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Herzen Alexander Ivanovich was born on April 6, n.s. 1812, Russian revolutionary, writer, philosopher. Illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner I. A. Yakovlev. He graduated from Moscow University (1833), where, together with N.P. Ogarev, he headed a revolutionary circle.

IN philosophical works“Amateurism in Science” (1843), “Letters on the Study of Nature” (1845-46), etc. affirmed the union of philosophy with the natural sciences. He sharply criticized the serfdom in the novel “Who is to Blame?” (1841-46), the stories “Doctor Krupov” (1847) and “The Thieving Magpie” (1848).

Since 1847 in exile. After the defeat of the European revolutions of 1848-49, he became disillusioned with the revolutionary capabilities of the West and developed the theory of “Russian socialism”, becoming one of the founders of populism.

In 1853 he founded the Free Russian Printing House in London. In the newspaper “Kolokol” he denounced the Russian autocracy, conducted revolutionary propaganda, and demanded the liberation of peasants with their land.

In 1861 he took the side of revolutionary democracy, contributed to the creation of Land and Freedom, and supported the Polish uprising of 1863-64.

Died in Paris, grave in Nice.

The autobiographical essay “The Past and Thoughts” (1852-68) is one of the masterpieces of memoir literature.

"IN troubled times social re-creation, storms in which states for a long time come out of their usual grooves, a new generation of people is born who can be called choristers of the revolution. Just as for Nicholas shagistics was the main thing in military affairs, so for them all these banquets, demonstrations, protests, gatherings, toasts, banners are the main thing in the revolution."

“One Russian minister in 1850 with his family sat on a steamship in a carriage, so as not to be in contact with passengers from ordinary mortals. Can you imagine anything funnier than sitting in a delayed carriage... and even at sea The arrogance of our dignitaries does not come at all from aristocracy - lordship is derived; it is the feeling of livery, powdered servants in big houses, extremely vile in one direction, extremely daring in the other. An aristocrat is a face, but ours - the faithful servants of the throne - have no personality at all."

Herzen Alexander Ivanovich (1812-70), Russian revolutionary, writer, philosopher. Illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner I. A. Yakovlev. He graduated from Moscow University (1833), where, together with N.P. Ogarev, he headed a revolutionary circle. Arrested in 1834, he spent 6 years in exile. Published since 1836 under the pseudonym Iskander. Since 1842 in Moscow, head of the left wing of Westerners. In the philosophical works “Amateurism in Science” (1843), “Letters on the Study of Nature” (1845-46), and others, he asserted the union of philosophy with the natural sciences. He sharply criticized the serfdom in the novel “Who is to Blame?” (1841-46), the stories “Doctor Krupov” (1847) and “The Thieving Magpie” (1848). Since 1847 in exile. After the defeat of the European revolutions of 1848-49, he became disillusioned with the revolutionary capabilities of the West and developed the theory of “Russian socialism”, becoming one of the founders of populism. In 1853 he founded the Free Russian Printing House in London. In the newspaper “Kolokol” he denounced the Russian autocracy, conducted revolutionary propaganda, and demanded the liberation of peasants with their land. In 1861 he took the side of revolutionary democracy, contributed to the creation of Land and Freedom, and supported the Polish uprising of 1863-64. Died in Paris, grave in Nice. The autobiographical essay “The Past and Thoughts” (1852-68) is one of the masterpieces of memoir literature.

Portrait by A. Zbruev

Chronicle of Humanity

Herzen A. I. (article by V. Ya. Bogucharsky from the “New Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron”, 1911 - 1916)

Alexander Ivanovich Herzen

(pseudonym - Iskander)

Writer, philosopher, publicist

Born March 25 (April 6), 1812 in Moscow in the family of a wealthy landowner I. A. Yakovlev; mother is German Louise Haag. The parents' marriage was not formalized, and Herzen bore the surname invented by his father (from German Herz - heart).

1823 - acquaintance with N.P. Ogarev.

1829-1833 - studied at the physics and mathematics department of Moscow University. Works of the 30s (“On the Place of Man in Nature”, 1832, etc.), indicate Herzen’s familiarity with both issues of natural science and the ideas of contemporary philosophical and social teachings (Saint-Simon, Schelling, Cousin, etc.). At the university, a circle of revolutionary trends gathers around Herzen and his friend N.P. Ogarev, which includes N.I. Sazonov, A.N. Savich, N.M. Satin and others.

1834 - Herzen was arrested along with some other members of the circle.

1835 - exiled to Perm, from there to Vyatka, where he served in the provincial chancellery. Correspondence with cousin Natalya Alexandrovna Zakharyina, friendship with the exiled architect A.L. Vitberg, author of the first project for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, and literary studies support Herzen in exile.

1836 - Herzen begins to publish under the pseudonym Iskander (the first original work to appear in print is the essay "Hoffmann").

1837 - thanks to the petition of V.A. Zhukovsky, who visited Vyatka together with the heir to the throne, Herzen is allowed to move to Vladimir, where he serves in the governor’s office, edits “Additions to the Vladimir provincial news.”

1838 - Herzen marries N.A. Zakharyina.

1840 - returns to Moscow, where he meets V.G. Belinsky, M.A. Bakunin, T.N. Granovsky; then he moves to St. Petersburg, where, at the insistence of his father, he enters the service in the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

1841 - for a harsh review in a private letter about the police, he was expelled to Novgorod, where he served in the provincial government. Herzen's ideological and philosophical quests during the years of exile took on socio-religious forms, which is expressed both in his correspondence and in the philosophical and fictional works of that time ("From Roman Scenes", 1838, "William Pen", 1839, etc. ).

Since the early 40s. Herzen appears with scientific and fictional works (series of articles “Amateurism in Science” (1842-43), “Letters on the Study of Nature” (1844-45); stories “Doctor Krupov” (1847), “The Thieving Magpie” (1848) and the novel "Who is to Blame?" (1841-46) - one of the first Russian socio-psychological novels).

