Vladimir Ivanovich Dal, whose biography will be described in this article, is a Russian scientist and writer. He was a corresponding member of the Physics and Mathematics Department of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. He was one of the 12 founders of the Russian Geographical Society. He knew at least 12 languages, including several Turkic ones. He was best known for compiling the Explanatory Dictionary of the Great Russian Language.
Family
Vladimir Dal, whose biography is well known to all fans of his work, was born in 1801 on the territory of modern Luhansk (Ukraine).
His father was a Dane, and Ivan took the Russian name along with Russian citizenship in 1799. Ivan Matveyevich Dal knew French, Greek, English, Yiddish, Hebrew, Latin and German, was a physician and theologian. His linguistic abilities were so high that Catherine II herself invited Ivan Matveyevich to St. Petersburg to work incourt library. He later went to Jena to train as a doctor, then returned to Russia and obtained a medical license.
In St. Petersburg, Ivan Matveyevich married Maria Freitag. They had 4 boys:
- Vladimir (born 1801).
- Karl (born 1802). He served in the Navy all his life, had no children. Buried in Nikolaev (Ukraine).
- Pavel (born 1805). He suffered from consumption and, due to poor he alth, lived with his mother in Italy. Didn't have children. Died young and buried in Rome.
- Leo (year of birth unknown). He was killed by Polish rebels.
Maria Dahl knew 5 languages. Her mother was a descendant of an old family of French Huguenots and studied Russian literature. Most often she translated into Russian the works of A. V. Iffland and S. Gesner. Maria Dahl's grandfather is a pawnshop official, a collegiate assessor. In fact, it was he who forced the father of the future writer to get a medical profession, considering it one of the most profitable.
Study
Primary education Vladimir Dal, whose brief biography is in textbooks on literature, received at home. Parents from childhood instilled in him a love of reading.
At the age of 13, Vladimir, together with his younger brother, entered the St. Petersburg Cadet Corps. There they studied for 5 years. In 1819, Dahl graduated as a midshipman. By the way, he will write about his studies and service in the Navy 20 years later in the story “Midshipman Kisses, or Look Back at Life.”
Having served in the Navy until 1826, Vladimir entered the medical faculty of Dorpat University. He earnedfor life, giving lessons in the Russian language. Due to lack of funds, he had to live in an attic closet. Two years later, Dahl was enrolled in state-owned pupils. As one of his biographers wrote: "Vladimir plunged headlong into his studies." He especially leaned on the Latin language. And for his work on philosophy, he was even awarded a silver medal.
I had to interrupt my studies with the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war in 1828. In the Transdanubian region, cases of plague increased, and the army in the field needed to strengthen the medical service. Vladimir Dal, whose brief biography is known even to foreign writers, passed the exam for a surgeon ahead of schedule. His dissertation was titled "On the Successful Method of Craniotomy and on Hidden Ulceration of the Kidneys."
Medical activities
During the battles of the Polish and Russian-Turkish companies, Vladimir showed himself to be a brilliant military doctor. In 1832, he got a job as an intern at the St. Petersburg hospital and soon became a well-known and respected doctor in the city.
P. I. Melnikov (Dal's biographer) wrote: “Departing from surgical practice, Vladimir Ivanovich did not leave medicine. He found new passions – homeopathy and ophthalmology.”
Military activities
Dal's biography, a summary of which shows that Vladimir always achieved his goals, describes a case when the writer proved himself to be a soldier. This happened in 1831 when General Ridiger crossed the Vistula River (Polish company). Dahl helped build a bridge over it, defended it, andafter the crossing - destroyed. For non-fulfillment of direct medical duties, Vladimir Ivanovich received a reprimand from his superiors. But later, the tsar personally awarded the future ethnographer with the Vladimir Cross.
First steps in literature
Dal, whose brief biography was well known to his descendants, began his literary career with a scandal. He composed an epigram for Craig, the commander-in-chief of the Black Sea Fleet, and Yulia Kulchinskaya, his common-law wife. For this, Vladimir Ivanovich was arrested in September 1823 for 9 months. After the acquittal of the court, he moved from Nikolaev to Kronstadt.
In 1827, Dahl published his first poems in the Slavyanin magazine. And in 1830 he revealed himself as a prose writer in the story "Gypsy", published in the Moscow Telegraph. Unfortunately, within the framework of one article it is impossible to tell in detail about this wonderful work. If you want to get more information, you can refer to thematic encyclopedias. Reviews of the story can be in the section "Vladimir Dal: Biography". The writer also compiled several books for children. The greatest success was enjoyed by "First Pervinka", as well as "Primary Other".
Confession and second arrest
As a writer, Vladimir Dal, whose biography is well known to all schoolchildren, became famous thanks to his book "Russian Tales", published in 1832. The rector of the Derpt Institute invited his former student to the department of Russian literature. Vladimir's book was accepted as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Now everyone knew that Dahl was a writer,whose biography is an example to follow. But trouble happened. The work was rejected by the Minister of Education himself as unreliable. The reason for this was the denunciation of the official Mordvinov.
