Famous poet and prose writer. Russian literature of the 20th century

Mommy, I'm going to die soon...
- Why such thoughts... after all, you are young, strong...
- But Lermontov died at 26, Pushkin - at 37, Yesenin - at 30...
- But you’re not Pushkin or Yesenin!
- No, but still..

Vladimir Semenovich’s mother recalled that she had such a conversation with her son. For Vysotsky, early death was something of a test of the “realness” of the poet. However, I cannot be sure of this. I'll tell you about myself. Since childhood, I “knew for sure” that I would become a poet (of course, a great one) and die early. I won’t live to see thirty, or at least forty. Can a poet live longer?

In biographies of writers, I always paid attention to the years of life. I calculated at what age the person died. I tried to understand why this happened. I think a lot of people do this writing people. I don't hope to figure out why early deaths, but I’ll try to collect materials, collect existing theories and fantasize - I can hardly be a scientist - my own.

First of all, I collected information about how Russian writers died. I entered the age at the time of death and the cause of death into the table. I tried not to analyze it, just enter the data into the required columns. I looked at the result - it was interesting. Prose writers of the 20th century, for example, often died from cancer (the leader was lung cancer). But in the world in general - according to WHO - among oncological diseases, lung cancer is the most common and the cause of death. So is there a connection?

I can’t decide whether it’s necessary to look for “writing” diseases, but I feel that there is some sense in this search.

Russian prose writers of the 19th century

The average life expectancy of Russian people in the 19th century was about 34 years. But these data do not provide an idea of ​​how long the average adult lived to live, since the statistics are heavily influenced by high infant mortality.

Russian poets of the 19th century

In 19th-century Russia, poets died differently than prose writers. The latter often died from pneumonia, but among the former, no one died from this disease. Yes, poets have left before. Of the prose writers, only Gogol died at 42, the rest much later. And of the lyricists, it is rare who lived to be 50 (the longest-liver is Fet).

Russian prose writers of the 20th century

There are theories according to which diseases can be caused psychological reasons(some esotericists believe that any illness is caused by spiritual or mental problems). This topic has not yet been sufficiently developed by science, but there are many books in stores like “All Diseases from Nerves.” For lack of anything better, let's resort to popular psychology.

Russian poets of the 20th century

Cancer associated with a feeling of resentment, a deep mental wound, a feeling of the futility of one’s actions, one’s own uselessness. Lungs symbolize freedom, willingness and ability to accept and give. The twentieth century in Russia, many writers were “suffocating”, were forced to remain silent or not say everything they considered necessary. The cause of cancer is also called disappointment in life.

Heart diseases are caused by overwork, prolonged stress, and the belief in the need for tension.

A cold People who have too many events going on in their lives at the same time get sick. Pneumonia (pneumonia) - desperate.

Throat diseases - creative impotence, crisis. Also, the inability to stand up for oneself.

The past century has given humanity many talented authors. Writers of the 20th century worked in an era of global social upheaval and revolution, which was inevitably reflected in their works. Any historical event influenced literature - if you remember, then a large number of war novels were written during the Second World War and in the next 15 years.

The most famous Russian writers of the 20th century are Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Mikhail Bulgakov. Solzhenitsyn revealed to the world the full horror of the Soviet camps in his work “The Gulag Archipelago,” for which he was subjected to severe criticism and persecution in our country. Later Solzhenitsyn was exiled to Germany, and he for a long time lived and worked abroad. It was returned to him only in 1990 by a special presidential decree, after which he was able to return to his homeland.

It is interesting that in our country the 20th century became the era of writers and poets in exile - abroad in different years turned out to be Ivan Bunin, Konstantin Balmont, Raisa Bloch and many others. Mikhail Bulgakov became famous throughout the world for his novel “The Master and Margarita” and the story “ dog's heart" It is noteworthy that he wrote the novel “The Master and Margarita” for more than 10 years - the basis of the work was created immediately, but editing continued long years, until the death of the writer. Mortally ill, Bulgakov brought the novel to perfection, but never had time to finish this work, so literary mistakes can be found in the work. And yet the novel “The Master and Margarita” became, perhaps, the best work of this genre in the entire 20th century.

