Alexander Kuprin: biography, creativity and interesting facts from life. Four main passions in the life of Alexander Kuprin - a writer who could not live without Russia Complete biography of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a famous Russian writer and translator. He made a significant contribution to the fund of Russian literature. His works were particularly realistic, thanks to which he received recognition in various sectors of society.

Brief biography of Kuprin

We bring to your attention a short biography of Kuprin. She, like everything, contains a lot.

Childhood and parents

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on August 26, 1870 in the city of Narovchat, in the family of an ordinary official. When little Alexander was only one year old, his father, Ivan Ivanovich, died.

After the death of her husband, the mother of the future writer, Lyubov Alekseevna, decided to go to Moscow. It was in this city that Kuprin spent his childhood and youth.

Education and the beginning of the creative path

When young Sasha was 6 years old, he was sent to study at the Moscow Orphanage School, from which he graduated in 1880.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin

In 1887 Kuprin was enrolled in the Alexander military school.

During this period of his biography, he had to face various difficulties, which he would later write about in the stories "At the Break (Cadets)" and "Juncker".

Alexander Ivanovich had a good ability to write poetry, but they remained unpublished.

In 1890 the writer served in an infantry regiment with the rank of second lieutenant.

While in this rank, he writes such stories as "Inquiry", "In the Dark", "Night Shift" and "Campaign".

The flowering of creativity

In 1894 Kuprin decided to resign, being at that time already in the rank of lieutenant. Immediately after that, he begins to travel around, meeting different people and gaining new knowledge.

During this period, he manages to meet, Maxim Gorky and.

Kuprin's biography is interesting in that he immediately took all the impressions and experiences he received during his considerable travels as a basis for future works.

In 1905, the story "The Duel" was published, which received real recognition in society. In 1911, his most significant work "Garnet Bracelet" appeared, which made Kuprin truly famous.

It should be noted that it was easy for him to write not only serious literature, but also children's stories.

Emigration

One of the most important moments in Kuprin's life was the October Revolution. In a short biography, it is difficult to describe all the experiences of the writer associated with this time.

In short, we will only note that he flatly refused to accept the ideology of war communism and the terror associated with it. Assessing the current situation, Kuprin almost immediately decides to emigrate to.

In a foreign land, he continues to write stories and stories, as well as engage in translation activities. For Alexander Kuprin it was unthinkable to live without creativity, which is clearly visible throughout his biography.

Return to Russia

Over time, in addition to material difficulties, Kuprin increasingly begins to feel nostalgia for his homeland. He only succeeds in returning back to Russia after 17 years. At the same time he wrote his last work, which is called "Native Moscow".

The last years of life and death

The famous writer who returned to his homeland was beneficial to Soviet officials. They tried to create an image of a repentant writer who came from a foreign land to sing of a happy one.

On the return of Kuprin to the USSR, 1937, "Pravda"

However, in the memos of the competent authorities it is recorded that Kuprin is weak, sick, inoperative and practically unable to write anything.

By the way, this is precisely why information appeared that “Native Moscow” does not belong to Kuprin himself, but to the journalist NK Verzhbitsky assigned to him.

On August 25, 1938, Alexander Kuprin died of esophageal cancer. He was buried in Leningrad at the Volkovskoye cemetery, next to the great writer.

• When Kuprin was not yet famous, he managed to master many of the most diverse professions. He worked in a circus, was an artist, teacher, land surveyor and journalist. In total, he has mastered over 20 different professions.
• The first wife of the writer, Maria Karlovna, did not really like the disorder and disorganization in Kuprin's work. For example, when she found him sleeping at his workplace, she deprived him of his breakfast. And when he did not write the necessary chapters for some story, his wife refused to let him into the house. How can one fail to recall an American scientist who is under pressure from his wife!
• Kuprin loved to dress in the national Tatar outfit and walk the streets like that. On the maternal side, he had Tatar roots, which he was always proud of.
• Kuprin spoke personally with Lenin. He suggested that the leader create a newspaper for the villagers called "Earth".
• In 2014, the television series "Kuprin" was filmed, which tells about the life of the writer.
• According to the recollections of his contemporaries, Kuprin was truly a very kind and not indifferent person to other people's fates.
• Many settlements, streets and libraries are named after Kuprin.

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(August 26, old style) 1870 in the town of Narovchat, Penza province, in the family of a minor official. The father died when his son was in his second year.

In 1874, his mother, who came from an ancient family of Tatar princes Kulanchakov, moved to Moscow. From the age of five, due to the difficult financial situation, the boy was sent to the Moscow Razumovsky orphanage, famous for its harsh discipline.

In 1888, Alexander Kuprin graduated from the cadet corps, in 1890 - the Alexander military school with the rank of second lieutenant.

Upon graduation, he was enrolled in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment and sent to serve in the city of Proskurov (now Khmelnitsky, Ukraine).

