Biography of Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky brief summary. Interesting facts from the life of Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky

Biography

Ostrovsky, Alexander Nikolaevich - famous dramatic writer.

Born on March 31, 1823 in Moscow, where his father served in the civil chamber and then practiced private law. Ostrovsky lost his mother as a child and did not receive any systematic education. All of his childhood and part of his youth were spent in the very center of Zamoskvorechye, which at that time, according to the conditions of his life, was a completely special world. This world populated his imagination with those ideas and types that he later reproduced in his comedies. Thanks to his father's large library, Ostrovsky became acquainted with Russian literature early and felt an inclination towards writing; but his father certainly wanted to make him a lawyer. After graduating from the gymnasium course, Ostrovsky entered the law faculty of Moscow University. He failed to complete the course due to some kind of collision with one of the professors. At the request of his father, he entered the service as a scribe, first in the conscientious court, then in the commercial court. This determined the character of his first literary experiments; in court, he continued to observe the peculiar Zamoskvoretsky types familiar to him from childhood, who begged for literary treatment. By 1846, he had already written many scenes from merchant life, and a comedy was conceived: “The Insolvent Debtor” (later - “Our People - We Will Be Numbered”). A short excerpt from this comedy was published in No. 7 of the Moscow City Listok in 1847; Below the passage are the letters: “A. ABOUT." and "D. G.”, that is, A. Ostrovsky and Dmitry Gorev. The last one was a provincial actor ( real name- Tarasenkov), the author of two or three plays that had already been performed on stage, who accidentally met Ostrovsky and offered him his cooperation. It did not go beyond one scene, and subsequently served as a source of great trouble for Ostrovsky, as it gave his ill-wishers a reason to accuse him of appropriating someone else’s property. literary work. In Љ 60 and 61 of the same newspaper, another thing appeared, without a signature, already quite independent work Ostrovsky - “Pictures of Moscow life. Painting family happiness" These scenes were reprinted, in a corrected form and with the name of the author, under the title: “Family Picture”, in Sovremennik, 1856, No. 4. Ostrovsky himself considered the “Family Picture” to be his first printed work, and it was from this that he began his literary activity. He recognized February 14, 1847 as the most memorable and dear day of his life: on this day he visited S.P. Shevyrev and, in the presence of A.S. Khomyakov, professors, writers, employees of the Moscow City List, read this play, appeared in print a month later. Shevyrev and Khomyakov hugging young writer, applauded his dramatic talent. “From that day,” says Ostrovsky, “I began to consider myself a Russian writer and, without doubt or hesitation, believed in my calling.” He also tried his hand at the narrative genre, in feuilleton stories from life in Zamoskvoretsk. In the same “Moscow City List” (No. 119 - 121) one of these stories is published: “Ivan Erofeich”, with the general title: “Notes of a Zamoskvoretsky resident”; two other stories in the same series: “The Tale of How the Quarterly Warden Started to Dance, or From the Great to the Ridiculous” and “Two Biographies” remained unpublished, and the latter was not even finished. By the end of 1849, a comedy entitled “Bankrupt” had already been written. Ostrovsky read it to his university friend A.F. Pisemsky; at the same time he met famous artist P. M. Sadovsky, who saw a literary revelation in his comedy and began to read it in various Moscow circles, among other things - with Countess E. P. Rostopchina, who usually gathered young writers who had just begun their literary career (B. N. Almazov, N. V. Berg, L. A. Mei, T. I. Filippov, N. I. Shapovalov, E. N. All of them had been in close, friendly relations with Ostrovsky since his student days, and all accepted Pogodin’s offer to work in the updated Moskvityanin, forming the so-called “young editorial staff” of this magazine. Soon, Apollo Grigoriev occupied a prominent position in this circle, acting as a herald of originality in literature and becoming an ardent defender and praiser of Ostrovsky, as a representative of this originality. Ostrovsky’s comedy, under the changed title: “Our people - we will be numbered”, after much trouble with censorship, which reached the point of appealing to the highest authorities, was published in the 2nd March book of “Moskvityanin”, 1850, but was not allowed to be presented; censorship did not even allow talking about this play in print. It appeared on stage only in 1861, with the ending altered from the printed one. Following this first comedy by Ostrovsky, his other plays began to appear annually in “Moskvityanin” and other magazines: in 1850 - “Morning young man”, in 1851 - “An Unexpected Case”, in 1852 - “Poor Bride”, in 1853 - “Don’t Get in Your Sleigh” (the first of Ostrovsky’s plays to appear on the stage of the Moscow Maly Theater, January 14 1853), in 1854 - “Poverty is not a vice”, in 1855 - “Don’t live the way you want”, in 1856 - “There’s a hangover at someone else’s feast.” In all these plays, Ostrovsky portrayed aspects of Russian life that before him were almost not touched upon in literature and were not reproduced at all on stage. Deep knowledge of the everyday life of the depicted environment, the bright vitality and truth of the image, a unique, lively and colorful language that clearly reflects that real Russian speech of the “Moscow breads”, which Pushkin advised Russian writers to learn - all this artistic realism with all the simplicity and sincerity to which even Gogol did not rise, was met in our criticism by some with stormy delight, by others with bewilderment, denial and ridicule. While A. Grigoriev, proclaiming himself “the prophet of Ostrovsky,” tirelessly insisted that in the works of the young playwright the “new word” of our literature, namely “nationality,” found expression, critics of the progressive trend reproached Ostrovsky for gravitation to pre-Petrine antiquity, to “Slavophilism” of the Pogostin sense, they even saw in his comedies the idealization of tyranny, they called him “Gostinodvorsky Kotzebue”. Chernyshevsky had a sharply negative attitude towards the play “Poverty is not a vice”, seeing in it some kind of sentimental sweetness in the depiction of a hopeless, supposedly “patriarchal” life; other critics were indignant at Ostrovsky for elevating some sensitivities and boots with bottles to the level of “heroes”. The theater audience, free from aesthetic and political bias, irrevocably decided the matter in favor of Ostrovsky. The most talented Moscow actors and actresses - Sadovsky, S. Vasiliev, Stepanov, Nikulina-Kositskaya, Borozdina and others - were forced until then to perform, with isolated exceptions, either in vulgar vaudevilles, or in stilted melodramas converted from French, written in addition in barbaric language, they immediately felt in Ostrovsky’s plays the spirit of a living, close and native Russian life to them and devoted all their strength to its truthful depiction on stage. And the theater audience saw a truly “new word” in the performance of these artists. performing arts- simplicity and naturalness, I saw people living on stage without any pretense. With his works, Ostrovsky created a school of true Russian dramatic art, simple and real, as alien to pretentiousness and affectation as all the great works of our literature are alien to it. This merit of his was first of all understood and appreciated in theatrical environment, the most free from preconceived theories. When in 1856, according to the thoughts of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, a business trip of outstanding writers took place to study and describe various areas of Russia in industrial and domestic relations, Ostrovsky took upon himself the study of the Volga from the upper reaches to the Lower. A short report about this trip appeared in the “Sea Collection” in 1859, the full one remained in the author’s papers and was subsequently (1890) processed by S.V. Maksimov, but still remains unpublished. Several months spent in close proximity to the local population, gave Ostrovsky many vivid impressions, expanded and deepened his knowledge of Russian life in his artistic expression- in a well-aimed word, song, fairy tale, historical legend, in the manners and customs of antiquity that were still preserved in the outback. All this was reflected in later works Ostrovsky and further strengthened them national importance. Not limiting himself to the life of the Zamoskvoretsky merchants, Ostrovsky introduces into the circle characters the world of large and small officials, and then of landowners. In 1857, “A Profitable Place” and “A Festive Sleep Before Lunch” were written (the first part of the “trilogy” about Balzaminov; two further parts - “Your dogs are biting, don’t pester someone else’s” and “What you go for is what you will find” - appeared in 1861), in 1858 - “They Didn’t Get Along” (originally written as a story), in 1859 - “The Pupil”. In the same