Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich, whose stories, novels and novels are known and loved by many today, was born on October 28, 1818 in the city of Orel, into an old noble family. Ivan was the second son of Varvara Petrovna Turgeneva (nee Lutovinova) and Sergey Nikolaevich Turgenev.
Turgenev's parents
His father was in the service of the Elisavetgrad cavalry regiment. After his marriage, he retired with the rank of colonel. Sergei Nikolayevich belonged to an old noble family. His ancestors are believed to have been Tatars. Ivan Sergeevich's mother was not as well-born as her father, but she surpassed him in we alth. Vast lands located in the Oryol province belonged to Varvara Petrovna. Sergei Nikolaevich stood out for his elegance of manners and secular sophistication. He had a subtle soul, he was handsome. Mother's temper was not like that. This woman lost her father early. She had to experience a terrible shock in her adolescence, when her stepfather tried to seduce her. Barbara ran away from home. Ivan's mother, who survived humiliation and oppression, tried toexercise the power given to her by law and nature over her sons. This woman was strong willed. She despotically loved her children, and was cruel to the serfs, often punishing them with flogging for insignificant offenses.
The case in Bern
In 1822 the Turgenevs went on a trip abroad. In Bern, a Swiss city, Ivan Sergeevich almost died. The fact is that the father put the boy on the railing of the fence, which surrounded a large pit with city bears entertaining the public. Ivan fell off the railing. Sergei Nikolaevich at the last moment grabbed his son by the leg.
Introducing belles lettres
The Turgenevs returned from their trip abroad to Spasskoe-Lutovinovo, their mother's estate, located ten versts from Mtsensk (Oryol province). Here Ivan discovered literature for himself: one courtyard man from a serf mother read to the boy in the old manner, singsongly and measuredly, the poem "Rossiada" by Kheraskov. Kheraskov in solemn verses sang the battles for Kazan of the Tatars and Russians during the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich. Many years later, Turgenev in his 1874 story "Punin and Baburin" endowed one of the heroes of the work with love for "Rossiada".
First love
The family of Ivan Sergeevich was in Moscow from the end of the 1820s to the first half of the 1830s. At the age of 15, Turgenev fell in love for the first time in his life. At this time, the family was at Engel's dacha. The neighbors were Princess Shakhovskaya with her daughter, Princess Catherine, who was 3 years older than Ivan Turgenev. First love seemedTurgenev captivating, beautiful. He was in awe of the girl, afraid to confess the sweet and languid feeling that had taken possession of him. However, the end of joys and torments, fears and hopes came suddenly: Ivan Sergeevich accidentally found out that Catherine was his father's lover. Turgenev was haunted by pain for a long time. He will present his love story for a young girl to the hero of the 1860 story "First Love". In this work, Catherine became the prototype of Princess Zinaida Zasekina.
Study at the universities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the death of his father
The biography of Ivan Turgenev continues with a period of study. Turgenev in September 1834 entered the Moscow University, the verbal department. However, he was not satisfied with his studies at the university. He liked Pogorelsky, a mathematics teacher, and Dubensky, who taught Russian. Most of the teachers and courses left the student Turgenev completely indifferent. And some teachers even caused obvious antipathy. This is especially true of Pobedonostsev, who tediously and for a long time talked about literature and could not advance in his predilections further than Lomonosov. After 5 years, Turgenev will continue his studies in Germany. About Moscow University, he will say: "It is full of fools."
Ivan Sergeevich studied in Moscow for only a year. Already in the summer of 1834 he moved to St. Petersburg. Here, his brother Nikolai was in military service. Ivan Turgenev continued to study at St. Petersburg University. His father died in October of the sameyears from kidney stone disease, right in Ivan's arms. By this time, he was already living apart from his wife. Ivan Turgenev's father was amorous and quickly lost interest in his wife. Varvara Petrovna did not forgive him for his betrayals and, exaggerating her own misfortunes and illnesses, exposed herself as a victim of his callousness and irresponsibility.
The death of his father left a deep wound in Turgenev's soul. He began to think about life and death, about the meaning of life. Turgenev at that time was attracted by powerful passions, vivid characters, throwing and struggles of the soul, expressed in an unusual, sublime language. He reveled in the poems of V. G. Benediktov and N. V. Kukolnik, the stories of A. A. Bestuzhev-Marlinsky. Ivan Turgenev wrote in imitation of Byron (the author of "Manfred") his dramatic poem called "The Wall". More than 30 years later, he will say that this is "a completely ridiculous piece."
Composing poetry, Republican ideas
Turgenev in the winter of 1834-1835 fell seriously ill. He had a weakness in his body, he could not eat or sleep. Having recovered, Ivan Sergeevich changed a lot spiritually and physically. He became very stretched out, and also lost interest in mathematics, which attracted him before, and became more and more interested in belles-lettres. Turgenev began to compose many poems, but still imitative and weak. At the same time, he became interested in republican ideas. He felt the serfdom that existed in the country as a shame and the greatest injustice. In Turgenev, a sense of guilt in front of all the peasants strengthened, because his mother treated them cruelly. And he swore to himselfdo everything to ensure that there is no class of "slaves" in Russia.
