Vlas Doroshevich is a well-known Russian publicist and journalist, one of the most popular feuilletonists of the late XIX - early XX centuries. Also known as a deep and vibrant theater critic.
Feuilletonist Biography
Vlas Doroshevich was born in Moscow in 1865. His father was a journalist Sergei Sokolov, but died early from a serious illness. His mother was also associated with literature, received a classical education at the Smolny Institute, and was actively published in metropolitan periodicals.
Vlas Mikhailovich Doroshevich owes his surname to his adoptive father, who adopted him at the age of six months. Mother abandoned her son in a hotel, not being ready to raise him alone, without a husband.
Doroshevich’s mother thought about it only after 10 years. However, despite her reckless act, the court sided with the woman and returned her abandoned child. This episode left its mark on the whole fate of Doroshevich. Since then he has addressed the topic of legitimate but unhappy children regularly.
At the age of 7, Vlas Doroshevich entered the Moscow gymnasium No. 4. Over the next few years, he changed several educational institutions. Most often, the reason for expulsion is his poor behavior, as well as disrespectful attitude to elders and superiors. Ultimately, he ends with an external school.
As a schoolboy, Vlas Doroshevich began to collaborate with the capital's newspapers. The first publications are published in the Moscow Leaflet and the Petersburg Newspaper.
Doroshevich comes to fame
Doroshevich’s works gained real popularity at the very end of the 19th century, when he began to be published in Odessa periodicals, mainly with humorous works.
From 1902 until the October Revolution, he worked as the editor of the Russian Word newspaper, owned by the famous publisher Sytin. For a short period, Doroshevich made this publication the most popular in the country, the circulation of the "Russian Word" outnumbered all other newspapers and magazines.
In 1918, Vlas Doroshevich moved to Sevastopol, his biography in the last years of his life was directly connected with the Crimea. He did not support the counter-revolutionary movement and for a while left public life and journalism. At the end of the Civil War, being seriously ill, he declared recognition of the Soviet government. He returned to Petrograd in 1921, where he soon died from tuberculosis that had developed in Crimea.
Humorous works
Doroshevich entered the national journalism, starting to print humorous stories. Since 1881 he has been publishing these works in the Moscow Leaf. Anonymous at first.
The first story we knew Doroshevich called "Revenge." He was published in the Moscow magazine "Wave". Its author was Uncle Vlas. In the same periodical, he begins the author's column "Diary of a profane." In fact, she ridiculed the Notes of the layman literary critic Nikolai Mikhailovsky. True, the column was immediately closed, in the first publication Doroshevich criticized the relations of Russian journalism with capital, directly accusing him of creating custom-made materials.
So Doroshevich declared his desire for independence and unacceptability of corrupt journalism. In these publications, sharp critical notes, a living word and subtle sarcasm are already manifested, which accompany his further humorous stories and other publications.
Feuilleton Doroshevich
A major role in the development of Russian journalism was played by Vlas Doroshevich. The feuilletons written by him are still considered a role model in this genre. For this, he was even called the "king of feuilleton."
He skillfully compiled a variety of genres - a political pamphlet, a documentary story, a satirical monologue, and many others. He formed his own style of "short line", thanks to which the works were concise, accurate and energetic. He left the verbosity popular at that time, influencing not only journalists of that time, but also writers.
At the time of Doroshevich, newspaper prose became on a par with the great Russian literature thanks to careful and meticulous work with the word. A large stratum of feuilleton Doroshevich dedicated to the theater. In them, he defended the principles of realism in art, sharply criticizing the decadence, which at that time penetrated into all walks of life.
Odessa period
In 1893, Doroshevich moved to Odessa. Here he becomes a feuilleton player in the large provincial newspaper Odessa Leaf. He takes up the matter from the very first publication, sharply criticizing the head of the city. The resonance was so strong that Doroshevich even had to leave Odessa for a while and return to Petersburg.
After 6 months, he returns and already continuously prints his Odessa feuilleton until 1899. The main topics to which he paid attention were local bureaucracy , petty bourgeois traditions, the stupid desire of entrepreneurs and traders to make money on everything. At the same time, he acts as a defender of the interests of the poorest segments of the population, advanced and progressive figures.
It was here that Vlas Doroshevich attracted the attention of the democratic intelligentsia. The Odessa language, which he actively uses in feuilleton, was praised by Gorky. True, at the same time, many modern writers criticized Doroshevich for his cheeky style.