In 1893, Kuprin went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of the General Staff, but was not allowed to take exams due to a scandal in Kiev, when in a restaurant-barge on the Dnieper, he threw a drunken bailiff who insulted a girl-waitress overboard.

In 1894 Kuprin left military service. He traveled a lot in the south of Russia and Ukraine, tried himself in various fields of activity: he was a loader, storekeeper, forest ranger, land surveyor, psalm reader, proofreader, estate manager and even a dentist.

The first story of the writer "The Last Debut" was published in 1889 in the Moscow "Russian Satirical Leaflet".

Army life is described by him in the stories of 1890-1900 "From the Distant Past" ("Inquiry"), "Lilac Bush", "Lodging", "Night Shift", "Army Warrant Officer", "Campaign".

Kuprin's early sketches were published in Kiev in the collections Kiev Types (1896) and Miniatures (1897). In 1896, the story "Moloch" was published, which brought wide popularity to the young author. This was followed by "The Night Shift" (1899) and a number of other stories.

During these years Kuprin met the writers Ivan Bunin, Anton Chekhov and Maxim Gorky.

In 1901 Kuprin settled in St. Petersburg. For some time he was in charge of the department of fiction of the "Journal for All", then became an employee of the magazine "Peace of God" and the publishing house "Knowledge", which published the first two volumes of Kuprin's works (1903, 1906).

Alexander Kuprin entered the history of Russian literature as the author of the stories and novels "Olesya" (1898), "Duel" (1905), "Pit" (1 part - 1909, 2 part - 1914-1915).

He is also known as a major storyteller. Among his works in this genre - "In the circus", "Swamp" (both 1902), "Coward", "Horse thieves" (both 1903), "Peaceful life", "Measles" (both 1904), "Staff-captain Rybnikov "(1906)," Gambrinus "," Emerald "(both 1907)," Shulamith "(1908)," Garnet Bracelet "(1911)," Listrigones "(1907-1911)," Black Lightning "and" Anathema "( both 1913).

In 1912 Kuprin made a trip to France and Italy, the impressions of which were reflected in the cycle of travel sketches "Cote d'Azur".

During this period, he actively mastered new, previously unknown types of activity - he went up in a hot air balloon, flew in an airplane (which almost ended tragically), went down under the water in a diving suit.

In 1917, Kuprin worked as editor of the newspaper Svobodnaya Rossiya, published by the Left Socialist Revolutionary Party. From 1918 to 1919, the writer worked for the World Literature publishing house, founded by Maxim Gorky.

After coming to Gatchina (St. Petersburg), where he lived since 1911, the White troops, he edited the newspaper "Prinevsky Krai", published by Yudenich's headquarters.

In the fall of 1919, he emigrated with his family abroad, where he spent 17 years, mainly in Paris.

During the emigre years Kuprin published several collections of prose "The Dome of St. Isaac of Dolmatsky", "Elan", "The Wheel of Time", the novels "Janet", "Juncker".

Living in exile, the writer lived in poverty, suffering both from lack of demand and from being cut off from his native soil.

In May 1937, Kuprin returned with his wife to Russia. By this time he was already seriously ill. Interviews with the writer and his journalistic essay "Moscow native" were published in Soviet newspapers.

On August 25, 1938, he died in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) from esophageal cancer. Buried at Literatorskie mostki Volkov cemetery.

Alexander Kuprin was married twice. In 1901, his first wife was Maria Davydova (Kuprina-Iordanskaya), the adopted daughter of the publisher of the magazine "Peace of God". Subsequently, she married the editor of the magazine "Modern World" (which replaced the "Peace of God"), publicist Nikolai Iordansky, and she herself worked in journalism. In 1960, her book of memoirs about Kuprin "The Years of Youth" was published.

Many literary critics believe that Alexander Kuprin never became a "great writer", but readers disagree with them - Kuprin remains one of the most widely read and republished Russian authors today. A man of difficult fate, he tried many professions: he was a fisherman, circus fighter, surveyor, firefighter, military man, fisherman, organ grinder, actor and even a dentist. We want to tell our readers about the main passions in the life of this wonderful writer.

Passion One - Maria Davydova

For the first time, Alexander Kuprin married his 20-year-old daughter at 32
famous publisher of the magazine "Peace of God" and the late director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory Masha Davydova. She was witty, bright, noisy and always claimed the first roles. Kuprin adored his young wife passionately, treated her literary taste with trepidation and always listened to her opinion. Maria, in turn, did everything possible to curb her husband's violent temper and make him a salon writer. But noisy taverns were closer to him.

Maria fought her husband's disorganization and restlessness with rather tough methods. Because of the spree, Kuprin could not finish writing his story "Duel", then his wife forced him to rent an apartment, escorting him out of the house. He could visit his wife and daughter only if he brought new pages of the manuscript. But somehow Kuprin brought the old chapter. Maria was offended by the deception and said that now she would take the pages of the manuscript only through the door ajar on a chain.