year, two volumes of Ostrovsky’s works appeared, published by Count G. A. Kushelev-Bezborodko. This publication served as the reason for the brilliant assessment that Dobrolyubov gave to Ostrovsky and which secured his fame as an artist of the “dark kingdom.” Reading now, after half a century, Dobrolyubov’s articles, we cannot help but see them journalistic nature. Ostrovsky himself, by nature, was not at all a satirist, and almost not even a humorist; with truly epic objectivity, caring only about the truth and vitality of the image, he “calmly regarded the right and the guilty, knowing neither pity nor anger” and not in the least hiding his love for the simple “little mermaid”, in whom, even among the ugly manifestations of everyday life, he always knew how to find certain attractive features. Ostrovsky himself was such a “little Russian,” and everything Russian found a sympathetic echo in his heart. In his own words, he cared primarily about showing a Russian person on stage: “let him see himself and rejoice. Correctors will be found even without us. To have the right to correct the people, you need to show them that you know the good in them.” Dobrolyubov, however, did not think of imposing certain tendencies on Ostrovsky, but simply used his plays as true portrayal Russian life, for their own, completely independent conclusions. In 1860, “The Thunderstorm” appeared in print, which gave rise to Dobrolyubov’s second remarkable article (“A Ray of Light in dark kingdom"). This play reflects the impressions of a trip to the Volga and, in particular, the author’s visit to Torzhok. An even more vivid reflection of the Volga impressions was the dramatic chronicle published in No. 1 of Sovremennik in 1862: “Kozma Zakharyich Minin-Sukhoruk.” In this play, Ostrovsky took up the treatment for the first time historical theme, suggested to him both by Nizhny Novgorod legends and by a careful study of our history XVII century. A sensitive artist managed to notice living features in dead monuments folk life and to perfectly master the language of the era he was studying, in which he later, for fun, wrote entire letters. "Minin", which received the approval of the sovereign, was, however, banned by dramatic censorship and could appear on stage only 4 years later. On stage, the play was not successful due to its prolixity and not always successful lyricism, but critics could not help but notice the high dignity of individual scenes and figures. In 1863 Ostrovsky published a drama from folk life: “Sin and misfortune do not live on anyone” and then again returned to the paintings of Zamoskvorechye in comedies: “ Hard days"(1863) and "Jokers" (1864). At the same time, he was busy processing a large play in verse, begun during a trip to the Volga, from the life of the 17th century. It appeared in No. 1 of Sovremennik in 1865 under the title: “The Voevoda, or a Dream on the Volga.” This superb poetic fantasy, something like a dramatized epic, contains a number of vivid household paintings long past, through the haze of which one feels in many places a closeness to everyday life, and to this day has not yet receded entirely into the past. The comedy “On a Lively Place,” published in No. 9 of Sovremennik in 1865, was also inspired by Volga impressions. From the mid-60s, Ostrovsky diligently took up the history of the Time of Troubles and entered into a lively correspondence with Kostomarov, who was studying the same era at that time. The result of this work were two dramatic chronicles published in 1867: “Dmitry the Pretender and Vasily Shuisky” and “Tushino”. In Љ 1 “Bulletin of Europe” in 1868, another historical drama appeared, from the time of Ivan the Terrible, “Vasilisa Melentyev,” written in collaboration with the theater director Gedeonov. From this time on, a series of plays by Ostrovsky began, written, as he put it, in a “new manner.” Their subject is the image no longer of merchants and bourgeois, but of noble life: “Simplicity is enough for every wise man,” 1868; "Mad Money", 1870; “Forest”, 1871. Interspersed with them are domestic comedies“old manner”: “Warm Heart” (1869), “It’s not all Maslenitsa for the cat” (1871), “There wasn’t a penny, but suddenly it was Altyn” (1872). In 1873, two plays were written that occupy a special position among Ostrovsky’s works: “Comedian XVII century"(to the 200th anniversary of the Russian theater) and dramatic tale in verse “The Snow Maiden”, one of the most remarkable creations of Russian poetry. In his further works of the 70s and 80s, Ostrovsky turns to the life of various strata of society - the nobility, the bureaucrats, and the merchants, and in the latter he notes changes in views and conditions caused by the demands of the new Russian life. This period of Ostrovsky’s activity includes: “ Late love"and "Labor Bread" (1874), "Wolves and Sheep" (1875), "Rich Brides" (1876), "Truth is good, but happiness is better" (1877), " The last victim"(1878), "Dowry" and "Good Master" (1879), "Heart is not a Stone" (1880), "Slave Women" (1881), "Talents and Admirers" (1882), "Handsome Man" (1883) , “Guilty Without Guilt” (1884) and, finally, the last play, weak in concept and execution: “Not of this world” (1885). In addition, several plays were written by Ostrovsky in collaboration with other persons: with N. Ya. Solovyov - “The Marriage of Belugin” (1878), “The Savage” (1880) and “It shines and does not warm” (1881); with P. M. Nevezhin - “Whim” (1881). Ostrovsky also owns whole line translations of foreign plays: Shakespeare's "Pacification of the Wayward" (1865), "The Great Banker" by Italo Franchi (1871), "The Lost Sheep" by Teobaldo Ciconi (1872), "The Coffee House" by Goldoni (1872), "The Criminal Family" by Giacometti (1872), a reworking from French of “The Slavery of Husbands” and, finally, a translation of 10 interludes by Cervantes, published separately in 1886. He wrote a total of 49 original plays. All these plays provide a gallery of a wide variety of Russian types, remarkable in their vitality and truthfulness, with all the peculiarities of their habits , language and character. In relation to the actual dramatic technique and composition, Ostrovsky's plays are often weak: the artist, deeply truthful by nature, was himself aware of his powerlessness in inventing a plot, in arranging the beginning and ending; he even said that “the playwright should not invent what happened; his job is to write how it happened or could happen; all his work is here; when he turns his attention in this direction, living people will appear and speak themselves.” Talking about his plays from this point of view, Ostrovsky admitted that his most difficult task is “fiction,” because any lie is disgusting to him; but it is impossible for a dramatic writer to do without this conventional lie. That “new word” of Ostrovsky, for which Apollo Grigoriev so ardently advocated, essentially lies not so much in “nationality”, but in truthfulness, in the artist’s direct relationship to the life around him with the goal of completely realistically reproducing it on stage. In this direction, Ostrovsky took a further step forward compared to Griboyedov and Gogol and for a long time established on our stage that “ natural school", which at the beginning of his activity already dominated in other departments of our literature. A talented playwright, supported by no less talented artists, caused competition among his peers who followed the same path: playwrights of a homogeneous trend were Pisemsky, A. Potekhin and other, less noticeable, but in their time writers who enjoyed well-deserved success. Devoted with all his soul to the theater and its interests, Ostrovsky also devoted a lot of time and work to practical concerns about the development and improvement of dramatic art and improving the financial situation of dramatic authors. He dreamed of the opportunity to transform artistic taste artists and the public and create a theater school, equally useful for both aesthetic education society, and for training worthy stage performers. Amid all sorts of griefs and disappointments, he remained faithful to this cherished dream until the end of his life, the realization of which was partly the Artistic Circle he created in 1866 in Moscow, which later gave many talented figures to the Moscow stage. At the same time, Ostrovsky cared about alleviating the financial situation of Russian playwrights: through his works the Society of Russian Dramatic Writers was formed and opera composers(1874), the permanent chairman of which he remained until his death. In general, by the beginning of the 80s, Ostrovsky firmly took the place of the leader and teacher of Russian drama and stage. Working hard in the directorate established in 1881 Imperial theaters commission “to revise the regulations on all parts of theatrical management”, he achieved many changes that significantly improved the situation of artists and made it possible for more expedient production theater education. In 1885, Ostrovsky was appointed head of the repertory department of Moscow theaters and head theater school. His health, already weakened by this time, did not correspond to the broad plans of activity that he had set for himself. The intense work quickly exhausted the body; On June 2, 1886, Ostrovsky died in his Kostroma estate Shchelykov, without having time to implement his transformative assumptions.

