Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin survived many diverse events, whose life and work are filled with the drama of events that took place in the world. His works are always successful both among ordinary readers and professionals. Many of Kuprin’s stories are a reference in the literary genre, for example, Captain Rybnikov. For all time, pearls from the treasury of Russian literature, such as Pomegranate Bracelet, Sulamith, Olesya, Listrigony, Juncker, will remain popular, but how modern children read such stories as White Poodle ! Alexander Kuprin in our country has a truly national recognition.
Childhood and youth
The future writer was born in August 1880 in the small town of Penza province. His father, a petty official, died when his son was barely a year old. Mother could not raise little Alexander to his feet, because there was not enough money, and sent the boy to an orphan school.
The Alexander School in Moscow left not only bleak memories. Adolescence and youth passed here, the first youthful hobbies, literary experiments appeared, and most importantly, the things that Alexander Kuprin acquired at the school were friends.
Moscow was beautiful with its patriarchal mores, its own myths, filled with small-town pride (a capital infringed on rights!), With its local celebrities, eccentrics. The appearance of the city was solid and unlike any other.
The beginning of writing
Studying gave Kuprin a fairly complete education: languages - Russian, French, German. Physics, mathematics, history, geography and literature (literature). This last one became a refuge for him for life. Here, at the school, his first story was written - "The Last Debut", published in the heat of the Russian Satirical Herald.
Kuprin was incredibly happy, although he spent time in this punishment cell (publications without the knowledge of the head of the school were forbidden, but young Kuprin did not know this, but he was punished for not knowing the internal service).
Finally, the novice writer was first-classly released from school and assigned to serve on the southwestern border of Russia, the deaf provincial towns of such a plan were brilliantly described in the novel "The Duel" and the story "Wedding".
Service at the borders of the country
Service for the border became the material for excellent, to the end, suffering works, such as "Inquiry", "Overnight" and others. However, the writer was seriously considering professional literary activity. It was necessary to gain enough experience for this, so it was published in provincial newspapers, and the story “In the Dark” was accepted into the magazine “Russian Wealth”.
In 1890, Kuprin, whose life and work seemed to be covered with moss in the outback, suddenly met with Chekhov and Gorky. Both masters played a huge role in the fate of Kuprin. Naturally, Alexander Kuprin valued their works extremely highly, and even more - their opinion, and Chekhov almost idolized.
main topic
Not even one of the main, but the most important topic that the writer Alexander Kuprin has used throughout his life is love. The heroes from the pages of his prose directly shine with this feeling, revealing themselves in their best manifestations, always light, always tragically, with very few exceptions (for example, “Lilac Bush” - this amazingly beautiful story is equal in strength of impression to “Gifts of the Magi” by O. Henry, everything ends well there, except for the shame of the hero-officer for his little deception). To all real writers, like Alexander Kuprin, a biography helps to create.
"Olesya"
The first rather large and very significant work appears in 1898. This story “Olesya” is sad, without the slightest melodramatism, bright, romantic. The nature world of the heroine is spiritual harmony as opposed to a person from a big and cruel city. Naturalness, inner freedom, simplicity Olesya pulled the main character faster than a piece of metal magnet.
Faint-hearted kindness turned out to be stronger than spiritual wealth, almost destroying a pure and strong girl. The framework of social and cultural life can change even such a natural person as Olesya, but Kuprin did not allow this. Even a high sense of love cannot revive those spiritual qualities that civilization destroyed. Therefore, the meaning of this excellent tale is high, because the life of Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich taught everywhere to see both the light and the shadow that obscures it.
"Garnet bracelet"
In everyday life itself, the writer seeks and finds people whose obsession with a high sense is capable of rising above the prose of life, even in dreams. Turning to the description of the "little man", Alexander Kuprin, whose books are read with enthusiasm, truly works wonders. It turns out that the Kuprin “little” person is characterized by refined, comprehensive love, hopeless and touching. This is a miracle, a wonderful gift. Even when dying, love revives life, conquering death. And music, music that regenerates the soul. It sounds in every line, passing from cold contemplation to a quivering sense of the world.
