The beginning of the 20th century, also called the Silver Age, became the heyday of Russian literature. New directions and trends appeared, the authors were not afraid to experiment and discover new genres and themes. One of these poets was Klyuev Nikolai Alekseevich. He belonged to the new peasant poetic trend.
Biography
Born on October 10, 1884 in the village of Koshtugi, Vytegorsky Uyezd (Vologda Oblast), Nikolai Klyuyev. The biography of the writer begins in the family of a simple officer, Alexei Timofeevich. But most of all, Klyuyev loved his mother, Praskovya Fedorovna, who was a wonderful storyteller. She was engaged in the training of her son, thanks to her Nikolai was able to read, write and learned the basics of the folk song depot.
In 1895 he graduated from a parish school in Vytegra. Then he went to Petrozavodsk, where he studied at the feldsher school. After graduation, Klyuyev Nikolay Alekseevich, together with fellow countrymen who were engaged in marketing fur and fish to the capital, left for St. Petersburg to earn money.
In the capital, he begins to write poetry as part of the direction of new peasant poetry. In his works, the poetic muse complains of the torment and suffering of the farmers and curses their enslavers. The first poems of Klyuyev were published in the collection of 1904, "New Poets." However, Klyuev soon returned to his small homeland.
Impressed by the outbreak of revolutionary events, the poet became involved in active political activity in 1905. Begins to spread proclamations. For this, in 1906, Klyuyev was arrested.
Klyuev and Block
A significant event for the poet was his acquaintance with Alexander Blok. Correspondence of writers began in 1907. At first, Nikolai Klyuyev is rather timid in his letters to a recognized poet, but gradually he becomes convinced that Blok himself is interested in their conversations. Gradually, Klyuyev begins to talk about the spirit of protest that is ripening among the people, about social injustice. But writers are not the only ones talking about politics. Nikolai Alekseevich notes the power of the poetic spirit that is enclosed in the common people, but due to domestic reasons it cannot be fully revealed.
Blok was very impressed with Klyuyev's letters. He repeatedly quotes them in letters to friends and his articles. Thanks to the assistance of the Bloc, Beak's verses are published in Novaya Zemlya, The Golden Fleece, and many other literary magazines. The writers of the capital pay attention to the poet’s works from the outback. With many of them Klyuev manages to get to know. Among them, Valery Bryusov.
Creative success
In 1911, Nikolai Klyuyev published his first collection, Pine Chime. The introduction to the publication is written by Bryusov. The book with approval and interest was accepted in poetic and literary circles. Poets such as Nikolai Gumilev, Sergey Gorodetsky and others spoke positively of her. The audience was struck by the unusualness of Klyuev's works, the lack of a pronounced personality, and the ordering of paths, images, rhythms.
Klyuev praises nature, the rural way of life, the people. At the same time, he believes that the godless culture that dominated the 19th century is dying, and something new, vibrant and popular, is replacing it.
Gumilev in his review of the collection predicts the future of Klyuev's poetry - he says that this is only the beginning of a new movement in literature. And he turns out to be right. Klyuev becomes one of the first representatives of the new peasant poetry.
Klyuev and Yesenin
Nikolay Klyuyev for a long time alone defended the right of peasant poetry to life. But in 1915 he receives a letter from a young poet from the Ryazan province. Yesenin's letter inspires Klyuev. Despite the fact that they are acquainted in absentia, other writers who write in the framework of peasant themes unite around these two poets.
Indeed, there were a lot of similarities in the poetry of Klyuev and Yesenin, which is why they quickly found a common language and united. The year 1915 saw the peak of their conscientious creative successes. Together they attended literary evenings, read their poems.
However, the union did not last long. Yesenin's gift was much wider than the new peasant poetry, and in 1917 the friendship of two poets came to an end.
Attitude towards proletarian poetry
Nikolay Klyuyev, whose verses were sung by the simple Russian people, however, did not consider himself a proletarian poet. The revolution found the writer in their native places. Klyuev received her arrival with unprecedented enthusiasm. But he imagined it as an offensive "paradise for a man."
In 1918, Nikolai Klyuyev joined the Bolshevik party. Engaged in campaigning, reads poetry about the revolution. However, he remains a religious person, which is contrary to the new order. It becomes clear that he is promoting a completely different revolution. And in 1920, Klyuev was expelled from the party. Stop publishing his poems. He began to annoy the new government with his religiosity and disagreement with proletarian poets, calling their works propaganda fakes.
A difficult time began for the poet. He was in poverty, was persecuted, could not find work. Despite this, he continued to openly oppose the Soviet regime.
The poet’s struggle ended on February 2, 1934, when he was arrested for "compiling and distributing counter-revolutionary works." He was sentenced to exile in the Narym Territory. And in October 1937, Klyuyev was shot on trumped-up charges.