1847 - Herzen and his family go abroad. Defeat of the Revolution of 1848 in France, of which Herzen becomes an eyewitness and participant, leads him to revise some of the basic provisions of the philosophical concept of the 40s. He criticizes various kinds of social utopias and romantic illusions (“From the Other Shore,” 1847-1850, etc.). Disillusioned with the revolutionary capabilities of the West, Herzen developed the theory of “Russian socialism” and became one of the founders of populism. His ideas are formulated most fully in the book “On the Development revolutionary ideas in Russia" (1850), covering both Russian history and the history of the development of the Russian liberation movement.

1849 - Herzen moves to Geneva (Switzerland). Here he participates in the publication of Proudhon's newspaper "Voice of the People".

1850 - moves to Nice, where he becomes close to the leaders of the Italian liberation movement. In the same year, he refused the demand of the tsarist government to return to Russia.

1851 - Herzen's mother and son die during a shipwreck.

1852 - Herzen's wife dies.

1853 - having moved to London (1852), Herzen founded the Free Russian Printing House there. For the first two years, without receiving materials from Russia, he printed leaflets and proclamations (“St. George’s Day! St. George’s Day!”, “The Poles forgive us!”, “Baptized Property,” etc.).

In the early 50s. Herzen begins to work on his main work - the autobiographical novel "The Past and Thoughts" (1852-68, 1st complete edition 1919-20).

1855 - Herzen publishes the almanac "Polar Star", which becomes widespread in Russia.

1856 - Ogarev moves to London.

1857 - Herzen and Ogarev publish "The Bell" - the first Russian revolutionary newspaper. The widespread dissemination of "The Bell" in Russia contributed to the unification of democratic and revolutionary forces and the creation of the revolutionary organization "Land and Freedom" in Russia. Having come out in support of the Polish uprising of 1863-64, Herzen loses the majority of his readers. Moving the publication from London to Geneva does not improve matters, because young emigration concentrated there does not find common language with Herzen.

1867 - publication of "The Bell" was discontinued.

In recent years, Herzen has been living in different cities Europe (Geneva, Cannes, Nice, Florence, Lausanne, Brussels, etc.).

January 9 (21), 1870 - Alexander Herzen died in Paris, buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery. Subsequently, Herzen's ashes were transported to Nice.

Main works:

Works of art:

"Doctor Krupov" (1847)

"The Thieving Magpie" (1848)

"Duty First" (1854, London)

"Damaged" (1854, London)

"Doctor, Dying and the Dead" (1869, publ. 1870, Geneva)

Cycle “Boredom for the Sake” (1868-69)

The novel "Who is to Blame?" (parts 1-2, 1845-46, ed. 1847)

Autobiographical book “The Past and Thoughts” (parts 1-8, 1855-68; separate edition 1861-66, London-Geneva; complete 1919-20, Petrograd)

Literary critical articles, incl.

“About a novel from folk life in Russia” (1857)

"Western Books" (1857)

“Very dangerous!!!” (1859)

Philosophical works:

cycles of articles “Amateurism in Science” (1842-43)

"Letters on the Study of Nature" (1845-46)

Art. “Experience of conversations with young people” (1858)

"Conversation with Children" (1859)

“Letters to the Enemy” (1864), etc.

Historical and journalistic works, including:

book “On the development of revolutionary ideas in Russia” (1850; published in German and French, 1851, in Russian illegally 1861, Moscow)

Journalism, including:

feuilleton “Moscow and St. Petersburg” (1842, distributed in lists; published 1857, London, in Russia -1905)

cycles of articles “Whims and Thoughts” (1843–47)

“Letters from France and Italy” (1847-52; partially published in Russia 1847, separate edition 1855, London)

“From the Other Shore” (1847-50, in German, French and Italian editions; separate edition in Russian 1855, London, illegally in Russia 1861)

“To an old comrade” (letters 1 - 4, 1869, published 1870)

Articles, including:

"Russia" (1849)

"The Russian People and Socialism" (in French 1851, in Russian 1858, London)

"Baptized Property" (1853)

"Land and Freedom" (1863)

"N. G. Chernyshevsky" (1864)

Diaries

Herzen A.I. Collected works: In 8 volumes. - M., 1975.

Brief literary encyclopedia: In 8 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1962. Russian writers. 1800-1917: Biographical Dictionary. - M.: BRE, 1989.

Herzen Alexander Ivanovich - Russian prose writer, publicist.

Born on March 25 (April 6), 1812 in Moscow in the family of a noble Moscow gentleman I.A. Yakovlev and a German woman, Louise Haag. The parents' marriage was not officially registered, so the illegitimate child was considered his father's pupil. This explains the invented surname - from the German word Herz (heart). The future writer spent his childhood in his uncle’s house on Tverskoy Boulevard (now building 25, where the Literary Institute named after A.M. Gorky). Although Herzen was not deprived of attention from childhood, his position as an illegitimate child gave him a feeling of orphanhood. In his memoirs, the writer called his home a “strange abbey”, and considered the only pleasures of childhood to be playing with the yard boys, playing in the hall and playing with the girls. Childhood impressions of the life of serfs, according to Herzen, aroused in him “an irresistible hatred of all slavery and all arbitrariness.”
Oral memories of living witnesses of the war with Napoleon, the freedom-loving poems of Pushkin and Ryleev, the works of Voltaire and Schiller - these are the main milestones in the development of the soul of young Herzen. The uprising of December 14, 1825 turned out to be the most significant event in this series. After the execution of the Decembrists, Herzen, together with his friend N. Ogarev, vowed to “take revenge on those executed.”

