Abstract on the theme of the golden age of Russian literature. The Golden Age of Russian Literature (Russian Literary Process of the 19th Century) “It is not only the abundance of talents born in Russia in the 19th century that excites me to the point of insane pride. Current genres of literature

The 19th century is called the “Golden Age” of Russian poetry and the century of Russian literature on a global scale. We should not forget that the literary leap that took place in the 19th century was prepared by the entire course of the literary process of the 17th and 18th centuries. The 19th century is the time of the formation of Russian literary language, which took shape largely thanks to A.S. Pushkin.

But the 19th century began with the heyday of sentimentalism and the emergence of romanticism. These literary trends found expression primarily in poetry. The poetic works of poets E.A. come to the fore. Baratynsky, K.N. Batyushkova, V.A. Zhukovsky, A.A. Feta, D.V. Davydova, N.M. Yazykova. The creativity of F.I. Tyutchev's "Golden Age" of Russian poetry was completed. However, the central figure of this time was Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

A.S. Pushkin began his ascent to the literary Olympus with the poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila” in 1920. And his novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” was called an encyclopedia of Russian life. Romantic poems by A.S. Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman” (1833), “The Bakhchisarai Fountain”, and “The Gypsies” ushered in the era of Russian romanticism. Many poets and writers considered A.S. Pushkin their teacher and continued the traditions of creating literary works laid down by him. One of these poets was M.Yu. Lermontov. His romantic poem “Mtsyri”, the poetic story “Demon”, and many romantic poems are known. It is interesting that Russian poetry of the 19th century was closely connected with the socio-political life of the country. Poets tried to comprehend the idea of their special purpose. The poet in Russia was considered a conductor of divine truth, a prophet. The poets called on the authorities to listen to their words. Vivid examples of understanding the role of the poet and influence on political life countries are poems by A.S. Pushkin “The Prophet”, ode “Liberty”, “Poet and the Crowd”, poem by M.Yu. Lermontov “On the Death of a Poet” and many others.

Along with poetry, prose began to develop. Prose writers at the beginning of the century were influenced by the English historical novels of W. Scott, the translations of which were extremely popular. The development of Russian prose of the 19th century began with the prose works of A.S. Pushkin and N.V. Gogol. Pushkin, under the influence of English historical novels, creates the story “The Captain's Daughter”, where the action takes place against the backdrop of grandiose historical events: during the Pugachev rebellion. A.S. Pushkin did a colossal amount of work exploring this historical period. This work was largely political in nature and was aimed at those in power.

A.S. Pushkin and N.V. Gogol outlined the main artistic types that would be developed by writers throughout the 19th century. This is the artistic type of “superfluous man”, an example of which is Eugene Onegin in the novel by A.S. Pushkin, and the so-called type “ little man", which is shown by N.V. Gogol in his story “The Overcoat”, as well as A.S. Pushkin in the story “The Station Agent”.

Literature inherited its journalistic and satirical character from the 18th century. In the prose poem by N.V. Gogol " Dead Souls“The writer, in a sharp satirical manner, shows a swindler who buys up dead souls, various types of landowners who are the embodiment of various human vices (the influence of classicism is evident). The comedy “The Inspector General” is based on the same plan. The works of A. S. Pushkin are also full of satirical images. Literature continues to satirically depict Russian reality. The tendency to depict the vices and shortcomings of Russian society is a characteristic feature of all Russian classical literature. It can be traced in the works of almost all writers of the 19th century. At the same time, many writers implement the satirical tendency in a grotesque form. Examples of grotesque satire are the works of N.V. Gogol “The Nose”, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin “Gentlemen Golovlevs”, “The History of a City”.

Since the middle of the 19th century, the formation of Russian realistic literature has been taking place, which was created against the backdrop of the tense socio-political situation that developed in Russia during the reign of Nicholas I. A crisis of the serfdom system is brewing, and contradictions between the authorities and the common people are strong. There is an urgent need to create realistic literature that is acutely responsive to the socio-political situation in the country. Literary critic V.G. Belinsky denotes a new realistic direction in literature. His position is developed by N.A. Dobrolyubov, N.G. Chernyshevsky. A dispute arises between Westerners and Slavophiles about the ways historical development Russia.

Writers turn to socio-political problems of Russian reality. The genre of the realistic novel is developing. His works are created by I.S. Turgenev, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, I.A. Goncharov. The socio-political, philosophical issues. Literature is distinguished by a special psychologism.

The development of poetry subsides somewhat. It is worth noting the poetic works of Nekrasov, who was the first to introduce social issues into poetry. His poem “Who can live well in Rus'? ", as well as many poems that reflect on the difficult and hopeless life of the people.

The literary process of the late 19th century revealed the names of N.S. Leskov, A.N. Ostrovsky A.P. Chekhov. The latter proved himself to be a master of small things literary genre- a storyteller, as well as an excellent playwright. Competitor A.P. Chekhov was Maxim Gorky.