In May 1905, the story was finally published. This work brought Kuprin not only all-Russian, but also world fame. But the family did not become happier. The spouses sometimes dispersed, then converged, and as a result, they became strangers and peacefully parted.

Passion Two - Elizabeth Heinrich

Lisa Geynrikh was born in Orenburg in the family of the Hungarian Moritz Geynrikh Rotoni, who married a Siberian woman. For several years she lived in the Kuprin family and, for a fairly modest remuneration, helped with the housework and nursed their daughter. But Kuprin drew attention to her a few years later at a fashion party where the future famous actor Kachalov shone.

Kuprin confessed his love to Lisa, and in order not to destroy the family, she left the Kuprins' house and got a job at the hospital. However, this did not save the family, in which discord was already reigning. Kuprin left home and began to live at the Palais Royal Hotel, and then bought a house in Gatchina by installments, where he lived with Lisa for eight years full of serenity.

Elizaveta Moritsovna was modest, agreeable and, unlike Kuprin's first wife, did not pretend to be in the first roles. Vera Nikolaevna Muromtseva, the wife of Ivan Bunin, recalled an episode when her husband and Kuprin once dropped by for a short while at the Palais Royal, where they “found Elizaveta Moritsovna on the platform ... on the third floor. ) ". Throwing a few words to her, Kuprin and his guests went on a hike through the night brothels. This did not last an hour or two, and all this time the pregnant woman stood waiting on the landing.

Sometimes the Kuprins parted for a short time: Elizaveta Moritsovna, denying herself everything and carving out the necessary amount of money from the meager family budget, sent her faithful to the south to rest. Kuprin was driving alone - there was not enough money for his wife's vacation. True, having lived with Elizaveta Moritsovna for 22 years, he wrote to her: "There is no one better than you, no beast, no bird, no man!"

Passion three - alcohol

Kuprin certainly loved women, but he also had a truly pernicious passion - alcohol. He was already a famous writer, and newspapers were full of stories about his drunken antics: the writer poured hot coffee on someone, threw it out of the window, threw it into the pool with sterlet, stuck a fork in someone's stomach, painted his head with oil paint, set fire to a dress, drank in a restaurant, inviting the entire male choir of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra; then he disappeared with the gypsies for three days, and then he brought home a drunken priest-defrocked.

Those who knew Kurin said that one glass of vodka was enough for him to run into a quarrel with everyone he met. There were even epigrams about Kuprin: “If the truth is in wine, how many truths are in Kuprin” and “Vodka is uncorked, splashes in a decanter. Shouldn't I call Kuprin for this reason "

Once upon a time, his 4-year-old daughter from her first marriage read a poem of her own composition to the guests:
I have a father,
I have a mother.
Dad drinks a lot of vodka
Mom beats him for this ...

And Ksenia Kuprina, his daughter from his second marriage, as an adult, recalled: “My father traveled to St. Petersburg regularly, but sometimes he got stuck there for weeks, falling under the influence of literary and artistic bohemia. Mother selflessly fought with the bad environment of her father, protected his peace, pulled out of bad companies, drove out of the house some literary "bugs". But too many powerful contradictory vital forces wandered then in the father. Even a small amount of alcohol turned the kindest Kuprin into a violent, mischievous person with violent outbursts of anger. "

Fourth passion - Russia

In 1920, after the end of the First World War and the defeat of the Whites in the Civil War, Kuprin left Russia. He lived in France for 20 years, but was never able to adapt in a foreign country. The financial situation of the spouses was very difficult. The earnings of Kuprin himself were of an accidental nature, and the commercial enterprises of Elizaveta Moritsovna did not work out. She translated Kuprin's famous works into French, and it was more and more difficult for him to write new ones. He was constantly oppressed by the longing for Russia. The only major work written in emigration is the novel "Juncker", in which "an awkward, sweet country" appears before us so bright, cleansed of all that is not important, secondary ...

Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich is one of the most prominent figures in Russian literature of the 1st half of the 20th century. He is the author of such famous works as "Olesya", "Pomegranate Bracelet", "Molokh", "Duel", "Juncker", "Cadets" and others. Alexander Ivanovich an unusual, dignified life. Fate was sometimes harsh on him. Both Alexander Kuprin's childhood and adulthood are marked by instability in various spheres of life. He had to fight alone for material independence, fame, recognition and the right to be called a writer. Kuprin went through many hardships. His childhood and youth were especially difficult. We will talk about all this in detail.

The origin of the future writer

Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich was born in 1870. His hometown is Narovchat. Today it is located in the House where Kuprin was born, currently it is a museum (his photo is presented below). Kuprin's parents were not wealthy. Ivan Ivanovich, the father of the future writer, belonged to the family of impoverished nobles. He served as a minor official and drank frequently. When Alexander was only two years old, Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin died of cholera. Thus, the childhood of the future writer passed without a father. His only support was his mother, which is worth talking about separately.

