Russian writer Alexander Kuprin: life and work, interesting facts

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin experienced a lot of different events, whose life and work are filled with dramatic events in the world. His works enjoy constant success with both ordinary readers and professionals. Many of Kuprin's stories are a standard of the literary genre, for example, "Staff-Captain Rybnikov." For all time, such pearls from the treasury of Russian literature such as the "Pomegranate Bracelet", "Sulamith", "Olesya", "Listrigony," Junker "will not be listed, and how modern children are read by stories such as " The White Poodle " Alexander Kuprin in our country has a truly national recognition.

Childhood and youth

The future writer was born in August 1880 in the small town of Penza province. His father, a petty official, died when his son was barely a year old. Mother could not lift little Alexander, because there was not enough money, and gave the boy to an orphan school.

The Alexander College in Moscow left not only joyless memories. Here passed adolescence and adolescence, there were the first youthful hobbies, literary experiences, and most important of what Alexander Kuprin got in school are friends.

Moscow was beautiful with its patriarchal morals, its own myths, filled with pride (the capital, strangled in rights!), With its local celebrities, eccentrics. The appearance of the city was unbroken and not similar to anything else.

Beginning of writing

The study gave Kuprin a fairly complete education: the languages - Russian, French, German. Physics, mathematics, history, geography and literature (literature). Here is the last and became for him a refuge for life. Here, in the school, and was written his first story - "The Last Debut," published with a heat with the heat in the "Russian satirical messenger."

Kuprin was incredibly happy, although he stayed for this act in the punishment cell (publications without the knowledge of the head of the school were banned, but the young Kuprin did not know this, he was punished for ignorance of internal service).

Finally, the novice writer was first released from the school and assigned to serve on the southwestern border of Russia, the deaf provincial towns of such a plan were brilliantly described in the story "Duel" and the story "The Wedding".

Service on the borders of the country

The material for the excellent, to the end of the hard-won works, such as "Inquiry", "Overnight" and others, has become a service on the border. However, the writer was seriously thinking about professional literary activity. It was necessary to acquire sufficient experience for this, here it was published in provincial newspapers, and the story "In the Gloom" was taken to the journal "Russian Wealth".

In 1890, Kuprin, whose life and work seemed to be covered with moss in the backwoods, suddenly became acquainted with Chekhov and Gorky. Both maestros played a huge role in the fate of Kuprin. Naturally, Alexander Kuprin appreciated their works extremely highly, and even more - their opinion, and Chekhov almost idolized.

main topic

Not even one of the main, but the most important theme, which throughout the life of the writer Alexander Kuprin used, is love. The heroes from the pages of his prose directly shine with this feeling, revealing themselves in their best manifestations, always light, always tragically, with very few exceptions (for example, "Lilac Bush" - this amazingly beautiful story on the strength of the impression is equal to "The Gift of the Magi" O. Henry, There everything ends well, except for the sense of shame of the hero-officer for his little deception). To all real writers, like Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich, a biography helps to create.

"Olesya"

The first fairly large and very significant work appears in 1898. This story is "Olesya" - sad, without the slightest melodrama, bright, romantic. The world of the nature of the heroine is a spiritual harmony as opposed to a man from a large and cruel city. Naturalness, inner freedom, simplicity Olesya attracted the protagonist faster than a magnet piece of metal.

Low-hearted kindness was stronger than spiritual wealth, almost killing a clean and strong girl. The framework of social and cultural life can change even such a natural person as Olesya, but Kuprin did not allow this. Even a high sense of love can not revive the spiritual qualities that civilization has destroyed. That is why the significance of this excellent story is high, that the life of Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich taught everywhere to see both light and shadow, its obscuring.

"Garnet bracelet"

In the most everyday reality, the writer seeks and finds such people whose obsession with a high sense can rise above the prose of life even in dreams. Turning to the description of the "little man", Alexander Kuprin, whose books are read in earnest, truly works wonders. It turns out that Kuprin's "little" person is characterized by subtle, all-embracing love, hopeless and touching. This is a miracle, a wonderful gift. Even dying, love brings back to life, conquering death. And music, music, rebirth of the soul. It sounds in every line, passing from cold contemplation to the quivering feeling of the world.

