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Literary pseudonym - Shchedrin (1826-1889) - prose writer, publicist, critic.
The great Russian satirist Saltykov-Shchedrin was born and raised in a wealthy landowner family, but in the house there was an atmosphere of stinginess, mutual hostility, hypocrisy and inhumanity.
Saltykov first studied at the Moscow Noble Institute and, as an excellent student, was sent to St. Petersburg, to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. In 1844, Saltykov graduated from the Lyceum and entered service in the War Ministry.
In his first works, the writer spoke out against social inequality. The hero of his story “A Confused Affair” (1848) saw the Russian social system as a huge pyramid of people, at the base of which are the poor, persecuted by the unbearable hardships of life. Nicholas I found in the story “a desire to spread revolutionary ideas,” so in 1848 the young writer was exiled to Vyatka, where he spent 8 years. Only after the death of the Tsar, in 1855, was the writer able to return to St. Petersburg.
In 1857, the writer’s new book, “Provincial Sketches,” was published. The work was directed against landlord oppression and bureaucratic arbitrariness.
In the 60s, the great satirist decisively opposed the autocracy in his remarkable book “The History of a City” (1869-1870), in which he sought to destroy the people’s faith in the “good king.” In this work, Shchedrin painted a terrifying picture of popular lawlessness, grief and poverty (see "The History of a City").
From 1868 to 1884, he published all his works only on the pages of Otechestvennye Zapiski. Readers of the magazine get acquainted with the cycles of satirical stories and essays by Saltykov: “Pompadours and pompadours” (1863-1874), “Letters about the province” (1868), “Signs of the times” (1868), “Gentlemen of Tashkent” (1869-1872), “ Well-Intentioned Speeches" (1872-1876), "In an Environment of Moderation and Accuracy" (1874-1877), "The Monrepos Shelter" (1878-1879), "Letters to Auntie" (1881-1882), the novels "The Lord Golovlevs" (1875 -1880) and “Modern Idyll” (1877-1883). Saltykov creates a kind of satirical encyclopedia of Russian life.
The most popular are the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin. His first fairy tales were published in 1869: “The Wild Landowner”, “How One Man Fed Two Generals.”
Fairy tales are the result of many years of life observations of the writer. In them he acts as a defender of people's interests, an exponent of people's ideals, advanced ideas of his time (see "Tales of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin").
Among the works of the great satirist, his novels “The Golovlevs” (1875-1880) and “Poshekhon Antiquity” (1887-1889) occupy a special place. The novel "The Golovlev Gentlemen" shows three generations of the Golovlev family. The people of this family, unfit for work, spiritually empty, hate and fear each other. There is a constant family war going on. The Golovlev gentlemen are destroyed by their very way of life with well-fed idleness and parasitism. Here they do not spare the sick, the weak, or the dying. (See "Messrs. Golovlevs").
In the novel “Poshekhon Antiquity,” the writer painted terrible pictures of serf life, and in the book “Little Things in Life” (1886) Shchedrin showed the tragedy of the lives of “little”, ordinary people.
Many of Shchedrin's satirical types outlived both their era and their creator. They have become household names, denoting new and at the same time social phenomena of Russian and world life that have their own long-standing pedigree.
Throughout his life, Saltykov-Shchedrin retained faith in his people, his history. “I love Russia to the point of heartache and I can’t even imagine myself anywhere other than Russia.”

Saltykov - Mikhail Evgrafovich Shchedrin (real name Saltykov, pseudonym N. Shchedrin) (1826-1889), writer, publicist.

Born on January 27, 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province, into an old noble family. In 1836 he was sent to the Moscow Noble Institute, from where two years later he was transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum for excellent studies.

In August 1844, Saltykov entered service in the office of the Minister of War. At this time, his first stories “Contradiction” and “Entangled Affair” were published, which aroused the ire of the authorities.

In 1848, for a “harmful way of thinking,” Saltykov-Shchedrin was exiled to Vyatka (now Kirov), where he received the position of senior official on special assignments under the governor, and after some time - adviser to the provincial government. Only in 1856, in connection with Nicholas I, the residence restriction was lifted.

Returning to St. Petersburg, the writer resumed his literary activity, while simultaneously working at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and participating in the preparation of the peasant reform. In 1858-1862. Saltykov served as vice-governor in Ryazan, then in Tver. After retiring, he settled in the capital and became one of the editors of the Sovremennik magazine.

In 1865, Saltykov-Shchedrin returned to public service: at various times he headed the state chambers in Penza, Tula, and Ryazan. But the attempt was unsuccessful, and in 1868 he agreed with N.A. Nekrasov’s proposal to join the editorial board of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski, where he worked until 1884.

“Provincial Sketches” (1856-1857), “Pompadours and Pompadours” (1863-1874), “Poshekhon Antiquity” (1887-1889), “Fairy Tales” (1882-1886) stigmatize theft and bribery of officials, cruelty of landowners, tyranny of bosses. In the novel “The Golovlevs” (1875-1880), the author depicted the spiritual and physical degradation of the nobility of the second half of the 19th century. In “The History of a City” (1861-1862), the writer not only satirically showed the relationship between the people and the authorities of the city of Foolov, but also rose to criticize the government leaders of Russia.

