N.I. Novikov
Drone
Weekly edition for 1769 the month of May
They work, and you eat their work.
G. Sumar. in parable XLIII, book I.
Reproduced from the publication: N.I. Novikov. Selected Works. M .; L. 1951. Electronic publication - RVB , 2005.
FOREWORD
Gentlemen, readers! No matter how much you think, however, you will surely not guess the intention with which I am issuing this magazine, if I do not tell you about it myself. However, this is not a secret either. Gentlemen, readers, you are modest people, so I can rely on you for that without any fear. Listen, it's about my weakness: I know that laziness is not considered to be one of the last vices; I know that she is an implacable enemy of hard work; I know that it makes a person incapable of public benefit and its participation; that a person with this vice is not worthy of condolences; but with all that I can not overcome it in any way. This vice has taken possession of me so much that I can’t get down to business for any reason, and for that I am losing a lot. V holidays It is considered a necessity to go to the big boyars to bow down: for those who do this find their happiness much sooner; but laziness does not allow me to do this. I find reading books very useful; but laziness does not allow this to be done. It is necessary to enlighten the mind with sciences and knowledge; but laziness hinders: in a word, I have become an eternal slave of contempt worthy of laziness, and in this I can equal with the most powerful gishpans. I often sit at home for a whole week. In order only to be too lazy to get dressed. I have no correspondence with anyone because laziness does not allow. Out of laziness, I have not yet chosen any service at this time: for any service is not similar to my inclination. The military one seems to me to be very restless and oppressive to humanity: it is needed, and one cannot do without it; she is respectable; but she is not according to my inclinations. The order is troublesome, you have to remember by heart all the laws and decrees, and without that you will get into trouble for a wrong decision. One should know all the tricks used in business, so as not to be deceived by someone, and to have an eye for such people who most often and most firmly say: "Give me a job"; and this is very difficult. And although she is still much more profitable to this day, but, nevertheless, she is not according to my inclinations. The courtier of all is calmer and would be easier than all, if it was not necessary to know by heart the science of pretense to a much higher degree than how much an actor should know it: he pretends to enter different passions temporarily; but this one does the same incessantly; and that's what I can't stand. The courtier flatters everyone, says not what he thinks, seems to everyone to be kind and condescending, although he is extremely inflated with pride. He encourages everyone, and then forgets; promises to everyone, and keeps his word to no one; has no true friends, but flatterers; and he himself also flatters and pleases random people. Seems to be a hunter of what he loathes. He praises with a smile when he is internally tormented by envy. In case of need, he spares no one, sacrifices everything for the pursuit of his own happiness; and sometimes, completely, does not humanity forget too! He does nothing, but shows that he is burdened with deeds: in a word, he speaks and does almost always against his will; and often against common sense. This service is brilliant, but very slippery and soon fades; in short, and it is not according to my inclinations. Reasoning in this way, to this time I have not yet made the correct conclusion that whether these services are truly such, or laziness, preventing me from entering any of them, makes me think incorrectly about them: of them do not join. Why am I needed in society? To live without benefit in the light, to burden only the earth, said the glorious Russian poet. Taking this into consideration, I wondered for a long time how I could render even the slightest service to my fatherland. Sometimes I thought to serve some useful composition: but my upbringing and my spiritual talents put insurmountable obstacles to this. Finally, it came to my mind that, at least by publishing other people's works, to benefit my fellow citizens. And so intend to publish this year a weekly essay under the title "Drone", which is in accordance with my vice and intention: for I myself, apart from this preface, will write very little; but I will publish all letters, essays and translations sent to me, in prose and in verse; but especially satirical, critical and others, but serving the correction of morals: for such compositions are of great benefit to the correction of morals; and this is my intention. Why, for the sake of all readers, I ask you to help me by sending your works, which will all be published (Excluding those that will be against God, government, decency and sound reasoning. I hope that there will be none: for against the first two in our time, no one is will not write who even has a spark of an idea; against the last two, no doubt, decency will forbid writing.) in my sheets. You can send your essays to the binder, who will sell these sheets, with the inscription: "To the publisher" Drone. " so that it will be useful at least once. Farewell, readers, I will not speak to you for a long time because I am extremely tired.SHEET XXI. SEPTEMBER 15 DAYS
G. publisher! I don’t know why many people had a prejudice that Russians couldn’t do anything as well as foreigners. I saw how many, otherwise reasonable, people, considering different things made by Russian masters, blasphemed them just because they were not made by foreign masters. And those who do not know and foreign things, when they tell them on purpose that they are Russians, without any knowledge, only by prejudice alone, or even by hearsay they blaspheme. The other day this happened, and I am informing you of this for publication; let everyone see to what stupidity sometimes addiction drives us. A friend of mine had to sew a dress; we advised him that he should take the cloth of the Yamburg factory for that dress, assuring him that those cloths are in no way inferior to the Aglinsky cloths in kindness and in flowers, not to say that they are cheaper than the Aglinsky cloth: but he didn’t want to listen to that, so that the Russians the cloth was equal in kindness to that of Aglinsky. He was not very healthy at that time, and for this he asked me to go to the seating yard and take samples of Aglinsky cloth for him. I went, and as this prejudice always seemed ridiculous to me, I wanted to assure my friend of his injustice. I took samples of Aglinsky cloths and Yamburg cloths and, putting them in one piece of paper, showed my friend, saying that these were Aglinsky cloths; he chose the Yamburg cloth and, admiring their kindness, joked at me, saying that he would buy Yamburg cloth then when they were as kind as the Aglinsky cloth. They sent for a very skillful tailor, showed him samples. I told him on the sly that there were some Aglinsky, and others Yamburgsky, so that he would choose Aglinsky from them. The tailor, examining the white and fawn yamburg cloth, said that they were Aglinsky. I rejoiced inwardly at their mistake, and after that, taking the Yamburg cloth, they gave it to the tailor. The tailor brought the dress two days later; my friend put it on and was very pleased. Finally I announced his mistake; The tailor said that these cloths were kindly so close to each other that it was almost impossible to distinguish, but my friend did not want to believe that. I gave him extra money: for the Yamburgs are on sale for 3 rubles. 75 kopecks each, and the aglinsky of the same kindness for 5 rubles. My friend finally agreed to believe, but then said: "Although the Yamburg cloths are good, they don't rush so much." G. publisher! how many are our brothers who judge things by hearsay. It would be desirable that this prejudice be eradicated and that our Russian artists and artisans were approved and equal in everything with foreign ones, of which we have already seen enough examples. Your servant **.SHEET XXXI. NOVEMBER 24 DAYS
G. publisher! Why are you angry with us, that for four whole weeks we have not seen a single sheet. If you are angry with whom, what are the others to blame? and for which we are unreasonably deprived of the pleasure of reading your sheets. Please break your silence and start publishing your magazine as before, you will please many people, especially me.G. publishers obedient servant
Impartial reader.
G. Impartial reader, I confess that I am wrong in front of you and did not keep my words to publish sheets every week: but I am not entirely to blame for that. I would gladly tell you the reasons that forced me to do this, but in order to avoid trouble, I keep silent about it; for your pleasure, the pages are still being published: however, it is very flattering for me to hear that an impartial reader would like my publication and bring pleasure.DRONE
Weekly edition for 1770
Dangerous instruction is strict,
Where there are many atrocities and madness.
Prov. G. Sumar.
SHEET I. JANUARY 5 DAYS
NEW YEAR NEW HAPPINESS
An old proverb, but to this day everyone has it in their language. All seek happiness, rare find, and others lament. Everyone imagines him in a special way. Zhidomor is looking for it in great wealth, Lush in splendor, Proud in the servility of his subordinates, In love with his mistress, and so on: I will tell my readers a few examples. Prost has been brought up badly, but nature has endowed him with a hefty concept. V young years he read many romance novels and stuffed his head with them. He is simply in love and thinks that he is the happiest man of all mortals, if his mistress is burning with a similar flame to him. Every caress, a pleasant look, admires him: in a word, Prost puts all happiness in his mistress. This happiness cannot last long, and Prost, of course, is deceived. Today's love is very far from the love of our ancestors. Many women of our age do not consider it a crime to love one and deceive six and say that true love requires faith from a lover, or blind trust, that is, to see and be blind. Fashionable lovers do just that: they pretend to believe in everything their mistresses, even though they think the opposite. They sometimes allow themselves, like skillful ministers, to deceive in order to be better able to learn the circumstances. Where the foundation of these rules came from, I do not know, but I only know that from such incidents it has become a habit to say that women are much more cunning than men. I leave it to my gentlemen readers to decide whether he is more cunning who thinks that he is deceiving and is deceiving, or he who allows himself to be deceived and deceived; but only then I will say that Prost will not be happy in the city, let him seek his happiness in dwellings far from the cities. Zhidomor came from noble blood, and has blood in itself a thousand times more vile than all vile peasants, according to some. He was a judge in a certain wealth order at a time when robberies and bribes were considered gifts; consequently, by ruining many, he had amassed a contented estate and would have multiplied it, just as the groan of the poor and helpless people, even more, if the truth shining throughout the vast Russia on the throne had not vomited this idler from the place determined by justice; he was removed from it: but he still found a way to oppress his fellow citizens. He began to lend money illegally earned by him and collect illegal interest, supplying his happiness in the multiplication of wealth, despite the fact that he had no immediate heirs and that he himself did not live a tenth of the interest received annually. In a word, daily applying lawlessness to lawlessness, he often complains about the government for the fact that it is forbidden to take interest above the indicated ones. Zhidomor found happiness, but lawlessly; therefore, any honest person will not envy him. Lush has great wealth, but uses it very poorly. Instead of helping the poor and other Christian commandments that require fulfillment, he buys a lot of expensive carriages every year, has a lot of horses, lackeys, carriages, and so on. He has a daily table for 40 devices, and 15 people sit at the table. He is splendid with everything he has, dissatisfied: he believes his happiness in what he cannot have. The unallowed and impossible desire is rarely fulfilled! Lush to make himself more splendid would like to have the wealth of the whole world. He cannot have this happiness; and I wish him that he learned to use what he has, he would, of course, be happy. The hustler, by unauthorized means, made a contented estate with farms and contracts. Dying for a penny, every day he multiplies his acquisitions: but, moreover, he sighs every minute and says that he is unhappy, that his children will remain very little, that he is offended and that all the idlers are happy, but he is the only one unhappy. The hustler cannot be happy because he, having happiness in his hands, does not know how to use it. But is it possible to count all desires! everyone desires happiness according to their inclinations. More than half of them want what they can never get; they won't be happy. Only those who are happy with what they have enjoy happiness; their desires are limited. They desire what is needed for their well-being, not for the satisfaction of their whims. One must wish that they were satisfied, for example: Chestin receives a thousand rubles of annual income, lives 750, and uses the rest for the benefit of the poor. If Chestin desires more acquisition, he desires only so that he can do more good to others. Finally, as usual, I wish my readers in New Year happiness.VELMOZHAM
Be loved by your subordinates and the common people. Arrange your actions and deeds so that they regard you as representatives in their needs and intercessors, and would not consider you tyrants who rob them of their prosperity when from the throne of truth bounty is poured out on them in rivers. Be virtuous, then you do not think of oppressing the poor: do good to them according to their position to everyone without exception, and not out of partiality, and care about their well-being more than about your own. Do not listen to flatterers, they deceive you, take advantage of your weaknesses and oppress others with your strength, and the oppressed reckon it with a blow of your hand. They tell you that you are virtuous. They themselves lie behind the backs, they reproach more than others: they say that everyone is surprised at your generosity, that you do not deny their needs, they deceive you and call you fools. Run away from them, they are poison, they are bile, filling your sweet life with sorrow. Be your own judges of your actions: weigh your deeds on the scales of impartiality, you will see how shameless they are and how much you are deceived. Here is your happiness! A virtuous person of your rank will, of course, call himself happy if he does this; but it is not difficult for you to do this: for a poor man even honors virtue in a distinguished one, when he does not harm him.MEDIUM
Your condition requires that you be loved by both noble people and the poor. You contain between high-grade and low-grade middle; and so be the first to always speak the truth, without rudeness; show them their faults, give respect to their virtues, not ranks, and justice to their actions. Do not blame them for innocent transgressions: for weakness is inherent in humans. Never flatter them, and through this do not try to enter into their mercy: such happiness cannot be long-term. Remind low-grade people of their positions and encourage them to fulfill them by your example. Finally, while preparing yourself for higher degrees, prepare also the virtues necessary for this state. Weigh your abilities justly, and therefore desire the highest merit. Train yourself to endure the burden of a noble degree in advance. She is brilliant on the outside and that is why she seduces you. Be sincere with the former and the latter. Make friends in your real rank, but those who would always tell you the truth even after receiving noble dignities; so that they are so virtuous that you can borrow from them: if you don’t find such, you won’t find happiness, although you will be at the highest degree: for a nobleman rarely has a faithful friend.FOR THE BORDERS
I wish you diligence and honesty.THE POOR
Virtues worthy of their condition, and so that the nobles would not oppress them: this is their happiness!FOR THE VILLAGERS
I wish that your landowners were your fathers and you are their children. I wish you physical strength, health and hard work. With this, you will be happy. And your happiness leads to the well-being of the entire state. Finally, I wish myself new happiness in the new year. What would I want? G. reader, guess. I wish that the desire for happiness for my fellow citizens would be pleasing to them; so that my publication would be useful and that I would not be scolded.SHEET VI. FEBRUARY 9 DAYS
G. publisher! You will not believe, joy, in what fashion you are with us. Tighten how everyone praises you, and everyone is happy with you. I myself have heard many times from our Moscow dandies that they give you an advantage over everyone; and I will not trade your Drone for any books. After the late old man, my father, a lot of books got a lot, only, in honor, I do not take a single one in my hands. I swear to you that, after taking one, it smelled of dry morality: I bet you won’t guess which books they are? - all Theophanes and Cantemirs, Telemaki, Rolleny, Chroniclers and all that kind of nonsense. I swear on my honor that, reading them, I did not understand a word. Once she opened Feofan and wanted to read, but there was no urine: you will not believe, the joy that became tightness in the head;(A buzzword.) And what belongs to your Drone, then, in honor, I never get tired of reading it: how good it is! Now I have said everything that was right before you: listen, joy, and my request. Father, the deceased, having passed away in the third year, saved me from terrible trouble and anxiety. You will be surprised how I tell you: in your Petersburg it never entered anyone's head. Listen, don't laugh: you will die, joy! I was forced to look after the chickens - you want to laugh: be patient, perhaps - for chickens, for geese and country women - ha! Ha! Ha! Judge, joy, is it bearable for a noble noblewoman to watch such meanness. I was not born for that: but my father, the deceased old man, nevertheless put it on his own. He raised me as badly as it is difficult to imagine worse. I only knew how and when they sow bread; when they plant cabbage, cucumbers, beets, peas, beans, and everything that a fool clerk needs to know - terrible knowledge! and what makes our sister perfect, I did not know. After my father died, I came to Moscow and saw that I was a complete fool. I could neither dance nor dress and did not know at all what it was fashion. This is how stupid fathers like mine lead their children to! Would you believe it, Mr. Publisher? - I am ashamed to admit to you: - I was so stupid that upon my arrival in Moscow I found out that I was good - judge now how the Moscow dandies received me. They laughed at me from head to toe, and I was forced to sit at home for three months, just to learn how to dress according to fashion. Neither day nor night did I give myself peace, but, sitting in front of the toilet, I put on carnets, took off, put on again; She broke her eyes in various ways, cast glances, blushed, rubbed herself in, put on flies, learned various uses of the fan, laughed, walked, dressed, and, in a word, at three months she learned to do everything in fashion. It seems to me that you are wondering how I could learn everything in such a short time, and even myself? I’ll reveal this mystery to you, listen: luckily, I came across a French madame, of whom we have enough in Moscow. Even before my request, she offered me her services: she told me how ignorant I was and that she was able to make me the most fashionable dandy. This is what the French are doing the transformation! out of a village idiot in three months to make a fashionable dandy for a person is impossible, but the French do. What gratitude we owe to the French: they educate us and render their services even when they are not required. As soon as I got out of the hands of my teacher, I showed up to the meeting. They looked at me with different eyes: I met many girls and completely learned my science. Soon after that I heard that I was called a fashionable dandy. How happy I was then! whether to kill you? - A thousand times more, as my father rejoiced, receiving a year a thousand quarters of bread from his estate. It was then that I learned that we would have been fools with our bread and our money without the French. They are still selling their cares for us cheaply. Hearing a flattering opinion about myself, then I did not miss any comedy, no masquerades, no gulbis: everywhere I kept up. You, joy, can judge that a girl of eighteen years old, who hears from everyone: sweet as an angel! he will immediately make himself envious; that's exactly what happened to me. They began to laugh at me again; but out of envy, seeing that the young men were running after me in droves. I looked with coldness at all the anger of the Moscow dandies and the caress of young men. Many thugs in love opened up to me: but I laughed - I did even more: should I say? - I fooled them as much as I wanted, but they were not angry. Finally I came across a young fellow, good as an angel, clever, and a dandy at that. He fell madly in love with me; and I felt towards him I do not know something excellent from others. I admired seeing him at the masquerades: he flew like the wind when he danced; and wherever I went, I found him here too. For some time it was pleasant to me, and after his irresponsibility he bored me, I decided to forget him: and I kept my word. After that, about a dozen thugs tried their luck: but I did the same with them. These are the circumstances in which I find myself. Give me, joy, a nice piece of advice: should I act as I began, or should I fall in love with someone myself. Perhaps, my angel, write me an answer as soon as possible, but do not kill me; I will wait with impatience; and before I get it, I won't tell you who I am. I want to torment you too. Sorry joy! P. S. Tighten as much as you want, so that your advice ripens to our masquerades. In Moscow, November 25 days, 1769. My sovereign! I am a frank man, and so do not be angry if I say that your actions do not please me at all. Listen to sincere advice! leave them, they demean your beauty. Beginning your lovely face: I understand from your letter. Why smear it with different paints? Your eyes may shine with fire: why are you distorting them? - fashion and then got mixed up! I also ask you, leave this art that is not peculiar to you: you cannot make beautiful things more beautifully, but perhaps more ugly: you are doing great honor to your teacher! If all of them are only doing good, then they are not needed at all for us. Leave all art and let yourself be amazed at the works of nature. You may not want to follow my advice because you are afraid of boredom: do not be afraid, madam, the author of "All Sorts of Things" promised to prescribe exercises for you; follow only them: you will not feel boredom. Finally, I advise you to read the books you blaspheme, although occasionally. I also advise you to have more respect for the memory of your parent. However, for your good opinion of the Drone, I would thank you, if this praise were moderate and just; but you prefer my Drone to such glorious songwriters who I am not worthy to detach the strap of their boots; and so from accepting this praise, please dismiss me.SHEET VIII. FEBRUARY 23 DAYS
G. publisher! I noticed that all our young nobles, traveling to foreign lands, bring only news of how they dress there, give a lengthy description of all the amusements and disgraces of that people: but few of them know at which end the journey should be undertaken. I almost never heard from any of them that they made their comments on the customs of that people or on legalization, on useful institutions, etc., making the journey only necessary. I don’t like it at all: it’s better not to drive at all than to drive uselessly, and even more to the detriment of our fatherland. For this very reason, I set out to travel in my own country, in order to first learn the customs of my fellow inhabitants. I was recently in two of our cities and made notes on these; If they are pleasing to you, I will inform you for printing, and now I am waiting for your response.Your humble servant
Traveler.
