Article about Gogol summary. Completion of life's journey

Role and place in literature

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol - outstanding classic Russian literature XIX century. He made great contributions to drama and journalism. According to many literary critics, Gogol founded a special direction called “ natural school" The writer with his creativity influenced the development of the Russian language, focusing on its nationality.

Origin and early years

N.V. Gogol was born on March 20, 1809 in the Poltava province (Ukraine) in the village of Velikiye Sorochintsy. Nikolai was born the third child in the family of a landowner (there were 12 children in total).

The future writer belonged to an old Cossack family. It is possible that the ancestor was Hetman Ostap Gogol himself.

Father - Vasily Afanasyevich Gogol-Yanovsky. He was involved in stage activities and instilled in his son a love of theater. When Nikolai was only 16 years old, he passed away.

Mother - Maria Ivanovna Gogol-Yanovskaya (nee Kosyarovskaya). She got married in at a young age(14 years old). Her beautiful appearance was admired by many of her contemporaries. Nikolai became her first child to be born alive. And that’s why he was named after St. Nicholas.

Nikolai spent his childhood in a village in Ukraine. The traditions and way of life of the Ukrainian people greatly influenced the future creative activity writer. And the mother’s religiosity was passed on to her son and was also reflected in many of his works.

Education and work

When Gogol was ten years old, he was sent to Poltava to prepare for his studies at the gymnasium. He was taught by a local teacher, thanks to whom Nikolai entered the Gymnasium of Higher Sciences in Nizhyn in 1821. Gogol's academic performance left much to be desired. He was only strong in drawing and Russian literature. Although the Gymnasium itself is to blame for the fact that Gogol’s academic success was not great. Teaching methods were outdated and not useful: rote learning and rods. Therefore, Gogol took up self-education: he subscribed to magazines with his comrades and became interested in theater.

After finishing his studies at the gymnasium, Gogol moved to St. Petersburg, hoping for a bright future here. But reality disappointed him somewhat. His attempts to become an actor failed. In 1829, he became a minor official, a scribe in a department of the ministry, but did not work there for long, becoming disillusioned with this matter.

Creation

Working as an official did not bring joy to Nikolai Gogol, so he tries his hand at literary activity. The first published work was “The Evening on the Eve of Ivan Kupala” (at first it had a different name). Gogol's fame began with this story.

The popularity of Gogol’s works was explained by the interest of the St. Petersburg public in the Little Russian (as some regions of Ukraine were previously called) existence.

In his work, Gogol often turned to folk legends, according to legend, he used simple folk speech.

The early works of Nikolai Gogol belong to the movement of romanticism. Later he writes in his original style, many associate it with realism.

Major works

The first work that brought him fame was the collection “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”. These stories are considered to be Gogol's main works. In them, the author stunningly accurately depicted the traditions of the Ukrainian people. And the magic that lurks on the pages of this book still surprises readers.

TO important works include historical story"Taras Bulba". It is included in the cycle of stories “Mirogorod”. Dramatic fate produces heroes against the backdrop of real events strong impression. Films have been made based on the story.

One of the great achievements in the field of Gogol’s dramaturgy was the play “The Inspector General”. The comedy boldly exposed the vices of Russian officials.

Last years

The year 1836 became the time for Gogol to travel around Europe. He's working on the first part." Dead souls" Returning to his homeland, the author publishes it.

In 1843, Gogol published the story “The Overcoat”.

There is a version that Gogol burned the second volume of Dead Souls on February 11, 1852. And in the same year he passed away.

Chronological table (by date)

Interesting facts from the life of the writer

• A passion for mysticism led to the writing of Gogol’s most mysterious work, Viy.
• There is a version that the author burned the second volume of Dead Souls.
• Nikolai Gogol had a passion for miniature publications.

Writer's Museum

In 1984, the museum was opened in the village of Gogolevo in a solemn ceremony.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was born in 1809 in the village of Bolshie Sorochintsy, into a family of poor landowners - Vasily Afanasyevich and Maria Ivanovna Gogol-Yanovsky. The writer's father was the author of several comedies in Ukrainian. From 1821 to 1828, Nikolai Vasilyevich studied at the Nezhin Gymnasium of Higher Sciences. Interest in literature and painting, as well as acting talent, appeared already during the years of study. The great hobby of many students at the gymnasium was amateur theater, one of the creators of which was Gogol. He was a talented performer of many roles, as well as a director and artist, the author of funny comedies and scenes from folk life.