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin was born on January 15 (27), 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province, into an old noble family. The future writer received his primary education at home - he was taught by a serf painter, sister, priest, and governess. In 1836, Saltykov-Shchedrin studied at the Moscow Noble Institute, and from 1838 at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

Military service. Link to Vyatka

In 1845, Mikhail Evgrafovich graduated from the lyceum and entered service in the military chancellery. At this time, the writer became interested in the French socialists and George Sand, and created a number of notes and stories (“Contradiction”, “An Entangled Affair”).

In 1848, in a short biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin, a long period of exile began - he was sent to Vyatka for freethinking. The writer lived there for eight years, first serving as a clerical official, and then was appointed adviser to the provincial government. Mikhail Evgrafovich often went on business trips, during which he collected information about provincial life for his works.

Government activities. Mature creativity

Returning from exile in 1855, Saltykov-Shchedrin entered service in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1856-1857 his “Provincial Sketches” were published. In 1858, Mikhail Evgrafovich was appointed vice-governor of Ryazan, and then Tver. At the same time, the writer was published in the magazines “Russian Bulletin”, “Sovremennik”, “Library for Reading”.

In 1862, Saltykov-Shchedrin, whose biography had previously been associated more with career than with creativity, left public service. Stopping in St. Petersburg, the writer gets a job as an editor at the Sovremennik magazine. Soon his collections “Innocent Stories” and “Satires in Prose” will be published.

In 1864, Saltykov-Shchedrin returned to service, taking the position of manager of the treasury chamber in Penza, and then in Tula and Ryazan.

The last years of the writer's life

Since 1868, Mikhail Evgrafovich retired and was actively involved in literary activities. In the same year, the writer became one of the editors of Otechestvennye Zapiski, and after the death of Nikolai Nekrasov, he took the post of executive editor of the magazine. In 1869 - 1870, Saltykov-Shchedrin created one of his most famous works - “The History of a City” (summary), in which he raises the topic of relations between the people and the authorities. Soon the collections “Signs of the Times”, “Letters from the Province”, and the novel “The Golovlev Gentlemen” will be published.

In 1884, Otechestvennye zapiski was closed, and the writer began to publish in the journal Vestnik Evropy.

In recent years, Saltykov-Shchedrin’s work has reached its culmination in the grotesque. The writer publishes the collections “Fairy Tales” (1882 – 1886), “Little Things in Life” (1886 – 1887), “Peshekhonskaya Antiquity” (1887 – 1889).

Mikhail Evgrafovich died on May 10 (April 28), 1889 in St. Petersburg, and was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery.

Chronological table

Other biography options

• While studying at the Lyceum, Saltykov-Shchedrin published his first poems, but quickly became disillusioned with poetry and left this activity forever.
• Mikhail Evgrafovich made popular the literary genre of the social-satirical fairy tale, aimed at exposing human vices.
• The exile to Vyatka became a turning point in Saltykov-Shchedrin’s personal life - there he met his future wife E. A. Boltina, with whom he lived for 33 years.
• While in exile in Vyatka, the writer translated the works of Tocqueville, Vivien, Cheruel, and took notes on Beccari’s book.
• In accordance with the request in the will, Saltykov-Shchedrin was buried next to the grave

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin (real name Saltykov, pseudonym "N. Shchedrin") was born on January 27 (January 15, old style) 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province (now Taldomsky district, Moscow region). He was the sixth child of a hereditary nobleman, a collegiate adviser, his mother came from a family of Moscow merchants. Until the age of 10, the boy lived on his father’s estate.

In 1836, Mikhail Saltykov was enrolled in the Moscow Noble Institute, where the poet Mikhail Lermontov had previously studied, and in 1838, as the best student of the institute, he was transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Saltykov was known as the first poet on the course; his poems were published in periodicals.

In 1844, after graduating from the lyceum, he was assigned to serve in the office of the War Ministry in St. Petersburg.

In 1845-1847, Saltykov attended meetings of the circle of Russian utopian socialists - “Fridays” of Mikhail Butashevich-Petrashevsky, whom he met at the Lyceum.

In 1847-1848, the first reviews of Saltykov were published in the magazines Sovremennik and Otechestvennye zapiski.

In 1847, Saltykov’s first story, “Contradictions,” dedicated to the economist Vladimir Milyutin, was published in Otechestvennye zapiski.

The publication of this work coincided with the tightening of censorship restrictions after the Great French Revolution and the organization of a secret committee chaired by Prince Menshikov. As a result, the story was banned, and its author was exiled to Vyatka (now Kirov) and appointed to the post of scribe in the Provincial Board.

In 1855, Saltykov received permission to return to St. Petersburg.

In 1856-1858, he was an official of special assignments in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and participated in the preparation of the peasant reform of 1861.

From 1856 to 1857, Saltykov's "Provincial Sketches" were published in the "Russian Bulletin" under the pseudonym "N. Shchedrin". The “essays” received the attention of Nikolai Chernyshevsky and Nikolai Dobrolyubov, who dedicated articles to them.

