Radishchev A.N. Radishchev's biography briefly the most important Where did Radishchev's childhood go

Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev became famous as a talented prose writer and poet, but on a par with this he was a philosopher and held a good position at court. Our article presents a brief biography of Radishchev (for grade 9, this information can be very useful).

Childhood. Moving to Moscow

Alexander Nikolaevich was the son of a wealthy landowner Nikolai Afanasyevich Radishchev. He was born in the village of Verkhny Oblyazovo in 1749. His father was a man of culture, so he tried to give his son an excellent education. Radishchev's mother was Thekla Savvichna. She was from a family of Moscow noble intelligentsia. Her maiden name is Argamakova.

It is noteworthy that Radishchev's parents treated their serfs very well, which they also taught their son. The childhood of Alexander Nikolaevich passed in Oblyazovo. It is known that their house was rich and large, there were always many people in it. Radishchev had four sisters and six brothers, the children communicated with the serfs on an equal footing, rushing around the village with them. Radishchev's teacher was, apparently, also a serf, his name was Pyotr Mamontov. Radishchev fondly recalled how the uncle told fairy tales.

When the boy was 7 years old, his parents took him to Moscow. There he lived in the care of a relative of his mother. Along with the master's children, he studied with a university professor and French teacher. It was an old Frenchman who had fled from his country.

The boy's environment was unusual. He listened to lectures by leading thinkers, disputes about serfdom, construction, education, and bureaucracy. The guests of the Argamakovs were dissatisfied with the government of Elizabeth, and under Peter the Third there was no detente, on the contrary, the indignation only grew. Alexander Nikolaevich grew up in such an environment.

Corps of Pages

When the boy was 13 years old, he was granted a page. This was done by Empress Catherine II. Little Radishchev was molested by his relatives, the Argamakovs.

Until 1764, Catherine, together with the government, was in Moscow, where the coronation took place, and after that, together with her pages, including Radishchev, she returned to St. Petersburg.

The Corps of Pages was not a "decent" educational institution in those years. All the boys were trained by only one teacher - Moramber, who was obliged to show them how to properly serve the Empress at balls, in the theater, and on trains.

A short biography of Radishchev, in which the most important place is given to his creative successes, will not describe those experiences of the boy, who, from an atmosphere of serious conversations and public interests, was transferred to the court environment. Of course, he had already absorbed all the hatred for despotism, lies, flattery, and now he saw it all with his own eyes, and not just anywhere, but in all the splendor of the palace.

It was in the Corps of Pages that Alexander Nikolayevich met Kutuzov, who would become his best friend for many years. And although their paths will subsequently part, the commander will not say a single bad word about Radishchev. A brief biography of the latter is a direct confirmation of this.

In Leipzig

Two years after moving to St. Petersburg, Radishchev, along with five other young men, was sent to Germany to study at the university. Catherine II wanted them to become educated lawyers and serve in the judiciary.

Gradually their little group grew. For example, Fyodor Ushakov, who at that time was a young official, arrived in Leipzig. He left the service for the sake of university knowledge. Fedor was the oldest and quickly became the leader of the group of young men.

Radishchev spent almost five years in a foreign land. All this time he studied hard and almost received a medical education, but still literature attracted him most of all. A brief biography of Radishchev indicates his interest in the pre-romantic trend emerging in Germany.

The country was shocked by the Seven Years' War, which ended quite recently, so many ideological ideas developed in society, one might say, free-thinking, if not revolutionary. And the Russian students were at the center of it all. Together with them, Goethe studied at the university, they listened to lectures by the outstanding philosopher Platner, who was a supporter of liberalism.

In Germany, the young men did not live very well, because their boss Bokum, assigned by the Empress, was a real petty tyrant and greedy. He took away from young people all the money sent for maintenance. And then the students decided to rebel. This decision backfired on them, as they would have been arrested and would have been put on trial. But the Russian ambassador intervened.

Bokum was fired much later, just before Radishchev left for his homeland.

Return

A brief biography of Radishchev mentions that in 1771 he came to St. Petersburg together with Kutuzov and Rubanovsky. Young people were full of optimism and determination, imbued with advanced social ideals, they wanted to serve society.

