Biography of Kvitka. Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko - Little Russian prose (collection)

Kvitka, Grigory Fedorovich(nickname - Osnovyanenko, Ukrainian Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka-Osnovyanenko; 1778-1843) - Ukrainian writer.

Born in 1778 on November 29 in the village of Osnova near Kharkov (now within the city), and spent almost his entire life in Kharkov.

From an early age he was sick and blind until he was 6 years old. He received his education at home, rather meagerly. He was not in military service for long. Very religiously inclined, he entered the suburban Kuryazhsky monastery at the age of 23 and stayed here for about 4 years; After leaving the monastery, he led a semi-monastic life, until he became interested in social activities and theater.

The opening of Kharkov University in 1805 brought great revitalization to the life of local society. In 1812, a permanent theater arose in Kharkov, and Kvitka took the widest and most varied part in it as an actor, playwright and then a historian of this theater. In the same year, on the initiative of Kvitka, a charitable society arose; His biggest undertaking was the establishment of an all-class women's educational institution, which was soon transformed into the Institute of Noble Maidens. Kvitka donated his labor and money to this cause.

From 1816 to 1821, the “Ukrainian Bulletin” was published in Kharkov - the first Kharkov magazine, edited by Kvitka, Filomafitsky and Gonorsky. At the same time, Kvitka published in the “Ukrainian Bulletin” and in the “Bulletin of Europe” short stories and poetry; but everything he wrote at that time was weak and was not subsequently republished. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko showed his undoubted literary talent only in the early 1830s, mainly in stories in Ukrainian: “The Konotop Witch”, “Marusa”, “Soldier’s Patret”, “Heartfelt Oksana”, “Dead Velykday”, “From Toby and belongings”, “Kozir-divka”, “Good robes - good and will be” and then in the vaudeville “Matchmaking on Goncharivtsi”, to this day one of the most repertoire plays on the Ukrainian stage. In addition, he wrote a number of stories and historical stories in Russian, of which the largest is the historical and everyday novel “Pan Khalyavsky”.

Based on the vaudeville “Boy-Woman,” the first national Ukrainian musical Feminism in Ukrainian was created in 1998 (the author of the music and libretto is Alexey Kolomiytsev).

Kvitka revealed a great knowledge of life, morals, customs, beliefs - in general, a close acquaintance with the entire structure of noble and peasant life. His Ukrainian stories are written in excellent language, pure, simple and clear, and are imbued with a humane attitude towards the peasants. Kvitka had a beneficial influence on readers in the sense of developing a humane feeling in them. K.'s literary activity developed largely under the influence of his intelligent wife, Anna Grigorievna, one of the class ladies of the Institute of Noble Maidens. At the end of his life, K. was very upset by the negative reviews of St. Petersburg critics about his Russian stories, which were rather weak compared to the Ukrainian ones.

The story of the founding of Kharkov

Grigory Kvitka in the 1830s composed a fantastic lyrical story about the founding of the city of Kharkov in the mid-17th century by his ancestor Andrey Kvitka. This story, published in his collected works, is not supported by any source and has never been seriously considered by any historian.

Heritage

There is quite a lot about Kvitka-Osnovyanenko extensive literature; it is indicated briefly in " Reference dictionary"Gennadi (II, 125-126) and in the "Russian Bibliography" (1881, book I), much more in detail in Mr. Komarov's "Pokazhchik", in 1 volume of the collection "Rada" (417-421). After the publication of these indexes, much more was published about K. major articles, the main ones:

• N. I. Petrov."Essays on the history of Ukrainian literature of the 19th century Art.",
• N. P. Dashkevich- academic review of a previous essay,
• Ogonovsky(in “History of Russian Literature”, III),
• N. F. Sumtsov.“Kvitka as an ethnographer” (“Kiev Antiquity”, 1893, VIII),
• D. I. Bagalei."TO. as a historian" (ibid.),
• V. P. Naumenko.“A critic’s review of Kvitka’s works” (ibid.). “Letters” K. ed. in “Russian Antiquity” (1893) and “Kyiv. old." (1893, XI-XII).

Of the old biographies, the most detailed and valuable is that of G. P. Danilevsky (in “Ukrainian Antiquity”).

K.'s collected works were published in 1887 in Kharkov; dramatic works were not included in it.

In 1827, Kvitka-Osnovyanenko’s play “A Visitor from the Capital or the Turmoil in county town”, which is one of the predecessors of Gogol’s “The Inspector General”.

Memory

• In 1978, a street near the old Kharkov University (formerly Ufimsky Lane) was named after the writer.
• In 1978, an artistically marked envelope dedicated to the writer was published.
• In 2003, a Ukrainian postage stamp dedicated to Kvitka-Osnovyanenko was issued.
• In 2008, a commemorative coin of 2 hryvnia, Kvitke-Osnovyanenko, was put into circulation

Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka-Osnovyanenko - quotes

You don’t look at the depth of love, whether it’s brown, or black, or has a hump, or is white, or has a long braid: it doesn’t need much. Often they didn’t even look at each other, didn’t say a word to each other, didn’t know who they were; and yet one knows the same, one wants the same, then pіzna, one wonders at one, one without one is bored, and, if both could, they would rush one to one, lock arms and would not be separated forever.

Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka(November 18, 1778, Osnova village (now within the boundaries of Kharkov) - August 8, 1843, Kharkov) - a representative of the ancient Slobozhansky family of Ukrainian Cossacks, from which many elders emerged. In literature, he appeared under the pseudonym Gritsko Osnovyanenko, derived from the name of his native village.

