What associations do you have when you hear the name Pavel Bazhov? Isn't it true that mountains of gems and amazing unprecedented animals, the Mistress of the Copper Mountain and Danila the master immediately appear in the imagination ... And most importantly, the author's unique style. It was as if a thick old epic old man in bast shoes and a canvas shirt had appeared to us and, in his own way, was telling about miracles to small children, who were seated in shops and in linen.
The birth of the great folklorist
Bazhov's biography originates in the Urals in the factory village of Sysert, which later became a city. The future writer was born in January 1879. His father was a mountain foreman.
The boy often heard various unusual stories and traditions of the Ural people from parents and workers of the mining plant. Probably, even then extraordinary fantasies arose about the most bizarre inhabitants of mountains and forests. One way or another, folklore, which struck the imagination of a little dreamer, found its continuation in many of the most incredible tales.
Education
Like all the children of his time, Paul studied at a three-year school. However, studying was easy for him, and therefore one of the best students of his stream, having graduated from school with great respect, went to further study at a theological school, and later at a theological seminary. In general, Bazhovâs biography could be successfully crowned with an academic spiritual education, and the world would never recognize all the charms of real Ural folklore.
However, the future writer did not agree to take the priesthood. And so he began to try his hand in various directions. Workdays began with teaching the Russian language in a small rural school. But soon after this, the young talent was entrusted with the teaching of Russian and Church Slavonic languages, as well as Russian literature at the Yekaterinburg Theological School.
Together with pedagogical activities, a great love came to the writer's life - Valentina Ivanitskaya, one of his students. With her, Bazhov's biography began the countdown of family life.
How did the original folklore originate
In those years, a young philologist began for the first time to consciously collect Ural folklore. This happened in mini-expeditions organized by Bazhov to villages and villages. An enthusiastic writer wrote down everything he could find about folklore: songs, tales, nursery rhymes and jokes, a wide variety of ritual cries, proverbs and sayings. Also, the author took photos of workers and peasants in folk costumes.
Of course, the villagers reacted differently to the eccentric provincial teacher, nevertheless they willingly shared stories and legends from their ancestors. And after all, it was this crank who laid a solid foundation for the authorâs most original fantasy creations.
Century of great shocks
And then Russia suffered difficult times, the most terrible in all modern history, the times of world wars, revolutions and the greatest crises. It is impossible to imagine what emotions an emotional, deeply spiritual person had to endure in terrible times for Russia. But Bazhov, as an educated man, could not understand how difficult it is for simple hard workers to live in Russia, how they are starving in villages and villages. And therefore, without hesitation, he sided with the Bolsheviks and became a communist.
It was not easy at that time for the Bazhov family, as, indeed, for everyone who had to go through the times of the great cataclysms. For all the time that the Civil War lasted, the writer was twice arrested. Each time he managed to escape from prison. It is a known fact that a half-dead Bazhov who escaped from prison was saved by a peasant by hiding him in his cart with hay.
Life under Soviet rule
After the war, the Bazhov family managed to return to their homeland. The small house, which they managed to build before the coup, now seemed to the family the most comfortable and expensive refuge. In this house, the writer lived most of his conscious life. It is noteworthy that it now exists, however, already as the Bazhov house-museum.
Until the thirtieth year, Pavel Petrovich was building his career in the editorial office of the then popular Peasant Newspaper. Such work allowed the writer not only to support his family, but also to continue his most important hobby and work of life - the search for folk art and the writing of the most unusual author's folklore.
It was not easy for the writing family in those days. The vicissitudes of fate threw more and more trials into Bazhov's life. He was repeatedly expelled from the party, dismissed from the editorial office and even tried to arrest him again. However, it was precisely in those difficult, unstable times that the first book of Pavel Bazhov âThe Urals wereâ (1924) saw the light of day. At the same time, the writer received the post of editor of the aforementioned newspaper.
How Ural Tales Were Born
The 30s were especially difficult for Soviet citizens. Starving people went to any villainy for the sake of survival, and in this war, as you know, all means are good. It was enough a rash word, an accidentally uttered phrase, or even ordinary neighborly hostility, so that one night people with weapons would come and take the ordinary inconspicuous worker into the unknown. What can we say about the editor of the whole newspaper!
In 1937, the writer Bazhov was once again arrested. But, as before, he managed to escape punishment. Obviously, some heavenly forces protected talent for posterity. Even in this situation, when the family had to eke out a miserable existence, Bazhov's biography as a writer gained a new round. For more than a year, Bazhov was hiding at home from the NKVD. Being imprisoned, the writer, eager for creativity, began to write his famous âUral Talesâ.
Unusual literature
Perhaps there are no writers like Pavel Bazhov in the history of Russian literature . In general, to say that the authorâs creations may be similar is somewhat blasphemous. And yet today we can easily determine at least the genre features of the works of Russian writers. So, for example, no one will doubt that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote mostly stories, most of which are humorous. Just as no one doubts that Kolobok is a Russian folk tale.
But what should be called the phenomenon that Pavel Petrovich Bazhov created, âUral Talesâ? These books of the author are difficult to rank among the generally accepted literary genres. Perhaps someone is inclined to attribute short stories to ordinary children's tales or, at worst, to epics. However, if you take a closer look, it becomes clear far from the children's philosophy and wisdom of a people with a huge history, framed in strange speech turns characteristic of distant, distant ancestors.
Confession
Fortunately, the great Russian folklorist Pavel Bazhov achieved universal recognition during his lifetime. This applies to both the people and the highest literary minds. The fact is that, in addition to political repression, for a long time Pavel Bazhov was known in literary circles as a âcollector of folkloreâ. And therefore, many critics believed that all of Bazhovâs books are based solely on the material collected and should not be related to the author himself.
However, the long years of titanic work could not pass in vain for the author. Years of creative activity have brought many original works that Bazhov can be proud of. "Ural Tales" is the most famous creation of the author, which brought him the long-awaited recognition and fame.
However, the writer's work is not limited to only tales. Among the creations of the author, there are publications and memoirs.
It is also noteworthy that modern directors are very fond of the works of Pavel Bazhov and are happy to use them in their productions. Based on the stories of the great writer, films such as "Stone Flower", "Golden Snake", "Stepan's Memo" and others were shot.
Of course, the animation took not the last place: âSinyushkin wellâ, âMalachite boxâ and âSilver hoofâ - only a small part of the masterpieces shot based on the works of the author.
Contemporaries also did not ignore the author. The most famous classical work, written based on the tales of Bazhov, can rightfully be considered the ballet by S. Prokofiev âThe Tale of a Stone Flowerâ.
Finally
Bazhovâs biography could be different if not for time, if not for the place, but you can still remember all kinds of âifsâ ... But nothing in the world happens without meaning.
Another thing is surprising, namely that in the vicissitudes of the most terrible and difficult trials that befell the writer, Bazhov Pavel Petrovich managed to preserve in himself all the brightest and most direct that only small children can experience. Perhaps it was this quality that protected and saved the great man from despondency. Therefore, each of us has something to learn from one of the wisest and most original writers.