… About ten years ago I stayed at the Monument Hotel, intending to spend the night waiting for a train. I sat alone by the fire with a newspaper and coffee after dinner; it was a snowy, dead evening; The blizzard, interrupting the draft, threw clouds of smoke into the hall every minute.
Outside the windows, the creaking of a sleigh, the clatter of a sleigh, the cracking of a whip were heard, and behind the door that opened, darkness opened up, full of disappearing snowflakes;
A small group of travelers, covered in snow, entered the hall. While they dusted themselves off, gave orders and sat down at the table, I looked closely at the only woman in this group: a young woman of about twenty-three. She seemed to be deeply distracted. None of her movements were directed towards natural goals in this position:
look around, wipe your face wet from snow, take off your fur coat, hat; not showing even signs of the animation inherent in a person emerging from a snowstorm into the light and warmth of a home, she sat down, as if lifeless, on the nearest chair, now lowering her surprised eyes of rare beauty, now directing them into space, with an expression of childish bewilderment and sadness. Suddenly a blissful smile lit up her face - a smile of amazing joy, and as if jolted, I looked around, looking in vain for the reasons for the lady’s sudden transition from thoughtfulness to delight.…
01. Vasily Avseenko. On pancakes (read by Yuliy Fayt)
02. Vasily Avseenko. Under New Year(read by Vladimir Antonik)
03. Alexander Amfitheatrov. Fellow traveler (read by Alexander Kuritsyn)
04. Vladimir Arsenyev. Night in the taiga (read by Dmitry Buzhinsky)
05. Andrey Bely. We are waiting for his return (read by Vladimir Golitsyn)
06. Valery Bryusov. In the tower (read by Sergei Kazakov)
07. Valery Bryusov. Marble head (read by Pavel Konyshev)
08. Mikhail Bulgakov. In the cafe (read by Vladimir Antonik)
09. Vikenty Veresaev. In the wilderness (read by Sergei Danilevich)
10. Vikenty Veresaev. In a hurry (read by Vladimir Levashev)
11. Vikenty Veresaev. Marya Petrovna (read by Stanislav Fedosov)
12. Vsevolod Garshin. A very short novel (read by Sergei Oleksyak)
13. Nikolai Heinze. The powerlessness of art (read by Stanislav Fedosov)
14. Vladimir Gilyarovsky. Uncle (read by Sergei Kazakov)
15. Vladimir Gilyarovsky. Sea (read by Sergey Kazakov)
16. Petr Gnedich. Father (read by Alexander Kuritsyn)
17. Maxim Gorky. Mother Kemskikh (read by Sergey Oleksyak)
18. Alexander Green. Enemies (read by Sergey Oleksyak)
19. Alexander Green. Terrible vision (read by Egor Serov)
20. Nikolay Gumilyov. Princess Zara (read by Sergey Karyakin)
21. Vladimir Dal. Talk. (read by Vladimir Levashev)
22. Don Aminado. Notes of an Undesirable Foreigner (read by Andrey Kurnosov)
23. Sergei Yesenin. Bobyl and Druzhok (read by Vladimir Antonik)
24. Sergey Yesenin. Red-hot chervonets (read by Vladimir Antonik)
25. Sergey Yesenin. Nikolin ground (read by Vladimir Antonik)
26. Sergey Yesenin. The Thief's Candle (read by Vladimir Antonik)
27. Sergey Yesenin. By the white water (read by Vladimir Antonik)
28. Georgy Ivanov. Carmensita (read by Nikolai Kovbas)
29. Sergey Klychkov. The Gray Master (read by Andrey Kurnosov)
30. Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak. Medvedko (read by Ilya Prudovsky)
31. Vladimir Nabokov. A Christmas story (read by Mikhail Yanushkevich)
32. Mikhail Osorgin. Clock (read by Kirill Kovbas)
33. Anthony Pogorelsky. Visitor to the Magician (read by Mikhail Yanushkevich)
34. Mikhail Prishvin. Lisichkin Bread (read by Stanislav Fedosov)
35. Georgy Severtsev-Polilov. On Christmas night (read by Marina Livanova)
36. Fedor Sologub. White Dog (read by Alexander Karlov)
37. Fedor Sologub. Lelka (read by Egor Serov)
38. Konstantin Stanyukovich. Christmas tree (read by Vladimir Levashev)
39. Konstantin Stanyukovich. One moment (read by Stanislav Fedosov)
40. Ivan Turgenev. Drozd (read by Egor Serov)
41. Sasha Cherny. The Soldier and the Mermaid (read by Ilya Prudovsky)
42. Alexander Chekhov. Something is over (read by Vadim Kolganov)
(Russian) is a broad concept, and everyone puts their own meaning into it. If you ask readers what associations it evokes in them, the answers will be different. For some, this is the basis of the library collection, others will say that works of classical Russian literature are a kind of example of high artistic merit. For schoolchildren, this is everything that is studied at school. And they will all be absolutely right in their own way. So what is classical literature? Russian literature, today we will talk only about it. ABOUT foreign classics we'll talk about it in another article.