In the gymnasium, the future writer began to compile the “Little Russian Lexicon” (Ukrainian-Russian dictionary) and write down folk songs. The writer collected remarkable monuments of oral poetic creativity throughout his life. Gogol's first literary experiments date back to 1823-24. Two years after entering the gymnasium, he became one of the active participants in the literary circle, whose members published several handwritten magazines and almanacs: “Meteor of Literature”, “Star”, “Northern Dawn”, etc. The first stories were published in these publications, critical articles, plays and poems by an aspiring writer.

After graduating from high school, Gogol left for St. Petersburg and a year later entered the civil service, and then began teaching history in one of the educational institutions. During this period, Nikolai Vasilyevich met V.A. Zhukovsky, P.A. Pletnev and A.S. Pushkin, who had a huge influence on his work. Gogol considered himself a student and follower of the great poet. Along with Pushkin, the formation of the literary tastes of the future writer was greatly influenced by romantic poetry and prose of the Decembrists.

In 1831-32, Gogol’s book “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” was published, based on Ukrainian folk art- songs, fairy tales, folk beliefs and customs, as well as the personal impressions of the author himself. This book brought Gogol big success. The appearance of “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka,” according to Pushkin, was an extraordinary phenomenon in Russian literature. Gogol revealed to the Russian reader amazing world folk life imbued with romance folk legends and traditions, cheerful lyricism and playful humor.

The years 1832-33 were a turning point in the writer’s life. It was a time of persistent search for new themes and images suggested by life. In 1835, two collections were published: “Mirgorod” and “Arabesques”, which brought Gogol even greater recognition. The collection “Mirgorod” includes the stories “Old World Landowners”, “Taras Bulba”, “Viy” and “The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich”. At the same time, work continued on “ Petersburg stories" - a series of works dedicated to St. Petersburg themes. The first sketches of the cycle date back to 1831. The most significant story in the St. Petersburg cycle, “The Overcoat,” was completed in 1841.

In 1836, at the Alexandrinsky Theater, the first performance of the comedy “The Inspector General” took place, in which the author mercilessly ridicules officials and landed nobility. The characters in the comedy were typical for all of Russia at that time, and many viewers who saw the comedy for the first time believed that the author was making fun of their city, its officials, landowners and police officers. But not everyone received the comedy favorably. Representatives of the bureaucracy saw comedy as a threat. Articles began to appear on the pages of the magazine accusing the author of the comedy of distorting reality. Those who recognized themselves in the heroes of the comedy argued that its content boiled down to an old empty joke.

Critical reviews deeply traumatized Gogol. In subsequent years, he continued to work hard on the composition of the play and the images of the characters. In 1841, the comedy, in a significantly revised form, was published a second time as a separate book. But this edition also seemed imperfect to the writer. Gogol included only the sixth version of The Inspector General in the fourth volume of his Works in 1842. But in this form, the comedy, due to censorship obstacles, was staged only 28 years later.

Almost simultaneously with the first edition of The Inspector General, the first issue of Pushkin’s journal Sovremennik was published, in the preparation of which Gogol took an active part. In one of his articles, he criticized editorial publications, after which attacks from the ruling classes noticeably intensified.

In the summer of 1836, Gogol decided to temporarily go abroad, where he spent a total of more than 12 years. The writer lived in Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, the Czech Republic, but most of all in Italy. In subsequent years, he returned to his homeland twice - in 1839-40. and in 1841-42. Death of A.S. Pushkin deeply shocked the writer. The beginning of his work on the poem “ Dead Souls" Shortly before the duel, Pushkin gave Gogol his own plot, and the writer considered his work “ sacred testament"great poet.

