The beloved Russian classic Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is still an intriguing and mystical person. And before you start discussing the monument to Gogol in St. Petersburg (the photo of which can be seen in this article), we find out what connects him with this beautiful, but for him frightening and cloudy city. To do this, a little dip in his famous biographical data.
So, this ingenious man was born in Sorochintsy of the Mirgorod district on April 1, 1809. His noble family Gogol-Yanovsky was very old and religious. Parents gave their son a name in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. First, young Gogol was sent to one of the local teachers in Poltava, then he moved to the city of Nizhyn, Chernihiv region and studied there at the gymnasium of higher sciences. He signed his first works with the pseudonym V. Alov.
Petersburg in the life of a writer
And now we come close to the fact that the monument to Gogol in St. Petersburg was created not by accident. This city became for him a real school of survival, which greatly shook his already weak health. In December 1828 (the writer was 19 years old at that time), he moved to St. Petersburg, where he wanted to realize all his literary ideas and undertakings. But the big city did not meet him at all joyfully, but all because Gogol’s modest means did not allow him to turn around, and his dreams came true, but not as fast as he planned. He wrote letters home implicated in disappointment and vague hope for a better future. But gradually Gogol began to make his way and experiment. At first he tried to enter the theater, then become an official and engage in literature.
Joyless life
As a result, despite all his attempts, he was not accepted into the actors. Life went on monotonously and without content and, in general, was too unbearable for his delicate and vulnerable psyche. And only the love of literature and writing became salvation and the only opportunity for self-expression. For some time Gogol kept himself in the company of his countrymen - former comrades. After all, he immediately noticed that Little Russia arouses special liveliness and interest among the secular Petersburg public. Because of the failures and failures he experienced, poetic thoughts turned the writer to his native land. And they resulted in a collection of wonderful short stories “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” (1829-1832).
Gogol Monument in St. Petersburg: History
In 1952, the city authorities of the former capital had the idea to build a monument to Gogol in honor of the 100th anniversary of his death. They chose a place - Manezhnaya Square, which was located next to Nevsky Prospekt, where they laid the first mortgage stone. However, more than a dozen years will pass when they will return to this issue again. But the monument will be in a completely different place. Its opening will occur on December 8, 1997. The initiator this time will be the Association "Club" Nevsky Prospekt ". The construction was carried out not only at their expense, but also with the support of other public organizations and enterprises, a list of which can be found on the back of the monument. The author of the project was Mikhail Belov, a student of M. Anikushin, a famous St. Petersburg sculptor, creator of the monument to Pushkin.
This beautiful monument was erected on the old cobblestone street of St. Petersburg, the first of the pedestrian ones, which was called Malaya Konushennaya. This name is its original native, but in the 18th century it changed to Rozhdestvenskaya, then in Soviet times it turned into the street of Sofia Perovskaya. The former name was returned to her only in 1992.
Description
The monument to Gogol in St. Petersburg in height is slightly less than 5 meters (pedestal - 1.5 meters, figure - 3.4 meters). The pedestal is made of granite stone of the Vyborg Kamennogorsk quarry. All other stone work, its cutting and polishing was performed by the St. Petersburg stone workshop A.V. Rytova. The monument is decorated with nearby lanterns that harmoniously connect it with the magnificent landscape of the city. They were made by casters of the Aspect company.
When you look at the monument to N. V. Gogol in St. Petersburg, you get the feeling that this is some kind of illustration to the words from the novel "Nevsky Prospect", said by the writer: "Oh, do not believe this Nevsky Prospect!" A closer acquaintance with the St. Petersburg life of the genius of Russian literature will allow the nearby N.V. Gogol Museum, which was organized by the local partnership of homeowners and the International Club of St. Petersburg. The museum is located on Malaya Konyushennaya street, 1. Although there are no genuine manuscripts and things of the writer, creative evenings are held where you can talk about the literature and works of the writer, as well as watch the screen versions of his masterpieces.
Gogol Monument in St. Petersburg: address
You can get to the monument through the Nevsky Prospekt metro station. Then you need to walk 100 meters on the way to the Admiralty. Then, on the right side, go deep for another 50 meters to Malaya Konyushennaya, 9.
The monument to Gogol in St. Petersburg was erected as a recognition and veneration by the townspeople of the work of Gogol, who devoted his city the series of works “Petersburg Tales” to the city. In this place a special period of his work took place.
He stands with his arms crossed on his chest, in a long cloak. His head is slightly turned to the left, his eyes are thoughtful and anxious. The writer is immersed in the idea of writing his new immortal work.