It seems that during the years they spent in Germany, the Empress completely forgot about the purpose of sending pages abroad. Radishchev was appointed to work in the Senate as a recorder. This caused a sea of ​​indignation in the young man, and he soon left the service.

In 1773 he entered the headquarters of General Bruce, where he was appointed military prosecutor. This work also did not inspire Alexander Nikolaevich, but he had an outlet. Thanks to his charm and education, he became well received in high-society living rooms and writers' offices. Alexander Nikolayevich never for a moment forgot about his literary hobbies. Even a very brief biography of Radishchev is not able to keep silent about his work. Yes, this is not necessary.

literary path

For the first time Alexander Nikolayevich turned to literary creativity in Leipzig. It was a translation of a political-religious pamphlet. But his young page did not finish, because Vedomosti published another, less poignant passage.

In St. Petersburg, he met the publisher of the magazine "Painter" Novikov. Soon there appeared an essay called "Fragment of a Journey", but it was published anonymously. A brief biography of Radishchev, the most important thing in which is always on the surface, confirms the fact that the writer almost never indicated his name on the works.

In the "Fragment" the life of the fortress village was vividly shown, with all its gloomy events. Of course, the top authorities did not like this, and the landowners were offended. But neither the author nor the publisher was afraid. And soon the same magazine published an article "English Walk", defending the previous edition. And then the continuation of the "Excerpt".

Actually, with this publication, the tragic creative path of Radishchev began.

A lot of Alexander Nikolayevich was engaged in translations, which were also published by Novikov. By order of Catherine, he translated the book "Reflections on Greek History" by Mably. But at the end he left a few notes of his own, thereby entering into a debate with the author, as well as several definitions (including the word "autocracy").

In 1789, the book "The Life of F. Ushakov" was published, which raised a lot of noise. Again, it was published anonymously, but no one doubted the authorship of Radishchev. Everyone noticed that the book contains many dangerous expressions and thoughts. However, the authorities ignored her release, which served as a signal for the writer to take further action.

A brief biography of Radishchev for grade 9 is not so meaningful, but it also notes that not only the authorities, but also members of the Russian Academy and many nobles were dissatisfied with the work of this person.

Radishchev did not calm down. He wanted some radical action. Therefore, he began to speak in the Society of Friends of the Literary Sciences, which included many writers, as well as sailors and officers. And he achieved his goal: they listened to his speeches.

The society began to publish the magazine "Conversing Citizen", which published works imbued with Radishchev's ideas. An article by the philosopher himself was also published there, more like (“A Conversation about the Son of the Fatherland”). By the way, he had to try very hard to send it to print. Even his like-minded people understood how dangerous this could be.

The writer, it seemed, did not even notice how the clouds were gathering over him. But this is clearly described by the biography. Radishchev Alexander Nikolaevich, whose work did him a disservice, was under the guns of the authorities. His next publication added fuel to the fire.

"Journey from Petersburg to Moscow"

Brief contains one amazing fact. His main work passed the censorship without any problems. It would seem that this is impossible, but it was so. The thing is that the Chief of Police of the Council of Piety was simply too lazy to read it. When he saw the title and the table of contents, he decided that it was just a guidebook. The book was printed in the author's home printing house, so no one knew about its contents.

The plot is pretty simple. A certain traveler travels from one settlement to another and, passing by villages, describes what he saw. The book very loudly criticizes autocratic power, tells about the oppressed peasants and the permissiveness of the landowners.

A total of six hundred copies were printed, but only twenty-five were sold. For a long time, readers who wanted to hold the revolutionary publication in their hands went to the seller.

Of course, such a work could not fail to find a response either from readers or from the ruling elite. The empress compared the writer with Pugachev, and it was the rebel who won in the comparison.

There were other people besides the authorities who did not appreciate Radishchev's work. For example, Pushkin spoke very coldly about the book, noting that it was a "mediocre work" written in a "barbaric style."

Arrest and exile

Po Radishchev was arrested. This happened on June 30, 1790. According to official documents, the reason for the detention was only the authorship of "Journey". But, since the empress had long known about the nature of the ideas and activities of her subject, his other literary works were also attached to the case.

