Gogol's library: a look into the past and present

Undoubtedly, the name of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is familiar to everyone from the school's bench. He wrote a lot of literary works, referring to a variety of genres. Many will consider him a comedian who derides his reality, say, in the "Inspector" or "Dead Souls", but most researchers of his work agree that Gogol's personal library in his time included quite a lot of works on occultism, on the basis of which he wrote Many of his masterpieces (some, however, did not finish).

A little bit about biography and literary preferences

As you know, Nikolai Gogol was named after Nikolai Mirlikiy. His mother before the icon gave a vow that the newborn son will grow up God-fearing. However, as history says, this was not destined to take place.

Today the works of the great prose writer are mainly associated with the works of Viy, Konotopskaya witch, Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka, etc. As the names indicate, this is pure mysticism and horrors, which later became famous for the same Stephen King. However, Gogol is considered to be such classics, say, as Edgar Alan Poe. Not surprising. Although it is not proved, but, apparently, the library of Gogol in the early periods included some works related to the occult, otherwise where would all these works come from? History, at least official, is silent about this.

What was Gogol's personal library

By the way, although some critics believe that the book "Necronomicon", written, as it is considered, a mad author who sold the soul to the devil, with his own blood, is mentioned only in the works of Howard Lovecraft about 1919-1920, that is, a hundred years after life Gogol, apparently (although this is an official religion and does not recognize), the book itself is about two thousand years old.

Well, judge for yourself, could not Gogol take the plots of his "horror films", as they say, from the ceiling? Smoke, as is known, does not happen without fire. Perhaps the library of Gogol, located at his house, contained a considerable number of works on occultism. Unfortunately, today it is impossible to completely reproduce everything that the future classic has read.

Museum-library "The House of Gogol" in modern times

Despite the fact that contemporaries of Gogol were people like Pushkin and Zhukovsky, he is as if apart from them, although considered a classic of Russian literature.

But the memory of the great writer is immortalized. The Gogol Library is now located in the same building where the prose writer settled in 1832. Having become famous after the publication of "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka", he received such eminent guests as the Earl and Countess Tolstoy, and the rank below - Davydov, Lermontov, Turgenev, Chaadaev, Ogarev, Vyazemsky, Aivazovsky, etc.

Now the house is recreated exactly the atmosphere that was during the life of Gogol. Despite the hung portraits of the writer (which, by the way, are absolutely not conspicuous), one can see the very atmosphere in which the genius lived and worked.

The very same library. NV Gogol, located in Moscow on Nikitsky Boulevard, 7a, is considered one of the most visited places among young people and students of philology.

In the people, the library received the unspoken nickname "Gogolovka" (similar to the way apartments in houses built under Khrushchev were called Khrushchevs).

Today it is believed that the attendance of its students in completely different areas of education is at least 80% of the total number of museums in Moscow.

Working hours

Gogol's library is open daily. From Monday to Friday, you can come here from 12.00 to 21.00, but on Thursday the closing time is 22.00. Saturday and Sunday are like days off, but nevertheless for visitors the library is open from 12.00 to 18.00. So everyone who wants to visit this unique place should think about their schedule in advance.

Instead of an afterword

It should be specially noted that the current "Gogolovka" has an interesting structure. In the right half of the house there is an exhibition of Gogol the writer, and the left one - Gogol, reading his own works. This contrasting helped not only to create the image of one of the greatest writers, but also to preserve his creative heritage.

Of course, every visitor expects to see a mystic writer here. We must immediately disappoint all visitors: nothing like this you will not find. At best, the library will offer to familiarize yourself with the biography and literary works of the great writer, but nothing more. In the end, you can walk through the rooms, where the foot of the very Nikolai Vasilyevich. By the way, Gogol's estate-museum is in Ukraine. This village Gogolevskoe, st. October, 2. Poltava is considered almost the birthplace of all the characters of the writer.

Well, mysticism, invested in prose works, everyone should take in their own way. And if you take Bulgakov with his "Master and Margarita", is there any direct connection with Gogol's heroes?