Since 1895, Doroshevich began to publish reports on his foreign travels in the Odessa Leaflet, making the publication even more popular. He goes to America, from where he sends numerous feuilletons and essays about local bourgeois customs.
"Anecdotal time"
A vivid example of the mastery of the feuilletonist, whom Vlas Doroshevich was famous for, is "Anecdotal Time". This feuilleton, written in 1905.
In it, the author zealously criticizes the craving that has appeared among everyone and tell jokes about everything. On all kinds of topics and among all kinds of people. An anecdote in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, according to Doroshevich, replaces high-level intellectual conversation, discussion of the current situation in the country. Instead, everyone is trying to make fun of.
At literary evenings and receptions, the main thing is not poets with their new works or the performance of classical musical works, but masters to tell fresh jokes. “All my life has turned into a solid joke,” the author observes sadly.
"The Case of Cannibalism"
Another bright feuilleton that Vlas Doroshevich wrote was The Case of Cannibalism. The action takes place in the town of Zavikhryaysk. It all starts with the disappearance of the near-guard overseer Siluyanov. They can’t find him for a long time, and it soon turns out that the merchant Semipudovy tells how he ate a cake with the missing. However, what happened next does not remember, as he was very drunk. He is immediately detained on suspicion of cannibalism.
At the same time, it is obvious to the reader that the heroes ate the pie together, and the merchant did not prepare the filling for the pie from Siluyanov at all. However, none of the characters in the story understands this.
In this work, Doroshevich sharply criticizes the work of law enforcement agencies, as well as courts and prosecutors. He demonstrates their complete incompetence and illiteracy. The manners of the provincial town are clearly demonstrated. The missing Siluyanov appears at the end, admitting that he had been drinking thoroughly all this time. And he himself is best characterized by how angry he was when he saw a book from any commoner. This feuilleton shows many aspects of society at that time. In a small satirical work, he covers the problems of culture, education and the law enforcement system, dwelling on each painful problem in each of these areas.
The main value of these feuilletons, that they are written for readers with any level of education, to understand the humor and intention of the author is not difficult for both the writer and the handyman. This is the unique nationality of the works of Doroshevich.
"Hard labor"
Doroshevich devotes special attention to his trip to Sakhalin. He went there in 1897, working in the Odessa Leaf. Convict laborers rode with him. The result of this trip was an essay, the author of which was Doroshevich Vlas, - "penal servitude". It was truly described the whole life of hard labor. And most importantly - the horror and hopelessness that awaited them on Sakhalin. And not only prisoners, but also free local residents.
Doroshevich tells a lot of stories about crimes, for which the human destinies of the convicts who got here are revealed in detail.
In 1903, he collects this into a single book of essays, Sakhalin, which played an important role in shaping revolutionary sentiments on the eve of 1905. The book was banned and seized, but the wave was already running.
Doroshevich and the Russian Word
Doroshevich achieved the greatest popularity by working in the Russian Word. In 1902, he became its editor, reforming according to the Western European type. This newspaper has become the most massive periodical in Russia.
The secret of success was in the low price, high efficiency and staff. In addition to Doroshevich, Gilyarovsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko and Amphitheaters wrote in The Russian Word.
Having become an editor, Doroshevich appointed individual employees to each department, as was done in the newspapers of England and France. He headed a separate editor at the head of each department. Each working day began with morning meetings, where work plans and the resonance created by the last issue were discussed.
The issue was handed over to the press at about 10 p.m., however, the latest news was introduced directly during the release process until 4 a.m. That is how it was possible to achieve unprecedented efficiency at that time.
Doroshevich’s plans were to establish correspondent offices in the largest cities of Russia.
The fate of Doroshevich after the revolution
In 1917, Doroshevich lived in Petrograd. At that time he was already seriously ill and only occasionally gave lectures on foreign journalists of past years. He saw the fate of the French Revolution as tragic and, using its example, tried to warn contemporaries what the events of the October Revolution could lead to.
At first he was against the revolution, speaking in print with criticism of the ideas of the Bolsheviks and Lenin. However, then he recognized the Soviet regime, and during the Soviet period it was even actively printed. But after the collapse of the Union, his works finally disappeared from the bookshelves.
The influence of Doroshevich
Researchers note the great influence that Doroshevich had on Russian literature and journalism. It consists in the development of many journalistic genres, a new approach to them. This is especially true for feuilleton.
His own short-line style has become a role model for many contemporaries and descendants.