Salons of the Pushkin era. Literary salon

II SD P From the history of the literary life of the Pushkin era Tetushkin's album (Instead of a preface) A little less than a century ago, the theater historian N.V. Drizen found an old album with drawings and poems in the family archives. The album belonged to his great-grandmother;

Poetic vocabulary of Arab wedding songs. Reflection of folk life and social relations in them In the lyric poetry of Arabs, behind the traditional vocabulary and ordinary images that acquire the role of symbols, a deep social meaning is often hidden. Moreover, social

2017

I. Introduction.

II. Albums of the salons of the Pushkin era and their echoes today:

1. Salons in the life of the Russian society of the Pushkin era.

2. The best Moscow and St. Petersburg salons.

3. Salon albums.

III. Conclusion.

IV. References.

Introduction

Culture is a multi-tiered building. And if her highest manifestation - art, then “culture of everyday life” is its foundation.

The features of the life of any society are interesting and informative, especially if they have been distant from us for almost two centuries. They require decryption.

In what order did the guests sit at the table during the dinner party? When were two coats of arms depicted on the carriage door and what did this mean? What is a ball and how does it look like a parade?

All these are the little things of everyday life, but without them much is incomprehensible in the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy ... This is our history and the history of our culture, therefore the life of our ancestors is interesting to us, there are no little things in it.

Y. Tynyanov, V. Vinogradov, V. Zhirmunsky, Y. Lotman dealt with the problems of everyday life as a cultural phenomenon.

The literary life of the Pushkin era of the 19th century was reflected in works of art, letters, memoirs of Pushkin and his contemporaries.

Salons in the life of the Russian society of the Pushkin era

In the 20-30s of the XIX century in St. Petersburg and Moscow, along with literary societies and circles, there was another form of them - salons, for whose visitors literature was not a profession, but a hobby or entertainment. A salon is a political or literary-artistic circle of people of a select circle that gathers in the house of some private person. (Ozhegov Dictionary)

“There were about 30 people in the smart salon. Some spoke among themselves in an undertone, others listened, some walked around ...

There were no loud voices and arguments, as well as cigars. The hostess was sitting not far from the door ... in the other corner there was a tea table; in his neighborhood several lovely girls were whispering among themselves; near the bronze clock, on which half-past ten had just struck, a graceful woman, sinking in velvet armchairs, was busy with three young people who sat down next to her: they were talking about something. " This is how Karolina Pavlova, a famous poetess, who herself was the owner of the famous Moscow salon on Sretensky Boulevard, describes the salon. On Thursdays, a diverse audience gathered in it. Here Herzen met with Shevyrev, Aksakov - with Chaadaev. Here they argued about the historical paths of Russia, read poetry and discussed articles. Karolina Pavlova's poetic talent, her lively, educated conversation made her salon pleasant and attractive for writers.

On the announced day, a certain group of people gathered without an official invitation to talk, exchange views, and play music. Such meetings did not provide for maps, feasts, or dances. Traditionally, the salon was formed around a woman - she introduced the spirit of intellectual coquetry and grace, which created an indescribable atmosphere of the salon.

The best Moscow and St. Petersburg salons of that time

Each salon was distinguished by its selection of visitors, its own character. If people came to Princess Volkonskaya to enjoy music and poetry, a society of literary friends would gather at Delvig's, and a high society salon would gather in the St. Petersburg salons of Elizaveta Khitrovo and Countess Fiquelmon. All the vital European and Russian life, political, literary and social, had true echoes in these two related salons. In them one could stock up on information about all the issues of the day, from a political brochure and a parliamentary speech by a French or English speaker to a novel or drama by one of the favorites of that literary era.

The evenings at the literary V. Sollogub's were completely different. In addition to people of art, there were many dignitaries here who could look at Russian writers up close. Only four women had access to Sollogub's salon, and that was on condition that they had the most modest toilets. These are Countess Rostopchina, Countess Dashkova, Musina-Pushkin and Demidova.

From the very beginning, the Karamzins' salon spoke only Russian. After the death of the writer, his daughter Sofya Nikolaevna became the owner of the salon. For twenty years or more, this salon has been one of the most attractive centers of St. Petersburg public life, a true oasis of literary and intellectual interests among the brilliant and magnificent, but little inspired St. Petersburg light.

There has always been an atmosphere of trust in the salons. The salon of Sophia Dmitrievna Ponomareva occupied a special place in the Petersburg of Pushkin's time. A charming, intelligent woman, she herself created the society of her salon. She knew languages, translated well, wrote. Delvig, Baratynsky, and Kuchelbecker were in love with her. There was not even a hint of luxury in her salon, no pretensions to fashion; here everyone was happy, free and easy. The album that has come down to our time, which was filled by visitors to her salon, also speaks about Ponomareva's salon.

Salon albums

Albums in the Pushkin era spread the taste for reading and writing, and inspired literature. Pushkin, Baratynsky, and Batyushkov also wrote about the albums. The hostess gave the album to one of the salon visitors with a request to write her poetry. The recipient of the "assignment" read other notes and responded to them. It turned out to be a conversation. Album lyrics are various madrigals, puns, epigrams. The album gave scope for a kind of album play. Here, in addition to verses, one could meet with instructions and teachings. For example, in Ponomareva's album there is the following "Teaching Instructions" by NI Grech: “Sit straight at the table, do not fight with your neighbors and do not eat anything without bread. When walking the streets, don't look at the windows. Do not scoff at old people and your teachers. "

Albums of that time are still a precious source poetic texts - many of them never got into print during the author's lifetime, others were applied by the author several times to different addressees. As time passed, the relationship between people changed. In the albums there were additions to the existing records. So A.S. Pushkin in A.A. Olenina's album under the poem "I loved you" in 1833 ascribes: "Plyusquamperfe is a long past."

The album took a long time to fill, passed from mother to daughter. Burial crosses appeared next to the recordings - a sign that the author of the recording was no longer in the world. The album not only accompanied a person through life - it marked his relationship with death. They were afraid to write on the first sheet - there was a belief that the one who filled in the beginning of the album would die. The first entry often appeared on the last page, then in the middle. The albums contained not only notes, but also drawings that actively supplement the words. So to the poem

Long ago my soul would fade

And the blood has cooled in my heart,

If only they would not support me ...

instead of the last line there was a drawing: an anchor, a cross and a flaming heart. The meaning is clear: an anchor is hope, a cross is faith, a burning heart is a sign of love.