Introduction to Pletnev and Pushkin, publication of the first poems
Student Turgenev in his third year met P. A. Pletnev, professor of Russian literature. This is a literary critic, poet, friend of A. S. Pushkin, to whom the novel "Eugene Onegin" is dedicated. At the beginning of 1837, at a literary evening with him, Ivan Sergeevich also ran into Pushkin himself.
In 1838, two poems by Turgenev were published in the Sovremennik magazine (first and fourth issues): "To the Venus of Medicius" and "Evening". Ivan Sergeevich published poetry after that. The first tests of the pen, which were printed, did not bring him fame.
Continuing your studies in Germany
In 1837, Turgenev graduated from St. Petersburg University (language department). He was not satisfied with the education he received, feeling gaps in his knowledge. German universities were considered the standard of that time. And in the spring of 1838, Ivan Sergeevich went to this country. He decided to graduate from the University of Berlin, which taught Hegel's philosophy.
Abroad, Ivan Sergeevich became friends with the thinker and poet N. V. Stankevich, and also became friends with M. A. Bakunin, who later became a famous revolutionary. He had conversations on historical and philosophical topics with T. N. Granovsky, the future famous historian. Ivan Sergeevich became a staunch Westerner. Russia, in his opinion, should take an example from Europe, getting rid offrom lack of culture, laziness, ignorance.
Public Service
Turgenev returned to Russia in 1841 and wanted to teach philosophy. However, his plans were not destined to come true: the department he wanted to enter was not restored. Ivan Sergeevich in June 1843 was enlisted in the Ministry of the Interior for service. At that time, the issue of the liberation of the peasants was being studied, so Turgenev reacted to the service with enthusiasm. However, Ivan Sergeevich did not serve long in the ministry: he quickly became disillusioned with the usefulness of his work. He began to be burdened by the need to fulfill all the instructions of his superiors. In April 1845, Ivan Sergeevich retired and never again served in the public service.
Turgenev becomes famous
Turgenev in the 1840s began to play the role of a secular lion in society: always well-groomed, neat, with the manners of an aristocrat. He wanted success and attention.
In 1843, in April, Turgenev's poem Parasha was published. Its plot is the touching love of the landowner's daughter for a neighbor on the estate. The work is a kind of ironic echo of "Eugene Onegin". However, unlike Pushkin, in Turgenev's poem everything ends happily with the marriage of the heroes. Nevertheless, happiness is deceptive, doubtful - it's just ordinary well-being.
The work was highly appreciated by V. G. Belinsky, the most influential and famous critic of that time. Turgenev met Druzhinin, Panaev, Nekrasov. After"Parashey" Ivan Sergeevich wrote the following poems: in 1844 - "Conversation", in 1845 - "Andrey" and "Landlord". Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich also created stories and novels (in 1844 - "Andrey Kolosov", in 1846 - "Three Portraits" and "Breter", in 1847 - "Petushkov"). In addition, Turgenev wrote the comedy Lack of Money in 1846, and the drama Indiscretion in 1843. He followed the principles of the "natural school" of writers, to which Grigorovich, Nekrasov, Herzen, Goncharov belonged. Writers belonging to this trend depicted "non-poetic" subjects: people's everyday life, everyday life, they paid primary attention to the influence of circumstances and the environment on the fate and character of a person.
Hunter's Notes
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev in 1847 published the essay "Khor and Kalinich", created under the impression of hunting trips in 1846 through the fields and forests of the Tula, Kaluga and Oryol provinces. Two heroes in it - Khor and Kalinich - are presented not just as Russian peasants. These are individuals with their own complex inner world. On the pages of this work, as well as other essays by Ivan Sergeevich, published in the book "Notes of a Hunter" in 1852, the peasants have their own voice, which differs from the manner of the narrator. The author recreated the customs and life of the landlord and peasant Russia. His book was evaluated as a protest against serfdom. Society accepted her enthusiastically.
Relationship with PolinaViardot, mother's death
In October 1843, a young opera singer from France, Pauline Viardot, arrived in St. Petersburg on tour. She was greeted enthusiastically. Ivan Turgenev was also delighted with her talent. He was captivated by this woman for the rest of his life. Ivan Sergeevich followed her and her family to France (Viardot was married), accompanied Polina on a tour of Europe. His life was henceforth divided between France and Russia. The love of Ivan Turgenev has passed the test of time - Ivan Sergeevich has been waiting for the first kiss for two years. And only in June 1849 Polina became his lover.
Turgenev's mother was categorically against this connection. She refused to give him the funds received from the income from the estates. Death reconciled them: Turgenev's mother was dying hard, suffocating. She died in 1850 on November 16 in Moscow. Ivan was informed of her illness too late and did not have time to say goodbye to her.