Popular figures of the 20th century include, first of all, the queen of detective stories, Agatha Christie, and the creator of the best dystopia, Animal Farm, George Orwell. England has always given the world literary geniuses such as William Shakespeare, H.G. Wells, Walter Scott and many others. Last century was no exception, and people in all countries are now reading books by Pratchett Terry, John Windom and

In general, the writers of the 20th century were not at all like their predecessors - the authors of the 19th century. became more diverse, and if in the 19th century there were only 3-4 main directions, then in the 20th there were an order of magnitude more of them. Stylistic and ideological diversity has given rise to many genres and movements, and the search for a new language has given us a whole galaxy of thinkers and philosophers, such as Marcel Proust and

Russian writers of the 20th century limited themselves mainly to three stylistic directions - realism, modernism and avant-garde. An interesting phenomenon In Russian literature of the last century there was a revival of romanticism in its original form, this fact was most fully reflected in the works of Alexander Green, whose works are literally permeated by ineradicable dreaminess and exoticism.

Writers of the 20th century left a noticeable mark on world literature, and we can only hope that the authors of the twenty-first century will be no worse than their predecessors. Maybe somewhere a new Gorky, Pasternak or Hemingway is already creating.

Russian writers and poets, whose works are considered classics, are today world famous. The works of these authors are read not only in their homeland - Russia, but throughout the world.

Great Russian writers and poets

A well-known fact that has been proven by historians and literary scholars: best works Russian classics were written during the Golden and Silver Ages.

The names of Russian writers and poets who are among the world classics are known to everyone. Their work will forever remain in world history as an important element.

The work of Russian poets and writers of the “Golden Age” is the dawn in Russian literature. Many poets and prose writers developed new directions, which subsequently began to be increasingly used in the future. Russian writers and poets, the list of which can be called endless, wrote about nature and love, about the bright and unshakable, about freedom and choice. The literature of the Golden Age, as well as later of the Silver Age, reflects the attitude not only of writers to historical events, but also of the entire people as a whole.

And today, looking through the thickness of centuries at the portraits of Russian writers and poets, every progressive reader understands how bright and prophetic their works, written more than a dozen years ago, were.

Literature is divided into many topics that formed the basis of the works. Russian writers and poets spoke about war, about love, about peace, opening up completely to each reader.

"Golden Age" in literature

The "Golden Age" in Russian literature begins in the nineteenth century. The main representative of this period in literature, and specifically in poetry, was Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, thanks to whom not only Russian literature, but also the entire Russian culture as a whole acquired its special charm. Pushkin's work contains not only poetic works, but prose stories.

Poetry of the “Golden Age”: Vasily Zhukovsky

This time was started by Vasily Zhukovsky, who became Pushkin’s teacher. Zhukovsky opened such a direction as romanticism for Russian literature. Developing this direction, Zhukovsky wrote odes that became widely known for their romantic images, metaphors and personifications, the ease of which was not in the directions used in Russian literature of past years.

Mikhail Lermontov

Another great writer and poet for the “Golden Age” of Russian literature was Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. His prose work “Hero of Our Time” gained enormous popularity in its time because it described Russian society the way it was in that period of time about which Mikhail Yuryevich writes. But all readers fell in love with Lermontov’s poems even more: sad and mournful lines, gloomy and sometimes creepy images - the poet managed to write all this so sensitively that every reader to this day is able to feel what worried Mikhail Yuryevich.

Prose of the "Golden Age"

Russian writers and poets have always been distinguished not only by their extraordinary poetry, but also by their prose.

Lev Tolstoy

One of the most significant writers of the Golden Age was Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. His great epic novel “War and Peace” became known throughout the world and is included not only in the lists of Russian classics, but also in the world. Describing the life of a Russian secular society during the times Patriotic War 1812, Tolstoy was able to show all the subtleties and features of the behavior of St. Petersburg society, which for a long time since the beginning of the war did not seem to participate in the all-Russian tragedy and struggle.

Another novel by Tolstoy, which is still read both abroad and in the writer’s homeland, was the work “Anna Karenina”. The story of a woman who loved a man with all her heart and went through unprecedented difficulties for the sake of love, and soon suffered betrayal, was loved by the whole world. A touching story about love that can sometimes drive you crazy. It was a sad end for the novel unique feature- this was one of the first works in which the lyrical hero not only dies, but deliberately interrupts his life.