In the albums, a conversation was struck up. One writes: "Be silent about the weaknesses of people, shout about the virtues", and the other replies: "Good deed and without a cry will show itself." In response to an unfortunate verse compliment:

They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul.

Your wise and loving ones are so good, -

immediately there was a rebuke:

I have seen many such eyes

That there is not a little soul in them:

And look for hearts in them, -

It was as if the heart was gone.

This is already a reflection of the salon culture - in the album, as it were, the conversation that just sounded in the living room froze.

Conclusion

“Albums have spread our taste for reading and writing - they have become attracted to literature. And this is clear! .. Women, these light, fickle, windy, but always cute creatures for us - women do whatever they want with us, their zealous fans ... Thanks to women! They introduced albums and provided a pleasant and rewarding experience for our young people. - I am even sure that since the appearance of the albums we have begun to write better, more pleasant; express yourself more freely, more decently, closer to public conversation. "

These are lines from the article "On Albums", published in 1820 in the magazine "Blagonamerenny". Apparently, this topic has already occupied Pushkin's contemporaries. In 1846, in a letter to Wolfe, the poet Yazykov complained: "The album containing Pushkin's poems is a treasure, and it should be preserved as a monument to that golden time when the girls had albums."

The amazing thing is that the form of the album has gone through a century and reached our time. The current generation, fascinated by computers and players, continues to be interested in them. It is very good that the shape of the 19th century salon album has come down to our time, at least in this somewhat modified, even vulgarized form ..

Those fashion did not pass on the albums,

At least we have advanced a hundred years.

The girl's soul is poured into them from year to year,

Not hiding, not hiding hopes.

There was a golden time then

Time of stormy passions and intrigues.

I see and hear you at this moment.

Live learning from salon albums,

Reading them to friends on the way,

I want at least for these templates

Learn to save their souls.

It seems to me that having studied the albums of that time in more detail, promoting them among students, it would be possible to inspire my peers for correct writing and creativity.

References

1 ... Lotman Yu.M. Conversations about Russian culture. - SPb., 1994.

2. L.A. Chereisky Contemporaries of Pushkin. - L., Det. Lit., 1981.

3. Marchenko N.A. Literary life of the Pushkin era. - "Literature at school", 1997 -4.

4. Lukovich I.E. In the salon of Z.A. Volkonskaya. - "Literature at school", 2003 -2.

5. Vatsuro V.E. Literary albums in the collection of the Pushkin House. - L., 1979. (There is a presentation for the work)

"Only a very enlightened woman can run a salon"

\\ Prince P.A. Vyazemsky \\

"And the new provincial
The hostess did not bother with arrogance:
Equally for everyone she was
At ease and sweet "

\\ A.S. Pushkin \\

Pushkin's time ... This is now what we call the 20s - 30s of the 19th century ... And then the golden age of Russian literature was just beginning ... And it was in demand throughout national history... The era of reforms and enlightenment has borne fruit: a narrow layer of highly educated people has appeared ... And among them are amazing women ...
Today we will remember them - those who were muses and the first listeners ... Thanks to whom the future great men of Russian literature could gather under one roof ...

Olenin House

Fontanka, 101 ... This house has survived the centuries unchanged. In it, at the Director of the Public Library Alexei Olenin, the young Poet was accepted immediately after graduation from the Lyceum. The owner himself designed the title page of the first edition of Ruslan and Lyudmila. Here Pushkin first met Zhukovsky and Gnedich, Krylov and Batyushkov.
It was the center of noble culture, where "opinions were formed on issues of literature and art." Literary salons met the needs of mutual communication, exchange of opinions ... They knew how to have fun there (unlike our virtual)))))).
In the summer, meetings took place in the Priyutino country estate. It is now well restored: the house has been preserved, and even the oaks planted by Olenin in memory of his sons ...
After exile in 1827, Pushkin returned to St. Petersburg. This time in the album of Anna Olenina he left the following dedication:

"You are afraid of love confession,
You will tear the letter of love
But a poetic message
With a tender smile you will read ... "

Then there will be many others, more serious, with the hope of a reciprocal feeling ... And, finally, the last: "I loved you ..."

Salon of the Karamzins

Contemporaries recognized Karamzin's wife, Ekaterina Andreevna, as one of the most outstanding women of the era. “Possessing feelings, mind - she shone with perfection,” - this is how Pushkin sang her in poetry. After the death of her husband in 1826, she finished and published the last (12th) volume of the History of the Russian State, continuing to expand Karamzin's literary achievements. Later, the Salon was helped to keep the daughters of the historiographer - Sophia and Ekaterina.
The Karamzin salon is mentioned in the sketches for " Eugene Onegin»,

“In the living room, truly noble,
Shunned the panache of speeches
. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
Mistress secular and free
The common syllable was adopted ... "

This was the circle where they communicated on native language and where ladies also took part in the discussion of novelties in literature. Pushkin visited here with Natalie. Before last days The poet idolized Ekaterina Andreevna.

Voeikov and Ponomareva

Pushkin was not able to visit these St. Petersburg Salons - he was serving his southern exile. But his lyceum and literary friends were their regulars. These hostesses were very different in character and never met each other.
Alexandra Voeikova - Zhukovsky's niece (the ballad "Svetlana" is dedicated to her) - a gentle, sublime creature, a draftsman and a musician ... Her mansion was located next to the Anichkov bridge. Yevgeny Boratynsky wrote about her: "... And with you, the soul is full of sacred silence." K. Ryleev dedicated the poem "Rogneda" to her. She was the muse of I. Kozlov and N. Yazykov. And she herself was fond of the poems of young Pushkin, recording them in her album.

Sofya Ponomareva ... Merry, lively and flirtatious. She composed poetry, knew 4 languages, and selected music. With the consent of her husband, she created the Salon "SDP" - "The Estate of Friends of the Enlightenment", where Masonic rituals were performed and humorous nicknames were assigned. Everything revolved around the hostess. And all ... former lyceum students: M. Yakovlev, Kyukhlya and madly in love A. Illichevsky and A. Delvig. It is believed that the famous poem is dedicated to her: "Short days are given to love, \\ But I cannot mature her cold ... \\"
Sonechka died on the threshold of her 30th birthday, leaving a bright mark on the souls of many poets ...