True platonic love is inevitably tragic. The chastity of the heroes has creative creative power. Heroes appear to readers like these, as Kuprin saw, whose life and work depict them to us in a cruel world trying to break a fragile soul. Moreover, almost always there is a certain underestimation by the hero of himself, disbelief in the right to possess that woman, who lusts for his whole essence. Nevertheless, the complexity of the situations and the drama in the ending do not leave the reader feeling despondent, the heroes that Alexander Kuprin brought to the reader, his entire books are self-love, optimism itself. After reading the light feeling for a long time does not leave the reader.
White Poodle
This story, published in 1903, about an old organ-grinder, a boy Seryozha and their faithful dog - the poodle Artaud, is called the writer - "White Poodle". Alexander Kuprin, as often happened, sketched the plot from nature. Guests often came to his dacha - artists, just passers-by, pilgrims, and the Kuprin family welcomed everyone, fed them dinner and gave them tea. Among the guests an old man with a barrel organ, a small acrobat and a white learned dog appeared once. So they told the writer about what happened to them.
The rich lady insisted on selling the poodle for her little, spoiled and moody son, the artists naturally refused. The lady was angry, hired a man to steal a dog. And Seryozha risked his life, freeing his beloved Artoshka. This story seemed interesting to Kuprin in that the story easily included two of his favorite topics - social inequality and disinterested friendship, love for animals, care for them. So often, instead of a writer, a biography works, as Kuprin himself said.
"Duel"
During the service as a second lieutenant in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment, Alexander Kuprin conceived and suffered the "Duel". The city of Proskurov, in which the service took place, is easily recognizable in this story. After retiring, the writer began to systematize his scattered records. When the story was ready, it was highly appreciated by Maxim Gorky, calling it gorgeous and due to all thinking and honest officers it was necessary to make an indelible impression.
Also, A.V. Lunacharsky devoted an article to the Duel article in Pravda magazine in the fall of 1905, where he in every possible way welcomed such subjects and such writing style, talking about the beautiful pages of Kuprin's story, which are an eloquent appeal to the army, and each officer will certainly hear your own voice of unbridled honor.
Some scenes of the "Duel" Paustovsky called the best in Russian literature. But there were opposite estimates. Not all CSKA men agreed with the reality that Alexander Kuprin revealed (life and work clearly say that he did not write a word of lie). However, Lieutenant General Geisman accused the writer of slander, hatred of the army, and even of an attempt on the political system.
This is one of Kuprin’s most significant works on the history of the conflict between the young lieutenant Romashov and the senior officer. Morals, drill, vulgarity of the officer community - all the background of the life of the provincial regiment Kuprin pushed against a young romantic worldview and - again! - real, forgiving and all-embracing, sacrificial love.
The first edition of the story came out with a dedication to Maxim Gorky, since all the most violent and most daring in the story determined its influence. But Chekhov did not like the story, and her romantic mood - especially that Kuprin was very puzzled and upset.
In the fall of this year, the writer spent in Balaklava, in the Crimea, where he read at the charity evening the Nazansky monologue from The Duel. Balaclava is a military city, and there were a lot of them in the hall at that moment. A huge scandal broke out, which helped to repay the sailor, Lieutenant P. P. Schmidt, a month later led the uprising on the cruiser "Ochakov". The writer personally saw the ruthless reprisal of government troops against the rebels and described these events by sending correspondence to Petersburg, to the newspaper New Life. For this, Kuprin was sent from Balaklava at forty-eight hours. But the writer managed to save several of the sailors from Ochakiv from persecution. Later, wonderful stories were written about this uprising: “Caterpillar”, “Giants”, and the wonderful “Gambrinus”.
Writer's Family
The first wife of Kuprin was Maria Karlovna Davydova, whom he married in 1902 and received a divorce in 1909. She was a highly educated lady, daughter of the famous cellist and publisher of the magazine. The next marriage, she became the wife of a prominent statesman Nikolai Iordansky-Negarev. Maria Karlovna left a book of memoirs about Kuprin - "Years of Youth".
They also had a joint daughter, Lidia Alexandrovna Kuprina, who died early, in 1924, giving the writer a grandson Alexei. The children of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin and his grandson did not leave other offspring, the Kuprin family was interrupted.
The second wife, his muse and guardian angel, is Elizaveta Moritsevna Heinrich, who married the writer in 1909. She was the daughter of a photographer and sister of an actress. Elizaveta Moritsevna worked all her life, which was not typical for that time, she was a sister of mercy. I could not survive the blockade of Leningrad.