Because of the connection with the disgraced, the Society of Friends was dispersed. The investigation was entrusted to the head of the secret police, Stepan Sheshkovsky, who was the personal executioner of the Empress. Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev somehow found out about this. A brief biography (9th graders consider this topic as part of the school curriculum) pointed to the fact that the remaining copies of the book were destroyed personally by the author, who was really scared.

Radishchev was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. He escaped terrible torture only because his wife's sister took all her jewelry to the executioner. When the "rebel" realized how dangerous the game in which he got involved, he was seized with horror. The threat of the death penalty hung over him, and the stigma of traitors hung over his family. Then Radishchev began to write letters of repentance, though not very sincere.

They wanted the writer to name the names of accomplices and like-minded people. But Radishchev did not utter a single name. As a result of the trial, on July 24, the death sentence was pronounced. But since the writer was a nobleman, the approval of all state structures was required. Radishchev waited for him until August 19th. But for some reason, the execution was postponed, and on September 4, Catherine replaced the hanging with exile in Siberia.

His brief biography could be supplemented with information about ten years spent in the Ilmen prison. Alexander Radishchev, whose writers and friends turned their backs on the exile, lived there for only six years. In 1796, Emperor Paul, known for his confrontation with his mother, released the writer. And in 1801 he was amnestied.

Last years

Alexander the First summoned the writer to St. Petersburg and appointed him to a position in the Commission for drafting laws.

After the exile, Radishchev wrote several poems, but he no longer enjoyed writing. It was difficult for him to drown out his freedom-loving thoughts. In addition, life in Siberia greatly undermined his health, he was no longer young and unhappy. Perhaps all these moments made the writer die.

A brief biography of Radishchev contains information that there are two options for his death. The first is work related. Allegedly, he proposed introducing laws equalizing the rights of citizens, and the chairman reprimanded him, threatening Siberia. Alexander Nikolaevich took this to heart and poisoned himself.

The second version says that he mistakenly drank a glass of aqua regia and died in front of his son. But in the funeral documents, natural death is indicated as the cause of death.

To this day, the grave of the writer has not been preserved.

The fate of the literary heritage

Until the twentieth century, the writer's books could not be found. He was known only as a resident ("countryman") of the Penza region - Radishchev. The writer, whose biography (short in presentation, but so rich in events) was very tragic, was not appreciated by his contemporaries. All his books were burned. Only in 1888 a small edition of Journey was published in Russia. And already in 1907 - a collection of works by a prose writer and poet.

Family

The writer was married twice. With his first wife, Anna Rubanovskaya, he had four children. But the woman died during the birth of the last son, Paul. Anna's sister Ekaterina agreed to look after the children left without a mother.

It was she who became the second wife of Radishchev, following him into exile. Three more children were born in their marriage. On the way back to St. Petersburg, Catherine fell ill and died. This loss was hard for all the children and Radishchev.

The short biography and work of the writer are truly dramatic. Despite all the events of his life, he did not give up his views and followed them to the last breath. This is the strength of the human spirit!

Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev was born on August 20 (31 - according to the new style) of August 1749 in the family of a wealthy landowner. He studied literacy according to the book of hours and the Psalter. When Radishchev was six years old, a French teacher was assigned to him. Later it turned out that he was a runaway soldier. Then the father decided to send the child to Moscow and give him up for education in the house of M. F. Argamakov, a relative on the maternal side. There Radishchev received a good education. Not least thanks to the French tutor, a former adviser to the Rouen parliament, who fled from the persecution of the government of Louis XV. Perhaps it was he who first introduced Radishchev to some ideas of the philosophy of the Enlightenment.

In 1762, Radishchev moved to St. Petersburg to begin his studies in the Corps of Pages. In 1766, by order of Catherine II, twelve young nobles were sent to Leipzig for scientific studies. Among them was Radishchev. The years spent at the University of Leipzig were not in vain for him. Radishchev returned to his homeland in 1771, being one of the most educated people of his time, and not only in Russia.

