with whom he went through sorrows, adversity, and happy moments own life. First of all, this is the Aksakov family.
S.T. Aksakov
Gogol met the Aksakov family on his first visit to Moscow, in the summer of 1832. From the very first meeting, Gogol and the Aksakovs felt mutual sympathy; this feeling soon grew into friendship, to which the Aksakovs remained faithful all their lives. The Aksakov family valued Gogol as a brilliant writer, all members of this big family sought to surround Gogol with attention, warmth and care. Sergei Timofeevich received the most Active participation in Gogol's affairs throughout his life, did him a lot of good. For example, on difficult days for Gogol, he organized financial assistance to the writer, which Gogol received from his Moscow friends in contribution. S.T. Aksakov willingly carried out Gogol’s instructions (the writer lived long years in St. Petersburg), in his letters he told him about everything that was happening in Moscow, especially in its literary life.
In turn, as critics note, communication with Gogol helped Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov find his way in literature. In the Aksakovs' house, Gogol felt like he belonged - easy, cozy, pleasant. Deprived of a family, a home, in this family he found home comfort and always greatly appreciated the Aksakovs’ ardent affection for him.
S.T. Aksakov left interesting memories about N.V. Gogol, by reading which you can learn a lot about character, relationships with people, writing wonderful Russian writer.
Information taken from: http://feb-web.ru/feb/gogol/critics/gvs/gvs-087-.htm
Pavel Vasilievich Annenkov (1812 - 1887), famous Russian critic and memoirist.
P.V. Annenkov was well acquainted with N.V. Gogol, moreover, was friendly with him. They met in the first years of Gogol’s life in St. Petersburg, when his “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” were already known. In the summer of 1841 P.V. Annenkov met Gogol in Rome, where he settled in the same house with him and helped Gogol rewrite his famous poem “ Dead Souls».
Pavel Vasilievich Annenkov
Smirnova Alexandra Osipovna (1809-1882), nee Rosset, one of the educated women of that time, a close friend of N.V. Gogol. Like the writer, she was born in Ukraine, which she loved very much, and she spent her childhood there. After graduating from the Smolny Institute, Alexandra Osipovna was appointed maid of honor to the Empress. In the palace she met V.A. Zhukovsky, A.S. Pushkin and other writers who began to visit her. This is how a small literary salon of a beautiful and educated woman, maid of honor Rosset, was organized. “Live, cheerful, very witty and educated, interested in art, she managed to attract the best literary forces of that time to the living room,” write P. Bogolepov and N. Verkhovskaya in their book about Gogol. In 1834 A.O. Rosset married a major official N.M. Smirnov, who later became the governor of Kaluga.
N.V. Gogol met A.O. Rosset in the first years of his life in St. Petersburg. She dated him as well as A.C. Pushkin and V.A. Zhukovsky summer in Tsarskoe Selo, where the young writer read “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” in her salon, and later - famous play"The Inspector General" and the novel "Dead Souls".
N.V. Gogol considered Alexandra Osipovna a very close person to himself - in terms of views, in spiritual moods. Throughout his life he corresponded with her, and during his travels abroad he met his extraordinary fellow countrywoman on the waters. IN last years Gogol lived in Moscow and went to visit Alexandra Osipovna in Kaluga or at her estate near Moscow. And when she came to Moscow, he saw her every day. To the poet N.M. Yazykov in the summer of 1845 N.V. Gogol wrote from Hamburg: “This is the pearl of all the Russian women I happened to... know... Beautiful in soul... She was my true comforter, whereas hardly anyone’s word could console me.”
Smirnova Alexandra Osipovna
Gogol had a huge impact on the further development of Russian literature along the path of its democratization, nationalization, and strengthening of its realistic character. Directly connected with Gogol is the “natural school”, which united writers of the 40s and was inspired by Belinsky. Writers " natural school”, such as Y. Butkov, D. Grigorovich, V. Sollogub, E. Grebenka, I. Panaev, young Dostoevsky and others, were united by following the humane and realistic traditions of Gogol, sympathetically showing the fate of a “small”, socially deprived person. Portrayal of injustice and contrasts social environment, the manner of detailed descriptions, and most importantly the democratically protesting pathos of the works of the writers of the “natural school” marked the continuation of those ideological and artistic principles, which were laid down by Gogol. Among the writers of the “natural school” were the young Nekrasov, Turgenev, Goncharov, Grigorovich, Saltykov-Shchedrin began his creative career here, and Herzen was close to them. Writers of the “natural school” continued the work begun by Gogol of bringing literature and life closer together, exposing the feudal system, expanding and deepening the democratic and humanistic tendencies of his work.