Ostrovsky's works have been published many times; the latest and more complete publication is the Enlightenment partnership (St. Petersburg, 1896 - 97, in 10 volumes, edited by M. I. Pisarev and with a biographical sketch by I. Nosov). Separately published were “Dramatic Translations” (Moscow, 1872), “Interlude of Cervantes” (St. Petersburg, 1886) and “ Dramatic writings A. Ostrovsky and N. Solovyov" (St. Petersburg, 1881). For the biography of Ostrovsky, the most important work is the book of the French scientist J. Patouillet “O. et son theater de moeurs russes" (Paris, 1912), where all the literature about Ostrovsky is listed. See the memoirs of S. V. Maksimov in Russian Thought, 1897, and Kropachev in Russian Review, 1897; I. Ivanov “A. N. Ostrovsky, his life and literary activity"(SPb., 1900). The best critical articles about Ostrovsky were written by Apollon Grigoriev (in “The Moskvitian” and “Time”), Edelson (“Library for Reading”, 1864), Dobrolyubov (“The Dark Kingdom” and “A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom”) and Boborykin (“The Word”, 1878 ). - Wed. also the books by A. I. Nezelenov “Ostrovsky in his works” (St. Petersburg, 1888), and Or. F. Miller “Russian writers after Gogol” (St. Petersburg, 1887).

Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich (1823-1886) - Russian dramatic writer, translator. Born on March 31, 1823 in Moscow in the family of a civil servant. His father worked in the civil chamber, and after some time became a private lawyer. His mother died early, so Ostrovsky did not receive home education. The writer's childhood and youth were spent in Zamoskvorechye.

He studied at the gymnasium, and upon graduation received legal education at Moscow University, but did not finish his studies due to a conflict with some professor. He served as a scribe in the conscientious court, and then moved to the commercial court. The comedy “Family Picture” (1856) in the Sovremennik magazine became the writer’s first publication. He also tried to write stories and feuilletons. The comedy “We Will Be Numbered Our Own People” (1850) was published in “Moskvityanin”, but censorship prohibited its presentation and the writing of criticism about it in the press, and it became possible to make a stage production only in 1861 with a changed ending.

In 1856, Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich ordered writers to study and describe the production and life of various Russian localities. Ostrovsky studied the Volga and published a report on the trip in the Sea Collection in 1859.

Their impressions of the trip were expressed in the article “The Thunderstorm” (1860) and the dramatic chronicle “Kozma Zakharyich Minin-Sukhoruk” (1862).