In March 1858, Saltykov was appointed vice-governor of the city of Ryazan.

In April 1860, due to a conflict with the Ryazan governor, Saltykov was appointed vice-governor of Tver; in January 1862 he resigned.

In 1858-1862, the collections “Innocent Stories” and “Satires in Prose” were published, in which the city of Foolov, a collective image of modern Russian reality, first appeared.

In 1862-1864, Saltykov was a member of the editorial board of the Sovremennik magazine.

In 1864-1868 he held the positions of chairman of the Penza Treasury Chamber, manager of the Tula Treasury Chamber and manager of the Ryazan Treasury Chamber.

Since 1868 he collaborated with the journal Otechestvennye zapiski, and since 1878 he was the executive editor of the magazine.

During the period of work at Otechestvennye zapiski, the writer created his significant works - the novels “The History of a City” (1869-1970) and “The Golovlevs” (1875-1880).

At the same time, the writer worked on journalistic articles; in the 1870s he published collections of stories “Signs of the Times”, “Letters from the Province”, “Pompadours and Pompadours”, “Gentlemen of Tashkent”, “Diary of a Provincial in St. Petersburg”, “Well-Intentioned Speeches”, which have become a noticeable phenomenon not only in literature, but also in socio-political life.

In the 1880s, the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin were published, the first of which were published in 1869.

In 1886, the novel "Poshekhon Antiquity" was written.

In February 1889, the writer began preparing the author's edition of his collected works in nine volumes, but only one volume was published during his lifetime.

On May 10 (April 28, old style), 1889, Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin died in St. Petersburg. He was buried on the Literatorskie bridge of the Volkovsky cemetery.

In 1890, the complete collected works of the writer were published in nine volumes. From 1891 to 1892, a complete collection of works was published in 12 volumes, prepared by the author’s heirs, which was reprinted several times.

Saltykov-Shchedrin was married to Elizaveta Boltina, whom he met during the Vyatka exile, and the family had a son, Konstantin, and a daughter, Elizaveta.

Saltykov-Shchedrin is not only a talented writer, but also an organizer who tried to be useful for the Motherland and serve it. He was born in the Tver province on January 27, 1826. He spent his childhood on his father's estate. This is reflected in his works.
Mikhail had an excellent education, thanks to which at the age of 10 he entered the Moscow Institute and spent 2 years there. After this he transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. The lyceum student was greatly influenced by the work of such great writers as Belinsky and Herzen.
After graduating from the Lyceum in 1844, the young man became an assistant secretary and entered service in the War Ministry. But he was attracted to another life. He liked to communicate with scientists, writers, philosophers. He began to attend Petrashevsky “Fridays”, where there was openly an anti-serfdom mood. This led to the search for standards of a just society. Shchedrin reveals acute social problems in his first works, “Contradiction” and “Entangled Affair.” Frightened by the French Revolution, the authorities turned their attention to the writer and sent him to Vyatka.
There in 1850 he received the position of adviser in the provincial government. This gives Saltykov the opportunity to often travel around cities and see the world of officials and the life of peasants from the inside. The impressions received from these trips were reflected in the writer’s writings in the form of satirical remarks.
When Nicholas I died in 1855, Mikhail was allowed to live wherever he wanted, and he again went to St. Petersburg.
In 1856-1857 his work “Provincial Sketches” was published. All reading Russia calls Shchedrin Gogol's heir.
Saltykov-Shchedrin married the vice-governor of Vyatka. He combines public service with writing.
From 1856 to 1858, Mikhail worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Was engaged only in special assignments. At that time, it was there that the center for preparing the peasant reform was located.
In 1858-1862 he lived in Ryazan, and later in Tver. He served as vice-governor. The writer recruited educated, and always honest, young people into his team.
During these years, Saltykov published articles reflecting peasant problems.
Saltykov resigns in 1862 and moves to St. Petersburg. He joins the editorial staff of the Sobesednik magazine at the invitation of Nekrasov. At this time, the magazine is experiencing great difficulties. Shchedrin takes full responsibility, all writing and editing of articles. He devotes his main attention to the review “Our Social Life”, published monthly. It subsequently became a monument to Russian journalism in 1860.
In 1864, Saltykov left the editorial board due to disagreements that arose within the team. The disputes concerned the tactics of waging social struggle in changed conditions.
Returning to municipal service, the writer becomes the head of the State Chambers, moving from Tula to Ryazan, and then to Penza. He carefully observes life taking place in cities. This becomes the main plot of "Letters on the Province."
In his grotesque pamphlets, Saltykov openly mocked the governors of the provinces. This was the reason for the frequent change of cities and places of his service. After another complaint to the Ryazan governor, Saltykov, with the rank of state councilor, was dismissed. The writer returns to St. Petersburg again and becomes one of the editors of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski.
He devotes himself entirely to writing. During this period, “The History of a City” appears, which is the pinnacle of his satirical art.
In the last months of his life, the writer worked fruitfully. The writer died in 1889.