Life and work of Ostrovsky. Stages and features of Ostrovsky

Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky is a famous Russian writer and playwright, who had a significant impact on the development of the national theater. He formed a new school of realistic games and wrote many wonderful works. This article will outline the main stages of Ostrovsky’s work. As well as the most significant moments of his biography.

Childhood

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky, whose photo is presented in this article, was born in 1823, March 31, in Moscow, in the region of Malaya Ordynka. His father, Nikolai Fedorovich, grew up in a priest's family, graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy himself, but did not serve in the church. He became a lawyer, engaged in commercial and judicial affairs. Nikolai Fedorovich managed to rise to the rank of titular adviser, and later (in 1839) receive the nobility. The mother of the future playwright - Savvina Lyubov Ivanovna - was the daughter of a sexton. She died when Alexander was only seven years old. In the Ostrovsky family, six children grew up. Nikolai Fedorovich did everything so that the children grew up in abundance and received a decent education. A few years after the death of Lyubov Ivanovna, he married a second time. Emilia Andreevna von Tessin, baroness, daughter of a Swedish nobleman, became his wife. Children were very lucky with their stepmother: she managed to find an approach to them and continued to engage in their education.

Youth

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky spent his childhood in the very center of Zamoskvorechye. His father had a very good library, thanks to which the boy got acquainted with the literature of Russian writers early and felt a penchant for writing. However, the father saw in the boy only a lawyer. Therefore, in 1835, Alexander was sent to the First Moscow Gymnasium, after studying in which he became a student at Moscow University. However, Ostrovsky failed to obtain a law degree. He quarreled with the teacher and left the university. On the advice of his father, Alexander Nikolaevich went to serve in court as a scribe and worked in this position for several years.

Attempt at writing

However, Alexander Nikolaevich did not abandon his attempt to prove himself in the literary field. In his first plays, he adhered to the accusatory, "moral-social" direction. The first works of Ostrovsky were published in a new edition, Moscow City Leaf, in 1847. These were sketches for the comedy “The Failed Debtor” and the essay “Notes of the Zamoskvoretsky Resident”. Under the publication the letters “A. ABOUT." and "D. G. " The fact is that a certain Dmitry Gorev offered the young playwright cooperation. It did not go further than writing one of the scenes, but later became for Ostrovsky a source of great trouble. Some detractors later accused the playwright of plagiarism. In the future, many magnificent plays will come out from the pen of Alexander Nikolayevich, and no one will dare to doubt his talent. Next will be described in detail the life and work of Ostrovsky. The table below will systematize the information received.

First success

When did this happen? Ostrovsky’s work gained great popularity after the publication in 1850 of the comedy “Our People — Let's Count!” This work provoked good reviews in literary circles. I. A. Goncharov and N. V. Gogol gave the play a positive assessment. However, an impressive fly in the ointment also got into this barrel of honey. Influential representatives of the Moscow merchants, offended by the estate, complained to the highest instances of the daring playwright. The play was immediately banned from staging, the author was expelled from service and given under the strict supervision of the police. Moreover, this happened by personal order of the Emperor Nicholas the First. Surveillance was eliminated only after Emperor Alexander II ascended the throne. And the theater public saw comedy only in 1861, after the lifting of the ban on its production.

Early plays

The early work of A. N. Ostrovsky did not go unnoticed, the works were published mainly in the journal Moskvityanin. The playwright actively collaborated with this publication both as a critic and as an editor in the years 1850-1851. Influenced by the "young editorial staff" of the magazine and the main ideologist of this circle, A. A. Grigoriev, Alexander Nikolaevich composed the plays "Poverty is not a vice", "Do not sit in your sled", "Do not live as you like." The themes of Ostrovsky’s creativity during this period are the idealization of patriarchy, Russian ancient customs and traditions. These moods slightly muffled the revealing pathos of the writer's work. However, the works of this cycle grew dramatic mastery of Alexander Nikolaevich. His plays have become famous and in demand.

Collaboration with Sovremennik

Beginning in 1853, for thirty years, the plays of Alexander Nikolaevich were shown every season on the stages of the Maly (in Moscow) and Alexandrinsky (in St. Petersburg) theaters. Since 1856, Ostrovsky’s work has been regularly covered in the journal Sovremennik (works are being printed). During the public upsurge in the country (before the abolition of serfdom in 1861), the writer's works again became accusatory. In the play “In a strange feast hangover”, the writer created an impressive image of Bruskov Titus Titich, in which he embodied the brute and dark power of home autocracy. Here for the first time the word "tyrant" was spoken, which was subsequently assigned to an entire gallery of Ostrovsky's characters. In the comedy "Profitable Place", the corruption of officials became the norm of life. The drama "Pupil" was a lively protest against violence against personality. Other stages of Ostrovsky’s creativity will be described below. But the peak of the achievement of this period of his literary activity was the socio-psychological drama "Thunderstorm".