In 1829, Herzen entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Moscow University, where he soon formed a group of progressively thinking students. Members of this group Ogarev, N.H. Ketcher and others discussed the burning problems of our time: the French Revolution of 1830, the Polish uprising of 1830–1831, other events modern history. This time included a fascination with the ideas of Saint-Simonism and attempts to present his own vision of the social order. Already in his first articles (On the place of man in nature, 1832, etc.) Herzen showed himself not only as a philosopher, but also as a brilliant writer. The essay by Hoffmann (1833–1834, published 1836) showed a typical style of writing: introducing vivid figurative language into journalistic discussions, confirming the author’s thoughts with a plot narrative.

In 1833 Herzen graduated from the university with a silver medal. Work in the Moscow expedition of the Kremlin building. The service left the young man enough free time to engage in creativity. Herzen planned to publish a magazine, but in July 1834 he was arrested for allegedly singing songs discrediting the royal family in the company of friends. During interrogations, the Investigative Commission, without proving Herzen’s direct guilt, nevertheless considered that his beliefs posed a danger to the state.

In April 1835, with an obligation to be on public service under the supervision of local authorities, Herzen was exiled first to Perm, then to Vyatka. He was friends with the architect A.L. Vitberg and other exiles, corresponded with his cousin N.A. Zakharyina, who later became his wife. In 1837, the heir to the throne visited Vyatka, who was accompanied by V.A. Zhukovsky. At the poet's request, at the end of 1837 Herzen was transferred to Vladimir, where he served in the governor's office. From Vladimir, Herzen secretly traveled to Moscow to visit his bride, and in May they got married. From 1839 to 1850, four children were born into the Herzen family. In July 1839, police surveillance was removed from Herzen, he was given the opportunity to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg, where he was accepted into the circle of V.G. Belinsky, T.N. Granovsky, I.I. Panaev and others. In 1840, Herzen’s letter was illustrated, in in which he wrote about the “murder” of a St. Petersburg security guard. The enraged Nicholas I ordered Herzen to be expelled “for spreading unfounded rumors” to Novgorod without the right to enter the capital. Only in July 1842, having retired with the rank of court councilor, after the petition of friends, Herzen returned to Moscow. I began hard work on a series of articles about the connection of science and philosophy with real life under common name Amateurism in science.

After several unsuccessful attempts to contact artistic prose. In 1847, Herzen and his family left Russia and began their many-year journey through Europe. Watching life Western countries, interspersed personal impressions with historical and philosophical research (Letters from France and Italy, 1847–1852; From the Other Shore, 1847–1850, etc.). In 1850–1852, a series of Herzen’s personal dramas took place: his wife’s betrayal, the death of his mother in a shipwreck and youngest son, death of wife from childbirth. In 1852 Herzen settled in London. By this time he was perceived as the first figure of the Russian emigration. Together with Ogarev, he began to publish revolutionary publications - the almanac “Polar Star” (1855–1868) and the newspaper “Bell” (1857–1867), the influence of which on the revolutionary movement in Russia was enormous. Despite the many articles published by the writer in Polar Star and Kolokol and published separate publications, his main creation of the emigrant years is The Past and Thoughts (published 1855–1919).

The past and thoughts by genre - a synthesis of memoirs, journalism, literary portraits, autobiographical novel, historical chronicle, short story. The author himself called this book a confession, “about which stopped thoughts from thoughts were collected here and there.” The first five parts describe Herzen's life from childhood until the events of 1850–1852, when the author suffered difficult mental trials associated with the collapse of his family. The sixth part, as a continuation of the first five, is devoted to life in England. The seventh and eighth parts, even more free in chronology and theme, reflect the life and thoughts of the author in the 1860s.

At first Herzen was going to write about tragic events your personal life. But “everything old, half-forgotten, was resurrected,” and the architecture of the plan gradually expanded. In general, work on the book lasted about fifteen years, and the chronology of the narrative did not always coincide with the chronology of writing. In 1865, Herzen left England and went on a long trip to Europe, trying to unwind after another family drama (three-year-old twins died of diphtheria, new wife did not find understanding among older children). At this time, Herzen distanced himself from the revolutionaries, especially from the Russian radicals. Arguing with Bakunin, who called for the destruction of the state, he wrote: “People cannot be liberated in external life more than they are liberated internally.” These words are perceived as Herzen’s spiritual testament.
Like most Russian Westernized radicals, Herzen went through a period of deep fascination with Hegelianism in his spiritual development. Hegel's influence can be clearly seen in the series of articles Amateurism in Science (1842–1843). Their pathos lies in the affirmation and interpretation of Hegelian dialectics as an instrument of knowledge and revolutionary transformation of the world (“algebra of revolution”). Herzen severely condemned abstract idealism in philosophy and science for its isolation from real life, for “apriorism” and “spiritism”. The future development of humanity, in his opinion, should lead to the “removal” of antagonistic contradictions in society, the formation of philosophical and scientific knowledge inextricably linked with reality. Moreover, the result of development will be the merging of spirit and matter. IN historical process knowledge of reality, a “universal mind freed from personality” will be formed.
These ideas were further developed mainly philosophical essay Herzen – Letters on the Study of Nature (1845–1846). Continuing his criticism of philosophical idealism, Herzen defined nature as “the genealogy of thinking,” and saw only an illusion in the idea of ​​pure being. For a materialistically minded thinker, nature is an ever-living, “fermenting substance”, primary in relation to the dialectics of knowledge. In the Letters, Herzen, quite in the spirit of Hegelianism, substantiated consistent historiocentrism: “neither humanity nor nature can be understood without historical existence,” and in understanding the meaning of history he adhered to the principles of historical determinism. However, in the thoughts of the late Herzen, the old progressivism gives way to much more pessimistic and critical assessments.
First of all, this relates to his analysis of the process of formation in society of a new type of mass consciousness, exclusively consumer, based on completely materialistic individualism (egoism). Such a process, according to Herzen, leads to total massification public life and, accordingly, to its peculiar entropy (“the turn of all European life in favor of silence and crystallization”), to the loss of individual and personal originality. “Personalities were erased, generic typism smoothed out everything sharply individual and restless” (Ends and Beginnings, 1863). Disappointment in European progress, as Herzen admitted, led him “to the brink of moral death,” from which only “faith in Russia” saved him. Herzen hoped for the possibility of establishing socialist relations in Russia (although he had considerable doubts about the previous revolutionary paths, as he wrote about in the article To an Old Comrade, 1869). Herzen associated the prospects for the development of socialism primarily with the peasant community.

