Alexander Radishchev - writer, poet: biography, creativity

Alexander Radishchev lived a relatively short life - was born in 1749 (August 31), and died in 1802 (September 12). He was the first child in a wealthy noble family - his grandfather Athanasius Prokopievich was a large landowner.

Happy childhood

Children's days were spent in the estate of his father in Nemtsovo, a village belonging to the Borovo district of the Kaluga province. The family was friendly, parents - perfectly educated people. The father, who speaks several languages, including Latin, was engaged with his son. The boy was the mother's favorite. As it was introduced in noble families, it was taught at home - the Russian language children learned through liturgical books - the psalter and the hour-book, for the study of foreign languages, mainly French, the tutors were invited. Little Alexander was not lucky - under the guise of a teacher of French, a fugitive soldier hired them.

The Azi of Fine Education

In 1955, the Moscow University was opened, and Alexander Radishchev went to Moscow, to his uncle's mother's uncle, Mr. Argamakov, whose brother was at that time the post of director (in 1955 -1957). And this gave the children the right to the Argomakovs and Sasha Radishchev to receive knowledge at home under the guidance of professors and teachers of the gymnasium at the university. At the age of 13 Alexander Radishchev was granted a page in ascension to the throne in 1762 by Catherine II, and sent for further study in the Corps of Pages - at that time the most prestigious educational institution of the Russian Empire, in which he studied from 1762 to 1766 years.

University years

He was rich, came from an old noble family, and most importantly, he studied well and was very diligent. Therefore, when Catherine decided to send a group of young noblemen out of 12 people abroad, including 6 pages, Alexander Radishchev was one of the first on this list. He went to Leipzig to study law. However, in addition to compulsory sciences and in-depth study of languages, students were also allowed to get acquainted with other sciences. A.N. Radishchev chose medicine and chemistry in additional occupations, in which, like in languages, he succeeded very well. The five years spent in Leipzig were filled with studies, and thanks to this, Radishchev became one of the most educated people of his time, and not only in Russia. In the same place, abroad, he begins to write. An indelible impression in those years was on him friendship with Ushakov, who was somewhat older, wiser and more educated than Alexander, and the death of this friend. In memory of him Radishchev Alexander Nikolayevich wrote a work that was called "The Life of Fedor Vasilyevich Ushakov".

Years of life in Russia after the return

Upon his return to his homeland in 1771, AN Radishchev, along with his friend M. Kutuzov, entered the service in the St. Petersburg Senate, where they did not work for a long time for a number of reasons. From abroad Radishchev returns freethinker. In 1773, he became a legal adviser to the headquarters of the Finnish division, located in St. Petersburg, where he retired in 1775. It was the time of the Pugachev revolt and its suppression. In these years, Radishchev Alexander Nikolayevich performed several translations, including "Reflections on Greek History" Bonno de Mably. Gradually Radishchev becomes one of the most convinced and consistent people who consider Russia's main evil to be autocracy and serfdom. After his retirement, Radishchev married his sister's friend, with whom he studied in Leipzig. In 1777, he entered the St. Petersburg Customs House, where he worked until 1790 and served until the post of its director. Here he became friends with Count A. Vorontsov, who will support the Russian philosopher and thinker even in the Siberian exile.

The main product of life

As far back as 1771 the first excerpts from the main work, written by Alexander Radishchev, were published. "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" by separate chapters was published in the St. Petersburg magazine "Painter". In the 80-90s of the XVIII century in Europe there was an unusually large social upsurge, revolutions first in the United States, then in France followed one after another. Taking advantage of the favorable climate for the promotion of freedom ideas, Radishchev starts a printing house at his home (on the present street of Marat), and in May 1790 imprinted 650 copies of the book. Earlier in the same way was published "Letter to a friend." Who does not know the phrase "Yes it's a rebel, worse Pugacheva!", Uttered by Catherine II upon reading this work. As a consequence of it, A. N. Radishchev was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress and sentenced to death. Then the "merciful" empress replaced her with a 10-year exile to Siberia with the deprivation of the noble title, all orders, regalia and fortune.

Book-exposer

The books of the disgraced author were to be destroyed. But the copies produced by Radishchev were quickly sold out, they were made with a lot of copies, which allowed AS Pushkin to state the fact: "Radishchev - the slavery of the enemy - escaped censorship!". Or maybe the great Russian poet was referring to the fact that the censor, leafing through the book, decided that this is a guide to cities, since it lists the settlements along the tract. Even to this day 70 such lists have reached. Then AS Suvorin in 1888 received permission to release 100 copies of this book, supposedly exclusively for connoisseurs and lovers of Russian literature. What is so revolting about the book enlightened empress? The novel describes the horrors of serfdom, the extremely difficult life of the peasants, in addition, the book contains direct exposures of tsarism. Written in good language, it is full of witty caustic remarks, and leaves no one indifferent. It included "Liberty" and "The Word of Lomonosov". And there were no such denunciations of the autocracy before that.

Incurable lover

Radishchev, whose works, poems, philosophical treatises, odes, including "Liberty", have since been burned and milled in paper mills, was sitting in the Ilim jail. But even here, on behalf of Count Vorontsov, he was engaged in studying the life of Siberian indigenous people, trade routes to the northern regions of the vast country and the possibility of trade with China. He was here, even in his own way, happy. In the prison he wrote many wonderful works, and there came to him (and he was already a widower) his sister-in-law to brighten up his loneliness in exile. Having ascended the throne, Paul I, who hated his mother, returned the disgraced philosopher, but without the right to leave the patrimonial nest in Nemtsov. Alexander I not only gave AN Radishchev complete freedom, but also attracted him to work in the Commission for the drafting of laws.

Suicide or deadly inattention

The link did not change the views of the writer and, taking part in the drafting of laws, Alexander Radishchev, whose biography is full of skirmishes with the powers that be, wrote "The draft of the liberal code." He expressed thoughts on the equality of all before the law, on the need for freedom of speech and the press, and other "free thoughts" that so outraged the Chairman of the commission, Count PV Zavadsky, that he threatened the author with another link to Siberia. Either the rebuke was pejorative, or the thinker finally gave up his nerves, and his health was severely undermined, or he experienced something terrible in exile, but Radishchev came home and poisoned himself with poison. Very sad story. True, there is another version, which testifies to the fortitude of the spirit of the greatest man of his time - he was not going to commit suicide, and mistakenly drank to calm down, standing in sight a glass of vodka. And it was "royal vodka", murderous for man, cooked and left by the writer's eldest son for the restoration of old epaulettes. Quite a sad story.

A good and great man

In his work, A. N. Radishchev was also concerned about issues of upbringing. He is considered the founder of Russian revolutionary ethics and aesthetics, as well as pedagogy. Along with serious research, philosophical treatises, terrible exposures of tsarism and serfdom Radishchev, whose poems are full of love for people and nature, he wrote children's songs, composed funny poems and riddles, invented various games and contests.

That is, a person loved life very much, but he wanted it to be fair to all people, so that in Russia there was no humiliating person of serfdom. An excellent article on A. N. Radishchev was written by A. S. Pushkin.