G. Traveler! if your notes can be of benefit to the readers, they will be gladly placed in my sheets. I expect them with some hope.SHEET XI. MARCH 16 DAYS
Mr. Publisher Drone! There is no means not to write satyr on clerks: this creature is very unbearable for honest people. The most idle thing did me a lot of trouble: I needed to have my travel document signed in ***** in Moscow. I, quite ready to leave, went there, thinking that at a quarter of an hour I could be sent; however, I was greatly deceived in my hopes. Arriving at the college, he asked who had such business: a watchman, a retired soldier who had been on campaigns under the first emperor, with a respectable mustache and a trimmed beard, led me into a large room where all the walls were stained with ink and in which a great many papers and tables were piled and chests; there were 80 people who were ragged and powdered clerks, that is, of various kinds. Many of them tore each other by the hair, while others shouted and laughed. Such a strange sight surprised me: I asked why there was such a fight, and it could happen with violence that the orderly servants were being punished in this way for their various injustices. I waited two hours for these gentlemen to calm down; after that he approached many in order to find out what to do. I violently found an orderly, who had these things, he proudly said to me: "Wait, there was no attendant." I said, "They told me it was you, sir." He laughed and said to me: "I am the orderly, it is true, but the orderly and the duty officer are not all the same." Finally, after a lot of ridicule, they taught me that the orderly is a clerk, and the receptionist on duty: now I know this, and before that I did not know about any of these animals. I was waiting for the attendant, who said that about this it was necessary to make a presentation to the gentlemen present, and how they would deign. I waited for those present and, walking through various ordeals and listening to endless tomorrow, ordinary answers to annoying petitioners, with great difficulty I received a gracious decision, I could not do without that, so as not to pay for the labors of my honorable speakers. Forgive me, Mr. I., I set off on my way, having made an oath promise not to enter the places designated for justice for anything. Your servant N. N. From Moscow. February 9 days, 1770.SHEET XII. MARCH 25 DAYS
Publisher Drone! I am in love with your magazine: how sweet it is to me! Do you understand me? .. it cannot be that you do not understand, I always think better of you: you are the reason that I work on my works; but my effort is only due to this, in order to enter into love with you. It’s no more pleasure for me to read your sheets. Believe it, joy! how many things have I met that happened shortly before the end of this decade. Yours are most pleasant to me. portraits: you cannot imagine how many others resemble people I know; I read them in front of them: how they were mad! .. and how much I laughed! .. I would pay dearly so that all your sheets were filled with such portraits and that there were no verses in them at all: I don’t like poetry; I do not touch upon the honor of the gentlemen of the writers, I do not say that they are bad; but I cannot praise them, because I am a woman: I am afraid to sin against justice. How pitiful, poor things, are the petty poetics! they climb where the glorious poets go. Because of our sins, they have multiplied today like nettles in an empty garden. Everyone calls the nettle the root of the clerk: but in fairness, the poets can be likened to this grass. Do not touch the nettle, it will burn: do not be angry with the poet, he will write satire. This creature must always be fondled, like a necessary person, please, like a sick person: and sometimes the declaration of their love should be accepted without upset. I confess, joy, that I deserve poetic hatred; but I am encouraged only by the fact that they will not know about me who I am; and let them know, let them write whatever they want, I myself will tell them my vices. I am not modest, windy, I love all the new fashions, I am passionate about theatrical disgraces, and even more about masquerades: and I hate conversations too much; they are unbearable to me for what our sisters are negotiators only do, when they come together, that they condemn someone, despite the fact that they themselves deserve ridicule; and I hate it. I also hate stinginess, extravagance, envy, card games, jealous husbands, unfaithful wives, windy mistresses and lovers: all those who think a lot about themselves are already disgusting to me. I know many such people, and they gave me the material to compose historical pictures: I wrote two at first, and now, joy, I have already written as many as six of them. You will say that it would be possible to compose more at this time: it is true; but think, I’m a woman, so it’s enough that I could do so much. I don’t know how to show myself with those, I send them and I am shy: I’m afraid that I will not like such an essay - I’ll just tighten up how this imagination torments me. I can’t imagine how I’ll endure a repugnant response from you: it’s more frightening to me than any refusal ... Ah! don't kill me! and do not take away the hope in the young writer. P. S. There is no doubt that the handwriting of women's hands will not become familiar to you; but you see mine for the first time now, so, perhaps, you will not understand; I ask you to try more diligently about this: but not to transport anything that may seem awkward to you; let this error remain on my side.PICTURE I
This picture depicts a man of low birth, who found an opportunity to drag himself into the relatives of a noble family. On the right side, you can see all the places of interest, around which, by the grace of his relatives, he rubbed himself. On the left is his pantry, heaped up almost all with chests, cupboards and bags of money: he filled it with all sorts of unauthorized means, namely, he robbed and violently seized someone else's property, took it for preservation and did not give it back; and most of all he made money by covetousness. It also depicts several widows, orphans and the helpless: they ask him with tear-stained eyes and outstretched hands; and it seems that they all want to say: "Have mercy, show justice!" But with a calm air he always tells them tomorrow. Above the pantry, his inscription: "God gave me this good through my little mind." The painter who painted this picture did not forget to explain in the distance the broken scales thrown on the floor, meaning justice and also the defeated truth.PICTURE II
It seems like a widow of about twenty years old - how thin she is! her outfit shows a fairly knowledgeable light, beside her in a rich dress sits a bent old man in the form of a lover: he is depicted as aggravated with gout, hiragra, colic, suffocation and, in a word, all the seizures that old people feel when they last gasp. The bedroom and study of this widow hide her two young lovers, whom she maintains as assistants to the dependents of the gray-haired old man. She does this to alleviate the old age of her beloved.PICTURE III
On it is designated Artistic meaning, having a noble rank, satisfied prosperity, not only great in stature and not thin, in years about sixty. On one side his service is signified, where his youngest years can be seen his uninterrupted meeting behind a red cloth, under this inscription: "He was a thin man, thin is a judge, and he will die even worse." On the other side of the picture, the arrival of guests and the view of his inner chambers is signified: these chambers are filled with almost card tables, at which the owner and the guests play cards, above him the inscription: "Not with intelligence, but with money." Far from this is seen Artistic meaning between its servants; one of them stands in front of him with an angry face depicting disobedience; another throws off his dress with disdain; and at a distance from this is the form of the two rulers' chambers; they show wealth, consisting in chests with money, in cabinets with silver dishes and tables with china, clocks, snuff boxes and the like. It should be noted that in the chambers of the landowners nothing like this is indicated.EXPLANATION
Artistic sense is master over his people, and masters over him are his people; every lackey dares to contradict him, to dissuade him and bring him to the point that he is always in their orders, only that they do not whip him, and he does not dare to whip them either, and for this the vile people of Artistic sense also calls: "That is the sir, That is the father, his people live like in paradise! .. "Only Artistic meaning lives with his people like in hard labor.SHEET XIII. MARCH 50 DAYS
PICTURE IV
The mask represents a woman who is quiet, virtuous, showing pity for any person who is in misfortune. Her sensitivity about the poor is all the more visible because when hearing about the unfortunate, her tears roll in rivulets; and in a direct form this woman is depicted as self-loving and avaricious; she is surrounded by several people in different forms. She looks at the have-nots with pride, but cringes to the meaningless, being herself bureaucratic. On one side there is an inscription: "This woman, to multiply her glory, is taken to help all the poor, not by herself, but by the noble ones, whom she is familiar with: she begs them for dress and money for the noblewomen of the poor, which, however, she never gives to anyone." And under this one can see how she grants those poor people, instead of the beggars, her shabby rags, putting them in the price, and lends them money and takes an obligation from them. Here it is signified how she firmly forbids those poor to go to those houses where she received clothes and money for them. (On the left side of this picture, space is left for the other half of the story, which is still being composed.)PICTURE V
In a thinly dressed dress, a man is represented who has no merits or such that would attract to seek his friendship, except that he is a man. Here his friends and several of his family are companions with him. His speech to them is as follows: "I can't fight off acquaintances! They are even a burden to me! Everyone is looking for me, everyone honors me, everyone caresses to be my friends! .. And Mr. S ... Oh! He will do everything for me no matter what I say to him; he loves me superbly "... Behind this, you can see how this arrogance itself seeks in everyone; and everyone thinks about him as little as possible.PICTURE VI
A woman of about fifty is seen between a multitude of both sexes; however, not so bad as good gifts what dandy could not yet please. She pushes the women around her away, gets angry and turns away from them; but to men of all kinds she shows affection, gives them a sign that they should come to her, and is annoyed that they resist. Behind her, two men, not badly dressed, point at her. The question is: who is she? The answer of the other: Bezumnova. Well, joy, here are the compositions of my picture; what are they? tell me? .. No, don't say anything better if they are bad. Madam Young Writer! your fear in the reasoning of sending your letter to me was in vain. Your writing is so good that I would like to receive it more often; but, unfortunately for me, this rarely happens. If you continue to share compositions like this with me, I will be very grateful to you for that. However, I would like you to have more leniency towards the young poets. Finally, I must apologize to you for not quite fulfilling your request. Several reasons on my part would have acquitted me; but I will not mention them: you yourself will guess. G. publisher! There are people who say that the Drone of 1770 is more negligent than the Drone of 1769. Last year he not only published selected songs, but also corrected those sent to him, and made good authors out of thin writers with his good taste and wit. And now everyone condolences, everyone weeps and cries out: O lamentable change! Drone, glorious Drone! became negligent, does not look after typesetters, the fierce enemies of all authors. They spoil the letters that have fallen into their hands so much that the reader, sweating and breaking his head, is more likely to go blind from vigilant diligence in seeking meaning than understand the author's thought. And the poor author, like a child-loving father, is tormented by annoyance and breaks the parental heart, looking at the ugliness of his works, his dear children.SHEET XIV. APRIL 6 DAYS
Mr. Publisher Trutnev! I'm already angry at you: I'm taboo furious, ah! joy, what an unbearable person you are; In honor of ET, I did not vague, they were able to, because nothing can keep you at such an inclination that does not honor you, you seem to me to be a fan of women, one of our sisters: you don’t get a coat from cupids, a mannered woman from dresses; and you from the ferrying of other people's compositions. This, joy, is very disgusting! I would forgive your ferry if May's composition were corrected by it; otherwise allow yourself to say: it is spoiled! You, joy, did not comprehend the thoughts of the painter: in the first picture she depicted only the pranyrdom of catching a man, which, perhaps, was not higher than the secularist, and you fondled him with a judge. Another spoilage, and still with mercy. And in the third, she presents Khudasmys with the inscription: what was the bad resolution in the affairs of the clerks from a young age, such is, according to now, takawu, it is visible, and he should die, INTO is direct Khudasmys. And you called him: bad men and bad judge; from what to understand it is possible: shameless, robber and unjust ... Khudasmyslnost is true that the judge; yes he only bears this name on himself; and the deeds are done by the sekletar and other judges of the Tavarisha. You, please, have become clever, but not to the point. And I don't say otherwise: you made something out of a woman's syllable, instructed it to nothing: either way, otherwise, even more. We do not write such speeches at all, they are used by the Muschin; but women do not. Ah, I have tea, as in the three Pasaden paintings, and it’s not a good thing to wait for good things, which, I think, you set the bugs there in the epanechki. This letter does not contain the same affection as before; Who's to blame, you made a change in me with your ferries. Calm down, joy! otherwise I will write satire on you and complain to your great-grandmother. My sovereign, Madame Young writer! If I had received your letter yesterday, it would have reached a great quarrel with us. You are extremely hot, and so am I: moreover, I was enraged at one woman, it’s no wonder if I would have made a rude answer to you, which in all fairness you deserve. But today I am cheerful, and your letter came to me in a good hour, and so read the next answer. I, madam, did not know that you were proud, although I knew from your letter that you were a woman. You declared yourself a young writer, and so you considered it necessary to correct your small errors. You complain that I spoiled your feminine syllable and made a clerical one. - Notify me, madam, what you mean by the word female syllable; either that women should forgive errors in the scriptures, or just that your letter is written in the style of a woman who speaks incorrectly and, with your permission, does not know the properties and rules of the Russian language. For that I will tell you: what you said too much when you got excited. I am publishing your other letter in print exactly as I received it. Finally, you say that I have lost your affection. “No wonder, madam, I know your gender. There is a special genus between you, called coquette: they, madam, every minute - no, I will not say. You, of course, know them yourself. I am afraid that you are not one of them, for no one can become angry so quickly as yoke, when in front of her they will praise another woman or say that she is not dressed to her face. And so, madam, if you are one of them, then, having lost your affection, I will not grieve for it. The end of your letter consists in threats that you, having written satire on me, will complain to my great-grandmother, but I do not have her; and if you need to write, then let me know, I’ll probably publish it.SHEET XV. APRIL 15 DAYS