Russian history is full of ascetics who are ready to lay down their lives for their idea.

Alexander Ivanovich Herzen (1812-1870) was the first Russian socialist who preached the ideas of equality and brotherhood. And although he did not directly participate in revolutionary activities, he was among those who prepared the ground for its development. One of the leaders of the Westerners, he later became disillusioned with the ideals of the European path of development of Russia, went over to the opposite camp and became the founder of another significant movement for our history - populism.

The biography of Alexander Herzen is closely connected with such figures of the Russian and world revolution as Ogarev, Belinsky, Proudhon, Garibaldi. Throughout his life he constantly tried to find best way fair structure of society. But it is the ardent love for one’s people that selfless service chosen ideals - this is what earned Alexander Ivanovich Herzen the respect of his descendants.

A short biography and overview of the main works will allow the reader to get to know this Russian thinker better. After all, only in our memory can they live forever and continue to influence minds.

Herzen Alexander Ivanovich: biography of the Russian thinker

He was the illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner Ivan Alekseevich Yakovlev and the daughter of a manufacturing official, 16-year-old German Henrietta Haag. Due to the fact that the marriage was not officially registered, the father came up with a surname for his son. Translated from German, it means “child of the heart.”

The future publicist and writer was brought up in his uncle’s house (now it is named after Gorky).

From an early age, he began to be overwhelmed by “freedom-loving dreams,” which is not surprising - literature teacher I. E. Protopopov introduced the student to the poems of Pushkin, Ryleev, Busho. Great Ideas french revolution constantly hovered in the air of Alexander’s classroom. Already at that time, Herzen became friends with Ogarev, and together they hatched plans to transform the world. It made an unusually strong impression on the friends, after which they became fired up with revolutionary activity and vowed to defend the ideals of freedom and brotherhood for the rest of their lives.

Books constituted Alexander's daily book ration - he read a lot of Voltaire, Beaumarchais, and Kotzebue. He did not ignore early German romanticism - the works of Goethe and Schiller put him in an enthusiastic spirit.

University club

In 1829, Alexander Herzen entered Moscow University in the physics and mathematics department. And there he did not part with his childhood friend Ogarev, with whom they soon organized a circle of like-minded people. It also included the future famous writer-historian V. Passek and translator N. Ketcher. At their meetings, the circle participants discussed the ideas of Saint-Simonism, equality of men and women, destruction private property- in general, these were the first socialists in Russia.

"Malovskaya story"

Studying at the university was sluggish and monotonous. Few teachers could introduce lecturers to the advanced ideas of German philosophy. Herzen sought an outlet for his energy by participating in university pranks. In 1831, he became involved in the so-called “Malov story,” in which Lermontov also took part. The students expelled the criminal law professor from the classroom. As Alexander Ivanovich himself later recalled, M. Ya. Malov was a stupid, rude and uneducated professor. Students despised him and openly laughed at him in lectures. The rioters got off relatively lightly for their prank - they spent several days in a punishment cell.

First link

The activities of Herzen’s friendly circle were of a rather innocent nature, but the Imperial Chancellery saw in their beliefs a threat to the tsarist power. In 1834, all members of this association were arrested and exiled. Herzen first ended up in Perm, and then he was assigned to serve in Vyatka. There he organized an exhibition of local works, which gave Zhukovsky a reason to petition for his transfer to Vladimir. Herzen also took his bride there from Moscow. These days turned out to be the brightest and happiest in the writer’s stormy life.

The split of Russian thought into Slavophiles and Westerners

In 1840, Alexander Herzen returned to Moscow. Here fate brought him together with the literary circle of Belinsky, who preached and actively propagated the ideas of Hegelianism. With typical Russian enthusiasm and intransigence, the members of this circle perceived the ideas German philosopher about the rationality of all reality is somewhat one-sided. However, Herzen himself drew completely opposite conclusions from Hegel’s philosophy. As a result, the circle broke up into Slavophiles, whose leaders were Kirievsky and Khomyakov, and Westerners, who united around Herzen and Ogarev. Despite the extremely opposing views on further path development of Russia, both of them united true patriotism, based not on blind love for Russian statehood, but on sincere faith in the strength and power of the people. As Herzen later wrote, they looked like whose faces were turned in different directions, but their hearts beat the same.

The collapse of ideals

Herzen Alexander Ivanovich, whose biography was already full of frequent moves, spent the second half of his life completely outside of Russia. In 1846, the writer's father died, leaving Herzen a large inheritance. This gave Alexander Ivanovich the opportunity to travel around Europe for several years. The trip radically changed the writer's way of thinking. His Western friends were shocked when they read Herzen’s articles published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski entitled “Letters from Avenue Marigny,” which later became known as “Letters from France and Italy.” The obvious anti-bourgeois attitude of these letters indicated that the writer was disillusioned with the viability of revolutionary Western ideas. Having witnessed the failure of the chain of revolutions that swept across Europe in 1848-1849, the so-called “spring of nations”, he began to develop the theory of “Russian socialism”, which gave birth to a new movement of Russian philosophical thought- populism.

New philosophy

In France, Alexander Herzen became close to Proudhon, with whom he began publishing the newspaper “Voice of the People.” After the suppression of the radical opposition, he moved to Switzerland, and then to Nice, where he met Garibaldi, the famous fighter for freedom and independence of the Italian people. The publication of the essay “From the Other Shore” belongs to this period, which outlined new ideas that Alexander Ivanovich Herzen became interested in. The philosophy of a radical reorganization of the social system no longer satisfied the writer, and Herzen finally said goodbye to his liberal convictions. Thoughts of doom begin to haunt him. old Europe and about the great potential of the Slavic world, which must realize the socialist ideal.