Russian literature
There is a generally accepted periodization of formation and development Russian literature. Its history is divided into the following time periods:
What works are called classics?
Many readers are sure that classical literature (Russian) is Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy - that is, the works of those writers who lived in the 19th century. It's not like that at all. It can be classic from both the Middle Ages and the 20th century. By what canons and principles can one determine whether a novel or story is a classic? Firstly, a classic work must have high artistic value and be a model for others. Secondly, it must have worldwide recognition, it must be included in the fund of world culture.
And you need to be able to distinguish between the concepts of classical and popular literature. A classic is something that has stood the test of time, and oh popular work They can forget quite quickly. If its relevance remains for decades, perhaps it will also become a classic over time.
The origins of Russian classical literature
IN late XVIII century, only the established nobility of Russia split into two opposing camps: conservatives and reformers. This split was due different attitude to the changes that took place in life: Peter's reforms, understanding of the tasks of the Enlightenment, the painful peasant issue, attitude towards power. This struggle of extremes led to the rise of spirituality and self-awareness, which gave birth to Russian classics. We can say that it was forged during the dramatic processes in the country.
Classical literature (Russian), born in the complex and contradictory 18th century, was finally formed in XIX century. Its main features: national identity, maturity, self-awareness.
Russian classical literature of the 19th century
The growth of national consciousness played a major role in the development of culture at that time. More and more is opening up educational institutions, intensifies public importance literature, writers are beginning to pay a lot of attention native language. It made me think even more about what was happening in the country.
Karamzin's influence on the development of 19th-century literature
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, the greatest Russian historian, writer and journalist, was the most influential figure in Russian culture XVIII-XIX centuries His historical stories and the monumental “History of the Russian State” had a huge influence on the work of subsequent writers and poets: Zhukovsky, Pushkin, Griboedov. He is one of the great reformers of the Russian language. Karamzin introduced a large number of new words into use, without which we cannot imagine modern speech today.
Russian classical literature: list of the best works
Select and list the best literary works- a difficult task, since each reader has his own preferences and tastes. A novel that will be a masterpiece for one may seem boring and uninteresting to another. How to create a list of classic Russian literature that would satisfy the majority of readers? One way is to conduct surveys. Based on them, one can draw conclusions about which work the readers themselves consider the best of the proposed options. These types of information collection methods are conducted regularly, although the data may change slightly over time.
The list of the best creations of Russian classics, according to versions of literary magazines and Internet portals, looks like this:
Under no circumstances should this list be considered a reference. In some ratings and polls, the first place may not be Bulgakov, but Leo Tolstoy or Alexander Pushkin, and some of the listed writers may not be at all. Ratings are an extremely subjective thing. It’s better to make a list of your favorite classics for yourself and focus on it.
The meaning of Russian classical literature
The creators of Russian classics have always had great social responsibility. They never acted as moralizers and did not give ready-made answers in their works. Writers put before the reader difficult task and made him think about her decision. They raised serious social and public problems in their works, which still affect us today. great importance. Therefore, Russian classics remain just as relevant today.
Russian classical literature is an important component of the world cultural heritage . The works of Russian writers are appreciated in many countries and have become benchmarks for authors working in the literary genre.
About Russian classics
In Russian literature, as in all classical works, touches on eternal topics that are important for people in any era. Among such topics are the following: the meaning of life, love, death, fidelity, friendship, homeland, God.
Classics never become outdated or go out of fashion. Her tall artistic level and deep content make such books interesting in any country and at any time. Using the example of literary works, we learn to understand the people around us, weigh our actions, and look at life correctly.
The humanistic and philosophical content of Russian literature represents a special moral core, the foundation of society, and the moral background human life. A psychological images created by talented writers, so vividly and detailedly drawn that it seems that we are looking into the human soul .
It should be noted that they do not become classics during their lifetime. Only subsequent generations can appreciate the true genius of the author and artistic, as well as universal value his works.