Already from the end of the 19th century. begins to be used in literature about the writer double surname Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, which stuck with him.

The boy grew up sickly and suffered from early childhood scrofula - blind. It was only at the age of 8 that he began to see. Already in his early youth he showed extraordinary musical abilities, played the flute and wrote music for romances. But he did not receive any systematic education.

In 1793, at the insistence of his parents, he entered military service, which he changed to civilian and again to military. Having retired, around 1804 he entered the Kuryazhsky Monastery near Kharkov as a novice, where he was certain time [different authors indicate from 10 months to 4 years. Kvitka himself in a letter to A. Vladimirov dated November 14, 1808 about a year and a half of life in the monastery].

After leaving the novices, Kvitka did not have any service for some time. Somewhere around this time, approx. 1805, he had an accident while preparing fireworks, as a result of which he became blind in his left eye. At the same time, his passion for theater began, and when a permanent theater was created in Kharkov in 1812, Kvitka became its director and remained so until 1816.

In 1812, Kvitka was elected secretary of the Charitable Society, which was formed in Kharkov. This society established an institute for noble maidens in Kharkov - the first educational institution for girls. Kvitka was the head of this institute until 1821 and was energetically involved in its affairs, in particular, covering operating expenses from own funds. In 1821, he married Anna Grigorievna Wolf (1800 - 1852), who was a classy lady at the institute. Their married life was a model of amazing constant harmony.

In 1816, the literary magazine “Ukrainian Herald” was organized in Kharkov. Kvitka published his works there during all three years of its existence, and in 1817 he was even a publisher for a short time. In 1816, he published his poems in the Kharkov humorous magazine "Kharkov Democritus", which ceased that same year.

In 1817, Kvitka was elected leader of the nobility of the Kharkov district and served in this post until 1829. In 1832 - 1840 he served as a conscientious judge, and from 1840 until his death - chairman of the Kharkov Chamber of Criminal Court.

G.F. Kvitka died in Kharkov and was buried at the Kholodnogorsk cemetery. Later, his grave was moved to the 2nd city cemetery (Pushkinskaya St., 102), where it can still be viewed today.

Kvitka began systematic literary work very late, in 1827, when he was already 49 years old. His first works were written in Russian. Even later, from 1832, he began to write works in Ukrainian, although he did not give up Russian until the end of his life. In literature, he became famous as a playwright, comedian and author of short stories. His satirical comedies on themes of noble life are marked by Enlightenment features; at the same time, as a satirist, he acted as a predecessor not only of Gogol, but also of Shchedrin’s “Provincial Sketches.” The best assessment of the social significance of these comedies was given by the tsarist censorship, which systematically banned them from printing and performance in the theater. Thus, the comedy “The Choice of a Leader” lay in manuscript for 148 years (from 1831 to 1979).

Among Kvitka’s prose heritage, the first place belongs to his novellas and stories from the life of the Ukrainian common people, written in the spirit of sentimentalism. It was these stories that provided him with a strong place in the history of Ukrainian literature, while Russian literature can easily do without his Russian works.

To the characteristic features literary creativity Kvitki should include numerous alterations of dramatic works into prose and vice versa; You should also know that he himself translated a significant part of the Ukrainian stories into Russian and published them in St. Petersburg magazines. But these self-translations did not find favor among Russian critics.

Most complete editions the works of G.F. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko were published by the publishing house "Dnepr" (in 8 volumes, 1968 - 1970) and "Naukova Dumka" (in 7 volumes, 1979 - 1981). Religious works were not included in these publications: “About the Holy Martyr Alexandra the Queen” (published in 1843 in the magazine “Zvezdochka”) and “A Brief Sacred History,” written in Ukrainian in 1839 and still not published. Apparently, 174 years (2013 - 1839) of lying in the manuscript was not enough for censorship to allow it...

Literature:

Sumtsov N.F. Sloboda-Ukrainian nobility in the works of G.F. Kvitka. – Kiev Antiquity, 1884, No. 6, p. 201 – 209.

Naumenko V.P. Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka-Osnovyanenko. – Kiev Antiquity, 1893, No. 8, p. 155 – 189.

Sumtsov N.F. G.F. Kvitka as an ethnographer. – Kiev Antiquity, 1893, No. 8, p. 190 – 214.

Bagalei D.I. Historical stories and articles by Gr. Fed. Receipts. – Kiev Antiquity, 1893, No. 8, p. 215 – 244.

Naumenko V.P. Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka, as a Little Russian writer, before the court of criticism. – Kiev Antiquity, 1893, No. 8, p. 245 – 268.

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Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko – founder of fiction in Ukrainian literature

Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka-Osnovyanenko was born on November 29, 1778 in Kharkov, died at the age of 64 on August 20, 1843 in hometown. Classic of Ukrainian literature, great writer and playwright, founder of the genre literary prose V Ukrainian literature.

Achievements of Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko.

If Kotlyarevsky's Aeneid showed that Ukrainian language perfect for writing literary works, then Grigory Kvitka was the first to create a full-fledged genre of epic prose, forcing the world to read it for 300 years, translating his stories, vaudevilles and historical stories about Ukraine in dozens of world languages.

1. He is the author of the first serious works of art written in the literary Ukrainian language. With his work, Kvitka-Osnovyanenko silenced the last skeptics among the intelligentsia Russian Empire, who until that time considered the Ukrainian “folk” language unsuitable for full-scale literary creativity, at least, except for writing comic works in it.

