The Golden Age is an entire era in art, which differs from others in its images and stylistic manners. Take a look at the features that distinguish this era of art from everyone else. Why did the golden age become the main and fundamental in the development of Russian culture? Let's try to figure it out.
The main elements of this era
The expression "golden age" appeared when all art began to be divided into time periods. It was then that the golden and silver centuries began to stand out. The Golden Age is the nineteenth century, when Russian art began to flourish and include artistic elements that were already known and actively used in Western Europe.
In the literature of this time, elements of the enlightenment style that were most popular in Europe began to prevail. In addition, it is important to say that the golden age is the period when the Russian language began its development, thanks to which it became much more beautiful and vast. New words, turns, expressive means and poetic images appear.
Significance of this era
After the significance of the Golden Age was revealed, it is necessary to say a few words about which directions were open to Russian art in this era. The Golden Age contributed to the development of the Russian language, during which important features of Russian national culture began to be revealed. They began to single out several main currents of the Golden Age - these are humanism, sociality and citizenship.
The nineteenth century becomes very important in the formation of social life, where literature comes first and plays a central role in the activities of the public.
Since it was the nineteenth century that was precisely the time that the Civil War of 1812 fell on, this era became key in creating the Russian patriotic spirit. It was in the same era that the Decembrist uprising (1825) began, and soon the abolition of serfdom. All this had a very big impact on the spirit of the Russian people, changed his whole life in all areas, created new ideas about the world and life.
In addition, it is important to say that the golden age is a time when people have become more interested in history. This was due to the victory in the Civil War of 1812. National identity has become much more developed. A huge cultural monument was the work of N. Karamzin "History of the Russian State." This creation was the first in the genre of history that the whole country read, looking for an answer to the question of what place Russia occupies in the history of the whole world.
Literature of this era
In literature, the golden age is precisely the era when the very dawn of all art begins. New literary trends, for example, the same romanticism, new poetic images, new forms of versification. All this begins to develop in the era of Elizabeth - in the golden age of Russian literature.
Alexander Pushkin
The most famous poet who made a huge contribution to the development of the literature of the Golden Age is Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. It was thanks to the poet that the Russian language began to develop. A huge number of new, previously unused figurative and expressive means have appeared that begin to be found in every work of Pushkin.
One of the central characters of the Golden Age, which characterizes this era as well as possible, was Eugene Onegin - the main character of the novel of the same name by Alexander Sergeyevich. Onegin supports all those views that were characteristic of people living in this era.
Mikhail Lermontov
The works of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov “Mtsyri” and “Demon” became works that emphasize the level of literary development in the nineteenth century. Like Alexander Pushkin, the main characters became the image of a “superfluous person” who cannot find his place in the world, wandering alone and overcoming life's difficulties, sometimes going on dishonest paths.
Anton Chekhov
The satirical works of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov also belong to the Russian classics of the Golden Age. Many plays by Anton Pavlovich, which reflect the true human nature, are still staged in theaters around the world. In his works, Anton Chekhov always touched on the very important problems of modern man. Moreover, it is important to say that the way the author presents these human shortcomings causes both laughter and pity. About Chekhov’s work, they always said “laughter through tears”.
Fedor Dostoevsky
The work of Fedor Mikhailovich also became very important for the golden age. New views, which were based on the freedom of the individual, turned the whole perception of the world. It is this problem that Fyodor Dostoevsky raises in a number of his works. For example, the “Player” even utters a phrase that makes you wonder: “If ten years ago it was a shame, but today it is displayed, what can be expected from future generations? ..” In another of his works, “Crime and Punishment” Dostoevsky through his main character, Raskolnikov, shows that everything is subject to man, he is free and entitled to do whatever he pleases. However, conscience and moral principles must deter a person from making very large and irreparable errors.
Ivan Turgenev
The creativity of Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev also clearly emphasizes all aspects of the new social order in society. His work “Fathers and Sons” describes the period when new views are just beginning to appear among young people. The older generation, who grew up in a completely different period, cannot understand and support the newly introduced public opinion. This rejection perfectly characterizes the entire upbringing of the older generation. The works of Ivan Turgenev can help those who are trying to figure out how and why people are reasoning today this way, and not otherwise.
Lev Tolstoy
The works of Leo Tolstoy, an equally famous representative of the Golden Age, are creations that are able to show readers all those norms and principles of morality that have been maintained for very long centuries. Numerous works that tell about the loneliness of immoral people, about their torments and experiences, carry a special moral for all readers.
“War and Peace” is an epic novel that, in addition to the problem of human immorality, reveals all the horrors of military art. The Civil War of 1812 described by the writer is central to the work. The main characters understand the cruelty and stupidity of war, the meaninglessness of sacrificed lives.
Fedor Tyutchev
Creativity Fedor Ivanovich was the final. It was the works of Ivan Tyutchev that entered the golden age in literature, thus separating from all subsequent eras. The lyric works that came out of the hands of the writer already more resemble the Silver Age with their images, but still do not have the features inherent in the next era.
General conclusion
The nineteenth century, or the golden age, became very important in the development of the Russian language, literature and culture as a whole. The meaning of the expression "golden age" is discussed in detail above. It’s hard to imagine what would happen to Russian culture if it weren’t for all the wonderful writers who made such a quick and swift revolution of all views, both political and public.