The end of the 19th century was marked by the emergence of pre-revolutionary sentiments. The realistic tradition began to fade away. It was replaced by the so-called decadent literature, the distinctive features of which were mysticism, religiosity, as well as a premonition of changes in the socio-political life of the country. Subsequently, decadence developed into symbolism. This opens a new page in the history of Russian literature.

The topic of our lesson today is the “golden age” of Russian culture. To do this, we will understand what period of Russian culture is meant and why it is called “golden”. Let's find out the history of the origin of this concept and the features of its development.

Topic: Russian literature of the 19th century

Lesson:Golden Age of Russian Culture

The concept of “golden age” is metaphorical, and in order to understand the meaning of this metaphor, you need to remember where the direct meaning came from. It will take us to antiquity, to antiquity, to greek mythology, where the idea of the “golden age” arose as a special state of life of people and gods, when they lived in harmony. These mythological ideas were recorded by ancient authors. First of all, we are talking about the Greek poet Hesiod

and his poem “Works and Days,” in which he speaks only about the generation of people created by the gods. This was the time when Kronos, or Chronos in the Greek tradition, and in the Roman tradition, Satur, created a special kind of “golden people”. Much later, the Roman poet Virgil

in the poem “Aeneid” he will use exactly this expression - “golden age”, meaning now not the qualities of people, but the quality of time. His contemporary Ovid

in the poem “The Science of Love” he ironically recalls the “golden age”, saying that nowadays we have to pay for everything in gold, because we live in the “golden age”.

Over time, it was Roman literature that began to be called “golden”. The heyday of Roman culture in the 1st century BC. was called the “golden age” of Roman culture and literature and was associated with several phenomena. On the one hand, with the problem Latin language, which at that time acquired the special quality of its classical completeness. Something similar will happen in Russian literature early XIX century. On the other hand, it was an era of special patronage of the sciences and arts. First Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus

supported writers: Horace, Virgil - in a special way creating favorable conditions for the development of literature and culture.

When we talk about Russian culture at the beginning of the 19th century, it is reasonable to recall that Herzen,

reflecting on the uniqueness of the historical path of Russian culture, which it passed from the time of Peter’s reforms to the beginning of the 19th century, with his characteristic beauty of expressions, he will note that Russia will respond to Peter’s call for education a hundred years later with the genius of Pushkin. And in this sense, indeed, what we call the “golden age” of Russian culture begins with the first decades of the 19th century and, perhaps, was most clearly manifested in the completeness of the ensemble of the northern capital, St. Petersburg. It was at this time that St. Petersburg acquired that classic look that we remember, first of all, from Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin.” And indeed, the architect Zakharov

builds the Admiralty building,

Rice. 7. Admiralty building in St. Petersburg ()

from which the central avenues of St. Petersburg depart.

About the classical century in the history of Russian culture, which is also commonly called the St. Petersburg part of its history. And it’s not at all accidental. After all, the city of St. Petersburg itself will be at the center of events with very little great history, because its foundation dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. In the construction of St. Petersburg in the 18th century, the predominant architectural style was the Baroque style. So, the Peter and Paul Cathedral is being built

Rice. 8. Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg ()

Rice. 10. Francesco Rastrelli ()

builds the Winter Palace,

Rice. 11. Winter Palace in St. Petersburg ()

Catherine Palace.

Rice. 12. Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg ()

But by the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, the very idea of Russia as an empire began to be emphasized by the establishment of another architectural style - classicism. And if in literature Russian classicism was most clearly expressed in the middle of the 18th century, then in architecture and painting this style would reveal its most significant achievements precisely at the beginning of the 19th century, on the one hand. On the other hand, it will complete the architectural organization of St. Petersburg. Indeed, in this sense, there is reason to recall the construction of the Admiralty, built by the architect Zakharov. It turned out to be a certain point from which the main avenues of St. Petersburg radiate in different directions, and first of all, Nevsky, where in the first quarter of the 19th century the Kazan Cathedral completed its design,

Rice. 13. Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg ()

built by architect Voronikhin,

moreover, according to the model of Rome, in this case, according to the model of Peter’s Council,

Rice. 15. Peter's Basilica in Rome

built by Michelangelo.

Rice. 16. Buonarroti Michelangelo ()

And again ancient, Roman associations arise. Of course, the final registration of Vasilyevsky Island requires special discussion

Rice. 17. Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg ()

with the construction of an exchange building on it, which was supposed to balance the water and island spaces. For this, the same ancient Greek style is chosen: the stock exchange is built in the style of an ancient temple. And finally, a special topic is the work of the architect Carl Rossi, who had an amazing opportunity to build not individual buildings, as was usual, but to build entire urban ensembles, in the styles of which the same classicism prevails. Indispensable porticoes, columns, arches, indispensable proportionality, harmony of architectural parts. In a word, the very thing that was imperceptibly reflected not only in architecture, but also in literature. Because just at this time, precisely this tendency will prevail in the formation of the Russian literary poetic language: the desire for clarity, for harmonious accuracy, completeness. And in this regard, we really find a sign of this classical direction, style.