"Storm"

In this play, the “everyday man” Ostrovsky painted the dull atmosphere of a provincial city with its hypocrisy, rudeness, and the indisputable authority of the “elders” and the rich. In contrast to the imperfect world of people, Alexander Nikolaevich depicts breathtaking pictures of the Volga nature. The image of Katerina is covered with tragic beauty and gloomy charm. Thunderstorm symbolizes the emotional turmoil of the heroine and at the same time personifies the burden of fear, under which ordinary people constantly live. The kingdom of blind submissiveness, according to Ostrovsky, undermines two forces: the common sense that Kuligin preaches in the play, and the pure soul of Katerina. In his "Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom", critic Dobrolyubov interpreted the image of the main character as a symbol of deep protest, gradually ripening in the country.

Thanks to this play, Ostrovsky’s work soared to inaccessible heights. The Storm made Alexander Nikolaevich the most famous and revered Russian playwright.

Historical motives

In the second half of the 1860s, Alexander Nikolaevich set about studying the history of the Time of Troubles. He began to correspond with the famous historian and public figure Nikolai Ivanovich Kostomarov. Based on the study of serious sources, the playwright created a whole series of historical works: “Dmitry the Pretender and Vasily Shuisky”, “Kozma Zakharyich Minin-Sukhoruk”, “Tushino”. The problems of Russian history were depicted by Ostrovsky talentedly and reliably.

Other plays

Alexander Nikolaevich remained faithful to his favorite topic. In the 1860s, he wrote many "everyday" dramas and plays. Among them: “Hard days”, “Puchina”, “Jokers”. These works reinforced the motives already found by the writer. Since the late 1860s, Ostrovsky’s work is undergoing a period of active development. In his dramaturgy, the images and themes of the “new” that survived the reform of Russia appear: businessmen, acquirers, degenerate patriarchal moneybags and “Europeanized” merchants. Alexander Nikolaevich created a brilliant cycle of satirical comedies, debunking the post-reform illusions of citizens: “Mad Money”, “Hot Heart”, “Wolves and Sheep”, “Forest”. The moral ideal of the playwright is pure soul, noble people: Parasha from the "Hot Heart", Aksyusha from the Forest. Ostrovsky’s ideas about the meaning of life, happiness and duty were embodied in the play “Labor Bread”. Almost all of the works of Alexander Nikolaevich written in the 1870s were published in the “Domestic Notes”.

"Snow Maiden"

The appearance of this poetic play was completely random. The Maly Theater in 1873 was closed for repairs. His artists moved to the building of the Bolshoi Theater. In this regard, the commission for managing the Moscow imperial theaters decided to create a performance in which three troupes will be involved: opera, ballet and drama. Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky undertook to write a similar play. “Snow Maiden” was written by a playwright in a very short time. The author took the plot from a Russian folk tale as a basis. While working on the play, he carefully selected the size of the verses, consulted with archaeologists, historians, and connoisseurs of antiquity. The music for the play was composed by the young P.I. Tchaikovsky. The premiere of the play took place in 1873, May 11, on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. KS Stanislavsky spoke of “The Snow Maiden” as a fairy tale, a dream told in sonorous and magnificent verses. He said that the realist and the everyday man Ostrovsky wrote this play as if before that he was not interested in anything except pure romance and poetry.

Work in recent years

During this period, Ostrovsky composed significant socio-psychological comedies and dramas. They tell about the tragic fate of thinly feeling, gifted women in a cynical and greedy world: "Talents and fans", "Dowry". Here, the playwright developed new techniques of stage expressiveness, anticipating the work of Anton Chekhov. Preserving the features of his drama, Alexander Nikolaevich sought to embody the "internal struggle" of the heroes in an "intelligent subtle comedy".

Social activity

In 1866, Alexander Nikolayevich founded the famous Artistic Circle. He subsequently gave the Moscow scene many talented figures. Ostrovsky had D.V. Grigorovich, I. A. Goncharov, I. S. Turgenev, P. M. Sadovsky, A. F. Pisemsky, G. N. Fedotova, M. E. Ermolova, P. I. Tchaikovsky , L.N. Tolstoy, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, I.E. Turchaninov.

In 1874, the Society of Russian Dramatic Writers and Opera Composers was created in Russia. Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky was elected chairman of the association. Photos of a famous public figure were known to every lover of stage art in Russia. The reformer made a lot of efforts to ensure that the legislation of theater management was revised in favor of the artists, and thereby significantly improved their material and social situation.