Mr. Drone! What the hell! what have you done? you have become completely wrong; Did you get bored that we praised you and wanted to hear how we would scold you? so listen. - Well, yes, full of jokes aside. Perhaps tell me, for what reason did you change your plan last year to publish satirical works? If, as you yourself complained that you were scolded, then know that you have made a great mistake. Listen now: they do not scold you, but they say that the current Drone is not suitable for last year's servants either; and that you are now as delusional as the others. One should know that there are different kinds of blasphemy; some come from envy, others from truth; and so I advise you to endure the former rather than the latter. That you need to look at what others are saying; know only yourself. Perhaps, Mr. new Drone, transform into the old one and be our gracious amusement; you will see that it will be more useful to you too: otherwise, after all, I tea, you poor little one will remain at a loss. Your bookseller told me that they don't buy sheets of paper this year, even a tenth against the previous one. Perhaps obey me and many with me; but if it is not so, so goodbye, Drone, forever. Whoever wrote. April 6 days, 1770. In St. Petersburg. Publisher Drone! It seems to me that you have been spoiled with praise; why did you think that any nonsense, if only it was published under the title of Drone, would be accepted by the readers, as well as the good works printed in it. If you think so, then believe me (I won't tell joy: for what is more appropriate to call you now sadness; you, my light, are very worthy to scold you well; nor, however, I will still bear it.) that you are mistaken a lot. In your last year's Drone, most of the compositions were very good, and they were given justice, for example, "Vedomosti", "Portraits", "Recipes"; your Democritus, some poems in verse, as well as many letters in prose, containing in themselves how much pungency and salt, so much good taste, sound reasoning and purity of the Russian language. There is no need, and God forbid, that I began to say that you were aiming at them at the faces you know. It's enough that your satyrs are very good. I will not say that there are absolutely no similar previous compositions in your current Drone; but I will say in honor that they are as rare in it as they were rare in the last year's thin. That seems to be enough, you see that I speak sincerely; and so I have no doubt that you will take my advice and will be more discriminating in your choice of songs. Sorry, Mr. Publisher! Your servant You can't guess who. Mister publisher! I have long wanted to get to know you, but my lack of time did not allow me to; and now it attracts necessity. I need your advice. Perhaps be frank with me; I am small, really, kind, and it is very easy to get along with me in harmony. And although you were not quite fond of me, however, I could notice that you are a kind person. You have many weaknesses, and so do I; and maybe they are also the same; what to do, because we are humans, it often happens that you do what you would not want to do: but let us leave it. I'll get down to business. I set out to publish this year's Fashion Monthly Essay and devote it to beauties. But first I wanted to ask you sincere advice; You have been rubbing against this trade for another year, so, of course, you have learned everything; and so tell me if it’s troublesome and if it’s not necessary for me to quarrel with someone. This frightens me most of all: for I am not a hunter of quarrels. Your advice will solve my doubt; and I will either be a real publisher, or I will only remain your servant and the future publisher of Fashionable Composition. Mr. future publisher of "Fashionable Composition"! I cannot give you any other advice than to advise you yourself about your future edition. The publishers have enough trouble, and also worries, and time and a loss: but the title of your publication will, of course, save you from the last one; there are also quarrels: however, if you are such a kind person, then I would like to have you as my comrade; maybe with your title you will again bring periodical works into fashion with your readers.SHEET XVII APRIL 20 DAYS
Mister publisher! "All sorts of things" said goodbye, "Both this and that" turned into nothing, "Hell Post" stopped, and the Drone also needs to fly to the kitchen light to rise with a flame through the chimney into the air and enter the air, I don't know where, just to people should not be a burden and not bored with their stories. What nonsense! How long does it really take to read one and one? all Drones and Drones! No matter how much money you give out, don't expect another: as you look at the sheet, so all the same title bears a name. What is the need for content, when there is no different naming; You would all, no matter how many of you, try your best about inventions, so that at least every month ... No, for a long time, every week to change the name of your publication. It's amazing how you have not yet adopted the actions of beauties who would a good example in that case they could serve. Just imagine how subtle their taste is; they never do what is not associated with change: so how can such an endless tribe of publication read without boredom, which does not change its title. No, I honestly confess to you that I don't want to hear about them for a long time. At first I didn’t leave a dozen sheets of paper without reading threefolds, and I dreamed about them; but now they are already becoming unbearable, and besides, it is boring to know that they are in the world. Well, forgive me, I don't have time to write anymore, it's time for me to go to the ranks and buy ... I myself don't know what. Your humble servant Werewolf.SHEET XVII AND THE LAST. APRIL 27 DAYS
Mr. Publisher Drone! I and many with me have a fair reason to complain about you, and even about the publisher of Smesi. You are causing us a loss with your jokes: do not think that I regret the money that I paid for your sheets: God save me from such injustice! I will always say that we paid money for these with great pleasure, because we received benefit and pleasure from it. Listen to my complaint, it is truly fair: you criticized I don’t know any poet: perhaps it was quite fair; Yes, the point is that you, as they say, hit him on the fast track. He was angry with you like an irritated poet, blazed with rage and wanted to avenge his insult. Unfortunately for all readers, this happened at the very time when this poet was publishing the book of his translation to print. It was then that he satisfied himself: for to the book, consisting of less than three sheets, he wrote a preface on four sheets, in which he stated at length that the people who criticize are evil, and their critics are unfounded; that they, by virtue of decrees, use the granted freedom of minds for evil, daring to criticize a person who knows their merits completely; that he deigns to destroy and despise those critics, as if frantic young people, with their small spiritual kindnesses and faint specks of sharp intelligence, who wanted to sparkle, and that he would not answer a single word on them: but, having forgotten, he wrote down whole four leaves, filling it from the atrium outgoing curse, not forgetting, moreover, to cover this with the veil of decency. And all this is almost in one word: burp. You are joking, but we are a loss: for we are forced to pay fifty kopecks for a twenty-five-kopeck book. This word appeared in your new Drone, that everything foreshadows that we will again incur a loss in vain, and the bookseller does not sell that book without a preface. And so I ask you, Mr. publisher, please leave him alone, do not burp with his newly invented absurd sayings and thus do not cause us a loss. Your humble servant asks for this I'm in my house. Moscow, 1770, in the month of April.Notes (edit)
"Drone" is Novikov's first satirical magazine. It was published from May 5, 1769 to April 27, 1770. It was closed as a result of direct police persecution of Catherine II. As an epigraph, Novikov took a verse from Sumarokov's fable - "They work, and you eat their work." Using Sumarokov's allegory, Novikov filled it with a new political content: "they" are serfs, "you" are drones, landowners-nobles. After the outbreak of controversy with the government magazine "Anything and everything", Novikov was persecuted, about which he immediately let the public know, changing the epigraph from the tenth page to a new one - "Dangerous instruction is strict, where there are many atrocities and madness" (Sumarokov). Novikov was the publisher, editor-organizer and author of many articles for his magazine. Emin, Popov, Alesimov, Maikov and other writers were also involved in the "Trutn", that is, first of all, members of the Novikov circle in the Commission for the compilation of a new Code.FOREWORD
Novikov's first literary and public declaration. The "Preface" formulates the central thesis of Novikov's understanding of the public affairs of literature and the writer's civic duty: independence from nobles, court and government. The "Preface" biographically accurately conveys Novikov's attitude towards official service. From the military, where he served at the behest of his father, he retired in 1769. He rejects the courtier with contempt, the order - extremely profitable for those times - outrages him. Novikov began his literary and social activities with a public declaration of his unwillingness to serve the autocracy, with a statement that it was impossible for a writer to maintain independence while in official service. Ekaterina remembered this statement well. During the investigation, in 1792, in response to Sheshkovsky's questions about his service, Novikov confirmed this position, to which Catherine wrote in her remarks: more like in lodges, therefore, he did not fulfill his duty by serving either the sovereign or the state. ""I DON'T KNOW WHY ..."
Typical for Novikov, the defense of "ordinary" people, showing the talented work of Russian artisans, craftsmen and artists. Inspired by the speeches of the Democratic deputies of the Commission, this note was at the same time directed against the Russian cosmopolitan nobility.ARTICLES FROM "DRUG" FOR 1770
After the termination of the publication of all the magazines of the "generation" in 1769, Novikov was the only one, despite the persecution, decides to continue the publication of "Drone". In terms of the bold publisher, there was an intention to continue, first of all, his satirical activity and the presentation of his educational views. To a certain extent, the latter intention was realized in an article published in the first two issues of the magazine entitled "New Year's Eve, New Happiness." This article is an attempt by Novikov to systematically present educational ideas about human happiness, about the social obligations of a person. The views of Novikov of this time were characterized by enlightenment weakness and aristocratic narrow-mindedness. Subsequently, Novikov will be able to overcome many of the features of his class limitations (see the introductory article). Here, the limitations and weakness of the worldview of the Russian enlightener were reflected in his preservation of the class foundations of Russia, and in the desire to give moral instruction to each estate, and in the fear of touching the principle of serfdom. Therefore, wishing happiness to all estates, he does not wish the peasants freedom, but only that the landowners fulfill their duties before them and be their “fathers”. That is why a formula appeared that characterizes Novikov's views of this time: “that your landowners be your fathers, and you are their children. " Novikov did not manage to implement the satire program on the pages of the "Drone" in 1770 - this is the reason for the continuous police persecution that the magazine was subjected to. It is because of this that there is no satire on power and slave-owning nobles in the magazine. We learn from two articles that Novikov's intention was to touch on these two topics. So, in the article, printed on the sixth sheet, it was reported that the letter of Pravdulyubov (the main polemicist with Catherine II in 1769) would not be published precisely because it touches "Anything and everything." In the eighth sheet, the readers were promised an essay by a young traveler, apparently dedicated to the topic of serfdom. But this essay was also not published. It is important to note that what he did not manage to publish in the "Drone" in 1770, Novikov will implement in his subsequent journals: in "Pustomel" he will assess "Anything and everything", in the "Painter" he will publish the essay "Fragment of the journey". B O Most of Novikov's writings in The Trutnya of 1770 dealt with the subject of the government's strangulation of the magazine. From issue to issue Novikov prints the so-called letters to the editor and answers to them, the content of which was a message about the next persecution to which the publisher is subjected. "Parting, or the last goodbye to the reader" concludes this series of articles. The edge of this satire is directed again against the government, against Catherine, against her false-liberal policy. So, under the new conditions, Novikov was able to direct satire against Catherine, showing by a real example of police persecution of his magazine, what is the price of the legend about the allegedly enlightened character of the Russian autocracy."Drone" was originally published in sheets, then began to be published in small books. It is curious to get acquainted with the contents of this magazine: it consisted of articles in the form of letters, conversations, dictionaries and statements, of poems, witty announcements, epitaphs and epigrams, directed mainly against the general shortcomings of that time, although sometimes no mercy was given to individuals, if they deserved it. Well-known writers of that time took part in the "Trutn": V. I. Maikov, A. O. Ablesimov, M. A. Popov, F.A. Emin, who published his own magazine "Adskaya Pochta" in the same year. In addition, there were many articles signed with different pseudonyms, initials and not signed at all by anyone, the authors of which, despite all the efforts of the bibliographers, were not discovered. There is no doubt that some of these articles, and perhaps most, belonged to Novikov himself.
Novikov's magazines stood out sharply from the rest: in content, talent, wit and liveliness, they took the first place and had by that time big success... While other satirical magazines in most cases skimmed only on the surface of life, Novikov's satire has always been distinguished by its ideological and seriousness of thought. Already in the very introduction to The Drone, where Novikov jokingly talks about his laziness and his alleged inability to be useful to society in other fields, he goes over all kinds of social positions, services and activities of that time and caustically emphasizes their weaknesses. Here is what, for example, he says about the court service:
“The court service of all is quieter and it would be easier for all, if it were not necessary to know the science of pretense in a much higher degree than how much an actor should know it; he perfectly enters into the different passions of the time, and this one does the same incessantly, and this is what I cannot endure. The courtier flatters everyone, says not what he thinks, seems to everyone to be kind and condescending, although he is extremely inflated with pride. He encourages everyone and then forgets, promises to everyone and keeps his word to no one; does not have true friends, but has flatterers, and he himself also flatters and pleases random people. Seems to be a hunter of what he loathes. He praises with a smile when he is internally tormented by envy. In case of need, he spares no one, sacrifices everything for the pursuit of his own happiness; and sometimes, completely, does not humanity forget too! He does nothing, but shows that he is burdened with deeds - in a word, he speaks and does almost always against his will, and often against his common sense. "
Likewise, in the magazine Novikov constantly looks at the root of things. Laughing, for example, indiscriminate European imitators, he reproaches them not only for imitating only European appearance and bad sides, which do not bring either themselves or the fatherland any benefit and due to which they turn only into walking caricatures, but also points to an immediate economic harm to a country that exchanges its wealth for luxury goods and fashion, in general for other people's trifles. So, for example, in the VI sheet of "Drone" for 1769 there was such an announcement from Kronstadt:
“Recently ships arrived at the local port -“ Trompeur ”from Rouen in 18 days,“ Vetilles ”- from Marseille in 23 days. They brought the following goods we needed: French swords of various varieties, tortoiseshell snuff boxes, paper, wax, lace, blondes, fringes, cuffs, ribbons, stockings, buckles, hats, cufflinks and all sorts of so-called haberdashery ... ships will be loaded with various household trifles, such as: hemp, iron, leather, lard, candles, linen, etc. Many of our young nobles laugh at the foolishness of the French gentlemen that they travel so far and exchange their fashionable goods for our trifles. "
And here is an announcement directed against those young people who went abroad for fashion and did not acquire anything there except the ability to dress and spend their lives dissolutely:
"A young Russian pig, who traveled through foreign lands to educate his mind and who, having traveled with benefit, returned already a perfect pig, those who want to watch can see him pennilessly along many streets of this city."
But the satire against serfdom is especially caustic and witty. For example, a certain Serpent travels around the city and exhorts everyone to be cruel with serfs, so that "they fear his gaze, that they are hungry, naked and barefoot, and that cruelty alone would keep these animals in order and obedience."
More better recipe for Mr. Bezrassud, printed in Trutn, 1769:
“Recklessness is sick with the opinion that the peasants are not human ... He does exactly the same with them ... he never only says a word to them, but he does not deign to bow his head when they, according to the Eastern custom, prostrate before him on the ground. He then thinks: I am the master, they are my slaves; they were created for this purpose, so that, enduring all sorts of needs, to work day and night and to fulfill my will by the correct payment of the quitrent; they, remembering my and their condition, should tremble my gaze. The poor peasants do not dare to love him like a father, but they tremble in him as their tyrant. They work day and night, but with all that they barely have a day's food, because they can force the master's fees. They dare not even think that they have something of their own, but they say: this is not mine, but God's and Lord's ”.
Speaking about "Drone", one cannot remain silent about the polemics between "Drone" and "Anything and everything", or, better to say, Novikov and Empress Catherine who were hiding behind them. The dispute arose because of moral issues and views, but that was not the point: Catherine II, obviously, did not expect that satire would go so far and would touch the very foundations of life, the weakest and most sick sides of it. She, in all likelihood, thought that "All sorts of things" would be a model and a tuning fork for other satirical magazines, that they would confine themselves to denunciations of a general nature, for no one, in essence, offensive, they would denounce avarice, stupidity, covetousness, ignorance, dandies and dandies, pettimeters and coquettes, as far as possible without regard to, so that reading, leading to good thoughts, delivers pleasant entertainment. At first, Catherine looked exactly like this at the role of satirical literature; only later - and, perhaps, partly under the influence of polemics with "Drone" - she began to reveal a deeper look at satire, which was reflected, for example, in her own, often denunciatory works, in sympathy for another Novikov magazine ("Painter") and in the fact that, apparently, she did not want to stop, but only to restrain and put satire within certain limits.