French architect Thomas de Thomon

builds the stock exchange building in the form of a huge ancient temple.

Rice. 19. Exchange building in St. Petersburg ()

builds its famous ensembles: Alexandria Theater

Rice. 21. Alexandria Theater in St. Petersburg ()

with the famous Rossi Street,

Rice. 22. Rossi Street in St. Petersburg ()

Mikhailovsky Castle,

Rice. 23. Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg ()

Rice. 24. Synod building in St. Petersburg ()

And all this will be architecture built in the style of classicism, which makes us remember the Greco-Roman tradition. And in this regard, indeed, there was a feeling that, at a minimum, St. Petersburg was turning into some semblance of the Roman Empire before our eyes. There is also reason to recall that at the same time it was not only a city associated with the imperial theme. After all, with the ability to build not individual houses, but entire architectural ensembles, St. Petersburg turned into a kind of work of art. And then another association arose: northern Athens, if we mean Greece as a certain symbol associated with the theme of art, philosophy, science and culture. It should be noted that the established Academy of Arts

Rice. 25. Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg ()

guided both architects and artists to recreate the classical style. It is worth remembering such personalities as Karl Bryullov,

if we keep in mind the creators of the grandiose canvases: “The Last Day of Pompeii”,

Rice. 28. “The Last Day of Pompeii” ()

Rice. 29. “The Appearance of Christ to the People” ()

More modest portrait painters Orest Kiprensky,

Vasily Tropinin.

If we talk about the development of painting in this era of the “golden age,” then there is reason to pay attention to the grandeur of our painters’ plans and cultural density. Because these pictorial ideas exert their influence and semantic pressure on other authors, writers for example. In this sense, it is worthy of special note that the outstanding masterpieces of, say, Karl Bryullov’s “The Last Day of Pompeii” are not only a grandiose canvas in itself, executed in a brilliant classicist manner with precision of depiction, skill, and extraordinary subtlety. The “Golden Age” is golden not only because the authors here achieve maximum perfection of form, but also differ in the depth of their ideas. So, looking at this canvas, Gogol thinks about what today’s writer needs as a plot, an idea of such an order that it captures everyone. Because Bryullov’s picture was made in such a way that the exploding Vesuvius terrifies a huge number of people. And this very fear, which simultaneously unites people and forces them to act as a single force, turned out to be extremely important for Gogol’s “The Inspector General”,

Rice. 32. Comedy “The Inspector General” by Nikolai Gogol ()

After all, there is no love intrigue, but everything is tied to the fear of the heroes. But, for example, Ivanov’s painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People” carried a mystical connotation, because despite its enormity, the viewer found himself included in the picture itself, and Christ seemed to really be coming towards you, which absolutely accompanies Gogol’s other brilliant idea: “The Dead souls."

Rice. 33. Poem “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol ()

According to the author’s plan, this was a book that was supposed to turn all of us “dead” souls into people with “alive” souls. Therefore, the grandeur of these ideas, which arise among both painters and writers, in their interaction is one of the features of the “golden age”.

And if we keep in mind musical culture, then it is impossible not to recall the brilliant work of Mikhail Glinka.

When we look at this layer of Russian culture associated with architecture and painting, these classicist Greco-Roman traditions are not only palpable here, they here acquire their classical character, completing the very idea of an open window to Europe that Peter dreamed of.

On the other hand, it is easy to notice that these authors and architects in the future will be perceived as the creators of national styles in one form or another of art. And therefore it is not at all surprising that in 1825 Pushkin’s close friend Pyotr Pletnev,

famous poet, literary critic, teacher of Russian literature, rector of St. Petersburg University, in one of the articles published in Delvig’s almanac “Northern Flowers”, will write a short review related to the development of Russian poetry over the past decades, recalling the work of Zhukovsky,

Batyushkova

Rice. 38. Konstantin Batyushkov ()

and ending with a conversation about the brilliant Pushkin,

Rice. 39. Alexander Pushkin

who, according to the author of the article, “is the first poet of the “golden age” of our literature (if it is absolutely necessary that each literature have its own “golden age”).” Pletnev, of course, has in mind the very “golden age” of Roman literature, therefore, in the environment in which St. Petersburg writers and cultural figures found themselves at the beginning of the 19th century, this feeling of closeness to the Roman classical tradition of its golden age was quite understandable and obvious.

But much later, already in the 30s of the 20th century, in Paris, the Russian poet and emigrant Nikolai Otsup

will write an article dedicated to the “Silver Age” in the history of Russian culture and literature, in which he will try to outline the line that arose between the “Golden” and “Silver Age” of literature. He started from the thoughts of the French writer and essayist Paul Valéry,

discussing the uniqueness of Russian literature of the 20th century. He was amazed by the huge number of talents that amazingly shone in the 19th century, meaning the “peak” authors and their “peak” achievements: Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky.