Mother of Alexander Kuprin

Lyubov Alekseevna Kuprina (nee - Kulunchakova), the boy's mother, was forced to settle in the Widow's House in Moscow. It is from here that the first memories flowed, which Ivan Kuprin shared with us. His childhood is largely associated with the image of his mother. She played the role of a supreme being in the boy's life, was the whole world for the future writer. Alexander Ivanovich recalled that this woman was strong-willed, strong, strict, similar to an eastern princess (the Kulunchakovs belonged to the old family of Tatar princes). Even in the squalid environment of the Widows House, she remained that way. During the day, Lyubov Alekseevna was strict, but in the evening she turned into a mysterious witch and told her son fairy tales, which she altered in her own way. Kuprin listened to these interesting stories with pleasure. His childhood, very harsh, was brightened up by fairy tales about distant countries and unknown creatures. While still Ivanovich faced a sad reality. However, difficulties did not prevent such a talented person as Kuprin from realizing as a writer.

Childhood in the Widows House

Alexander Kuprin's childhood passed away from the comfort of noble estates, dinner parties, his father's libraries, where one could sneak up on the sly at night, Christmas gifts, which are so delightful to look for under the tree at dawn. But he knew well the dullness of the orphan's rooms, the meager gifts given out on holidays, the smell of government clothes and the cracks from the teachers, which they did not skimp on. Undoubtedly, early childhood left an imprint on his personality; his later years were marked by new difficulties. It should be briefly told about them.

Kuprin's military drill childhood

For the children of his position, there were not many options for their future fate. One of them is a military career. Lyubov Alekseevna, taking care of her child, decided to make a military man out of her son. Alexander Ivanovich soon had to part with his mother. A dull military drill began in his life, which continued Kuprin's childhood. His biography of this time is marked by the fact that he spent several years in state institutions of the city of Moscow. First there was the Razumovsky Orphanage, after a while - the Moscow Cadet Corps, and then the Alexander Military School. Kuprin hated each of these temporary havens in his own way. Equally strongly, the future writer was irritated by the stupidity of the bosses, the state environment, spoiled peers, the closeness of educators and teachers, the "cult of the fist", the same form and public flogging.

That was such a difficult childhood for Kuprin. It is important for children to have a loved one, and in this sense, Alexander Ivanovich was lucky - he was supported by a loving mother. She died in 1910.

Kuprin goes to Kiev

Kuprin Alexander, after graduating from college, spent another 4 years in military service. He retired at the earliest opportunity (in 1894). Lieutenant Kuprin permanently removed his military uniform. He decided to move to Kiev.

The big city became a real test for the future writer. Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich spent his whole life in state institutions, so he was not adapted to an independent life. On this occasion, he later sarcastically that in Kiev it was like a "schoolgirl-Smolyanka" who was brought into the forest at night and left without a compass, food and clothing. It was not easy at this time for such a great writer as Alexander Kuprin. Interesting facts about him during his stay in Kiev are connected with what Alexander had to do in order to earn his living.

How Kuprin made his living

In order to survive, Alexander took up almost any business. In a short time he tried himself as a makhorka seller, a construction superintendent, a carpenter, an office worker, a factory worker, a blacksmith's assistant, a psalm reader. At one time, Alexander Ivanovich even seriously thought about leaving for a monastery. Kuprin's difficult childhood, briefly described above, probably forever left a mark on the soul of the future writer, who from a young age had to face harsh reality. Therefore, his desire to retire to a monastery is understandable. However, Alexander Ivanovich had a different fate. He soon found himself in the literary field.

An important literary and life experience was the service of a reporter in Kiev newspapers. Alexander Ivanovich wrote about everything - about politics, murders, social and social problems. He also had to fill out entertaining columns, write cheap melodramatic stories, which, by the way, enjoyed considerable success with the unsophisticated reader.

The first serious works

From the pen of Kuprin, little by little, serious works began to appear. The story "Inquiry" (its other name is "From the Distant Past") was published in 1894. Then the collection "Kiev types" appeared, in which Alexander Kuprin put his essays. His work of this period is marked by many other works. After a while, a collection of stories called "Miniatures" was published. The story "Moloch", published in 1996, made a name for the aspiring writer. His fame was strengthened by the following works "Olesya" and "Cadets".

Moving to St. Petersburg

In this city, a new, bright life began for Alexander Ivanovich with many meetings, acquaintances, revelry and creative achievements. Contemporaries recalled that Kuprin loved to take a good walk. In particular, Andrei Sedykh, a Russian writer, noted that in his youth he lived violently, was often drunk and at this time became terrible. Alexander Ivanovich could do reckless things and sometimes even cruel ones. And Nadezhda Teffi, a writer, recalls that he was a very difficult person, by no means a kind-hearted and simpleton, as he might seem at first glance.

Kuprin explained that creative activity took away a lot of energy and strength from him. For every success, as well as for failure, one had to pay with health, nerves, and one's own soul. But evil tongues saw only unsightly tinsel, and then there were invariably rumors that Alexander Ivanovich was a reveler, a rowdy and a drunkard.

