Valentin Kruglov, student of 7 "A" class 288 of the school of the Admiralteisky district of St. Petersburg

The report of the student of 7 "A" class V. Kruglov "Literary portraits in the ode of G.R. Derzhavin" Felitsa "" presents interesting and meaningful material relating to famous historical figures of the times of Catherine's time. This is Empress Catherine the Great herself, and the most educated woman of the 18th century, Princess Ekaterina Dashkova, and His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin, and the Russian diplomat Nikolai Panin, and Prince Grigory Orlov, and the famous joker and merry fellow Lev Naryshkin. Literary portraits contained in Derzhavin's ode have their prototypes and written by a brilliant poet of the second half of XVIII century with warm irony, satirical liberty and inimitable charm. From everyday features of the private life of famous people to their great deeds - this is the range that contains the context of Derzhavin's ode considered by the speaker. The report was presented at a school conference within the framework of the Student Scientific Society "The beginning of the path. The road will be mastered by the walking one", which was held at school 288 in St. Petersburg on December 15, 2016.

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Report for the conference "Glorious faces of Russia: people and deeds" Valentina Kruglova,

Student of 7 "A" class GBOSH No. 288 of the Admiralteysky district of St. Petersburg.

Supervisor: Evdokimov O.V., teacher of Russian language and literature, School 288, Admiralteisky district, St. Petersburg.

The topic of the report is “Literary portraits in the ode of G.R. Derzhavin "Felitsa".

The ode "Felitsa", written by Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin in 1782, made the poet's name famous in St. Petersburg, and, therefore, in Russia, and became an example of a new style in Russian poetry. Derzhavin's ode glorified Empress Catherine II and, with a certain amount of satire, characterized her inner circle.

It should be noted that writing such poems, in which the favorites of the Empress are satirically depicted, was not a safe matter, but Derzhavin did it at his own peril and risk. Now, after the lapse of time, we can say that literary portraits of the Empress's associates came out from under the pen of Gavriil Romanovich.

These literary portraits of the glorious, famous people of Russia in the second half of the 18th century, created by Derzhavin's talent, aroused the genuine interest of his contemporaries. After all, literary heroes were guessed by readers, Catherine's favorites were recognized, and this caused both surprise and even delight in the reading public.

For the first time in Russian literature of the last quarter of the 18th century, one could observe how the most influential people from the environment of the Russian tsarina acquired a poetic appearance similar to the original, and became recognizable literary personalities.

Not only Catherine the Great, but also her closest all-powerful nobles, whom Russia knew and respected, knew and feared political Europe, thanks to Derzhavin's ode, they suddenly turned out to be such accessible people that every reader could easily notice the features of human weaknesses and virtues, funny habits, and the lifestyle that these characters were endowed with. But what was really amazing for the literature of that time was that the author of the ode himself introduced into its fabric the image of the narrator, that is, himself, and also turned out to be an acting literary personality on a par with the powerful heroes of the work. All this was new, unheard of, and admirable. The verses were excellently sonorous, sometimes good-naturedly ironic, and sometimes artistically elegant.

The ode “Felitsa” got its name from the name of the heroine “The Tale of Tsarevich Chlorus”, which was written by the Empress herself, Catherine the Second.

I must say that the Russian queen had a literary gift. She is the first woman in Russia who quite professionally composed librettos, fables, fairy tales, wrote them for her royal grandson, the future Emperor Alexander the First, the Blessed - with such a title the Tsar will go down in Russian history. Catherine translated into Russian the plays of the English playwright William Shakespeare, outstripping her contemporaries in attention to the English playwright by almost a hundred years. Moreover, the Empress loved the theater and often visited it. She always looked with great pleasure at talentedly written and talentedly played comedies and tragedies. Moreover, she herself wrote plays that were staged on the stage of the court theater in the Winter Palace. So, only in 1771 Catherine wrote 5 comedies. In 1772, these plays were learned by the actors and played on the stage of the court theater. The artistic level of the plays written by Catherine the Great is quite high for its time. The plays were successful and liked by the audience. The name of the author of the plays, of course, was not advertised, although in court circles everyone knew their writer well. The plays are edifying, moralizing in nature, written in the spirit of classicism, ridicule gossip and vices of society. The titles of the plays written by the queen are common nouns, sometimes intriguing:"Name day of Mrs. Vorchalkina", "The anteroom of a noble boyar", "Mrs. Vestnikova with her family", "The Invisible Bride".Perhaps the most famous play that came out from the pen of the queen is "Oh, time." It was she who began to attack the editor of the magazine "The Painter" Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov, an educator of the second half of the 18th century, the editor of St. Petersburg satirical magazines, who served as a translator at the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. In 1769, Catherine secretly allowed everyone to publish magazines (however, a few years later, apparently, she contributes to their closure). The magazines “Drone”, “All sorts of things”, “Riddle”, “Painter”, “Purse” are published. Some magazines are published in large numbers. In Trutnya and The Painter, Novikov's dispute with the Empress unfolds. Novikov publishes written opinions of Catherine of a critical nature.

Moreover, Catherine acted as the initiator, organizer and author of the libretto of a pompous national-patriotic project - a "historical action". This is the play "Oleg's Primary Administration". For the play, the queen attracted the best composers, singers and choreographers. The premiere of the play took place in St. Petersburg on November 2, 1790. All Petersburg performances based on the works of Catherine were extremely richly furnished. The operas "Fevey" and "The Unfortunate Bogatyr", for which the Empress wrote the libretto, as well as the oratorio "Initial Administration" were published in clavier and score (which at that time in Russia was an extraordinary rarity).