At the beginning of October 1841, Gogol arrived in St. Petersburg, and a few days later he left for Moscow, where he continued to work on “ Dead souls" In May 1842, the first volume of Dead Souls was published, and at the end of May Gogol went abroad again. Russian readers, who became acquainted with Gogol's new creation, were immediately divided into his supporters and opponents. Heated debates erupted around the book. Gogol at this time was resting and receiving treatment in the small German town of Gastein. The unrest associated with the publication of Dead Souls, material need, and attacks from critics became the cause of a spiritual crisis and nervous illness.

In subsequent years, the writer often moved from one place to another, hoping that a change of environment would help him restore his health. By the mid-40s spiritual crisis went deeper. Under the influence of A.P. Tolstoy, Gogol became imbued with religious ideas and abandoned his previous beliefs and works. In 1847, a series of articles by the writer in the form of letters was published entitled “Selected Passages from Correspondence with Friends.” the main idea This book is the need for internal Christian education and re-education of everyone, without which no social improvements are possible. The book was published in a heavily censored form and was considered an artistically weak work. At the same time, Gogol also worked on works of a theological nature, the most significant of which is “Reflections on Divine Liturgy"(published posthumously in 1857).

The last years of his life N.V. Gogol lived alone. In 1848, the writer intended to fulfill his main dream - to travel around Russia. But there were neither funds nor physical strength. He visited his native places and lived in Odessa for six months. In St. Petersburg he met Nekrasov, Goncharov and Grigorovich, in April 1848 he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to the Holy Sepulcher, but spent most of his time in Moscow. Despite his illness, the writer continued to work, as he saw the meaning of his life in literature.

IN last years all Gogol's thoughts were absorbed in the second volume of Dead Souls. At the beginning of 1852, the writer showed signs of a new mental crisis; he refused food and medical care. His health condition worsened every day. One night, during another attack, he burned almost all of his manuscripts, including the completed edition of the second volume of “Dead Souls” (only 7 chapters survived in incomplete form). Soon after this, the writer died and was buried in the St. Daniel Monastery. In 1931, the writer's remains were reburied at Novodevichy Cemetery. Shortly before his death, Gogol said: “I know that after me my name will be happier than me...”. And he was right. About two hundred years have passed since the death of the great Russian writer, but his works still occupy an honorable place among the masterpieces of world classics.

Gogol Nikolai Vasilievich (1809-1852)
Great Russian writer.

Born in the town of Velikie Sorochintsy, Mirgorod district, Poltava province, in the family of a landowner. Gogol spent his childhood years on his parents' estate Vasilievka (another name is Yanovshchina). Cultural center The region was Kibintsy, the estate of D.P. Troshchinsky, a distant relative of theirs, Gogol’s father acted as his secretary. In Kibintsi there was a large library, there was home theater, for which Gogol's father wrote comedies, being also its actor and conductor.

In May 1821 he entered the gymnasium of higher sciences in Nizhyn. Here he paints and takes part in performances. Tries himself in various literary genres(writes elegiac poems, tragedies, historical poem, story). At the same time he wrote the satire “Something about Nezhin, or the law is not written for fools” (not preserved). However, he dreams of a legal career.

Having graduated from the gymnasium in 1828, Gogol in December, together with another graduate A.S. Danilevsky travels to St. Petersburg, where he makes his first literary attempts: at the beginning of 1829, the poem “Italy” appears, published by “Hanz Küchelgarten” (under the pseudonym “V. Alov”).

At the end of 1829, he managed to decide to serve in the Department of State Economy and Public Buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During this period, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, “The Nose”, “Taras Bulba” were published.

In the fall of 1835, he began writing “The Inspector General,” the plot of which was suggested by Pushkin; the work progressed so successfully that the play premiered in the spring of 1836 on the stage of the Alexandria Theater.

In June 1836, Gogol left St. Petersburg for Germany (in total, he lived abroad for about 12 years). He spends the end of summer and autumn in Switzerland, where he begins to work on the continuation of Dead Souls. The plot was also suggested by Pushkin.

In November 1836, Gogol met A. Mitskevich in Paris. In Rome he receives shocking news about the death of Pushkin. In May 1842, “The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls” was published. The three years (1842-1845) that followed the writer’s departure abroad was a period of intense and difficult work on the second volume of Dead Souls.

