Ivan Andreevich Krylov was born in February 1769 in Moscow, into the family of a poor army officer. Having shown heroism and courage during the pacification of the Pugachev rebellion, Andrei Krylov did not receive any awards or ranks. After retiring, he entered the civil service and moved with his wife and two sons to Tver. The position of chairman of the magistrate did not bring any significant income, the family lived in poverty. Krylov Sr. died in 1778 with the rank of captain. The life of the widow and children (the eldest son Ivan was only 9 years old) became even poorer.
Ivan Andreevich Krylov did not have the opportunity to get a good education. From his father, he adopted a great love of reading, inheriting only a huge chest of books. The Krylovs' wealthy neighbors allowed Ivan to be present at the French lessons that were given to their children. Thus, Ivan Krylov learned French tolerably.
The future fabulist began work very early and learned the hardship of life in poverty. After the death of his father, Ivan was hired as a sub-office clerk in the provincial magistrate of Tver, where Krylov Sr. had previously worked. The meager allowance only made it possible not to die of hunger. After 5 years, Ivan Krylov’s mother, taking her children, went to St. Petersburg to seek a pension and get her eldest son a job. So Ivan Krylov received a new position, getting a job as a clerk in the treasury chamber.
Young Krylov, without receiving any systematic education, persistently engaged in self-education. He read a lot and taught himself to play various instruments. At the age of 15, Ivan even wrote a short comic opera, composing couplets for it and calling it “The Coffee House.” This was his first, albeit unsuccessful, but still debut in literature. The writing language was very rich, which Krylov owed to his love of hustling among the common people at fairs and various common entertainments. “Thanks to” poverty, Ivan Andreevich was well acquainted with the life and customs of ordinary people, which was very useful to him in the future.
Creation
Ivan Andreevich Krylov's move to St. Petersburg coincided with the appearance of a public theater in the city. The young man, drawn to art, immediately visited the newly opened theater. There he met some artists and from then on lived in the interests of this temple of art. Krylov did not want to seriously pursue a career in the new government service; all his interests were directed in a completely different direction. Therefore, the 18-year-old boy resigned and took up literary activity.
At first it was unsuccessful. Ivan Krylov wrote the tragedy “Philomela”, imitating the classics. There were some glimpses of the talent and free-thinking of the novice author, but in literary terms, Philomela was a very mediocre work. But the young writer had no intention of stopping.
The tragedy was followed by several comedies. “The Mad Family”, “The Pranksters”, “The Writer in the Hallway” and others also did not impress readers and critics with their talent. But the increase in skill in comparison with “Philomela” was still noticeable.
The first fables of Ivan Andreevich Krylov were published without a signature. They appeared in the magazine "Morning Hours" in 1788. Three works, called “The Shy Gambler,” “The Fate of the Gamblers,” and “The Newly Granted Donkey,” were almost unnoticed by readers and did not receive critical approval. There was a lot of sarcasm and causticity in them, but no skill.
In 1789, Ivan Krylov, together with Rachmanin, began publishing the magazine “Mail of Spirits”. He seeks to revive the strong satire that Novikov's magazines previously demonstrated. But the publication was not successful and ceased publication that same year. But this does not stop Krylov. After 3 years, he and a group of like-minded people create another magazine, calling it “Spectator”. A year later, the magazine “St. Petersburg Mercury” appeared. These publications published some of Krylov’s prose works, the most striking of which were the story “Kaib” and the article “A Eulogy to My Grandfather,” which was quite bold for its time, denouncing landowner tyranny.
Ivan Krylov's magazine "Spirit Mail" It is not known for certain what caused Ivan Krylov’s temporary withdrawal from literary activity, and why he left St. Petersburg. Perhaps some kind of harassment began from the authorities, or maybe a literary failure pushed the writer to leave the city, but until 1806 Krylov almost abandoned writing. In 1806, Krylov returned to active literary activity.