Russian writers about Gogol
I have just read “Evenings near Dikanka”. They amazed me. This is real gaiety, sincere, relaxed, without affectation, without stiffness. And in places what poetry! What sensitivity! All this is so unusual in our current literature that I still haven’t come to my senses...
A. S. Pushkin
Gogol introduced new elements into our literature, gave rise to many imitators, and led society to the true contemplation of the novel as it should be; begins with Gogol new period Russian literature, Russian poetry...
V. G. Belinsky
Gogol’s “Dead Souls” is an amazing book, a bitter reproach to modern Rus', but not merciless. Where the gaze can penetrate the fog of unclean, manure fumes, there it sees a daring, full of strength nationality... It is sad in Chichikov’s world, just as we really are sad; and here and there there is only one consolation in faith and hope for the future. But this faith cannot be denied, and it is not just a romantic hope in heaven, but has a realistic basis: the blood somehow circulates well in the Russian’s chest.
A. I. Herzen
One should reverence Gogol as a man gifted with the deepest mind and the deepest love for people... Gogol is a true knower of the human heart...
T. G. Shevchenko
It has been a long time since there was a writer in the world who was as important for his people as Gogol was for Russia.
I. G. Chernyshevsky
[Gogol] wrote not what he might have liked more, and not even what was easier for his talent, but sought to write what he considered most useful for his fatherland.
That day we celebrated my birthday! - The cricket smiled. - Crickets have birthdays too! Oh, it was a great day! Why? You will understand now, my dears. Do you know Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol? Yes, yes, our Russian writer! Or rather, you cannot know him personally, unlike me. Because he lived in the 19th century. But... you know his works! You, of course, have read “The Night Before Christmas”, “Taras Bulba”, “The Inspector General”, “Marriage”. And if you haven’t read it yet, you’ve probably heard it. And you, my dears, have many wonderful moments ahead of you with these great books!
The cricket jumped from the mantelpiece and motioned to the table.
Today I am treating you to watermelon!
He waved his paw and there really was a watermelon on the table! Large, bright green with black stripes on the sides. On impact it broke... What a scent that was!
ABOUT! It was the same watermelon that was on the table on that significant day. It's my birthday!
The watermelon was huge. It lay on a table covered with a white embroidered tablecloth, already divided into even, neat pieces. The juicy, sugary pulp didn’t just beckon. It was as if she hypnotized and forced her to continuously look at the most fragrant and bright piece of food, from which black shiny seeds peeked appetizingly. Nikolenka waited... He waited patiently and courageously. The first plate, loaded with scarlet pulp, landed on a snow-white starched napkin in front of daddy. Then the same plate appeared in front of my mother. Finally, that very last piece with the blackest and most shiny seeds in the entire watermelon world smoothly landed on Nikolenka!
Nikolenka noisily inhaled the watermelon freshness. And he had just bent down to take a bite of the long-awaited delicacy when he heard a monotonous loud buzzing in his ear. Wasp! Nikolenka pulled back and watched in horror as a thick, striped wasp impudently tried to land... no, a watermelon is not land! At... watermelon! Yes, “pri-ar-bu-zi-sya!” Nikolenka adored new words. Only he could not understand where they came from in his head. He always wanted to catch at least one word by the tail! After all, every word has a tail. Some have more, some have less, and some have very tiny ones. The word “forelock”, for example... And there’s nothing to grab onto! But he will definitely grab it! Then everyone will even be surprised at how word-loving he is! And daddy will be the most surprised of all, because he says that Nikolenka won’t do any good, that he’s painfully shy, and he thinks about something out of duty. What is not good is...
Ay!!! Nasty wasp! Nose! Ay!!! Nikolenka didn’t even notice how, lost in thought, it really wasn’t good, he really gave in to that same impudent wasp who was enjoying the watermelon nectar on his, Nikolenka’s, piece...