In a word, the Russian ruler understood literature, posted her notes in Novikov's public journal, composed quite tolerably herself and loved to read. fiction different languages.

Obviously, therefore, after reading the ode “Felitsa” dedicated to her, Catherine was moved to tears and became interested in the author.works . She called on her friend, Ekaterina Dashkova, a well-educated woman, intelligent and loyal to the queen, who printed this Derzhavin ode in a magazine. Her Majesty said to Dashkova: “Don’t be afraid, I’m only asking you about who would know me so closely, who could describe so correctly that you see that I’m crying like a fool here?” Princess Dashkova revealed the name of the poet. Catherine II was grateful to the poet. It was important for her that her poetic image in the ode is good, simple and charming. Some time later, Derzhavin received a generous reward in the mail: 500 gold coins and a cigarette case strewn with diamonds. In addition, the author of Felitsa had the honor of being introduced to the Empress herself, who did him good by making Derzhavin her secretary.

It should be said that the ode "Felitsa" deviates from the rules of classicism. Derzhavin innovatively mixes different genres, drawing satirical images that were not typical for the ode genre. The poet in his work draws the first realistic portraits of his contemporaries and creates, in fact, an ideal image of the Russian Empress, describing her special behavior and habits that her contemporaries did not differ in:

“ Not imitating your Murzas,
Often you walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table;
Don't value your peace
Reading, writing before laying
And all from your pen
You pour blessings on mortals”.

In fact, the Russian tsarina could be seen walking not far from the Winter Palace. There were times when she slowly walked along the Palace Square or the streets surrounding the Palace. There was no one near the Empress - neither guards, nor ladies-in-waiting, nor any companion accompanying Her Imperial Majesty. Everything was simple, ordinary, unobtrusive, as happens with an inconspicuous person who lives his own personal, private life. So Catherine acted when she had a headache, and she left the Palace to get some fresh air. The subjects who met and recognized her Imperial Majesty stopped. The ladies squatted, the gentlemen bowed and took off their hats.The line of the ode "You often walk" reflects a realistic situation.Without a doubt, Derzhavin knew this habit of the Empress's solitary walks.

Derzhavin's lines "And the simplest food // It happens at your table" are just as true.The fact is that on fasting days, Catherine the Great ate very modestly. At her table during lunch on such days there were only 4-5 people with whom the queen discussed various state affairs, political news, and had simple human communication. There were 5-6 dishes on the table, sometimes not very well cooked. Her old but faithful cook sometimes could not keep track of the porridge, and he burned it. Catherine endured this for quite a long time, and apologized to her guests for his oversight. Sour cabbage soup, porridge, cucumbers, sauerkraut, mushrooms, bread ... this is on fasting days. But on ordinary, modest days, the table of the Empress was rich. There were dishes on the table: andturkeys with shio, terinos with wings and green mash, ducks with juice, chicken marinade, perches with ham, poulards with truffles, hazel grouse in Spanish, turtles, chiryata with olives, gato compiègne, twelve salads, seven sauces, tartlet bread.And here is the menu of the "small" dinner of the Empress: soup; boiled chicken with cauliflower; meat with potatoes; a quarter of roast lamb, duck and snipe (on one dish). In addition, boiled beef, cutlets, sausages, lobsters, as well as various side dishes of stewed and fried mushrooms and vegetables were always on the table. The Empress washed down dinner with currant vodka. For dessert, oranges, apples, peaches, cherries, puff pastries and biscuits were served.

However, Derzhavin, holding on to propriety, decided to describe Catherine's dinner in the simplest, most modest colors:"And the food is the simplest / Happens at your table." This is what I liked in the ode of the Russian Autocrat.

“You read, you write in front of the deposit // And to all from your pen // You shed bliss on mortals”, - here the poet, of course, spoke not only about Catherine’s literary studies, but also about her extensive legislative activities. After all, shebelonged to a small number of monarchs who communicated intensively and directly with their subjects by compiling manifestos, instructions, laws, polemical articles and pedagogical opuses. In her memoirs, Catherine admitted: "I cannot see a clean pen without feeling the desire to immediately dip it in ink."

In addition to the image of the Empress, Derzhavin's ode "Felitsa" contains literary portraits of her favorites. In itself, this idea to describe the ruler, the commander, the nobleman was not new, but behind the images of the nobles drawn in the ode, the features of real people clearly appeared. And in this Derzhavin was an innovator.

So, for example, the ode mentions Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, a favorite of the Empress.He fought a lot and successfully. However, in his free time from public affairs, he loved to spend his days in feasts and amusements, whichloved very much. Potemkin, this outstanding associate of Catherine the Great, was not only a responsible, gifted, executive and hardworking person, but, at the same time, he could demonstrate the opposite qualities of a person spoiled by power and luxury. So, it is known that Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin could not adhere to a clear routine necessary for a statesman, but sometimes acted according to his own momentary whims and quirks, which Derzhavin noticed and wrote about in his ode “Felitsa”. Speaking in the first person, Derzhavin speaks in the name of Potemkin. That is, in the ode, as it were, Potemkin himself talks about himself, about his life and pastime:

And I, sleeping until noon,

I smoke tobacco and drink coffee;

Transforming everyday life into a holiday

I circle my thought in chimeras:

Then I steal captivity from the Persians,

I turn arrows to the Turks;

That, having dreamed that I am a sultan,

I frighten the universe with a look;

Then suddenly, seduced by the outfit,

I'm going to the tailor on the caftan.

