The beginning of the 19th century in Russia was marked by a cultural upsurge, dubbed the Golden Age. Russian culture of the 19th century was famous all over the world and was ahead of many other European countries. Classicism was affirmed in art, which was reflected in architecture, literature, and music.
Under Emperor Alexander I, a policy of "enlightened absolutism" was pursued, aimed at developing education, supporting industry, and it patronized the sciences and the arts.
Having ascended the throne in 1825, Nicholas I pursued a reactionary policy that relied on the police and bureaucracy.
Architecture of the early 19th century
The victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 had a great influence on various spheres of art and social life. Therefore, Russian culture in the first half of the 19th century is distinguished by patriotic moods. A reflection of those glorious events can be traced back to architecture. A talented architect, a native of serfs, Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin became the creator of the Kazan Cathedral. It was conceived by Paul I as the likeness of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Voronikhin was able to successfully enter the building into the ensemble of the central Nevsky Prospect for Petersburg. Kazan Cathedral, which became a memorial to the Patriotic War of 1812 , became the burial place of Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov. The decoration of the iconostasis took forty pounds of silver, which was stolen by the French and returned to the Cossacks. Here were kept the standards and banners of the French troops.
Painting
The art of portraiture developed in painting. O. A. Kiprensky was recognized as one of the significant Russian portrait painters of this era. The Russian- style culture of the 19th century developed the romantic style during the period of political upheaval that reigned in Europe, where Napoleon waged wars of aggression. The famous portrait of a hussar colonel Denis Davydov by Kiprensky belongs to this period. In female portraits, Kiprensky conveyed the warmth and lyricism of images. The artist sought on his canvases to show people who reflected the historical era.
Music
The classical style of Russian culture of the 19th century extended to all forms of art. So, in music, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka became his bright representative. The phrase belongs to him: "The people create music, we only arrange it." He became the founder of the classic Russian opera (the fabulously epic opera Ruslan and Lyudmila, the folk musical drama Life for the Tsar).
Literature
An integral part of the concept of “culture of the 19th century” in Russia is literature, which at that time turned into one of the leading in the world. Classical writers created works imbued with humanism and patriotism. Magazines appeared: socio-political and literary. At the beginning of the century sentimentalism reigned, the bright representative of which was N. M. Karamzin. Then he was replaced by romanticism, which was embodied in the work of V. A. Zhukovsky. Sentimentalism made readers sympathize with heroes with heightened sensitivity. Romantic writers opposed heroic characters to society, showed interest in the nature and history of the peoples of other countries.
For any educated person, Russian culture of the 19th century does not appear without the name of A.S. Pushkin, whose formation as a poet took place against the backdrop of a patriotic upsurge in society that arose due to the victory in the war of 1812. As a tribute to the romantic style, Pushkin creates the poem Ruslan and Lyudmila. In the southern poems he glorified the theme of freedom. The early poems "Village" and "Liberty" speak of the poet's civic position. At the end of his life, A. S. Pushkin created such masterpieces as the drama “Boris Godunov” and the novel “Eugene Onegin”. The poet was able to cover all genres in his work and proved the universality of his genius.
This is not a complete list of the achievements of the great Russian culture of the early 19th century. She made an invaluable contribution to the development of national art and education, and also had a huge impact on world culture.