At the beginning of 1845, Gogol showed signs of a mental crisis, and in a state of sharp exacerbation of his illness, he burned the manuscript of the second volume, on which he would continue to work some time later.

In April 1848, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Gogol finally returned to Russia, where he spent most of his time in Moscow, visiting St. Petersburg, and also in his native places - in Little Russia. In the spring of 1850, Gogol made his first and last attempt to organize his family life- proposes to A.M. Vielgorskaya, but is refused.

On January 1, 1852, Gogol informs Arnoldi that the second volume is “completely finished.” But in last days month, signs of a new crisis were revealed, the impetus for which was the death of E. M. Khomyakova, sister of N. M. Yazykov, a person spiritually close to Gogol.

On February 7, Gogol confesses and receives communion, and on the night of February 11-12, he burns the white manuscript of the second volume (only five chapters have survived in incomplete form). On the morning of February 21, Gogol died in his last apartment in the Talyzin house in Moscow. The writer's funeral took place with a huge crowd of people at the cemetery of the St. Daniel's Monastery, and in 1931 Gogol's remains were reburied at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809 - 1852) was born in Ukraine, in the village of Sorochintsy in the Poltava region. His father was from the landowners of the family of Bohdan Khmelnitsky. In total, the family raised 12 children.

Childhood and youth

IN family estate Gogol's neighbors and friends constantly gathered: the father of the future writer was known as a great admirer of the theater. It is known that he even tried to write his own plays. So Nikolai inherited his talent for creativity on his father’s side. While studying at the Nizhyn gymnasium, he became famous for his love of composing bright and funny epigrams about his classmates and teachers.

Since the teaching staff educational institution was not distinguished by high professionalism, high school students had to devote a lot of time to self-education: they wrote out almanacs, prepared theatrical performances, published their own handwritten magazine. At that time Gogol had not yet thought about writing career. He dreamed of entering the civil service, which was then considered prestigious.

Petersburg period

Moving to St. Petersburg in 1828 and the much-desired public service did not bring moral satisfaction to Nikolai Gogol. It turned out that office work was boring.

At the same time, Gogol's first published poem, Hans Küchelgarten, appeared. But the writer is also disappointed in her. And so much so that he personally takes the published materials from the store and burns them.

Life in St. Petersburg has a depressing effect on the writer: uninteresting work, dull climate, financial problems... He increasingly thinks about returning to his picturesque native village in Ukraine. It was the memories of the homeland that were embodied in a well-transmitted national flavor in one of the most famous works writer "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka". This masterpiece was warmly received by critics. And after Zhukovsky and Pushkin left positive reviews of “Evenings...”, the doors opened for Gogol into the world of real luminaries of the art of writing.

Inspired by the success of his first successful work, Gogol later a short time writes “Notes of a Madman”, “Taras Bulba”, “The Nose”, “Old World Landowners”. They further reveal the writer's talent. After all, no one before in his works had so accurately and vividly touched upon the psychology of “little” people. It is not for nothing that the famous critic of that time, Belinsky, spoke so enthusiastically about Gogol’s talent. One could find everything in his works: humor, tragedy, humanity, poetism. But despite all this, the writer continued to remain not completely satisfied with himself and his work. He believed that he civil position expressed too passively.

Having failed at public service, Nikolai Gogol decides to try his hand at teaching history at St. Petersburg University. But even here another fiasco awaited him. Therefore, he makes another decision: to devote himself entirely to creativity. But no longer as a contemplative writer, but as an active participant, a judge of heroes. In 1836, the bright satire “The Inspector General” came out from the author’s pen. Society received this work ambiguously. Perhaps because Gogol managed to very sensitively “touch a nerve”, showing all the imperfections of the society of that time. Once again, the writer, disappointed in his abilities, decides to leave Russia.

Roman holiday

Nikolai Gogol emigrates from St. Petersburg to Italy. Quiet life in Rome has a beneficial effect on the writer. It was here that he began to write a large-scale work - “Dead Souls”. And again, society did not accept a real masterpiece. Gogol was accused of slandering his homeland, because society could not take the blow to the serfdom. Even the critic Belinsky took up arms against the writer.

Not accepted by society in the best possible way affected the writer's health. He made an attempt and wrote the second volume of Dead Souls, but he himself personally burned the handwritten version.