Or in a feast I'm rich,

Where they give me a holiday

Where the table shines with silver and gold,

Where thousands of different dishes:

IN Derzhavin's ode mentions another famous Catherine's nobleman - Nikita Ivanovich Panin. Panin wasmentor of the heir to the throne, Paul the First.The French diplomat Lavoe was unlikely to have had a good relationship with Panin, therefore he described the daily routine of the tsarist minister rather evilly. Here is this entry of a French diplomat, more like a libel: “He was very fond of food, women and the game; from constant eating and sleeping, his body was one mass of fat. He got up at noon; his associates told him funny things until one o'clock; then he drank chocolate and took to the toilet, which lasted up to three hours. At about half past four, dinner was served, which lasted until five o'clock. At six the minister went to rest and slept until eight. It took great effort for his lackeys to wake him up, lift him up and make him stay on his feet. At the end of the second toilet, the game began, ending at about eleven. The game was followed by dinner, and after dinner the game began again. At about three o'clock in the morning the minister retired to his room and worked with Bakunin, the chief official of his department. He usually went to bed at five o'clock in the morning.

Nikita Ivanovich was a great fan of dog hunting, because of which, it happened, he forgot about state affairs. The author of the ode satirically depicts these features of Panin's service in his ode:

“Or, about all matters, care
Leaving, I go hunting
And amuse myself with the barking of dogs.”

It is difficult to say whether Panin himself liked the satirical image of himself, but the public, reading the ode to Felitsa, found Panin's literary portrait too vivid and believable.

• Alexei Grigorievich Orlov, an associate of Catherine. He was endowed with great physical strength and loved various amusements that required agility, for example, fisticuffs, fights, dances, horse races and one-on-one hunting with a bear, but for a nobleman these were too unworthy and rude fun. The image of Alexei is noticeable in these lines:

“Or music and singers,

Organ and bagpipes suddenly

Or fist fighters

And dance amuse my spirit.

• Lev Alexandrovich Naryshkin, was a second cousin of Emperor Peter the Great, but took only the post of senior head of the stable. He is a well-known joker and idler at the court. Naryshkin was distinguished by extraordinary hospitality and love to arrange noisy balls, masquerades and picnics. One of the masquerades given by Naryshkin for Catherine II in 1772 cost him 300,000 rubles. Hehe loved to ride along the Neva at night, accompanied by a whole orchestra of musicians with horn instruments, which is why ordinary people could only dream of peace and quiet in the capital. You can see it in these lines:

“Or over the Neva banks
I amuse myself at night with horns
And the rowing of the daring rowers.”

Catherine sent separate copies of the ode to EACH of the nobles affected there, emphasizing those lines that applied to them. Many of these nobles participated in the palace coup of 1762 on the side of Catherine. Almost all of these nobles did a lot for the state, even though in their ode Derzhavin was shown satirically and with a great deal of irony. For example:

• Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin was a Russian statesman, the creator of the Black Sea military fleet in the Crimea (due to which the Russian Empire greatly increased its influence in the Black Sea and gained access to the Mediterranean Sea). After the victory over Turkey, through his efforts, the Crimea was annexed to Russia. Grigory Potemkin became the first commander in chief of the highest rank of the Black Sea Fleet and, at the behest of Catherine the Great, was also the builder of cities in southern Russia, for example, Yekaterinoslav, Kherson, Sevastopol, Nikolaev. Potemkin became the first owner of the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. He was the actual ruler of the Moldavian principality from 1790 to 1791.Potemkin also introduced a reform of the military uniform, which before that was very uncomfortable and was mainly for military inspections, did not have a summer type, which is why they walked in the heat in two woolen uniforms, and the new one was lighter and more comfortable, and in the summer the army wore jackets and pants made of light, white linen.

The new uniform was also quite beautiful, just like the old one.

• Nikita Ivanovich Panin,head of the Russian foreign policy in the first half of the reign of Catherine II. Count Panin was one of the most educated Russian people of his time. Catherine called him encyclopedia . He was interested in a wide variety of issues from the field of state knowledge and was familiar with many classical works of philosophical literature. This Russian diplomat worked out a chord that was a plan for the union of such northern powers as Russia, Prussia, Sweden, as well as the Commonwealth, which was the kingdom of Poland and Principality of Lithuania. According to Panin, the northern chord was supposed to exalt the prestige and importance of Russia, to create an alliance of all the northern powers around it. After palace coup In 1762, he made an attempt to limit monarchical power by presenting to the empress a project for the establishment of the Imperial Council and the reform of the Senate. In the introduction to the project, Panin sharply criticized the arbitrariness that prevailed in the administration and proposed the establishment of a Council of 6-8 member ministers; all papers that require the signature of the sovereign had to go through this council and be certified by one of the ministers. Of course, the project was rejected by the empress, but after that Panin did not lose his posts.

• Alexey Grigorievich Orlovforced the emperor Peter III sign an act of renunciation and arranged for his murder, for which he received the rank of major general. Orlov did not receive a good education and upbringing, he did not know foreign languages, and his bad manners were shocking, but despite this, he was interested in science, patronized Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov and Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, and corresponded with Jacques-Jacques Rousseau. He was one of the founders of the first scientific society called the Imperial Free Economic Society and its first elected chairman.
• Lev Alexandrovich Naryshkin during the palace coup was an adherent of Peter the Third, because of which he was arrested, but a little later, during the coronation of Catherine the Second, he was released and appointed senior head of the stable, and before that he was just the head of the stable.

The poet Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich was born on July 3 (July 14), 1743 in the Kazan province into a family of impoverished nobles. He spent his childhood in the family estate in the village of Sokury. Since 1759, Derzhavin studied at the Kazan Gymnasium.