Truly Platonic love is inevitably tragic. Chastity of heroes has creative creative power. Such are the characters who appear before the readers, as Kuprin saw, whose life and work they paint us in a cruel world trying to break a fragile soul. At the same time, there is almost always an underestimation of the hero's self, lack of faith in the right to possess that woman whom all his essence desires. Nevertheless, the complexity of situations and drama in the end do not leave the reader feeling depressed, the characters that Alexander Kuprin brought to the reader, his books entirely - self-love, optimism itself. A light feeling after reading for a long time does not leave the reader.

"The White Poodle"

This story, published in 1903, about the elderly organ-grinder, the boy Seryozha and their faithful dog, Artaud's poodle, was also called the "White Poodle" by the writer. Alexander Kuprin, as it often happened, the story was sketched from nature. To him at the dacha often came visitors - artists, just passers-by, pilgrims, and all the family Kuprins welcomed, fed lunch and sipped with tea. Among the guests once appeared an old man with a barrel organ, a small acrobat and a white learned dog. Here they are, and told the writer about what happened to them.

The rich lady insisted on selling a poodle for her small, pampered and capricious little son, the artists naturally refused. The mistress was angry, she hired a man to steal a dog. And Sergei risked his life, freeing his beloved Artoshka. Kuprin said this story was interesting because the story easily included two of his favorite topics - social inequality and disinterested friendship, love for animals, care for them. So often, instead of a writer, he works, as Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich himself said, a biography.

"Duel"

During the service lieutenant in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment and conceived, and suffered Alexander Kuprin "Duel." The city of Proskurov, in which the service was held, is easily recognized in this story. After retiring, the writer began to systematize his disparate records. When the story was ready, Maxim Gorky commended her, calling it "magnificent" and "indelible" for all thinking and honest officers.

Lunacharsky also devoted an article to Pravda in Pravda in the autumn of 1905, where he was greeted with such a theme and style of writing by talking about the beautiful pages of Kuprin's story, which are an eloquent appeal to the army, and every officer will certainly hear Your own voice of unqualified honor.

Some scenes of "Duel" Paustovsky called the best in Russian literature. But there were also opposite assessments. Not all army men agreed with the reality, which was revealed by Alexander Kuprin (life and creativity clearly say that he did not write a word of lies). However, Lieutenant-General Geisman accused the writer of slander, hatred of the army and even an attempt on the state system.

This is one of the most significant works Kuprin on the history of the conflict young lieutenant Romashov with an officer, senior in rank. Morals, a drill, a vulgarity of the officer society - all the underpinnings of the life of the provincial regiment Kuprin pushed the young romantic world outlook and - again! - a real, all-forgiving and comprehensive, sacrificial love.

The first edition of the story came with a dedication to Maxim Gorky, since all the most violent and boldest in the story determined his influence. And Chekhov did not like the story, and her romantic mood - especially, than Kuprin was very puzzled and upset.

In autumn of this year, the writer spent in Balaklava, in the Crimea, where he read a monologue of Nazanskiy from the "Duel" at a charity evening. Balaklava - the city of the military, and in their hall at that time was a lot. A huge scandal broke out, helped by the sailor, Lieutenant P. P. Schmidt, who led the insurrection on the Ochakov cruiser a month later . The writer personally saw the ruthless reprisal of government troops with the insurgents and described these events, sending correspondence to St. Petersburg, in the newspaper "New Life". For this, Kuprin from Balaklava was deported at forty-eight hours. But the writer managed to save from the persecution of several sailors from the "Ochakov". About this uprising were then written beautiful stories: "Caterpillar", "Giant", the most remarkable "Gambrinus".

Family writer

The first wife of Kuprin was Maria Karlovna Davydova, whom he married in 1902 and received a divorce in 1909. She was a highly educated lady, the daughter of a famous cellist and magazine publisher. The next marriage, she became the wife of a prominent statesman Nikolai of Jordan-Negorev. Maria Karlovna left a book of memories of Kuprin - "Years of Youth".

They also had a joint daughter - Lydia Alexandrovna Kuprin, who died early, in 1924, giving the writer the grandson of Alexei. The children of Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich and his grandson left no other offspring, the Kuprins' family was interrupted.

The second wife, his muse and guardian angel, is Elizabeth Moritzna Geynrikh, who married the writer in 1909. She was the daughter of a photographer and sister of an actress. Elizaveta Moritzevna worked all her life, which was not typical for that time, she was a sister of mercy. I could not survive the siege of Leningrad.