Thus, thanks to Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, the Ukrainian nation received a full-fledged literary prose , and a decade later the poetry of T.G. Shevchenko, who created the foundation of classical Ukrainian literature, on which the works of Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky, Marko Vovchok, Panas Mirny, Lesya Ukrainka, Ivan Franko, Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky and others later grew.

Kvitka-Osnovyanenko’s contemporary, philosopher and publicist Alexander Herzen, once called literature the only platform from the height of which a people deprived of public freedom can make the whole world hear the cry of their indignation. The elevation in the works of Kvitka-Osnovyanenko of ordinary Ukrainian peasant workers, the demonstration of their rich inner world was for the writer a silent cry calling to stop the destruction of Ukrainian identity.

2. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko is a marker of vices in Ukrainian society, which set a certain “standard” for subsequent Ukrainian literature. Another contemporary of Kvitka, German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach argued that true writers play the role of conscience in every nation. For the Ukrainian nation, Osnovyanenko, undoubtedly, was also a conscience. Satirical works the writer, with apt criticism of some of the vices of society of that time, were obviously an attempt to shame the people, to make them better, more honest and kinder.

Literary critics are unanimous in their opinion that the appearance of Kvitka-Osnovyanenko’s novels and short stories, written in Ukrainian, can be considered an important stage in the development of not only the writer’s work, but also Ukrainian literature. Thanks to Kvitka, there was a significant improvement in the quality of works in the Ukrainian language, literature became more realistic and closer to the people.

3. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko - founder of many genres of Ukrainian literature. During the period until the thirties of the 19th century, active development in new Ukrainian literature was recorded mainly in poetry and drama. Over time, the Ukrainian intelligentsia realized that the list of genres needed to be expanded. The response of the era to public demand was the appearance of the work of Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko.

The works of the famous Kharkov writer reflect reality from an educational perspective. The writer did not try to show readers distant or funny characters. On the pages of Kvitka’s works, every reader could recognize a life familiar from childhood. Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko made the Ukrainian village the scenery on the stage, where the emotions of the characters flowed. Through the depth of human experiences, masterfully drawn by the writer, Kvitka told his contemporaries about the bright colors of the Ukrainian soul.

Over time, literature ceased to be just entertainment; it was assigned a realistic and educational function. Reflection of realities in a wide spectrum, with human difficulties, experiences, demonstration of the personality and life of people in complex forms of existence forced writers to look for new genres. To achieve their goals, the writers decided to start creating epic prose; this activity was started by Kvitka-Osnovyanenko.

The first novels, novellas, and short stories came from the pen of Kvitka-Osnovyanenko. The founder of artistic prose in Ukrainian literature very accurately identified the needs historical period. The writer’s first work in prose was his famous story “Marusya”. It is noteworthy that the basis for writing the work was a discussion about the artistic potential of the Ukrainian language.

The writers of that time argued quite sharply, discussing the creative possibilities of the Ukrainian literary language. Until Kvitka wrote his story, critics seriously doubted that using the Ukrainian language it was possible to create a prose work. Moreover, none of the writer’s contemporaries seriously believed in the possibility of creating a tragic story.

4. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko - a writer who brought Ukrainian literature closer to the people. Scenes from the life of ordinary residents of a Ukrainian village, ordinary Ukrainian people, inspired Kvitka-Osnovyanenko and served as the basis for the subsequent construction of the storyline. In addition to “Marusya,” he became the author of several other non-rhymed works. Literary scholars consider Kvitka's stories and tales as a huge step towards closerness to the people.

It should be noted that in the historical era when Kvitka-Osnovyanenko worked, the master class treated slaves as spiritually inferior creatures, a kind of draft cattle. The portrayal of these same grain growers, in most cases silent workers, as heroes represented literary device new, to some extent even complex.

Nevertheless, the positive characters in the works of Kvitka-Osnovyanenko always belonged to the grain growers. Kvitka became the first Ukrainian writer who showed the everyday life of ordinary workers truthfully, even with some sympathy. It was precisely the people-farmers, ordinary rural workers, who in the works of the writer appeared as positive characters, endowed with deep spirituality, and simply an amazingly wide range of emotions.

Ukrainian novels and short stories by Kvitka-Osnovyanenko are written as a living narrative, which is told on behalf of a “man of the people,” a wise old man living in one of the Kharkov suburbs. The story is told on behalf of the experienced old-timer Grishka Osnovyanenko. Image folk storyteller gave the writer the opportunity to see and evaluate events from the point of view of an ordinary villager, to weave folklore materials into the thread of the plot, which only increased artistic expressiveness works, their veracity.

Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka-Osnovyanenko is called by critics an outstanding Ukrainian writer of the pre-Shevchenko era. He is the founder and ancestor of new Ukrainian prose, the author of the first story, story, and genre of social comedy. In the eyes of society, Kvitka exalted a resident of the Ukrainian village, a simple worker. The writer showed not only Ukrainian society, but also readers from all over the world the depth of the soul of a simple farmer who knows how not only to work, but also to love with all his heart.