Fedor Dostoevsky

In addition to Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky also became a significant writer. His book “Crime and Punishment” became not just the “Bible” of a highly moral person with a conscience, but also a kind of “teacher” for those who have to do Difficult choice, having foreseen all the outcomes of events in advance. Lyrical hero works, he not only made the wrong decision that ruined him, he took upon himself a lot of torment that did not give him peace day or night.

Dostoevsky’s work also contains the work “Humiliated and Insulted,” which accurately reflects the whole essence of human nature. Despite the fact that a lot of time has passed since it was written, the problems of humanity that Fyodor Mikhailovich described are still relevant today. Main character, seeing all the insignificance of the human “soul”, begins to feel disgust for people, for everything that people of the rich strata are proud of, which are of great importance to society.

Ivan Turgenev

Another great writer of Russian literature was Ivan Turgenev. He wrote not only about love, he touched upon the most important problems the surrounding world. His novel Fathers and Sons clearly describes the relationship between children and parents, which remains exactly the same today. Misunderstanding between the older and younger generations is an eternal problem in family relationships.

Russian writers and poets: The Silver Age of Literature

The beginning of the twentieth century is considered to be the Silver Age in Russian literature. It is the poets and writers of the Silver Age who gain special love from readers. Perhaps this phenomenon is caused by the fact that the writers’ lifetime is closer to our time, while Russian writers and poets of the “Golden Age” wrote their works, living according to completely different moral and spiritual principles.

Poetry of the Silver Age

Bright personalities that make this place stand out literary period, undoubtedly became poets. Many directions and movements of poetry have emerged, which were created as a result of the division of opinions regarding the actions of the Russian government.

Alexander Blok

The gloomy and sad work of Alexander Blok was the first to appear at this stage of literature. All of Blok’s poems are permeated with longing for something extraordinary, something bright and light. The most famous poem"Night. Street. Flashlight. Pharmacy” perfectly describes Blok’s worldview.

Sergey Yesenin

One of the most prominent figures of the Silver Age was Sergei Yesenin. Poems about nature, love, the transience of time, one’s “sins” - all this can be found in the poet’s work. Today there is not a single person who would not find Yesenin’s poem capable of liking and describing their state of mind.

Vladimir Mayakovsky

If we talk about Yesenin, then I would immediately like to mention Vladimir Mayakovsky. Harsh, loud, self-confident - that’s exactly what the poet was like. The words that came from the pen of Mayakovsky still amaze with their power - Vladimir Vladimirovich perceived everything so emotionally. In addition to harshness, in the works of Mayakovsky, whose personal life was not going well, there are also love lyrics. The story of the poet and Lily Brik is known throughout the world. It was Brik who discovered all that was most tender and sensual in him, and in return Mayakovsky seemed to idealize and deify her in his love lyrics.

Marina Tsvetaeva

The personality of Marina Tsvetaeva is also known throughout the world. The poetess herself had unique character traits, which is immediately evident from her poems. Perceiving herself as a deity, even in her love lyrics she made it clear to everyone that she was not one of those women who were capable of being offended. However, in her poem “So many of them have fallen into this abyss,” she showed how unhappy she was for many, many years.

Prose of the Silver Age: Leonid Andreev

Great contribution to fiction made by Leonid Andreev, who became the author of the story “Judas Iscariot”. In his work, he presented it a little differently biblical story betrayal of Jesus, presenting Judas not just as a traitor, but as a man suffering from his envy of people who were loved by everyone. Lonely and strange Judas, who found delight in his tales and tales, always received only ridicule in the face. The story tells about how easy it is to break a person’s spirit and push him to any meanness if he has neither support nor loved ones.

Maksim Gorky

For literary prose The contribution of Maxim Gorky was also important in the Silver Age. The writer in each of his works hid a certain essence, having understood which, the reader realizes the full depth of what worried the writer. One of these works was the short story “Old Woman Izergil”, which is divided into three small parts. Three components, three life problems, three types of loneliness - the writer carefully veiled all this. A proud eagle thrown into the abyss of loneliness; noble Danko, who gave his heart to selfish people; an old woman who had been looking for happiness and love all her life, but never found it - all this can be found in a small, but extremely vital story.