He writes quite talented translations of La Fontaine's fables "The Oak and the Cane", "The Picky Bride" and "The Old Man and the Three Young People". Translations with a flattering recommendation from Ivan Dmitriev are published by the capital’s magazine “Moscow Spectator”. Also in 1806, Ivan Krylov returned to St. Petersburg and staged the comedy “Fashion Shop”. Next year there will be another one – “A Lesson for Daughters”. Society, which experienced an upsurge of patriotic feelings in connection with the Napoleonic Wars, greets the productions with great enthusiasm. After all, they ridicule Frenchmania.
In 1809, the real creative rise of Ivan Krylov began. The first edition of his fables, consisting of 23 works (among which is the well-known “Elephant and Pug”), is extremely popular. Since then, Krylov has become a famous fabulist, whose new works are eagerly awaited by the public. Ivan Andreevich returns to public service. First, he took a prominent position in the Coinage Department, and after 2 years - in the Imperial Public Library, where he worked from 1812 to 1841.
During this period, Krylov also changed internally. Now he is complacent and reserved. Doesn't like to quarrel, is very calm, ironic and increasingly lazy. Since 1836, Ivan Krylov no longer writes anything. In 1838, the literary community solemnly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the fabulist’s creative activity. The writer died in November 1844.
More than 200 fables came from the pen of Ivan Andreevich Krylov. In some he denounced Russian reality, in others - human vices, and still others - simply poetic anecdotes. Over time, many apt Krylov expressions entered colloquial speech and enriched the Russian language. His fables are very popular and generally understandable. They are aimed at everyone, not just the highly educated intelligentsia. During the author's lifetime, almost 80 thousand copies of published collections of fables were sold. At that time - an unprecedented phenomenon. The popularity of Ivan Andreevich Krylov can be compared with the lifetime popularity of and.
Personal life
Legends circulated and jokes were made about Ivan Krylov’s absent-mindedness, careless sloppiness and incredible appetite. It was quite in his spirit to put a night cap in his coat pocket instead of a handkerchief, pull it out while in society and blow his nose. Ivan Andreevich was absolutely indifferent to his appearance. It would seem that such a person could not possibly enjoy the attention of the ladies. Nevertheless, information from his contemporaries has been preserved, claiming that Ivan Krylov’s personal life, although not stormy, was certainly not absent.
At the age of 22, he fell in love with the daughter of a priest from the Bryansk district, Anna. The girl reciprocated his feelings. But when the young people decided to get married, Anna’s relatives opposed this marriage. They were distantly related to and, moreover, wealthy. Therefore, they refused to marry their daughter to the poor rhymer. But Anna was so sad that her parents finally agreed to marry her to Ivan Krylov, which they telegraphed to him in St. Petersburg. But Krylov replied that he did not have the money to come to Bryansk, and asked to bring Anna to him. The girls' relatives were offended by the answer, and the marriage did not take place.
Contemporaries of Ivan Krylov wrote that eminent ladies were not indifferent to the sloppy and extravagant fabulist. Allegedly, he was loved by a ballerina who was the kept woman of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. But the fabulist joked that he was unsuitable for marriage. They say that the empress herself was very sympathetic to the charming fat man. And this despite the fact that Ivan Andreevich dared to appear in front of her in a holey boot from which a finger was sticking out, and even sneeze when he kissed the empress’s hand.
Ivan Krylov never married. Officially, he has no children. But the fabulist’s contemporaries argued that Ivan Andreevich still had a common-law wife. It was his housekeeper Fenya. Krylov could not marry her, since society would condemn him. Nevertheless, Fenya gave birth to a girl, Sasha, who is considered Krylov’s illegitimate daughter. That this may be true is evidenced by the fact that after Feni’s death, Sasha remained to live with Krylov. And after her marriage, Krylov happily nursed her children and transferred all his property to the name of Alexandra’s husband. At the time of the death of Ivan Krylov, Sasha, her husband and two children were at his bedside.
Fables
- Dragonfly and Ant
- Swan, Crayfish and Pike
- A Crow and a fox
- Wolf and Lamb
- Monkey and Glasses
- Quartet
- Pig under the Oak
- Demyanova's ear
- Leaves and roots
- The picky bride
Krylov Ivan Andreevich (1769-1844) - Russian poet, author of more than 200 fables, publicist, was engaged in publishing satirical and educational magazines.
