Ivan Shmelev: biography, photos and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich is a famous Russian writer. In his work, he reflected the life of various strata of society, but he portrayed the life of the "little man" especially sympathetically. A photo of Ivan Shmelev is presented below.

Origin of Shmelev

Ivan Sergeevich was born on September 21, 1873. He was from a family of Zamoskvoretsky merchants. However, his father's trade was of little interest to him. It contained numerous baths and an artel of carpenters. Shmelev's family was an Old Believer, the way it was peculiar, democratic. The 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 consent and friendliness. He absorbed all the best in human relations. Years later, these childhood impressions were reflected in his works.

Introduction to the works of the classics

Home education of Ivan Sergeevichmainly taken care of by the mother. It was she who taught her son to read a lot. Therefore, from childhood Ivan was familiar with the works of such writers as Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Turgenev and others. Their study continued throughout his life. Later Ivan Shmelev studied at the gymnasium. His biography is marked by a deepening of literary knowledge. Ivan Sergeevich read with pleasure the 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 Sergeevich Pushkin did not stop. This is evidenced by the later works of Shmelev: "The Eternal Ideal", "The Treasured Meeting", "The Secret of Pushkin".

Literary debut

Ivan Shmelev, whose biography we are interested in, made his debut as an author in 1895. In the journal "Russian Review" his story "At the Mill" was published. This work talks about the formation of personality, about the path of a person to creativity through overcoming life's difficulties, understanding the fates and characters of ordinary people.

The book that brought disappointment

After his marriage, Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich went with his young wife to the island of Valaam, where ancient monasteries and monasteries are located.

The biography of many writers is reflected in their work, and Shmelev is no exception. The result of this journey was the book "On the rocks of Valaam …". Its publication brought many disappointments to the novice author. The fact is thatPobedonostsev, the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, through whom this book was supposed to pass, 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 support his family somehow. Therefore, Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich decided to find a new source of income. The biography of the later years of his life will still be connected with literature. But for now, he decided he needed to do something else.

Ivan Shmelev becomes a lawyer

Ivan Sergeevich decided to enter Moscow University in order to become a lawyer. Much has changed since that moment, and most importantly - the environment of the writer. A generation of the new intelligentsia studied at this educational institution. Ivan Sergeevich 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 served for some time in Moscow as an assistant attorney (minor position). Then he moved to Vladimir. Here Ivan Sergeevich 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. In this way, ideas for his future books gradually accumulated.

Return toliterary creativity

Shmelev in 1905 decided to return to writing. His works began to appear in the magazines "Russian Thought" and "Children's Reading". They were small, rather timid tests, a kind of Shmelev's test of himself in the writing field. Doubt finally disappeared. Ivan Sergeevich finally established himself in his choice. He decided to leave the service. Ivan Shmelev arrived in the capital. In 1907, a new stage of his literary activity began.

It was then that the experience of communicating with people, acquired during travels around the Vladimir province, came in handy. The writer Ivan Shmelev already understood then that some new force was maturing among the people, protest moods were arising, and there was a readiness for change, including through revolution. All these observations were reflected in Ivan Sergeevich's short prose.

Decay

In 1906, his story appeared under the name "Decay". It describes the history of the relationship between a father and his son. The 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 full of new ideas. Thus, there is a conflict of generations within the same family. Circumstances lead to the death of both heroes. The tragic ending, however, does not inspire pessimism or hopelessness.

The man from the restaurant

"The Man from the Restaurant" is Shmelev's next story. It is often called the hallmark of this writer. The story appeared in 1910. In it alsothe topic of fathers and children was touched upon. However, this time events are unfolding against the backdrop of revolutionary sentiments raging in society. The focus of Ivan Sergeyevich, however, is not social problems, but human relationships, the problem of life choice.

The Turn of Life

Shmelev, together with his wife, after the outbreak of the First World War, moved to the Kaluga estate. At this time, he made a new discovery for himself. It turns out that war not only physically disfigures a person, but also morally. The hero of Shmelev's new story "The Turn of Life" is a carpenter. During the war years, his affairs improved significantly due to orders for crosses and coffins. The influx of money at first amused the master, but over time he realized that the money earned on human grief does not bring happiness.

The shooting of the son

Sergey Shmelev, the son of Ivan Sergeevich, soon went to the front. He served in the Alushta commandant's office, in the army of Wrangel. The latter had already escaped when the Red Army took Alushta. So Sergei Shmelev was captured. The father tried in vain to do everything to save his son. Sergei Shmelev was shot. This was a heavy blow to his parents.

Emigration

Ivan Sergeevich, having survived the famine in 1921, decided to emigrate. First, together with his wife, he moved to Berlin (in 1922), and then, at the invitation of Bunin, went to Paris (in 1923). Here he lived until the end of his life. The years of emigration are a new stage not only in Shmelev's life, but also in his work.

Sun of the Dead

"The Sun of the Dead", a famous epic novel, was written during this time. This work has been translated into English, German, French and other languages. Shmelev's book became a real discovery not only in domestic, but also in world literature. In the work of Ivan Sergeevich, 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 Sergeevich were created in a difficult time for our country. The impressions of the last years spent in Russia formed the basis of Shmelev's next novel, The Summer of the Lord. The writer, drawing pictures of Orthodox holidays, reveals the soul of the Russian people. Turning to childhood, Ivan Sergeevich captured the perception of the world by a believing child who trustingly accepted God in his heart. The merchant and peasant environment in the book appears not as a "dark kingdom", but as an organic and integral world, full of inner culture, moral he alth, humanity and love. Shmelev is far from sentimentality or romantic stylization. He depicts the true way of life, without obscuring its cruel and rude sides, its "sorrows". For the pure soul of a child, life opens up 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, the church-religious, was so fully and deeply recreated. In prayer statesheroes, their psychological experiences reveal the spiritual life of a Christian.

Nanny from Moscow

In the novel by Ivan Sergeevich "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 hints 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, a favorite of Shmelev. It should be noted that the writer has achieved unsurpassed skill in it. Nanny Darya Stepanovna is characterized by inner peace, deep faith, spiritual he alth and boundless kindness. The nanny's pupil is a wayward, careless, capricious girl. The author shows her character with good humor.

Ways of heaven

Shmelev Ivan Sergeevich, whose works we are describing, began to work on his next novel called "The Ways of Heaven" and almost 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 go through a lot after her death. He was about to continue his romance, but his life was stopped by a sudden heart attack.

Ivan Sergeevich Shmelev died on June 24, 1950.