As the writer’s contemporaries recall, Kvitka-Osnovyanenko was an interesting and pleasant person to talk to. On life path The great Ukrainian came across various, sometimes even comical cases:

A handsome guy attracted the attention of the daughter of the Kyiv governor, a girl young man I also liked it. After a secret wedding, the newlyweds persuade a small group of Cossacks, and together they flee to the free, little-developed lands of the Left Bank at that time. On the banks of the Uda River, the fugitives founded a settlement, which then grew to Kharkov, often called the First Capital of Ukraine. Modern Ukrainians know the great-great-grandson of the founder of the Osnova farm as Grigory Kvitko-Osnovyanenko. This story was recounted in one of his works by the writer himself, historical facts the beautiful story is not confirmed.

Biography of Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko.

KVITKA, Grigory Fedorovich, known as Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, pseudonyms -- Falalei Povinukhin, Evstratiy Myakushkin, G-a, Gritsko Osnovyanenko- prose writer, playwright, poet, author of historical and ethnographic essays. Most famous nickname Osnovyanenko(first: Gritsko Osnovyanenka. Saldatsky patret // morning Star.-- 1833.-- Book. 2). He wrote in Ukrainian and Russian. Born into the family of Colonel F. I. Kvitka, a wealthy Ukrainian landowner, descendant legendary founder Kharkov Andrey Kvitka. K.'s most vivid childhood impression was the “miraculous” deliverance from blindness during prayer in the Ozernaya Hermitage (around 1784). From that time on, he attended school at the Kuryazhsky Transfiguration Monastery. In 1790, under the influence of the rector of the monastery, Archimandrite Narkiz (Uncle K.), he decided to become a monk. K.'s father, trying to keep his son, in December 1793 assigned him to the Life Guards cavalry regiment as a sergeant. For some time (around XII. 1794--IX. 1796) K. “due to poor health” served in the heraldry office of Kharkov. In 1796 he was assigned as a captain to the Northern Carabinieri Regiment, and then (1797) to the Kharkov Cuirassier Regiment. In 1796--1797 participated in military training of nobles. However, he soon retired (around 1796) and in June 1804 entered the Kuryazhsky Monastery as a novice. Information about his life on his father’s estate and in the monastery is scanty and contradictory. K.’s letters mention the home theater, the amusements of the “theater gang”, plans for productions at rural fairs are discussed (Collected works - T. 7. - P. 163--166). In the monastery, K. “followed the monastic rules with all strictness,” diligently studied sacred history, composed “spiritual concerts for singing” (A. A. Korsun, Memoirs of G. F. Kvitka. - P. 767), which did not interfere with him play music on the flute and piano, attend literary and musical evenings in Osnova. Biographers explained his departure from the monastery (April 1805) in different ways: his father’s illness, innate gaiety (Danilevsky G. Osnovyanenko. - P. 12), “a penchant for public entertainment” (Naumenko V. On the fiftieth anniversary of his death G. F. Kvitki-Osnovyanenko. - P. 11). From December 1806, K. was listed as a member of the Kharkov militia in the position of manager of the chancellery, and in November 1808 he was elected secretary of the congress of nobles. However, most of all K. was captivated by the idea of ​​​​restoring the “Osnovyansky Theater”. From the 1808/1809 season K. was a “co-member” of the directorate and actor of the Kharkov Theater, and from 1812 to 1816 he was its director. According to K., after the opening of the university (1805) and the theater (1808), the entire “kind of life” in Kharkov “changed” (Collected works - T. 7. - P. 94). K.'s literary debut was associated with the university magazine "Ukrainian Bulletin"; As one of the editors and publishers (1816-1819), K. published in it reports on the activities of the Charitable Society, of which he had been chairman since 1811, and the “chronicles” of the all-class Institute of Noble Maidens, created in 1812 on his initiative. The fate of the institute has always been of particular concern to K. ; against the “prejudices” that interfered with his work, the satirical “Letters to the Publisher” were sent, published in the “Ukrainian Bulletin” (I-IX. 1816) under the pseudonym Falalei Povinukhin. The satirical hero K. was indignant at women's upbringing and fashionable theater hobbies. Following N.I. Novikov, K.-O. ridiculed the “falalism” of the landowners, who “simply” justified their own debauchery, the bribery of officials, and the corruption of the court. In 1822, K. published in the journal "Bulletin of Europe" "Letters to the Elder of Luzhnitsa" (No. 9--10), a kind of continuation of Povinukhin's confession. In 1816--1818. K. also published eight poems in Russian in the humorous magazine "Kharkov Democritus" and in the "Ukrainian Bulletin". Many of them were similar in content to Falalei’s “letters.” K. often repeated: “I involuntarily, accidentally, unintentionally fell into the hands of scribblers” (Collected works - Vol. 7. - P. 216). Manuscripts of K. 1818--1827. have not been preserved, which most likely explains the appearance of a biographical legend about K.’s passion for noble service, which “slowed down” his “creative activity” (See: Zubkov S.D. Russian prose by G.F. Kvitka and E.P. Grebenki in context of Russian-Ukrainian literary relations. - P. 30). Since 1817, he performed the very troublesome duties of the district marshal of the nobility. Many biographers associated his early retirement (May 1828) with his first dramatic experiments. In 1828--1830 K. sent several comedies to the Moscow Censorship Committee: “A Visitor from the Capital, or Turmoil in a District Town” (1827), “Noble Elections” (1828), “The Turkish Shawl, or That’s the Way It Goes” (1829), “Noble Elections, Part the second, or the choice of the police officer" (1829), "Shelmenko - volost clerk" (1829), "Clairvoyant" (1830). Each