Among the concepts and terms in the Russian language there are those that are quite often used in our speech, and in fiction, and in historical annals and archives. But often not all of us clearly imagine their meaningfulness and orientation. In the same way, probably, the situation is with the given word - “contemporaries”. This name of a couple or group of people is quite often used: in a social, historical, and literary context. What does it mean? Let's deal with you.
General interpretation of the meaning of the word
In this general language context, contemporaries are persons living in the same time interval with each other. Or with any of the third parties referred to in an artwork, historical reference, or any other document - oral, written or visual. Simply put, these are the people who live in the modern world with us, grew up almost at the same time (if, for example, it is said about our contemporaries). Unlike peers, people who are the same age, and fellow friends who may not necessarily be peers.
And in the history of literature it is customary to say that Gogol and Pushkin were contemporaries. This concept is also a broader one, used in various fields to refer to a rather large mass of people. But only those who live at the same time.
Demographic and sociological context
From the point of view of demography and sociology, contemporaries are both people living in a certain area, and the totality of all living in a certain segment, and the union of people existing in time intervals (for example, in a calendar year). This community represents a hypothetical generation in demography, which is formed from representatives of real human generations.
Historical contemporaries
These are those who live simultaneously in a certain historical period of time. For example, we can say that Pontius Pilate and Jesus Christ were historical contemporaries. And ours are people of different generations (usually several) who live in Russia in the post-perestroika time. Each of us in a certain sense is someone historical contemporary.
Classic fiction
There is such a concept in the history and theory of fiction: contemporary poets. It denotes a certain circle of people of creativity, living or living at the same time interval with each other or with some classic of literature. For example, poets - contemporaries of Pushkin, or poets of the Pushkin era: Baratynsky and Batyushkov, Bestuzhev and Davydov, some others are original and notorious in themselves. However, as a community, they are usually called in a similar way - in history and in literary criticism.
It is characteristic that the poetry of the Pushkin golden age is determined by the framework of the 10-30s of the 19th century. In the majority, all the poets of that time were formed under the influence of the reforms of the Russian language (the so-called Karamzin). Researchers thus identified the characteristics of the creators from the literature of that circle: "The concept of" poets - contemporaries of Pushkin "is not only a chronological one. And if Zhukovsky with Batyushkov and Davydov, for example, organically fit into this era, then Lermontov and Koltsov belong, rather, to the post-Pushkin era - in their internal and figurative content. Also, Tyutchev, whose early poems, although formed in the atmosphere of the 20-30s of the XIX century, and achieved high perfection at that time, was still the beginning of the creative path of the great poet.
Speaking of classical Russian (and not only) literature, one can note the relevance of the statement: classics are eternal contemporaries. Their greatest and immortal works have been appreciated by many, many generations, in various countries and around the world.
Other meanings of the word
And "Contemporary" is a magazine (1836-1866). Moreover, the publication was founded by Alexander Pushkin himself. Initially, there were noble enlightened views. The magazine united the so-called Pushkin circle: Vyazemsky and Gogol, Odoevsky and Davydov, Turgenev and other now famous classic writers.
And “Sovremennik” is both a theater and a publishing house, which are also quite popular in today's Russia.