In 1762, the future poet entered the service of the Preobrazhensky Regiment as an ordinary guard. In 1772 he was promoted to ensign, having received the first officer rank. In 1773 - 1775, Derzhavin, as part of a regiment, participated in the suppression of the uprising of Yemelyan Pugachev.

public service

Since 1777, Derzhavin entered the public service in the Governing Senate with the rank of State Councilor. In 1784 - 1788 he served as the ruler of the Olonets, and then the Tambov governorship. Even in short biography Derzhavin is worth mentioning that he was actively engaged in improving the economy of the region, contributed to the formation of provincial administrative, judicial and financial institutions.

In 1791, Derzhavin was appointed cabinet secretary of Catherine II. Since 1793, the poet has served as a secret adviser to the Empress. In 1795, Derzhavin received the post of president of the College of Commerce. From 1802 to 1803 he served as Minister of Justice.

last years of life

In 1803, Derzhavin retired and settled in his estate Zvanka in the Novgorod province. The poet devotes the last years of his life to literary activity. In 1813, Derzhavin, whose biography was full of trips even during this period, went to Ukraine with a visit to V.V. Kapnist. In 1815, he was present at the exam at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, listening to the works of the young Alexander Pushkin.

On July 8 (July 20), 1816, Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin died on his estate. The poet was buried in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Varlaamo-Khutynsky Monastery near Veliky Novgorod.

Creation

The work of Gavriil Derzhavin is considered the pinnacle of Russian classicism. The first works of the poet appeared in the period of his military service. In 1773, Derzhavin made his debut in the journal Antiquity and Novelty with a translation of an excerpt from Iroizh, or Vivlida's Letter to Cavnus from the works of Ovid. In 1774, the works "Ode to Greatness" and "Ode to Nobility" saw the light of day.

In 1776, the first collection of poems by the poet "Odes translated and composed at Mount Chitalagoy" was published.

Since 1779, Derzhavin has departed from the traditions laid down by Sumarokov and Lomonosov, working on philosophical lyrics. In 1782, the Felitsa ode dedicated to Empress Catherine II was published, which brought the poet wide literary fame. Soon other famous works by Derzhavin appeared - "The Nobleman", "Eugene. Zvanskaya Life”, “On the Death of Prince Meshchersky”, “God”, “Dobrynya”, “Waterfall”, “Herod and Mariamne”, etc.

In 1808, a collection of Derzhavin's works was published in four volumes.

Chronological table

Other biography options

• The Derzhavin clan originates from the son of the Tatar Murza Bagrim, who bore the name Derzhava.
• The first wife of G. R. Derzhavin was Ekaterina Bastidon, the daughter of the Portuguese Bastidon, the former valet of Peter III.
• Derzhavin studied German from the age of seven, read Klopstock, Gellert, Kleist, Haller, Gagedorn in the original, which significantly affected his literary work.
• Derzhavin's poem "Thunder of victory, resound!", created in 1791, became the first unofficial anthem of Russia.
• For distinction in public service, Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich was awarded the Order

Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin - the greatest poet, representative of Russian classicism, public figure, who completely devoted his life and his work to serving the motherland and the empress. He became the founder of solemn poetry, which became an integral part of the reign of Catherine II. An extraordinary personality, truth-seeker and champion of honor, he inscribed his name in the history of our country for centuries.

The path from soldier to minister

The future poet was born on July 14, 1743 in the small village of Karmachi, near Kazan. His parents were small estate nobles: his mother, Fekla Andreevna Kozlova, and his father, whom he lost in early childhood, Second Major Roman Nikolaevich.

Gavriil Romanovich, having studied for several years at the Kazan Gymnasium, left it and entered the service of the Preobrazhensky Regiment as an ordinary soldier, in which he participated in the overthrow of Peter III and the enthronement of Catherine II. Already in 1772, Derzhavin became an officer and took part in the suppression of the Pugachev uprising.

Having exchanged military service for civil service, the great poet was in the service of the Senate for some time. But this path has also been thorny. Being a great champion of honor and justice, Gavriil Romanovich never got along with money-loving and greedy officials, and therefore constantly changed jobs. In 1782, Derzhavin wrote an enthusiastic ode "Felitsa", dedicated to the great Empress Catherine, for which he was appointed governor of Olonets, and then Tambov.

The outstanding poet managed not to please the Empress herself, for which he was dismissed from the post of her personal cabinet-secretary. In 1802-1803 he was in the honorary position of Minister of Justice, but he did not find moral satisfaction here either, so he retired at the age of 60.

Creativity in the name of the Motherland

Being in the service of the empress, Derzhavin did not leave poetry. She was his world, his integral part. The great poet began to print in 1773. True to ideas, Derzhavin tried to be a follower of Lomonosov and Sumarokov.

Since 1779, Gavriil Romanovich began to adhere to his own style in his work - philosophical lyrics. This is how the odes "On Death "God", "Waterfall", etc. were created. Gavriil Romanovich was a multifaceted poet. Before his death, in 1816, he began to work in the genre of dramaturgy and created several tragedies: "Dobrynya", "Herod and Mariamna", "Pozharsky" and others. Being at the origins of the literary circle "Conversation of lovers of the Russian word", Derzhavin favored Zhukovsky, and was also one of the first to see the talent of the young Pushkin. In 1816, the poet died in the estate of Zvanka, Novgorod province.