Childhood
Father, Andrei Prokhorovich Krylov, was a poor army officer. When the Pugachev rebellion was pacified in 1772, he served in a dragoon regiment and proved himself a hero, but did not receive any ranks or medals for this. My father did not study much science, but he knew how to write and read. After retiring, he was transferred to the civil service as chairman of the Tver magistrate. Such service did not bring good income, so the family lived very poorly.
The poet's mother, Maria Alekseevna Krylova, became a widow early. The husband died at the age of 42, the eldest son Ivan was only 9 years old. After the death of the head of the family, the Krylovs’ life became even poorer. Ivan's early childhood years were spent on the road, as the family moved very often due to his father's service.
Education
Ivan Krylov did not have the opportunity to receive a good education. When he was little, his father taught him to read. The elder Krylov himself loved reading very much and left his son a large chest full of books as an inheritance.
Wealthy neighbors lived nearby and allowed the boy to attend the French lessons taught to their children. So Ivan gradually learned a foreign language. In general, Krylov received his entire education mainly due to the fact that he read a lot.
But what attracted him greatly in adolescence were noisy fairs and fist fights, shopping areas and public gatherings; he loved to hang around among ordinary people and listen to what they were talking about. At one time he even took part in street fights, which were called “wall to wall”; the guy himself was very strong and tall, so he often emerged victorious.
Labor activity
Due to the fact that the family was in need, Krylov began working very early. In 1777, he was taken to the magistrate of Tver, where his father served until his death, to the position of sub-office clerk. They paid pennies there, but at least the family didn’t die of hunger.
In 1782, the mother and her sons moved to St. Petersburg to seek a pension. Here Ivan got a job in the state chamber with a salary of 80-90 rubles.
In 1788, his mother died, and Krylov took full responsibility for raising his younger brother Lev. All his life, Ivan Andreevich took care of him as if he were his own son. Work in the government chamber no longer suited Krylov and he went to work in the Cabinet of Her Majesty (it was an institution like the personal office of the Empress).
Literary activity
In 1784, Krylov wrote his first work - the opera libretto “The Coffee House”. In the next two years, he composed two more tragedies, “Cleopatra” and “Philomela,” followed by the comedies “The Mad Family” and “The Writer in the Hallway.” So the young playwright began to work closely with the theater committee, receiving a free ticket.
The next comedy, “The Pranksters,” was different from the previous two; it was already bold, lively and witty in a new way.
In 1788, Krylov’s first fables were published in the magazine “Morning Hours”. Caustic and full of sarcasm, they did not receive approval from readers and critics.
Krylov decided to abandon public service and engage in publishing. For several years he was engaged in the production of satirical magazines:
- "Spirit Mail";
- "Viewer";
- "St. Petersburg Mercury".
In these magazines he published his fables and some prose works.
The authorities were not too fond of Krylov’s sarcasm; the Empress even invited him to go abroad for a while. But Ivan Andreevich refused and moved to Zubrilovka - the estate of Prince Golitsyn. There he worked as a secretary, taught children, and also wrote plays for home performances.
Krylov returned to active literary activity in 1806. He came to St. Petersburg, where he staged two comedies, “Fashion Shop” and “Lesson for Daughters,” one after another, which were a huge success.
And in 1809, Krylov’s rise as a fabulist began. The first collection of his fables included 23 works, among them the famous “Elephant and Moska”. The book turned out to be very popular, and readers began to look forward to new fables by Krylov.
Along with this, Ivan Andreevich returned to public service; he worked at the Imperial Public Library for almost 30 years.
More than 200 fables came from Krylov’s pen, in which he exposed both human vices and Russian reality. Every child knows these works of his:
- "Wolf and Lamb";
- "A Crow and a fox";
- "Dragonfly and Ant";
- "Swan, Cancer and Pike";
- "The Monkey and the Glasses";
- "Quartet".
