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

short biography: public service

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

Brief biography: literary activity

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

Saltykov - Mikhail Evgrafovich Shchedrin (real name Saltykov, pseudonym N. Shchedrin) (1826-1889), writer, publicist.

Born on January 27, 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province, into an old noble family. In 1836 he was sent to the Moscow Noble Institute, from where two years later he was transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum for excellent studies.

In August 1844, Saltykov entered service in the office of the Minister of War. At this time, his first stories “Contradiction” and “Entangled Affair” were published, which aroused the ire of the authorities.

In 1848, for a “harmful way of thinking,” Saltykov-Shchedrin was exiled to Vyatka (now Kirov), where he received the position of senior official on special assignments under the governor, and after some time - adviser to the provincial government. Only in 1856, in connection with the death of Nicholas I, the residence restriction was lifted.

Returning to St. Petersburg, the writer resumed his literary activity, while simultaneously working at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and participating in the preparation of the peasant reform. In 1858-1862. Saltykov served as vice-governor in Ryazan, then in Tver. After retiring, he settled in the capital and became one of the editors of the Sovremennik magazine.

In 1865, Saltykov-Shchedrin returned to public service: he headed the different time state chambers in Penza, Tula, Ryazan. But the attempt was unsuccessful, and in 1868 he agreed with N. A. Nekrasov’s proposal to join the editorial board of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski, where he worked until 1884.

A talented publicist, satirist, artist, Saltykov-Shchedrin in his works tried to direct the attention of Russian society to the main problems of that time.

“Provincial Sketches” (1856-1857), “Pompadours and Pompadours” (1863-1874), “Poshekhon Antiquity” (1887-1889), “Fairy Tales” (1882-1886) stigmatize theft and bribery of officials, cruelty of landowners, tyranny of bosses. In the novel “The Golovlevs” (1875-1880), the author depicted the spiritual and physical degradation of the nobility of the second half of the 19th century V. In “The History of a City” (1861-1862), the writer not only satirically showed the relationship between the people and the authorities of the city of Foolov, but also rose to criticize the government leaders of Russia.

Shchedrin, real name Saltykov, was born in 1826, in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province, now Moscow region, on the family estate.

The strictest economy, parental scandals and swearing, cruel treatment of serfs - this is the world of his childhood, captured in the novel “Poshekhon Antiquity.”

Having received primary education in the family, the writer studied at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where senior government officials were trained. There his literary and poetic abilities manifested themselves.

After graduation, he began service, which continued with a short break until 1868.

In 1848 a young official already taking part in literary - public life capital, almost suffered the fate of Dostoevsky: Saltykov was arrested for the stories “Contradictions” (1847) and “A Confused Case” (1848). He continues to serve in Vyatka, from where he returns after the death of Nicholas I, in 1855.

In 1856 - 1857, the satirist, basing his impressions of the province and for the first time using his favorite form - a cycle of closely related stories and scenes, embodied his plan - “Provincial Sketches”.

1858 Saltykov is the vice-governor of Ryazan, later of Tver, and in 1865 - 1868 he served in important posts in Penza, Tula, and the same Ryazan. According to contemporaries, he was a respectable, incorruptible, and zealous official. But intransigence, rigidity and inflexibility, some cynicism and caustic temperament, reluctance to adapt to the leaders and the current situation, became the reason for leaving the civil service.

Shchedrin devotes himself entirely to literary craft. True experience of life in the outback and awareness of the structure of the state apparatus from the inside made the writer an expert on the national foundations of that time. “Innocent Stories”, “Satires in Prose”, “Pompadours and Pompadours”, and the brilliant “History of a City” appeared, which in its genre became a satirical parody of historical work.

In 1863 - 1864, having temporarily retired from service, Saltykov collaborated with Nekrasov in the Sovremennik magazine. In 1868 - becomes co-editor of Otechestvennye Zapiski, linking his further literary and social activities with this magazine. In 1880 The socio-psychological novel “Gentlemen Golovlevs” has been completed.

In 1884 By decision of the government, the popular and democratic “Otechestvennye Zapiski” is closed. The writer perceives this as a personal life disaster. The mental wound inflicted by the banning of the publication, into which so much effort and heart had been invested, did not heal until his death in 1889.

Despite his painful illness and depressed mental state, Saltykov continues to compose. This time includes: “Poshekhon Antiquity”, “Little Things in Life”. Bright, expressive, sharp in their themes fairy tales, the images of which have become household names. The author begins “Forgotten Words”, in the genre of poetic prose, but death interrupts his work.

All works of the classic are not combined genre affiliation, not by theme or even a special, sarcastic method of describing what is happening, but by the fact that they are peculiar parts and fragments of one large work, which depicted Russian life at the end of the 19th century.