Ostrovsky also translated plays into Russian foreign writers: Shakespeare's The Taming of the Wayward (1865), Italo Franchi's The Great Banker (1871), Goldoni's The Coffee House (1872), Teobaldo Ciconi's The Lost Sheep (1872) and Giacometti's The Criminal Family (1872). Remade with French"Slavery of Husbands" The translated 10 Cervantes interludes were published in a separate book in 1886.

Ostrovsky wrote 49 plays, created the Artistic Circle in Moscow in 1866, and in 1874 the Society of Russian Dramatic Writers and Opera Composers, which he headed for the rest of his life. In 1881 he created a commission under the directorate of the Imperial Theaters, which considered bills on theatrical activities. In 1885 he worked as the head of the repertory department of Moscow theaters and headed the theater school. Active work activity ruined the writer's health.

Ostrovsky's thunderstorm

Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich- Russian playwright, whose work became the most important stage development of Russian national theater, corresponding member St. Petersburg Academy sciences, author of works " Storm», « Snow Maiden», « Poor bride"and others.

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was born March 31 (April 12), 1823 on Malaya Ordynka in Moscow in noble family. Father, Nikolai Fedorovich Ostrovsky, was the son of a priest, graduated from the Kostroma Seminary, the Moscow Theological Academy, but began to practice as a lawyer, dealing with property and commercial matters. Nikolai Fedorovich rose to the rank of titular councilor, and in 1839 received the nobility. His mother, Lyubov Ivanovna Savvina, the daughter of a sexton, died when Alexander was only seven years old. The family had four children. The Ostrovskys lived in abundance, they were given great attention education of children who received home education. Five years after the death of his mother, his father married Baroness Emilia Andreevna von Tessin, the daughter of a Russified Swedish nobleman. She surrounded the children with care and continued to educate them.

Ostrovsky spent his childhood and youth in the center of Zamoskvorechye. The family had a large library and he became acquainted with Russian literature early and felt an inclination towards writing, but his father wanted to make him a lawyer.

In 1835, Alexander Ostrovsky entered the 1st Moscow Gymnasium.

In 1840 A. N. Ostrovsky became a student at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University, but he failed to complete the course due to a quarrel with one of the teachers. Fulfilling the will of his father, Ostrovsky entered the service as a scribe in court, where he worked until 1851.

By 1846 Ostrovsky many scenes from merchant life were written and the comedy “The Insolvent Debtor” was conceived, later called “Our people - we will be numbered!”. This comedy, published in 1850, brought Ostrovsky literary fame.

Comedy “Our people - we will be numbered!” was banned from production, and A. N. Ostrovsky was dismissed from service and placed under police supervision by personal order of Nicholas I.

In the summer of 1849, Alexander Ostrovsky, against the will of his father and without a church wedding, he married a simple bourgeois Agafya Ivanovna. The angry Nikolai Fedorovich refused his son further financial support. All children from this marriage died in early age. Ostrovsky lived with Agafya Ivanovna for about twenty years.

In 1850 Ostrovsky becomes a member of the so-called “young editorial staff” of the Slavophile magazine “Moskvityanin”.

Since 1856 Ostrovsky becomes a permanent contributor to the Sovremennik magazine.

In the same year, Ostrovsky took part in a business trip of outstanding writers to study and describe various localities in Russia and took upon himself the study of the Volga from the upper reaches to Nizhny Novgorod.

In 1859 The first collected works of Ostrovsky were published in two volumes.

In 1860 appeared in print "Storm".

In 1863, Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was awarded the Uvarov Prize and elected corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

Two years after the death of his wife, in 1869, Ostrovsky married the artist Maria Vasilyevna Bakhmetyeva, who bore him four sons and two daughters.

A. N. Ostrovsky had a deep personal relationship with actress L. Kositskaya, but both had families.

In 1874 The Society of Russian Dramatic Writers and Opera Composers was formed, of which Ostrovsky remained chairman until his death.

In 1885 Ostrovsky was appointed head of the repertory department of Moscow theaters and head of the theater school.

A. N. Ostrovsky created a whole repertoire - fifty-four plays. “Written all over Russian life” - from prehistoric, fairy-tale times "Snow Maiden", and events of the past chronicle "Kozma Zakharyich Minin, Sukhoruk" to current reality "Talents and Fans" And "Guilty without guilt".

June 2 (14), 1886 Ostrovsky died on his Kostroma estate Shchelykovo. The writer was buried next to his father, in the church cemetery near the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Nikolo-Berezhki Kostroma province. After the death of the writer, the Moscow Duma established a reading room named after A. N. Ostrovsky in Moscow.

Ostrovsky, Alexander Nikolaevich - famous dramatic writer. Born on March 31, 1823 in Moscow, where his father served in the civil chamber and then practiced private law. Ostrovsky lost his mother as a child and did not receive any systematic education.