Ay!!! Nikolenka screamed shrilly, tightly covering his face with his hands. No one, neither mummy, nor daddy, nor nanny could persuade him to remove his hands from his face. Everyone just oohed and aahed, offering lotions and poultices. They explained the necessity of these procedures for wasp stings. But it was all in vain. Nikolenka grabbed his nose with an iron grip. Only Doctor Ivan Fedorovich, quickly brought by the nimble servant Trishka on the fast horse Goloputsek, managed to persuade the boy and was the first to look at Nikolenka’s new nose. Yes... The Wasp was indeed a giantess. And time was lost. Through the efforts of the doctor, the tumor was eliminated, but the shape of the nose was hopelessly damaged. The nose stretched out incredibly and remained so on the unforgettable face of our beloved writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol throughout his entire life. great life.
What a sad and significant day! But my dears, don’t be upset! This did not spoil the great life of our writer at all! Trust me. On the contrary, it was useful to some extent! But we continue...
Nikolenka learned to read early. He didn’t even know how to say it, but he already realized that the book was a great thing. Daddy never parted with the book. Even during dinner, I sometimes read, despite the dissatisfaction of my mother, who was firmly convinced that digestion required concentration, although she herself loved to read while drinking tea. In the cozy house of landowner Vasily Afanasyevich Gogol, huge cabinets filled with books occupied endless space. At least that’s what it seemed to little Nikolenka. Among the books were old, dusty, leather-bound books that daddy didn’t allow to look at even from a distance. There were also modern poems, stories, novels, and even various plays that could be “performed at the theater.” Nikolenka still had a vague idea of what theater was, but he knew that daddy also wrote comedies, that is, hilarious stories that were “played out” by roles. Nikolenka dreamed of reading himself, reading freely and easily, expressively, with heartfelt inspiration, so that everyone would listen. Read like daddy...
The desire was so great that one day Nikolenka decided to commit a crime. Dad hid the key to the bookcase securely. No way to find it. But Nikolenka noticed long ago that the key to the buffet in the living room was exactly the treasured key to the kingdom of books. And... lo and behold!.. He, this cupboard key, came up! Nikolenka, not believing his luck, took books from the shelves one after another, examined them carefully and reverently put them in their place. Finally, he came across a familiar book about the “minor” Mitrofanushka, who could not learn anything, but only ate, slept and dreamed of getting married, so that he could eat, sleep and do nothing again. When guests came to daddy’s house, they often read this “Undergrowth” by role, and daddy often read it - and read it great! - for Mrs. Prostakova, mother of the ill-fated Mitrofan. The guests laughed heartily, not suspecting that they had secret admirer, hiding behind the curtains and giggling quietly into his palm. Nikolenka had an excellent memory. So it didn't cost him anything to memorize this great comedy the great Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. Therefore, when this book came into his hands, he easily figured out letters, sounds, syllables and sentences!
Nikolenka managed to keep the secret of the treasured key for a long time. Papa left at the same time, and Nikolenka had two or three hours of devoted reading at her disposal.
When Nikolenka was sent to the Poltava district school at the age of nine, parting with the bookcase was a real grief. He approached with tears bookshelves and stroked them gently. It’s good that daddy didn’t see this, otherwise he would have been completely upset. He had long given up on his son, considering him “not of this world.” But... Nikolenka was incredibly lucky at school. There was a library there! And not only was it not forbidden to go there, but on the contrary, it was encouraged! Nikolenka was happy. If it were possible, he would drag his bed there and live among the books, constantly enjoying the special smell of books. I must say that these dreams were half fulfilled. Nikolenka, as the most fanatical book lover, was appointed guardian school library! Guardian... It was no longer the cat who sneezed!
Apchhi!!! Nikolenka did not stop sneezing when he had to climb on the bookshelves with a damp rag. He is a custodian, which means that everything should be in order in the bookkeeping entrusted to him! Each book, little book and little booklet should be in alphabetical order and by topic, strictly in its place and in decent form. Nikolenka spared no glue and effort in repairing particularly damaged specimens. Apchhi!!! He even made up the library rules and posted them in front of the entrance.