The image of Derzhavin in portraits

Undoubtedly, the perception of a historical person is inextricably linked with her portraits, which have come down to us from the depths of time. Gabriel Derzhavin was no exception. During his lifetime, several wonderful portraits were painted, thanks to which we can get a complete picture of this outstanding person.

The brushes of the artist V. L. Borovikovsky belong to two portraits dating back to 1795 and 1811. On them, the poet is depicted at various periods of his life. The artists A. A. Vasilevsky and N. Tonchi also immortalized the image of the poet in their canvases. The history and fate of these portraits are different, but one thing is the same: a man with lively, intelligent eyes, a man of a brilliant mind and rare dignity, is looking at us from the canvases.

Derzhavin in portraits by V. L. Borovikovsky

Borovikovsky is a famous portrait painter of the 18th century, an academician of painting, thanks to whom we now know what the outstanding personalities of that time looked like. He painted portraits of Paul I, Catherine II, Prince Kurakin and many others. He also created two widely known portraits of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin.

In the portrait dating back to 1795, the poet and public figure appears before us in his ceremonial attire with high awards. Looking at him, we understand that he is an energetic, hardworking and unusually insightful person. Derzhavin looks proudly, but at the same time good-naturedly, with a certain half-smile. One gets the impression that the artist found Derzhavin at work: the poet is seated against the backdrop of a rich bookcase covered with a curtain, and his hand is laid on documents and manuscripts. You can contemplate this canvas in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

In another portrait of Derzhavin in 1811, we see a somewhat elderly man, in whose wise eyes the fire of life and a thirst for activity still burn. The poet is also in full dress here, but there are already many more awards on him, which speaks of high achievements over the years of his life. The portrait was painted not in the interior, but in a more serious manner, against a dark background, which is uncharacteristic for the artist.

noble old age

The portrait of Derzhavin Vasilevsky dates back to 1815. It depicts the poet a year before his death. Vasilyevsky sees him as an elderly, wise man who once held a high rank and was in good standing at court. Despite his advanced age, the same liveliness and inquisitive mind are visible in his eyes.

Gavriil Romanovich appears before us in his home attire, with a nightcap on his head. One gets the feeling that he, getting ready for bed, has not yet had time to put out the candle in his hands, and it illuminates with its calm light a face in noble wrinkles and a dark room.

Irkutsk Derzhavin

The prehistory of the creation of portraits of Derzhavin by the Italian N. Tonchi is interesting. The fact is that the Irkutsk merchant and a great admirer of the poet's work, Sibiryakov, sent a rich hat and a sable fur coat as a gift to his idol. It is in this vestment that the poet appears in two identical portraits of huge sizes created by the Italian. Derzhavin is depicted seated in the snow at the foot of a cliff.

One of the portraits found its place in the dining room of the St. Petersburg house of the great poet. On it, the author left a signature in Latin, which reads: "Justice is in the rock, the prophetic spirit is in the ruddy sunrise, and the heart and honesty are in the whiteness of the snow."

The second canvas went to Sibiryakov, to his great joy and pride. The portrait of G. R. Derzhavin was placed in a special Derzhavin living room. After the ruin of the merchant, the painting long time stored in a warehouse, exposed to dampness and cold. The exiled artist Vronsky gave her a second life, who not only skillfully removed the damage to the portrait, but also became a co-author of the great Tonchi, painting a view of old Irkutsk in the background.

The ordeal of the canvas did not end there. In 1917, during the battle of the Red Guards with the junkers, it was badly damaged by bullets and, it seemed, could no longer be restored. But in 1948-1952. Thanks to the great efforts of the restorers, this work of art has found a new life again. The portrait, which once belonged to the poet himself, is kept today in the Tretyakov Gallery, its second version can be seen in the art gallery of the city of Irkutsk.

The great Russian poet Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin was born in the Kazan province in 1743. After the initial home schooling of literacy, numbers and German, under the guidance of churchmen, the exiled German Rose, Lebedev and Poletaev, Derzhavin was sent to the Kazan gymnasium that opened in 1759. Here Derzhavin especially developed a passion for drawing and fell in love with engineering. When the director of the gymnasium M. I. Verevkin presented the work best students and including Gavriil Derzhavin to the curator Shuvalov, Derzhavin was declared the conductor of the engineering corps. At the beginning of 1762, a demand came that Derzhavin report for service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Shuvalov apparently forgot that he himself assigned Derzhavin to the engineering corps. Subsequently, Gavriil Romanovich did not have to replenish his education, and his absence is reflected in all his poetry. He himself understood this; later he wrote: “I confess my shortcoming in the fact that I was brought up at that time and within those limits of the empire, when and where the enlightenment of sciences did not yet fully penetrate, not only on the minds of the people, but also on the state to which I belong. ".

Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin

12 years of military service are the darkest and bleakest period in the biography of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin. At first, he had to live in the barracks, along with the soldiers. There was nothing to think about literary creativity and science: only at night it was possible to read something and write poetry. Since Derzhavin had no "protectors", he moved very slowly through the service. After the accession to the throne of Catherine II, Derzhavin asked Alexei Orlov himself for a promotion in a letter and only thanks to this received the rank of corporal. After a year's vacation, Gavriil Romanovich returned to St. Petersburg and from that time began to live in the barracks with the nobles. If material conditions improved somewhat, new inconveniences appeared. Derzhavin began to indulge in carousing and gambling. After a second vacation in Kazan (1767), Derzhavin stopped in Moscow and spent about 2 years here. Here, the wild life almost led Derzhavin to death: he became a cheater and indulged in all sorts of tricks for money. Finally, in 1770 he decided to leave Moscow and change his way of life.

