Message on the topic Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov Shchedrin. Saltykov Shchedrin short biography

Literary pseudonym - Shchedrin (1826-1889) - prose writer, publicist, critic.
The great Russian satirist Saltykov-Shchedrin was born and raised in a wealthy landowner family, but in the house there was an atmosphere of stinginess, mutual hostility, hypocrisy and inhumanity.
Saltykov first studied at the Moscow Noble Institute and, as an excellent student, was sent to St. Petersburg, to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. In 1844, Saltykov graduated from the Lyceum and entered service in the War Ministry.
In his first works, the writer spoke out against social inequality. The hero of his story “A Confused Affair” (1848) saw the Russian social system as a huge pyramid of people, at the base of which are the poor, persecuted by the unbearable hardships of life. Nicholas I found in the story “a desire to spread revolutionary ideas,” so in 1848 the young writer was exiled to Vyatka, where he spent 8 years. Only after the death of the Tsar, in 1855, was the writer able to return to St. Petersburg.
In 1857 it was published new book writer - "Provincial Sketches". The work was directed against landlord oppression and bureaucratic arbitrariness.
In the 60s, the great satirist decisively opposed the autocracy in his remarkable book “The History of a City” (1869-1870), in which he sought to destroy the people’s faith in the “good king.” In this work, Shchedrin painted a terrifying picture of popular lawlessness, grief and poverty (see "The History of a City").
From 1868 to 1884, he published all his works only on the pages of Otechestvennye Zapiski. Readers of the magazine get acquainted with the cycles of satirical stories and essays by Saltykov: “Pompadours and pompadours” (1863-1874), “Letters about the province” (1868), “Signs of the times” (1868), “Gentlemen of Tashkent” (1869-1872), “ Well-Intentioned Speeches" (1872-1876), "In an Environment of Moderation and Accuracy" (1874-1877), "The Monrepos Shelter" (1878-1879), "Letters to Auntie" (1881-1882), the novels "The Lord Golovlevs" (1875 -1880) and “Modern Idyll” (1877-1883). Saltykov creates a kind of satirical encyclopedia of Russian life.
The most popular are the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin. His first tales were published in 1869: " Wild landowner", "How one man fed two generals."
Fairy tales are the result of many years of life observations of the writer. In them he acts as a defender of people's interests, an exponent of people's ideals, advanced ideas of his time (see "Tales of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin").
Among the works of the great satirist, his novels “The Golovlevs” (1875-1880) and “Poshekhon Antiquity” (1887-1889) occupy a special place. The novel "The Golovlev Gentlemen" shows three generations of the Golovlev family. The people of this family, unfit for work, spiritually empty, hate and fear each other. There is a constant family war going on. The Golovlev gentlemen are destroyed by their very way of life with well-fed idleness and parasitism. Here they do not spare the sick, the weak, or the dying. (See "Messrs. Golovlevs").
In the novel "Poshekhon Antiquity" the writer drew scary pictures serf life, and in the book “Little Things in Life” (1886) Shchedrin showed the tragedy of the life of “little”, ordinary people.
Many of Shchedrin's satirical types outlived both their era and their creator. They have become household names, denoting new and at the same time social phenomena of Russian and world life that have their own long-standing pedigree.
Throughout his life, Saltykov-Shchedrin retained faith in his people, his history. “I love Russia to the point of heartache and I can’t even imagine myself anywhere other than Russia.”

The article is devoted to a brief biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin, a famous Russian writer, creator of numerous satirical works.