He compared this miracle of Russian art with what once happened in the development of ancient theater, when literally in a century three playwrights created the entire European dramatic tradition. He compared this era with the Renaissance, with its titans. And so Nikolai Otsup, thinking about the same thing, collects all Russian literature in its world context in the “golden age”. But he discovers the border separating the 19th century from the future modernist 20th century somewhere in the 80s of the 19th century. Thus, indeed, a broader idea of the “golden age” of Russian literature arose, which includes an idea of \u200b\u200bthe entire literature of the 19th century.

In the end, we can say that there is a narrow, more specific and historically justified idea of the “golden age”, which is associated with Russian culture and literature of the first quarter of the 19th century. That time that went down in the history of Russian culture as Pushkin’s time. And this, on the one hand, is an era that is largely structured as a summing up of the entire previous 18th century. On the other hand, it is important here as the era of the formation of national traditions and schools, because we habitually call Pushkin the founder of the Russian literary language and new Russian literature. We traditionally call Glinka, a contemporary of Pushkin, the founder of Russian music and the founder of the national school of composers.

But when this “golden age” is understood in an expanded sense, then, of course, we have to remember the entire 19th century and include not only the Pushkin era, but also Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov. And then it becomes clear that this is a kind of result of the “golden age” in the sense that this Russian culture and literature takes on the character of its sound. These are not only national achievements, but the entry of Russian culture onto the world stage.

The subsequent era, the era of Decadence, the era of Art Nouveau, puts a definite boundary between the emerging classical tradition of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

On the other hand, in a narrow sense, since we are still talking about the Pushkin era, the golden age of Russian literature that really sounded for the first time was primarily associated with the poets of the early 19th century, and, if we recall Pletnev, we are talking about the poetry of Konstantin Batyushkov, Vasily Zhukovsky, Alexander Pushkin, then we with some obviousness discover a certain kind of ring composition associated with a strange outbreak of poetry at the beginning of the 19th century on the one hand and no less strange in scale, in the volume of talents, in the number of poets, which seemed to suddenly happen in late XIX at the beginning of the 20th century. In this sense, the “golden” and “silver” centuries of Russian poetry fit quite symmetrically into the beginning of the 20th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, because in the middle we will find Russian prose, where indeed the formation of Russian realism in the middle of the 19th century will be associated somewhat with poetry, how much with prose. Although almost exactly in the middle of the century (in the mid-50s) three collections of three amazing poets will be published: this will be the first collection of Nekrasov,

this will be Tyutchev's first large collection

Rice. 48. Fyodor Tyutchev

and Fet's collection.

And indeed, it turns out that these three authors find themselves exactly in the middle, between the “golden” poetic age of Russian literature and the “silver” one. And they will turn out to be authors who will in a special way connect these two poetic centuries, the two heydays of Russian poetry.

There is reason to recall that, in fact, the history of Russian poetry draws its origins from the 18th century. In the 30s of the 18th century, thanks to the efforts of Lomonosov,

Trediakovsky,

Rice. 51. Vasily Trediakovsky ()

a little later at Sumarokov's

Rice. 52. Alexander Sumarokov ()

A special system of versification will arise: classical, so-called syllabic-tonic. And by the end of the 18th century, what is commonly called “noble culture” will achieve special development. Moreover, here we are not necessarily talking about some of its higher manifestations, but at the everyday level. It will be customary to write poetry, compose music, and not in order to necessarily publish it or to be wonderful writers. This will be a household culture. One can recall the “ladies' albums” in which gentlemen were required to write poems for the ladies. And it was precisely in this phase of highly cultural amateurism that the highest level of poetic verse that would emerge through the efforts of the poets of the early 19th century could grow.

1. Sakharov V.I., Zinin S.A. Russian language and literature. Literature (basic and advanced levels) 10. M.: Russian Word.

2. Arkhangelsky A.N. and others. Russian language and literature. Literature (advanced level) 10. M.: Bustard.

3. Lanin B.A., Ustinova L.Yu., Shamchikova V.M. / ed. Lanina B.A. Russian language and literature. Literature (basic and advanced levels) 10. M.: VENTANA-GRAF.

1. Analyze the work of poets and writers of the “golden age” of Russian culture. Using the example of several works, show the characteristics characteristic of this period.

2. Prepare a report on the meaning and influence of the “golden age” of Russian culture for the modern period.

3. * Make a comparative table of all directions of the “golden age” of Russian culture. Find commonalities.

Golden Age of Russian Literature

By the 19th century, Russian literature had reached unprecedented heights of development. The literary leap, the ground for which was prepared by the authors of the 17th and 18th centuries, gave Russian literature worldwide fame.