One more important work The play “At the Lower Depths” became part of Gorky’s work. The life of people who are below the poverty line is what became the basis of the play. The descriptions that Maxim Gorky gave in his work show how much even very poor people, who in principle no longer need anything, just want to be happy. But the happiness of each of the heroes turns out to be in different things. Each of the characters in the play has their own values. In addition, Maxim Gorky wrote about the “three truths” of life that can be applied in modern life. White lies; no pity for the person; Truth, necessary for a person, - three views on life, three opinions. The conflict, which remains unresolved, leaves each character, as well as each reader, to make their own choice.

"Truly, this was the Golden Age of our literature,

the period of her innocence and bliss!.."

M. A. Antonovich

M. Antonovich in his article called the “golden age of literature” early XIX century - the period of creativity of A. S. Pushkin and N. V. Gogol. Subsequently, this definition began to characterize the literature of all XIX century- right up to the works of A.P. Chekhov and L.N. Tolstoy.

What are the main features of Russian classical literature this period?

Sentimentalism, fashionable at the beginning of the century, gradually fades into the background - the formation of romanticism begins, and from the middle of the century realism rules the roost.

New types of heroes appear in literature: the “little man”, who most often dies under the pressure of the accepted foundations of society, and the “superfluous man” - this is a string of images, starting with Onegin and Pechorin.

Continuing the traditions of satirical depiction, proposed by M. Fonvizin, in XIX literature century satirical image vices modern society becomes one of the central motives. Satire often takes grotesque forms. Vivid examples— Gogol’s “The Nose” or “The History of a City” by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Another one distinguishing feature literature of this period had an acute social orientation. Writers and poets are increasingly turning to socio-political topics, often plunging into the field of psychology. This leitmotif permeates the works of I. S. Turgenev, F. M. Dostoevsky, L. N. Tolstoy. Appears new form- Russian realistic novel, with its deep psychologism, severe criticism of reality, irreconcilable hostility with existing foundations and loud calls for renewal.

Well main reason, which prompted many critics to call the 19th century the golden age of Russian culture: the literature of this period, despite a number of unfavorable factors, had a powerful influence on the development of world culture as a whole. Absorbing all the best that was offered world literature, Russian literature was able to remain original and unique.

Russian writers of the 19th century

V.A. Zhukovsky- Pushkin’s mentor and his Teacher. It is Vasily Andreevich who is considered the founder of Russian romanticism. We can say that Zhukovsky “prepared” the ground for Pushkin’s bold experiments, since he was the first to expand the scope poetic word. After Zhukovsky, the era of democratization of the Russian language began, which Pushkin so brilliantly continued.

Selected poems:

A.S. Griboyedov went down in history as the author of one work. But what! Masterpiece! Phrases and quotes from the comedy “Woe from Wit” have long become popular, and the work itself is considered the first realistic comedy in the history of Russian literature.

Analysis of the work:

A.S. Pushkin. He was called differently: A. Grigoriev argued that “Pushkin is our everything!”, F. Dostoevsky “a great and still incomprehensible Forerunner,” and Emperor Nicholas I admitted that, in his opinion, Pushkin is “the most clever man in Russia." Simply put, this is a Genius.

Pushkin's greatest merit is that he radically changed Russian literary language, freeing him from pretentious abbreviations like “mlad, breg, sweet”, from the absurd “zephyrs”, “Psyches”, “Cupids”, so revered in pompous elegies, from the borrowings that then abounded in Russian poetry. Pushkin brought to the pages printed publications colloquial vocabulary, craft slang, elements of Russian folklore.

A. N. Ostrovsky pointed out another important achievement of this brilliant poet. Before Pushkin, Russian literature was imitative, stubbornly imposing traditions and ideals alien to our people. Pushkin “gave the Russian writer the courage to be Russian,” “revealed the Russian soul.” In his stories and novels, the theme of morality is raised so vividly for the first time. social ideals that time. And the main character with light hand Pushkin now becomes an ordinary “little man” - with his thoughts and hopes, desires and character.