All of his childhood and part of his youth were spent in the very center of Zamoskvorechye, which at that time, according to the conditions of his life, was a completely special world. This world populated his imagination with those ideas and types that he later reproduced in his comedies. Thanks to his father's large library, Ostrovsky became acquainted with Russian literature early and felt an inclination towards writing; but his father certainly wanted to make him a lawyer. After graduating from the gymnasium course, Ostrovsky entered the law faculty of Moscow University. He failed to complete the course due to some kind of collision with one of the professors. At the request of his father, he entered the service as a scribe, first in the conscientious court, then in the commercial court. This determined the nature of his first literary experiments; in court, he continued to observe the peculiar Zamoskvoretsky types familiar to him from childhood, who begged for literary treatment. By 1846, he had already written many scenes from the life of a merchant, and conceived a comedy: “The Insolvent Debtor” (later - “Our People - We Will Be Numbered”). A short excerpt from this comedy was published in No. 7 of the Moscow City Listok in 1847; Below the passage are the letters: "A. O." and “D.G.”, that is, A. Ostrovsky and Dmitry Gorev. The latter was a provincial actor (real name Tarasenkov), the author of two or three plays that had already been performed on stage, who accidentally met Ostrovsky and offered him his cooperation. It did not go beyond one scene, and subsequently served as a source of great trouble for Ostrovsky, since it gave his ill-wishers a reason to accuse him of appropriating someone else’s literary work. In No. 60 and 61 of the same newspaper, another, already completely independent work by Ostrovsky appeared, without a signature - “Pictures of Moscow life. A picture of family happiness.” These scenes were reprinted, in a corrected form and with the name of the author, under the title: “Family Picture”, in Sovremennik, 1856, No. 4. Ostrovsky himself considered the “Family Picture” to be his first printed work and it was from this that he began his literary activity. He recognized February 14, 1847 as the most memorable and dear day of his life: on this day he visited S.P. Shevyrev and, in the presence of A.S. Khomyakov, professors, writers, employees of the Moscow City Listok, read this play, which appeared in print a month later. Shevyrev and Khomyakov, hugging the young writer, welcomed his dramatic talent. “From that day,” says Ostrovsky, “I began to consider myself a Russian writer and, without doubt or hesitation, believed in my calling.” He also tried his hand at the narrative genre, in feuilleton stories from life in Zamoskvoretsk. In the same “Moscow City List” (No. 119 - 121) one of these stories was published: “Ivan Erofeich”, with the general title: “Notes of a Zamoskvoretsky resident”; two other stories in the same series: “The Tale of How the Quarterly Warden Started to Dance, or From the Great to the Ridiculous” and “Two Biographies” remained unpublished, and the latter was not even finished. By the end of 1849, a comedy entitled “Bankrupt” had already been written. Ostrovsky read it to his university friend A.F. Pisemsky; at the same time he met the famous artist P.M. Sadovsky, who saw a literary revelation in his comedy and began to read it in various Moscow circles, among other things, with Countess E.P. Rostopchina, who usually hosted young writers who had just begun their literary careers (B.N. Almazov, N.V. Berg, L.A. Mei, T.I. Filippov, N.I. Shapovalov, E.N. . Edelson). All of them had been in close, friendly relations with Ostrovsky since his student days, and all accepted Pogodin’s offer to work in the updated Moskvityanin, forming the so-called “young editorial staff” of this magazine. Soon a prominent position in this circle was occupied by Apollo Grigoriev, who acted as a herald of originality in literature and became an ardent defender and praiser of Ostrovsky, as a representative of this originality. Ostrovsky's comedy, under the changed title: "Our people - we will count

I", after much hassle with censorship, which even went as far as appealing to the highest authorities, was published in the 2nd March book of "Moscowman" in 1850, but was not allowed to be presented; censorship did not even allow talking about this play in print. It appeared on stage only in 1861, with the ending altered against the printed one. Following this first comedy by Ostrovsky, his other plays began to appear annually in Moskvityanin and other magazines: in 1850 - The Morning of a Young Man, in 1851. g. - “An Unexpected Case”, in 1852 - “Poor Bride”, in 1853 - “Don’t Sit in Your Own Sleigh” (the first of Ostrovsky’s plays to appear on the stage of the Moscow Maly Theater, January 14, 1853) , in 1854 - “Poverty is not a vice”, in 1855 - “Don’t live as you want”, in 1856 - “In someone else’s feast there is a hangover.” which before him were almost not touched upon by literature at all and were not reproduced at all on stage; a deep knowledge of the life of the depicted environment, the bright vitality and truth of the image, a unique, lively and colorful language that clearly reflects the real Russian speech of the “Moscow baked goods”, which Pushkin learned. advised Russian writers - all this artistic realism, with all the simplicity and sincerity that even Gogol did not rise to, was greeted in our criticism by some with stormy delight, by others with bewilderment, denial and ridicule. While A. Grigoriev, proclaiming himself the “prophet of Ostrovsky,” tirelessly insisted that in the works of the young playwright the “new word” of our literature, namely “nationality,” found expression, critics of the progressive trend reproached Ostrovsky for his attraction to pre-Petrine antiquity, to "Slavophilism" of the Pogostin sense, they even saw in his comedies the idealization of tyranny, they called him "Gostinodvorsky Kotzebue." Chernyshevsky had a sharply negative attitude towards the play “Poverty is not a vice”, seeing in it some kind of sentimental sweetness in the depiction of a hopeless, supposedly “patriarchal” life; other critics were indignant at Ostrovsky for elevating some sensitivities and boots with bottles to the level of “heroes”. The theater audience, free from aesthetic and political bias, irrevocably decided the matter in favor of Ostrovsky. The most talented Moscow actors and actresses - Sadovsky, S. Vasiliev, Stepanov, Nikulina-Kositskaya, Borozdina and others - were forced until then to perform, with isolated exceptions, either in vulgar vaudevilles, or in stilted melodramas converted from French, written in addition in barbaric language, they immediately felt in Ostrovsky’s plays the spirit of a living, close and native Russian life to them and devoted all their strength to its truthful depiction on stage. And the theater audience saw in the performance of these artists a truly “new word” of stage art - simplicity and naturalness, they saw people living on stage without any pretense. With his works, Ostrovsky created a school of true Russian dramatic art, simple and real, as alien to pretentiousness and affectation as all the great works of our literature are alien to it. This merit of his was primarily understood and appreciated in the theatrical environment, which was most free from preconceived theories. When in 1856, according to the thoughts of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, a business trip of outstanding writers took place to study and describe various areas of Russia in industrial and domestic relations, Ostrovsky took upon himself the study of the Volga from the upper reaches to the Lower. A short report about this trip appeared in the “Sea Collection” in 1859, the full one remained in the author’s papers and was subsequently (1890) processed by S.V. Maksimov, but still remains unpublished. Several months spent in close proximity to the local population gave Ostrovsky many vivid impressions, expanded and deepened his knowledge of Russian life in its artistic expression - in a well-aimed word, song, fairy tale, historical legend, in the mores and customs of antiquity that were still preserved in the backwoods. All this was reflected in later works

