Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich - famous Russian writer. In his work, he reflected the life of various sections of society, but he especially depicted the life of a "little man." A photo of Ivan Shmelev is presented below.
The origin of Shmelev
Ivan Sergeevich was born on September 21, 1873. He was from the kind of Zamoskvoretsky merchants. Nevertheless, his father’s trade was of little interest to him. It contained numerous baths and a carpenters' artel. The Shmelev family was an Old Believer, the way in it was peculiar, democratic. Old Believers, both owners and ordinary workers, lived in a friendly community. They adhered to common rules, spiritual and moral principles. Ivan Shmelev grew up in an atmosphere of universal agreement and friendliness. He absorbed all the best in relationships between people. Over the years, these childhood impressions were reflected in his works.
Acquaintance with the works of classics
The home education of Ivan Sergeevich was mainly dealt with by the mother. It was she who taught her son to read a lot. Therefore, Ivan from childhood was familiar with the work of such writers as Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Turgenev and others. Their study continued throughout his life. Later studied at the gymnasium Ivan Shmelev. His biography is marked by a deepening of literary knowledge. Ivan Sergeevich with pleasure read books of Leskov, Korolenko, Uspensky, Melnikov-Pechensky. In a sense, they became his literary idols. Of course, at the same time, the influence on the formation of the future writer of the works of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin did not stop. This is evidenced by the latest works of Shmelev: "The Eternal Ideal", "Cherished meeting", "The Secret of Pushkin."
Literary debut
Ivan Shmelev, whose biography interests us, debuted as an author in 1895. In the magazine "Russian Review" was published his story "At the Mill." This work speaks of the formation of personality, the path of a person to creativity through overcoming life difficulties, comprehension of the destinies and characters of ordinary people.
Disappointing book
After his marriage, Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich went with his young wife to the island of Valaam, where there are ancient monasteries and hermitages.
The biography of many writers was reflected in their work, and Shmelev is no exception. The result of this journey was the book "On the rocks of Balaam ...". Her publication brought the beginning author many disappointments. The fact is that Pobedonostsev, the overseer of the Holy Synod, through whom this book was supposed to go, found seditious reasoning in the work. As a result, Shmelev was forced to shorten the text, redo the work, depriving his creation of the author's zest. This unsettled Ivan Sergeevich. He decided that the literary field was not his path. After that, Ivan Sergeevich did not write for almost 10 years. However, he needed to somehow support his family. Therefore, I decided to find a new source of income Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich. The biography of the subsequent years of his life will still be connected with literature. But for now, he decided that he needed to do something else.
Ivan Shmelev becomes a lawyer
Ivan Sergeevich decided to enter Moscow University in order to obtain the profession of a lawyer. Much has changed since then, and most importantly, the writer's surroundings. A generation of new intelligentsia was trained in this educational institution. Ivan Sergeyevich communicated with educated smart people, which enriched and developed his personality, as well as his creative potential. He graduated from the University in 1898. Ivan Shmelev for some time served in Moscow as an assistant attorney (insignificant position). Then he moved to Vladimir. Here Ivan Sergeyevich began working as a tax inspector. Even in this routine work, Shmelev, being a creative person, was able to find his pluses. He drew life experience and impressions during numerous trips around the province, visiting crowded inns. So ideas gradually accumulated for his future books.
Return to literary work
Shmelev in 1905 decided to return to writing. In the magazines Russian Thought and Children's Reading, his works began to appear. They were small, rather timid tests, a kind of test by Shmelev of himself in the field of writing. Doubts finally disappeared. Ivan Sergeevich finally established himself in the choice made. He decided to leave the service. Ivan Shmelev arrived in the capital. In 1907, a new stage in his literary work began.
It was then that the experience of communicating with people gained during travels in the Vladimir province was useful . The writer Ivan Shmelev already understood that some kind of new power was ripening among the people, protest moods were emerging, readiness for changes was observed, including through revolution. In a small prose of Ivan Sergeyevich, all these observations were reflected.