A. I. Herzen - Russian publicist

After the death of his wife, Herzen moved to London, where he began publishing his famous newspaper “The Bell”. Greatest influence the newspaper was used in the period preceding the abolition of serfdom. Then its circulation began to fall; its popularity was especially affected by the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1863. As a result, Herzen’s ideas did not find support among either radicals or liberals: for the former they turned out to be too moderate, and for the latter too radical. In 1865, the Russian government persistently demanded from Her Majesty the Queen of England that the editors of Kolokol be expelled from the country. Alexander Herzen and his associates were forced to move to Switzerland.

Herzen died of pneumonia in 1870 in Paris, where he came on family business.

Literary heritage

The bibliography of Herzen Alexander Ivanovich includes great amount articles written in Russia and emigration. But his greatest fame was brought to him by his books, in particular the final work of his life, “Past and Thoughts.” Alexander Herzen himself, whose biography sometimes took unimaginable zigzags, called this work a confession that evoked various “thoughts from his thoughts.” This is a synthesis of journalism, memoirs, literary portraits and historical chronicles. Over the novel “Who is to Blame?” the writer worked for six years. In this work, he proposes to solve the problems of equality of women and men, relationships in marriage, and education with the help of high ideals of humanism. He also wrote the highly social stories “The Thieving Magpie”, “Doctor Krupov”, “Tragedy over a Glass of Grog”, “For the Sake of Boredom” and others.

No, probably not one educated person, who, at least by hearsay, did not know who Alexander Herzen was. A short biography of the writer is contained in the Bolshoi Soviet encyclopedia, the Brockhaus and Efron dictionary, and you never know in what other sources! However, it is best to get acquainted with the writer through his books - it is in them that full height his personality emerges.

In the family of a wealthy Russian landowner I. A. Yakovlev.

Mother - Louise Haag, a native of Stuttgart (Germany). The marriage of Herzen's parents was not formalized, and he bore the surname invented by his father (from Herz - “heart”).

Alexander Ivanovich’s early spiritual development was facilitated by his acquaintance with the best works Russian and world literature, with prohibited “free” poems by Russian poets of the 10-20s. The “hidden” poetry of Pushkin and the Decembrists, the revolutionary dramas of Schiller, romantic poems Byron, works of advanced French thinkers of the 18th century. strengthened Herzen's freedom-loving beliefs and his interest in the socio-political problems of life.

Young Alexander Ivanovich witnessed the powerful rise of the social movement in Russia, caused by Patriotic War 1812. The Decembrist uprising had a huge impact on the formation of his revolutionary worldview. “The execution of Pestel and his comrades,” Herzen later wrote, “finally awakened the childish sleep of my soul” (“The Past and Thoughts”). From childhood, Herzen felt hatred for serfdom, on which the police-autocratic regime in the country was based.

In 1827, together with his friend N.P. Ogarev, on the Sparrow Hills, he took an oath to sacrifice his life to fight for the liberation of the Russian people.

In October 1829, Alexander Ivanovich entered the physics and mathematics department of Moscow University. Here, around him and Ogarev, a revolutionary circle of students formed, who deeply felt the defeat of the December uprising. The circle members followed revolutionary movement in the West, they studied the social-utopian theories of Western European socialists, “but most of all they preached hatred of all violence, of all government arbitrariness” (“The Past and Thoughts”). Herzen paid great attention to the study of natural sciences at the university; V student years he wrote several works on natural science topics

“On the Place of Man in Nature”, 1832;

"Analytical presentation solar system Copernicus", 1833;

in the journal “Bulletin of Natural Sciences and Medicine” (1829), “Athenaeum” (1830) and others. Herzen A.I. published his translations and abstracts of works by Western European scientists devoted to problems of natural science. In these articles, he sought to overcome idealism and affirmed the idea of ​​the unity of consciousness and matter; at the same time, he could not be satisfied with the limited, metaphysical materialism of the 18th century. Herzen's philosophical quests in the 30-40s. were aimed at creating a materialist system that would meet the revolutionary liberation aspirations of the advanced circles of Russian society.

In July 1833, Alexander Ivanovich graduated from the university with a candidate's degree. Together with his friends, he made broad plans for further literary and political activities, in particular the publication of a magazine that would promote advanced social theories. But the tsarist government, frightened by the Decembrist uprising, mercilessly suppressed any manifestation of freedom-loving thought in Russian society.

In July 1834, Herzen, Ogarev and other members of the circle were arrested.

In April 1835, Herzen was exiled to Perm and then to Vyatka under strict police supervision. Prison and exile exacerbated the writer’s hatred of the autocratic-serf system; the exile enriched him with knowledge of Russian life, the vile feudal reality. Close contact with the life of the people had a particularly profound impact on Herzen.

At the end of 1837, at the request of the poet V. A. Zhukovsky, Alexander Ivanovich was transferred to Vladimir (on the Klyazma).

In May 1838 he married N.A. Zakharyina.

(“First meeting”, 1834-36;

"Legend", 1835-36;

"Second Meeting", 1836;

"From Roman Scenes", 1838;

“William Pen”, 1839, and others) he raised the question that deeply concerned him about the reorganization of society on a reasonable basis. In romantically elevated, sublime images, sometimes in a naive, conventional form, the ideological life, passionate philosophical and political quests of the advanced noble youth of the 30s found their embodiment. Imbued with the liberating ideas of his time, the works of the young Herzen, despite all their artistic immaturity, developed the civic motives of Russian literature of the 20s and affirmed “life for ideas” as “the highest expression of society.”

In the summer of 1839, police supervision was removed from Alexander Ivanovich, at the beginning of 1840 he returned to Moscow, and then moved to St. Petersburg.

