The second half of the nineteenth century was a real golden period of Russian literature. At this time, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Turgenev, Nekrasov, Ostrovsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Goncharov worked. Isn't that an impressive list?
There lived and wrote during this period another great Russian writer, familiar to all of us from childhood, Nikolai Semenovich Leskov.
Biography of the writer. Family and childhood
The future classic of Russian literature was born in 1831 in the Oryol district, in the village of Gorokhovo. His grandfather was a priest, his father also graduated from a theological seminary, but went to work as an investigator in the Oryol Criminal Chamber. After the forced resignation, he moved with his family to Panino (village), in the Oryol province.
The writer's childhood passed in the village. It was here that he "absorbed" the language of the Russian people, which formed the basis of the unique "Leskovsky language" - a special style of presentation, which then became the main feature of his literary works.
The biography of Nikolai Leskov contains a reference to the fact that he studied poorly at the gymnasium. Later, the writer said about himself that he was "self-taught." Without passing the exam to transfer to the next class, the young man left the school and began to work as a scribe in the Orel criminal chamber.
Biography of N. S. Leskov. Commercial service
After the death of the father, the eldest son Nikolai assumes the responsibilities of caring for the family (in addition to him, the parents had six more children). The young man moved to Kiev, where he first got a job in the Kiev Treasury, and then transferred to the commercial company of a maternal relative, an English businessman A. Ya. Shkot (Scott). On duty, Nikolai Leskov often travels around the country. The knowledge and impressions gained during these trips will then form the basis of many works of the writer.
Nikolai Leskov. Biography. The writer is an opponent of nihilism
As they say, there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped. In 1860, the company “Shkot i Vilkens” was closed, and Nikolai Semenovich moved to St. Petersburg, where he began to seriously engage in writing.
At first, Leskov acts as a publicist: he prints articles and essays on topical issues. Collaborates with the magazines "Northern Bee", "Domestic Notes", "Russian Speech".
In 1863, The Life of a Woman and The Musk Ox were published, the first novels of the writer. The following year he releases the famous novel Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, some stories, as well as his first novel, Nowhere. It is fashionable in those days, nihilism is opposed to the fundamental values of the Russian people - Christianity, nepotism, respect for daily work. The next major work, which also contained criticism of nihilism, was the novel "On the Knives", published in 1870.
Church attitude
Being a descendant of the clergy, Leskov attached great importance to Christianity and its role in Russian life. The priests, as the stabilizing power of their time, are devoted to the Chronicles of the Soborians. The writer also has novels and short stories united in the collection The Righteous. They tell about honest, conscientious people with whom the Russian land is rich. An amazing story “The Sealed Angel” comes out in the same period - one of the best works created by a writer named Nikolai Leskov. His biography, however, suggests that he subsequently succumbed to the influence of Leo Tolstov and became disillusioned with the Russian clergy. His later works are filled with bitter sarcasm in relation to "priesthood."
Nikolay Leskov died in 1895 in St. Petersburg, at the age of 64.
Nikolai Semenovich Leskov left a large number of original and beloved works by us today. His biography reflects the difficult path of a thinking and seeking man. But no matter how creative his development is, we still know and love his Lefty, The Enchanted Wanderer, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and many other creations.