In 1772, Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin received his first officer rank. From that time on, he begins to withdraw from bad society, and if he plays cards, then "out of necessity for a living." In 1773 A. I. Bibikov was entrusted with the pacification of the Pugachev rebellion. By the way, at his personal request, Bibikov took Derzhavin with him to conduct investigative cases. Gavriil Romanovich developed the most energetic activity during the Pugachev region. At first, he drew the attention of Bibikov with his investigation into the surrender of Samara. While in Kazan, Derzhavin, on behalf of the nobles, composed a speech in response to the rescript of Catherine II, which was then published in Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti. In his actions, Derzhavin was always distinguished by a certain independence, which placed him high in the eyes of some of his superiors, but at the same time made him enemies among the local authorities. Derzhavin took little account of the position and connections of the persons with whom he dealt. In the end, the war with Pugachev did not bring external differences to Gavriil Romanovich, and he was almost subjected to a military court.

Portrait of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin. Artist V. Borovikovsky, 1811

In 1776 through A. A. Bezborodko he submitted a letter to the empress with a calculation of his merits and with a request for a reward. On February 15, 1777, by decree, Gavriil Romanovich was granted the title of collegiate adviser and at the same time received 300 souls in Belarus. On this occasion, Derzhavin wrote "An Outpouring of a Grateful Heart to Empress Catherine II." Six months after his resignation, Derzhavin, thanks to his acquaintance with the Prosecutor General A. A. Vyazemsky, received a place as an executor in the Senate. In 1778 Derzhavin married Katerina Yakovlevna Bastidon. The marriage was successful; the aesthetic sense of his wife did not remain without influence on the work of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin. In 1780, Derzhavin was transferred to the post of adviser to the newly established expedition of state revenues and expenses. By order of Vyazemsky, Derzhavin wrote a code for this institution, printed in the complete Collection of Zap. (XXI, 15-120). Discord with Vyazemsky forced Derzhavin to leave his service in the Senate and retire (1784) with the rank of real councilor of state.

By this time, Derzhavin had already acquired a glorious literary name in society. Gavriil Romanovich peed while still in the gymnasium; in the barracks he read Kleist, Gagedorn, Klopstock, Haller, Gellert and translated "Messiad" in verse. The first original work that appeared in print in 1773 was an ode to the first marriage of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. Upon his return from the Volga region, Derzhavin published Odes translated and composed at Mount Chitalagai. Here, in addition to translations of the ode On the death of Bibikov, On the noble, On the birthday of Her Majesty, etc. Derzhavin's first works were an imitation of Lomonosov. But Derzhavin in his work did not succeed at all in the soaring and unnatural manner that distinguish Lomonosov's poetry. Thanks for the advice P. A. Lvova, V. V. Kapnist and I. I. Khemnitser, Gavriil Romanovich refused to imitate Lomonosov and took Horace's ode as a model. “Since 1779,” writes Derzhavin, “I have chosen a very special path, guided by the instructions and advice of my friends.” Derzhavin placed his odes mainly in the Saint Petersburg Bulletin without a signature: “Songs to Peter the Great” (1778), an epistol to Shuvalov, “On the death of Prince Meshchersky”, “Key”, “On the birth of a porphyry child” (1779), “On the absence of the empress in Belarus”, “To the first neighbor”, “Lords and judges” (1780).

All these works, with their sublime tone, brilliant, lively pictures, drew the attention of lovers of literature, but not of society, to Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin. In the latter, Derzhavin became famous for the famous “Ode to Felice” (see full text, summary and analysis), published in the first book of “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word” (1783). Derzhavin received for her a snuff-box, strewn with diamonds, with 50 gold pieces. "Felitsa" placed Derzhavin highly in the opinion of Catherine II, the court and the public. In "Interlocutor" Derzhavin published "Thanks to Felitsa", "Vision of Murza", "Reshemysl" and, finally, "God" (see summary and full text). With the last poem, Derzhavin reached the apogee of his fame. At the very establishment of the Russian Academy, Derzhavin was elected a member and took part in the dictionary of the Russian language.

In 1784, Derzhavin was appointed governor of the Olonets governorate, but Derzhavin immediately began to have troubles with the governor Tutolmin, and a year and a half later the poet was transferred to the same position in the Tambov governorship. Gavriil Romanovich occupied the place of the Tambov governor for about 3 years. With his energetic activity, Derzhavin benefited the province, introduced more regularity in the administration of recruiting service, improved the organization of prisons, and repaired roads and bridges. But here, too, Derzhavin's independent course of action, his irascibility, provoked squabbles with the governor. In 1788 Derzhavin was put on trial and obliged to sign a written undertaking not to leave Moscow, where the case was to be carried out. In 1789, the Moscow Senate, having considered the case of Derzhavin, found that he was not guilty of any abuse of office. Seeing the gracious attitude of the Empress, who approved the decision of the Senate, Derzhavin wrote the ode “The Image of Felitsa”, and, turning to the patronage of the new favorite Platon Zubov, dedicated the odes “On Moderation” and “To the Lyre” to him. The ode “On the Capture of Ishmael” written at the same time was a great success. Gavriil Romanovich received a snuffbox worth 200 rubles. When Potemkin arrived in Petersburg, Derzhavin had to maneuver between two favorites. Potemkin's death on the banks of the Prut caused one of the most original and majestic in design poems in Derzhavin's work - "Waterfall". Derzhavin's rapprochement with Dmitriev and Karamzin dates back to this time; the latter attracted him to participate in his Moscow Journal. Here Derzhavin placed "Song of the house that loves science" (gr. Stroganov), "On the death of Countess Rumyantseva", "Majesty of God", "Monument to the hero."