The 19th century is called the Golden Age of Russian literature. This popular expression originates in an article by critic and publicist M.A. Antonovich “Literary Crisis”, in which he praised the creativity of this period for the unity of aspirations and interests. And although in this same article, written in 1863, Antonovich refers to the literature of the period of A.S. Pushkin and N.V. Gogol and claims that in his days the “iron and even clay age” reigned in literature; the term “golden age” in literary criticism is applied to the entire 19th century.

Note 1

As literary critic V.B. argued. Kataev, “between the birth of Pushkin and the death of Chekhov fit a whole century, the golden age of Russian classical literature. They stand as if at the two ends of a single unbroken chain - at its beginning and at its end.”

The Golden Age of Russian literature began with the establishment of romanticism and sentimentalism, and ended with the dominance of realism and decadence.

Prose Writers of the Golden Age

The golden age of Russian prose literature was made up of classical writers.

Definition 1

Classical literature - all works of an era that are considered exemplary and set the canon of their genre.

The work of F.M. belongs to this era. Dostoevsky, I.A. Goncharova, N.V. Gogol, L.N. Tolstoy, M.E. Saltykova-Shchedrina, I.S. Turgeneva, A.P. Chekhova, A.S. Griboyedov and others. A classic of dramaturgy is A.N. Ostrovsky.

The development of Russian prose began with the works of Pushkin and Gogol, who created in their works types of heroes that were subsequently found in the works of other authors throughout the 19th century:

“Little Man” is an image of an ordinary person who does not stand out for his social status, origin or character traits, but is always kind and harmless. The first “little man” was Samson Vyrin from Pushkin’s “The Station Agent”. No less famous is Akaki Bashmachkin, the main character of Gogol’s “The Overcoat”;
“An extra person” is an image of a person who does not fit into society. An example of such a hero in Russian literature is Eugene Onegin from the novel of the same name in verse by A.S. Pushkin. The name of this type is taken from the work of I.S. Turgenev "Diary of an Extra Man".

European romanticism, whose representative was, for example, who inspired A.S., had a great influence on Russian literature of the 19th century. Pushkin, the English poet Byron, as well as the work of enlightenment writers (XVIII century).

Definition 2

Romanticism is a literary movement that was characterized by the depiction of an ideal world and a hero struggling with society.

From the Russian literary traditions of the 18th century, the Golden Age adopted journalisticism and a love of satire. Writers exposed the vices and shortcomings of their contemporary society and always kept their finger on the pulse. Therefore, when in Russian Empire The crisis of serfdom arose and great contradictions arose between the people and the authorities; literature responded to these large-scale historical changes by changing the dominant direction. Around the middle of the 19th century, the formation of Russian realism began.

Definition 3

Realism is a literary movement that objectively and truthfully reproduces the surrounding reality.

Socio-political issues, amazing accuracy and sincerity and subtle psychologism distinguished the works of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Goncharov - writers who worked after the abolition of serfdom in 1861. The followers of these ideas were A.P. Chekhov and M. Gorky.

In addition to political ideas, the works of the authors of the Golden Age reflected eternal values and highly moral ideas. Personal freedom was affirmed and attention was focused on moral problems.

At the end of the 19th century, when revolutionary ideas began to gain strength in the minds of Russians, realism gave way to decadence.

Definition 4

Decadence is a literary movement characterized by pessimistic, decadent views and lack of faith.

Some of the most significant works of the Golden Age are:

“War and Peace” by Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy;
“Crime and Punishment” and “The Idiot” by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky;
“Dead Souls” by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol;
“Hero of Our Time” by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov;
“Fathers and Sons” by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev;
“Woe from Wit” by Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov;
“Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

The Golden Age of Russian Poetry

The first third of the 19th century is considered the golden age of Russian poetry. The central figure here was A.S. Pushkin.

The poets of Pushkin's circle (1810 - 1830s) also belong to this era: E.A. Baratynsky, K.N. Batyushkov, A.A. Bestuzhev, A.A. Delvig, V.A. Zhukovsky, I.A. Krylov, V.K. Kuchelbecker, A.I. Odoevsky, K.F. Ryleev and others. There are 19 poets in total.

The golden age of Russian poetry ended with the work of F.I. Tyutchev and N.A. Nekrasova.

It is important to clarify that the concept of “poets of Pushkin’s era” is not only and not so much chronological, but rather ideological. Because, for example, M.Yu. Lermontov, also a contemporary of Pushkin, raised completely different issues in his works. In the ideology of the poets of Pushkin’s time, “the authenticity of mental life” was important. This poetry was very often connected with the socio-political life of the country (many of the listed poets were associated with the Decembrists).

This era was greatly influenced by the reform of the Russian literary language carried out by N.M. Karamzin. He refused to use the Church Slavonic language, using in his works only the means of the contemporary Russian language, but using French grammar as a model. Thanks to Karamzin’s work, many new words appeared in the Russian language, such as “falling in love”, “responsibility”, “humane” and others.

Note 2

Supporters of the Karamzin reform united in the closed literary society "Arzamas", which fought against outdated traditions.

