If you ask: “What do you think about the work of Alexei Gorky?”, Then few can answer this question. And not because these people do not read, but because not everyone knows and remembers that this is the well-known writer Maxim Gorky. And if you decide to further complicate the task, then ask about the works of Alexei Peshkov. Here, only a few will remember exactly that this is the real name of Alexei Gorky. This was not just a writer, but also an active public figure. As you already understood, we will talk about a truly popular writer - Maxim Gorky.
Children and teenagers
The years of life of Gorky (Peshkov) Alexei Maximovich - 1868-1936. They came in an important historical era. The biography of Alexei Gorky is rich in events, starting from his very childhood. The native city of the writer is Nizhny Novgorod. His father, Maxim Peshkov, worked as the manager of a shipping company, he died when the boy was only 3 years old. After the death of her husband, Alyosha’s mother remarried. She died when he was 11 years old. The grandfather was engaged in the further education of little Alexei.
As an 11-year-old boy, the future writer already "went to the people" - he earned his bread. Whatever he worked for: he was a baker, worked as a delivery boy in a store, and a dishwasher in a buffet. Unlike the severe grandfather, grandmother was a kind and believing woman and a wonderful storyteller. It was she who instilled in Maxim Gorky a love of reading.
In 1887, the writer will attempt to commit suicide, which he will associate with the difficult experiences caused by the news of grandmother's death. Fortunately, he survived - the bullet did not hit the heart, but damaged the lungs, which caused problems with the respiratory system.
The life of the future writer was not easy, and he, unable to stand it, ran away from home. The boy wandered around the country a lot, saw the whole truth of life, but in an amazing way he was able to maintain faith in an ideal Man. He will describe his childhood years, life in his grandfather's house in "Childhood" - the first part of his autobiographical trilogy.
In 1884, Alexei Gorky tried to enter Kazan University, but because of his financial situation, he learns that this is impossible. During this period, the future writer begins to gravitate towards romantic philosophy, according to which the ideal Man does not look like the Real Man. Then he becomes acquainted with the Marxist theory and becomes a supporter of new ideas.
Alias appearance
In 1888, the writer was arrested for a short period of time for contact with N. Fedoseyev's Marxist circle. In 1891, he decided to begin a journey through Russia and eventually managed to reach the Caucasus. Alexey Maksimovich was constantly engaged in self-education, accumulated and expanded his knowledge in various fields. He agreed to any work and carefully kept all his impressions, they later appeared in his very first stories. Subsequently, he called this period "My Universities."
In 1892, Gorky returned to his native places and took his first steps in the literary field as a writer in several provincial publications. For the first time his pseudonym “Gorky” appeared in the same year in the newspaper “Tiflis”, in which his story “Makar Chudra” was published.
The pseudonym was not chosen by chance: he hinted at the "bitter" Russian life and that the writer would write only the truth, no matter how bitter it may be. Maxim Gorky saw the life of a common people and could not ignore the injustice, which was on the part of the rich estates, with his character cast.
Early creativity and success
Alexei Gorky was actively engaged in propaganda, for which he was constantly monitored by the police. With the help of V. Korolenko in 1895, his story "Chelkash" was published in the largest Russian magazine. Following were printed "Old Woman Isergil", "Song of the Falcon", "Former People". They were not special from the literary point of view, but they successfully coincided with the new political views.
In 1898, his collection "Essays and Stories" was published, which was an extraordinary success, and Maxim Gorky receives all-Russian recognition. Although his stories were not highly artistic, they depicted the lives of ordinary people, starting from the very bottom, which brought Alexei Peshkov recognition as the only writer who writes about the lower class. At that time, he was no less popular than L.N. Tolstoy and A.P. Chekhov.
In the period from 1904 to 1907, the plays "Petty Bourgeois", "At the Bottom", "Children of the Sun", "Summer Residents" were written. His earliest works did not have any social orientation, but the characters had their own types and special attitude to life, which was very popular with readers.