Arriving in St. Petersburg, Alexander Nikolaevich entered the service of the Senate, but could not stay there for a long time. In particular, he was hampered by his poor knowledge of the Russian language, which he practically forgot during his stay in Germany. In addition, Radishchev did not like the rudeness of his superiors. After Alexander Nikolayevich became chief auditor at the headquarters of General-in-Chief Bruce, who commanded in St. Petersburg. In 1775, Radishchev retired and got married. In 1778 he entered the service of the College of Commerce. From 1780 he worked at the St. Petersburg customs, for ten years he managed to rise to the position of its chief.

In 1790, Radishchev printed his main work, Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow, in his own home printing house. The book fell into the hands of Catherine II and caused her discontent. A copy has been preserved, speckled with cynical notes by the Empress. Catherine II described Radishchev as follows: "He is a rebel worse than Pugachev." As a result, the writer was arrested. During interrogations, Alexander Nikolaevich repented, hoping to mitigate the punishment that threatened him. At the same time, at times he expressed the same thoughts that appeared in Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

In September 1790, a nominal decree was issued. It said that Radishchev deserved the death penalty. “By mercy and for the joy of all,” she was replaced by a ten-year exile in Siberia, in the Ilim prison. Radishchev was returned from exile by Emperor Paul I in 1796. Alexander Nikolayevich was ordered to live in his estate in the village of Nemtsovo, Kaluga province. The governor was ordered to observe the correspondence and behavior of Radishchev. The writer received complete freedom only after the accession to the throne of Alexander I in 1801. Radishchev was summoned to St. Petersburg and appointed a member of the Commission for drafting laws. Alexander Nikolaevich died on September 12 (24 - according to the new style) September 1802. The grave of the writer has not survived to this day.

Brief analysis of creativity

Among the first literary experiments of Radishchev, intended for publication, is the translation of Mably's book "Reflections on Greek History" (1773), which Alexander Nikolayevich supplemented with seven of his notes. One of them can be considered a synopsis of Rousseau's work "On the Social Contract, or the Principles of Political Law" (1762). In particular, in this note, Radishchev discusses autocracy, calling it "the state most contrary to human nature."

The American Revolution, perceived by Alexander Nikolayevich as a war of the people against the oppressors, inspired Radishchev to create the ode "Liberty" (1781-83), which is considered his most significant poetic work. In it, Radishchev glorifies the freedom of man, proclaims the right of the people to overthrow the monarch and execute him. It was subsequently included in the book A Journey from Petersburg to Moscow.

In the late 1780s, Alexander Nikolaevich completed work on the work "The Life of Fyodor Vasilyevich Ushakov with the inclusion of some of his works." It is dedicated to a friend of Radishchev, with whom the writer studied at the University of Leipzig and who died early. The book was a success. According to Princess Dashkova, in the work "dangerous thoughts and expressions were encountered." Despite this, at that time Radishchev was not persecuted by the authorities.

"Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" was created by Alexander Nikolayevich for many years. From the point of view of form, the story follows the canons of the sentimental travel genre. The chapters were named in honor of the settlements, past which the author follows. As for the content, the book reflects Radishchev's thoughts and feelings regarding all the main issues of the life of the Russian Empire. Particular attention is paid to the plight of the serfs.

Among the philosophical works of Radishchev, it is worth noting the treatise "On Man, His Mortality and Immortality", written in exile. The main problem that it addresses is: is the human soul immortal and, if so, in what form does it exist after the death of the body? Radishchev's treatise invites the reader to reflection to a greater extent than offers him unconditional truths.

Alexander Radishchev's biography of the Russian poet is briefly described in this article.

Alexander Radishchev short biography

Alexander Nikolaevich was born on August 20 (31), 1749 in a noble family in Moscow. He spent his childhood in the village of Nemtsovo, after which the family moved to Upper Ablyazova. At first he studied at home, and only in 1756 did his father take his son to Moscow and settled in the house of the director of Moscow University. Here they were engaged in a hired French tutor.

In 1762, Radishchev was granted a page and sent to the St. Petersburg Page Corps. By decree of Catherine II, in 1766 he was sent to Germany to study at the University of Leipzig at the Faculty of Law. In an educational institution, he became interested in the works of Rousseau, Reynal, Voltaire, Helvetius.

Alexander Nikolaevich returned to Petersburg in 1771. He receives the title of adviser and gets a job in the Senate as a secretary. Also this year, the writer anonymously publishes an excerpt from his book "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" in the magazine "Painter".