M. E. Saltykov, thanks to the strength and depth of his striking talent, is rare, amazing phenomenon. He rightfully occupies a special niche in literature.

A very short biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin

M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin was born in the Tver province in 1826. At the age of 10, he began studying at the Moscow Noble Institute. Having shown himself to be an excellent student, he soon received a transfer to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

At the age of 19, Mikhail entered the military service, to the office. At this time, his works began to be published for the first time.

He was exiled to Vyatka in 1848 because his way of thinking was not accepted by many. There he served as a senior official under the governor and later became an advisor to the governor's board.

It was not until 1856 that his residence restriction was lifted. At this time, Mikhail returned to St. Petersburg. There he started studying again writing activity. In addition, the writer worked at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and took part in reforms. In 1858, Saltykov-Shchedrin became vice-governor in Ryazan, and then in Tver. At the age of 36, he resigned, returned to St. Petersburg and began working as editor of Sovremennik magazine.

For several years he tried to return to public service, but the attempts were unsuccessful.

Almost until his death, Mikhail worked in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski, first as one of the editors, and then as the managing editor of the magazine. At this time he creates his own famous work- “The history of one city.”

In 1889, Mikhail Evgrafovich passed away.

Biography by dates and Interesting Facts. The most important.

Painting from 1879
I.N. Kramskoy

(January 27, 1826 - May 10, 1899) - writer, journalist, civil servant. Real name Saltykov. Pseudonym Nikolai Shchedrin.
Father - Evgraf Vasilyevich Saltykov (1776-1851). Hereditary nobleman and civil servant.
Mother - Olga Mikhailovna Zabelina (1801-1874). From the family of a wealthy Moscow merchant Zabelin.
Wife - Elizaveta Apollonovna Boltina (1839-1910). Daughter of Vice-Governor Boltin. The marriage had two children: Konstantin (1872-1932) and Elizabeth (1873-1927).
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin born on January 27 (January 15, old style) 1826 on his parents’ estate in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province Russian Empire(now the village of Spas-Ugol, Moscow region Russian Federation) in the family of a hereditary nobleman.
Mikhail Evgrafovich spent his childhood on his parents’ estate. From the age of seven, a serf painter was assigned to him to teach him to read and write. Then his elder sister, Nadezhda Evgrafovna (1818-1844), a governess, a priest from a neighboring village and a student at the Trinity Theological Academy, took care of his education. Saltykov studied diligently, and, thanks to this, at the age of ten (1836) he was admitted to the third class of the Moscow Noble Institute. For excellent studies, in 1838 he was sent at state expense to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum as the best student. Which he graduated in 1844.
In August 1845, Saltykov-Shchedrin was enlisted in the office of the Minister of War. And in April 1848, for freethinking, he was exiled to Vyatka with the right to visit his Tver estate. He held various positions under the Vyatka provincial government. During this period, he was often invited, among others, by Vice-Governor Bolotin. Saltykov married one of his daughters, Elizaveta, in 1856.
After the death of Nicholas I, Mikhail Evgrafovich by the end of 1855 received permission to leave Vyatka. Returning to St. Petersburg, in February 1856 he began working at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He goes on inspections to the Tver and Vladimir provinces. In March 1858, Saltykov-Shchedrin was appointed to the post of Ryazan vice-governor, and in April 1860 he was transferred to the post of Tver vice-governor. In 1862 he retired for the first time.
From the beginning of 1863 to 1864 he worked in Sovremennik, publishing his works, articles and book reviews in it.
From November 1864 to 1868 he worked as the manager of the State Chambers of Penza (1864-1866), Tula (1866-1867) and Ryazan (1867-1868). The frequent change of place of work is explained by conflicts with governors, whom Saltykov ridiculed in his pamphlets. After a complaint from the Ryazan governor in 1868, he was dismissed without the right to hold public office.
In 1868 he moved to St. Petersburg, and, accepting Nekrasov’s invitation, became one of the editors of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. In 1875-1876, Saltykov-Shchedrin traveled abroad for treatment. He visited Germany, France and Switzerland. In 1877, after the death of Nekrasov, he became the head of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. And in 1884, due to revolutionary publications, it was banned by a meeting of the ministers of internal affairs, public education, justice and chief prosecutor of St. synod. The closure of the magazine was a strong blow for Mikhail Evgrafovich. This situation exacerbated health problems that had been deteriorating since the late 1870s. After this, Saltykov-Shchedrin was forced to publish in the magazine “Bulletin of Europe” and the newspaper “Russian Vedomosti”.
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin died on May 10 (April 28, old style) 1889 in St. Petersburg. He was buried on May 14 (May 2, old style) 1889 at the Volkovskoye cemetery next to Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev.

