Ershov Petr Pavlovich (years of life - 1815-1869) - writer, poet and playwright. Biography P.P. Ershova will be presented in this article.
He was born on February 22 (March 6), 1815 in the Tobolsk province, in the village of Bezrukovo, in the family of an official. Peter Ershov spent his early childhood in Berezovo. He lived here until he was 12 years old, until his father sent him to Tobolsk gymnasium together with Nikolai, his elder brother. Its director was I.P. Mendeleev, who was the father of the brilliant scientist Dmitry Mendeleev. The atmosphere prevailing in the gymnasium contributed to the formation of patriotism in Peter Pavlovich. Here, everything obeyed the idea of the revival of Siberia. Both the local intelligentsia and teachers saw in the gymnasium future scientists.
Ershov and Mendeleev
Mendeleev Ivan Pavlovich began his activity as a director in 1827 with the transformation into a seven-grade educational institution of a four-grade gymnasium. Now her graduates could, after her graduation, enter higher educational institutions. Mendeleev welcomed the creative approach in pedagogy. Literary Sundays were held for high school students where they could read their works. Then Mendeleev noted the ability of Ershov. In constant trips was the father of Peter Pavlovich. Since the families of the Mendeleevs and Ershovs were related, the director invited him home to him, gave books. Later, as an inspector of the Tobolsk gymnasium, Peter Ershov will take care of Dmitry Mendeleev, the future scientist. He will lose his father at the age of 13, and he will become a support, faithful friend and mentor Petr Pavlovich Ershov, whose biography, creativity and personality we are interested in. Dmitry Mendeleev (photo below) also later married Leshcheva Feozna Nikitichna, stepdaughter of Peter Pavlovich.
Studying at St. Petersburg University
Biography P.P. Ershov is noted for the fact that in 1830 he graduated from high school. Together with his sons, the father moves to St. Petersburg so that they can continue their education. Pyotr Pavlovich enters St. Petersburg University, the philosophical and legal department. He works in his student years in the journal Snowdrop (the Maikov family), writes opera librettos from the life of Ancient Russia that have not come down to us, he prints his poems in the Reading Library. So begins the creative biography of P.P. Ershov.
Creation of "The Little Humpbacked Horse"
Pyotr Pavlovich reads with enthusiasm in Pushkin's fairy tales in 1832 and begins under their influence to create his own work - The Little Humpbacked Horse. The first part of this tale was presented in 1834 by P.A. Pletnev, professor of literature, as a term paper. The teacher highly appreciates the work and at one of the lectures exposes it to public flattering analysis. The tale is then published in the "Library for Reading", in the third volume, with a commendable review by Sankovsky. After a while, it is published as a separate book.
Features of the fairy tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse"
7 editions survive the fairy tale during the life of Ershov. But only from the fourth (1856) it is printed with the inclusion of poems that were thrown out by censorship, as well as with copyright additions. All the features of this work are not described by our short biography.
Ershov claimed that his tale is a folk work, taken almost word for word from the mouths of Siberian tellers. But in reality, this is a creative contamination of various stories about Ivanushka the Fool and Sivka-Burka. In "The Humpbacked Horse" the author uses such fabulous motives:
1) the father instructs his three sons to protect his good from the mysterious thief;
2) help provided by a wonderful horse;
3) the feather of a wonderful bird that brings misfortune and seduces the hero;
4) the extraction of her hero;
5) the hex of the court-makers;
6) the extraction of the princess maiden hero;
7) the extraction of its property from the bottom of the sea;
8) the rebirth of the hero with the help of a wonderful horse in boiling liquid into a good king and handsome.
These motives will be reflected later in the tales of Afanasyev. In "The Humpbacked Horse" there are also echoes of the tale of Ersh Shchetinnikov. In addition, the motive for traveling to another kingdom is found in the works of Vasily the Unchained and Mark Bogaty.
The success of the tale of Ershov
It was no coincidence that the success of The Humpbacked Horse among readers. Pyotr Pavlovich went further than his contemporaries and predecessors in the literary development of oral folk art. The completeness and depth of the merger of the storyteller with the world of folk tales turned out to be more organic, direct and alive with Ershov. Sam A.S. Pushkin noted that Pyotr Pavlovich skillfully speaks the language. To a lesser extent, the writer who interprets the tale is felt in Ershov’s narrative. This is more a Russian storyteller, in love with his work, a co-author of artists from the people.
A brief biography of Ershov is supplemented by the following important detail. It is known that Pyotr Pavlovich did not have many acquaintances among the students. There were only a few close friends. Andrey Yaroslavtsev is one of them. Subsequently, he will become a writer and first biographer of Peter Pavlovich. In 1872 he created the first biography of Ershov Pyotr Pavlovich. The source for her was personal correspondence between friends.