In 1885, Alexander Nikolaevich was appointed to the post of head of the repertoire of the Moscow theaters and became the head of the theater school.

Ostrovsky Theater

The work of Alexander Ostrovsky is inextricably linked with the formation of a real Russian theater in its modern sense. The playwright and writer managed to create his own theater school and a special holistic concept for staging theatrical performances.

Features of Ostrovsky’s work in the theater consist in the absence of opposition to the acting nature and extreme situations in the action of the play. In the works of Alexander Nikolaevich, ordinary events take place with ordinary people.

The main ideas of the reform:

• the theater should be based on conventions (there is an invisible “fourth wall” that separates the audience from the actors);
• when staging a performance, the bet must be placed not on one famous actor, but on a team of artists who understand each other well;
• the constant attitude of actors to the language: speech characteristics should express almost everything about the characters presented in the play;
• people come to the theater to watch the play of artists, and not to get acquainted with the play - they can read it at home.

The ideas that the writer Alexander Ostrovsky came up with were later developed by M. A. Bulgakov and K. S. Stanislavsky.

Personal life

The playwright’s personal life was no less interesting than his literary work. Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich lived in a civil marriage with a simple tradesman for almost twenty years. Interesting facts and details of the marital relationship of the writer and his first wife still concern researchers.

In 1847, in Nikolo-Vorobinovsky Lane, next to the house where Ostrovsky lived, a young girl, Agafya Ivanovna, settled with her thirteen-year-old sister. She had no relatives or friends. No one knows when she met Alexander Nikolaevich. However, in 1848, the son of Alexei appeared in young people. There were no conditions for raising a child, so the boy was temporarily placed in an educational home. Ostrovsky’s father was terribly angry that his son not only left the prestigious university, but also contacted a simple tradesman living in the neighborhood.

However, Alexander Nikolaevich showed firmness and, when his father, along with his stepmother, left for the recently bought Shchelykovo estate in the Kostroma province, he settled with Agafya Ivanovna in his wooden house.

The writer and ethnographer S. V. Maximov jokingly called Ostrovsky’s first wife “Martha Posadnitsa,” because she was with the writer during times of dire need and severe deprivation. Ostrovsky's friends characterize Agafya Ivanovna as a person who is naturally very intelligent and cordial. She remarkably knew the mores and customs of merchant life and had an unconditional influence on Ostrovsky's work. Alexander Nikolaevich often consulted with her about the creation of his works. In addition, Agafya Ivanovna was a wonderful and hospitable hostess. But Ostrovsky did not formalize an official marriage with her even after the death of his father. All children born in this union died very young, only the eldest, Aleksey, briefly survived his mother.

Over time, Ostrovsky got other hobbies. He was passionately in love with Lyubov Pavlovna Kositskaya-Nikulin, who played Katerina at the premiere of "Thunderstorms" in 1859. However, soon a personal break occurred: the actress left the playwright for the sake of a wealthy merchant.

Then Alexander Nikolaevich had a connection with the young artist Vasilyeva-Bakhmetyeva. Agafya Ivanovna knew about this, but steadfastly carried her cross and managed to maintain Ostrovsky’s self-respect. The woman died in 1867, March 6, after a serious illness. Alexander Nikolaevich did not leave her bed until the very end. The burial place of the first wife of Ostrovsky is unknown.

Two years later, the playwright married Vasilyeva-Bakhmetieva, who bore him two daughters and four sons. Alexander Nikolaevich lived with this woman until the end of his days.

The death of a writer

Stressful social and creative activity could not but affect the health of the writer. In addition, despite the good fees from staging plays and an annual pension of 3 thousand rubles, Alexander Nikolaevich did not have enough money all the time. Exhausted by constant worries, the writer’s body eventually failed. In 1886, on June 2, the writer died on his estate Shchelykovo near Kostroma. Emperor Alexander the Third granted 3 thousand rubles to the playwright’s grave. In addition, the widow of the writer, he assigned a pension of 3 thousand rubles, and another 2400 rubles a year to raise Ostrovsky’s children.

Chronological table

Ostrovsky’s life and work can be briefly displayed in a chronological table.

Ostrovsky’s life and work were filled with such events. A table in which the main incidents in the fate of the writer are indicated will help to better study his biography. The dramatic legacy of Alexander Nikolaevich is difficult to overestimate. During the lifetime of the great artist, the Maly Theater was called the “Ostrovsky House”, and this speaks volumes. Ostrovsky’s work, a brief description of which is presented in this article, is worth exploring in more detail.