In 1840-41 in " Domestic notes» Herzen published autobiographical story"Notes of one young man" As far as censorship conditions allowed, the story revealed a wide range of spiritual interests of the advanced Russian intelligentsia; its final chapter, in a sharp satirical form, denounced the “patriarchal mores of the city of Malinov” (meaning Vyatka), the vulgar life of the provincial bureaucratic-landowner environment. The story opened a new period in literary activity Herzen, it marked the writer’s entry into the path of critical realism.

In 1841, for “spreading unfounded rumors” - a harsh review in a letter to his father about the crimes of the tsarist police - Herzen was again exiled, this time to Novgorod.

In the summer of 1842, Alexander Ivanovich returned to Moscow. He took an active part in the ideological struggle of the 40s, in exposing the ideologists of the landowner-serf reaction and bourgeois-noble liberalism, and showed himself to be a worthy ally of the great revolutionary democrat Belinsky. Relying in all its activities on the traditions of Radishchev, Pushkin, the Decembrists, deeply studying the outstanding works of advanced Russian and foreign literature and social thought, he defended the revolutionary path of development of Russia. He defended his views in the fight against Slavophiles, who idealized the economic and political originality of Tsarist Russia, and Western liberals, who worshiped the bourgeois system in Western Europe. Outstanding philosophical works Herzen

"Amateurism in Science" (1842-43),

“Letters on the Study of Nature” (1844-46) played a huge role in the justification and development of the materialist tradition in Russian philosophy.

Herzen's materialism had an active, effective character and was permeated with a fighting democratic spirit. Alexander Ivanovich was one of the first thinkers who were able to understand Hegel’s dialectic and evaluate it as the “algebra of revolution,” while at the same time he accused the German idealists and Russian Hegelians of being out of touch with life. Together with Belinsky, Herzen put his philosophical quests at the service of the liberation struggle masses.

According to the description of V.I. Lenin, Herzen in serf Russia in the 40s. XIX century “managed to rise to such a height that he stood on a level with the greatest thinkers of his time... Herzen came close to dialectical materialism and stopped before historical materialism” (Poln. sobr. soch., vol. 21, p. 256). Herzen's articles provided a deep justification for the basic principles of materialist philosophy. History human world he characterizes it as a continuation of the history of nature; spirit, thought, Herzen proves, are the result of the development of matter. Defending the dialectical doctrine of development, the writer asserted contradiction as the basis of progress in nature and society. His articles contained an exceptionally vivid, polemically sharp presentation of history philosophical teachings, the struggle between materialism and idealism. Herzen noted the independence of Russian philosophy, the critical perception by Russian thinkers of advanced philosophical directions West. Herzen's struggle with idealistic philosophy as the ideological bulwark of the feudal reaction had a clearly expressed political character. However, in the conditions of backward, feudal Russia, he was unable to give a materialist explanation of the struggle between ideological and materialist philosophical systems as one of the manifestations of class struggle in society.

The materialist ideas developed in Herzen's articles had a great influence on the formation of the worldview of Russian revolutionary democracy in the 60s.

Alexander Ivanovich's active participation in the liberation struggle of the Russian people served as a powerful source of the artistic power of his literary creativity.

From 1841-46 he wrote the novel “Who is to Blame?” (complete edition - 1847) he raised the most important questions of Russian life in the 40s. Herzen gave a devastating critique of serfdom and the landowner-autocratic system that suppressed the human personality. The severity of his protest against the serfdom acquired a truly revolutionary sound in the novel.

The 1846 story “The Thieving Magpie” (published in 1848) told about the inexhaustible creative forces and the talent of the Russian people, about their desire for emancipation, about the consciousness of personal dignity and independence inherent in the common Russian person. With great force the story revealed common tragedy Russian people under autocratic-serfdom.

The 1846 story “Doctor Krupov” (published in 1847), written in the form of a doctor’s notes, drew satirical paintings and images of Russian serfdom reality. Deep and soulful psychological analysis, philosophical generalizations and social acuity of the story make it a masterpiece of Herzen’s artistic creativity.

In January 1847, persecuted by the tsarist government and deprived of the opportunity to conduct revolutionary propaganda, Herzen and his family went abroad. He arrived in France the day before revolutionary events 1848. In the series of articles “Letters from Avenue Marigny” (1847, later included in the book “Letters from France and Italy”, 1850, Russian edition- 1855) Herzen sharply criticized bourgeois society and came to the conclusion that “the bourgeoisie has no great past and no future.” At the same time, he wrote with great sympathy about the Parisian “blouses” - workers and artisans, expressing hope that the impending revolution would bring them victory

In 1848, Herzen witnessed the defeat of the revolution and the bloody rampant reaction. “Letters from France and Italy” and the book “From the Other Shore” (1850, Russian edition - 1855) captured the spiritual drama of the writer. Not understanding the bourgeois-democratic essence of the movement, the writer incorrectly assessed the revolution of 1848 as a failed battle for socialism.

The difficult experiences caused by the defeat of the revolution coincided with Herzen’s personal tragedy: in the fall of 1851, his mother and son died during a shipwreck; in May 1852, his wife died in Nice.

In August 1852, Alexander Ivanovich moved to London. The years of London emigration (1852-65) were a period of active revolutionary and journalistic activities Herzen.

In 1853 he founded the Free Russian Printing House.

In 1855 he began publishing the almanac “Polar Star”.

In 1857, together with Ogarev, he began publishing the famous newspaper “The Bell”.

In the 60s Alexander Ivanovich Herzen finally came to the camp of Russian revolutionary democracy. Convinced from the experience of the liberation struggle of the Russian peasantry during the revolutionary situation of 1859-61 in the strength of the revolutionary people, he “fearlessly took the side of revolutionary democracy against liberalism” (Poln. sobr. soch., vol. 18, p. 14). Herzen exposed the predatory nature of the “liberation” of peasants in Russia. With great force he called the masses to revolutionary activity and protest (articles in Kolokol: “The Giant is Awakening!”, 1861;

“The Fossil Bishop, the Antediluvian Government and the Deceived People”, 1861, and others).