"Princesse nocturne"

In the late evenings, the windows in the mansion of Princess Evdokia Golitsyna on Millionnaya Street, near the Winter Palace, shone brightly ... Guests came here in carriages, among them 18-year-old Pushkin. He met the mistress at the Karamzins'. The whole furnishings of the palace were something mysterious ... Starting with the fact that the princess received only at night. Not very happy in her personal life, she put spiritual communication at the highest level at the forefront.
A rare beauty and true patriot of Russia immediately conquered the Poet. In the same year, he dedicated a wonderful verse to Golitsyna (one of my favorites):
“Inexperienced lover of strangers' lands
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
I said: in my fatherland
Where is the right mind, where is the genius we find?
Where a woman is not with cold beauty,
But with a fiery, captivating, alive?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
I almost hated my fatherland -
But yesterday I saw Golitsyna
And he was reconciled with my fatherland. "

The literary tastes of "Princess of the Night" were very progressive: all her closest friends were in "Arzamas" ... The poet visited Golitsyna every day, and in 1818 sent her the Oda "Liberty" - with dedication.
From his first exile in May 1820, he writes Al. Turgenev:
“In the distance of the fireplace book. Golitsyna you will freeze and under the sky of Italy "... And in 1823, already from Odessa:" What does the poetic, unforgettable, constitutional, anti-Polish, heavenly princess Golitsyna? " (The princess was indignant that Poland was given a Constitution, but Russia was not).
Returning to Petersburg, Pushkin often visits Delvig.

Among their

On Saturdays, a circle of writers gathered at V.A. Zhukovsky - not far from the Nikolsky Cathedral, and on Wednesdays and Sundays - at the Delvigs, near the Vladimir Church (the house was defended in the 90s of the 20th century). Anton had already published "Northern Flowers" and was happily married to Sofya Saltykova. Pushkin, Kuchelbecker, A. Bestuzhev, K. Ryleev and others burst in here.
Visiting a friend, the Poet often saw Anna Kern (she lived with the Delvigs, then with Pushkin's sister - at the other end of the same Kuznechny Lane), but now they were only connected by friendship. In 1828 Pushkin read "Poltava" here ... In 1830 Delvig began publishing the Literary Gazette, but in January of the following year his life was cut short. Alexander could not find a place for himself from grief.

"Beauties of the Century"

This is how Bella Akhmadulina called the brilliant women of that time. The first in this row, no doubt, is Zinaida Volkonskaya ... Refined, romantic and gifted with talents:
singers, musicians, writers, and most importantly: the ability to support any conversation.
She opened her famous Salon in Moscow, on Tverskaya. We all remember the picture, which captures the moment when Pushkin and Mitskevich met there ...
"Queen of muses and beauty,
With a gentle hand you hold
Magic scepter of inspiration ... "
This is Pushkin's offering. But most of all poems were dedicated to Her by the lover Dmitry Venevitinov, who died early. The salon united D. Davydov and P. Chaadaev, Khomyakov and Zagoskin and other Moscow writers. It was in it that Pushkin represented Boris Godunov and the last chapters of Eugene Onegin ... Living later in Rome, the Princess received Zhukovsky and Gogol, encouraged Russian artists, and created the Patriotic Conversation society.
Kutuzov's granddaughter also kept the high-society Salon: Countess Fiquelmon ... As the wife of the Austrian ambassador, she lived in Saltykov's house - near the Summer Garden. This is where Pushkin most often visited in the 30s. These walls were the first to hear his new creations ... In a letter from Moscow, the poet is upset that he is "removed from the salon." Calls the Countess "the most brilliant of noble ladies." And she regrets that "God made her bigger" - dreams of a simpler life.
In 1832, after her marriage in St. Petersburg, the Salon was opened by a good friend of Pushkin and Gogol, the independent and original Alexandra Rosset.
She was fond of all kinds of arts and philosophy ... Let us recall the famous lines of the Poet about her:
"... And as a child she was kind,
Laughed at the absurd crowd,
Judged sensibly and lightly
And jokes of anger of the blackest
I wrote straight away. "

Friends called her "Donna Sol". This is what Vyazemsky emphasized in the verse:
"You are Donna Sol, sometimes Donna Peretz!
. . . . . . . . . .
Oh Donna Sugar! Donna Honey! "

After the death of Pushkin in the same year at the Karamzins, Smirnova-Rosset met Lermontov, who dedicated beautiful poems to her:
"I cannot occupy your mind ...
All this would be funny
Whenever it was so sad ... "

She loved Russian poetry selflessly. And after the death of two great Poets, she continued to serve her faithfully ... Zhukovsky called her "Sweetheart of the dear, clever of the clever, charming of the charming" She even captivated Gogol, Belinsky and Aksakov - only later.

End of an era

In the middle of the 19th century, the Salons gradually "faded away" ... along with Russian poetry. The famous connoisseur of the world, Prince Pyotr Vyazemsky, noted: "That type of woman has disappeared. This sovereign, this queen of secular sociability is gone."

Literary salons of St. Petersburg in the 19th century

Introduction

The history of Russian literature in the first half of the 19th century is closely related to the phenomenon of literary salons, which flourished at that time in St. Petersburg. Many St. Petersburg salons of the first half of the 19th century were run by women. According to Vyazemsky ... the female mind is often hospitable, it willingly orders and welcomes smart guests, carefully and deftly arranging them at home ... Such owners of the salons were Elizaveta Mikhailovna Khitrovo and Dolly Fikelmon (daughter and granddaughter of Field Marshal Kutuzov), the Karamzins - Ekaterina Andreevna, Sophie and Katrin, Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova-Rosset. The decoration of the Olenins' salon was its lovely mistresses, in particular Anna Alekseevna, with whom A.S. was in love at one time. Pushkin. At the time of commoners, in the second half of the 19th century, the word "salon" no longer had such an attractive meaning as, for example, in the time of Pushkin, when the literary salons of Golitsina, Volkonskaya, Olenins, Karamzins were known to all reading and writing people in Russia. Salons, where the stars of new authors shone and already recognized writers and poets shone with talent.