The controversy between "Drone" and "Anything and everything" began, as is often the case, with private and unimportant cases. So, for example, “Drone” exposed some secular lady who committed theft in a shop and then ordered to beat the merchant when he, not wanting to disgrace her in public, came to her house to receive the stolen goods. “All sorts of things” did not like this denunciation, and she replied that human weaknesses should be treated more condescendingly. To this “Drone” objected that it was strange to consider the theft a vice and a crime in some cases, when commoners steal, and only weakness in other cases, and he very wittily laughed at such a discovery of “All sorts of things”. She answered in turn, but her answer was already annoyed. From a particular fact, the dispute imperceptibly moved to general provisions. In the words of "All sorts of things," "all reasonable people must admit that God alone is perfect; mortal people have never been without weaknesses, they are not and will not be ”. And “Drone” refuted such a view and said: “Many people with a weak conscience never mention the name of vice without adding philanthropy to it. They say that weaknesses are common to people and that these should be covered with philanthropy; consequently, they sewed a caftan out of philanthropy for vices; but it is more appropriate to call such people philanthropy a love of love ... "According to" Drone "," the one who corrects vices is more philanthropic than the one who condescends or (to say in Russian) indulges ". “All sorts of things” got angry more and more and said hurtful things to “Drone”; he was less annoyed, but he also did not remain in debt: “The whole fault of“ Anything and everything, ”he said, is that she“ does not know how to express herself in Russian and cannot understand Russian writings in detail ”; if “she is forgotten and is so wet that she often spits in the wrong place, where it should be, then she must be treated for this,” and so on.
Then the epigraph to The Drone in 1770 also points to an unpleasant conclusion drawn by the publisher from experience; namely, that "strict instruction is dangerous, where there are many atrocities and folly"; Finally, the best "external circumstances" can be reflected in the fact that many influential people, who at first treated the "Drone" in a completely different way, were unhappy with him. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, if we pay attention to the comedies of the Empress “Oh, time!” and “The Name Day of Mrs. Vorchalkina,” in which the satire is distinguished by greater certainty and considerable harshness, one might think that the empress was somewhat inclined towards Novikov's views. And in her relationship to him, not only did not deteriorate, but as if they even changed for the better, especially since 1772, when Novikov began to publish a new satirical magazine "Painting". Whether she really began to recognize the correctness of his views and appreciate him as an intelligent and useful person, whether it was part of her desire for him to start publishing the magazine again, or only she did not want to interfere with this, it is rather difficult to say.
"Empty space"(1770) - there were only two issues of this monthly satirical magazine Novikov. It began to be published instead of the “Drone”, which was closed by the publisher. The satirical line was continued in it. But the satire here concerned the phenomena of literature and culture. Here you can find attacks against Kheraskov, Chulkov, Lukin, V. Petrov. Criticizes Novikov and "Russian Universal Grammar", the first version of the famous "Writer". In particular, he speaks out against the anecdotes contained there. An interesting section "Vedomosti" in the magazine. They are dedicated only to military-political and theatrical events. Moreover, not only satirical works are published here, but also of positive content. For example, this section saw the light of the first professional theatrical reviews in the history of Russian journalism - about the play of the outstanding actor I. Dmitrievsky and about the staging of Sumarokov's tragedy “Sinav and Truvor”. In contrast to the negative heroes of the satirical publications, the story “Historical Adventure” with goodies is published in Pustomel. In it, Novikov for the first time gives a positive program of upbringing and education in the national Russian spirit. This is a kind of sketch of him pedagogical program then expressed in other publications of Novikov - "Additions to the Moscow Gazette" and "Children's reading".
"Wallet"(1774) - a new weekly satirical magazine, which was supposed to glorify the ancient Russian virtues and, first of all, national dignity, to condemn the noble Gallomania, cosmopolitanism. 9 issues of the magazine were published. Its name is associated with a "purse" - a leather or taffeta bag, where the braid of the wig was kept. Therefore, the meaning of the title should have been explained to the reader in the first issue of the article “Converting a Russian wallet into French,” but it was not published. Novikov's idea was that the pursuit of foreign fashion ruins the nobles, spoils their morals and harms Russia. The first issue of "The Purse" contains a conversation between a dishonest and greedy Frenchman with a Russian, and then with a German defending "Russian virtues". Here is published an ode to A. Baibakov on the occasion of the victory over the Turkish fleet and the capture of the fortress of Bender in 1770. Further, an anonymous one-act idyllic play from the peasant life "The People's Games" is published - the kindest master lives in perfect harmony with his serfs, takes care of them, teaches literacy and they pay him back. There is an opinion that one of the courtiers was the author of it and Novikov was forced to publish it, because at that time a peasant war was going on in the country. In addition, materials under the headings “Vedomosti” and “Izvestia” appear on the pages of the magazine, feuilletons, satirical portraits of specific people whose names are not named, but are easily guessed, are published. Novikov compiles satirical dictionaries and satirical recipes. These genres help him to ridicule not abstract vices, but to strike vice with satire "on the face." All materials in Novikov's journals are written in clear, simple and natural language, close to colloquial literary speech.
Novikov masks the most critical materials, mixing them with the publication of panegyric works.
The theme of the oppressed peasantry. "An excerpt of travel in *** I *** T ***".
Cycle "Letters to Falalei". The reverse side of serfdom is revealed - the corrupting influence of slavery on the nobility. (There is controversy over who actually owns both of these works. Berkov believes that the "Fragment" was written by Radishchev, and "Letters to Falaley" - by Fonvizin. But Bukharkin told us that both of these works belong to Novikov.)
"Drone"(1769-1770) - Novikov's first satirical journal. Conducted irreconcilable polemics with “Anything and everything”. He became famous for his sharp publications on the peasant theme. The motto "Drone" is symbolic: "They work, and you eat their work." The name is no less eloquent. It symbolizes a certain collective image of the publisher of "Anything and everything" - a representative of the ruling noble stratum of society, who lives idle and richly, using the labor of others. Just like a real drone. In the very first issue, Novikov publishes his views on satire, which are opposite to those expressed by Catherine II in "Anything and everything" - "Criticism, written on the face, but so that it is not open to everyone, can more correct the vicious." The magazine's speeches were truly bold and topical. Publications are based on a natural sense of humanity towards ordinary people, whom no one dares to stand up for. This determined the readership success of the publication. The circulation of each issue ranged from 750 to 1240 copies. The publication was profitable because sold at five times its cost. This is a unique case in the then journalism. The publisher widely uses various genres, including the genre of writing, in which, allegedly on behalf of the reader, he asks the journal's staff a topical or interesting question that requires an answer. This is the reason for the speech on the pages of the publication. These simple-minded letters allowed Novikov to write about bribery that flourished in various departments among officials, about the cruelty of landowners towards the peasants, about the hopelessness of peasant life. Most of the publications are responses to the speeches of “Anything and everything”, polemics with this magazine, disagreement with its method of coverage of problems and the choice of topics for publications. The highest magazine accused Novikov of a lack of philanthropy, meekness and condescension, in an effort to call weaknesses vices. Novikov wrote in response that many cover up vices with philanthropy, they sewed a caftan for vices out of philanthropy, but these people rather have a love for vice. To eradicate vices is a greater manifestation of philanthropy than to indulge them. Using an example, when peasants leave a cow to their brother so that his children do not starve to death, he shows that simple people are more humane than the landowner, who refuses indifference to his serf in help. He ridicules fashionistas, dandy, idle people and writes with sympathy about common people who have moral principles and the ability to work, about hardworking peasants. He criticizes the widespread approach, when positions from three candidates are received not by the most capable and knowledgeable, but by the most aristocratic and noble. He ridiculed the vagueness of "Anything and everything", reproached the author and publisher for poor knowledge of the Russian language and pretended not to know who was behind the magazine. In response, moralizing articles were published in the highest magazine. Novikov's social satire caused discontent in high circles, and in 1770 the publisher had to slow down the critical intensity of his speeches. The new epigraph of the magazine spoke well about this: "It is dangerous to be instructed strictly, where there is a lot of atrocity and folly." He informed the readers of the necessity of such a change and published several of their dissatisfied letters in connection with the weakening of satire. And through the issue announced the closure of the magazine, because he knew that he was prohibited from further publishing it. Yes, and "Anything and everything" ceased to be published in April 1770. On the last page of the issue, he anonymously announced the appearance of a new magazine - "Pustomel". The magazine was closed by the decision of the empress.
The main ideas of the magazine: criticism of the class prejudices of the nobility; the idea of the independence of a person's spiritual qualities from social origin.
Emphasized and conscious democratism of convictions. The variety of forms in which satire is embodied. Novelistic fiction ("The true story of the missing gold watch").
"Painter"(1772) - weekly satirical magazine, similar to "Drone". The circulation is about 1000 copies. Promotion of educational ideas and peasant theme constituted the main content of the magazine. Novikov tried to connect his appearances in the magazine with the empress's new literary experiences, who now began to write moralizing plays of a rather low literary level. Praising the theatrical tests of the pen of Catherine II, Novikov writes about his vision of the problems posed in them - that a vicious person in every rank is worthy of equal contempt, criticizes depraved acts and deep-rooted bad customs. In a word, she talks about social shortcomings in a way that the empress could do. And she had no choice but to take the praise at face value. She could not object that she had in mind something else, and not a desire to eradicate vices and shortcomings. On the pages of the magazine, both laudatory "duty" articles and congratulatory verses of the court poets were published. But between them there were also published harsh articles exposing the noble customs, depicting the hard life of the peasants, their needs and grief. Novikov writes articles in the form of a dialogue between the Interlocutor and the Author about state of the art literature and journalism, in which, discussing the writers Nevpopad, Krivotolka and Moraluchitel, he criticizes contemporary writers who write tragedies, comedies and shepherd's idylls. By these masks, he means specific people - in particular, Lukin, Chulkov and Kheraskov. This style of presentation is quite typical for the magazine. It is interesting and easy to understand. A number of publications were particularly poignant. These are, for example, "Excerpts from a Journey", which depicts the hardships of peasant life and the idle pastime of the nobles. The authorship is attributed to Radishchev's father. To soften the impression of this publication, Novikov places an explanation that satire should not be taken at their own expense by respectable landowners. Satirical poems were also published in the magazine, for example, "Praise to the training stick", which condemned officers who beat their soldiers, directed against the stick discipline that was imposed in the Russian army. After the peasant theme, which was most extensively embodied in The Painter, the second in importance is the theme of enlightenment, the fight against Gallomania (love for everything foreign, in particular French) and the lack of culture of noble society. In addition to Novikov, E. Dashkova, P. Potemkin, V. Ruban, D. Fonvizin, A. Radishchev, M. Sushkova, A. Fomin, F. Karzhavin and others were published in the magazine. Starting with the third issue, "The Painter" was a two-part book, not a magazine divided into sheets. In 1773 the journal was closed.
The publisher of the Truten magazine was Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov. After serving in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, Novikov resigns and begins to engage in literary and publishing activities. "Truten" was Novikov's first magazine. The magazine "Anything and everything", published by the secretary of Catherine II Kozitsky, and "Truten" differed in their views on the nature and tasks of satire. "All sorts of things" slightly criticized the vices of people, rejected the topic of bribery. She condemns young girls who cross their legs, laughs at a loud voice, an abundance of furniture in a room or house. Against this satire of the empress, Novikov spoke out in "Drone". He defended battle satire, denounced not the vices, but their carriers. The difference in views on satire was revealed in a lively controversy: from issue to issue they disputed each other. Such magazines as "Mix" and "Adskaya Pochta", which were on the side of "Drone", also took part in the controversy. The "drone" fought against police arbitrariness (opposes the abuse of serfdom). Epigraph to the first part of "Drone": "They work, and you eat their work." This is how Novikov portrays the feudal landlords: a dumb mind - he is forced to use the air, the moon, the sun, which is also used by the common people. And he believes that he needs to be exterminated; Recklessness - believes that serfs were created for work, fulfillment of needs; Malevolent - he is sure that slaves need "atrocities and severe beatings" as food. In his "Recipe for Recklessness" Novikov invites him "every day to examine twice the bones of the master and the peasant until he finds the difference between the peasant and the master." The topic of peasant lawlessness and tyranny of the landlord is revealed in "Copies of unsubscribe" in the genre of correspondence.
Novikov condemns the venality of the court. Creates a satirical image of justice in the form of secretaries who devour a wealthy merchant awaiting a judicial decision. Contrasts this with an honest and incorruptible commoner. Creating all these portraits, Novikov relied on Russian classicism - they are all bearers of any one feature (meaning of names: Forgot - Honor, Krivodushin, Pravdolyubov, Nedoum). Novikov makes fun of the dandy, the daily occupation of one of whom is showing off in front of the mirror. But discontent began on the part of the government and he says goodbye to the readers.
In April 1772 he began to publish the satirical magazine "The Painter". The main theme is the guise of serf tyranny. Antifeudal satires - "Travel Excerpt" and "Letters to Falalei". In the "Fragment" is given a picture of peasant slavery in the village Ruined ("poverty and slavery met me everywhere in the form of peasants"). The landowners were the culprits of the ruin of the peasants - this is the conclusion of the traveler. The description of the village is as follows: "there are about twenty yards", "the street is covered with mud, mud and all kinds of filth." All people are in corvee. The author calls the village "the abode of weeping." An episode stands out with three babies who are abandoned, since their mothers are in the corvee. The traveler helps them and speaks in defense of the enslaved. The cycle "Letters to Falalei" shows the living figures of the local nobles ("they work for us, and we slaughter them, if they become lazy, so we are equal" - the distribution of labor according to Trifon Pankratyevich). There are articles in the magazine against bad parenting. The attacks on dandies and dandies continue. In the second year of publication, the "Painter" was forced to soften its attacks, and in 1773 it closed.
In 1774 Novikov published the last of his magazines - "The Purse". The subject of satire here is Gallomania (addiction to everything French). The writer did not have the opportunity to boldly expose the main vices of society - there was a peasant war under the leadership of Pugachev, and speaking out in favor of the serfs could be viewed as aiding the "rebels".
38. I.I. Dmitriev is a fabulist.
Dmitriev Ivan Ivanovich - poet and fabulist. He served at the court; under Paul I was the chief prosecutor of the Senate. under Alexander I - Minister of Justice. Dmitriev's literary activity is not of particular importance, although at one time he was very popular. In addition to lyric poems and the usual court odes and messages for that time ("The voice of a patriot for the capture of Warsaw", "Poems for high-minded mercy", "Song for the coronation day", etc.), Dmitriev wrote four books of fables (in his entire life Dmitriev wrote about 80 fables), which initially attracted attention. In them, he is one of the last representatives of that didactic stream in Russian noble literature, which was defined even under Sumarokov. In addition, he was one of the first to try to instill in the literature elements of folk poetry and wrote a number of songs in the "folk spirit", of which one was very popular ("The gray dove groans, he moans day and night; his dear little friend flew away for a long time" etc.). Finally Dmitriev was known as a satirist and humorist, extremely superficial. In addition to epigrams, his satire "Alien's Trick" was especially appreciated, directed against the then pompous odographers, whose goal: "... a reward with a ring, often a hundred rubles, or friendship with the prince", and the fairy tale "Fashionable Wife" (about a "fashionista" (the motives of contemplation and melancholy, alienation from the world and a craving for a patriarchal way of life) .Dmitriev's poetry feeds on the psychological experiences of the middle local nobility (the motives of contemplation and melancholy, alienation from light and a craving for a patriarchal way of life) .This attitude, as well as Dmitriev's participation in the reform of poetry and literary language, brings Dmitriev closer to the leader of the local Dmitriev and Karamzin were not only like-minded people, but also close friends.) However, intimate lyrics are often drowned out in Dmitriev's work by retellings of the court ode ("The Liberation of Moscow") and aristocratic poetry ("I saw a glorious palace"). The confusion of styles is explained by Dmitriev's inability to resist this alien literary traditions.