of them contained, as it were, part of the answer to Falaley Povinukhin’s question: “Are we living well? And is this how we should live in our rank?” (Collected works - T. 2. - P. 328). K. wittily ridiculed morals provincial nobility: reverence for rank, passion for fraud, superstition, mutual responsibility. Officials and ladies of the district town are trying by any means to achieve the patronage of the imaginary auditor Pustolobov (“A Visitor from the Capital”), participants in the noble congress strive to maintain “justice” by distributing profitable positions among themselves (“Noble Elections”), a passportless tramp rules an entire volost (“. ..Elections of the police officer"), landowners, officers and the scientist Tochkin (a parody of M.P. Pogodin) justify their “temptations” with the advice of miracle workers-fraudsters and the “clairvoyant” Evgenia (“Clairvoyant”). Observing the genre traditions of the comedy of manners, K. uses “speaking” surnames (mayor Trusilkin, solicitor Peresolikhin, landowners Kozhedralov, Prozhivaikin, Lupilin, Drachugin, Vyzhilov, etc.), carefully develops speech characteristics(especially successful female images: Matryona Stepanovna Kusakina in “Coming from the Capital”, Margarita Chernodushkina and Evgenia in “Clairvoyant”), and expresses her own position through the mouths of positive characters (Blagosudov, Milov, Tverdov). In the comedies “Shelmenko - Volost Clerk” and “Shelmenko the Batman” (circa 1835), K. contrasts the unlucky but respectable Kondrat Shelmenko with the “bad” nobles, making the volost clerk a preacher of “true” morality. The innocence and sly humor of the resilient Shelmenko ensured the comedies' success on the provincial and capital stages (the premieres of both plays took place at the Kharkov Theater). Other positive characters K. are pale and lifeless. The attitude of critics towards K.'s comedies varied. They noticed in him the talent of Fonvizin’s student (Telescope.-- 1831.-- No. 1.-- P. 133), “masterful and bold brush”, the ability to see the “ugly-funny” side of life (Moscow Telegraph.-- 1831.- - No. 21.-- P. 85). However, the reason for the jokes that haunted K. all his life was “just vernacular"plays (Northern Bee.-- 1831.-- No. 17). The publication of the comedy "A Visitor from the Capital" (Pantheon of Russian and all European Theaters.-- 1840.-- No. 3) served as a reason for attacks on N.V. Gogol reactionary press, which saw in The Inspector General an imitation of K. (there is no documentary evidence of Gogol’s acquaintance with K.’s manuscript). The censorship resolutions indicated the offensive nobility author's tone. According to S. T. Aksakov, the play “Noble Elections” was banned with reference to the opinion of Nicholas I (Collected works - T. 1. - P. 484). In September 1831, K. was elected judge of the Kharkov Conscientious Court and remained in this position until 1840. The service gave him rich material for creativity. “My supply of anecdotes and incidents has not been exhausted,” K. wrote in the summer of 1832 to M.P. Pogodin. With the help of Pogodin, he published the story “Gannusya” in the same year in the Telescope magazine. In it, Little Russian “anecdotes”, various “incidents” described with ethnographic precision (fair, auctions on the outskirts of Kharkov and Kyiv), are framed by the sentimental story of the “pannochka” Gannusi, told by a traveling officer. Thematically, “Gannus” is close to the collection “Little Russian Stories Told by Gritsko Osnovyanenko” (1834-1837). K. contrasts the gluttony and drunkenness of the landowners and Cossack elders (“Konotopska Vidma”, “Dead Great Day”) with the humble asceticism of the peasants (“Marusya”), their simple life and high spirituality, and the living, bright Ukrainian language against the wretched Europeanized speech. These stories, written in Ukrainian, were given by K. special meaning. “They were written to resolve a dispute,” he noted in a letter to Pogodin, “that in our dialect it is impossible to write anything serious, gentle, but only rude, abusive, blasphemous” (Collected works - Vol. 7.-- P. 206). Later, K. published in Ukrainian the comic "operas" "Matchmaking on Goncharitsi" (1836) and "Boy-zhinka" (1840), "Lysty to dear fellow countrymen" (1839), the story "Kozir-divka" (1838), " Serdeshna Oksana" (1841), etc., which secured his fame as the founder of new Ukrainian prose. In 1837, K.’s stories “Saldatsky Patret” and “Konotopska Vidma” were translated into Russian for the Sovremennik magazine by V. I. Dal. Welcoming the “wonderful” reworking of his story and noting certain inaccuracies (Collected works - T. 7. - P. 213), K., however, preferred the author’s translations, although he admitted that he always strays “into the Little Russian tone” . The publication of K.’s Ukrainian works was facilitated by V. A. Zhukovsky, who visited Osnova in October 1837. It was Zhukovsky, according to K., who advised him to write a novel, “develop” the themes outlined in “Noble Elections,” “decorating and filling with scenes from provincial societies"(Collected works - T. 7. - P. 218). The idea of ​​​​a morally descriptive novel appeared in K. in the early 30s. In December 1833, he sent Pogodin the manuscript of the novel "The Life and Adventures of Pyotr Pustolobov" Describing the “adventures” of the stupid and “unreliable” Petrusha Pustolobov, K. skillfully parodied noble genealogies, comically described the life of educational and military institutions (the boarding house of Monsieur Philou and the musketeer regiment, overcrowded with mediocre, semi-literate officers), court etiquette, pseudo-charities Masonic lodges, endless litigation by landowners. IN final version novel (1841), he created an expressive gallery of types of landowners (the “noble” Bagoton, who gave the estate to ruin to foreign managers, the stingy Zhilomotov to the point of madness, the depraved Pryamikov, the calculating Zvonky). Following the traditions of the educational novel, the plot scheme brings K.’s works