Radishchev entered military service in 1773 with the rank of chief auditor at the Finnish divisional headquarters. At the same time, he is translating Mably's book, writes the works "Diary of a Week" and "Officer's Exercises". He retired in 1775.

After 2 years, he began working at the Commerce Collegium of Count Vorontsov. Since 1780, he settled in the St. Petersburg customs, which he headed 10 years later. The writer in 1783 wrote the ode "Liberty".

In 1790, he completed work on the main work of his life: "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow", in which he reflected on the serf system of Russia. The book provoked a protest from the empress. He was arrested and sentenced to death, but it was later commuted to 10 years of exile in the Siberian prison of Ilimsk.

In Siberia, Radishchev continued to write, studying the traditions of the local population. He created the following works: "About Man, His Mortality and Immortality", "Letter on Chinese Bargaining", "Abridged Narrative of the Acquisition of Siberia".

When Paul I came to power, he returned Radishchev from exile in 1796. On May 31, 1801, Alexander I announced an amnesty for the writer. He was called back to St. Petersburg and offered a job on the Law Drafting Commission. He developed a project to abolish serfdom, but Alexander Nikolayevich was threatened with another Siberian exile. This morally broke the writer: he decided to commit suicide by taking poison. Radishchev is gone September 12 (24), 1802.

Russian thinker, writer. Ode "Liberty" (1783), the story "The Life of F. V. Ushakov" (1789), philosophical writings. In the main work of Radishchev "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" (1790) a wide range of ideas of the Russian Enlightenment, a truthful, sympathetic depiction of the life of the people, a sharp denunciation of autocracy and serfdom. The book was confiscated and distributed in lists until 1905. In 1790 Radishchev was exiled to Siberia. Upon his return (1797), in his draft legal reforms (1801 02), he again advocated the abolition of serfdom; the threat of new reprisals led him to commit suicide.

Biography

Born on August 20 (31 n.s.) in Moscow in a wealthy noble family. Childhood years were spent in the father's estate near Moscow, the village of Nemtsovo, and then in Upper Ablyazov.

From the age of seven, the boy lived in Moscow, in the family of a relative Argamakov, with whose children he studied at home with professors of the newly opened university.

In 1762 1766 he studied at the St. Petersburg Corps of Pages, then for five years he continued his education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Leipzig, and also studied literature, natural sciences, medicine, and mastered several foreign languages. An important role in shaping Radishchev's worldview was played by his acquaintance with the works of the French enlighteners Voltaire, D. Diderot, J. J. Rousseau, by reading which he "learned to think."

Upon his return to Russia in 1771 he was appointed recorder to the Senate, then in 1773 1775 (the years of the peasant uprising of E. Pugachev) he served as chief auditor (divisional prosecutor) at the headquarters of the Finnish division. Military service made it possible to get acquainted with the cases of fugitive recruits, the abuses of the landowners, Pugachev's manifestos, and read the orders of the military board - all this became decisive in Radishchev's ideological development. In the year of the reprisal against Pugachev, he resigned, married A. Rubanovskaya.

In 1777, Radishchev joined the College of Commerce, headed by the liberal nobleman A. Vorontsov, who was in opposition to Catherine II, who brought Radishchev closer to him and in 1780 recommended him for work in the capital's customs (since 1790 he was director).

In the 1780s, Radishchev supported the rapidly developing activities of Russian enlighteners: Novikov, Fonvizin, Krechetov. He followed with interest the events of the War of Independence in North America (1775-83), during which a new republic, the United States of America, was formed.

During these years, Radishchev was actively engaged in literary work. Wrote "The Word about Lomonosov", "Letter to a friend...", finished the ode "Liberty".

In 1784, the "Society of Friends of the Literary Sciences" was created in St. Petersburg from former students of the university, into which Radishchev also joined, dreaming of subordinating his journal "Conversing Citizen" to the goals of revolutionary propaganda. Radishchev's article "A Conversation about the Son of the Fatherland" (17897.