The genre of the fable was widely developed in the 18th century: the fables of Sumarokov, Maykov, Chemnitser, etc. However, it is Dmitriev who gains the fame of an unsurpassed Russian fabulist, "Russian La Fontaine". This name is broader than a simple indication of the literary sources of Dmitriev's fables. La Fontaine's fables were translated by Russian poets before him and in particular by Sumarokov. However, Sumarokov's fable can by no means be called a La Fontaine fable. Borrowing the plot from La Fontaine or other fabulists, Sumarokov develops it in a peculiar linguistic manner that is fundamentally different from the original. For Sumarokov, according to the genre hierarchy of Russian classicism, fable is a low genre. Deliberate rudeness, naturalism of language and images, orientation to a grotesque tale - that's specific traits fables of the Sumarokov school. In the poetry of sentimentalism, the interpretation of the fable as a low coarse genre disappears. The fable is included in the number of elegant, salon genres of "light poetry", and it is La Fontaine's fable that becomes its model. The overwhelming majority of Dmitriev's fables are translated from La Fontaine or the fabulists of his school - Grecourt, Mercier, Arnault and Florian, who stands a little apart (Dmitriev transforms their rapid plot into Russian mores - "Oak and cane", "The old man and three young", "Two doves" , "The lion and the mosquito", etc.). But unlike Sumarokov's fables, Dmitriev not only borrows the plot, but also seeks to convey the stylistic features of the original. Dmitriev's fable is a typically La Fontaine entertaining graceful narration, interspersed with witticisms and lyrical maxims of the author - the "storyteller". In this sense, Dmitriev was for his contemporaries "Russian La Fontaine". Among other features of La Fontaine's fable, Dmitriev retains the freedom of intonation and contrast of the emotional-lyrical transitions of the original, but in other stylistic forms that are essentially hostile to La Fontaine. In Dmitriev's work, contrasts within the fable form stylistic layers that are striking in their opposite. Falling out of the general fable tone of casual chatter, they are determined by the nature of this or that emotional motive in the original. Thus, the motives of love, fading, death, regardless of the situation and the person with whom they are associated, in the course of the fable plot, invariably clothe themselves in typical elegiac images and intonations.
The fable under his pen loses the direct moralizing and crude common people of the syllable that had been characteristic of it earlier. For Dmitriev, the storyteller comes to the fore - an intelligent, ironic, judging everything as a private person who does not know the absolute truth. The moral of the fable can also be applied to him (Ah! I often noticed this in myself, / What, the nonsense of running, fell into another - Don-Kishot).
His fables are largely aimed at condemning universal human vices. Lyrical digressions, the presence of the narrator gave the fable a sentimental character.
For example, in the fable "The Old Man and Three Young" elegiac motives are woven into the fable plot. In the monologue of the old man, addressed to the young, the theme of the fragility of everything earthly sounds:
We are not given to know from providence,
Which one of us did it judge
The last one to look at the clear light!
There is a wealth of intonations in Dmitriev's fables. Sometimes they turn into an elegant lyric poem. His light satire is predominantly moralistic in nature, the main merit of Dmitriev's fables is the light language, free from Slavism, and the colloquial smoothness of verse. The poetic language developed by Dmitriev contributed to the development of the Russian literary language.
39. The value of F. Emin's work in the history of the Russian novel.
About the life of F.A. Emin knows little. He was born, most likely, in Ukraine or Poland, from where he moved to Turkey, adopting Mohammedanism. He probably studied at the Kiev Theological Academy. He himself liked to tell stories about himself (and the people believed him). In the late 1750s, he appeared to the Russian envoy in London and called himself a "Turkish citizen" Mohammed Emin, asking him to convert to the Orthodox faith. F. Emin was baptized in 1761 and sent to Russia. Here it was built by a teacher foreign languages and found patrons for himself (Shuvalov, Panin, Orlov), whom he knew how to change in time.
He began to publish in 1763, finished in 1769 (he died in 1770). F. Emin was a fairly prolific writer and during his 9 years in St. Petersburg he wrote over 25 books (novels, stories, translations). The author did not deny that he was engaged in writing for the sake of money, he looked at literature as a profitable industry. In 1763 alone, he published 4 novels, and one of them is three-volume. In 1769 he published two magazines at once: the monthly "Adskaya Pochta" (he wrote exclusively himself!) And the weekly "Mix". Towards the end of his life he published 3 volumes of his "Russian History", filled with fantastic information and references to nonexistent books.
F.A. Emin reveals in the novel "Fickle Fortune, or the Adventures of Miramond," referring to Virgil and Horace, whom "poverty taught poetry." The same idea ("money is our idols") F.A. Emin reveals in his adventurous moralistic novels: "Love Helicopter", "The Adventures of Themistocles." F. Emin was one of the first to formulate the idea of the Russian bourgeoisie: "The merchants are the soul of the state," but "merchants should never be entrusted with any rule of the fatherland" (about this proposal, it is worth making a discount on the time of writing textbooks).
The worldview position of F.A. Emina is controversial. Despite the nobleman's strong ideological convictions, in some works he sympathetically depicts peasants. Including in the first Russian epistolary novel "Letters of Ernest and Doravra" (1766). This is a letter novel written in 4 volumes. "Letters .." is the first psychological sentimental novel, the style of which is characterized by "sensitivity". "Letters from Ernest and Doravra" was written under the influence of Rousseau's novel "New Eloise" (1761). According to G.A. Gukovsky, it was a challenge to the classicism of Sumarokov, who had a negative attitude towards the rebel Rousseau. (By the way, Emin even released libels on Mr. Sumarokov, where he mentioned both his work and his personal life. In retaliation, Sumarokov made his opponent the prototype of the slanderer and atheist Herostratus in his comedy "Poisonous") Unlike Russo's work, Emin translates conflict from the social to the moral plane. Emin often resorts to philosophical, moral and moral reasoning. The author seeks not to create a storyline, but to analyze the feelings of the main characters. There is no social acuity. Emin cannot stand the unity of the idea and forces his hero (especially in the second part) to write entire dissertations on moral and philosophical topics, thereby depriving the novel of its "passionate psychological coloring." The problems of education, religion and the relationship between landowners and peasants are treated in a liberal-moderate spirit. According to Tatarinova and Gukovsky, in an artistic sense, the novel is weak: the images are schematic, the language is not processed, there are too many descriptions of the characters' feelings and their "primitiveness" (their experiences take up to ten pages). Comparing "New Heloise" and "Letters ..", Gukovsky concludes that Emin's novel is nothing more than a caricature of the Western version; it was an attempt to create a psychological novel.
Summary:
Poor nobleman Ernest fell in love with Doravra; he writes letters to her, in which he confesses his feelings; she first replies jokingly, and then writes about mutual love. However, marriage between them is impossible: the different position of the heroes in society interferes - Ernest is poor and innocent, Doravra is the daughter of a noble and wealthy nobleman. Ernest receives the post of secretary of the ambassador to France, a career opportunity opens up for him. It would seem that the main obstacle has been removed, but unexpectedly Ernest receives an angry letter from Doravra, in which she reproaches him for deception: It turns out that Ernest's wife arrived in the city where Doravra lives. However, Ernest is not a deceiver; the fact is that he believed his wife was dead. Ernest invites Doravra to run with him, she agrees, but the plan of the lovers is destroyed by Doravra's father, who learned from Ernest's wife about his daughter's love; he forces Doravra to marry. Separated from his beloved and lost hope, Ernest tells about his experiences and thoughts, about various social phenomena to his friends - Hippolytus and Pulcheria. A few years later, Doravra comes to the city where Ernest lives to become Ernest's mistress, but he does not want the fall of his beloved; they part again. Ernest becomes a writer, undergoes persecution for his works, but courageously defends the right to satire "on faces." Doravra was widowed, but the lovers were not destined to unite: Doravra fell out of love with Ernest and married a second time to some young man. In his last letter to Hippolytus, Ernest exclaims: "But what does fate not do with mortals!" - and sadly notes: "My hot love ended in very cold reasoning."
40. The eastern story of I.A. Krylov "Kaib".
In the story "Kaib" we see the Russoist motifs characteristic of the young Krylov: happiness and virtue flourish far from the world, in a deep forest, in solitude. It is emphasized here that withdrawal from the world is not at all a noble idyll. Krylov exposes this very noble idyll in the meeting of Kaib with a shepherd. Instead of a happy Arcadian shepherd, he shows a real and, of course, a Russian peasant, hungry, beggar and not at all complacent. in this story, Krylov also exposes the odic lies of the nobility. The main theme of the story is the Russian autocracy of the times of Krylov. The oriental flavor, the transfer of the action to the east could no longer deceive anyone. In Kaiba, the question of monarchy is highlighted.
"Kaib" ( The genre can be defined as a "fairy tale", but Gukovsky's textbook gives "a parody of an idyll. This story traces the Russoist motifs characteristic of the young Krylov: happiness and virtue flourish far from power, in solitude and tranquility. The main theme is autocracy and despotism. The question of monarchy is highlighted: Krylov shows the rottenness of the system and the venality of the elements of this system. The story "Kaib" was later noted by Belinsky as "unusually well-aimed and evil" satire. In the image of Kaib himself, the eastern caliph, a caustic portrait of the "enlightened" sovereign is given, who in essence is a typical despot. It is enough to list Kaib's "viziers" to be convinced of the boldness of Krylov's satire. Such are Dursan - "a man of great dignity", the main of which is that "his beard reached down to his knees"; Oslashid - "a faithful Muslim", the owner of a white turban, which gave him the right "to great degrees and honors"; Grabiley, who, although he was the son of a chebotar, io, having entered the "order service", managed to "develop his abilities" and became "one of the famous people equipped with ways to oppress the poor. " And the Caliph himself, who prides himself on his enlightenment, rules according to their own principle: “... to avoid disputes, he began his speeches like this:“ Gentlemen! I want this; whoever has an objection to this, he can freely declare it: this very minute he will receive five hundred blows of oxen on the heels, and then we will consider his voice. " Here you can see a poisonous allusion to the hypocrisy of the Empress herself, who covered up her despotism with false phrases about the observance of the laws. Krylov's democratic sympathies were also reflected in his hostile attitude towards noble sentimentalism. He ridiculed the embellishment of life and the sensibilities of the sentimentalists, who substituted pastoral idyll for the truthful depiction. In the story "Kaib" Krylov sneers at the caliph, who went to meet the "villagers". Thinking to see the "blissful life" of the peasants, which he read about in idylls and eclogs, Kaib instead met "a filthy creation, sunburned by the sun, covered with mud." The shepherd not only did not play the pipe, but, hungry, soaked the stale crust, and his wife went to the city to sell the last chicken.
In the narrative basis of "Kaiba" it is not difficult to find all the plot elements of the "oriental story". The action develops according to the genre model of "travel". Unaware of the true state of affairs in the state, the monarch experiences an inexplicable dissatisfaction with his entire way of life. He goes on a journey, learns about the plight of his people, regains his sight and is convinced that he was a bad ruler. Returning, the monarch corrects the mistakes made earlier, becomes wise and just. The characters of the story are created according to the type of images-masks. The Caliph is separated from the people by the walls of his palace and lives in an artificial world of illusion. His vizier-ministers and courtiers, flattering, selfish and narrow-minded people, lead an idle existence at the expense of the oppressed people. The poor laborer suffers under the burden of worries. The cadi who is just and honestly fulfilling his duty is persecuted and unhappy. The narrative elements of the genre that has become traditional make up the semantic layer of the work lying on the surface, while the content of Krylov's story is not limited to the genre, the familiar scheme is used by the author to express his own literary and life position. Using Voltaire's techniques satirical image monarchical power, Krylov gives an ironic description of the palace life. The real here is replaced by the seeming, the object itself is replaced by its copy or image. Kaib "did not let learned people into the palace, but their images were not the last decoration for its walls"; "his poets were poor", but the portraits depicted them in rich dress, since the enlightened ruler "sought to encourage science in every possible way"; the academicians "read it fluently" and in eloquence were clearly inferior to parrots; the calendar according to which the courtyard lived was “made up of only holidays.” Life in the palace proceeds according to invented rules; Caliph, having fun, rules the illusory world. The fate of the people living outside the walls of the palace depends not so much on the decrees issued by the caliph, but on the activities of the ministers who take advantage of his human weaknesses. The despotism of power is represented in the story by the images of the viziers. The head of the "sofa" is "a man of great dignity" Dursan, who "serves the fatherland with a beard," and this is his main "merit". He is a supporter of the most stringent measures to enforce state law. To get the people to execute any decree, in his opinion, one should only "hang the first dozen of the curious." Oslashid, the "descendant of Mohammed" and the "faithful Muzulman", delightedly discusses power and the law, neither understanding nor seeking to understand their true purpose. He "without examining his rights, tried only to use them." Oslashid's concept of life in the state is based on religious dogma: the will of the ruler is equated by him with "the right of Mohammed himself", "for whose slavery the whole world was created." The robber, who grew up in the family of a shoemaker, personifies bureaucratic arbitrariness. He thrives because he learned "to embrace affectionately the one whom he wanted to strangle; to cry about those misfortunes of which he himself was the cause; by the way, he knew how to slander those whom he had never seen; to attribute to him virtues in whom he saw only vices." Those whose direct purpose is to directly exercise power in the state pursue only selfish goals, they are cruel, stupid, hypocritical and selfish. Their malice is encouraged by the monarch. Evilly ridiculing the courtiers, the author changes intonation when it comes to the ruler himself. The caliph knows the true value of his advisers, so he makes all decisions alone, avoiding discussion and disputes. He, like the author-storyteller, understands how important balance and stability are for the existence of a state, therefore "usually he would put one wise man between ten fools", as he was sure that smart people are like candles, of which too many "can cause a fire." (361). The "Eastern ruler" does not accept hasty, untested decisions, testing the firmness of the intention of the one who dared to declare his dissenting opinion the vizier "with five hundred blows of a bull's vein on the heels." The author agrees with his hero that "we need such viziers whose mind, without the consent of their heels, would not start anything." Keeping the general ironic tone of the narrative, Krylov uses the image of Kaiba to express his ideas regarding state power... The image of the monarch, as the analysis of the text shows, is included in the sphere of philosophical irony. The story uses the traditional for Russian literature of the 18th century. the method of "dialogization" of the author's speech, which undoubtedly leads to the expansion of the semantic field of the work. The text introduces a certain fictional image of a "historian" who sincerely admires the alleged virtues of the rule of the "great caliph". The judgments of the "historian" in the retelling of the author acquire the opposite meaning to their original meaning, the "dialogization" of the author's speech leads to a combination of explicit antitheses. A "then - now" opposition that does not require resolution arises: the skepticism characteristic of a representative of the new century is directly opposed to the idealization of the past by the "historian." The author repeatedly addresses this opposition, but each time his comparison is not in favor of the "enlightened century." The patriarchal order is attractive to the narrator for its stability, while new century , in which the will of each person has the ability to influence the world, this stability is lost. It is the changing nature of irony that makes it possible to reveal the author's true attitude to the depicted phenomena of life, presupposes the evaluative nature of the narrative. In the field of "absolute synthesis of absolute antitheses" (F. Schlegel), the author, the "historian" and the hero of the story meet. The description of the courtiers and of the whole palace life reveals the author's sharply negative attitude, while in the depiction of the central character, the accusatory tone is replaced by a sympathetic and ironic one. Kaib is young and does not yet have an established worldview. He looks at the world with the help of mirrors donated by the sorceress, "who have the gift of showing things a thousand times more beautiful than they are," and believes that everything around him is created for his pleasure. The young man is entertained by the ugliest manifestations of servility and rivalry prevailing at court. At the same time, any impulses of an evil will are completely alien to him, he does not want anyone and does not do anything bad - the existence in the world of illusion is simply convenient and pleasant for the time being. The feigned well-being of the palace life became for the caliph a kind of continuation of Scheherazade's fairy tales, which he believed more "than Alcoran, in order that they cheated incomparably more pleasantly." Kaib is quite educated, among his books - "a complete collection of Arab fairy tales in morocco cover" and "translation of Confucius", he knows not only the tales of Scheherazade and Alkoran, but reads "idylls and eclogies". As it turned out, this is not enough to be a good ruler and a happy person. Arranged according to the rules of a rational illusion, court life soon creates a feeling of its incompleteness, gives rise to unconscious desires. He tried all the ways to feel happy endowed