closer to “Russian Gilblaz” by V. G. Narezhny and others. The novel is “filled with images of abuses of power” (Collected works - T. 5. - P. 575), in February 1834 it was banned by censorship. To the beginning 1838 K. prepared the second edition and published an excerpt (Skupets // New Year's Book. - St. Petersburg, 1839). And only in 1841 the novel appeared in print under the new title “The Life and Adventures of Pyotr Stepanov, son of Stolbikov.” The novel formed the basis of the vaudeville "The Adventures of Stolbikov", prepared for the Alexandria Theater of K. together with N. A. Nekrasov, P. I. Grigoriev, P. S. Fedorov (the premiere took place on May 4, 1842). Following Zhukovsky's wish to "describe old life Little Russians, type of life, upbringing and everything, to the last" (Collected works - T. 7. - P. 221), K. began work at the end of 1837 on the novel "Pan Khalyavsky" (its first part published in 1839 in the magazine " Domestic notes"). The novel is distinguished by the accuracy of everyday sketches, the depth of social assessments of the degenerating "gentry", the successful use of fairy tale forms. The Khalyavskys' selfishness, ignorance, tyranny, parasitism are presented as class traits, and not purely individual ones. The "highest" principle of life is proclaimed in the novel by the narrator, Trushka Khalyavsky: “Mine, belonging to me by right of inheritance! I won’t give in for any offers!” (Collected works - Vol. 5. - P. 168). Publication of the novel separate publication(1840) caused a stream of insulting remarks about its author. “This is provincial wit,” wrote one of the reviewers. “...Profound observations of the human heart, made from behind the fence...” (Library for reading.-- 1841.-- T. 44.-- C 7--12). Belinsky’s assessment was the opposite: “This is an excellent satire, written by the hand of an excellent master” (Complete collected works - M., 1954. - T. IV. - P. 446), although the critic noted some looseness of the composition, obsessiveness of the author's maxims, excessive "thoroughness" of descriptions. In 1840--1843. two lines of K.'s creativity (sentimental-idyllic, going back to "Gannus", and satirical, begun in the "letters" of Falaley Povinukhin and clearly expressed in "Pan Khalyavsky") are often combined. He writes a pamphlet "Invited Guests" (1840), ridiculing magazine squabbles; satirical "Memoirs of Myakushkin" (1841); extremely didactic story "False Concepts" (1840) about the fate of younger generation nobles; a cycle of “provincial scenes”, composed of stories and essays written between 1840 and 1842. (“Evening Party”, “Familiar Strangers”, “Friends”, “Fair”), where he comically depicts the provincial “lordship” and bureaucracy. Rejecting modern “false concepts” (including the necessary democratic transformations mentioned in the progressive press), K. turned to the history of Little Russia and tribal traditions. Edifying intonations prevail in “Panna Sotnikova” (1840), a retelling of the family legend about the proud daughter of the Taranovsky centurion; in the story "Reliable Tradition" (1841) - a fictionalized life of a lost but restored nobleman, in the Christmas story "Fenyushka" (1841). In the same years, he published historical essays in the magazines "Domestic Notes", "Contemporary", "Zvezdochka", in the Kharkov literary almanac "Molodik for 1843" and in the "Literary Newspaper": "Golovaty" (1839), "On the Sloboda Regiments "(1840), "The City of Kharkov" (184 "Ukrainians" (1841), "History of the Theater in Kharkov" (1841), "Legends about Garkush" (1842), "1812 in the provinces" (1843), etc. Most works of the 40s were written in the style of a physiological essay, which naturally completed literary evolution K. K.'s official movements were insignificant. In September 1840, he was elected chairman of the Kharkov Chamber of Criminal Court (took office in June 1842), at the same time he performed honorary duties as a member of the Association of Sciences at Kharkov University and a corresponding member of the statistical department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But his life in the Base was not calm. On April 26, 1839, K. wrote to P. A. Pletnev: “Kozir-divka came out - and the judge is angry with me that he never accepts bagels from visitors, for “Elections” and now every police officer is ready to eat me. "Novogodnik" published an article "The Miser" - and everyone is wondering who I described it (Collected works - Vol. 7. - P. 217). Pursued by caustic attacks, in his words, from "fat magazines", " crooked talk of those around him,” “suffocated by his own blues,” having a hard time experiencing a break with his older brother, who married his serf (A.F. Kvitka owned an estate in Osnova), shortly before his death, K. was forced to admit: “Osnova was so upset that it’s a shame to be titled with it, but there is nothing to change it. Replacing it with another nickname, for example, Homeless or something like that, is not suitable and inappropriate, but own name I don’t want to stage it" (Collected works - T. 7. - P. 357). K.’s creative path testifies to the deep connections between Russian and Ukrainian literatures, their mutual influence and mutual enrichment. Op.: Created elections. (Collected works): In 7 volumes - Kiev, 1978-1981. Lit.: Korsun D. A. Memories of G. F. Kvitka // Literary newspaper. -- 1843.-- No. 37; Andrievsky A. L Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka. 1778--1843.-- Odessa. 1877; Naumenko V. On the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka-Osnovyanenko. - Kyiv, 1893; Sumnov N. F. G. F. Kvitka as an ethnographer. (On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his death). - Kyiv. 1893; Volkov N.V. On the history of Russian comedy. The dependence of Gogol's The Inspector General on Kvitka's comedy A Visitor from the Capital. - St. Petersburg, 1891 Zubkov S. D. In fraternal unity. To the 200th anniversary of his birth Ukrainian writer G. F. Kvitki-Osnovyanenko // Rainbow,-- 1978.-- No. 11.-- P. 145--154.