Analysis of works:

M.Yu. Lermontov- bright, mysterious, with a touch of mysticism and an incredible thirst for will. All his work is a unique fusion of romanticism and realism. Moreover, both directions do not oppose at all, but rather complement each other. This man went down in history as a poet, writer, playwright and artist. He wrote 5 plays: the most famous is the drama “Masquerade”.

And among prose works a real diamond of creativity was the novel “A Hero of Our Time” - the first realistic novel in prose in the history of Russian literature, where for the first time the writer tries to trace the “dialectics of the soul” of his hero, mercilessly subjecting him psychological analysis. This innovative creative method Lermontov will be used in the future by many Russian and foreign writers.

Selected works:

N.V. Gogol known as a writer and playwright, but it is no coincidence that one of his most famous works is " Dead Souls"is considered a poem. There is no other such Master of Words in world literature. Gogol's language is melodious, incredibly bright and imaginative. This was most clearly manifested in his collection "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka."

On the other hand, N.V. Gogol is considered the founder of " natural school", with its satire bordering on the grotesque, accusatory motives and ridicule of human vices.

Selected works:

I.S. Turgenev- the greatest Russian novelist who established the canons classic novel. He continues the traditions established by Pushkin and Gogol. He often refers to the topic " extra person", trying to convey the relevance and significance of social ideas through the fate of his hero.

Turgenev’s merit also lies in the fact that he became the first propagandist of Russian culture in Europe. This is a prose writer who opened the world of the Russian peasantry, intelligentsia and revolutionaries to foreign countries. And the string female images in his novels became the pinnacle of the writer's skill.

Selected works:

A.N. Ostrovsky- outstanding Russian playwright. Most precisely, Ostrovsky’s merits were expressed by I. Goncharov, recognizing him as the creator of the Russian folk theater. The plays of this writer became a “school of life” for playwrights of the next generation. And the Moscow Maly Theater, where most of the plays of this talented writer were staged, proudly calls itself the “House of Ostrovsky.”

Selected works:

I.A. Goncharov continued to develop the traditions of Russian realistic novel. The author of the famous trilogy, who was able to describe like no other major vice Russian people are lazy. With the light hand of the writer, the term “Oblomovism” appeared.

Selected works:

L.N. Tolstoy- a real block of Russian literature. His novels are recognized as the pinnacle of the art of writing novels. L. Tolstoy's style of presentation and creative method are still considered the standard of the writer's skill. And his ideas of humanism had a huge influence on the development humanistic ideas worldwide.

Selected works:

N.S. Leskov- a talented successor to the traditions of N. Gogol. Made a huge contribution to the development of new genre forms in literature, such as pictures from life, rhapsodies, incredible events.

Selected works:

N.G. Chernyshevsky — outstanding writer And literary critic, who proposed his theory about the aesthetics of the relationship between art and reality. This theory became the standard for the literature of the next several generations.

Selected works:

F.M. Dostoevsky — brilliant writer, whose psychological novels known all over the world. Dostoevsky is often called the forerunner of such cultural movements as existentialism and surrealism.

Selected works:

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin — greatest satirist, who brought the art of denunciation, ridicule and parody to the heights of mastery.

Selected works:

A.P. Chekhov. With this name, historians traditionally end the era of the golden age of Russian literature. Chekhov was recognized throughout the world during his lifetime. His stories have become the standard for short story writers. A Chekhov's plays had a huge influence on the development of world drama.

Selected works:

TO end of the 19th century centuries of tradition critical realism began to gradually fade away. In a society thoroughly permeated with pre-revolutionary sentiments, mystical, partly even decadent, sentiments came into fashion. They became the forerunners of the emergence of a new literary direction- symbolism and marked the beginning of a new period in the history of Russian literature - silver age poetry.

Several periods can be distinguished in Russian literature of the 20th century. The first two decades were called the “Silver Age”: this was an era of rapid development of literary trends, the emergence of a whole galaxy brilliant Masters Words. The literature of this period exposed the deep contradictions that arose in the society of that time. Writers were no longer satisfied with the classical canons; the search for new forms and new ideas began. On foreground universal human ones come out, philosophical topics about the meaning of life, about morality, about spirituality. More and more religious themes began to appear.

Three main literary trends were clearly identified: realism, modernism and the Russian avant-garde. The principles of romanticism are also being revived, this is especially clearly represented in the works of V. Korolenko and A. Green.