In the early 60s. Herzen and Ogarev took part in the activities of the secret revolutionary-democratic society “Land and Freedom” and conducted revolutionary propaganda in the army.

In 1863, Alexander Ivanovich strongly supported the national liberation movement in Poland. Herzen's consistent revolutionary-democratic position on the Polish question provoked fierce attacks from reactionary circles and the liberal circles that joined them.

In 1864, Alexander Ivanovich angrily denounced the tsarism’s reprisal against the leader of Russian revolutionary democracy, Chernyshevsky.

Herzen was one of the founders of populism, the author of the so-called theory of “Russian socialism”. Without understanding the actual social nature of the peasant community, he based his teaching on the liberation of peasants with land, on communal land ownership and the peasant idea of ​​“the right to land.” The theory of “Russian socialism” in reality did not contain “not a grain of socialism” (Lenin), but it in a unique form expressed the revolutionary aspirations of the peasantry, its demands for the complete destruction of landownership.

In the first years of emigration and in London, Herzen continued to work hard in the field of artistic creativity. He defended the inextricable connection of art with life and considered literature a political platform used to promote and defend advanced ideas, to address revolutionary sermons to a wide range of readers. In the book “On the Development of Revolutionary Ideas in Russia” (in French, 1851) he noted how characteristic feature Russian literature is its connection with the liberation movement, the expression of the revolutionary, freedom-loving aspirations of the Russian people.

Using the example of the creativity of Russian writers of the 18th - 1st half of the 19th centuries. Herzen showed how literature in Russia became an organic part of the struggle of advanced social circles. Themes and images of Russian serf life continued to occupy a major place in Herzen’s artistic works (the unfinished story “Duty First,” 1847 - 51, published in 1854; “Damaged,” 1851, published in 1854).

At the same time, Herzen, an artist and publicist, was deeply concerned about issues of bourgeois reality in the countries of Western Europe. In his works of the 50-60s. he repeatedly addressed the life of various circles of bourgeois society

(essays “From the letters of a traveler in the interior of England”, “Both are better”, 1856;

cycle “Ends and Beginnings,” 1862-63;

story “Tragedy over a Glass of Grog”, 1863, and others).

From 1852-68 he writes memoirs “The Past and Thoughts” which occupy central place in the literary and artistic heritage of Herzen. Herzen devoted more than 15 years of hard work to the creation of a work that became an artistic chronicle of social life and revolutionary struggle in Russia and Western Europe - from the Decembrist uprising and Moscow student circles of the 30s. until the eve of the Paris Commune. Among artistic autobiographies throughout the world literature of the 19th century V. “The Past and Thoughts” have no equal work in terms of the breadth of coverage of the reality depicted, the depth and revolutionary courage of thought, the utmost sincerity of the narrative, the brightness and perfection of the images. Alexander Ivanovich appears in this book as a political fighter and a first-class artist of words. The narrative organically combines the events of the author’s personal life with phenomena of a socio-political nature; the memoirs captured the living image of a Russian revolutionary in his struggle against autocracy and serfdom. Having arisen from the writer’s passionate desire to tell the truth about his difficult family drama, “The Past and Thoughts” went beyond the original concept and became an artistic generalization of the era, as Herzen put it, “a reflection of history in a person who accidentally fell on its road.” Herzen's memoirs were one of those books from which Marx and Engels studied the Russian language.

Alexander Ivanovich Herzen was an artist-publicist. Articles, notes and pamphlets in Kolokol, full of revolutionary passion and anger, are classic examples of Russian democratic journalism. The writer's artistic talent was characterized by sharp satire; The writer saw in caustic, destructive irony and sarcasm an effective weapon of social struggle. For a more complete and profound disclosure of the ugly phenomena of reality, Herzen often turned to the grotesque. Drawing images of his contemporaries in his memoirs, the writer used the form of a sharp narrative story.

A great master of portrait sketches, Alexander Ivanovich knew how to laconically and accurately define the very essence of character, outline the image in a few words, capturing the main thing. Unexpected sharp contrasts were the writer’s favorite technique. Bitter irony alternates with a funny anecdote, sarcastic mockery is replaced by angry oratorical pathos, archaism gives way to bold Gallicism, folk Russian dialect is intertwined with an exquisite pun. These contrasts revealed Herzen’s characteristic desire for persuasiveness and clarity of the image, sharp expression of the narrative.

Artistic creativity of Herzen A.I. turned out to be big influence on the formation of the style of critical realism and the development of all subsequent Russian literature.

In 1865, Herzen moved the publication of “The Bell” to Geneva, which in those years became the center of Russian revolutionary emigration. Despite all the differences with the so-called “young emigrants” on a number of significant political and tactical issues, Alexander Ivanovich saw in the heterogeneous intelligentsia “the young navigators of the future storm”, a powerful force of the Russian liberation movement.

The last years of the writer's life were marked by the further development of his worldview in the direction of scientific socialism. Herzen revises his previous understanding of prospects historical development Europe. In the final chapters of “Past and Thoughts” (1868-69), in his last story “The Doctor, the Dying and the Dead” (1869), he raises the question of “the modern struggle of capital with work,” new forces and people in the revolution. Persistently freeing oneself from pessimism and skepticism in matters social development, Herzen is approaching the right view on the historical role of the new revolutionary class - the proletariat.

In a series of letters “To an Old Comrade” (1869), the writer turned his attention to the labor movement and the International led by Marx.

Alexander Ivanovich Herzen died in Paris, was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery, then transported to Nice and buried next to the grave of his wife.