The purpose of this work is to examine the phenomenon of literary salons in St. Petersburg in the 19th century.

1.The history of the "salon"

The first salons appeared, probably in France, in the era of Louis XIII (early 17th century). Giulia Savely, a noble Italian woman, married Monsieur de Vivon and decided to rebuild the house according to the classic model. Together with the symmetrically arranged windows and rooms, which followed one another in a solemn suite, a new way of life came. The hostess, a beautiful and educated lady, received guests, according to French custom, lying in bed in the morning. She was visited by acquaintances of aristocrats, artists, scientists and poets. During a cheerful and intelligent conversation, time flew by unnoticed for everyone: the lady was combing her hair, dressing, and her guests exchanged news and gossip, read poems and plays. However, they often played politics: the salon of Julie de Vivon, and then the salon of her daughter, the Marquise Catherine de Rambouillet, was in opposition to the Court.

So, two centuries ahead, the rules of salon life were established. The salon ("living room" in French) was a kind of circle around the brilliant lady, which united her friends from different walks of life. These circles were always created according to their interests: some were carried away by religion, others by politics, and still others by literature, art and music. The salons were run by noble ladies, rich bourgeois women, fashionable courtesans.

For the most part, the salons were a refuge for the opposition: it was not a king who reigned here, but a beautiful, or at least a rather clever and amiable lady, before whom both the peer and the beggar artist were equal. Ideologists of the Great french revolution drew inspiration from these salons. Of course, the presence of the lady threw a bridle on both minds and tongues. And already under Hegel (the beginning of the 19th century) this resulted in outright pretense, about which the great German philosopher spoke with sarcasm.

Bearing in mind the role of salons in French culture, Pushkin used to say that French poetry was born in the hallway and did not go further than the living room.

Still, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that the salon is a cell of civil society, especially if it supports the opposition to a harsh regime. They are also an indicator of the maturity of society.

In Russia, even in the 18th century, there was no smell of real salons. The Hermitage Circle under Catherine II was a salon only in appearance: here they did not have fun and developed, here they made a career. Paul 1 did not tolerate contradictions in anything at all. He even married the courtiers and gave them in marriage at his own discretion, like serfs. What kind of salons are there! .. salon literary bookstore

2. Salon "Night Princess"

The mistress of the first genuine salon in Russia was Princess Evdokia (Avdotya) Ivanovna Golitsyna, nee Izmailova (1780-1850). She was born into a very respectable and wealthy family: her mother was the sister of the famous prince Yusupov. Probably, Avdotya Izmailova received black wavy hair, fiery black eyes and dark elastic skin from her Tatar ancestors. In her father's family, she also received a brilliant education for a woman of that time.

The young beauty made a splash at the court, and Emperor Paul decided to make her happy: he married her a rich and noble groom, Prince S.M. Golitsyn. But the couple turned out to be so “incompatible” that as soon as Alexander ascended the throne, they parted with a light heart.

Prince Pyotr Vyazemsky notes that in the very beauty of Golitsyna there was something chaste in her mature years. After parting with her husband, Avdotya Ivanovna met her only love, to which she remained faithful all her life - the brilliant prince M.P. Dolgoruky.

In 1808, Prince Dolgoruky died a heroic death in one of the battles with Napoleon. Princess Golitsyna closes herself in grief. But his bond is opened by a universal grief: the war of 1812. The princess takes part in patriotic actions, is engaged in broad charity work, and prints a lofty brochure. After the fall of Bonaparte, she was arguing about the future of Russia and Europe in Paris with the smartest people of that time: M.F. Orlov, M.S. Vorontsov, brothers A. and S.I. Turgenev. Princess Golitsyna is an ardent patriot. But was she smart? All the same prince P. Vyazemsky notes that she was, rather, "smart for others." In other words, she turned out to be a genius of intelligent and amiable communication.

Returning to St. Petersburg in 1816, the princess naturally becomes ... the owner of the salon. And what a salon! Her house on Millionnaya Street turns into a kind of temple of arts, painted by the best artists of the era. Nothing from fast-moving fashion - everything is simple, stately and original to the point of impossibility. The hostess receives guests in robes that make you remember not the magazines of Parisian fashion, but pictures from the life of Ancient Rome. The conversations last all night, for the princess is just afraid of ... the night. The gypsy told her death at night in a dream. For these vigils, Golitsyn was nicknamed "the night princess" ("la Princesse Nocturne"). But at the same time, an enlightened spirit reigns in conversations and partly (among the guests, of course) even republican. And among her guests - poets: sarcastic Vyazemsky, good-natured Zhukovsky, dreamy Batyushkov. This latter writes enthusiastically in 1818 that it is difficult for someone to surpass Avdotya Ivanovna Golitsyn in beauty and pleasantness, and that her face will never grow old. Since 1817, barely leaving the Lyceum, young Pushkin is at her feet. The wise Karamzin finds the enthusiasm of the genius young man too demonstrative and ardent. He writes, not without irony: "The poet Pushkin in our house has mortally fallen in love with Pythia Golitsyna and now he spends his evenings with her: he lies for love, is angry with love, only he still does not write for love ..."

A.S. Pushkin dedicated one of his early masterpieces to Golitsyna ("K ***"):

Don't ask why a dull thought

In the midst of love I am often clouded

Why do I raise my gloomy gaze on everything,

Why is a dream not sweet to me;

Don't ask why your soul is cold

I fell out of love with cheerful love

And I don't call anyone cute:

Whoever has loved once will never love again;

Who knew happiness, he does not know happiness,

For a brief moment, bliss is given to us:

From youth, from negligence and sensuality

Only one despondency will remain.

If the first half of the poem is about his feelings, then the second is about her fate, and here Pushkin showed that wonderful property, the genius of which was also Golitsyna herself - the ability to imbue with the feelings and thoughts of another person, or "empathy

Of course, he did not stay for a very long time at the princess's feet - all the more so as he wrote poetry then, as you know, and Golitsyn ... a treatise on mathematics! And although already in love contemporaries called this ladies' handicraft "complete nonsense", Golitsyna did not leave her studies in mathematics until her death ...