A classic work has been revalued over the course of several generations. , sometimes some of his ideas, sometimes others, become the main ones. The distribution of a book over a long period of time leads to its enrichment, because each generation looks at some new facet in it and over time the work becomes more complete and filled with different meanings.
Russian classical prose is rich in the names of talented writers whose work has gone far beyond the boundaries of the country and era. There are many of them and it is impossible to name them all, but we can list the most famous authors:
- Lev Tolstoy;
- Anton Chekhov;
- Ivan Turgenev;
- Fedor Dostoevsky;
- Nikolay Gogol;
- Ivan Goncharov;
- Mikhail Bulgakov and others.
Michael Bulgakov
This collection includes stories written by Mikhail Afanasyevich based on his own experience as a zemstvo doctor in the Smolensk province from 1916 to 1920. From the book we learn about the realities of working as a doctor during a breakup. Russian Empire and the Civil War.
We see not only the appalling life and living conditions of the population of the outback of Russia, but also the backwardness of medicine, which is almost entirely based on the enthusiasm of caring people who give last strength, in order to somehow help the sick in small towns and villages located far from civilization.
Lev Tolstoy
This book, atypical for Lev Nikolaevich, became the pinnacle of his late creativity. It tells the story of a Russian aristocrat who was fed up with fun and tired of social life. In his destiny comes crucial moment when he experiences a kind of spiritual insight.
This moment comes after Nekhlyudov’s meeting with Katyusha, once his friend, who became a fallen woman. And this happened precisely through Nekhlyudov’s vein. The book not only opens inner world person, but also makes us think about the fact that our decisions can have a very significant impact on the lives of other people.
IN electronic library On our website you will find a wonderful selection of Russian classics, which you can read online. This literature is one of the most valuable treasures world literature, every educated and thinking person is obliged to familiarize himself with her main works.
Historically, everything in Russia is not the same as in other countries. Here is a special path of development of literature, the Russian soul is incomprehensible and mysterious to anyone. Russia balances between Asia and Europe. Therefore, the genres of Russian classics are special. Classic literature amazes readers with its spirituality and truthfulness. One of the main characters in classical Russian literature is the soul. Heroes of dramas, novels and poems do not strive for wealth, fame or position, the main thing for them is the search for a place in life, ideals and truth. Distinctive feature Russian literature has become eternal search spiritual and moral ideals.
At the beginning of the 19th century, poets turned to the life of the soul and all its diversity. Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin reached the heights of poetry. The poems sound love for the homeland, joy and pain for it, admiration for nature, the desire for freedom, the bitterness of loss, the joy of friendship, love. Poetry reveals images of people who are looking for the use of their strengths, suffering from their imperfections and the imperfections of the world around them. These heroes were called extra people. These two poets took a step towards realism.
Three novelists were very popular in the second half of the 19th century: Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoevsky. They were different people, had different views, complex characters and talents that were completely different. They created great novels - Russian classics, which can be read online today on many sites. These works greatly affected the life of the Russian people.
Another feature of Russian classics is ridicule of the shortcomings of man and society, a critical look at reality. Satire and humor - character traits works by Saltykov-Shchedrin and Gogol. Critics said that the writers were engaged in slander. Readers understood that behind the humor lies suffering. The characters were both tragic and comic at the same time. Their main task is to excite souls.
Many writers were also talented playwrights. Read books of Russian classics online, it is convenient and relevant in our time. Pay attention to the following works: “Boris Godunov” by Pushkin, “The Inspector General” and “Woe from Wit” by Gogol. At one time, these works were a real event. Alexander Ostrovsky made a real revolution in the theater.
At the end of the 19th century, novellas and short stories became popular. The masters of these genres were Anton Chekhov and Ivan Bunin. Chekhov created a gallery of sad and comical images, showing the problems of an intellectual who is at odds with himself. Bunin became famous thanks to his stories about love. These works very subtly described all the stages and shades of feelings.
Many of us have been left with the conviction since school that for the most part Russian classics are rather boring and unimaginably drawn out works of several hundred pages about the hardships of life, mental suffering and the philosophical quests of the main characters. We have collected Russian classics that are impossible not to read to the end.