Further creativity
The creative biography of Peter Ershov does not end with the tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse". In the years 1834-1836, Peter Pavlovich continues to be published. He publishes the drama Thomas the Blacksmith, a play entitled Suvorov and the Station Warden, a dozen poems. Ershov also wrote the libretto of the opera The Terrible Sword. However, despite positive reviews, it was never delivered.
Moving to Tobolsk
Having left the university in 1836, Ershov wanted to stay in St. Petersburg, but was forced to request an appointment to Tobolsk as a teacher. The reason for this was commonplace - lack of money. The Ershovs lived only from the income of the service, had neither yard people nor wealth. The biography of Peter Ershov therefore went a different way contrary to his desire to stay in St. Petersburg.
Ershov - a teacher of the gymnasium
Ershov serves in his native gymnasium in Tobolsk. At first he taught Latin, after which he began to read literature and philosophy. In the life of the Tobolsk gymnasium, a significant event took place in 1837, June 2. She was visited by Alexander II. Ershov, present at the reception, offered a laudatory ode to the heir, as well as the opera Siberian Day, written specially in honor of his arrival. For this, Alexander II granted him 500 rubles. Poet Zhukovsky, an acquaintance of Ershov, also arrived in Tobolsk with the heir. He was a mentor to the prince, recommended him in a wonderful way Peter Pavlovich.
In the journal Sovremennik in 1838, Petr Pavlovich Ershov, whose biography, poetry and personality we are interested in, published a dramatic work called Suzge. This is a poem based on the legends of Siberia. Repeatedly she was put on stage. The opera of the same name was written based on her motives.
The marriage of Peter Pavlovich
Petr Pavlovich in 1839 falls in love with Leshcheva Serafima Alexandrovna and marries this widow, who had four children. This is the daughter of the former director of the Tobolsk gymnasium. After marriage, Ershov is forced to concentrate all his forces on earnings. Pyotr Pavlovich was married three times, while twice becoming a widower. He had 15 children from three marriages, of which only four survived into adulthood. Biography of the Russian writer P. Ershov marked by many deaths dear to him people. However, he did not stop creating.
Ershov - inspector of the gymnasium
In 1844, Peter Pavlovich was appointed inspector of the gymnasium. He proved himself in the path of teaching as a highly spiritual and progressive mentor. A gymnasium theater was organized under his care. Ershov during his teaching career sent to St. Petersburg two scientific works that were designed to improve the quality of education in Russian gymnasiums - "The course of Russian literature" and "Thoughts on the gymnasium course." However, the works were rejected by censors.
Acquaintance with the Decembrists
In Tobolsk there were many exiled Decembrists. Ershov was personally acquainted with many of them: with Kuchelbecker, Fonvizin, Muravyov and others. Together with Chizhov, the Decembrist, Pyotr Pavlovich writes a vaudeville "Sketchbook, or Phrenologist, for example." The poet Zhemchuzhnikov subsequently uses, with the permission of Ershov, one of the scenes of this work for the operetta of the same name. Zhemchuzhnikov is one of the creators of Kozma Prutkov. The operetta will later be included in the collected works of Kozma Prutkov and published in the journal Sovremennik.
Ershov becomes the director of the gymnasium
In 1857, Petr Pavlovich became the director of the Tobolsk gymnasium, as well as schools located in the Tobolsk province. Ershov managed to open during his tenure as director of 6 women's schools in the province. They were all kept in excellent order, giving a good level of education to the students.
P.P. Ershov in 1858, on March 20, visited the city of his youth, St. Petersburg. The trip was official, for gymnasium affairs: Pyotr Pavlovich was summoned to meet with the Minister of Education, who was in this city.
Last years
Ershov in 1862 resigned. He draws close in the last years of his life with Znamensky Mikhail Stepanovich, a Siberian writer and artist. The biography of Ershov Pyotr Pavlovich, namely the last years of his life, is closely connected with this person.
Mendeleev Dmitry Ivanovich, an old friend and former student of Ershov who lived in St. Petersburg, was worried about the fact that Peter Pavlovich was assigned a pension. He also made a lot of efforts to release the sixth and seventh editions of The Humpbacked Horse.
The death of Peter Pavlovich
Biography P.P. Ershov ends in 1869, August 30, when he died in Tobolsk. Pyotr Pavlovich was buried in the Zavalny cemetery. In Tobolsk in 2008, a sculptural composition was erected in Ershov Square, which is dedicated to the poet and the heroes of his work. For millions of people, Ershov Petr Pavlovich will remain the author who wrote the fairy tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse." Her characters will live their own lives. This fairy tale has been published at least 130 times in huge print runs in 27 languages of various peoples of the world (the cover of the first edition is presented below).
A brief biography of Peter Pavlovich Ershov includes only the main events of his life. However, there are entire biographical books about him created by his contemporaries and researchers of the life and work of subsequent years. It is very curious, for example, to turn to the work of Andrei Yaroslavtsev, which we mentioned. A brief biography of Peter Pavlovich Ershov, presented in this article, is an attempt to briefly outline the main milestones of his life and work.