New works

No matter how Kuprin splashed out his ardor, he always returned to his desk after another booze. During the turbulent period of his life in St. Petersburg, Alexander Ivanovich wrote his cult story "The Duel". His stories "Swamp", "Shulamith", "Headquarters-Captain Rybnikov", "River of Life", "Gambrinus" belong to the same period. After a while, already in Odessa, he completed the "Garnet Bracelet", and also began to create the Listrigones cycle.

Kuprin's personal life

In the capital, he met his first wife, Maria Davydova Karlovna. From her Kuprin had a daughter, Lydia. Maria Davydova presented the world with a book called "The Years of Youth". After a while, their marriage broke up. Alexander Kuprin married Geynrikh Elizaveta Moritsovna 5 years later. He lived with this woman until his death. Kuprin has two daughters from his second marriage. The first is Zinaida, who died early from pneumonia. The second daughter, Ksenia, became a famous Soviet actress and model.

Moving to Gatchina

Kuprin, tired of the tense life in the capital, left Petersburg in 1911. He moved to Gatchina (a small town located 8 km from the capital). Here, in his "green" house, he settled with his family. In Gatchina, everything is conducive to creativity - the silence of a summer cottage, a shady garden with poplars, a spacious terrace. This city today is closely associated with the name of Kuprin. There is a library and a street named after him, as well as a monument dedicated to him.

Emigration to Paris

However, sedate happiness came to an end in 1919. First, Kuprin was mobilized into the army on the side of the whites, and a year later the whole family emigrated to Paris. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin will return to his homeland only after 18 years, already in old age.

At different times, the reasons for the writer's emigration were interpreted in different ways. According to Soviet biographers, he was almost forcibly taken out by the White Guards and for all subsequent long years, until his return, languished in a foreign land. The ill-wishers sought to prick him, portraying him as a traitor who had traded his homeland and talent for foreign benefits.

Homecoming and the death of a writer

If you believe the numerous memoirs, letters, diaries that became available to the public a little later, then Kuprin objectively did not accept the revolution and the established power. He called her familiarly "scoop."

When he returned to his homeland already a broken old man, he was taken through the streets to demonstrate the achievements of the USSR. Alexander Ivanovich said that the Bolsheviks are wonderful people. One thing is not clear - where did they get so much money from.

Nevertheless, Kuprin did not regret returning to his homeland. For him, Paris was a beautiful city, but a stranger. Kuprin died on August 25, 1938. He died of esophageal cancer. The next day, a crowd of thousands surrounded the Writers' House in St. Petersburg. Famous colleagues of Alexander Ivanovich and loyal admirers of his work also came. They all gathered in order to send Kuprin on his last journey.

The childhood of the writer A.I. Kuprin, in contrast to the young years of many other literary figures of that time, was very difficult. However, in many respects it was thanks to all these difficulties experienced that he found himself in creativity. Kuprin, whose childhood and youth were spent in poverty, acquired both material prosperity and fame. Today we get acquainted with his work in school years.

A bright representative of realism, a charismatic personality and simply a famous Russian writer of the early 20th century - Alexander Kuprin. His biography is eventful, quite heavy and overflowing with an ocean of emotions, thanks to which the world has known his best creations. "Moloch", "Duel", "Pomegranate Bracelet" and many other works that have replenished the golden fund of world art.

The beginning of the way

Born on September 7, 1870 in the small town of Narovchat, Penza District. His father is a civil servant Ivan Kuprin, whose biography is very short, since he died when Sasha was only 2 years old. After which he stayed with his mother Lyubov Kuprina, who was a Tatar of princely blood. They suffered hunger, humiliation and deprivation, so his mother made the difficult decision to send Sasha to the department for young orphans at the Alexander Military School in 1876. A graduate of the military school, Alexander, graduated from it in the second half of the 80s.

In the early 90s, after graduating from a military school, he became an employee of the Dneprovsky infantry regiment No. 46. A successful military career remained in dreams, as Kuprin's alarming biography full of events and emotions tells. The summary of the biography says that Alexander did not manage to enter a higher military educational institution due to a scandal. And all because of his hot temper, under the influence of alcohol, he threw a police officer from the bridge into the water. Having reached the rank of lieutenant, in 1895 he retired.

Writer's temperament

A personality with incredibly bright colors, greedily absorbing impressions, a wanderer. He tried many crafts on himself: from laborer to dental technician. A very emotional and extraordinary person - Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, whose biography is full of bright events, which became the basis of many of his masterpieces.

His life was rather stormy, there were many rumors about him. An explosive temperament, excellent physical shape, he was drawn to try himself, which gave him invaluable life experience and strengthened his spirit. He was constantly striving towards adventure: he dived under water in special equipment, flew on an airplane (almost died due to a disaster), was the founder of a sports society, etc. During the war years, together with his wife, he equipped an infirmary in his own house.