Decay
In 1906, his story appeared, entitled "Decay." It describes the history of the relationship between the father and his son. Father does not want any changes, he is used to doing everything the old fashioned way. This is the owner of a brick factory. His son, on the contrary, yearns for change. He is filled with new ideas. Thus, a generational conflict arises within the framework of one family. Circumstances lead to the death of both heroes. The tragic ending, however, does not inspire pessimism and a sense of hopelessness.
"The man from the restaurant"
"The Man from the Restaurant" is Shmelev’s next story. She is often called the visiting card of this writer. The story appeared in 1910. It also addressed the theme of fathers and children. However, this time events unfold against the backdrop of revolutionary sentiments raging in society. The focus of Ivan Sergeyevich, however, is not social issues, but human relationships, the problem of life choice.
Life Turnover
Shmelev, together with his wife, after the outbreak of World War I, moved to the Kaluga estate. At this time, he made a new discovery for himself. It turns out that war is not only physically disfiguring a person, but also morally. The hero of Shmelev’s new story “Life Turnover” is a carpenter. During the war years, his affairs improved significantly due to orders for crosses and coffins. At first the inflow of money was amused by the master, but over time he realized that the money earned on human grief did not bring happiness.
The shooting of his son
Sergey Shmelev, the son of Ivan Sergeyevich, soon went to the front. He served in the Alushta commandant’s office, in the Wrangel’s army. The latter had already fled when the Red Army took Alushta. So Sergey Shmelev was captured. The father tried in vain to do everything to save his son. Sergei Shmelev was shot. This was a heavy blow for his parents.
Emigration
Ivan Sergeevich, having experienced hunger in 1921, decided to emigrate. First, together with his wife, he moved to Berlin (in 1922), and then, at the invitation of Bunin, he went to Paris (in 1923). Here he lived until the end of his life. The years of emigration - a new stage not only in the life of Shmelev, but also in his work.
"The sun of the dead"
"The Sun of the Dead," a famous epic novel, was written at this time. This work has been translated into English, German, French and other languages. Shmelev’s book was a real discovery not only in Russian but also in world literature. In the work of Ivan Sergeyevich, an attempt was made to honestly look at the very essence of the tragedy that befell Russian society.
"Summer of the Lord" (Ivan Shmelev)
The works of Ivan Sergeyevich were created in a difficult time for our country. The impressions spent in Russia in recent years formed the basis of the next Shmelev novel - "The Summer of the Lord." The writer, painting pictures of Orthodox holidays, reveals the soul of the Russian people. Turning to his childhood, Ivan Sergeyevich captured the perception of the world as a believing child who trustingly accepted his God in his heart. The merchant and peasant milieu in the book does not appear as a "dark kingdom", but as an organic and integral world full of inner culture, moral health, humanity and love. Shmelev is far from sentimentality or romantic stylization. He depicts the true way of life, not obscuring its cruel and rude sides, its "sorrows." For the pure soul of a child, being opens mainly with its joyful, bright side. The existence of heroes is closely connected with worship and church life. For the first time in Russian fiction, an important layer of folk life — church-religious — was so fully and deeply recreated. In the prayer states of the heroes, their psychological experiences, the spiritual life of the Christian is revealed.
"Nanny from Moscow"
In the novel by Ivan Sergeyevich "The Nanny from Moscow" it is said about the fate of a simple woman who turned out to be the will of circumstances in Paris. The writer leads his story using sympathetic soft tones with notes of light irony. At the same time, the reader feels pain and great sorrow in the author’s attitude to what is happening. The work is written in the form of a tale, favorite by Shmelev. It should be noted that the writer achieved unsurpassed mastery in him. The nanny of Daria Stepanovna is characterized by inner calm, deep faith, spiritual health and boundless kindness. The nanny's pupil is a wayward, careless, moody girl. The author shows her character with good humor.
"The ways of heaven"
Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich, the works of which we are describing, began to work on his next novel, entitled “Heavenly Ways,” and practically finished it. However, at this time, Olga, his beloved wife, passed away after an illness. This happened in 1933. Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich could not imagine his existence without this woman. The writer had to endure a lot after her death. He was going to continue his romance, but his life was stopped by a sudden heart attack.
Ivan Sergeyevich Shmelev died on June 24, 1950.