Kvitka-Osnovyanenko Grigory Fedorovich

(b. 1778 - d. 1843)

Writer, playwright, public figure, major landowner, founder of the Kharkov Theater.

There are people without whom Kharkov is simply unthinkable. Not only because everyone knows about them as Kharkov residents, but because they really helped the city get on its feet, become one of the largest cities in Russia, the center of the cultural, commercial, and industrial life of Ukraine. Kvitki were such people for Kharkov. It is not for nothing that it is impossible to take a step in the old part of the city without stumbling upon evidence of their family and their work.

The Kvitki are one of the oldest landowner families in the city.

Most well-known representative was a Cossack colonel, ally of Peter the Great, Grigory Semenovich Kvitka. He had to lead the battles that were fought directly for Kharkov. The fact is that the Cossacks, who fled after the Battle of Poltava, under the leadership of Mazepa’s successor Pylyp Orlik, hatched plans to win over the inhabitants of Sloboda Ukraine. They rightly considered Kharkov as the center Russian influence in the region, therefore, together with the Tatars, they raided the city. In 1718 and 1719, the Cossacks plundered the settlements of the Kharkov Cossack regiment. However, the Kharkov residents under the command of Colonel Grigory Kvitka held out and did not allow our city to be burned and destroyed. Devoted service to the king strengthened the position of Kvitok. They were given vast lands and peasants. They owned significant territories both in Kharkov itself and in the surrounding area. In particular, they owned a large estate on Osnova (there is now an airport), the so-called Arabia in the Zakharkov part of the city, an estate behind the Lopan River (now there is a park named after Kvitka-Osnovyanenko).

Many years after the events described, on November 18 (29), 1778, in the village of Osnova, another successor to the family was born - Grigory Fedorovich Kvitka.

It looked like Grigory Fedorovich would not be able to become famous, like his Cossack ancestors, in the military field. He grew up sickly. Moreover, the child was practically blind. The legend says that he was cured through a miracle. His mother took him to the Kuryazhsky monastery (the abbot here was young Kvitka’s uncle), where she and her son prayed to the famous Ozeryanskaya icon Mother of God. And so, when Grits was five years old, after another prayer and ablution from the holy Onufrievsky spring, he received his sight. It is difficult to say what exactly happened to the eyes of the future writer. One way or another, Kvitka fervently believed in the miraculousness of the icon and in general was extremely devout in his youth.

Grigory Fedorovich received his education at home and rather meagerly. The only teacher was a monk of that same Kuryazhsky monastery. After a short stay in the army, in 1801 Grigory Fedorovich decided to become a novice himself. He lived in Kuryazh for about four years, but it turned out that the young landowner was too interested in Savor. In 1805, Kharkov University opened, which brought great revival to cultural life cities. (By the way, the place where the university is now located and the territory of Shevchenko’s garden were donated to the city by Kvitka.) Grigory Fedorovich is also included in this life.

In 1806–1807, Kvitka served as commissar of the people's militia. Apparently, this was some kind of sinecure, because most Kvitka spends time on his estate in Osnova, leading a semi-monastic lifestyle out of habit, playing, however, home theater and doing housework. But then he plunges headlong into the world of literature, theater, and social activities. In 1812, on his initiative, Kharkov acquired its own permanent theater. Grigory Fedorovich later became the patron father of this institution - he was both the director (from 1812 to 1816), and an actor, and a playwright, and a theater historian. In the same year, Kvitka organized a charitable society. And again, in 1812, through the efforts of an energetic public figure, an institute for noble maidens was opened in Kharkov, for the maintenance of which Kvitka himself donated a lot of money, and he also sought annual contributions from nobles and merchants. In 1833, the Kharkov Provincial Library was opened, the right to be called its founder again belonged to Kvitka. Grigory Fedorovich’s activities are not limited to his hometown. In Poltava he creates cadet corps. In Kharkov, Kvitka becomes one of the most influential persons - his merits are so great as a person who contributed to the transformation of Kharkov into a major cultural center. (Moreover, this surprisingly coincides with what is given from birth - wealth, surname.) He becomes the district leader of the nobility (1817–1828), a “conscientious” judge, head of the chamber of the criminal court, corresponding member of the statistical department Ministry of Internal Affairs. Vasily Karazin wrote the following epigram to his fellow countryman:

I will not be surprised, creator,

What a sophisticated age we have:

Actor, poet and assessor

The same person.

In Ukraine, Grigory Kvitka is known primarily by his literary activity. Already in 1816, he published his first stories and poems in Russian in the Ukrainian Bulletin and the Bulletin of Europe. (And the very first publication took place back in 1812.) These works, according to literary scholars, were still imperfect. In 1827, Kvitka wrote his first play, “A Visitor from the Capital, or Turmoil in a District Town.” It was published only in 1840, and there is a rather interesting story associated with it. The fact is that the plot of the work is very reminiscent of Gogol’s “The Inspector General,” which was published in 1836. Some researchers (for example G. Danilevsky) assert with full responsibility that it was Nikolai Vasilyevich who borrowed the plot. Kvitka sent his play to Aksakov in Moscow for review, who showed it to his friend Gogol. Brilliant writer I saw material for work here, presented the plot in my own way, and then published it, fortunately he had good connections. Gogol himself, as is known, claimed that the plot was suggested to him by Pushkin.