Brief biography: public service

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin was born in 1826 in a small village in the Tver province. His family was of ancient origin. Since childhood, the future writer was familiar with all the details of landowner and, accordingly, peasant life. He fully applied this knowledge in his works.
Mikhail received a decent education at home and continued his studies, first at an institute in Moscow, and then at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Here he writes his first poems, being strongly influenced by the works of Gogol and Belinsky's articles.
In 1844, Saltykov-Shchedrin came to St. Petersburg and began serving as an official. Dead bureaucracy and boredom are not to the liking of a young man. He attends evenings where famous writers, scientists and philosophers gather. During meetings, they openly discuss important issues Russian life. There is often criticism of serfdom. These conversations sink deep into Saltykov-Shchedrin’s soul, and his own worldview begins to take shape.
Saltykov-Shchedrin's first works had a strong social orientation. The authorities took note of him and, in connection with the growing revolutionary movement, a decision was made to deport the young writer to Vyatka. However, even in exile, Saltykov-Shchedrin held a public position in the provincial government. On duty, Saltykov-Shchedrin made numerous trips to villages and observed serfdom. This gave him abundant material for his works. In 1855, after the death of Nicholas I, Saltykov-Shchedrin was granted the right to live freely. He returns to the capital and resumes literary activity.
Saltykov-Shchedrin publishes "Provincial Sketches", which are very popular. The writer is considered one of the heirs of Gogol's talent. Saltykov-Shchedrin gets married.
Saltykov-Shchedrin continues government activities. He took part in the development of projects for the abolition of serfdom at the turn of the 50-60s. served as vice-governor in Tver and Ryazan. At work, the writer tried to surround himself with young people thirsting for change. He was attracted to honest, decent people who strive to do good and do not care about their well-being. He continues to publish short stories.
In 1862, Saltykov-Shchedrin left the service and joined the editorial board of the Sovremennik magazine. The writer is actively involved in journalistic work. However, two years later, due to internal disagreements in the editorial office, Saltykov-Shchedrin left Sovremennik and re-entered the service. For three years he has headed the Treasury Chambers in several cities, but cannot stay in one place for long. The writer writes sharp satirical articles about his bosses. Another complaint leads to Saltykov-Shchedrin being dismissed. The result of this period of life is “Letters about the Province”.

Brief biography: literary activity

In 1868-1884. The writer works for the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. He completely switches to writing. At this time, he completed his main satirical work, “The History of a City.” This work is the pinnacle of Saltykov-Shchedrin's satire. "History" is a parody of the entire Russian state since its inception. The development of a fictional city and its changing mayors - analogue Russian history. The heroes of the work are not direct copies of famous Russian rulers, but have many of their generalized features. Fierce controversy arose over the work. Some praised the talent of Saltykov-Shchedrin, others believed that after such a deep insult to their country it was indecent to even read him.
Subsequently, Saltykov-Shchedrin often travels abroad and meets with foreign writers. In the 80s from his pen came “The Golovlevs” and “Modern Idyll”, which are the culmination of the writer’s grotesquery.
Saltykov-Shchedrin begins to publish in the magazine "Bulletin of Europe". At this time, he wrote an autobiographical novel, “Poshekhon Antiquity.”
Saltykov-Shchedrin died in St. Petersburg in 1889. He did not become a great Russian writer, but was always at the forefront of the socio-political thought of his time. His satirical works, although considered frivolous, are among the best accusatory works of the XIX V. Behind the fantastic characters and scenes is a deep sense of truth and justice.

A brilliant and inquisitive mind, a lively language filled with sharp satire. His works are transferred to Russian reality of the mid-19th century. With the help of pen and paper, he was able to create accurate and succinct images of the official of that time, to expose the main vices - bribery, bureaucracy, fear of the slightest changes.

Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin is one of the brightest writers of his time. His “History of a City” and “The Tale of How a Man Fed Two Generals” are classics and are still relevant today.

Childhood

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov (Shchedrin is a pseudonym) was born on January 15, 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province. Now this is the Taldomsky district of the Moscow region. He was the sixth child in a large noble family. Father Evgraf Vasilyevich Saltykov had the rank of collegiate adviser, and mother Olga Mikhailovna was from the wealthy merchant family of the Zabelins. The age difference between the parents was 25 years.

My father, after retiring, did nothing special. He rarely traveled outside the boundaries of the estate; he mostly stayed at home and read books of mystical content. The mother was in charge of all affairs - a strict, domineering and calculating woman. Over the course of several years, she was able to significantly increase her husband’s fortune.