Arrest and exile
In 1852 N. V. Gogol died. I. S. Turgenev wrote an obituary on this occasion. There were no reprehensible thoughts in him. However, it was not customary in the press to recall the duel that led to the death of Pushkin, as well as to recall the death of Lermontov. On April 16 of the same year, Ivan Sergeevich was put under arrest for a month. Then he was exiled to Spasskoe-Lutovinovo, not allowed to leave the Oryol province. At the request of the exile, after 1.5 years he was allowed to leave Spassky, but only in 1856 was he granted the right to go abroad.
New works
During the years of exile, Ivan Turgenev wrote new works. His books were getting bigger and bigger.popularity. In 1852, Ivan Sergeevich created the story "Inn". In the same year, Ivan Turgenev wrote Mumu, one of his most famous works. In the period from the late 1840s to the mid-1850s, he created other stories: in 1850 - "The Diary of a Superfluous Man", in 1853 - "Two Friends", in 1854 - "Correspondence" and "Calm", in 1856 - "Yakov Pasynkov". Their heroes are naive and lofty idealists who fail in their attempts to benefit society or find happiness in their personal lives. Criticism called them "superfluous people." Thus, the creator of a new type of hero was Ivan Turgenev. His books were interesting for their novelty and topicality.
Rudin
The fame acquired by the mid-1850s by Ivan Sergeevich was strengthened by the novel "Rudin". The author wrote it in 1855 in seven weeks. Turgenev in his first novel made an attempt to recreate the type of ideologist and thinker, modern man. The protagonist is an "extra person", who is depicted both in weakness and in attractiveness at the same time. The writer, creating it, endowed his hero with the features of Bakunin.
"The Nest of Nobles" and new novels
In 1858, Turgenev's second novel appeared - "The Nest of Nobles". His themes are the history of an old noble family; the love of a nobleman, by the will of circumstances hopeless. Poetry of love, full of grace andsubtleties, a careful depiction of the characters' experiences, the spiritualization of nature - these are the distinctive features of Turgenev's style, perhaps most clearly expressed in The Noble Nest. They are also characteristic of some stories, such as "Faust" of 1856, "A Trip to Polissya" (years of creation - 1853-1857), "Asya" and "First Love" (both works were written in 1860). "Noble Nest" was warmly welcomed. He was praised by many critics, in particular Annenkov, Pisarev, Grigoriev. However, Turgenev's next novel met a completely different fate.
"The day before"
In 1860 Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev published the novel "On the Eve". A brief summary of it is as follows. In the center of the work - Elena Stakhova. This heroine is a brave, determined, devotedly loving girl. She fell in love with the revolutionary Insarov, a Bulgarian who devoted his life to liberating his homeland from the rule of the Turks. The story of their relationship ends, as usual with Ivan Sergeevich, tragically. The revolutionary dies, and Elena, who has become his wife, decides to continue the work of her late husband. This is the plot of the new novel, which was created by Ivan Turgenev. Of course, we have described its summary only in general terms.
This novel caused conflicting assessments. Dobrolyubov, for example, in an instructive tone in his article reprimanded the author where he was wrong. Ivan Sergeevich was furious. Radical democratic publications published texts with scandalous and malicious allusions to the details of Turgenev's personal life. The writer broke off relations withSovremennik, where he published for many years. The younger generation stopped seeing Ivan Sergeevich as an idol.
"Fathers and Sons"
In the period from 1860 to 1861, Ivan Turgenev wrote "Fathers and Sons", his new novel. It was published in Russkiy Vestnik in 1862. Most readers and critics did not appreciate it.
"Enough"
In 1862-1864 a story-miniature "Enough" was created (published in 1864). It is imbued with motives of disappointment in the values of life, including art and love, which are so dear to Turgenev. In the face of implacable and blind death, everything loses its meaning.
"Smoke"
Written in 1865-1867 the novel "Smoke" is also imbued with a gloomy mood. The work was published in 1867. In it, the author tried to recreate a picture of modern Russian society, the ideological moods that dominated it.
"Nov"
Turgenev's last novel appeared in the mid-1870s. In 1877 it was printed. Turgenev in it presented populist revolutionaries who are trying to convey their ideas to the peasants. He assessed their actions as a sacrificial feat. However, this is a feat of the doomed.
The last years of the life of I. S. Turgenev
Turgenev from the mid-1860s almost permanently lived abroad, only occasionally visiting his homeland. He built himself a house in Baden-Baden, near the house of the Viardot family. In 1870, after the Franco-Prussian war, Polina and Ivan Sergeevich left the city and settled in France.
In 1882, Turgenev fell ill with spinal cancer. The last months of his life were difficult, and death was also difficult. The life of Ivan Turgenev ended on August 22, 1883. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Volkovsky cemetery, near the grave of Belinsky.
Ivan Turgenev, whose stories, short stories and novels are included in the school curriculum and known to many, is one of the greatest Russian writers of the 19th century.