The writer died in Moscow in February 1852. Official reason death was called “nervous fever.”

• Gogol was fond of knitting and sewing. He made the famous neckerchiefs for himself.
• The writer had the habit of walking along the streets only on the left side, which constantly disturbed passers-by.
• Nikolai Gogol loved sweets very much. You could always find candy or a piece of sugar in his pockets.
• The writer's favorite drink was goat's milk boiled with rum.
• The writer’s entire life was associated with mysticism and legends about his life, which gave rise to the most incredible, sometimes ridiculous rumors.

Nikolai Gogol appears. His books are familiar to everyone. Films and performances are based on his works. The work of this writer is very diverse. It contains both romantic stories and works of realistic prose.

Biography

Nikolai Gogol was born in Ukraine into the family of a regimental clerk. His talent as a satirist showed up early. Gogol showed a tireless thirst for knowledge already in childhood. Books played in his life big role. At the Nizhyn school, where he received his education, he was not given sufficient knowledge. That’s why he subscribed to additional literary magazines and almanacs.

Also in school years he began to compose witty epigrams. The subject of ridicule of the future writer were teachers. But the lyceum student did not attach much importance to such creative research. After completing the course, he dreamed of leaving for St. Petersburg, believing that there he could get a job in the civil service.

Service in the office

The dream came true, and the lyceum graduate left his native land. However, in St. Petersburg he was able to get only a modest position in the chancellery. In parallel with this work, he created small ones. But they were bad, and he bought almost all copies of the first poem, which was called “Hans Küchelgarten,” in a bookstore and burned it with his own hands.

Longing for my small homeland

Soon, failures in creativity and financial difficulties plunged Gogol into despondency. The northern capital began to evoke melancholy in his soul. And more and more often the employee of the small office remembered the Ukrainian landscapes dear to his heart. Not everyone knows which book brought Gogol fame. But there is not a schoolchild in our country who would not be familiar with the work “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.” The creation of this book was inspired by longing for small homeland. And that's exactly what literary work brought fame to Gogol and allowed him to gain recognition from his fellow writers. Gogol was awarded a laudatory review by Pushkin himself. The books of the great poet and writer had a decisive influence on him in his youth. Therefore, the opinion of the luminary of literature was especially valuable for the young author.

"Petersburg Tales" and other works

Since then, Gogol was included in literary circles. He communicated closely with Pushkin and Zhukovsky, which could not but influence his work. From now on, writing became the meaning of life for him. He began to take this matter very seriously. And the result was not long in coming.

During this period, the most famous books Gogol. The list of them suggests that the writer worked in an extremely intensive mode and did not give particular preference to one genre or another. His works caused a stir in the world of literature. Belinsky wrote about the talent of the young prose writer, who was distinguished by his amazing ability to recognize unique abilities in early stage. The realistic direction laid down by Pushkin developed at a decent level, as evidenced by Gogol’s books. Their list includes the following works:

• "Portrait".
• "Diary of a Madman".
• "Nose".
• "Nevsky Avenue".
• "Taras Bulba".

Each of them is unique in its own way. In a sense, Nikolai Gogol became an innovator. His books were distinguished by the fact that for the first time in the history of Russian literature the topic was touched upon. It was done superficially, but before that the fate of thousands ordinary people portrayed in fiction only in passing.

But no matter how strong and unique the talent of the creator of “The Overcoat” was, he still made a special contribution to literature thanks to the writing of “The Inspector General” and “Dead Souls.”

Satire

Gogol's early works brought success. However, the writer was not satisfied with this. Gogol did not want to remain just a contemplator of life. The realization that the writer’s mission was extremely great grew stronger and stronger in his soul. The artist is able to convey to his readers his vision of modern reality, thereby influencing the consciousness of the masses. From now on, Gogol worked for the good of Russia and its people. His books testify to this good aspiration. The poem "Dead Souls" became greatest work in literature. However, after the release of the first volume, the writer was subjected to severe attacks from adherents of conservative views.

The difficult situation that arose in the life and work of the writer led to the fact that he was never able to complete the poem. The second volume, which was written shortly before his death, was burned by the writer.