Many expressions from his fables have firmly entered into colloquial Russian speech and have become popular.
last years of life
In the last years of his life, Krylov was in good standing with the tsarist authorities, received the position of state councilor and had an ample pension benefit. He became lazy and did not hesitate to be known as a slob and a glutton. We can say that at the end of his life all his talent dissolved in gourmetism and laziness.
Officially, Krylov was never married, but his contemporaries claimed that he lived in a civil marriage with his cook Fenya, and from him she gave birth to a daughter, Sasha. When Fenya died, Sasha lived in Krylov’s house, then he married her off, nursed the children, and after her death he transferred his entire fortune to Sasha’s husband.
Ivan Andreevich was born on February 2, 1769 in Moscow into a military family that did not have high incomes. When Ivan turned 6 years old, his father Andrei Prokhorovich was transferred for service to Tver, where the family continued to exist in poverty, and soon lost its breadwinner.
Due to the move and low income, Ivan Andreevich was unable to complete the education he began in Moscow. However, this did not prevent him from gaining considerable knowledge and becoming one of the most enlightened people of his time. This became possible thanks to the young man’s strong desire for reading, languages and sciences, which the future publicist and poet mastered through self-education.
Earlier creativity. Dramaturgy
Another “school of life” of Ivan Krylov, whose biography is very multifaceted, was the common people. The future writer enjoyed attending various folk festivals and entertainments, and often took part in street battles. It was there, in the crowd of ordinary people, that Ivan Andreevich drew pearls of folk wisdom and sparkling peasant humor, succinct colloquial expressions that would eventually form the basis of his famous fables.
In 1782, the family moved to St. Petersburg in search of a better life. In the capital, Ivan Andreevich Krylov began government service. However, such activities did not satisfy the young man’s ambitions. Having been carried away by the then fashionable theatrical trends, in particular under the influence of the play “The Miller” by A.O. Ablesimova, Krylov manifests himself in writing dramatic works: tragedies, comedies, opera librettos.
Contemporary critics, although they did not show high praise for the author, still approved of his attempts and encouraged him to continue his work. According to Krylov’s friend and biographer M.E. Lobanova, I.A. himself Dmitrievsky, a famous actor of that time, saw in Krylov the talent of a playwright. With the writing of the satirical comedy “Pranksters”, even the brief content of which makes it clear that Ya.B. was ridiculed in the play. Prince, considered the leading playwright of the time, the author quarrels not only with the “master” himself, but also finds himself in the field of grievances and criticism from the theater management.
Publishing activities
Failures in the field of drama did not cool, but, on the contrary, strengthened the satirical notes in the talent of the future fabulist Krylov. He takes on the publishing of the monthly satirical magazine “Mail of Spirits”. After eight months, the magazine, however, ceases to exist. After retiring in 1792, the publicist and poet acquired a printing house, where he began publishing the Spectator magazine, which began to enjoy greater success than Spirit Mail.
But after a search it was closed, and the publisher himself devoted several years to travel.
Last years
In Krylov’s brief biography it is worth mentioning the period associated with S.F. Golitsyn. In 1797, Krylov entered the prince's service as a home teacher and personal secretary. During this period, the author does not stop creating dramatic and poetic works. And in 1805 he sent a collection of fables for consideration to the famous critic I.I. Dmitriev. The latter appreciated the author’s work and said that this was his true calling. Thus, a brilliant fabulist entered the history of Russian literature, who devoted the last years of his life to writing and publishing works of this genre, working as a librarian. He has written more than two hundred fables for children, studied in different classes, as well as original and translated satirical works for adults.
Biography of Ivan Andreevich Krylov ()
Krylova’s mother, Marya Alekseevna, had no opportunity to educate her son, but since she was a naturally intelligent woman, although not educated, she paid great attention to her son’s self-education. Ivan studied literacy, arithmetic and prayers at home. He was also allowed to study with the children of a local landowner, whom he somehow surprised with his poetry.
In 1789, in the printing house of I.G. Rachmaninov and with his financing, Krylov begins to publish the monthly satirical magazine "Mail of Spirits".