In 1796, Derzhavin was ordered to be with the empress when receiving petitions. Gavriil Romanovich failed to please her: in life he could not flatter as subtly as in poetry, he was irritable and did not know how to stop unpleasant reports to Catherine II in time. In 1793 Derzhavin was appointed senator for the Land Survey Department, and a few months later he was also given the post of President of the Collegium of Commerce. In his senatorial activity, Derzhavin was distinguished by his extremely intransigence to those opinions that he considered wrong. And since his love of truth was always expressed in a harsh and rude form, here, too, Derzhavin had many official griefs. In 1794, the wife of Gavriil Romanovich died; he dedicated the elegiac poem "Swallows" to her memory. Six months later, Derzhavin entered into a new marriage with D. A. Dyakova. In 1794 Derzhavin wrote the ode "To Nobility", dedicated to the praise of Rumyantsev, and "To the Capture of Ishmael". His last odes during the life of Catherine II were: “On the birth of Empress Gremislava” (message to Naryshkin), “To the Knight of Athens” (to Alexei Orlov), “Ode on the conquest of Derbent” (in honor of Valerian Zubov), “On the death of a benefactor” ( I. I. Betsky). Finally, Derzhavin presented Catherine II with a handwritten collection of his writings, prefixing him with "An Offering to the Monarchine." Even before the death of the Empress, Derzhavin wrote "Monument" (see summary and full text), in which he summarized the significance of his poetic work. During the era of Catherine II, Derzhavin's talent flourished and his main significance in the poems of this era. Derzhavin's poetry is a monument to the reign of Catherine II. “In this heroic age of Russian history, events and people, with their gigantic dimensions, exactly corresponded to the boldness of this original fantasy, the scope of this wide and capricious brush.” A whole epic of the era lives in the work of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin.

Derzhavin's creative activity became smaller. In addition to epigrams and fables, Gavriil Romanovich began to write more tragedies. He himself was sure of their dignity, but in fact Derzhavin's dramatic works are below criticism. (Dobrynya, Pozharsky, Herod and Mariamna, Atabalibo, etc.). By 1815, the discourse on lyric poetry read in the "Conversation" dates back. Derzhavin already considered it necessary to comment on his writings and himself made "explanations" to them. Feeling the need to find out the real nature of his biography and career, so rich in vicissitudes, Derzhavin wrote in 1812 Notes, published in the Russian Conversation, they caused an unfavorable impression with their subjective assessment of persons and events. In this last period of his life, following the spirit of his time, Derzhavin tried to give place to the folk language in his work. The awakening of the study of Russian nationality caused Derzhavin to imaginary folk ballads and romances (Tsar Maiden, Novgorod wolf Zlogor). The most successful of these poems was "To Ataman and the Don Army." Derzhavin, even in retirement, did not stop responding to the events taking place around him (On Peace 1807, Lamentation, Lyric-epic anthem for the expulsion of the French, etc.). In retirement, Derzhavin spent the winters in St. Petersburg, and in the summers on his estate in Novgorod Gubernia. "Zvanke". Gavriil Romanovich described his village life in a poetic message to Evgeny Bolkhovitinov. Derzhavin died in Zvanka on July 8, 1816.

In the 19th century, Derzhavin's creative style seemed already outdated. Aesthetically, the poems of Gavriil Romanovich amaze with amazing randomness: among the rhetorical pathos we discover the brilliance of real poetic talent. In the same way, Derzhavin's language, abundant in folk speech, reaches an extraordinary fluency and lightness in some poems, in others it becomes unrecognizable by its severity. In historical and literary terms, the ode of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin is important because it introduced elements of simplicity, jokes and vitality into the tense and far from life Lomonosov ode. His work reflected his clear satirical mind, his ardent disposition, common sense, alien to any painful sentimentality and cold abstraction.

The views of critics on Derzhavin changed. After the reverence that surrounded his name, there came a period of denial of any meaning behind it. Only the works of D. Grot written before the revolution on the publication of works and biography of the poet made possible an impartial assessment of his work.

Creativity Gavriil Derzhavin admired himself. In addition to literature, the biography of Gabriel Romanovich included public service, devotion to the empress and the unofficial anthem of the empire.

Childhood and youth

The poet and statesman was born in the Kazan province in 1743. Birthday fell on July 14 according to the new style. The Derzhavin clan originates from the Tatar Murza Bagrim. According to family tradition, the ancestor went into the service of the prince from the ranks of the Golden Horde in the 15th century.

Having changed his religion, the former subject of the Horde received the name Ilya at baptism. From one of the sons of Ilya - Power - and there was a branch of kinship of Gabriel Romanovich.

The Derzhavin family was not rich. His father, a nobleman with the honorary rank of second major, passed away early, and the burden of raising his son fell on the shoulders of Fekla Andreevna's mother. It was difficult for a woman to give Gabriel a decent education. At first, the boy learned to count, read and write at home. Churchmen were the first teachers.

At the age of seven, the boy enters a boarding school in Orenburg, which was not famous for its quality education. Nevertheless, after the lessons learned, Derzhavin begins to speak tolerably German. A little later, the family moved to Kazan, and the young man went to study at the gymnasium.

The schoolboy liked art and engineering, in which he excelled. Here the teenager got acquainted with the work of poets, Vasily Trediakovsky. The young man himself picks up a pen for the first time and tries his hand at poetry. The first pancake turned out to be lumpy, the syllable was not entirely successful, and there was no one to ask for advice.