yakh Ostrovsky and further strengthened their national significance. Not limiting himself to the life of the Zamoskvoretsky merchants, Ostrovsky introduces into the circle of characters the world of large and small officials, and then landowners. In 1857, “A Profitable Place” and “A Festive Sleep Before Lunch” were written (the first part of the “trilogy” about Balzaminov; two further parts - “Your dogs are biting, don’t pester someone else’s” and “What you go for is what you will find” - appeared in 1861), in 1858 - “They Didn’t Get Along” (originally written as a story), in 1859 - “The Pupil”. In the same year, two volumes of Ostrovsky’s works appeared, published by Count G.A. Kusheleva-Bezborodko. This publication served as the reason for the brilliant assessment that Dobrolyubov gave to Ostrovsky and which secured his fame as an artist of the “dark kingdom.” Reading now, after half a century, Dobrolyubov’s articles, we cannot help but see their journalistic character. Ostrovsky himself, by nature, was not at all a satirist, and almost not even a humorist; with truly epic objectivity, caring only about the truth and vitality of the image, he “calmly regarded the right and the guilty, knowing neither pity nor anger” and not in the least hiding his love for the simple “little mermaid”, in whom, even among the ugly manifestations of everyday life, he always knew how to find certain attractive features. Ostrovsky himself was such a “little Russian,” and everything Russian found a sympathetic echo in his heart. In his own words, he cared, first of all, about showing a Russian person on stage: “let him see himself and rejoice. Correctors will be found even without us. In order to have the right to correct the people, you need to show them that you know what is good about them.” Dobrolyubov, however, did not think of imposing certain tendencies on Ostrovsky, but simply used his plays as a truthful depiction of Russian life, for his own, completely independent conclusions. In 1860, “The Thunderstorm” appeared in print, causing Dobrolyubov’s second remarkable article (“A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom”). This play reflects the impressions of a trip to the Volga and, in particular, the author’s visit to Torzhok. An even more vivid reflection of the Volga impressions was the dramatic chronicle published in No. 1 of Sovremennik in 1862: “Kozma Zakharyich Minin-Sukhoruk.” In this play, Ostrovsky for the first time took up the treatment of a historical theme, suggested to him both by Nizhny Novgorod legends and by a careful study of our history of the 17th century. The sensitive artist managed to notice the living features of folk life in dead monuments and perfectly master the language of the era he was studying, in which he later, for fun, wrote entire letters. "Minin", which received the approval of the sovereign, was, however, banned by dramatic censorship and could appear on stage only 4 years later. On stage, the play was not successful due to its prolixity and not always successful lyricism, but critics could not help but notice the high dignity of individual scenes and figures. In 1863, Ostrovsky published a drama from folk life: “Sin and misfortune live on no one” and then returned to the pictures of Zamoskvorechye in comedies: “Hard Days” (1863) and “Jokers” (1864). At the same time, he was busy processing a large play in verse, begun during a trip to the Volga, from the life of the 17th century. It appeared in No. 1 of Sovremennik in 1865 under the title: “The Voevoda, or a Dream on the Volga.” This excellent poetic fantasy, something like a dramatized epic, contains a number of vivid everyday pictures of the long past, through the haze of which one feels in many places a closeness to everyday life, which to this day has not yet completely passed into the past. The comedy “On a Lively Place,” published in No. 9 of Sovremennik in 1865, was also inspired by Volga impressions. From the mid-60s, Ostrovsky diligently took up the history of the Time of Troubles and entered into a lively correspondence with Kostomarov, who was studying the same era at that time. The result of this work were two dramatic chronicles published in 1867: “Dmitry the Pretender and Vasily Shuisky” and “Tushino”. In No. 1 of "Bulletin of Europe" in 1868, another historical drama appeared, from the time of Ivan the Terrible, "Vasilisa Melentyev", written in collaboration with

theater director Gedeonov. From this time on, a series of plays by Ostrovsky began, written, as he put it, in a “new manner.” Their subject is the image no longer of merchants and bourgeois, but of noble life: “Simplicity is enough for every wise man,” 1868; "Mad Money", 1870; “Forest”, 1871. Interspersed with them are everyday comedies of the “old style”: “Warm Heart” (1869), “It’s not all Maslenitsa for the cat” (1871), “There wasn’t a penny, but suddenly it was Altyn” (1872). In 1873, two plays were written that occupy a special position among Ostrovsky’s works: “The Comedian of the 17th Century” (for the 200th anniversary of the Russian theater) and the dramatic fairy tale in verse “The Snow Maiden,” one of the most remarkable creations of Russian poetry. In his further works of the 70s and 80s, Ostrovsky turns to the life of various strata of society - the nobility, the bureaucrats, and the merchants, and in the latter he notes changes in views and conditions caused by the demands of the new Russian life. This period of Ostrovsky’s activity includes: “Late Love” and “Labor Bread” (1874), “Wolves and Sheep” (1875), “Rich Brides” (1876), “Truth is good, but happiness is better” (1877), “The Last Victim” (1878), “The Dowry” and “The Good Master” (1879), “The Heart is Not a Stone” (1880), “Slave Women” (1881), “Talents and Admirers” (1882), “Handsome Man” (1883), “Guilty Without Guilt” (1884) and, finally, the last play, weak in concept and execution: “Not of this world” (1885). In addition, several plays were written by Ostrovsky in collaboration with other persons: with N.Ya. Solovyov - “The Marriage of Belugin” (1878), “Savage” (1880) and “It shines but does not warm” (1881); with P.M. Nevezhin - "Whim" (1881). Ostrovsky also owns a number of translations of foreign plays: Shakespeare's "Pacification of the Wayward" (1865), "The Great Banker" by Italo Franchi (1871), "The Lost Sheep" by Teobaldo Ciconi (1872), "The Coffee House" by Goldoni (1872), "The Family of a Criminal" Giacometti (1872), an adaptation from French of “The Slavery of Husbands” and, finally, a translation of 10 interludes by Cervantes, published separately in 1886. He wrote only 49 original plays. All these plays provide a gallery of a wide variety of Russian types, remarkable in its vitality and truthfulness, with all the peculiarities of their habits, language and character. In relation to the actual dramatic technique and composition, Ostrovsky's plays are often weak: the artist, deeply truthful by nature, was himself aware of his powerlessness in inventing a plot, in arranging the beginning and ending; he even said that “the playwright should not invent what happened; his job is to write how it happened or could have happened; that’s all his work; when he turns his attention in this direction, living people will appear and speak themselves.” Talking about his plays from this point of view, Ostrovsky admitted that his most difficult task is “fiction,” because any lie is disgusting to him; but it is impossible for a dramatic writer to do without this conventional lie. That “new word” of Ostrovsky, for which Apollo Grigoriev so ardently advocated, essentially lies not so much in “nationality” as in truthfulness, in the artist’s direct relationship to the life around him with the goal of its very real reproduction on stage. In this direction, Ostrovsky took a further step forward in comparison with Griboedov and Gogol and for a long time established on our stage that “natural school”, which at the beginning of his activity already dominated in other departments of our literature. A talented playwright, supported by equally talented artists, caused competition among his peers who followed the same path: playwrights of a homogeneous trend were Pisemsky, A. Potekhin and other, less noticeable, but in their time writers who enjoyed deserved success. Devoted with all his soul to the theater and its interests, Ostrovsky also devoted a lot of time and work to practical concerns about the development and improvement of dramatic art and improving the financial situation of dramatic authors. He dreamed of the opportunity to transform the artistic taste of artists and the public and create a theater school, equally useful for the aesthetic education of societies