with unlimited power and wealth for the hero, but did not allow him to get rid of the inexplicable emptiness. The soul does not respond to the artificial, memorized greetings and caresses of the lovely inhabitants of the seraglio. The admiration from the first victories in the war, started for the sake of entertainment, is replaced by melancholy, "and he watched not without envy that his half-naked poets felt more pleasure in describing his abundance than he did when he tasted it." It turns out that there is something in a person that does not fit into the logically verified scientific schemes. A wonderful meeting with a sorceress pushes the hero to an active search for the true, and not invented, meaning of life, the acquisition of real, and not illusory bliss. The appearance of a fairy in the palace of a caliph is quite natural and artistically believable. Note that only this episode limits the intervention of the fairytale character in the action of the story, and this intervention concerns not so much the development of the plot action as it relates to the internal dynamics of the image of the central character. Going on a journey, the hero ceases to be a ruler and becomes just a man. From that moment on, the story of the "enlightenment" of an autocratic despot turns into a traditional story for folk art, not only for literature, a plot of the search for happiness. "Having laid off all the pomp", Kaib is faced with a life that does not at all depend on his will and imaginary power. In the future, Krylov builds a narrative already contrary to the logic of the "oriental story" genre. There are elements of parodying directed at literature, in which, "the idea does not grow out of the depicted life itself, but is introduced into it." In the very first minutes of the journey, the "great caliph" unexpectedly faced the inconveniences of practical life: "It was at night; the weather was rather bad; the rain was pouring so hard that it seemed to threaten to wash away all the houses to the ground; lightning, as if for a laugh , shining from time to time, showed only to the great caliph that he was knee-deep in mud and was surrounded from everywhere by puddles, like England by the ocean; the thunder deafened him with its impetuous blows. " The description of the night storm, performed in the "Ossian", solemnly sublime and melancholic tone, by the time of writing the story had already become a cliché in sentimental-romantic literature, where it served as a means of expressing the hero's lofty passions. Krylov's description is prosaic, and the mention of England, the homeland of sentimentalism and pre-romanticism, Jung, Thomson, MacPherson, in an ironic context is clearly polemical. The raging element forces Kaiba to seek refuge in a poor hut. In the description of the owner and the interior of the hut, one can also read a symbolic image common in the poetry of that time, expressing the artist's opposition to society. Yu.V. Mann interpreted this opposition as "a kind of psychological escape or ... moral rejection of the generally accepted and generally accepted" and classified it as "a harbinger of a romantic collision." Deliberately lowering the image of the poet, Krylov is ironic, showing the weakness of his conventional poetic understanding of the world. The fictional, aestheticized world of Krylov's contemporary literature is presented in the story as akin to the illusory well-being of the palace life rejected by Kaib. A meeting with the "odographer", and later with the shepherd, convinces the unrecognized monarch that truth is the most important and indispensable condition for human life, the successful activity of the ruler, and artistic creativity. "This is truly ungodly!" - exclaims the wandering caliph, mentally comparing the idyllic images of the shepherd's life known to him with the miserable image of the poor man who met on the way. Lying is "godless" and unnatural, in whatever form it may exist. The use of an improperly direct speech technique in this part of the narrative imparts lyricism to the author's ironic tone. The narrator agrees with his hero and shares his indignation. Turning to a private person, with the onset of night, Kaib experiences fear, which is natural for a lonely wanderer, and persistently seeks refuge for himself. At the cemetery, he ponders about life and death, about the transience of earthly glory and about what needs to be done to leave a long and good memory of himself. An unusual setting and a special state of mind lead to the appearance of a ghost, "a majestic shadow of some ancient hero", "his height rose until a light smoke can rise in a quiet summer time. What is the color of the lacquer surrounding the moon, such was his pale face. Eyes it was like the sun, when, at sunset, it sinks into thick fogs and, changing, becomes covered with a bloody color ... His arm was burdened with a shield emitting a dim light, similar to that which the rippling water emits at night, reflecting the dead rays of pale stars " ... Skillfully using the technique of artistic stylization, creating the illusion of a romanticized image, Krylov, step by step, reassures the reader of the seriousness of his intentions. The fear experienced with the onset of night turns out to be not at all connected with the sublime and mysterious world of Jung's "Nights", Kaib simply does not want to "be eaten by hungry wolves." The appearance of a ghost also finds a natural explanation: he dreams and communicates the thoughts that came to the hero's mind under the influence of everything he experienced at the grave of the once glorious, and now forgotten by everyone. However, the tendency towards the sublime and mysterious, unusual and inexplicable, inherent in pre-romantic thinking, with the constant irony of the narrator's tone, is not completely denied. It is the night spent in the cemetery and all the semi-mystical atmosphere associated with it that helps Kaib to understand important things. He understands that in the world of material values, each of the living needs very little, "two pounds of bread for a day and three arshins of earth for a bed during life and after death." But, most importantly, the hero comes to the conviction that "the right of power is only to make people happy." Having become just a man, Kaib sympathizes with the poor shepherd, regrets the fate of the once glorified, but now forgotten hero. He understands that the reason for oblivion was the fact that all the exploits of the ancient warrior were aimed at destruction. Having got rid of the illusion of his greatness, the caliph learned to notice the beauty of nature, to appreciate the simplicity and naturalness of feelings. Without hesitation, he comes to the aid of an unknown girl who is looking for something in the grass. “You should have seen then the greatest caliph, who, almost crawling, was looking in the grass, maybe some kind of toy to please a fourteen-year-old child,” notes the ironic author. This natural urge to take concrete action for the sake of good is rewarded. For the first time in his life, the hero learned what love is. Talking about the first meeting of young men and women who fell in love with each other forever, the author emphasizes that true feeling does not correspond to reason, his expression is "joy, haste, impatience." The author again resorts to an improperly direct speech, the narrative acquires melodic and lyrical emotion: “What a pleasant burden he felt when Roxanne’s chest touched his chest! with his hands, and he, supporting her light and thin waist, felt the strong tremor of her heart. " Love fills the emptiness that previously existed in Kaib's soul, and this happens only when he acquires new experience life and frees itself from the false understanding of its values. True bliss and the highest wisdom of life are acquired by the hero on his own, without the participation of a fairy-sorceress. He finds happiness as a result of his empirical experience, following his natural essence, surrendering to feelings and following an innate moral sense. Kaib realized that his purpose was to do good, that earthly glory was short-lived, that autocracy was lawless and selfish. Only after this did the soulless despot transform into a rational and virtuous ruler. Upon closer examination of the text, it becomes clear that the story of Kaib only outwardly repeats a well-known plot. The transformation of the hero takes place through intense mental work. The experience and love acquired on the journey change his behavior and attitude towards life. At the same time, the reader has no doubt that the essence of his human nature has remained unchanged. The truth of life, extracted from its depths, is for Krylov the most important content of literature. That is why the straightforward didacticism of the "oriental story" is ridiculed, the world of "odographers" built on the rules of "imitation of the decorated nature" and the "graceful" fiction of idyllic poetry are criticized. The naivety of the mystical forms of comprehending the ideal essences of life, characteristic of pre-romanticism, is shown. The superficial rationalism and speculative progressiveness of the authority based on book knowledge are exposed to satirical exposure. Krylov's ironic combination of essentially opposite life phenomena leads to a denial of the rationally one-sided idea of the laws of life that lies at the basis of the educational "oriental story". He also does not accept the other extreme - the denial by Masonic Gnosticism of the possibility of a person's free preference for good and truth. Following a stable literary tradition turns out to be only external and leads to an "explosion of the genre from within." Of course, Krylov "laughed at the naive faith of the enlighteners in an ideal sovereign." But he saw the possibility of approaching the ideal, which is not given by "head" delights, but by the natural participation of a morally healthy person in practical life. The speech in Krylov's story is about things that are important for the author, and therefore the story of Kaib's wanderings takes on an emotionally expressive form. At the same time, the lyric is combined in the story with philosophical content. However, the philosophy of the author of the story is alien to book wisdom; it directly goes back to the popular, practical knowledge of life. The use of the techniques of fairy tale narration, the attribution of the action of the story to an indefinite, long past tense, the conventional oriental flavor - all give the image of the main character mythological features. It is extremely specific and at the same time embodies the most essential combination of personal, spiritual and social hypostases. The author's irony about human weakness is devoid of sarcastic indignation. One can only smile with surprise at what happened in time immemorial, somewhere in the distant eastern kingdom, and even with the participation of a good sorceress. But a fairy tale is not only a "lie", but also a "lesson"; it contains a figuratively mythologized expression of natural entities that are not subject to time, that knowledge that we now call substantial. So, the positive content of the story is easily revealed from the text, stylistically built entirely on irony.
41. The genre of the heroic comic poem. Poem by V.I. Maikov's "Elisha, or the Irritated Bacchus."
In French literature of the 17th century. two types of comic poems were distinguished: burlesque, from the Italian word burla - a joke and a comic hero. The most striking representative of burlesque in France was the author of the "Comic Novel" Paul Scarron, who wrote the poem "Virgil Inside Out". As an ardent opponent of classicist literature, he decided to ridicule Virgil's Aeneid. For this purpose, he coarsens the language and characters of the work. The poem was a resounding success and was followed by many imitations. This aroused indignation in the head of French classicism, Boileau, who, in The Art of Poetry, condemned burlesque as a rough, square genre. He wrote the heroic-comic poem "Naloy", where low matter was expressed in a high syllable. The fight between the two churchmen over the place where the bow should stand was described in a high syllable and in Alexandrian verses.
The appearance in Russia of burlesque and hero-comic poems was not a sign of the destruction of classicism. This genre was legalized by Sumarokov in the Epistle on Poetry. Sumarokov himself did not write a single comic poem, but his student Vasily Ivanovich Maikov (1728-1778) did it.
Maikov owns two heroic poems - "The Lomber Gambler" (1763) and "Elisha, or the Irritated Bacchus" (1771). In the first of them, the comic effect is created by the fact that the adventures of the card player are described in a high, solemn syllable. The game itself has been compared to the Trojan Battle. Card figures act as gods.
Elisha enjoyed immeasurably great success. The originality of the poem is primarily in the choice of the protagonist. This is not a mythological character, not a major historical figure, but a simple Russian peasant, the coachman Elisha. His adventures are emphatically rude and even scandalous. They begin in a tavern, where Elisha destroyed the entire drinking house. Then they continue in a workhouse for depraved women, in which he starts an "affair" with the head of this institution. Elisha's last adventure was to take part in a fight between the coachmen and the merchants, after which he was arrested as a fugitive peasant and turned over as a soldier.
The poem was heavily influenced by folklore. In everyday life, the image of a resourceful artisan who triumphs over the rich and eminent offenders and enters into a love affair with their wives has long been popular. From folk tale The famous invisible hat, which helps the hero in difficult times, has been moved. In the description of wall-to-wall fights, one can hear an epic about Vasily Buslaev, the author even used her language. But Maikov did not create an epic, not a heroic epic, but a funny, amusing poem. To "rip off" the "readers' gut" - this is how the poet himself formulated his task.
In numerous comic situations, the author showed a truly inexhaustible inventiveness: the hero's stay in the workhouse, which he at first took for a nunnery, a love rivalry with the old corporal, the appearance of Elisha wearing a hat in the house of a tax farmer, and much more. The comic effect in the description of fights and love heroes is enhanced by the use of a solemn syllable drawn from the arsenal of an epic poem. Laughter causes a discrepancy between the "low" content of the poem and the "high" epic form in which it is clothed. Here Maikov is a worthy successor to Boileau. Thus, the first song begins with the traditional "sing" and a summary of the object to be chanted. The narration itself, in the spirit of Homeric poems, was repeatedly interrupted by a reminder of the change of day and night. Fist fights with flattened noses, bitten off ears, torn off sleeves, burst ports are likened to ancient battles, and their participants - to the ancient heroes Ajax, Diomedes, etc.
The originality of Maikov's poem is that he inherited the techniques not only of Boileau, but also of Scarron, whose name is repeatedly mentioned in Elisey. From Scarron's poem comes another type of comic contrast: refined heroes perform rude, ridiculous acts (Pluto feasts with the priests at a commemoration, Venus is debauched with Mars, Apollo chops wood with an ax, while maintaining the rhythm of either iambic or chorea).
Created in the era of classicism, Maikov's poem was perceived as an enrichment of this trend with another genre. The hero-comic poem expanded the idea of the artistic possibilities of the genre of the poem and showed that it admits of its only historical high, but also modern, even comic content.
42. The genre of the epigram in Russian literature of the 18th century. (M.V. Lomonosov, A.P. Sumarokov).
An epigram (ancient Greek ἐπίγραμμα "inscription") is a small satirical poem that ridicules a person or a social phenomenon.
Initially, the epigram was a dedication inscription on statues, altars and other objects dedicated to the gods, and on tombstones (see epitaph). Gradually, thematic varieties of epigrams, sentences-didactic, descriptive, love, drinking, satirical, were formed. The epigram was distinguished from the epic forms of poetry by its brevity and pronounced subjective attitude to an event or fact. The epigram was written in an elegiac distich, later in iambic and other sizes. In the form of epigrams, Plato's thoughts were expressed, Sappho wrote epigrams about the bitterness of early loss, Anacreon - about the fun at the feast. The masters of epigrams include Simonides of Keossky, Asklepiada, Meleager. The flowering of the epigram in Greek literature was the work of the Hellenistic poets of the 3rd century BC. e. - 1st century AD e. (which formed the core of the so-called "Palatine Anthology" in 16 books), in the Roman - satirical creativity Marcial (1st century A.D.). The traditions of the ancient epigram continued in Byzantine literature and in Latin literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, later reviving occasionally.
In new European poetry
The epigrams of Martial were thematically close to the satire of Juvenal. The modern understanding of the epigram as a short, mocking poem, usually built on the contrast of gradual exposure and unexpected completion, the final "sharpness" (pointe), dates back to the legacy of Martial. This kind of epigram was formed in French poetry of the 16th - 17th centuries. The eighteenth century is considered the heyday of the epigram in European literature (Voltaire, J. B. Rousseau, G. E. Lessing, in Russia - A. P. Sumarokov). In parallel, an epigram developed, representing a direct response to topical events, often political. In addition to these, the masters of poignant satirical epigrams include J. de La Fontaine and P. D. E. Lebrun in France, R. Burns in England, and G. Heine in Germany.
The epigrams were already written by Simeon Polotsky and Feofan Prokopovich; satirical epigrams, original and transcriptions, belong to A.D. Kantemir, in the second half of the 18th century - V.K.Trediakovsky, M.V. Lomonosov, A.P. Sumarokov and other poets. N.M. Karamzin and his followers (V.A.Zhukovsky, V.L.
When is love without legs? How to go
From a dear friend, saying to him: "I'm sorry!"
N. M. Karamzin. Legs.
In the 19th century, epigrams were not only a means of exposing vices and human weaknesses, but an instrument of literary and socio-political struggle. Among the outstanding epigrammatists of the first three decades of the 19th century are A. S. Pushkin, S. A. Sobolevsky, E. A. Baratynsky, P. A. Vyazemsky. A. S. Pushkin, for example, owns both satirical epigrams (to A. A. Arakcheev, F. V. Bulgarin, A. N. Golitsyn) and epigrams continuing the ancient Greek tradition ("Movement", "Curious").
Epigram - in Greek means inscription. 2,800 years ago this was the name given to the dedicatory text on gifts to the gods (on shields, vases and other utensils). A little later, the ancient Greeks invented a kind of epigram - an epitaph, a gravestone inscription, which reported, as now, brief information about a deceased person. The shorter the text, the easier the work of the carver, who worked on hard material, mainly stone. It was necessary to express both love and sorrow in a few words. So, being laconic in form and capacious in content, the epigram entered classical literature. The main condition of the canon is the expression of one single thought, and always with an original ending! This peculiar, unexpected denouement of the poem was called "clause" in Latin, "pointe" in French, and "salt" in Russian!
At first, the European epigram was philosophical, later didactic, but with the fall of morals it became more and more satirical. The indignation and sarcasm of the artists was molded into a classical form and honed in skill. Until the 14th century, epigrams were mainly written in Latin. And since the 16th century poetic thoughts appear in Italian, French, Spanish, English, Polish.