Raising children fell on the shoulders of governesses, numerous nannies, and invited teachers. The younger generation of Saltykovs were kept in strictness; their mother often personally punished them with rods for misdeeds. “I remember being whipped, for what, by whom exactly, I don’t remember, but they whipped me very painfully with a rod. The governess of my older brothers and sisters is trying to intercede, because I am still too young. I was two years old."

Members of a large family will subsequently become prototypes for the heroes of various works. The novel “Poshekhon Antiquity” completely describes the way of life of a noble family and is largely considered autobiographical.

Best on the course

At age 10, home education is finally completed. Mikhail goes to Moscow to enter the Noble Institute. After the entrance exams, the boy is immediately enrolled in third grade. And after two years, a talented student, the best in the class, is transferred to the prestigious Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

Here Saltykov also demonstrates extraordinary abilities. For which he receives the nickname “smart guy.” He is also called “Pushkin of his course.” The young man tries himself in poetry, his first poems “Lyrics” and “Our Century” are published in major Moscow magazines. But Mikhail is very strict with himself and after a few years, re-reading his works, he realizes that poetry is not his thing and he doesn’t write any more poems.

At the Lyceum, Saltykov meets Mikhail Petrashevsky, he is studying several years older. They are united by the ideas of democratic reforms in Russia, the abolition of serfdom and universal equality. The work of Herzen and Belinsky, also imbued with the spirit of change, has a strong influence on the young man.

Mikhail graduated from the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum in 1844 and was awarded the rank of 10th grade - collegiate secretary.

In the same 1844, 18-year-old Mikhail Saltykov entered the public service. He is accepted into the office of the War Ministry. At the same time, they take a receipt that he is not and will not be a member of any secret societies. The young official does not like his job.

Salvation is meeting with like-minded people on Fridays at Petrashevsky, theater and literature. The young author writes a lot, his stories - “Entangled Affair” and “Contradictions” - reflect idealistic views on life. The works are published in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski.

It coincides that at the same time the publication was closely monitored by a special commission created by order of the emperor. The magazine will be considered harmful, and the young official and writer will first be sent to St. Petersburg to a guardhouse, and then into exile in Vyatka (now Kirov). Mikhail Saltykov will spend 7 years there, from 1848 to 1855. Numerous petitions from parents, influential relatives and friends will not help. Nicholas I will remain categorical.

In Vyatka, Saltykov first works as an ordinary scribe. Then he is appointed senior official for special assignments under the governor, and later an adviser to the provincial government. Mikhail Evgrafovich travels a lot around the province, organizes a large agricultural exhibition, conducts an inventory of real estate, and writes his thoughts on the topic “Improving public and economic affairs.”

Writer and Lieutenant Governor

Mikhail Evgrafovich goes to St. Petersburg, where he works in the Ministry of Internal Affairs as an official for special assignments under the minister. He is sent to the Tver and Vladimir provinces to check the work of several committees. What he saw would form the basis of the famous “Provincial Sketches”; they were published in 1857 in the “Russian Bulletin” under the pseudonym Nikolai Shchedrin.

The work will bring fame to the author, and the essays will be published in enormous quantities. The created images are so subtle and truthful, they show the psychology of a Russian official so accurately that they will begin to talk about the author as the founder of accusatory literature.

For a long time, Mikhail Evgrafovich managed to combine two types of activities: public service and writing. Mikhail Saltykov is building a career, holding the position of vice-governor in the Ryazan and Tver provinces, fighting bribery and bureaucracy. Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin is a successful author who writes a lot and is published in all famous magazines in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He is faithful to his chosen path - to expose the shortcomings of Russian reality. The most famous work- a satirical novel “The History of a City”, which tells about the structure of the fictional Foolov and its inhabitants, the Foolovites.

Also among the author’s popular books are a cycle of fairy tales, the novel “Poshekhon Antiquity”, “The Golovlev Lords”. In addition, Saltykov-Shchedrin was a successful publisher; under his leadership, Otechestvennye zapiski and Sovremennik significantly increased their circulation.