In the 30s there emerged " great turning point": thousands of intellectuals were subjected to repression, and the existence of severe censorship slowed down the development of literary processes.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, a new direction appeared in Russian literature - military. Initially, genres close to journalism were popular - features, essays, reports. Later, monumental paintings would appear that captured all the horrors of war and the fight against fascism. These are works by L. Andreev, F. Abramov, V. Astafiev, Yu. Bondarev, V. Bykov.

The second half of the 20th century is characterized by diversity and inconsistency. This is largely due to the fact that the development of literature was largely determined by the ruling structures. That is why there is such unevenness: now ideological dominance, now complete emancipation, now the commanding cry of censorship, now relaxation.

Russian writers of the 20th century

M. Gorky- one of the most significant writers and thinkers of the beginning of the century. Recognized as the founder of such a literary movement as socialist realism. His works became a “school of excellence” for writers new era. And Gorky’s work had a huge influence on the development of world culture. His novels and stories were translated into many languages ​​and became a bridge connecting the Russian revolution and world culture.

Selected works:

L.N.Andreev. The work of this writer is one of the first “swallows” of emigrant Russian literature. Andreev’s work harmoniously fits into the concept of critical realism, which exposed the tragedy of social injustice. But, having joined the ranks of the white emigration, Andreev was forgotten for a long time. Although the significance of his work had big influence on the development of the concept of realistic art.

Selected work:

A.I. Kuprin. Name of this greatest writer undeservedly placed at a lower rank than the names of L. Tolstoy or M. Gorky. At the same time, Kuprin’s work is a vivid example original art, truly Russian, intelligent art. The main themes in his works: love, features of Russian capitalism, problems of the Russian army. Following Pushkin and Dostoevsky, A. Kuprin pays great attention to the topic " little man"The writer also wrote many stories specifically for children.

Selected works:

K.G.Paustovsky — amazing writer, who managed to remain original, to remain true to himself. There is no revolutionary pathos, loud slogans or socialist ideas. Paustovsky's main merit is that all his stories and novels seem to be standards of landscape, lyrical prose.

Selected works:

M.A. Sholokhov- a great Russian writer whose contribution to the development of world literature can hardly be overestimated. Sholokhov, following L. Tolstoy, creates amazing monumental canvases of Russian life in the most turning points stories. Sholokhov also went down in the history of Russian literature as a singer native land- Using the example of life in the Don region, the writer was able to show the full depth of historical processes.

Biography:

Selected works:

A.T. Tvardovsky — the brightest representative literature Soviet era, literature socialist realism. His work raised the most pressing problems: collectivization, repression, excesses of the idea of ​​socialism. As the editor-in-chief of the magazine " New world“A. Tvardovsky revealed to the world the names of many “forbidden” writers. It was in his light hand that A. Solzhenitsyn began to be published.

A. Tvardovsky himself remained in the history of literature as the author of the most lyrical drama about the war - the poem "Vasily Terkin".

Selected work:

B.L.Pasternak- one of the few Russian writers who received Nobel Prize in literature for his novel "Doctor Zhivago". Also known as a poet and translator.

Selected work:

M.A. Bulgakov... In world literature, perhaps, there is no more discussed writer than M. A. Bulgakov. The brilliant prose writer and playwright left many mysteries for future generations. His work harmoniously intertwined the ideas of humanism and religion, ruthless satire and compassion for man, the tragedy of the Russian intelligentsia and unbridled patriotism.

Selected works:

V.P. Astafiev- Russian writer in whose work the main themes were two: war and the Russian village. Moreover, all his stories and novels are realism in its most vivid embodiment.

Selected work:

- one of the most massive figures in Russian Soviet literature, and perhaps the most famous Turkic-speaking writer. His works depict a variety of periods Soviet history. But Aitmatov’s main merit is that he, like no one else, was able to colorfully and vividly embody the beauty of his native land on the pages.

Selected work:

With the collapse of the USSR, Russian literature reached an absolutely new stage of its development. Strict censorship and ideological orientation have become a thing of the past. The newfound freedom of speech became Starting point for the emergence of a whole galaxy of writers of a new generation and new directions: postmodernism, magical realism, avant-garde and others.