From the mid-1780s, he began work on "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow", which in 1790 was printed in the amount of 650 copies. After the well-known words of Catherine II (“he is a rebel, worse than Pugachev”), the book was confiscated, Radishchev was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Catherine II replaced the death penalty with 10 years of exile in the Siberian prison Ilimsk.

While in exile, Radishchev, on behalf of Count A. Vorontsov, studied Siberian crafts, the economy of the region, and the life of peasants. In letters to him, he shared his thoughts on organizing an expedition along the Northern Sea Route. In Ilimsk, he wrote "A Letter on Chinese Bargaining" (1792), a philosophical work "On a Man, on His Mortality and Immortality" (1792㭜), "An Abbreviated Narrative of the Acquisition of Siberia" (1791 96), "Description of the Tobolsk Viceroyalty", etc. .

In 1796, Paul I allowed Radishchev to settle in his homeland in Nemtsovo under the strictest police supervision. He received complete freedom in March 1801 under Alexander I.

Attracted to the Commission for the Compilation of the Code of Laws, he worked on drafting legislative reforms. Radishchev's legislative writings included the demand for the abolition of serfdom and class privileges, and the arbitrariness of the authorities. The chairman of the Commission, Count P. Zavadovsky, threatened Radishchev with a new exile to Siberia. Driven to despair, Radishchev committed suicide on September 12 (24 n.s.), 1802, by taking poison.

MAIN DATES OF THE LIFE AND ACTIVITY OF A. N. RADISCHEV

1757. - Moving to Moscow, to the mother's relatives - Argamakovs.

1771, summer. - Graduated from the University of Leipzig. November - Return to Russia. Entering the service in the Senate, as a recorder.

1772. - Rapprochement with N. I. Novikov.

1773. - Transfer from the Senate to the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the St. Petersburg troops, General Bruce, to the post of chief auditor (military prosecutor). Translation from French of the book by Abbe Mably "Meditation on Greek History, or on the Causes of the Prosperity and Unhappiness of the Greeks."

1775, January 10. - The execution of Pugachev in Moscow. Radishchev's resignation. A trip to the parents in the village of Upper Ablyazovo. Marriage to A. V. Rubanovskaya.

1777. - Admission to the College of Commerce, under the command of Count A. R. Vorontsov.

1780. - Appointment to the St. Petersburg customs for the position of assistant manager.

The "Tale of Lomonosov" was begun, which was subsequently included in "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow." 1732. - Written "Letter to a friend living in Tobolsk."

1783. - The ode "Liberty" (1781-1783) is completed. Death of the first wife, A. V. Radishcheva.

1785. - Work on the chapter "Copper" from "Journey".

1786–1788 - Work on individual chapters of the Journey, which was completed at the end of 1788.

December. - Publication in the magazine "Conversing Citizen" of the article "Conversations about what is the son of the Fatherland?". Publication of the book "The Life of Fyodor Vasilievich Ushakov". Printed on our own printing press “Letter to a friend living in Tobolsk”.

1790, April. - Appointment as manager of the St. Petersburg Customs. Finished printing on our own printing press "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow."

May. - The appearance of "Journey" on sale. Participation in the organization of a militia detachment to protect St. Petersburg from the approaching Swedish troops.

30 June. - Arrest for the issue of the light of "Travel". Conclusion in the Peter and Paul Fortress. July. - Work on the autobiographical story "Filaret the Merciful".

4 September. - Ekaterina's decree on the replacement of the death penalty with a ten-year exile in Siberia, in the Ilim prison. At the end of September departure to Siberia. 1790, December. - Arrival in Tobolsk.

1792–1796 - Work on the philosophical treatises "On Man, His Mortality and Immortality", "Letter on Chinese Bargaining", "Abridged Narrative of the Acquisition of Siberia", an excerpt from the poem "Angel of Darkness".

July. - Arrival under supervision in the village of Nemtsovo. Work on the "Description of my possession".

1798 - Visiting parents in Upper Ablyazov.

1801. - Death of Paul I.

Moving from Nemtsov to Petersburg.

1801-1802.-Work in the commission. Drawing up a "Note on the Statute" and "Draft Civil Code". Work on "Bova, a heroic story", "Historical Song", "Ancient Songs", "Monument to the Dactylochoreic Knight", the poem "The Eighteenth Century".