An equally strong impetus for the development of the Russian literary language was the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, whose novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” was recognized as nothing less than an “encyclopedia of Russian life.” For many poets and writers, it was Pushkin who became a teacher and mentor; his ideas were continued in the works of other generations of writers.

The poets of the Golden Age wrote works about love and nature, imbued with philosophical reflections. It was in the 19th century that writers, and especially poets, established the status of prophets, enlightening and teaching their readers.

Golden Age of Russian Literature is a galaxy of geniuses of the art of words, prose writers and poets, who, thanks to their exquisite and unsurpassed creative skill, defined further development Russian and foreign culture.

The subtle interweaving of classicism and social realism in literature fully corresponded to the national ideas of the time. For the first time in literary works acute social problems began to arise: confrontation between the individual and society, disagreement with outdated principles, the need to change priorities.

Heroes of the Golden Age of Russian Literature

Literary heroes appear for whom personal freedom is primarily important. A prominent representative is Tatyana Larina, which did not need the idle tinsel of social events, and for which solitude and philosophical reflection were more preferable. Likewise, hero Alexander Chatsky- a person who openly expressed disagreement with the generally accepted way of life of the conservative nobility. The thirst for the reconstruction of society among enlightened people contributed to the emergence of secret societies, in which the majority of writers belonged.

Representatives of the Golden Age of Russian Literature

The harsh judges of aristocratic circles were A. S. Griboyedov And A. A. Bestuzhev – Marlinsky, in their works they despised the upper strata of society for their vanity, selfishness, hypocrisy and moral laxity. Introduced sincere romance and tremulous dreaminess into Russian classical literature V. A. Zhukovsky. In his poems, Zhukovsky tried to get away from the gray everyday life in order to show the sublime world of feelings that surrounds us.

Without a doubt, one of the brightest representatives of the Golden Age of Russian literature is the famous poet, the father of the Russian literary language A. S. Pushkin. The works of Alexander Sergeevich made a real revolution in literature. Pushkin’s poetry, the novel “Eugene Onegin” and the story “The Queen of Spades” not only replenished the fund of Russian classics, but also became a certain stylistic presentation, which was repeatedly used in the future by many domestic and world writers.

Philosophical concepts were also characteristic of the literature of the Golden Age. They are most clearly manifested in creativity M. Yu. Lermontova. Throughout my entire creative path, the author admires the Decembrist movements and defends human rights and freedoms. Lermontov's poems were full of opposition calls and criticism of the imperial power. The golden age of Russian classics was also represented in the dramatic genre. Plays Anton Pavlovich Chekhov from the moment of their creation to the present day they have been staged in many theaters around the world. Using subtle satire, Chekhov ridiculed the vices of human nature and expressed contempt for the vices of representatives of the noble classes.

The beginning of the 19th century is a turning point in art, which marked the entry of Russian literature onto the world stage. Literature began to affirm the high principles of individual freedom. It was during this period that society began to learn to read between the lines, which was of particular concern to the government. And despite the harsh conditions in which Russian literature developed, it was still able to take its rightful place. high place at the World Art Foundation.

Literature, like any other creative work, allows a person to express his opinion, attitude to certain events, admiration or disappointment, emotions. The works of poets and writers of all times were influenced by events in society, changes of a political or economic nature. Previously, a common occurrence among creative people was to express protest against the arbitrariness of influential people through creativity.

Historically important events of the 19th century

At the beginning of the Golden Age of Russian literature, a new reform was carried out by Alexander I, the essence of which was to strengthen the feudal-absolutist policy, promoting the power of the bourgeoisie. This fact called creators of thought to protest through their art. Starting with Pushkin and Tsvetaeva and ending with aspiring writers and poets, more and more works appeared in which freedom was glorified.

After a short period of time, the State Council was created, whose tasks included the centralization of laws and the uniformity of jurisdiction. And as a result, in 1861, serfdom was abolished and a course aimed at capitalism was adopted.

What is the Golden Age?

Why is the 19th century the Golden Age of Russian literature? The 19th century acquired this name due to its incredible prosperity and wealth of creative masterpieces. Some of the works at this time were particularly bold and daring. At the same time, sensual romanticism was at the peak of popularity. Serious topics about social problems and political flaws were raised without fear, and attention was focused on value factors and aesthetic norms. Never before has poetry had such an impact on society. Each person read the works and listened to what was said. It was at this time that it enjoyed particular popularity even abroad.

Written in seemingly distant times remains relevant and popular today. Therefore, the 19th century deservedly bears the name “Golden Age” of Russian literature.