SALTYKOV (pseudonym - N. Shchedrin) Mikhail Evgrafovich (1826 - 1889), prose writer. Born on January 15 (27 NS) in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province, into an old noble family. His childhood years were spent on his father’s family estate in “... the years... at the very height of serfdom,” in one of the remote corners of “Poshekhonye.” Observations of this life will subsequently be reflected in the writer’s books. Having received a good education at home, Saltykov at the age of 10 was accepted as a boarder at the Moscow Noble Institute, where he spent two years, then in 1838 he was transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Here he begins to write poetry and is greatly influenced by the articles of V. Belinsky and A. Herzen, and the works of N. Gogol.

In 1844, after graduating from the Lyceum, he served as an official in the office of the War Ministry. “... Debt is everywhere, coercion is everywhere, boredom and lies are everywhere...”, he gave such a description of bureaucratic Petersburg. Another life was more attractive to Saltykov: communication with writers, visiting Petrashevsky’s “Fridays,” where philosophers, scientists, writers, and military men gathered, united by anti-serfdom sentiments and the search for the ideals of a just society.

Saltykov’s first stories “Contradictions” (1847), “A Confused Affair” (1848), with their acute social problems, attracted the attention of the authorities, frightened by the French Revolution of 1848. The writer was exiled to Vyatka for “... a harmful way of thinking and a destructive desire to spread ideas, which have already shaken the whole of Western Europe..." For eight years he lived in Vyatka, where in 1850 he was appointed to the position of adviser to the provincial government. This made it possible to often go on business trips and observe the bureaucratic world and peasant life. The impressions of these years will influence the satirical direction of the writer’s work. At the end of 1855, after the death of Nicholas 1, having received the right to “live wherever he wishes,” he returned to St. Petersburg and resumed literary work. In 1856 - 57, “Provincial Sketches” were written, published on behalf of the “court adviser N. Shchedrin,” who became known throughout reading Russia, which named him Gogol’s heir.

At this time, he married the 17-year-old daughter of the Vyatka vice-governor, E. Boltina. Saltykov sought to combine the work of a writer with public service. In 1856 - 58 he was an official of special assignments in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where work on preparing the peasant reform was concentrated.

In 1858 - 62 he served as vice-governor in Ryazan, then in Tver. I always tried to surround myself at my place of work with honest, young and educated people, firing bribe-takers and thieves.

During these years, he wrote stories and essays (“Innocent Stories”, 1857 - 63; “Satires in Prose”, 1859 - 62), as well as articles on the peasant question.

In 1862 he retired, moved to St. Petersburg and, at the invitation of Nekrasov, joined the editorial board of the Sovremennik magazine, which at that time was experiencing enormous difficulties (Dobrolyubov died, Chernyshevsky was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress). Saltykov takes on a huge amount of writing and editing work. But the main attention is given to the monthly review “Nasha” social life", which became a monument to Russian journalism of the 1860s.

In 1864, Saltykov left the editorial office of Sovremennik, the reason was internal disagreements on the tactics of social struggle in the new conditions. Returns to public service.

In 1865 - 68 he headed the State Chambers in Penza, Tula, Ryazan; observations of the life of these cities formed the basis of “Letters about the Province” (1869). The frequent change of duty stations is explained by conflicts with the heads of the provinces, at whom the writer “laughed” in grotesque pamphlets. After a complaint from the Ryazan governor, Saltykov was dismissed in 1868 with the rank of full state councilor. Moves to St. Petersburg, accepts N. Nekrasov’s invitation to become co-editor of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski, where he works from 1868 to 84. Saltykov now devotes himself entirely to literary activity. In 1869 - 70 he wrote “The History of a City,” the pinnacle of his satirical art.

In 1875 - 76 he was treated abroad, visited countries Western Europe at different years of life. In Paris he met with Turgenev, Flaubert, Zola.