Anatoly Pristavkin “The golden cloud spent the night”
“The golden cloud spent the night” by Anatoly Pristavkin- a piercingly tragic story that happened to orphaned twin brothers Sashka and Kolka Kuzmin, evacuated along with the rest of the pupils orphanage during the war in the Caucasus. Here it was decided to establish a labor colony to develop the land. Children turn out to be innocent victims of government policies towards the peoples of the Caucasus. This is one of the most powerful and honest stories about war orphans and the deportation of the Caucasian peoples. “The Golden Cloud Spent the Night” has been translated into 30 languages and is rightfully one of the best works Russian classics. 10th place in our ranking.
Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago"
Novel Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago", which brought him worldwide fame and Nobel Prize– in 9th place in the list of the best works of Russian classics. For his novel, Pasternak was sharply criticized by representatives of the official literary world countries. The book's manuscript was banned from publication, and the writer himself, under pressure, was forced to refuse to receive the prestigious award. After Pasternak's death, it was transferred to his son.
Mikhail Sholokhov " Quiet Don»
In terms of the scale and scope of the period of life of the main characters described in it, it can be compared with “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. This is an epic story about the life and destinies of representatives of the Don Cossacks. The novel covers three most difficult eras of the country: the First world war, the revolution of 1917 and Civil War. What was going on in the souls of people in those days, what reasons forced relatives and friends to stand on opposite sides of the barricades? The writer tries to answer these questions in one of the best works of Russian classical literature. “Quiet Don” is in 8th place in our ranking.
Stories by Anton Chekhov
A generally recognized classic of Russian literature, they occupy 7th place on our list. One of the most famous playwrights in the world, wrote more than 300 works different genres and died very early, at 44 years old. Chekhov's stories, ironic, funny and eccentric, reflected the realities of life of that era. They have not lost their relevance even now. Its peculiarity short works– do not answer questions, but ask them to the reader.
I. Ilf and E. Petrov “Twelve Chairs”
Novels by writers with a wonderful sense of humor I. Ilf and E. Petrov “The Twelve Chairs” and “The Golden Calf” take 6th place among the best works of Russian classics. After reading them, every reader will understand that classical literature is not only interesting and exciting, but also funny. The adventures of the great schemer Ostap Bender, the main character of the books by Ilf and Petrov, will not leave anyone indifferent. Immediately after the first publication, the writers' works were received ambiguously in literary circles. But time has shown their artistic value.
In fifth place in our ranking of the best works of Russian classics - "The Gulag Archipelago" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. It's not only great novel about one of the most difficult and terrible periods in the history of the country - repressions in the USSR, but also autobiographical work, based on personal experience the author, as well as letters and memoirs of more than two hundred camp prisoners. The release of the novel in the West was accompanied by loud scandal and persecution launched against Solzhenitsyn and other dissidents. Publication of The Gulag Archipelago became possible in the USSR only in 1990. The novel is among best books of the century.
Nikolai Gogol “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is a universally recognized classic of world significance. The crowning achievement of his work is considered the novel " Dead Souls", the second volume of which was destroyed by the author himself. But our ranking of the best works of Russian classics includes the first book Gogol – “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”. It’s hard to believe that the stories included in the book and written with sparkling humor were practically Gogol’s first experience in writing. Pushkin left a flattering review of the work, who was sincerely amazed and fascinated by Gogol’s stories, written in a living, poetic language without feigned affectation and stiffness.
The events described in the book take place in different time periods: in XVII, XVIII XIX centuries.
Fyodor Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"
Novel “Crime and Punishment” by F. M. Dostoevsky takes third place in the list of the best works of Russian classics. He received the status cult book of global significance. This is one of the most frequently filmed books. This is not only a deeply philosophical work in which the author poses to readers the problems of moral responsibility, good and evil, but also a psychological drama and a fascinating detective story. The author shows the reader the process of transforming a talented and respectable young man into a killer. He is no less interested in the possibility of Raskolnikov’s atonement for his guilt.
Great epic novel Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy "War and Peace", the volume of which has terrified schoolchildren for many decades, is actually very interesting. It covers the period of several military campaigns against the strongest France at that time, led by Napoleon Bonaparte. This is one of the brightest examples of the best works of not only Russian, but also world classics. The novel is recognized as one of the most epic works in world literature. Here every reader will find his favorite topic: love, war, courage.
Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"
Topping our list of examples of the best classical literature is the amazing novel. The author never lived to see the publication of his book - it was published 30 years after his death.
The Master and Margarita is such a complex work that not a single attempt to film the novel has been successful. The figures of Woland, the Master and Margarita require filigree accuracy in conveying their images. Unfortunately, no actor has yet managed to achieve this. The film adaptation of the novel by director Vladimir Bortko can be considered the most successful.
