Biography of Leskov, a 19th-century Russian writer

Nikolai Semenovich Leskov (1831-1895) - a wonderful Russian writer, author of the immortal story of the Lefthander and many other works included in the Golden Fund of Russian literature. Leskov’s childhood and adolescence took place in the house of relatives, small noblemen. My father served in the courtroom and was engaged in criminal investigation, there was no time left for household work. When the time came for resignation, Leskov’s father left the unloved job without regret and acquired a small Panino farm in the Oryol province. It was then that the biography of the writer Leskov got its start, complex and contradictory. In the dense wilderness of farm settlements, the growing Nikolai Leskov became acquainted with the original Russian way of life, bastard and hungry.

The Maturity of Nikolai Leskov

Nikolai Leskov, whose biography describes in detail his young years, studied at the gymnasium until he was sixteen and, perhaps, he could have managed to get a decent education, but his father died unexpectedly. To top it all, a fire soon occurred on the farm, the house burned down and all the property with it. In order to somehow make ends meet and support a weak sick mother, the young man entered the service in the courtroom of the Oryol province, where his father once worked. His duties included paperwork, and thanks to natural observation, Nikolai Leskov collected extensive material, which he later used to write his novels, short stories and short stories. Leskov's biography on his pages reflects the entire period of his work in the judiciary.

In 1849, a young Leskov unexpectedly received support from his mother’s brother, a Kiev scientist S. Alferyev. At the request of an eminent relative, he was transferred to Kiev and began to work in the city treasury chamber as a simple official. He lived with his uncle, who was a major medical specialist throughout the Kiev region. The whole color of the Kiev professors, and not just medical ones, constantly gathered in the house. Thanks to new acquaintances, Leskov’s biography was quickly replenished with interesting pages. He talked with educated people, like a sponge absorbing information that he was willingly shared with. Future writer met with the work of the great Taras Shevchenko, imbued with Kiev culture, began to study the architecture of the ancient city.

In 1857, Nikolai Leskov left the state service and was accepted into the company for the resettlement of peasant families in new lands. The work was not easy; I had to travel around the vast territory of Russia on the issues of arranging immigrants. Material for future works of Leskov was collected on its own. And in 1860, Leskov’s biography was replenished with a new page, he becomes a writer. At the beginning of 1861, the young writer moved to St. Petersburg, determined to devote himself to journalism. The first publications were in the "Domestic Notes". Then Leskov handed over to the press several stories and short stories, among which were Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Uyezd, Rogue, The Life of a Woman.

Journalistic activity of the writer Nikolai Leskov and his later works

In 1862, Leskov was hired by the Northern Bee as a correspondent. Unfortunately, a short biography of Leskov does not contain all his achievements in the journalistic field. As a correspondent, he visited several European countries, including the Czech Republic and Poland. Also, Nikolai Leskov visited Paris. A many-month trip to Europe formed the basis of the novels Bypassed and On Knives. The plot of these works is based on the disagreements of the revolutionary-minded democrats with a moderate wing of those in power.

The novel “On the Knives”, published in 1870 after numerous edits and alterations, took a special place in the writer's work. Leskov himself spoke of the novel as the worst of his works. Much later, in 1881, the story "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea" was published, which subsequently withstood many editions. After Lefty, the writer began to lean toward journalism, satirical and merciless. Leskov described his works Winter Day and The Corral as cynical, but did not rewrite it. One of Nikolai Leskov’s later novels, Devil Dolls, was completely banned by censorship. The same fate befell the story "Hare remise." The end of the 80s was a difficult period for the writer in his work. In addition, his health condition deteriorated sharply, Leskov asthma, and in 1895 he died.