"A Visitor from the Capital" was followed by other plays that continue the traditions of Russian satirical drama - "Noble Elections", "Noble Elections, Part Two, or the Choice of the Police Officer".

But Grigory Kvitka’s talent truly revealed itself in the early 30s, when he began to write essays in Ukrainian. According to contemporaries, the writer was helped to find himself in literature by his wife, a classy lady from the Institute of Noble Maidens, Anna Grigorievna. She supported her husband in the writing field and was the first critic of his works. So, it turned out that Grigory Fedorovich perfectly knows the life and customs of Sloboda residents, including representatives of the lower strata - peasants, soldiers, etc., and can easily tell his stories in the “Little Russian dialect” that is so suitable for them. The writer’s works are imbued with love for fellow countrymen, humor, and written in “tasty” language. Those who knew Kvitka personally assure that the writer was convinced that ideal heroes are found in life. He said that in Kharkov, and especially on the outskirts, for example in Goncharovka, live the most best women in the whole wide world, men are knights, good-natured, soft and gentle people.

Two books of “Little Russian Tales Told by Grytsk Osnovianenko” were published in Ukrainian in 1834 and 1837. Grytsko Osnovyanenko is just one of the pseudonyms. In addition to him, Kvitka signed with such names as your Countryman Osnovyanenko, Averyan the Curious, Falalei Povinukhin, and staff doctor Pampushkin. He entered the history of Ukrainian literature as Grigory Kvitka-Osnovyanenko.

The stories “Marusya”, “Soldier’s Patret”, “Hearty Oksana”, “Dead Great Day”, “Trump-Divka”, etc. were successful. Exposing the narrow-mindedness and stupidity of the Cossack elders, speaking out against drunkenness, gluttony and other vices, Kvitka- Osnovyanenko portrayed ordinary people with deep sympathy and revealed the difficult conditions of their life. The writer's plays were destined to become even more famous than the stories. “Shelmenko the Batman” and “Matchmaking on Goncharovka” remain business cards Ukrainian theater in general and the Kharkov Theater in particular to this day. Osnovyanenko's plays and stories are imbued with humanism and sympathy for people. No wonder Ivan Franko named Kvitka one of the first European writers, who became the author of the “human story”. An accurate description of the life of ordinary Ukrainians allows us to call Kvitka-Osnovyanenko an ethnographer who did a lot for the future development of science about the population of Little Russia in those days.

The works of Kvitka-Osnovyanenko in the 30-40s of the 19th century were translated by the author himself and published in Russian. When translating, Kvitka-Osnovyanenko tried to preserve the linguistic richness of the original - after all, it was already obvious that this was precisely the strength of his works, although the writer continued to create on the “great, mighty”. Thus, a large historical and everyday novel “Pan Khalyavsky” was written in Russian, in which there is a lot of irony and grotesquerie in the depiction of old life.

Grigory Fedorovich was also actively involved in journalism. Since 1816, “Ukrainian Bulletin”, the first Kharkov magazine, was published under his editorship. In addition, Kvitka was the initiator of the publication literary almanacs"Morning Star" and "Molodik". Taras Shevchenko corresponded with the Kharkov writer, who, after Kvitka’s death, wrote that without Osnovyanenko he would have been different. The works of the Kharkov resident were highly appreciated by many Russian writers, in particular V. Belinsky.

Grigory Fedorovich died in the same Osnova on August 8 (20), 1843. Almost the entire city buried him at the Kholodnogorsk cemetery. The outstanding philologist I. Sreznevsky said at the funeral: “Remember, Ukraine, this grave: here is buried the one who, animated by love for you, your prosperity and glory, and defending your custom and language, taught you in your language.”

In the 1930s, the church at the cemetery was demolished, and the Labor Reserves stadium was built on the territory of the cemetery. Tombstone The writer was moved from the grave to the Intercession Cathedral, and a few decades later - to the 2nd city cemetery. It is unknown whose ashes lie under this stone now.

In Kharkov, a street in the city center is named after its outstanding resident, and a memorial plaque is installed on it. The already mentioned park and one of the secondary schools bear his name. For a long time The authorities were going to erect a monument to Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, but this was constantly postponed. The monument appeared only in 1993. The author, sculptor Semyon Yakubovich, claims that everything was done in a hurry, and therefore the monument could fall apart at any minute. The Kvitka-Osnovyanenko Prize in the field of theater criticism was established in the city. At the theater. Shevchenko is a playwright's museum. In 2003, the city solemnly celebrated the 225th anniversary of the outstanding Kharkov citizen.

Kvitka Kvitka (Grigory Fedorovich; pseudonym - Osnovyanenko) - famous Little Russian writer, born. in 1778 in the village. Osnova, near Kharkov, and spent almost his entire life in Kharkov. From an early age he was sick and blind until he was 5 years old. He received his education at home, rather meagerly. Not for long

Gregory I Gregory I is a saint, and, according to its historical significance, bears the title of the Great; We usually call it: Dvoeslovnik or Beclovnik, “red for the sake of his conversations,” as our Menaea defines the origin of this name. Born in Rome around 540, into a wealthy and noble family