Characteristics of the Golden Age

In the 19th century, literature again updated its format and style, and previously little-known trends began to develop. Creative innovations include:

The transition from sentimentalism to romanticism, closely related to political themes. This direction especially affected poetry. Many were born beautiful poems about love.
Poets and writers acquired the title of prophets. Thanks to works with philosophical overtones, filled with the creator’s reasoning, creativity had a strong influence on a person’s self-awareness and view of the world around him. At the same time, people of art had a huge responsibility for their role as educators and teachers.
Development of prose as a way of expressing thoughts. Prose writers were inspired by the novels of the foreign genius W. Scott and other English masterpieces and began to promote this direction in Russia. The idea was successful and took a significant place in 19th-century literature.
Development of satirical works. In this way, the main shortcomings of social foundations were depicted and emphasis was placed on human vices. The use of an abstract and unusual grotesque manner in writing stories also began, expressed in sometimes absurd situations, a combination of the incongruous, ridiculing certain things and phenomena in a terrible form.
The significant role of realistic works during the special crisis of serfdom. It was during this period of time that terrible and cruel events that really exist were often covered. Public attention was focused on the problems of the poor strata of society and the lawlessness of the authorities and the bourgeoisie.
Decadence. After the completion of the revolution and changes in the political system, realism faded into the background. Creativity took the direction of mysticism and religiosity, and touched upon the expected future and future changes. Over time, the works acquired a symbolic character.

Poetry of the Golden Age of Russian Literature, which does not leave you indifferent

The variety of genres and acute socialist themes have made more than one master of words and rhyme popular. The struggle for the rights of the oppressed and offended is reflected in the work of almost every writer. Creativity inspired more and more people to revolt and gave confidence to their actions.

Brilliant poets and prose writers of the 19th century

Due to the myriad of creative individuals in the Golden Age, the main idea of the period will be examined through the example of the most famous of them.

The genius of literature and the leader of the Golden Age of Russian literature is Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. To this day, this particular poet is considered the founder of the Russian literary word. He is a lyrical innovator and a talented rhymer. Pushkin was the first to risk mixing different language styles and begin experimenting with genres. Thanks to his work, classical realism developed.

Masterpieces of literary genius are dedicated to the surrounding world, phenomena, events, thoughts, and human philosophy. And Pushkin himself became an inspiration for many people and aspiring poets of the Golden Age of Russian literature.

Evgeny Abramovich Baratynsky and Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky are known as the founders of romanticism in literature. Pushkin, as a poet, and other great writers grew up on their work.
Mikhail Yurjevich Lermontov. The golden age of Russian literature knew him as a mystical poet with with a broad soul and deep inner world. His works are imbued with symbolism, secret subtext and philosophy, imbued with the experiences of the main characters, their thoughts and aspirations. A frequent theme was the problem of loneliness and spiritual imbalance. The main genres used are romanticism and realism.
Alexey Nikolaevich Pleshcheev. Genius in revolutionary-democratic poems. Along with his bold statements and calls to fight injustice, Pleshcheev was a talented translator of the works of popular foreign authors and the first person to create literature for children in Russia.
Ivan Zakharovich Surikov. The idea of “peasant” literature is peculiar to him. The poet himself, who comes from the people, helped to reveal the creative potential of other poorly educated and poor people.
Ivan Savvich Nikitin. His art is varied and covers both social genres, and the lyrics. Nikitin's poems served as the basis for the songs.
Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet is a representative of philosophical lyrics. An emotional and sensual poet who creates works filled with experiences and thoughts.
Apollo Nikolaevich Maikov and Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy are the creators of masterpieces on historical themes. The first of the poets dedicated his work to Greece and Byzantium, and the second - Russian history.
Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov. A unique creator of his kind, representing popular opinion in his works.
Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is a Russian poet, distinguished by the special dynamism and emotionality of his works. Despite the small volume of his creations, he knew how to perfectly reveal the inside of the protagonist, elevated above social concepts and foundations.

Almost forgotten, but no less talented poets and prose writers of the 19th century

Surnames such as Pushkin, Tyutchev, Nekrasov, Tolstoy are always heard, studied at school and are still popular among lovers of classical literature to this day. But in the 19th century, no less skillful and interesting wordsmiths worked, who are not particularly mentioned in the 21st century. For those who want to expand their literary horizons, a list of writers from the Golden Age of Russian literature, little known in modern times, but talented, is provided:

Grigory Nedetovsky, aka O. Forgotten, is a little-known author of collections with themes revealing the life of the clergy. He lived in the family of a priest, and therefore adhered to the religious genre. The most famous work is the story “Mirages”.
Innokenty Omulevsky is the creator of the autobiographical novel “Step by Step,” which touches on important issues of 19th-century society. His works often dealt with the theme of psychology, which forced readers to think about everyday things that turned out to be not as simple as at first glance. Innokenty Omulevsky was even arrested for his work.
Georgy Shilin. The writer who first publicized the topic of sick and oppressed people in social exile. The novel “Lepers” fully shows the experiences, sadness and severity of the existence of people with leprosy. His works are imbued with kindness and sympathy for the characters created using real examples.
Ivan Kushchevsky is a Siberian author of works about “prosperous” people who are capable of any meanness and tricks to achieve goals and their own benefit. His work is aimed at revealing the psychology of hypocritical and vile people.
Vasily Sleptsov is a writer who distinguished himself in the sixties of the 19th century. His works are based on his own observations and deep psychoanalysis of the situation. In his novels and short stories, Sleptsov initially gives a superficial vision of what is happening, and then gradually reveals secret moments that radically change the overall picture. The story “Hard Time” is one of the best creations of this writer.
Vsevolod Garshin. The author of works on military topics, which touched on the senselessness of war in general and its cruelty, the life of ordinary soldiers. Garshin himself also took part in several battles, after which his work subsided and consisted of rare everyday stories and children's fairy tales, such as “The Frog Traveler.”