and also for the preparation of worthy stage performers. Amid all sorts of griefs and disappointments, he remained faithful to this cherished dream until the end of his life, the realization of which was partly the Artistic Circle he created in 1866 in Moscow, which later gave many talented figures to the Moscow stage. At the same time, Ostrovsky was concerned about alleviating the financial situation of Russian playwrights: through his works, the Society of Russian Dramatic Writers and Opera Composers was formed (1874), of which he remained the permanent chairman until his death. In general, by the beginning of the 80s, Ostrovsky firmly took the place of the leader and teacher of Russian drama and stage. Working hard in the commission established in 1881 under the directorate of the Imperial Theaters “to revise the regulations on all parts of theatrical management,” he achieved many changes that significantly improved the situation of artists and made it possible to more efficiently organize theatrical education. In 1885, Ostrovsky was appointed head of the repertory department of Moscow theaters and head of the theater school. His health, already weakened by this time, did not correspond to the broad plans of activity that he had set for himself. The intense work quickly exhausted the body; On June 2, 1886, Ostrovsky died in his Kostroma estate Shchelykovo, without having time to implement his transformative assumptions.

Ostrovsky's works have been published many times; the latest and more complete publication - the Enlightenment partnership (St. Petersburg, 1896 - 97, in 10 volumes, edited by M.I. Pisarev and with a biographical sketch by I. Nosov). Separately published were “Dramatic Translations” (Moscow, 1872), “Interlude of Cervantes” (St. Petersburg, 1886) and “Dramatic Works of A. Ostrovsky and N. Solovyov” (St. Petersburg, 1881). For the biography of Ostrovsky, the most important work is the book of the French scientist J. Patouillet “O. et son theater de moeurs russes” (Paris, 1912), which contains all the literature about Ostrovsky. See memoirs of S.V. Maksimov in "Russian Thought" 1897 and Kropachev in "Russian Review" 1897; I. Ivanov "A.N. Ostrovsky, his life and literary activity" (St. Petersburg, 1900). The best critical articles about Ostrovsky were written by Apollo Grigoriev (in "Moskvityanin" and "Time"), Edelson ("Library for Reading", 1864), Dobrolyubov ("The Dark Kingdom" and "A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom") and Boborykin ("The Word ", 1878). - Wed. also books by A.I. Nezelenova "Ostrovsky in his works" (St. Petersburg, 1888), and Or. F. Miller "Russian writers after Gogol" (St. Petersburg, 1887). P. Morozov.

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was born on April 12 (March 31, old style) 1823 in Moscow.

As a child, Alexander received a good education at home - he studied ancient Greek, Latin, French, German, and later English, Italian, and Spanish.

In 1835-1840, Alexander Ostrovsky studied at the First Moscow Gymnasium.

In 1840 he entered Moscow University at the Faculty of Law, but in 1843, due to a collision with one of the professors, he left his studies.

In 1943-1945 he served in the Moscow Conscientious Court (a provincial court that considered civil cases through the conciliation procedure and some criminal cases).

1845-1851 - worked in the office of the Moscow Commercial Court, resigning with the rank of provincial secretary.

In 1847, Ostrovsky published in the newspaper "Moscow City Listok" the first draft of the future comedy "Our People - Let's Count Together" entitled "The Insolvent Debtor", then the comedy "Picture of Family Happiness" (later "Family Picture") and the prose essay "Notes of Zamoskvoretsky" resident."

Ostrovsky received recognition from the comedy "Our People - Let's Be Numbered" ( original title"Bankrupt"), which was completed at the end of 1849. Before publication, the play received favorable reviews from writers Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Goncharov, and historian Timofey Granovsky. The comedy was published in 1950 in the magazine "Moskvityanin". Censorship, which saw the work as an insult to the merchant class, did not allow its production on stage - the play was first staged in 1861.

Since 1847, Ostrovsky collaborated as an editor and critic with the magazine "Moskvityanin", publishing his plays in it: "The Morning of a Young Man", "An Unexpected Case" (1850), the comedy "Poor Bride" (1851), "Not on Your Sleigh" sit down" (1852), "Poverty is not a vice" (1853), "Don't live the way you want" (1854).

After the publication of "Moskvityanin" ceased, Ostrovsky in 1856 moved to "Russian Messenger", where his comedy "At Someone Else's Feast a Hangover" was published in the second book of that year. But he did not work for this magazine for long.

Since 1856 Ostrovsky - permanent employee magazine "Contemporary". In 1857 he wrote the plays “A Profitable Place” and “A Festive Sleep Before Dinner”, in 1858 - “The Characters Didn’t Get Along”, in 1859 - “The Kindergarten” and “The Thunderstorm”.

In the 1860s, Alexander Ostrovsky turned to historical drama, considering such plays necessary in the theater repertoire. He created a cycle of historical plays: "Kozma Zakharyich Minin-Sukhoruk" (1861), "The Voevoda" (1864), "Dmitry the Pretender and Vasily Shuisky" (1866), "Tushino" (1866), the psychological drama "Vasilisa Melentyeva" (1868 ).