Pushkin will remember Golitsyna in his southern exile. The princess will help him to transfer from out-of-the-ordinary Chisinau to almost capital Odessa. But the point in their relationship, perhaps, will be beautifully set by the poet as early as 1819 - by the poetic madrigal when he sent the ode "Liberty":

A simple pupil of nature,

So I used to chant

Dream of wonderful freedom

And he breathed it sweetly.

But I see you, I listen to you, -

And what? .. A weak person! ..

Losing freedom forever

I adore captivity with my heart.

Alas, the glory of the salon most often faded along with the beauty of its mistress. We do not know anything about how Pushkin treated Golitsyna after his return from exile - and they could not help but meet! But one of his contemporaries wrote down very bitter and cruel words about the “night princess” in the 30s: “Old and terribly ugly, she always wore dresses of sharp colors, had a reputation for scholarship and, they say, corresponded with Parisian academicians on mathematical issues. It seemed to me just a boring blue stocking ”(V.V. Lenz).

In 1845, O. de Balzac visited St. Petersburg. Golitsyna did not know him, but at midnight she sent a carriage for him with an invitation to her. However ... the creator of the "Human Comedy" was offended and wrote to her: “Here, dear Empress, they send only for doctors, and even then for those with whom they are familiar. I'm not a doctor. ”In the 40s, Golitsyna left for Paris. They say that the largest literary critic Sainte-Beuve listened to her opinions ...

Golitsyna died in St. Petersburg and was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. An interesting and in her own way touching epitaph she ordered to inscribe on a monument to herself: "I ask Orthodox Russians and those passing here to pray for the servant of God, so that the Lord may hear my warm prayers at the throne of the Most High to preserve the Russian spirit."

... "Queen of Muses and Beauty"

... Everything is significant and symbolic in the fate of this woman. She was born in the historical 1789 in the German "Florence on the Elbe" - Dresden. His father, Prince Beloselsky-Belozersky, was nicknamed “Moscow Apollo” for his beauty, but he was also smart and educated: he had friendships with Mozart and Voltaire. The latter highly praised the prince's French poetry. For a sober analysis of the events of the French Revolution, "Moscow Apollo" fell out of favor, was dismissed from the diplomatic service and, as it were, a dissident, lived in Turin since 1794. He devoted himself to the art and education of two daughters who lost their mother so early.

The prince was especially delighted by the younger, surprisingly graceful, lively and musical. When she grew up and appeared at the Russian Court, she struck everyone with her beauty, education (she knew eight languages!), Her magnificent singing and playing on stage. Professionals (including Rossini and the famous actress Mars) sighed: if it were not for the extremely high origin of the princess, much more noble than the emperor himself, what a star the opera stage would have found in her! ..

So, talents, beauty, art and politics crowned the heroine of our essay almost from the cradle. We are talking about the owner of the most famous Russian salon of the 19th century - about Princess Zinaida Alexandrovna Volkonskaya.

Princess Volkonskaya Princess Beloselskaya-Belozerskaya became at the behest of her father. Actually, she was wooed by another Volkonsky - Sergei (the future Decembrist). But he was so carried away by politics that he did not succumb to its spell. Otherwise, you see, poor Zinaida, instead of Paris, Vienna and Rome, would have to conquer the Siberian expanses with her husband ... But fate kept her for all-European glory, and she got the Decembrist's brother Nikita as her husband.

While living in Paris, the princess was carried away by the bohemian life of the French capital, made friends with the actors and even participated in professional rehearsals. The free air of Europe, however, familiar to her from the cradle, turned Zinaida's head too much. The sovereign put on his indignation and, in fact, the order to return back to his homeland in the most exquisite form: “... If I was indignant at you, ... I confess to you frankly, then for the preference that you show Paris with all its pettiness. Such a sublime and excellent soul seemed to me not suitable for all this vanity, and I considered it miserable food for her. My sincere affection for you, such a long-term one, made me regret the time that you were wasting on classes, in my opinion, so little worthy of your participation. " Whether it is a parade parade in gloomy St. Petersburg and a society similar to the sergeant Arakcheev! ..

She settled in Odessa, where she had a salon. Here the poet K. Batyushkov fell in love with her. She told him so much and colorfully about her beloved Italy that he could not stand it and went there. Alas, his mental illness was already approaching irreversibly ... 1820-22. Volkonskaya spends in Rome, in the Palazzo Poli (next to the Trevi Fountain). Here the artist F. Bruni (the future luminary of Russian classicism) falls in love with her and remains her close, devoted friend forever. Here she is surrounded by Russian artists and sculptors: S. Galberg, S. Shchedrin, A. (later K. himself) Bryullovs. Here she is raising her son Sasha and adopted son Vladimir Pavey. This last she found literally on the London pavement (in French pave - "pavement"). English Gavroche seemed to her so much like the late Grishenka ...

The king nevertheless expresses an unyielding desire for the princess to return to her homeland. She obeys. In St. Petersburg Volkonskaya is engaged in historical research in the archives and as a result writes a historical book "Slavic painting of the 5th century". For her work, she is the first woman! - becomes a member of the Society of Lovers of Russian Antiquities at Moscow University.

After Alexander's death, Volkonskaya left for Moscow. Her court successes were over. As one of her friends wrote, "The Court does not tolerate ... mental advantage." The new tsar and his family were oh so less developed than her beloved Alexander ... She settled in the house of the princes Beloselsky-Belozersky on Tverskaya. Here is how a contemporary describes the princess's apartments, which have become a temple of arts and a temple of her talents and beauty: “Her dining room is mustard green with watercolor landscapes and a Caucasian sofa. Her office is hung with Gothic paintings, with small busts of our kings on consoles ... The floor of her salon is painted in white and black, which perfectly imitates mosaics. I cannot convey how beautiful it is and how good it tastes. "

It was visited by leading figures of Russian literature and culture of that time: P. Vyazemsky, D. Davydov, E. Baratynsky, P. Chaadaev, V. Odoevsky, M. Zagoskin, M. Pogodin, S. Shevyrev, A. Khomyakov, the Kireevsky brothers ... But of course, the biggest stars here were Pushkin and A. Mitskevich.