In 1762, a demand came for Derzhavin to appear in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and the young man entered military service. Gavriil Romanovich himself considered the years in the army to be the worst in his entire life. Before it could even begin, everyday life in the army turned into a coup d'état, in which Derzhavin participated along with the rest of the guards. As a result, she was on the throne.

For the young nobleman, army life did not become easier. At first, I had to share the barracks with the soldiers, there was sorely lacking time for poetry or science. Gavriil Romanovich did not have high-ranking patrons, so he moved slowly in the service. The future poet had to ask for a promotion in writing, listing his merits to the empress. The request was granted, and the nobleman received the rank of corporal, moved to the officer barracks. But at this time Derzhavin became interested in carousing and playing cards.

In 1770, the nobleman decided to move away from a wild life, and in 1772 he was involved in the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion.

Literature

The first work, published in 1773 and written by Derzhavin, was an ode to the marriage of the Grand Duke. At first, the poet imitated the style of Lomonosov. Unfortunately, Gavriil Romanovich could not repeat the "airy" manner of Mikhail Vasilyevich's work.

Soon, following the advice of friends more experienced in literary work, Derzhavin chose the ode as a model. According to the creator, the main task of a writer is to glorify noble deeds and condemn bad deeds.

Initially, the poet's works were published without a signature in the "Saint Petersburg Bulletin". The light was seen by "The Key", "To the Lords and Judges". However, the sublime and pompous poems made Derzhavin famous among writers, but not among society.

The name of Gavriil Romanovich thundered after he wrote the ode "Felitsa" in praise of Catherine. For enthusiastic verses, the poet received from the Empress a casket studded with diamonds, in which 500 chervonets lay.

After that, the poems "Waterfall", "Vision of Murza", "God" were published in the "Interlocutor". The last ode became the crowning achievement of Gavriil Romanovich's work, and the poet himself became one of the classics and idols. In total, the writer created hundreds of works that make up a dozen books-collections. An interesting fact is the simplicity of Derzhavin in everyday life.

In 1815, the already recognized writer visited Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. To the surprise of the students, the first question the author of the lofty poems asked was about the location of the latrine. By the way, the most famous and talented graduate of the Lyceum, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, considered Derzhavin the ideal of poetry. The work "I erected a monument to myself not made by hands" was written by him on the model of Derzhavin's "Monument".

A reliable fact is Derzhavin's love for erotic prose. The writer wrote works, giving them special softness, trying to exclude words with the sounds "r" from the text. At the same time, Gavriil Romanovich preferred that his creations be read in the company of ladies.

Of course, basically Derzhavin was engaged in serious creativity. So, among the literary achievements is the unofficial hymn Russian Empire"Thunder of victory, resound!", written after the capture of the Izmail fortress by Russian troops during Turkish war. Music for poetry was written by Osip Kozlovsky.

Politics

In addition to literature, Gavriil Romanovich was engaged in public service. After the long-awaited resignation in 1777, Derzhavin was granted the title of collegiate adviser and received 300 souls of peasants in Belarus. In 1780, the nobleman entered the Senate, but Derzhavin's straightforwardness and willfulness in decisions provided the statesman with ill-wishers.

In 1783, being a member of the Imperial Russian Academy, the poet participated in compiling the first explanatory dictionary.

In 1784, the nobleman was appointed ruler of the Olonets governorship, and from 1786 to 1788 he served as the head of the Tambov governorship. The province was among the backward. In a short time, the new governor managed to raise the prestige of the entrusted territory. The first printing house in the province, a school, a hospital, an orphanage and a theater were built.

Since 1791, Derzhavin returned to the capital, to the court of Catherine. The crown of the nobleman's political career was the post of Minister of Justice of the Russian Empire, which he held in 1802-1803.

From this post, Gavriil Romanovich was dismissed and was given the opportunity to devote himself completely to literary creativity. Having settled in the estate of Zvanka in the Novgorod province, the poet spends his days writing poetry.

Personal life

The first wife of the poet in 1778 was 16-year-old Ekaterina Yakovlevna Bastidon. Still a young woman, at the age of 34, Catherine died suddenly and was buried at the Lazarevsky cemetery in St. Petersburg.

Derzhavin remarried six months later. This time, Daria Alekseevna Dyakova became the chosen one, with whom he lived until the end of his life. Both wives of the poet are sung in works.

The nobleman had no native children, but Dyakova's nieces and the orphaned offspring of Derzhavin's friend, Pyotr Lazarev, were brought up in the family's care. One of the sons, Mikhail Lazarev, later discovered Antarctica, being a talented admiral.

Death

In 1816, already at a venerable age, the famous Russian poet died in his own estate in the Novgorod province.

The grave of Gavriil Romanovich, together with his wife, who passed away in 1842, is located in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Varlaamo-Khutynsky Monastery near Veliky Novgorod.

Quotes

News is often nothing but oblivion of the past.

Fun is only immaculate,

For whom there is no remorse.

A statesman, more than other fellow citizens, must be animated, moved and guided by love for the Fatherland. He must live with love for the Fatherland, pour it into his subordinates and be an example in it to the whole state.

Donkey stays donkey

Though shower him with stars;

Where should the mind act,

He just flaps his ears.

Bibliography

• 1798 - "Derzhavin G. Works"
• Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich "Works. Edited by Y. Grot in 9 volumes"
• 1933 - "Derzhavin G. R. Poems"
• 1957 - "Poems by G. R. Derzhavin"
• 1980 - "Poems. Prose. (G. R. Derzhavin)"
• 1984 - "Selected prose. (G. R. Derzhavin)"