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was born on March 31 (April 12), 1823 in Moscow. The future playwright spent his childhood and youth in Zamoskvorechye.
Ostrovsky's father, Nikolai Fedorovich, at one time completed a course at the Theological Academy. Served in Civil Chamber, was engaged in private advocacy. At the end of his life he earned and acquired the rank of hereditary nobleman.
Ostrovsky's mother, Lyubov Ivanovna, née Savvina, was the daughter of a priest. She bore her husband eleven children, four of whom survived. She died in 1831. The children were raised by a nanny, Avdotya Ivanovna Kutuzova, and later by the second wife of Nikolai Fedorovich.
Ostrovsky's stepmother, Baroness Emilia Andreevna von Tesin, was Swedish by birth. She raised Nikolai Fedorovich’s children and instilled in them a love of European art. Largely thanks to her, the children in the Ostrovsky family spoke several languages. Alexander, in particular, knew Greek, French, German, and later English, Italian, and Spanish.
1835 - Alexander Ostrovsky was sent to the 1st Moscow Gymnasium.
1840 - Ostrovsky graduates from high school and enters the law faculty of Moscow University. His father wants Alexander to become a lawyer, but his desire to literary creativity and passion for theater turn out to be stronger.
1843 - Ostrovsky interrupts his studies at the University (he is of little interest in law), but at the insistence of his father, he enters the service as a scribe at the Moscow Conscientious Court. This work greatly helped Ostrovsky as a writer, it provided rich material for future creativity, because they passed before him true stories from privacy ordinary people. Alexander Nikolaevich wrote down all the most remarkable incidents from the life of merchants and nobles.
1846 - Ostrovsky plans to write a comedy. By different sources, it was called “The Insolvent Debtor” or “The Picture of Family Happiness.” Final version, however, was called “Our people - we will be numbered!” and appeared later.
1847 - sketches of the future comedy and the essay “Notes of a Zamoskvoretsky Resident” were published in the “Moscow City List”. Ostrovsky wrote one scene of the play in collaboration with provincial actor Dmitry Gorev, as a result of which the first publication included the initials not only “A.O.”, but also “D.G.” Alexander Nikolaevich's ill-wishers subsequently took advantage of this circumstance and fanned a large campaign accusing the playwright of plagiarism.
Spring 1848 - the Ostrovsky family moves to the Shchelykovo estate in the Kineshma district of the Kostroma province. This was the desire of Nikolai Fedorovich, who decided to return to his native place in his old age. Alexander Nikolaevich, who has lived separately from his family for a long time, nevertheless visits Shchelykovo. He is fascinated by Central Russian nature, and the Volga makes an indelible impression. Subsequently, admiration for the great Russian river will be reflected in many of the playwright’s works.
The end of the 40s - Alexander Nikolaevich and his first wife, Moscow bourgeois Agafya Ivanovna, begin to live in a civil marriage.
1849 - Ostrovsky writes his first comedy “Our People – Let’s Be Numbered!” (first called "Bankrupt").
1850 - “Our people - we will be numbered!” published, but by decree of Emperor Nicholas I the comedy was prohibited from being staged. The author was dismissed from service and placed under police supervision. Supervision was lifted only after the accession of Alexander II. However, the play received the approval of I.A. Goncharova and N.V. Gogol. Ostrovsky becomes famous. He begins to collaborate with the magazine “Moskovityanin” and joins the circle of writers, artists and other art workers. This year the plays “The Morning of a Young Man” and “An Unexpected Case” were also written.
1851 - “The Poor Bride” was written and published.
1855 - 1860 - during this period, Alexander Nikolaevich became closer to the revolutionary democrats. Characteristic works of this time - the opposition of "rulers" little man" Ostrovsky writes “In someone else’s feast there is a hangover”, “A profitable place”, “The pupil”.
1856 - Ostrovsky begins to collaborate with the Sovremennik magazine. This year Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich offers Russian writers business trip - describe various areas of the country in terms of domestic and industrial. Ostrovsky takes over the Volga, from the upper reaches of the river to Nizhny Novgorod. He travels on a ship, making numerous notes along the way.
1857 - Ostrovsky writes the play “The characters did not agree.”
1859 – “The Thunderstorm” was written. In the same year, two volumes of the works of A.N Ostrovsky were published.
1860 - Dobrolyubov, highly appreciating “The Thunderstorm,” writes the article “A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom.”
1860s - during this period of creativity Ostrovsky turns to historical topics. He writes the chronicles “Tushino”, “Dmitry the Pretender and Vasily Shuisky”, the psychological drama “Vasilisa Melentyeva”.
1861 – the production of the play “Our People – Let’s Be Numbered!” was allowed.
1863 - Ostrovsky was awarded the Uvarov Prize. Elected corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
The second wife of Alexander Nikolaevich was the Maly Theater actress Maria Vasilievna Bakhmetyeva. She was much younger than Ostrovsky.
1864 - the Ostrovskys have their first child, son Alexander. In total, Alexander Nikolaevich had six children: a son, Mikhail, was born in 1866, a daughter, Maria, in 1867, a son, Sergei, in 1869, a second daughter, Lyubov, in 1874, and a fourth son, Nikolai, in 1877.
1865 - 1866 - at this time ( exact date not determined) Ostrovsky creates an Artistic Circle in Moscow, from where many talented people subsequently appeared on the Moscow stage theater people. From the beginning of 1866, Alexander Nikolaevich was appointed head of the repertoire department of the Moscow imperial theaters.
The period of the 1870s - Ostrovsky in his works turns to the life of the nobility. The plays “Simplicity is Enough for Every Wise Man,” “Mad Money,” “Forest,” “Snow Maiden,” “Wolves and Sheep” were published. In the first half of the decade, the Society of Russian Dramatic Writers and Opera Composers was formed in Moscow, of which Alexander Nikolaevich was chairman until his death.
1870 - 1880 - known as last period creativity of Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. The works are characterized by an appeal to the fate of the Russian woman in post-reform Russia: “The Last Victim”, “Dowry”, “Heart is not a Stone”, “Talents and Admirers” and other plays.
1881 - a Commission was established under the Directorate of Imperial Theaters “to revise the regulations on all parts of theatrical management.” Ostrovsky takes a very active part in the work of the Commission, and through his efforts many changes were adopted that significantly improved financial situation actors.
1883 – Emperor Alexander III grants Ostrovsky a pension of 3,000 rubles per year.
1885 - Ostrovsky was appointed head of the repertory department of Moscow theaters and at the same time head of the theater school.
June 2 (14), 1886 - Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky dies on the Shchelykovo estate. He was buried in the local cemetery. Total, according to various sources. Ostrovsky wrote 47 or 49 plays.