“Father of Russian democracy” is an expression from the novel “Twelve Chairs”, which has become a real aphorism. That is how the main character of the work Ostap Bender called his companion Ippolit Matveyevich in the scene of collecting money from residents of a provincial city under the guise of helping Russian emigrants abroad, but in fact, in order to appropriate these funds for himself.
Use in the novel
The phrase "father of Russian democracy" is used in everyday life with reference to a person to whom they attribute credible imaginary merits for actions that he did not commit at all. In the novel, Ostap uses this expression in order to give importance to Ippolit Matveyevich. It is significant that he applies these words specifically to his companion, and not to himself, since Kisa Vorobyaninov was the leader of the county nobility before the revolution, therefore, he had the appropriate education and manners, thanks to which he could impress the residents of the city.
Derived aphorism
The expression "father of Russian democracy" served as the basis for another phrase, which also became popular. In another episode of the work, Ostap begs for money from the hero of Kislyarsky and demands five hundred rubles to “save” Kisa . Then his interlocutor asks if two hundred rubles can save the “giant of thought”. This phrase has also become a kind of aphorism, which is used in the sense of "that's enough from you."
The image of Ippolit Matveevich
The application of the words “father of Russian democracy” to this character received a special comedic sound due to the fact that Ostap called him the person who was most distant from political consciousness and state thinking. Rather, Bender himself could have come up with such a definition, since he possessed strategic thinking and was able to abstract from everyday details and think philosophically. However, Kisa Vorobyaninov was completely devoid of this quality. Therefore, the phrase “the giant of thought, the father of Russian democracy” is least suitable for this person, whose desires and aspirations were aimed only at finding chairs, finding diamonds and living richly. It is obvious that he is far from political ideas, despite the fact that in the past he was the leader of the nobility.
In addition, during the adventure and the search for chairs, Kitty discovers, according to Ostap, small vulgar inclinations. Against his background, Bender looks more noble, despite all his fraudulent antics. Both heroes are strikingly different from each other, despite the fact that they pursue a common goal. The “Father of Russian democracy” (according to Ostap Bender), during the searches, did a lot of stupidities and proved to be a short-sighted person, despite the fact that he had experience of social activities in his pre-revolutionary past. However, in some cases, he showed himself from the most disadvantageous side and loses in this respect against the background of his companion. However, this makes the character comedic and so memorable. Therefore, the characteristic given to him by Ostap has become a real aphorism and is used even in our time in a variety of situations.