Kozma Prutkov is a unique phenomenon not only for Russian, but also for world literature. There are fictional heroes who erect monuments, open museums in the houses where they "lived", but not one of them had their own biography, collected works, critics of their work and followers.
Kozma Prutkov's aphorisms were printed in such well-known print publications of the 19th century as Sovremennik, Iskra, and Amusement. Many famous writers of that time believed that this was a real person.
"Guardians" of the hero
Kozma Prutkov appeared thanks to the joint prank of the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers, Alexei, Vladimir and Alexander, and Count Alexei Tolstoy. The Zhemchuzhnikov brothers came from an old Russian family, in which there were governors, stolniks and senators. Alexey, Alexander and Vladimir were poets, and their brother Leo was a famous artist and engraver.
Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy is a famous Russian writer, playwright and poet. Kozma Prutkov, whose quotes and aphorisms were loved by many of their contemporaries, arose due to the failure of the play, co-authored by Tolstoy and Alexei Zhemchuzhnikov. Nicholas I, who was present at the performance, was dissatisfied, the play was removed from the repertoire, and in retaliation the brothers began to write parodies under the name of Kozma Prutkov to the tsar's poets.
There were so many works gradually published in various publications on behalf of Prutkov that the creators had to give him not only a biography, but also an appearance. Thus, they become patrons and advisers of the graphomaniac they created.
Biography of Kozma Prutkov
Aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov that became famous in literary circles became the main reason that their author found his face. Introduced in 1854 by the brothers Zhemchuzhnikov and Tolstoy Prutkov, they said, was born on April 11, 1803 in the village of Tenteleva. He even had his own small estate Pustynka, which is not far from the Sablino station.
At the age of 17, the future graphoman joined the hussar regiment, in which he served a little more than 2 years. After resigned, Kozma joined the Assay Tent, where he made a successful career.
Prutkov died on 01/13/1863 as a result of a nervous blow that overtook him in the service in the director's office.
Bars in military service
Kozma Prutkov's military aphorisms arose against the backdrop of his recollections of military service, which ended very quickly. The reason for leaving the regiment in 1823 was a dream that a young hussar had on the night of his birthday on April 11.
Kozma dreamed of a naked brigadier general who ordered him to stand up and follow him. After wandering through the dark corridors, the general led the young hussar to the crypt on the top of the mountain, from which he began to get expensive materials and show him. After the brigadier general passed one of the materials on the body of Prutkov, he was hit by a current, and he woke up.
Despite the fact that the dream happened after a strong drinking, he made an indelible impression on Kozma that he resigned.
Thanks to this short service, readers were able to get acquainted with his "outstanding" thoughts about the army:
- “When building soldiers overcoats, remember that they drank and ate.”
- “Let it be the aim of the soldier’s ambition to precisely fit the ammunition.”
- “Do you want to be beautiful, go to the hussars” and many others.
Career in the civil service
Kozma Prutkov, whose quotes and aphorisms were of undoubted success with the public, made a brilliant career not only in the literary field.
The bosses treated the young employee of the Assay Tent very favorably, since they noticed a zeal for work behind him, for which they encouraged and awarded him. Kozma’s talents allowed him to go from a simple employee to the highest civilian rank of state adviser and to receive not only the position of director of the Assay Tent, but also the Order of St. Stanislav 1st degree.
Kozma Prutkov's aphorisms about public service are no less profound than about the military path. “Only in public service do you know the truth,” he truly believes. “Don't be tailors, how would you distinguish between government departments?” - This is a vital issue for every official.
Friends of the unfortunate author and his literary guardians Tolstoy and Zhemchuzhnikov encouraged their ward to publish their works. So, the book “Thoughts and Aphorisms” by Kozma Prutkov was born, in which his statements about life, love and much more are collected.
Literary career
The first literary experience of the new graphomaniac was his play “Fantasy”, the production of which failed in the presence of the august person. Discouraged by this, Prutkov wanted to quit literary studies, but his friends persuaded him to continue writing and were right.
The philosophical aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov (“Nobody Hugs the Enormous”, for example) came to him the glory of a wise man who deeply sees the essence of things. It is interesting that many readers of Sovremennik perceived the author of aphorisms, fables and satirical poems as a real person. Prutkov even had his critics and admirers. So, Dostoevsky for a long time perceived him as a grief-creator of bad poems.
Not only Kozma Prutkov's aphorisms, but also his fables, poems, romances and prose formed the basis of the collected works of the author. The books were not only published and had success with readers living in his time, but after his death they were republished, and the statements were used to be known as intelligent and educated people.
About love
Kozma Prutkov's aphorisms about love showed his true attitude to women, love and marriage:
- “An engagement ring is the first link in the chain of married life.”
- "Girls are like drafts: not everyone succeeds, but everyone wants to get into the ladies."
- “What we have, we don’t store, lost, weep.”
In fact, many statements by Kozma Prutkov, despite his limited mind, are worthy of attention. Not having his own family, he devoted all his time to service, writing poetry and his friends.
His colleagues appreciated him, his comrades and relatives loved him, his superiors were sympathetic, this was quite enough to correspond to his aphorism: “Do you want to be happy, be them.”
Readers perceived some phrases of the author as a warning or even a warning. For example, "Bee!" - the shortest aphorism of Kozma Prutkov - sounded like a military order and aroused a feeling of anxiety among others.
His other expressions began to be used in everyday life as allegorical vernacular. The phrase "If you have a fountain, shut it up" began to be pronounced as "Shut the fountain", which meant "shut up."
The aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov and their meaning aroused laughter among readers, as they were an indicator of the stupidity and self-confidence of a pompous graphomaniac who considers his statements worthy of the wisdom of the ancient philosophers: “Many people are like sausages: what they start with, they carry in themselves.”
Portrait of Prutkov
Thanks to the efforts of the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers and Alexei Tolstoy, their fictional hero gained not only the glory of a graphomaniac and biography, but also a personality. Leo Zhemchuzhnikov and his friends, painters, were invited by Prutkov to write a portrait of the "great" writer, who wished to publish a collection of his works with him.
So the famous image appeared, conveyed so realistically that the customer spoke flatteringly about the artists. They depicted his curls with gray hair, and warts, and even a plaster on his neck, where there was a cut from a razor.
At the request of Kozma Prutkov, painters placed a lyre with rays emanating from it under the portrait. Although the literary activity of this hero lasted only 5 years, he left a noticeable mark in Russian literature, and his famous "Thoughts and Aphorisms" were printed and quoted many years after his death.
Creativity of Prutkov today
Today, the most famous are 10 aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov, which have become ordinary phrases in everyday life. Among them, the most popular are "Bdi!" and "Look at the root!" Often people, pronouncing them, do not even know who their author is.
The phenomenon of Kozma Prutkov remains unsurpassed, since the hero who has his own collected works and life no longer appeared in world literature.