In the 1880s, Saltykov's satire reaches a climax in its anger and grotesquery: “Modern Idylls” (1877 - 83); “Gentlemen Golovlevs” (1880); “Poshekhonsky stories” (1883 - 84).

In 1884, the journal Otechestvennye zapiski was closed, after which Saltykov was forced to publish in the journal Vestnik Evropy.

IN recent years life created his masterpieces: “Fairy Tales” (1882 - 86); “Little things in life” (1886 - 87); “Poshekhon antiquity” (1887 - 89). A few days before his death, he wrote the first pages of a new work, “Forgotten Words,” where he wanted to remind the “motley people” of the 1880s about the words they had lost: “conscience, fatherland, humanity... others are still out there...”.

Materials used from the book: Russian writers and poets. Brief biographical dictionary. Moscow, 2000.

Literature:

1. Sokolova K.I. Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin. M., 1993.

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin is a Russian writer, journalist, publicist and public figure. Born in 1826 on January 27 in the Tver province, a descendant of an ancient noble family. He excelled in his studies at the noble institute, thanks to which in 1838 he transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. At the age of 22, he was exiled to Vyatka, where he worked for the next 8 years in low positions in the provincial government.

Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Mikhail Saltykov joined the Ministry of Internal Affairs and also continued to write. After retiring, he moved to St. Petersburg and began editorial work at the Sovremennik magazine. Later he returned to public service, and also served on the editorial board of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. The ban on this publication in 1884 greatly damaged the writer’s health, which was reflected in various works. He died on April 28, 1889 and was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery according to his own last will next to I.S. Turgenev.

Creative stages of life

Mikhail Saltykov graduated from the lyceum in the second category. Standard lyceum “sins” such as smoking, rudeness and careless appearance he was also credited with writing disapproving poetry. However, the future writer’s poems turned out to be weak, and he himself understood this, so he quickly abandoned poetic activity.

From Saltykov-Shchedrin’s debut work “Contradictions,” it is noticeable that the young prose writer was greatly influenced by the novels of George Sand and French socialism. “Contradictions” and “Convoluted Case” caused indignation among the authorities, and Mikhail Evgrafovich was exiled to Vyatka. He practically did not study literature during this period of his life. It was possible to return to it in 1855, when, after the death of Nicholas I, the young official was allowed to leave his place of exile. “Provincial Sketches”, published in “Russian Bulletin”, made Shchedrin famous and revered in wide circle readers by the author.

Being the vice-governor of Tver and Ryazan, the writer did not stop writing for many magazines, although readers found most of his works in Sovremennik. From the works of 1858-1862, the collections “Satires in Prose” and “Innocent Stories” were formed, published three times each. During his service as manager of the treasury chamber of Penza, Tula and Ryazan (1864-1867), Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov was published only once with the article “Testament to my children.”

In 1868, the publicist completely left the civil service and, at the personal request of Nikolai Nekrasov, became one of the key employees of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. Ten years later he became editor-in-chief. Until 1884, when Otechestvennye zapiski was banned, Saltykov-Shchedrin devoted himself entirely to working on them, publishing almost two dozen collections. This period saw the publication of one of the author’s best and most popular works, “The History of a City.”

Having lost his most beloved publication, Mikhail Evgrafovich was published in the “Bulletin of Europe”, which included the most grotesque collections: “Poshekhon Antiquity”, “Fairy Tales”, “Little Things in Life”.

Basic motives of creativity

Saltykov-Shchedrin became a popularizer of the social-satirical fairy tale. In his stories and tales, he exposed human vices, relations between the authorities and the people, bureaucratic crime and tyranny, as well as landowner cruelty. The novel “The Golovlevs” depicts the physical and spiritual decay of the nobility at the end of the 19th century.

After the closure of Otechestvennye Zapiski, Saltykov-Shchedrin directed his writing talent to the top of the Russian government, creating exclusively grotesque works. A distinctive feature of the author's style is the depiction of the vices of the bureaucratic and power apparatus not from the outside, but through the eyes of a person who is part of this environment.