The works of Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich, as well as the life and work of this outstanding Russian prose writer are of interest to many readers. He was born in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy on the twenty-sixth in the city of Narovchat.
His father almost immediately after his birth died of cholera. After some time, Kuprin's mother arrives in Moscow. Arranges daughters there in state institutions, and also takes care of the fate of his son. The role of mother in the upbringing and education of Alexander Ivanovich cannot be exaggerated.
Education of the future prose writer
In the year 1880, Alexander Kuprin entered a military gymnasium, which was later transformed into a cadet corps. After eight years, he graduates from this institution and continues to develop his career in the military line. He did not have another option, since it was this particular one that allowed him to study at public expense.
And two years later, he graduated from the Alexander Military School and received the rank of second lieutenant. This is a pretty serious officer rank. And the time comes for self-service. In general, the Russian army was the main career path for many Russian writers. To recall at least Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov or Athanasius Afanasevich Fet.
Military career of the famous writer Alexander Kuprin
Those processes that took place at the turn of the century in the army later became the theme of so many works of Alexander Ivanovich. In one thousand eight hundred and ninety-three, Kuprin makes an unsuccessful attempt to enter the General Staff Academy. There is a clear parallel with his famous story “The Duel”, which will be mentioned a little later.
And a year later, Alexander Ivanovich resigned without losing touch with the army and without losing the array of life impressions that gave rise to many of his prosaic creations. He, while still an officer, is trying to write and since some time begins to publish.
The first attempts at creativity, or A few days in a punishment cell
The first published story of Alexander Ivanovich is called "The Last Debut". And for this, Kuprin spent two days in the punishment cell because his officers were not supposed to appear in print.
The writer for a long time lives an unsettled life. He seems to have no fate. He constantly wanders, for many years, Alexander Ivanovich lives in the south, Ukraine or Little Russia, as they said then. He visits a huge number of cities.
Kuprin is printed a lot, gradually journalism becomes his constant occupation. He knew the Russian south, as few other writers. At the same time, Alexander Ivanovich begins to publish his essays, which immediately attracted the attention of readers. The writer tried himself in many genres.
Reaching fame
Of course, there are many works that Kuprin created, works that even an ordinary schoolboy knows about. But the very first story that made Alexander Ivanovich famous is “Moloch”. It was published in the eighteen hundred and ninety-sixth year.
This work is based on real events. Kuprin visited Donbass as a correspondent and got acquainted with the work of the Russian-Belgian joint-stock company. Industrialization and the rise of production, all that many public figures strove for, turned into inhuman working conditions. This is precisely the main idea of ​​the story "Moloch".
Alexander Kuprin. Works, the list of which is known to a wide circle of readers
After some time, works are published that are known today to almost every Russian reader. This is “Pomegranate Bracelet”, “Elephant”, “Duel” and, of course, the story “Olesya”. This work was published in eighteen hundred and ninety-two in the newspaper "Kievlyanin". In it, Alexander Ivanovich very dramatically changes the subject of the image.
No longer factories and technical aesthetics, but Volyn forests, folk legends, nature paintings and customs of the local villagers. That is what the author puts into the work "Olesya". Kuprin wrote another work that has no equal.
The image of a girl from the forest, able to understand the language of nature
The main character is a girl, a resident of the forests. She is like a sorceress who can command the forces of nature. And the girl’s ability to hear and feel her language is in contradiction with the church and religious ideology. Olesya is condemned, attributed to her guilt in many troubles that fall on her neighbors.
And in this clash, girls from the forest and peasants, who are in the bosom of social life, which describes the work "Olesya", Kuprin used a kind of metaphor. It contains a very important contrast between natural life and modern civilization. And for Alexander Ivanovich, this compilation is very typical.
Another work by Kuprin, which became popular
Kuprin's work “The Duel” has become one of the author’s most famous creations. The action of the story is connected with the events of the thousand eight hundred and ninety-four years, when fights, or duels, as they were called in the past, were restored in the Russian army.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, despite the complexity of the attitude of the authorities and people to dueling, there was still some kind of knightly sense, a guarantee of observing the norms of noble honor. And even then, many fights had a tragic and monstrous outcome. At the end of the nineteenth century, this decision looked like an anachronism. The Russian army was already completely different.
And there is one more circumstance that needs to be mentioned when speaking about the novel “The Duel”. It was published in the year nineteen five, when during the Russo-Japanese War the Russian army suffered one defeat after another.
It acted demoralizingly on society. And in this context, the work “The Duel” caused fierce controversy in the press. Almost all of Kuprin’s works caused a flurry of feedback from both readers and critics. For example, the story "Pit", relating to a later period of the author. She not only became famous, but also shocked many contemporaries of Alexander Ivanovich.
Later work of the popular prose writer
Kuprin's work “Garnet Bracelet” is a bright story about pure love. About how a simple office worker by the name of Zheltkov loved Princess Vera Nikolaevna, who was completely unattainable for him. He could not claim either marriage or any other relationship with her.
However, suddenly after his death, Vera realizes that a real, genuine feeling passed by her that did not disappear in debauchery and did not dissolve in those terrible faults that separate people from each other, in social obstacles that did not allow different circles of society to communicate with each other and enter to marriage. This bright story and many other works by Kuprin are read to this day with unflagging attention.
Creativity of a prose writer dedicated to children
Alexander Ivanovich writes many stories for children. And these works of Kuprin are another side of the author’s talent, and they also need to be mentioned. Most of the stories he devoted to animals. For example, "Emerald", "White Poodle" or Kuprin's famous work "Elephant". Children's stories of Alexander Ivanovich - this is a wonderful, important part of his legacy.
And today it is safe to say that the great Russian prose writer Alexander Kuprin took his rightful place in the history of Russian literature. His creations are not just studied and read, they are loved by many readers and cause great delight and awe.