Pushkin came here after exile, at the time of his noisiest triumphs. Z. Volkonskaya greeted him with a performance of a romance to the verse "The daylight went out ..." This technique of artistic coquetry touched the poet. He did not fall in love, but he was completely imbued with a friendly disposition. And at the same time he dedicated these verses to Z. Volkonskaya:

Among scattered Moscow

With whist and boston rumors,

You love Apollo games.

Queen of muses and beauty,

With a gentle hand you hold

Magic scepter of inspiration,

And over a brooding brow,

Double crowned wreath

And the genius twists and burns ...

In the salon of Volkonskaya, he said goodbye to the wife of the Decembrist M. Volkonskaya (nee Raevskaya), his long-standing and very deep passion. Everyone remembered this evening. Zinaida sang and played a lot, as if trying to nourish the soul of Mary, who was leaving for her husband for hard labor, with "Italian sounds," with which she seemed to say goodbye, it seemed, forever. But, having arrived in Siberia, she discovered that in the huge box that Zinaida presented to her there were not warm clothes, but ... clavichords! Romantic Mary needed them even more!

Unwittingly, Zinaida Volkonskaya crushed hearts and changed destinies. Adam Mickiewicz was almost engaged to Karolina Janisch (later the famous poetess K. Pavlova), but fell in love with the brilliant princess. The engagement was upset. But Zinaida remained only his friend. At the same time, a young and beautiful poet D. Venevitinov falls in love with her. He devotes fervent lines to her, but Zinaida is only friendly with him.

In anguish of unrequited feelings Venevitinov leaves for St. Petersburg, where he will be arrested, kept in a damp casemate (all this is in the case of the Decembrists), a quick illness and early death (March 15, 1827).

Saying goodbye, Zinaida presented him with an antique ring.

You were dug in a dusty grave, of age-old herald of love,

And again you are a grave dust

You will be bequeathed, my ring, -

Having written these lines, the poet did not know to what extent he turned out to be a prophet in them! Dmitry Venevitinov was not only waiting for an ambulance, too soon death. A hundred years later, the poet's grave was dug up, the ring was removed, and now it is in the Literary Museum.

Zinaida very painfully experienced this loss, she was tormented by reproaches of conscience. The common grief brought her closer to Venevitinov's mother. When she was in St. Petersburg, Volkonskaya always stayed with her ...

At the end of 1826, Volkonskaya married the Italian aristocrat Ricci. To do this, she had to convert to Catholicism.

This brought on tremendous displeasure of Tsar Nicholas, because he considered himself the guardian of the Orthodox faith. But no reproaches, persuasions, threats helped: in 1829 Zinaida Volkonskaya and her husband left Russia, practically forever. Volkonskaya will travel several more times to settle matters from Italy to St. Petersburg. But she will not succumb to the pressure of the tsar: Italy will now be her homeland, and Catholicism will be her faith.

She settles in Rome in a beautiful villa near the Cathedral of San Giovanni in Laterano. The remains of an ancient aqueduct serve as a terrace. In one of the park alleys, the princess erects a lot of monuments to her mother and father, Pushkin, Goethe (with whom she talked about Pushkin at one time!), Alexander the First, Walter Scott.

Bryullov also created the best portrait of Volkonskaya.

The villa was constantly visited by Russian artists, poets, musicians, writers. It's amazing that it was in this very un-Russian place that Gogol wrote his Dead Souls!

the year became one of the darkest for the inhabitants of the Volkonskaya villa. In March, Gogol dies, in April - Zhukovsky, in July - Bryullov ... In 1860 Count Ricci dies. Zinaida survived him for two years ... Together with her, the era of salons left Russian life. In any case, P. Vyazemsky stated so categorically.

The most accurate words about Z. Volkonskaya were probably said by her grand-nephew, Prince S.M. Volkonsky: "A refined representative of young romanticism in its combination with awakening and still little realized nationalism, she was a typical fruit of Western civilization, bringing herself to serve her native art" ...

The descendants sold at auction the invaluable archive of Volkonskaya with autographs of Pushkin, Zhukovsky and Gogol, drawings by Kiprensky, Bruni, A. Ivanov and Bryullov. The Soviet authorities did not find the means to purchase them. Most of these relics ended up in the United States.

4. "I loved you ..."

If we decide that the fate of the star of the literary aristocratic salon has always been surprisingly happy, then we will be cruelly mistaken in this. The life of one of the most famous lovely ladies of the Pushkin and Lermontov era of Anna Alekseevna Olenina is a direct proof of this.

The salon of the President of the Academy of Arts and Director of the Public Library Alexei Nikolaevich Olenin could not but be one of the main centers of culture in Northern Palmyra at the beginning of the 19th century. Easy to communicate, witty and amiable Olenin surprisingly combined cordiality, intelligence, deep education with an amazing ability to "seek", that is, he was a catcher of ranks and awards. And if he had to choose between muses and a career, he always fearlessly preferred the latter. When the unfortunate poet Delvig incurred the disgrace of the authorities, Olenin immediately dismissed him from service. When the time came for the Arakcheevism, it was Olenin who suggested that the academicians (meaning the Academy of Sciences) choose non-commissioned officer Arakcheev as its honorary member. To a cautious question about the candidate's scientific achievements, Olenin replied: "He is very close to the sovereign!"

The wife of a successful nobleman, Elizaveta Markovna, was also distinguished by an amazing cordiality (some thought it was feigned). Sometimes even unwell, she lay on the couch among the guests and smiled at them nonviolently ... Krylov (he became here his own, completely domesticated person) and G.R. Derzhavin. But “new times - new songs”, and V.A. Zhukovsky, P.A. Vyazemsky, K.N. Batyushkov. Over time, the voice of M.I. Glinka, and the best artists will decorate the reindeer house and its dacha in Priyutino very elegantly ... This dacha is the first prototype of the Soviet "houses of creativity" in Russia. A wonderful house in a picturesque area not far from the capital, each guest is provided with a comfortable room, and the schedule is made in such a way that, in addition to exits to the table, a creative person has his own time. He can ride on horseback, he can shoot with a bow or a gun, he can walk, can fool around, play charades, sing and dance, participate in "fairs" where everyone dressed in folk costumes ... Of course, he can create somehow, if he the noise of guests or the ringing of Cupid's arrows does not interfere. And this ringing over the years was heard louder and louder: Olenin had five children and one pupil. It was with her, Anna Furman, that the translator of Homer N.I. first fell in love. Gnedich, and then the poet Batyushkov. This is about her he wrote one of his most famous poems:

O memory of the heart! You are stronger than Reason in a sad memory And often with your charm you captivate Me in a distant country. I remember the voice of sweet words, I remember blue eyes, I remember golden locks Carelessly curly hair. My incomparable shepherdess I remember the whole dress is simple, And the image is dear, unforgettable Everywhere wanders with me. The keeper is my genius, with love In joy he is given to parting: If I fall asleep, he will creep to the head And delight a sad dream

Pushkin found the first four lines superfluous, but it was in them that Batyushkov expressed the whole uncomplicated and sad plot of his "novel." The venison were not against marriage. But Anna herself confessed to the poet that she entrusts him only her fate - not her heart. Batyushkov retreated.