He loved to get to know a person, his character and communicated with people of a wide variety of professions: specialists with a higher technical education, itinerant musicians, fishermen, card players, the poor, clergymen, entrepreneurs, etc. And in order to get to know a person better, to feel his life for himself, he was ready for the craziest adventure. A researcher whose spirit of adventurism simply went off scale is Alexander Kuprin, the biography of the writer only confirms this fact.

With great pleasure he worked as a journalist in many editorial offices, published articles, reports in periodicals. He often went on business trips, lived in the Moscow region, then in Ryazan, as well as in the Crimea (Balaklava district) and in the city of Gatchina, Leningrad region.

Revolutionary activity

He was not satisfied with the then social order and the prevailing injustice, and therefore, as a strong personality, he wanted to somehow change the situation. However, despite his revolutionary sentiments, the writer had a negative attitude towards the October coup led by representatives of the Social Democrats (Bolsheviks). Vivid, eventful and full of various difficulties - this is Kuprin's Biography. Interesting facts from the biography say that Alexander Ivanovich nevertheless collaborated with the Bolsheviks and even wanted to publish a peasant edition called "Land", and therefore often saw the head of the Bolshevik government, V. I. Lenin. But soon he suddenly went over to the side of the "whites" (anti-Bolshevik movement). After they were defeated, Kuprin moved to Finland, and then to France, namely to its capital, where he stayed for a while.

In 1937 he took an active part in the press of the anti-Bolshevik movement, while continuing to write his works. Restless, filled with the struggle for justice and emotions, this was exactly the biography of Kuprin. The summary of the biography says that in the period from 1929 to 1933 such famous novels were written: "The Wheel of Time", "Juncker", "Janet", and also many articles and stories were published. Emigration had a negative effect on the writer, he was unclaimed, suffered hardships and missed his native land. In the second half of the 30s, believing the propaganda in the Soviet Union, he and his wife returned to Russia. The return was overshadowed by the fact that Alexander Ivanovich suffered from a very serious illness.

People's life through the eyes of Kuprin

Kuprin's literary activity is imbued with the classic manner of compassion for Russian writers for the people who are forced to live in poverty in a wretched environment of life. A strong-willed person with a strong desire for justice - Alexander Kuprin, whose biography says that he expressed his sympathy in creativity. For example, the novel "The Pit", written at the beginning of the 20th century, which tells about the hard life of a prostitute. And also the images of intellectuals suffering from hardships that they have to endure.

His favorite characters are just that - reflective, a little hysterical and very sentimental. For example, the story "Moloch", where the representative of such an image is Bobrov (engineer) - a very sensitive character, compassionate and worried about ordinary factory workers who work hard while the rich ride like cheese in butter with other people's money. Representatives of such images in the story "Duel" are Romashov and Nazansky, who are endowed with great physical strength, as opposed to a quivering and sensitive soul. Romashov was very annoyed by military activities, namely, vulgar officers and downtrodden soldiers. Probably no other writer condemned the military environment as much as Alexander Kuprin.

The writer was not one of the tearful, popular-worshiping writers, although his work was often approved by the famous critic-populist N.K. Mikhailovsky. His democratic attitude towards his characters was expressed not only in the description of their hard life. Alexander Kuprin's people from the people not only had a quivering soul, but he was strong-willed and could give a worthy rebuff at the right moment. The life of the people in Kuprin's work is a free, spontaneous and natural flow, and the characters have not only troubles and sorrows, but also joy and consolation (Listrigone series of stories). A man with a vulnerable soul and a realist is Kuprin, whose biography according to the dates says that this work took place in the period from 1907 to 1911.

His realism was also expressed in the fact that the author described not only the good features of his characters, but also did not hesitate to show their dark side (aggression, cruelty, rage). A striking example is the story "Gambrinus", where Kuprin described the Jewish pogrom in great detail. This work was written in 1907.

Perception of life through creativity

Kuprin is an idealist and romantic, which is reflected in his work: heroic deeds, sincerity, love, compassion, kindness. Most of his characters are emotional people, those who have fallen out of the ordinary rut of life, they are in search of truth, freer and more complete existence, something beautiful ...

The feeling of love, the fullness of life, this is what Kuprin's biography is saturated with, interesting facts from which indicate that no one else could write about feelings as poetically. This is clearly reflected in the story "Garnet Bracelet", written in 1911. It is in this work that Alexander Ivanovich exalts true, pure, free, ideal love. He very accurately depicted the characters of various strata of society, described in detail and in all details the environment surrounding his characters, their way of life. It was for his sincerity that he often received reprimands from critics. Naturalism and aesthetics are the main features of Kuprin's work.

His stories about animals "Watchdog and Zhulka", "Emerald" deserve a place in the fund of world art of speech. A short biography of Kuprin says that he is one of the few writers who could feel the flow of natural, real life in such a way and so successfully reflect it in their works. A striking embodiment of this quality is the story "Olesya", written in 1898, where he describes a deviation from the ideal of natural life.