In Russia, the ground for the epigram was prepared by folklore and such genres as a shameful scene (as they used to call theatrical performance), ditties, nursery rhymes, joke songs, caustic proverbs and jokes, such as “it was fun to live, but there’s nothing to eat”, “a good tree stump on a spring day, but all the stump”, “and riffs, but God's servant. And smooth, but disgusting "," asks meekly, stepping on the throat "," it is better to die in the field than in a woman's hem "," Fili had, they drank with Fili, and they beat Filia. "
During the appearance of writing in Russia, elements of the epigram appeared everywhere, even in the serious genre of the "accusatory word", which was rooted in the tradition of the Byzantine teaching word.
The Russian epigram ridiculed idolatry, sorcery, belief in the "bird's grave", illegal dances (ritual dances preserved from the pre-Christian faith), of human vices - "drunkenness", love of gold, slander, malice, lies, fornication, etc.
In the 17th century, in the Baroque era, the socio-historical situation also matured for graceful satire. Fables and epigrams were translated into Russian, Russian witters mastered the form and theorized style.
In the 18th century, the Russian epigram can already be spoken of as an independent genre. And, as always, the Russians had a question - what content should such a capacious form serve? Feofan Prokopovich, an associate of Peter I, a Ukrainian by nationality, who knew perfectly Latin, rhetoric, poetics and literary theory, believed that the epigram was not a trifle, but a benefit to the Fatherland. The fashionable at that time "curious" verses - palindromes or "poems of crayfish", he considered useless, and elevated the epigram to the heights of political resonance. His murderous sarcasm spawned highly social epigrams.
His follower Antioch Cantemir - French translator and founder satirical satire- handed over the baton of the new poetic system to Trediakovsky and Lomonosov. With their help, the genre grew out of the ancient canon, reached the next level and began to develop in the common European channel.
A.P. Sumarokov, an aristocrat and nobleman, filled with indignation and sarcasm, took over the baton in the middle of the 18th century. Despite his high position, he branded vice in any of its guises. More than a hundred epigrams ridicule the bone, chicanery and bribery of colleagues from the privileged class.
G.R. Derzhavin, I.I. Chemnitser, V.V. Kapnist - the authors of risky epigrams to court intrigues and dignitaries, were the first to ridicule specific people, and not social vices. Usually, in the era of Russian classicism, the heroes of the epigrams bore “speaking surnames”: Khmelnikov was a drinker, Skryagin was a mean, Maralov was a mediocre writer. At the turn of the 18th - 9th centuries, the epigram became more lively and caustic, like life itself. Such verses were no longer published and passed from mouth to mouth, and the most successful ones appeared in handwritten collections. At the same time, satirical and vaudeville "couplets", close in spirit, arose.
With the advent of romanticism and sentimentalism, the epigram received a deeper philosophical meaning and expressive content.
“... more faces than heads; and there are even fewer souls. " Karamzin
The Russian epigram took off when Pushkin touched it. He adopted the entire arsenal of techniques accumulated before him and, having mastered the poetic form literally from childhood, created poems that are sharp, combative, deep and caustic. He first began to find semantic consonances between surnames and negative traits of the hero's character: the pugnacious journalist Kachenovsky, by association with a poker, becomes Kochergovsky, the opportunist Bulgarin is compared to a weather vane and is called Flyugarin, and for sneakiness - Vidok Figlyarin. Epigrams-portraits, for which Pushkin suffered, succeeded him most vividly.
S.A. Sobolevsky, E.A. Baratynsky, P.A. Vyazemsky elevated the Russian epigram into the art of instantaneous, lightning-fast exposure of the base essence of the character, thereby, probably, creating a kind of proven immunity from the social decline of morals.
§2.Catyric magazines AND. I. Novikova ("Drone", "Pustomelya", "Painter", "Purse")
A special place among the periodicals of the late 1760s - early 1770s was occupied by the journals of Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov. It was thanks to the activity of this writer in polemics with the official line of "All sorts of things" and irrespective of it that the real preconditions were formed for that direction in journalism and, more broadly, in Russian literature of the 18th century, which constituted the national modification of the noble enlightenment of this century. L.P.Sumarokov and D.I.Fonvizin adjoined this direction, and later the young A.I. A circle of authors who critically perceived certain aspects of the domestic policy of Catherine II rallied around the Novyakovsk magazines, and it is possible that the very idea of organizing their own publications came to Novikov after it became finally clear to him and his like-minded people who was behind the publication of “Anything and everything. ".
Novikov's first journal "Truten" began to appear on May 1, 1769, and until April 27, 1770, St. Petersburg readers could receive sheets of this magazine every week. The "Truten" was published in the printing house of the Academy of Sciences, and on the first holes, in 1769, its circulation exceeded 1200 copies. In 1770 the circulation decreased slightly - to 750 copies. Nevertheless, the magazine was a huge success with its readers. It is no coincidence that Novikov later included the best articles of The Drone in the third and fourth editions of his other magazine, The Painter (1775 and 1781).
Novikov managed to combine on the pages of "Drone" known in
that is the time of Russian writers. Among his employees were D.I.Fonvizin, F.L. Emin, A.O. Ablesimov, M.I. Popov, V.I. and others. There are serious grounds to assert about the participation in the journal of AP Sumarokov, whose name becomes a kind of ideological banner of the new publication. As epigraphs for the first issues of the "Drone" for each year, Novikov chooses quotations from Sumarokov's parables: "They work, and you go their work ..." (from the parable "Beetles and Bees") and "Dangerous instruction strictly "(Finale of the parable" Satyr and vile people "). On the example of Sumarokov, in particular on his comedy "Dashing Names", Novikov refers, defending his position in a dispute with "Anything and everything" about the purpose of satire and the admissibility of "criticism written on the face." Sumarokov's name appears in the materials of The Drone, dedicated to the literary struggle of those years. "The glorious Russian poet", "compared in fables with La Fontaine, in eclogs with Virgil, in the tragedies with Racine and Voltaire" - such epithets are accompanied every time Sumarokov's name is mentioned in the magazine.
Another writer, whose essays are praised in the "Drone" and whose participation in the publication of the magazine is beyond doubt, is DI Fonvizin. So, in two issues of the magazine he published two letters from a certain uncle to his nephew. In both letters, an uncle who profited from bribes in the voivodeship persuades his nephew Ivan to leave the village and enter the order service, colorfully describing the benefits that "judicial science" can bring him. He is ready to help the young man in mastering the necessary skills. In the context of Fonvizin's satirical prose, his uncle's self-confident reasoning in its own way anticipates the brilliant revelations of another uncle - Yermolai Trifonovich from the cycle of letters from relatives to Fa-laley, published later in the journal "Painter".
But the main contribution to filling the magazine with satirical materials belongs to Novikov himself. "Drone" differs from other magazines in the extraordinary variety of genres of prose satire presented in it. In addition to moralistic essays and forms of satirical epistolary, Novikov in almost every issue of the magazine places a heading of parody "Vedomosti", publishes sharp satirical "recipes" in which he gives portraits of tyrant masters or vain empty-headed dandies and coquettes. Here he continues the traditions of the parody chimes and humorous healers of the 17th century. In parallel to these materials, masterful hoaxes are published in the Novikov journal, striking in
its life authenticity and artistic expressiveness, creating a feeling of authentic documents. Such are, for example, "Copies of peasants' letters to their landlords" and the response "A copy of the landlord's decree to the peasants."
The "Vedomosti" section is kept from issue to issue in "Trutnya", containing news allegedly received from different cities of Russia, as well as various kinds of announcements such as messages about contracts, buying and selling, arriving and leaving, etc. Here is a sample of this kind of materials: “From Kronshtat. Recently, ships have arrived at the local port: 1. Trompeur from Rouen in 18 days; Vettilles from Marseille in 23 days. They brought the following goods we needed: French swords of various sorts, tortoiseshell, paper, wax snuff boxes, lace, blondes, fringes, cuffs, ribbons, stockings, hats, dowels and all sorts of so-called haberdashery items; Dutch feathers in bunches, repaired and unkempt, pins of various sorts and other fashionable small goods, and from the port of St. Petersburg, our various household trifles will be loaded onto those ships, such as: hemp, iron, leather, lard, candles, linens, and so on. Many of our young nobles laugh at the foolishness of the French gentlemen that they travel so far and exchange their fashionable goods for our trifles. " The impartial tone of a message that mimics newspaper information gives the reported fact the appearance of seriousness. But already the French names of the ships (Trompeur - "deceiver", Vettilles - "trifles, trinkets") serve as the first signal indicating the parody setting of the message. The closing phrase, full of hidden irony, leaves no doubt about the author's position. This is a caustic satire on the order of business, when the wealth of the country, created by the labor of the people, is exchanged for fashionable trinkets that serve to satisfy the whims of jaded idlers and dandies of the noble class. And here is an example of a parodic announcement of “contracts”: “In a certain judicial place, justice up to 10 Judas is needed; those wishing to contract for the delivery thereof may appear in that place. "
If we turn to another form of satirical denunciations used by Novikov in The Drone - the form of recipes for a parody medical book, here the author's democratism has a direct polemical orientation against the methods of satire propagated by “Anything and everything”. Ekaterina's magazine was also engaged in issuing prescriptions to its readers, recommending either a cure for insomnia - read Trediakovsky's Tilemakhida, or a remedy for his wife's infidelity - to cheat on his own. Novikov's democracy feeds on hot
sympathy for the fate of workers who are victims of the whims and willfulness of the masters. The “recipes” of the “Drone” reveal the terrible appearance of serf owners who have become inhuman in their inhumanity, such as Recklessness, who “is sick with the opinion that peasants are not human beings, but peasants, and what peasants are, he knows about this only because they are his serfs. " The recipe given to Recklessness is as follows: "Recklessness must every day examine the bones of the master and the peasant twice every day, until now, until he finds the difference between the master and the peasant."
The gallery of the "sick" is complemented by His Excellency Mr. Nedoum, a nobleman who "every day has a fever to be called his breed ... He wishes that there would be no other creatures on the entire globe except noble ones, and that the common people be completely exterminated ... "Here is the recipe that the publisher of" Drone "gives to the arrogant Numb:" It is necessary for the patient to instill a contented measure of common sense and philanthropy, which will exterminate from him empty arrogance and arrogant contempt for other people ... It seems that it is more commendable for the poor to be a nobleman or bourgeois and useful a member of the state, rather than a noble breed of parasite, known only for stupidity, home, carriages and liveries. "
The “letters” printed on the pages of “Drone” and the materials imitating the original documents are striking in their force of accusatory pathos. Such are the aforementioned "Copies of the peasants' unsubscribe to their landowner" and "A copy of the landlord's decree to the peasants", the content of which was devoted to the topic of relations between landowners and peasants. Novikov's courage and innovation manifested itself in the fact that this was the first time when the voice of the oppressed peasantry sounded on the pages of a periodical in the following form: forty-three rubles twenty kopecks, but they could not collect more: the peasants were meager, they could take net. bread was not born this year, they could force the seeds to be collected in the threshing floor. Yes, God visited us with a beastly case, almost all of the beast fell down; and that remained, since there was nothing to feed it, the hay was bad, and there was not enough straw, and your peasants, sir, many went around the world. "
From the above passage, a picture of the plight of the peasants emerges. And the words of the landlord's decree sound in complete contrast: “To our man, Semyon Grigorievich. You go to **** our villages, and upon arrival, correct the following: 1. Travel from here to our villages and back to have the headman Andrei Lazarev on the brush. 2. Arriving there, at the meeting of all the peasants, the headman should be whipped mercilessly because he had a bad look behind the peasants and put the rent in arrears, and afterwards to change him from the headman, and in addition to charge him with a fine of one hundred rubles ... ”The language of the master the decree imitated the style of official decisions, which gave the private fact of landlord arbitrariness a broad generalizing meaning. Such satire bordered in its artistic techniques with the journalistic documentary genre. It is no coincidence that N. A. Dobrolyubov, in his article "Russian satire of Catherine's time", accompanied the analysis of the "unsubscribes" with the following remark: "These documents are so well written that sometimes one wonders if they are genuine."
These are the main, most vivid and innovative forms of journal prose satire, used by Novikov on the pages of "Drone", although they are far from exhausting the entire rich content of the magazine. "Drone" continued to be published until April 1770. The termination of the publication took place, apparently, not without administrative influence. The obstacles that the "Drone" were repaired can be judged by the characteristic announcement placed in the satirical "Vedomosti" sheet XVIII of August 25: do not print; and many people who are printed without any shame take it personally, and they revile him for that everywhere. "
Soon after the termination of the publication of "Drone" Novikov launched a new magazine "Pustomelya". In choosing the name, he apparently took advantage of the example of the English moralizing magazine "The Tatler", but, as in the previous case, the seeming frivolity of the name was? full of obvious irony. "Pustomelja" began to be published in June 1770 and came out within two months with a circulation of 500 copies. The materials were also published anonymously, although in this edition Novikov also attracted other authors to participate. Among the staff of "Pustomel" we again see DI Fonvizin, as well as the orientalist-translator A. L. Leontyev.
In this edition, Novikov somewhat departed from a purely satirical orientation in the selection of materials placed on its pages, and already in the first, June issue, he published the beginning of the moral narrative "Historical Adventure". This work is interesting because in it we are dealing with an attempt to depict in a narrative form living examples of correct patriotic education in the spirit of following the primordial Russian virtues, the main of which is serving the interests of the Fatherland. Such is the young Dobroserd, the son of the Novgorod nobleman Dobronrava, who is trained in all new sciences, foreign languages and at the same time remains faithful to the simple way of life of his ancestors without any enthusiasm for fashionable habits of panache and oversight. His relationship with his neighbor's girlfriend Milovida, his fiancée, is also ideal. Betrothed to her, he still goes to serve in the army. The story remained unfinished, but Novikov's attempt to oppose the educational system based on imitation with a completely natural view of the problem of education, corresponding to the needs of the nation and not dependent on fashion, is indicative.
Other material of such a plan can be considered the "Testament of Yunjen of the Chinese Khan to his son" placed in the next, July issue. Translated from the Chinese language by A. L. Leontev, this essay presents the image of an ideal ruler, modest in dealing with people dependent on him and completely devoid of vanity, caring only about the needs of the state and the welfare of his subjects. And in anticipation of a mortal end, Yunjun thinks of himself least of all. This publication also fit into Novikov's educational program, but now it was a veiled proclamation of the postulates of enlightened absolutism, precisely the concept of monarchical power, which Catherine P.
The most poignant social satire is the essay of DI Fonvizin, published in the same issue, "A message to my servants Shumilov, Vanka and Petrushka." In this "Message" through the mouth of the author's servants, a picture is given of the universal corruption and immorality of those in power, not excluding the ministers of the cult.
The priests try to deceive the people. The servants are the butler, the butlers are the masters. Lords are each other, and the nobles are boyars. Often they want to deceive the sovereign too.
For the money of the most supreme creator, both the shepherd and the sheep are ready to deceive.
This is how he answers the question "Why was this light created?" coachman Fonvizin Vanka. For valet Petrushka, light also appears as a spectacle, where everyone plays their role, guided by one goal - self-interest. This is a vivid example of militant satire in the spirit of the ideas of the French Enlightenment of the 18th century, not excluding the proclamation of the postulates of deism. And it is no coincidence that the author of this message was accused of atheism. It is likely that the closure of Pustomel could be tacitly connected with this publication.
There was also a section "Guided by Gay" in the magazine, free of social-satirical coloration. The main topic of Vedomosti was the coverage of the events of the Russian-Turkish war. A notable innovation of the section was the placement in it, perhaps, of the first theater reviews of Russian performances in Russian periodicals. The reviews were devoted to the outstanding figures of the Russian theater of the 18th century. - playwright A.P. Sumarokov, actor A.I.Dmitrevsky and actress T.M. Troepolskaya. So, in the June "Vedomosti" it was reported about the tour in Moscow of the actor Dmitrevsky, who played the main role in Sumarokov's tragedy "Semir", and also distinguished himself in the drama "Eugene" by Beaumarchais. The assessment of the actor's play was beyond praise, which testified to the high degree of theatrical culture of the Moscow audience. Along the way, the review contained information about the theater's current repertoire.