Since childhood, life’s contradictions have entered the spiritual world of the satirist. Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov was born on January 15 (27), 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Kalyazin district, Tver province. The writer's father belonged to the old noble family of the Saltykovs, early XIX century, bankrupt and impoverished. In an effort to improve his shaky financial situation, Evgraf Vasilyevich married the daughter of a wealthy Moscow merchant O. M. Zabelina, power-hungry and energetic, thrifty and prudent to the point of hoarding.
Mikhail Evgrafovich did not like to remember his childhood, and when this happened, willy-nilly, the memories were tinged with invariable bitterness. Under the roof of his parents' house he was not destined to experience either the poetry of childhood or family warmth and participation. The family drama was complicated by the social drama. Saltykov’s childhood and young years coincided with the rampant serfdom that was reaching its end. “It penetrated not only into relations between local nobility and the forced masses - to them, in a narrow sense, this term was attached - but also to all forms of community life in general, equally drawing all classes (privileged and unprivileged) into the pool of humiliating lawlessness, all sorts of twists of slyness and fear of the prospect of being crushed every hour.” .
The young man Saltykov received a brilliant education for those times, first at the Noble Institute in Moscow, then at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where by writing poetry he gained fame as a “clever man” and “the second Pushkin.” But the bright times of the lyceum brotherhood of students and teachers have long since sunk into oblivion. Nicholas I's hatred of education, generated by fear of the spread of freedom-loving ideas, was directed primarily at the Lyceum. “At that time, and especially in our “institution,” recalled Saltykov, “the taste for thinking was a thing that was very little encouraged. It could only be expressed quietly and under pain of more or less sensitive punishment.” All lyceum education was then directed towards one exclusive goal - “to prepare an official.”
Young Saltykov made up for the shortcomings of his lyceum education in his own way: he greedily devoured Belinsky’s articles in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski, and after graduating from the lyceum, having decided to serve as an official in the Military Department, he joined the socialist circle of M. V. Petrashevsky. This circle “instinctively clung to the France of Saint-Simon, Cabet, Fourier, Louis Blanc and especially Georges Sand. From there faith in humanity poured into us, from there the confidence shone upon us that the “golden age” was not behind us, but ahead of us... In a word, everything good, everything desirable and loving - everything came from there.”
But here, too, Saltykov discovered a seed of contradiction, from which the mighty tree of his satire subsequently grew. He noticed that the members of the socialist circle are too beautiful in their dreams, that they live in Russia only “in fact” or, as they said at that time, “have a way of life”: they go to the office for work, eat in restaurants and cooks... Spiritually they live in France, Russia for them is “an area, as if covered with fog.”
In the story “Contradictions” (1847), Saltykov forced his hero Nagibin to struggle painfully with the solution to the “inexplicable phoenix” - Russian reality, to look for ways out of the contradiction between the ideals of utopian socialism and real life, which runs counter to these ideals. The hero of the second story, “A Confused Affair” (1848), Michulin, is also struck by the imperfection of all social relations; he also tries to find a way out of the contradictions between ideal and reality, to find a living practical matter that will allow him to rebuild the world. Decided here characteristic features Saltykov’s spiritual appearance: a reluctance to isolate himself in abstract dreams, an impatient thirst for immediate practical results from the ideals in which he believed.

Essay on literature on the topic: Childhood, adolescence, adolescence and youth of Saltykov-Shchedrin

Other writings:

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  4. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin in his fairy tales remarkably revealed the basic properties of the fairy tale as a folk genre and, skillfully using metaphors, hyperboles, and the wit of the grotesque, showed the fairy tale as a satirical genre. In a fairy tale Wild landowner” the author displayed real life landowner. There is a beginning here in which Read More ......
  5. Bunin worked on the novel “The Life of Arsenyev” intermittently, from 1927 to 1939 (the first four chapters were written in 1927-1929; after a three-year break, Bunin began writing the 5th part, which in 1939 was published separately in Brussels under Read More......
  6. Saltykov-Shchedrin is a world-recognized master of satire. His talent showed itself in difficult times for Russia. The contradictions that were corroding the country from within and the discord in society became apparent. The appearance of satirical works was inevitable. But only a few were able to fully reveal their talent Read More......
  7. 1. Satire by Saltykov-Shchedrin. 2. Genre features fairy tales 3. Heroes. 4. Fantastic motives. The fairy tales of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin are a completely special layer of the writer’s creativity. Almost everything Saltykov-Shchedrin created in last years life. These short works amaze with variety artistic techniques, and so Read More......
  8. “The History of a City” can rightfully be considered the pinnacle of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s creativity. It was this work that brought him fame as a satirical writer, strengthening it for a long time. I believe that “The History of a City” is one of the most unusual books dedicated to history Russian state. Originality Read More ......
Childhood, adolescence, adolescence and youth of Saltykov-Shchedrin