When the grandchildren asked the daughter of the Olenins, Anna, why she did not marry Pushkin, she replied: "He was not rich!" Among the children of the Olenins, Annette Olenina or the homely Aneta shone. She was smart, fragile, she had one of the smallest and most charming legs in all of Petersburg. As soon as Aneta came out, she was immediately noticed. There was no end to the fans. It has become a recognized center of attraction for the venison salon.

At her feet is Pushkin himself! He has just returned from exile (1828). At one time here he met a relative of the mistress A.P. Kern. To her, as is known, he dedicated his masterpiece and a few rough, but insightful remarks ...

But Olenina got not bitter berries, but only pretty flowers. And what! Pushkin just raved about her in 1828: “You and you”, “A magnificent city, a poor city ...

In Olenina, Pushkin was attracted by youth, the originality of the mental make-up (as it seemed to him then), small legs and wonderfully expressive eyes:

What a brooding genius in them,

And how much childish simplicity

And how many languid expressions.

And how much bliss and dreams!

Lower them down with a smile Lelya -

There is triumph in them of modest grace;

Raise - the angel of Raphael

This is how the deity contemplates!

With "childish simplicity" Aneta wrote in her diary at the same time: Pushkin "is rather modest, and I even talked to him and stopped being afraid that I would not lie about something in a sentimental way." The diary more than once noted the physical ugliness of the genius ... However, Aneta in every possible way advocates female equality in the matrimonial issue, - she speaks, however, only on the pages of her diary: “A woman's mind is weak, you say? Even so, but her reason is stronger. But if it comes to that, then, leaving aside obedience, why not admit that a woman's mind is as vast as yours, but that the weakness of her body does not allow her to express it? After all, the bear breaks people, but the bee gives honey. " They say Pushkin broke the engagement himself. A year later, he wrote another love masterpiece - "I loved you ..." He also addressed her, Aneta Olenina, but three years later the poet will mark next to his autograph poems in French: "long gone."

Meanwhile, it was not at all easy for the brilliant Aneta to get married. For only a year and a half, suitors hovered around her, and then ...

Aneta suffers in silence, closes herself in female friendship, takes a great interest in serious reading (Hegel, Fichte). She is seriously threatened with the fate of remaining an old maid and becoming a "blue stocking." Pushkin wrote fervent poems to Olenina, while Lermontov wrote only humorous ones ... In 1838, Elizaveta Markovna dies. Now Aneta has the whole house and an inconsolable sick father in her arms. Only in 1842, 34 years old, Anna Olenina became the wife of Mr. Andro, the bastard son of Count Langeron. General Andro adores her, but is morbidly jealous, irritable and oppressive, and hates everything that connects her with the wonderful people who graced her youth. But as soon as her husband died, Aneta left for the village of Derezhnu in Volyn, where a chest with the relics of her youth had long been sent: albums, diaries, souvenirs, autographs of Pushkin and Zhukovsky, Lermontov and Gnedich. The coquetry of youth has become the heartfelt memory of old age.

Anna Alekseevna lived to be 80 years old, she died in 1888, surrounded by objects that proved to her the correctness of Batyushkov's “unfortunate” lines:

O memory of the heart! You are stronger

The mind of a sad memory ...

5. Muses at the samovar Karamzin

In principle, the salon is a loose concept. There were salons-temples, temples of beauty and talents of its mistress (like Golitsyna and Z. Volkonskaya), there were political circles with the aim of influencing public opinion in favor of the government and weaving intrigues (Nesselrode's salon), there were salons opposing the Court (salon grand duchess Elena Pavlovna).

But there was a very special one among the Petersburg salons. It could be called "the family shelter of the muses." Not in the sense that his mistress (more precisely, mistresses) were artistically gifted, but in the sense that nowhere did writers and artists (but especially writers) feel so homely and at ease. Guests were expected here every night. The samovar and ... Russian language reigned in the red living room with simple straw armchairs! This was the only living room in St. Petersburg where at that time they preferred their native language and never played cards. Poets in modest frock coats and the first beauties, diplomats and provincial relatives, who drove in passing by, dressed in a ballroom, - all found interest and peace of mind in the salon, which was led by the wife (and then the widow) of the historian Karamzin Ekaterina Andreevna and her daughters Sophia and Ekaterina.

Here is a picture of the Karamzins' salon from rough sketches for "Eugene Onegin":

In the living room of a truly noble

Shunned the panache of speeches

And the delicacy of the philistine

The stiff magazine judges.

Mistress secular and free

The common syllable was adopted ...

And the provincial newbie

The hostess did not bother with arrogance:

Equally for everyone she was

At ease and sweet ...

This is said about Ekaterina Andreevna Karamzina, nee Kolyvanova, the half-sister of the poet Vyazemsky (she was the daughter of Prince Vyazemsky and Countess Sivers), the second wife of Karamzin and, as many claim, the secret of Pushkin's deepest affection. The evil-tongued memoirist claims: “She was white, cold, beautiful, like a statue of antiquity” (FF Vigel). The daughter of free love, Ekaterina Andreevna knew how to inspire respect in herself to anyone who communicated with her. Together with her, Tsar Alexander the First loved to open balls. His beloved sister Ekaterina wrote to Karamzin with utter enthusiasm: “I dare not tell Ekaterina Andreevna all that I think about her ... Embracing her from the bottom of my heart, I leave it to her to guess about it. Believe my true respect. "

It is known that Pushkin was deprived of his mother's love and attention, and fell in love with Ekaterina Andreevna Karamzina not so much as a woman, but as an ideal mother. He shared with her his disturbing joy on the eve of his marriage. Dying, the poet asked her to bless him. Karamzina did it from afar, then Pushkin asked her to come to him, kissed her hand. She burst into tears and left ...