After Herzen's death, a sharp political struggle unfolded around his ideological legacy. Democratic criticism consistently considered Herzen among the great teachers of the revolutionary intelligentsia of the 70-80s. Reactionary ideologists, convinced of the futility of attempts to denigrate Herzen in the eyes of younger generation, began to resort to falsifying his image. The fight against the writer’s ideological legacy took on a more subtle form of the hypocritical “struggle for Herzen.” At the same time, the works of Alexander Ivanovich continued to be under a strict and unconditional ban in Tsarist Russia.

The first posthumous Collected Works of the writer (in 10 volumes, Geneva, 1875-79) and other foreign publications of A.I. Herzen (“Collection of posthumous articles”, Geneva, 1870, ed. 2 -1874, and others) were poorly available Russian reader.

In 1905, after 10 years of persistent efforts, it was possible to achieve the first Russian edition of the Collected Works (in 7 volumes, St. Petersburg, published by Pavlenkov), but it was disfigured by numerous censorship omissions and gross distortions.

In the bourgeois-noble press late XIX century and especially during the period of reaction after the defeat of the first Russian revolution, endless variations of false interpretations of Herzen’s views, his ideological and creative path were repeated. They found an extremely cynical expression in the “Vekhi” legend about Herzen as an implacable opponent of materialism and all revolutionary actions. Bourgeois ideologists belittled the role of the great thinker and writer in the development of Russian and world science and literature. Having thoroughly emasculated the revolutionary essence of the writer’s activity, the “knights of liberal Russian linguistics,” as Lenin called them, tried to use the distorted image of the democratic writer in their struggle against the revolutionary movement and progressive social thought in Russia.

Much credit for exposing the reactionary and liberal falsifiers of Herzen belongs to G.V. Plekhanov. In a number of articles and speeches (“Philosophical views of A. I. Herzen”, “A. I. Herzen and serfdom"," "Herzen the Emigrant", "About the book by V. Ya. Bogucharsky “A. I. Herzen,” speech at Herzen’s grave on the hundredth anniversary of his birth and others) Plekhanov gave a deep and versatile analysis of Herzen’s worldview and activities, showed the victory of materialism over idealism in his views, the closeness of many of Herzen’s philosophical positions to the views of Engels. However, in Plekhanov’s assessment of Herzen, there were many serious mistakes that resulted from his Menshevik concept driving forces and the nature of the Russian revolution. Plekhanov was unable to reveal Herzen’s connection with the growing revolutionary movement of the broad masses of the peasantry. Disbelief in the revolutionary spirit of the Russian peasantry and misunderstanding of the connection between the peasantry and the raznochintsy revolutionaries of the 60s deprived Plekhanov of the opportunity to see the class roots of Herzen’s worldview and the entire Russian revolutionary democracy.

In the Capri course of lectures on the history of Russian literature (1908-1909) great attention Alexander Ivanovich was given by M. Gorky. Gorky emphasized the importance of Herzen as a writer who set the most important social problems. At the same time, having singled out the “drama of the Russian nobility” as his leading feature in Herzen’s worldview, Gorky considered him outside the main stages of the development of the Russian revolution and therefore could not determine the true historical place Herzen the thinker and a revolutionary, like Herzen the writer.

The articles and speeches of A.V. Lunacharsky played a significant role in the study of the writer’s ideological heritage. Lunacharsky correctly emphasized the relationship various sides activities and creativity of Herzen, organic unity in his works as an artist and publicist. Weak side Lunacharsky's works underestimated the continuity of Russian revolutionary traditions, as a result of which he exaggerated the importance Western influences on the ideological development of Herzen Erroneously considering Herzen and Belinsky as exponents of a certain “Westernizing” trend of the Russian intelligentsia of the 40s, Lunacharsky did not reveal the deep meaning of the struggle of Russian revolutionary democracy against bourgeois-landowner liberalism. Lunacharsky mistakenly brought the writer’s worldview closer to the anarchist views of Bakunin and the liberal ideology of the later populists.

Only in the articles and statements of V.I. Lenin did Herzen’s revolutionary legacy receive truly scientific comprehension. Lenin's article “In Memory of Herzen” (1912) became the most important historical document in the struggle of the Bolshevik Party for the theoretical arming of the masses on the eve of a new upsurge of the labor movement. Using Herzen as an example, Lenin called for learning “the great significance of revolutionary theory.” Lenin recreates the image of the original Herzen, a revolutionary writer whose historical place, along with Belinsky and Chernyshevsky, is among the glorious predecessors of Russian Social Democracy. In Lenin's article, the worldview, creativity and historical role of the writer are subjected to a specific and comprehensive analysis, questions ideological evolution Lenin studies Herzen in inextricable unity with his revolutionary political activities. Lenin deeply revealed the path of Herzen, a revolutionary, the direct heir of the Decembrists, to revolutionary peasant democracy. The article contained a remarkable description of the global significance of Herzen's philosophical quests.

Great October socialist revolution for the first time opened the opportunity for an in-depth study of Herzen’s life and work. In difficult conditions civil war and economic ruin, the 22-volume publication of the complete collection of his works and letters, edited by M. K. Lemke, was continued and successfully completed. This publication, despite serious shortcomings, became a major event in the life of young Soviet culture. The general upsurge of Marxist-Leninist literary thought, achieved on the basis of the guiding and guiding instructions of the party, had a life-giving effect on further development Soviet Herzen studies.

The 125th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Ivanovich Herzen, widely celebrated in our country in the spring of 1937, marked the beginning of serious research work in the field of studying the writer’s heritage.

In subsequent years, Soviet Herzen scholars made valuable contributions to literary scholarship. A number of large monographs about Herzen were created; in 1954-65 the USSR Academy of Sciences released scientific publication the writer's works in 30 volumes. Significant work on the study and publication of Herzen’s archival materials stored in Soviet and foreign collections was done by the editors of Literary Heritage.

The Soviet people highly value the rich heritage of Herzen - “the writer who played great role in the preparation of the Russian revolution" (V.I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 21, p. 255).

Died 9(21).I.1870 in Paris.