In 1792, Krylov, together with his friends, opened a printing house and began publishing a new satirical magazine, “The Spectator,” which immediately became popular due to the topicality of its subject matter. In the summer of 1790, a search was carried out in the printing house, Krylov came under police surveillance, and publication of the magazine had to be stopped.
B works in the Coinage Department.
In 1809, the first book of Krylov’s fables was published, in which he acted not only as a moralist, but as an accuser of the “powerful” of this world who oppress the people. It was the fable that became the genre in which Krylov’s genius expressed itself unusually widely. Nine books, including more than 200 fables, make up Krylov’s fable heritage.
This man is one of the most famous fabulists in the history of our country, so people should definitely read interesting facts from the life of Ivan Andreevich Krylov, from whom there is sometimes something to learn.
- Krylov began earning money at the age of 10, since there was no father in the family and no money for food either.. Due to the fact that Ivan’s mother had no money at all, he could not get an education and learned his first basics of literacy on his own.
- Ivan Andreevich had an enviable appetite. He could eat an unlimited amount of food at any time of the day or night. Those who were familiar with such moments were therefore wary of inviting him to visit them, and if they did so, they first purchased groceries.
- Outwardly, the great fabulist looked extremely untidy. Krylov hated changing dirty clothes for clean ones and combing his hair. His jacket sometimes shone with grease stains left by fallen food. Friends often suggested that he wash and change clothes.
- Those around him considered Krylov a callous person. He was more than once accused of being thick-skinned and completely lacking any feelings. They say that after his mother’s death he went to a performance. However, this fact is just an unconfirmed rumor.
- In his youth, Ivan was fond of fist fights. Even as a child, being a strong and tall boy, he fought one on one with adult men and often defeated them. With age he managed this even more easily.
- Krylov did not hide his laziness. There was a painting hanging right above the sofa at his house. People around her more than once told the fabulist that she was at a dangerous angle and it was better to hang this work of art. Ivan Andreevich only laughed at those around him and did nothing about it.
- Once, being late to visit Musin-Pushkin, the late fabulist was subjected to a “fine” punishment - food. He ate a large plate of pasta with a heap, the same portion of soup, and then ate the second and once again refreshed himself with flour products. Those around were shocked.
- Ivan Andreevich had a tradition - to sleep in the library after a hearty lunch. At first he could read books, and then gradually fell asleep. Friends knew this and placed a spacious soft chair there in advance.
- Krylov was delighted by the contemplation of fires. In St. Petersburg they happened often. As soon as the source of the fire was identified, firefighters and Ivan Andreevich went to the scene, who could not miss this spectacle and watched with interest what was happening.
- While traveling, Krylov traveled all over Russia, which surprised the fabulist’s friends who knew about his natural slowness. Ivan Andreevich liked to study the customs and life of different regions of our vast country. The character of people from small provincial towns and villages, where Krylov often visited, is described in many of his fables.
- Ivan Andreevich knew how and loved to make fun of others. There is a famous case in his biography when Krylov went for a walk. On the street, merchants began to lure the writer into their shops, almost forcing him to look at the goods. He began to go into every store and then wonder why there was so little product. Finally, the merchants understood everything and left the writer behind.
- Krylov's fables criticized the mores of society of that time. Ivan Andreevich especially loved to ridicule, in a “camouflaged” form, the bureaucracy and rudeness of government officials, as well as the behavior of people from “high society.”
- The fabulist had an illegitimate daughter, Sasha, from a cook. He even sent the girl to a good boarding school. After the death of Sasha’s mother, he took over her upbringing, and subsequently married her off with a good dowry. They say that he bequeathed all rights to his works to his daughter.
- Krylov died not from volvulus, but from bilateral pneumonia. In recent years he has had serious health problems. However, many thought that the cause of Krylov’s death was excess weight, which appeared as a result of overeating.
- Before his death, Krylov ordered a copy of his fables to be distributed to all close people.. The writer's friends received the book along with notice of his death. Ivan Andreevich's funeral was luxurious, and Count Orlov became one of the pallbearers.