Ekaterina Andreevna was almost 20 years younger than her husband. Of course, there was no very ardent love on her part, but deep sympathy, respect, and strong affection arose. Ekaterina Andreevna helped her husband in his labors as an editor, literary collaborator, literary agent ... She raised her stepdaughter Sophie (Karamzin's daughter from her first marriage) as her own. After the death of Karamzin in 1826, Ekaterina Andreevna retained her salon, expanded and strengthened secular and court ties, although she did not like the high society fuss - and all for the sake of her children: the foster Sophie and her Catherine and two sons. It didn’t affect Sophie’s fate very happily ... It remains to be wondered how this sweet and very lively girl (somewhat exalted and infantile) didn’t “make up a party for herself”!

Sophie did not understand the tragic background of Pushkin's duel. But the poet himself, long before that, seemed to see the light of her not very successful life. He dedicated these lines to her:

In the mundane steppe, sad and boundless,

Three keys mysteriously made their way:

The key of youth, the key is fast and rebellious,

Boils, runs, sparkling and murmuring;

The Castal Key by a wave of inspiration

In the steppe of the worldly exiles watered,

The last key, the cold key of oblivion,

He will hide the heat of the heart sweeter than anyone.

Sophie then turned 18 ... And in the album of 39-year-old Sophie, another genius - Lermontov - jokingly noted the emerging change in his attitude:

I also loved in the old days,

In the innocence of my soul,

And the storms of noisy nature,

And secret storms of passions.

But their ugly beauty

I soon grasped the mystery

And I got bored of them incoherent

And a deafening tongue.

I love more from year to year,

Giving space to peaceful desires,

Clear weather in the morning

In the evening, a quiet conversation

I love your paradoxes

And ha ha ha, and hee hee hee,

Smirnova's little thing; Sasha's farce

And Ishki Myatlev poems ...

Sophie was, if not the soul of the Karamzin circle, then certainly its main driver. In the salon she was nicknamed "Samovar Pasha" because she was responsible for serving tea to the guests.

In the 40s, the Karamzins' salon won first place among Russian literary salons. Young then I.I. Panaev writes, not without irony: “To gain literary fame in high society circles, it was necessary to get into the salon of Mrs. Karamzina, the widow of a historiographer. There were issued diplomas for literary talents. It was already a real high society literary salon with a strict choice, and the Recamier of this salon was S.N. Karamzin, to whom all our famous poets considered it their duty to write letters. " Sophie Karamzina died on the threshold of a new era, in 1856, 54 years old. But even on her deathbed, she retained her childishness and secularity, repeating in her delirium that “there is no death, death is just a pretense” (from a letter from FI Tyutchev).

The native daughter of Ekaterina Andreevna, also Ekaterina, was distinguished by the strict and calm character of her mother. She married Prince Meshchersky, a kind, but completely expressionless person, and played the first violin in her family. She also had her own salon, with a somewhat political bias. Conservative, I must say. However, that was already a completely different era.

6. Literary salon in the bookstore

Along with the salons that were kept by famous and wealthy secular ladies, a new phenomenon appeared in St. Petersburg - a literary salon in a bookstore. It was a salon in the shop of Smirdin, a talented bookseller who did a lot for Russian literature.

In 1831, Smirdin rented a room on Nevsky Prospekt for a high fee, where before that foreign merchants and rich booksellers mainly traded. The European-style bookstore also houses his extensive reading library. Soon, Smirdin's shop and library became a fashionable literary salon in St. Petersburg. He was visited by Pushkin, Gogol, Delvig, Batyushkov, Zhukovsky, and other writers. Having supplemented and expanded the collection of Plavilshchikov, Smirdin organized access to his books for a low fee. This allowed people of the common class to use its funds. The library was supplied with an extensive catalog, compiled and published in 1828. It was possible to make all kinds of inquiries about the publications of the late 18th - early 19th centuries.

In his store A.F. Smirdin tried to diversify the methods of book trade: he sent out books by mail, arranged book raffles and give cheap leftovers. Smirdin did a lot of bibliographic work in the store, widely used advertisements in newspapers and magazines. One of the best trading methods was the work of determining the circulation. For this purpose, Smirdin organized the reception of preliminary orders for printed books.

In search of a mass buyer, Smirdin turned his eyes to those strata of the population that had not attracted the attention of booksellers before him, namely, to people from different classes - merchants, philistines, clergy, peasants, officials. It was a modest but active group of buyers.

Thus, Smirdin's bookstore was a transitional link from the literary salon, as it was in aristocratic Petersburg, to the various literary circles that appeared in Petersburg in the second half of the 19th century.

Conclusion

The literary salons of St. Petersburg in the 19th century played an important role in the literary process of that time. There were public readings, exchange of information and news. The salons were the places where one could freely express one's opinion, where free social thought lived and flourished. In the second half of the 19th century, the very concept of "salon" has lost its meaning. There appeared "circles" in which writers, poets, critics gathered not around a beautiful hostess, but united by one ideology, a single goal. Known circle Petrashevsky, a circle that united around the magazine "Sovremennik", "Otechestvennye zapiski", Polonsky's circle, which included the critic Stasov and many others.

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Berteniev P.I. About Pushkin: Pages of the poet's life. Memoirs of Contemporaries. - M., 1992.

Veresaev V.V. Pushkin in Life: A Systematic Collection of Authentic Testimonies of Contemporaries.-M., 1984.

Friends of Pushkin. Moscow: Ed. True. 1985.

Ivanov Vs. Alexander Pushkin and his time.-M .; Innovator, 1996

V. V. Kunin The life of Pushkin, told by him and his contemporaries - M., 1987.

St. Petersburg. Interesting questions and answers. Collection. S.-Pb .: Ed. Parity 2000

L. Tretyakova Russian goddesses. Moscow: Ed. Isograph. 2001

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Tags: Literary salons of St. Petersburg in the 19th century Abstract Culturology