Such an organic perception of the world, healthy optimism are the main distinguishing properties of his work, in which lyrics and romance harmoniously merge, the proportionality of the plot and compositional center, the drama of actions and truth.

Master of Literary Art

The virtuoso of the word is Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, whose biography says that he could very accurately and beautifully describe the landscape in a literary work. His external, visual and, one might say, olfactory perception of the world was simply excellent. I.A. Bunin and A.I. Kuprin often competed to determine the smell of different situations and phenomena in his masterpieces and not only ... In addition, the writer could display the true image of his characters very carefully to the smallest detail: appearance, disposition, communication style, etc. He found complexity and depth, even describing animals, and all because he loved to write on this topic.

A passionate life-lover, naturalist and realist, this was exactly what Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was. The short biography of the writer says that all his stories are based on real events, and therefore are unique: natural, vivid, without obsessive speculative constructions. He pondered the meaning of life, described true love, talked about hatred, volitional and heroic deeds. Emotions such as disappointment, despair, struggle with oneself, strengths and weaknesses of a person became the main ones in his works. These manifestations of existentialism were typical of his work and reflected the complex inner world of man at the turn of the century.

Transitional writer

He really is a representative of a transitional stage, which, undoubtedly, was reflected in his work. A striking type of the “off-road” era is Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, whose short biography says that this time left an imprint on his psyche, and, accordingly, on the works of the author. His characters are in many ways reminiscent of the heroes of A.P. Chekhov, the only difference is that Kuprin's images are not so pessimistic. For example, technologist Bobrov from the story "Molokh", Kashintsev from "Zhidovka" and Serdyukov from the story "Swamp". The main characters of Chekhov are sensitive, conscientious, but at the same time broken, exhausted people who are lost in themselves and are disappointed in life. They are shocked by aggression, they are very compassionate, but they can no longer fight. Realizing their helplessness, they perceive the world only through the prism of cruelty, injustice and meaninglessness.

A short biography of Kuprin confirms that, despite the writer's gentleness and sensitivity, he was a strong-willed person who loves life, and therefore his characters are somewhat similar to him. They have a strong thirst for life, which they grasp very tightly and do not let go. They listen to both the heart and the mind. For example, drug addict Bobrov, who decided to kill himself, listened to the voice of reason and realized that he loved life too much to end everything once and for all. The same thirst for life lived in Serdyukov (a student from the work "Swamp"), who was very sympathetic to the forester and his family, who were dying of an infectious disease. He spent the night at their house and in this short time almost went crazy with pain, worries and compassion. And with the onset of morning, he seeks to quickly get out of this nightmare in order to see the sun. He seemed to run out of there in a fog, and when he finally ran up the hill, he just choked with an unexpected surge of happiness.

A passionate life-lover is Alexander Kuprin, whose biography says that the writer was very fond of happy endings. The end of the story sounds symbolic and solemn. It says that the fog was spreading at the guy's feet, about the clear blue sky, about the whisper of green branches, about the golden sun, whose rays "rang with jubilant triumph of victory." Which sounds like the victory of life over death.

Exaltation of life in the story "Duel"

This work is the true apotheosis of life. Kuprin, whose short biography and work are closely related, described in this story the cult of personality. The main characters (Nazansky and Romashev) are vivid representatives of individualism, they declared that the whole world will perish when they are gone. They sacredly believed in their beliefs, but were too weak in spirit to bring their idea to life. It is this disparity between the exaltation of their own personalities and the weakness of its owners that the author has caught.

A master of his craft, an excellent psychologist and realist, the writer Kuprin possessed just such qualities. The author's biography says that he wrote "The Duel" at a time when he was at the height of his fame. It was in this masterpiece that the best qualities of Alexander Ivanovich were combined: an excellent writer of everyday life, a psychologist and a lyricist. The military theme was close to the author, given his past, and therefore no effort was required to develop it. The bright general background of the work does not overshadow the expressiveness of its main characters. Each character is incredibly interesting and is a link in the same chain, while not losing their individuality.

Kuprin, whose biography says that the story appeared during the years of the Russian-Japanese conflict, criticized the military environment to smithereens. The work describes the life of war, psychology, reflects the pre-revolutionary life of Russians.

In the story, as in life, an atmosphere of numbness and impoverishment, sadness and routine reigns. Feeling of absurdity, disorder and incomprehensibility of being. It was these feelings that overpowered Romashev and were familiar to the inhabitants of pre-revolutionary Russia. In order to drown out the ideological "impassability", Kuprin described in the "Duel" the licentious nature of the officers, their unfair and cruel attitude towards each other. And of course, the main vice of the military is alcoholism, which flourished among the Russian people.

Characters (edit)

You don't even need to draw up a plan for Kuprin's biography to understand that he is spiritually close to his heroes. These are very emotional, broken-down individuals who are compassionate, indignant because of the injustice and cruelty of life, but they cannot fix anything.

