50-60 years of the XIX century - a rather difficult time for the whole of Russia. It was marked by a wide social upsurge, which took place in connection with the emergence of new democratically-minded forces and the actualization of the issue of serfdom. Against this background, they talked loudly about the existing contradictions between generations and about the situation of the Russian woman in the conditions of patriarchal relations, which still persisted over a large territory of the country.
In such a difficult environment, it was written, then put on stage and published quite sensational in those years, the work of A.N. Ostrovsky.
Drama timeline
The history of the creation of the play The Thunderstorm raises many questions. Briefly it can be designated as follows.
Ostrovsky most likely began work on the work in July 1859 (at least not later than this month), and in early October he sent the finished text to the publishing house. This is proved by the original manuscript, which is still kept in the Russian State Library. A month later, the play was already staged on the Petersburg stage: on November 16 there was a premiere at the Maly Theater, on December 2 at the Alexandria Theater. The following year it was published in the Library for Reading (No. 1), a little later it was published as a separate book.
The reaction of progressive minds to the appearance of a play
The new drama of the then already famous Columbus of Zamoskvorechye was met with stormy reviews and comments, both positive (for example, the assessment of N. Dobrolyubov, I. Goncharov, P. Pletnev) and condemning (L. Tolstoy, A. Fet). Ostrovsky’s new brainchild was also ambiguously accepted by the critic D. Pisarev, who was recognized at that time, who entered into a polemic with Dobrolyubov on this issue. Be that as it may, Storm has forever become one of the playwright's best plays. And the Uvarov Prize, awarded to the authors only for truly brilliant works written for the stage, undoubtedly became the real award.
Plot and heroes
The story of the creation of the play “The Storm” is largely explained by the action of the drama, which takes place in a small town with the beautiful name Kalinov, located on the banks of the Volga. When meeting him, he looks quite prosperous: a magnificent landscape that gives a feeling of peace and quiet. One of the first phrases that the viewer hears from a local resident: “Beauty!” But as you get to know the characters, the mood and general atmosphere change. The playwright skillfully exposes the vices of a society that has lived for centuries according to the laws of house-building. Hence, perhaps, the name of the city is Kalinov, which came from Russian folklore. This is a symbol of the settled, terrible, "fantastic" world, which is difficult to destroy.
And now, in the midst of “evil” and powerful forces, a man appears who has decided to openly oppose their authority - Katerina. The fate of the heroine is tragic, as she still does not find any like-minded people or defenders (in the person of, for example, the same husband) who can support her in the confrontation that has begun. The young man, in whom she sees her future happiness and a better fate, was also chickened, not really understanding Katerina. In conditions when all moral principles are destroyed, it is difficult to find the culprits of the girl’s death.
Controversy over the origins of the plot
Statements about prototypes and the plot basis of the work are very controversial. So, for Kostroma’s, the creative story of the creation of the play “The Storm” was directly related to the recent tragic incidents in their city. Some details indicated that the prototype of Katerina could be a friend of the writer L.P. Kositskaya. People who personally knew the playwright believed that the appearance of the Storm was the result of Ostrovsky’s journey along the Volga.
What caused such judgments?
Tragedy fang family
According to the first version, the story of the creation of the play “Thunderstorm” is connected with the incident in the city of Kostroma. In early November 1859, one of the residents of the city of Alexander Klykov, who was only 19 years old, disappeared. Later, her body was found in the waters of the Volga, and a criminal case was opened on this fact. Two versions were considered: suicide or murder and an attempt to hide the crime. In the course of the investigation, it turned out that the girl had recently been married, and she ended up in a merchant family, where the mother-in-law and completely reckless reigned supreme. Brought up in other conditions, Alexandra could not reconcile with her fate and take root in a new family. She did not find support in her husband - quiet, obedient, in all inferior to her mother. All these details are easily recognizable in the drama. That is why after the appearance of the book in Kostroma, local residents stubbornly started talking about the fact that the creation of the play “The Storm” is directly related to the life of the Fang family. And although it later became clear that the work was written a month before this tragedy, the actors who played on the local stage, for a long time were made up specifically for the Fang family. And the place on the banks of the Volga, from which Katerina-Aleksandra allegedly threw herself into the waters, was one of the local attractions.
Is thunderstorm a personal drama of A.N. Ostrovsky?
Another version relating to the prototype of the main character is associated with a note of the playwright himself in the text. Next to Katerina’s monologue, in which she tells Varenka about her dream, it is written: “I heard from L.P. about the same dream ... "For L.P. hiding the famous actress L.P. Kositskaya, who, most likely, had a relationship with Ostrovsky. Both are family people, so they are forced to hide their affection. Researchers who explain the creation of Ostrovsky’s The Storm play and consider this version also cite the fact that it was Kositskaya who played the main character for the first time. And the playwright, as you know, preferred to choose actors for the production of his own works at the Maly Theater.
Trip on the Volga
Finally, the third and more likely version - the story of the creation of the play "The Storm" is connected with the author’s journey along the great Russian river.
In the summer months of 1856-57, Ostrovsky took part in the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society along the Volga. He visited many settlements located along the banks of the river, met and talked with local residents for a long time, studied the features of their way of life. Ostrovsky witnessed many scenes unfolding in individual families and in the city as a whole. He was interested in the smallest details, which he later analyzed in the essay Traveling the Volga.
Echoes of these observations can also be found in the drama: lively folk language, typical scenes of communication between people (by the way, they are often not directly related to the plot, but they characterize the general atmosphere of the city well), perfectly shown, from different sides, the features of everyday life. All this confirms that the story of the creation of the play “The Storm” of Ostrovsky originates in his personal observations and attempts to figure out how the Russian people live, which hinders the development of the whole social structure of Russia.
The seer dramatist?
Thus, the tragedy that occurred in Kostroma in the autumn of 1859 was foreseen by Ostrovsky, who knew well the life of the Russian merchants in the middle of the 19th century. This is a typical situation that could happen in any family living in the vast territory of the Russian state. The playwright successfully depicted the moment when the old forces are still clinging to the passing and are trying by all means to maintain their power, and the new ones, only emerging, are entering into a difficult struggle, the outcome of which will determine the future of Russia. And against this background, it’s not so important what the story of the creation of the play “The Storm” is connected with. The main thing is that this could serve as the beginning of progressive changes in the whole life of the country.