They had a daughter, Ksenia Alexandrovna, a beauty and smart girl, a favorite not only of the whole family, but also of people who had at least a little contact with her. She worked at the Fashion House at the famous Paul Poiret at that time, was a model and actress. In 1958 she returned from France to the USSR. She also wrote the memoirs "Kuprin - my father." She played in the Moscow Pushkin Theater. The one-year-old Xenia had a sister, Zinaida, but in 1912 she died of pneumonia.
Pre-war, war and post-war years
The whole of 1909, Kuprin has been working hard - he writes a story of a risky theme for our times. The writer decided to show the inside life of a brothel somewhere in the province. The story he called "The Pit." She wrote for a long time. In the same year he was awarded the Pushkin Prize, as well as Ivan Bunin. This was already an official recognition from the Academy of Sciences.
In 1911, Kuprin had to sell the publishing rights to the Complete Works. Having received a hundred thousand rubles of royalties from the publisher, already in 1915 the writer wrote that he was mired in debt. Then the story “Pomegranate Bracelet” was published, which was so reverently written by Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich, the stories “Telegraphist” and “The Holy Lie” are subtle, lyrical, sad works. They clearly showed that the author’s soul was not mired in wealth, that he was still ready to sympathize, love and condole.
In 1914, Kuprin volunteered for war, again as a lieutenant. He served in Finland, however, not for long: he was declared unfit for health reasons. He returned home, and at home - the infirmary: Elizaveta Moritsevna and daughter Ksenia nursed the wounded ... So the years of war passed. Kuprin did not understand and did not accept the revolution of 1917. I didn’t like Lenin. After the defeat of the white movement in 1920, Kuprins left Russia.
Twenty years of Kuprin's life in France showed how difficult it is for a Russian person to adapt abroad. There were no earnings. The most famous works of the writer were translated into French, but new ones were not written. Commercial enterprises all the more failed. The main thing - longing ate the soul. Youth, health, strength, hope have gone ... Here with this nostalgia permeated through and through the only major work written by Alexander Ivanovich far from Russia is the novel "Junker." It turned out to be almost documentary memories of a military school, warm, sad, but with the same kind and soft Kuprin humor. He really, really wanted to return to his homeland.
Home!
Too late Kuprin's dream of returning to Russia came true. A terminally ill writer returned home to die. The meeting was incredibly warm - he was loved so much that almost all of Moscow decided to see him. The joy of Alexander Ivanovich was immeasurable. Eyewitnesses testify that he often cried, he was touched by everything: both children, and the smell of his homeland, and especially the attention and love of others. The writer, despite his illness, published: an essay on the capital, “Moscow is native,” then memories of Gorky (with enormous silence, since Kuprin Gorky did not favor the “horror and slavery regime” for support and aiding).
Under the new year 1937, Kuprins moved to Leningrad and settled there, surrounded by care and attention. In June 1938, they visited their dear Gatchina, where lilacs once bloomed so beautifully. They abandoned both their old cottage and seventy thousand compensation for it, settled with a friend of the famous widow of the famous architect. Kuprin walked in a beautiful garden, enjoying peace and quiet joy.
Nevertheless, the disease was getting worse, the diagnosis was terrible - cancer of the esophagus. In Leningrad, after returning from Gatchina, the council decided to operate Kuprin. Temporarily he felt better, but doctors warned that, in principle, there was nothing to hope for. Kuprin was dying. In recent days, he had everything that was possible - the best doctors, excellent care. But such an extension of life cannot be forever.
Eternal life
Literary scholars, critics, and memoirists painted a lively portrait of a remarkable, truly Russian writer, who continued the best classical traditions of critical realism, a brilliant follower of Leo Tolstoy. Alexander Kuprin, whose quotes have been around for a century, has written more than a hundred works of various genres. He was truthful, sincere, with a large share of life specifics in each of his words, he wrote only about what he himself experienced, saw, felt.
Kuprin addressed the widest audience, his reader does not depend on gender and age, everyone will find his own, cherished in his lines. Humanism, persistent love of life, flexible, vivid descriptions, and an exceptionally rich language help Kuprin's works to remain one of the most read to this day. His works are filmed, staged and translated into many languages of the world.