1. Do not tear or stain books.
2. Come to the library only with clean hands.
3. Return books on time.
4. Violators are excluded mercilessly.
Shy by nature, compliant Nikolenka was as solid as a rock when it came to questions about books. It was useless to ask him for forgiveness for torn or lost book. He will never forgive you! He’ll simply cross it off from the readers’ lists and tear up the form. And take books wherever you want...
Apchhi!!! Nikolenka froze with a rag in the middle of the library and listened... It wasn’t he who sneezed!.. Whoops!!! Someone's impudent loud sneeze was heard again!.. Nikolenka was seriously scared. At this late hour he closed himself alone in the library to put the books in their places and work. He had to finish an article about his favorite poet Alexander Pushkin and his new stunning novel in verse, “Eugene Onegin,” for the gymnasium magazine “Meteor of Literature.” And besides, I decided to write my own tragedy. The name has already been invented and even neatly written on the first piece of paper in the still blank notebook - “Robbers”. Sounds?!. Ah!.. Apchhi!!! Nikolenka carefully went to the sneeze, armed with a broom just in case...
Apchhi!!! It sounded somewhere very close. Nikolenka raised his head and saw... On the top shelf, carefully moving the books to the side, there was a huge black cat! He stretched out the entire length of the shelf and shook his bushy tail. Apchhi!!! Now Nikolenka himself will sneeze. “Be healthy!” the Cat purred and yawned protractedly. The impressionable Nikolenka leaned on the next shelf to avoid fainting, touched it with his elbow, and books fell on him with a roar. But he didn't even pay attention to it. “Where did you come from?!!!”, was all Nikolenka could squeeze out. “From Alex-andr Sergeeevich m-we-s... Push-shkin... Both day and night co-scientist everything goes around and around... did you read it? So this is m-we-s and e-is...” the Cat drawled, softly jumped onto the table and brazenly sat down on Nikolenka’s notebook right on the title of the planned tragedy. Despite the improbability of what happened, Nikolenka could not tolerate such disrespect for his own creation. “Get out of here!” he yelled. But the Cat didn’t even bat an eye. Having licked his left paw with special care, he reached out, swung and hit Nikolenka quite hard on the cheek. “I warn you first and last time, you can only talk to us without your last name, dear Nikolai Vasya -i-lyevich, w-we don’t like this...,” the cat reconciledly rubbed himself against the tip of Nikolenka’s famous nose. Apchhi!!! Nikolenka blew his nose noisily. The cat smiled. “Do we know anyone?” the Cat extended his paw and Nikolenka, surprising himself, also gave the Cat his hand and nodded dumbfounded. “Well, that’s sla-avnenko. I’ll still be useful to you, Nikolai Va-asilyevich, we’ll work somewhere... you-I'm big bu-future..." And silently jumping off the table, the Cat walked away importantly...
Friendship with the Cat continued even when Nikolenka became famous writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, who had already created his brilliant works: “The Inspector General”, “Marriage”, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, “Petersburg Tales”, “Dead Souls”. The cat came in the evenings. Rarely, really. He said there was a lot to do. Either help this one, or support that one. He was completely running around... Stretching, he settled down on Nikolai Vasilyevich’s desk and slept peacefully to the creaking sounds of his pen. He also came to dinner parties, where the best representatives gathered great era nineteenth century. And what representatives! And Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, and Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky, and Mikhail Semenovich Shchepkin, and Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin, and Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov... Although these meetings could not be called dinners, there were very few treats for dinner parties, the Cat liked to rub against the trousers of the great guests, leave tufts of your priceless black fur on them and listen... And there was always something to listen to here... At these dinners, along with wonderful music and high poetry sounded the stories and tales of the famous writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, who knew how to turn his readings into real theatrical performance! The cat, without hesitation, fell on his back and laughed heartily along with all the representatives of genius. Yes... He was not mistaken in Nikolenka, he was not mistaken... True, the Cat did not always manage to stand on his own paws. He became old, weak... Nikolai Vasilyevich quickly and deftly picked up his tailed friend and helped him find balance. The cat gratefully rubbed against its native a long nose... Apchhi!!! God bless you, dear Nikolai Vasilyevich!..