Dal's biography describes this event as follows. At the end of 1832, Vladimir Ivanovich made a detour around the hospital where he worked. People in uniform came, arrested him and took him to Mordvinov. He attacked the doctor with vulgar abuse, waving "Russian Fairy Tales" in front of his nose, and sent the writer to prison. Zhukovsky helped Vladimir, who at that time was the teacher of Alexander, the son of Nicholas I. Zhukovsky described to the heir to the throne everything that happened in an anecdotal light, describing Dahl as a modest and talented person, awarded medals and orders for military service. Alexander convinced his father of the absurdity of the situation and Vladimir Ivanovich was released.
Acquaintance and friendship with Pushkin
Any published biography of Dahl contains a moment of acquaintance with the great poet. Zhukovsky repeatedly promised Vladimir that he would introduce him to Pushkin. Dal got tired of waiting and, taking a copy of the "Russian Fairy Tales", which were withdrawn from sale, went to introduce himself to Alexander Sergeevich on his own. Pushkin, in response, also presented Vladimir Ivanovich with a book - "The Tale of the Priest and his worker Balda." Thus began their friendship.
At the end of 1836, Vladimir Ivanovich arrived in St. Petersburg. Pushkin visited him many times and asked about linguistic findings. PoetI really liked the word “creep out” heard from Dahl. It meant the skin that snakes and snakes shed after wintering. During the next visit, Alexander Sergeevich asked Dahl, pointing to his coat: “Well, is my crawl out good? I won't crawl out of it soon. I will write masterpieces in it!” In this frock coat he was in a duel. In order not to cause unnecessary suffering to the wounded poet, the “creep out” had to be flogged. By the way, even Dahl's biography for children describes this case.
Vladimir Ivanovich took part in the treatment of the mortal wound of Alexander Sergeevich, although the poet's relatives did not invite Dahl. Learning that a friend was badly wounded, he came to him himself. Pushkin was surrounded by several distinguished doctors. In addition to Ivan Spassky (the Pushkins' family doctor) and court physician Nikolai Arendt, three more specialists were present. Alexander Sergeevich joyfully greeted Dahl and asked with a plea: “Tell the truth, am I going to die soon?” Vladimir Ivanovich answered professionally: "We hope that everything will be fine and you should not despair." The poet shook his hand and thanked him.
Being near death, Pushkin gave Dahl his gold ring with an emerald, with the words: "Vladimir, take it as a keepsake." And when the writer shook his head, Alexander Sergeevich repeated: “Take it, my friend, I am no longer destined to compose.” Subsequently, Dahl wrote about this gift to V. Odoevsky: “When I look at this ring, I immediately want to create something decent.” Dahl visited the poet's widow in order to return the gift. But Natalya Nikolaevna did not accept him, saying: “No,Vladimir Ivanovich, this is for your memory. And yet, I want to give you his frock coat pierced by a bullet. It was the crawl-out frock coat described above.
Marriage
In 1833 Dahl's biography was marked by an important event: he married Julia Andre. By the way, Pushkin himself knew her personally. Julia conveyed her impressions of her acquaintance with the poet in letters to E. Voronina. Together with his wife, Vladimir moved to Orenburg, where they had two children. In 1834, the son Leo was born, and 4 years later, the daughter Yulia. Together with his family, Dahl was transferred as an official for special assignments under Governor V. A. Perovsky.
Ovdovev, Vladimir Ivanovich remarried in 1840 to Ekaterina Sokolova. She bore the writer three daughters: Maria, Olga and Ekaterina. The latter wrote memoirs about her father, which were published in 1878 in the Russky Vestnik magazine.
Naturalist
In 1838, for the collection of collections on the fauna and flora of the Orenburg Territory, Dal was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences at the Department of Natural Sciences.
Explanatory Dictionary
Anyone who knows Dahl's biography knows about the main work of the writer - "Explanatory Dictionary". When it was assembled and processed to the letter "P", Vladimir Ivanovich wanted to retire and fully concentrate on working on his brainchild. In 1859, Dahl moved to Moscow and settled in the house of Prince Shcherbaty, who wrote The History of the Russian State. In this house, the last stages of work on the dictionary, which is still unsurpassed in terms of volume, took place.
Dal set himself tasks that can be expressed in two quotes: “The living folk language should become a treasure trove and a source for the development of literate Russian speech”; “General definitions of concepts, objects and words are an impossible and useless undertaking.” And the more everyday and simpler the subject, the more intricate it is. The explanation and transmission of the word to other people is much more intelligible than any definition. And examples help to clarify things even more.”
To achieve this great goal, the linguist Dahl, whose biography is in many literary encyclopedias, spent 53 years. Here is what Kotlyarevsky wrote about the dictionary: “Literature, Russian science and the whole society received a monument worthy of the greatness of our people. Dahl's work will be the pride of future generations.”
In 1861, for the first editions of the dictionary, the Imperial Geographical Society awarded Vladimir Ivanovich the Konstantinovsky medal. In 1868 he was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences. And after the publication of all volumes of the dictionary, Dal received the Lomonosov Prize.
Recent years
In 1871, the writer fell ill and invited an Orthodox priest on this occasion. Dahl did this because he wanted to take communion according to the Orthodox rite. That is, shortly before his death, he converted to Orthodoxy.
In September 1872, Vladimir Ivanovich Dal, whose biography was described above, died. He was buried with his wife at the Vagankovsky cemetery. Six years later, his son Leo was also interred there.