Revolutionary activity
The writer Aleksey Gorky was an ardent supporter of the Marxist Social Democracy, and in 1901 wrote The Song of the Petrel, which called for revolution. For open propaganda of revolutionary actions, he was arrested and deported from Nizhny Novgorod. In 1902, Gorky met Lenin; in the same year, his election to the Imperial Academy by the category of fine literature was canceled.
The writer was also an excellent organizer: since 1901 he was the head of the publishing house "Knowledge", which published the best writers of that period. He supported the revolutionary movement not only spiritually, but also materially. The writer's apartment was used as a headquarters for revolutionaries before important events. At his apartment in St. Petersburg, Lenin even spoke. After the December armed revolt in 1905, Maxim Gorky decided to leave Russia temporarily because of fears of arrest.
Life abroad
Alexei Gorky went to Finland and from there to Western Europe and the United States, where he raised funds for the Bolshevik struggle. At the very beginning he was met there friendly: the writer made acquaintance with Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain. In America, his famous novel "Mother" is published. However, later the Americans began to resent his political actions.
In the period from 1906 to 1907, Gorky lived on the island of Capri, from where he continued to support the Bolsheviks. At the same time, he creates a special theory of "God-building." The point was that moral and cultural values were much more important than political ones. This theory formed the basis of the novel Confession. Although Lenin rejected these beliefs, the writer continued to adhere to them.
Return to Russia
In 1913, Alexei Maksimovich returned to his homeland. During the First World War, he lost faith in the power of Man. In 1917, his relations with the revolutionaries worsened, he was disappointed in the leaders of the revolution.
Gorky understands that all his attempts to save the intelligentsia do not meet with the response of the Bolsheviks. But after the attempt on Lenin in 1918, he admits his beliefs as erroneous and returns to the Bolsheviks. In 1921, despite a personal meeting with Lenin, he was unable to save his friend, the poet Nikolai Gumilyov, from execution. After that, he leaves Bolshevik Russia.
Re-emigration
In connection with the intensification of tuberculosis attacks and at the urgent request of Lenin, Alexei Maksimovich leaves Russia for Italy, in the city of Sorrento. There he completes his autobiographical trilogy. The author remains in exile until 1928, but continues to maintain contacts with the Soviet Union.
He does not give up writing, but he writes already in accordance with new literary trends. Far from their homeland, he wrote the novel "The Artamonov Case", stories. An extensive work, The Life of Klim Samghin, was begun, which the writer did not have time to finish. In connection with the death of Lenin, Gorky writes a book of memoirs about the leader.
Homecoming and the last years of life
Alexei Gorky came to the Soviet Union several times, but did not stay there. In 1928, while traveling around the country, he was shown the "front" side of life. The delighted writer wrote essays about the Soviet Union.
In 1931, at the personal invitation of Stalin, he returned to the USSR forever. Alexei Maksimovich continues to write, but in his works he praises the image of Stalin and the entire leadership, without mentioning the numerous repressions. Of course, this state of affairs did not suit the writer, but at that time statements contradicting the authorities were not tolerated.
In 1934, the son of Gorky dies, and on June 18, 1936, under circumstances unclear to the end, Maxim Gorky dies. The last leadership of the national writer was escorted by all the country's leadership. The urn with its ashes was buried in the Kremlin wall.
Features of the work of Maxim Gorky
His work is unique in that it was during the collapse of capitalism that he was able to very vividly convey the state of society through the description of ordinary people. After all, no one before him had described with such detail the life of the lower strata of society. It was this undisguised truth of the life of the working class that earned him popular love.
His faith in man can be traced in his early works; he believed that a person can make a revolution with the help of his spiritual life. Maxim Gorky managed to combine the bitter truth with faith in moral values. And it was this combination that made his works special, the characters memorable, and Gorky himself made the writer a worker.