Another review, published in the July issue, is dedicated to the staging of one of Sumarokov's best tragedies, Sinav and Truvor, on the St. Petersburg stage. The actors' play was especially noted: “... it must be fair that Mr. Dmitrevsky and Mrs. Troepolskaya astonished the audience. Nowadays, in St. Petersburg, neither Garriks, nor Likeny, nor Gossenshi are surprising. The coming again French actors and actresses confirm that. " Similar reviews on the pages of Pustomel also reflected Novikov's desire to combine a program of accusatory satire with the assertion of his own national values in the field of culture.
In 1772 Novikov launched a new magazine called "The Painter". In it, the traditions of magazine satire, laid down by "Drone", found their further continuation. True, taught by bitter experience, Novikov is now diligently masking the most critical materials, skillfully interspersing them with the publication of panegyric works in poetry and prose.
Mine new magazine Novikov dedicated "to the unknown city writer of the comedy" O Time! "". This "writer" was none other than Catherine II herself. Just in 1772, the empress decided to test herself in a new role - playwright. She composes several moral-descriptive comedies in which, as if continuing the traditions of the magazine "Anything and everything," under the guise of an abstract satire on manners, she ridicules those who disagree with her policy - naturally, in a veiled form and anonymously. Novikov skillfully used this circumstance in his dedication. Noting the courage in exposing the vices presented by the "unknown writer" of the comedy "Oh Time!" in a laudable feat to correct the morals of their fellow citizens, ”he declares on the first page of the publication, as if taking the crowned anonymous author as his allies. At the same time, the magazine had no equal among the editions of 1769-1772 in terms of satyr saturation and poignancy of certain materials placed in the "Painter".
The Painter was published from April 1772 to June 1773, with a circulation of 636 copies in the first half of the year and 758 copies in the second half of the year. Among Novikov's employees we see Catherine II and Princess E.R.Dashkov, D.I.Fonvizin, young A.N. Radishchev, poets P.S.Potemkin, V.G. Ruban, F.V. Sushkov.
In this magazine, Novikov again places works that attracted the attention of readers to one of the most pressing problems of social life in Russia at that time - the problem of the oppressed position of the Russian serf peasantry. Among such works, first of all, the famous "Excerpt of a trip to *** I *** T ***" should be named. Placed in the 5th sheet of the "Painter", this short essay contained a stunningly powerful denunciation of the descriptions of the inhuman conditions in which the doomed to powerlessness, intimidated and impoverished peasants, who constituted the bulk of the population of Russia, had to live. For a long time there have been controversies regarding the author of this work. A number of scholars consider A.N. Radishchev to be the author of the "Fragment ..." They are opposed by the point of view according to which 11. I. Novikov should be considered the author. Archival searches carried out in the 1970s helped to find documents confirming the authorship of A.Y. Radishchev.
Pictures of the traveler's visit to the village of Ruined far outgrew the significance of a particular fact, acquiring the scale of symbolic generalization. The description of the inhuman living conditions of the peasants was supplemented by a vivid picture of the fear that peasant children experienced from one type of master's carriage; they are afraid to approach her, and this evokes the author's remark: “These are the fruits of cruelty and fear, oh you thin and cruel gentlemen! You have lived to the point of such misfortune that people like you fear you like wild animals. "
The publication of "Fragment ..." caused such a strong resonance that Novikov had to urgently place an article "English Walk" on the 13th page of his magazine, where, defending the position expressed in the essay, he at the same time tried to soften the generalizing pathos of denunciation. "Let the gentlemen of the critics say who is more insulting to the venerable noble corps, I will say even more importantly who is shaming humanity: are they nobles who use their advantage for evil, or is it your satire on them?"
By publishing another remarkable satirical work - a cycle of letters to Falalei - Novikov revealed to the reader the other side of the serf system: the corrupting influence of slavery on the members of the ruling noble class. The moral insignificance of Falalei's parents made the more horrifying impression because the serfs, whom they mercilessly robbed, not counting people, were in their complete power. “Even peel off the skin of the peasants, there is not much profit ... they go to my work for five days, but how much will they do in five days; I beat them mercilessly, but there is no profit ... "- confesses Trifon Pank-ratyevich, Falaley's father. There were also disputes about the belonging of these materials to the pen of D.I. Pictures of the life of the district nobles, which emerged from the pages of "The Painter", bear direct resemblance to scenes from the life of the Prostakov family from Fonvizin's comedy "The Minor".
Uses Novikov in "The Painter" and those forms of satire, which he used with such brilliance on the pages of the magazine "Truten". He continues the tradition of satirical "Vedomosti", puts in the 10th sheet "Experience of a fashionable dictionary of dandy dialect", where he wittily ridicules newfangled admirers of French customs and the newest manner of expressing himself in a secular way - like, for example, the use of the word ah. “Man, drag yourself to me, I'm a hunter before you. - Oh, how glorious you are! Tight, tighter, I'm falling from you! .. Ah ... Ha, ha, ha! Oh, man, how unimportant you are! "
Of the narrative forms of moral-descriptive satire on the pages of The Painter, one can single out a capacious, albeit small in volume, anonymous essay "The Consequences of Bad Upbringing", which, despite its essay character, can be considered as a sketch of a novel about upbringing.
Novikov republished The Painter twice, including in the third edition of 1773 the most interesting materials from his first magazine. The need for such reprints testified to the great popularity of Novikov's magazines. However, the content of The Painter in 1773 was significantly inferior to the first issues in terms of the severity of the materials included in it. Apparently, the unspoken censorship affected the direction of the publication. In the 3rd and 4th sheets Novikov reprints the essay of DI Fonvizin, published back in 1771, “A Word on the Recovery of His Imp. Highness, Tsarevich, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich ", and on sheets 6-7 and 13-17, translations of satire by the French satirist of the 18th century are printed. N. Boileau (VIII satire "On a Man" and X satire "On Women"). These materials, of course, could not be compared with the striking sketches of local life presented in the letters to Falaley or in the essay by A.N. Radishchev.
With all the critical attitude to certain aspects of the domestic policy of Catherine II, Novikov constantly retained faith in the concept of enlightened absolutism and it was in the nobility that he saw the guiding force of society. Sincerely sympathizing with the oppressed position of the peasantry, he translated the solution of the main issue for the serf system into a purely moral plane. He believed that the main and only means of correcting existing social evils was the enlightenment of people, the awakening of moral virtue in them. Satire was considered by him as one of the most effective forms of moral education of fellow citizens. The content of "Drone" and "Painter" was supposed to serve the fulfillment of this task.
Novikov's last satirical publication was his magazine "Purse", which began to appear in July 1774 and existed for only about three months, until September 8. The publication was weekly, no information about its circulation has been preserved.
After the overwhelming success of "The Painter", with its sharp incriminating speeches, recession is observed again. The satirical pathos of criticism of the social system and the depravity of the morals of the ruling class gives way in the "Purse" to defending the ideas of national identity and spiritual domestic values; there is a predominance of a purely positive program. The targets of attacks are now mainly representatives of the country in which the publisher sees the source of the decline in the morality of the Russian nobility, that is, the French.
Novikov did not choose the name "Purse" for his new magazine by chance. He promises to explain its meaning to the readers in the preface, but the promise remained unfulfilled. And nevertheless, some assumptions on this score can be made. The word wallet in the 18th century. had several meanings, and in addition to an item for storing money, a purse was called a part of a fashionable toilet in the form of a purse that protected the collar from powder falling from the wig. In all likelihood, both of these meanings feed the allegorical subtext of the title chosen by Novikov for his journal. One aspect of this subtext is the emphasized patriotism that colors the pithy pathos of the new edition. But some materials in the magazine suggest the presence in it of a hidden idea of transforming the pockets of Russian nobles into a kind of bottomless purse, skillfully emptied by clever visiting adventurers.
The purse was not rich in content, but the direction of its pathos is obvious. Already in the very first sheet, the position of the publisher was stated directly and bluntly, starting with the dedication. “This work is zealously dedicated to my fatherland,” it said on the first page. And the subsequent appeal to the readers "Instead of a Preface" revealed the original ideological attitudes of the editorial board: "Two reasons prompted me to publish this weak creation and dedicate it to my Fatherland: first, that I, being born and brought up in the bowels of the Fatherland, owes him for this to serve with their feasible works and love it, as I love him for an innate feeling and respect for the ancient great virtues that adorned our forefathers. "
This openly declared retrospectiveness of the publisher's position meant a qualitative shift in the understanding of those spiritual values that the publisher of "Purse" put forward as the moral support of his worldview. The hopes for the speculative postulates of humanism facing the future, preached by the ideologists of the European Enlightenment, are now giving way to reliance on the traditions of the Russian past. It is no coincidence that two years before the release of "The Purse", Novikov undertook a somewhat unusual, archive-based publication "Ancient Russian Vivlifika", in which historical documents and monuments of national antiquity were published. The publication lasted until 1775, and a total of 10 volumes were issued.
In "The Purse", the exaltation of the virtues of the ancestors becomes the basis for assessing the decline in morals, which was one of the hallmarks of the nobility of that time. However, in this life, Novikov seeks to find positive examples. Fundamental in this regard is the material placed in the 2nd and 3rd pages of the magazine - two satirical and moralizing conversations: “I. Between a Russian and a Frenchman "and" II. Between a German and a Frenchman. "
Before us are everyday scenes. In the first, a Frenchman who has lost at cards, posing as a nobleman here, in Russia, being in fact the son of a solicitor, lures money from the Russian whose children he is going to become a teacher of. The Frenchman says he is amazed at the goodwill of the people in Russia. To which his new owner remarks: “If you get to know my Fatherland more, then you will cease to be surprised at my action. Russians are all inclined to good deeds. With no less pleasure they provide all kinds of help, with which others accept them; and from this, in my opinion, there is a human office.<...>Our ancestors and ours were a hundred times more virtuous than we are, and our land did not bear fiends who had no inclination to good deeds and did not love their Fatherland. " The last phrase already contains a hidden polemic allusion to the address of the nobles who have lost their former morals.
Publisher "Drone" - Nikolay Ivanovich Novikov (1744-1818)
"Drone":
- epigraph magazine on the title page: "They work, and you eat their work" taken from the parable of Sumarokov "Beetles and Bees". And reveals the main ideological focus: opposition of masters and serfs, landlords and peasants.
- "Drones" - parasites landowners robbing the serfs working for them. Novikov explained that this name is in accordance with his vice, i.e. laziness that he will not write enough and will start printing letters, essays and translations sent to him.
- polemicized with "All sorts of things"(For example, about the essence of satire), especially on political topics
In his notes in the "Trout" Novikov reveals the essence of the political game of Catherine II explaining to the reader the reactionary nature of the position of the semi-official magazine (“Anything and everything”), which spreads the absurd and politically unsound legend about the “enlightened” nature of the autocracy.
Novikov was convinced that only that satire, which is written "on the face", can be effective... In the preface to The Drone, Novikov speaks of his main intention - to correct morals, seeing the possibility of this in publishing works "especially satirical, critical and others, to correct the morals of employees."
Novikov knew how to touch on social ulcers, to touch the sore sides of social life in order to make them more tangible and try to fix them. He did not encroach on the foundations of the monarchy, did not think about the abolition of serfdom, but he strove to stop abusing it and warmly sympathized with the situation of the peasants.
In the foreword, Novikov, in a joking tone, calls himself a lazy cunning man, incapable of service, and also paints a picture of all kinds state activities: “Military service seems to me very hectic and oppressive to humanity. The Prikaznaya is troublesome. The courtier of all is quieter, but one should know the science of pretense. "
In the magazine (for the first time on such a scale in Russia) the peasant theme is revealed... Novikov openly declared that he sympathized with the serf people, and condemned the gentlemen who mocked the people under their control. Materials "Drone" with the help of satire showed complete legal powerlessness of the peasants and made it clear that the question of the position of the peasantry in Russia is of the most important state significance. For the first time, the issues of serfdom were touched upon by "Anything and everything." However, no one proposed to cancel it or find a way to help the serfs, the author only states the current situation.
Novikov creates a number of satirically poignant, social portraits of cruel, ignorant landowners. These are Serpent, Zlorad, Nadoum, Self-love, Recklessness, etc., suffering from vanity, greed, greed and other vices.
Novikov was terribly worried about the questions: "Why am I needed at all?" and "What is the benefit of me to society?" He replied that living without benefit is to be a burden for everyone. And he can only provide a service by publishing other people's works (i.e. a magazine). Thus, he gave up his official career and started collecting "satirical, critical and other materials to correct the morals of employees" by other authors.
Novikov, satirically describing noble customs, especially sharply spoke against passion for foreignism and contempt for the Russian(which was a very noticeable phenomenon in the high society of that era).
The theme of the satire "Drone" was not limited to the fight against "All sorts of things". The "drone" sharply takes up arms against covetousness, hypocrisy, ignorance, external Europeanization of the nobility, falsely understood upbringing and education of the nobility, considering these problems as social problems. In the "Drone" there was a news about "a young Russian pig, who traveled to foreign lands to educate his mind and returned already completely a pig."
The articles "Drone" depict a group of dandies and dandies: Narcissists, Nonsense, Pompous, infected with everything foreign, despising their country and their language. Novikov sees the reason for this in a bad upbringing.
In one of the issues of "Drone", published on May 5, it was published letter that said that bribes flourish in the courts and that you can cash in on the voivodeship... In the letter, the uncle advises his nephew to enter the "clerk service", i.e. become an official. “If you think that according to the current decrees she is not naughty, then you are mistaken in this, my friend. True, in modern times, not even a tenth will come against the former, but with all that, in a dozen years, you can make a good village. " My uncle writes that upon his arrival in the voivodeship, he increased the number of his peasants from 60 to 300 and would have made more if the prosecutor had been "more agreeable" with him.
Drone "criticized the sermons of" philanthropy "and" condescension "to human vices, calls to expose vice, and not its specific carriers, published in the magazine" Anything and everything ". Novikov under the pseudonym Pravdulyubova ridicules this: “They say that human weaknesses are common and that they should be covered with philanthropy; consequently, they sewed a caftan out of philanthropy for vices; but it would be more appropriate to call such people love of mankind. In my opinion, the one who corrects vices is more humane than the one who condescends or indulges them. Loving money is the same weakness. Why is it forgivable for a weak person to take bribes and enrich himself with robberies ... in a word, I see neither good nor difference in weakness or vice. Weakness and vice, in my opinion, are all one thing, but lawlessness is another matter. " And further: “Mistress Miscellaneous wrote that the Drones destroy the fifth leaf. And this is somehow not said in Russian; to destroy, that is, to turn into nothing, is a word characteristic of autocracy, and such trifles as its leaves, no power is decent. " The "drone" reproached the empress for her poor knowledge of the Russian language, pretending that he did not know with whom he corresponded and argued.
In one of the numbers of "Drone" Novikov put Chistoserdov's letter(ostensibly) supporting the magazine. Chistoserdov warns the publisher: in court circles it is believed that the author of "Drone" is not getting into his sleigh and is completely in vain to write about noble people. Chistoserdov conveys the direct threat of the courtiers insulted by Novikov. "Write satire on the nobles," says Chistoserdov, "on the bourgeoisie, on the clerks, on the judges who sold their conscience, and on all vicious people." With a letter from Chistoserdov, Novikov warned readers about where the magazine could expect trouble from, but did not subdue the tone of satire and did not stop attacking noble people.
- in 1770"Drone", taught by the experience of literary and political struggle, should have been somewhat reduce the harshness of your attacks and satirical speeches... The reason for this weakening of tone Novikov pointed out in new epigraph magazine: "It is dangerous to be instructed strictly, where there are many atrocities and insanity."(again the lines of Sumarokov).
Novikov emphasized the necessity of such a change in tone. He published several letters from readers expressing dissatisfaction with the weakening of magazine satire. The magazine's popularity plummeted, and in the 17th issue Novikov announced the termination of the publication.
In the final page, he wrote: “Against the wishes of my reader, I am parting with you; my circumstances and your usual greed for news, and after that disgust, that is the reason. " Summing up, we can say that Novikov, of course, was hit on the head from above, and the shop had to be urgently covered. But he fulfilled his goal, tk. achieved the closure of Catherine II's magazine "Anything and everything" and there was no need to prevent it bad influence on society ( No, WTF? what is the "harmful effect"?).