The best works of the “golden” period, which will not lose their significance for many years to come

The Golden Age of Russian culture and literature was considered a period of true literary art, rich in masterpieces of creativity. Many books have been studied in educational institutions, many were constantly heard. The following masterpieces belong to the Golden Age of Russian literature:

Leo Tolstoy's book "War and Peace" belongs to the genre of epic novel and describes the events taking place during the invasion of Napoleon. Many chapters and heroes, each of which has its own story, intertwining storylines and multifaceted meaning raised this work to the level of highest fame.
Fyodor Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment." This work belongs to the genre of socio-philosophical novels and tells about the student Rodion Raskolnikov, who kills an old money-lender for the sake of profit. The work is based on several draft versions of the author's stories.
Fyodor Dostoevsky "Idiot". The author’s most beloved creation is his own, which fully reflects his views on society. The novel qualitatively criticizes the morals of the time, for which the work gained popularity abroad and is included in the list of the hundred best books of the Norwegian book club.
The work “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol was originally planned in three volumes, but the second volume was destroyed by the author, and the third remained only in unrealized plans. The poem is written in a mockingly satirical genre and fully shows human vices.
The list of the most popular works could not do without “Eugene Onegin”, written by Alexander Pushkin. The novel in poetic form reveals the hidden sides of the life of the noble intelligentsia. Pushkin worked on his best work of the 19th century for 7 years.
Leo Tolstoy also wrote a masterpiece about the nobility. The novel "Anna Karenina" tells the story of the secret love of the main character for the attractive officer Vronsky. The work was published in parts over 7 years.
A Hero of Our Time is a classic novel with a unique plot. Mikhail Lermontov first shows the main character from the side of other characters, and in the other part the emphasis is on the feelings and inner experiences of Pechorin, he is unraveled as a person.
The topic of misunderstanding between the older and younger generations, which is still relevant in our time, is described in Ivan Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons.” Main character- the nihilist Bazarov in the 19th century became an idol of youth and a role model.
Another example of a high-quality satirical work of the 19th century is the comedy in verse “Woe from Wit,” written by Alexander Griboedov. This work ridicules the life of the aristocratic elite.

Current genres of literature

The 19th century is a period with a great variety of different styles. Writers of the Golden Age of Russian literature experimented with their works, mixed genres, and some of them were open to Russian readers for the first time. A wide choice of creative directions could not fail to please even the most picky lover of spending his leisure time reading a book.

Romanticism, sentimentalism, satire, realism and folk poem

Initially, as already stated, romanticism was in demand. The authors of this genre prioritized feelings over reason. Much attention was paid to the love experiences of the characters. This genre is clearly visible in the works of Pushkin and the early works of Gogol. Romanticism itself originally originated in Germany, and after some time, it gained popularity among Russian writers.

Simultaneously with romanticism at the beginning of the 19th century - the Golden Age of Russian literature - people often wrote in this style. This style is aimed at awakening the feelings of readers and their spiritual response. One of the first writers to use this genre was Karamzin. Many authors were inspired by his example.

Satirical prose is an integral part of the Golden Age. In Gogol's works one can fully understand the essence of the genre. Creations of a satirical nature were distinguished by criticism of stupidity and laziness, they affected all levels of society, higher and lower, and focused attention on the low level of spiritual development of the poor.

In the mid-19th century - the Golden Age of Russian literature - romanticism and sentimentalism were replaced by realism. The most prominent representative of realistic novels is Dostoevsky. The creativity of realism shows the real problems of society as they are, and also touches on the dark sides of society and individuals individually.

To a lesser extent, but still relevant, folk poem remained. In the 19th century, Nekrasov delighted with his works in this genre. Just look at the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'?”, in which the revolutionary, peasant and heroic genres are professionally combined.

The end of the history of the Golden Age of Russian literature

At the end of the 19th century, the history of literature was replenished with a countless variety of masterpieces. The variety of genres and styles of authors is interesting to read even after centuries. Despite the time difference in the books, which represent the literature of a great creative period, the heroes, their types and actions resemble people of today's society. Conflicts, injustice, the struggle for freedom have not gone away and are also found in modern times. What was written in the 19th century remained significant for an endless period of time and has not lost its relevance to this day.