They had a daughter, Ksenia Alexandrovna, a beautiful and clever girl, a favorite not only of the whole family, but also of people who had at least a little communication with her. Worked in the fashion house at the famous in those days Paul Poiret, was a model and an actress. In 1958, returned from France to the USSR. She also wrote the memoirs "Kuprin is my father". Played in the Moscow Pushkin Theater. One-year-old Xenia had a sister, Zinaida, but in 1912 she died of pneumonia.

Pre-war, military and post-war years

All 1909 Kuprin worked hard - he wrote a story that was risky and for our time subjects. The writer decided to show the inside of the life of a brothel somewhere in the provinces. He called the story "Yama". She wrote for a long time. In the same year he was awarded the Pushkin Prize, as well as Ivan Bunin. This was already an official recognition from the Academy of Sciences.

In 1911, Kuprin had to sell the publishing right to the Complete Works. Having received a hundred thousand rubles from the publisher, already in 1915 the writer wrote that he was mired in debt. Then the novel "The Pomegranate Bracelet" was published, which Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich so trepidly wrote, the stories "Telegraphist" and "The Holy Lie" - works are subtle, lyrical, sad. They clearly showed that the author's soul in wealth is not mired, that he is still ready to sympathize, to love and to condole.

In 1914, Kuprin went volunteer for the war, again a lieutenant. He served in Finland, but not for long: was recognized for health reasons for service unfit. He returned home, and at home - infirmary: Elizaveta Moritzevna and daughter Xenia were nursing the wounded ... So the years of the war passed. The revolution of 1917 Kuprin did not understand and did not accept. Lenin did not like. After the defeat of the white movement in 1920, the Kuprins left Russia.

Twenty years of Kuprin's life in France showed how difficult it is for a Russian person to adapt abroad. Earnings was not. The most famous works of the writer were translated into French, but new ones were not written. Commercial enterprises especially failed. The main thing - ate the soul longing. Gone are youth, health, strength, hope ... This nostalgia is permeated through the only major work written by Alexander Ivanovich far from Russia - the novel "Junker." It turned out almost documentary memories of the military school, warm, sad, but with the same kind and gentle Kuprin humor. He really, really wanted to return to his homeland.

Home!

Kuprin's dream of returning to Russia was too late. The mortally ill writer returned home to die. The meeting was incredibly warm - he was loved so much that almost all of Moscow decided to see him. The joy of Alexander Ivanovich was immeasurable. Eyewitnesses testify that he often cried, he was touched by everything: both children, and the smell of the homeland, especially the attention and love of others. The writer, despite the illness, published: an essay on the capital, "Moscow native", then memories of Gorky (with huge silence, since in exile Kuprin Gorky did not pay for support and aiding "the regime of horror and slavery").

Under the new 1937 Kuprins moved to Leningrad and settled there, surrounded by care and attention. In June 1938, they visited their dear Gatchina, where the lilac blossomed so beautifully once. They refused both from their old dacha, and from seventy thousand compensations for it, they settled with a famous widow of the famous architect. Kuprin walked around the beautiful garden, enjoyed peace and quiet joy.

Nevertheless, the disease intensified, the diagnosis was terrible - esophageal cancer. In Leningrad, after returning from Gatchina, the council decided to operate Kuprin. Temporarily he felt better, but the doctors warned that there was really nothing to hope for. Kuprin was dying. In the last days he had everything that is possible, the best doctors, the perfect care. But such prolongation of life can not be forever.

Life is eternal

Literary critics, critics, memoirists wrote a live portrait of a remarkable, truly Russian writer who continued the best classical traditions of critical realism, the brilliant follower of Leo Tolstoy. Alexander Kuprin, whose quotations in the course of a century, wrote more than a hundred works of various genres. He was truthful, sincere, with a large share of life's specifics in every word, he wrote only about what he experienced, saw, felt.

Kuprin addressed the widest audience, his reader does not depend on sex and age, everyone will find in his lines his own, cherished. Humanism, persevering love of life, plastic, vivid descriptions, an exceptionally rich language help Kuprin's works remain one of the most widely read to this day. His works are screened, staged and translated into many languages of the world.