After the "Duel" there is a work called "The River of Life". In this story, completely different moods reign, many liberation processes have taken place. He is the embodiment of the finale of the drama of the intelligentsia, which the writer narrates. Kuprin, whose work and biography are closely connected, does not betray himself, the main character is still a kind, sensitive intellectual. He is a representative of individualism, no, he is not indifferent, throwing himself into the whirlwind of events, realizes that a new life is not for him. And glorifying the joy of being, he nevertheless decides to leave life, since he believes that he does not deserve it, which he writes about in his suicide note to his comrade.

The theme of love and nature are those areas in which the optimistic mood of the writer is clearly expressed. Such a feeling as love, Kuprin considered a mysterious gift that is sent only to the elect. This attitude is reflected in the novel "The Pomegranate Bracelet", which is only Nazansky's passionate speech or Romashev's dramatic relationship with Shura. And Kuprin's stories about nature are simply mesmerizing, at first they may seem overly detailed and ornate, but then this multicolor begins to delight, as the realization comes that these are not standard turns of speech, but personal observations of the author. It becomes clear how he was captured by the process, how he absorbed the impressions that he later reflected in his work, and this is simply enchanting.

Kuprin's skill

A virtuoso of the pen, a man with excellent intuition and an ardent lover of life, this was exactly what Alexander Kuprin was. A short biography tells that he was an incredibly deep, harmonious and internally filled person. He subconsciously felt the secret meaning of things, could connect the reasons and understand the consequences. As an excellent psychologist, he had the ability to highlight the main thing in the text, which is why his works seemed ideal, from which nothing can be removed or added. These qualities are displayed in the "Evening Guest", "River of Life", "Duel".

Alexander Ivanovich did not add anything special to the sphere of literary techniques. However, in the later works of the author, such as "The River of Life", "Head-Captain Rybnikov" there is a sharp change in the direction of art, he is clearly drawn to impressionism. The stories become more dramatic and concise. Kuprin, whose biography is full of events, later again returns to realism. This refers to the novel-chronicle "The Pit", in which he describes the life of brothels, he does it in the usual manner, still natural and not hiding anything. Because of this, it periodically receives condemnation from critics. However, this did not stop him. He did not strive for the new, but he tried to improve and develop the old.

Outcomes

Biography of Kuprin (briefly about the main thing):

• Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich was born on September 7, 1870 in the town of Narovchat, Penza district in Russia.
• He died on August 25, 1938 at the age of 67 in St. Petersburg.
• The writer lived at the turn of the century, which was invariably reflected in his work. Survived the October Revolution.
• The direction of art is realism and impressionism. The main genres are the short story and the story.
• Since 1902 he was married to Maria Karlovna Davydova. And since 1907 - with Heinrich Elizaveta Moritsovna.
• Father - Kuprin Ivan Ivanovich. Mother - Lyubov Alekseevna Kuprina.
• He had two daughters - Xenia and Lydia.

The best sense of smell in Russia

Alexander Ivanovich was visiting Fyodor Chaliapin, who called him the most sensitive nose of Russia when visiting. The evening was attended by a perfumer from France, who decided to check it out, inviting Kuprin to name the main components of his new development. To the great surprise of everyone present, he coped with the task.

In addition, Kuprin had a strange habit: when meeting or meeting, he sniffed people. Many were offended by this, and some were delighted, they argued that thanks to this gift, he recognizes the nature of a person. Kuprin's only competitor was I. Bunin, they often organized competitions.

Tatar roots

Kuprin, like a real Tatar, was very hot-tempered, emotional and very proud of his origin. His mother is from a clan of Tatar princes. Alexander Ivanovich often dressed in Tatar attire: a robe and a colored skullcap. In this form, he loved to visit his friends, relax in restaurants. Moreover, in this vestment, he sat like a real khan and screwed up his eyes for greater resemblance.

Universal man

Alexander Ivanovich changed a large number of professions before he found his true calling. He tried his hand at boxing, teaching, fishing and acting. He worked in a circus as a wrestler, land surveyor, pilot, traveling musician, etc. Moreover, his main goal was not money, but invaluable life experience. Alexander Ivanovich stated that he would like to become an animal, a plant or a pregnant woman in order to experience all the delights of childbirth.

The beginning of writing

He received his first writing experience while still at a military school. It was the story "The Last Debut", the work was rather primitive, but nevertheless he decided to send it to the newspaper. This was reported to the leadership of the school, and Alexander was punished (two days in a punishment cell). He made a promise to himself never to write again. However, he did not keep his word, as he met the writer I. Bunin, who asked him to write a short story. Kuprin was broke at that time, and therefore agreed and bought himself groceries and shoes with the money he earned. It was this event that pushed him to serious work.

This is how he is, the famous writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, a strong physically man with a gentle and vulnerable soul and his own quirks. A great cheerleader and experimenter, compassionate and has a great desire for justice. Naturalist and realist Kuprin left behind a legacy of a large number of magnificent works that deserve the title of masterpieces.