Historical and cultural process and periodization of Russian literature. Periodization of Russian literature of the 19th-20th centuries: table

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 12:35

Russian literature is a great asset of the entire Russian people. Without it, since the 19th century, world culture is unthinkable. The historical and cultural process and periodization of Russian literature have their own logic and characteristic features. Starting over a thousand years ago, its phenomenon continues to develop into the time frame of our days. It is he who will be the subject of this article. We will answer the question of what is the periodization of Russian literature (RL).

General information

At the very beginning of the story, we summarized and presented the periodization of Russian literature. The table, which compactly and clearly demonstrates the main stages of its development, illustrates the development of the cultural process in Russia. Next, consider the information in detail.

The periodization of Russian literature is as followsway:

Sub-stages within a period	Literary styles	Bright poets and writers
Pre-literary period
Before 11th century AD e.	Tales, epics	Authorship lost
The period of church-religious literature
11-17th century	Invention of writing Canonical school of writing Historical annals. “A word about a shelf Igor”	Monks Kirilo and Methodius Monks Anthony and Theodosius (Kiev-Pechersk Lavra) Monk Nestor
Period of Enlightenment
18th century	Development of poetry and theory poems Formation of Russian dramaturgy Civil journalism	Lomonosov, Trediakovsky, Kantemir Fonvizin Radishchev
Start. 19th century - 90s 19th century. Age of Golden Russian Literature
Three-style literary creativity (until the 20s of the 19th century)	Sentimentalism Classicism Romanticism	Karamzin Derzhavin Ryleev
Pushkin's stage (20-30s of the 19th century) After Pushkin's death, Lermontov and Gogol continued	Newstyle - Russian realism	The Russian language adapts to poetry with its rhythmicity The novel "Eugene Onegin", "Tales of Belkin" "A Hero of Our Time", "Dead Souls"
The period of Russian classics of the 40s. 19th century	Development of existing styles Russian realism becomes the main one	Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tyutchev, Fet, Ostrovsky, Turgenev, Nekrasov, S altykov-Shchedrin
Literature of the 20th century (90s of the 19th century - 90s of the 20th century)
Silver Age (90s of the 19th century - 1921)	Splash of poetic creativity	Gumilyov, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Yesenin
The period of two Russian literatures: Soviet and émigré.1921 (literary magazines became pro-party) - 1953 (Stalin's death)	Forcing socialist realism to become the dominant style in literature	The first novel of socialist realism - Gorky's "Mother"
A short period of thaw followed by stagnation	Attempts of poets and writers to create in styles different from social realism Sustaining the dominance of socialist realism	Poets: Yevtushenko, Akhmadullina, Rozhdestvensky, Voznesensky, Galich Writers: Pasternak, Rybakov, Solzhenitsyn, Astafiev, Shukshin
NewRussian literature
90s of the 20th century - our time	The following styles are developing: romanticism (in the form of fantasy, action, horror), realism (blogging, journalism, modern detective), postmodern (most modern novels)	Pelevin, Ulitskaya, Akunin, Lukyanenko, others

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief description of the stages of development of the RL presented in the table.

Russian literature in antiquity

• The pre-literary stage, it is characterized by the absence of writing and the formation of an oral epic (epics and legends transmitted orally from generation to generation). This period ended with the invention of Old Russian writing as part of the adoption of Christianity (10th century AD).
• Old Russian literature (11-17th century). The main genres were chronicles, as well as church-religious texts.

More about Old Russian literature. Dawn of creativity

The creation of Old Russian Literature (DRL) as a cultural phenomenon was facilitated by two events: the invention of writing and the translation of Christian religious texts (originally the DRL had a strictly canonical character). In other words, the periodization of Russian literature has its own starting point on the timeline.

Writing was created by the ancient Greek monks - brothers Cyril and Methodius at the request of the Moravian (region of the present Czech Republic) Prince Rostislav and the blessing of the 107th Pope Adrian II at the endninth century. Almost at the same time, the Ps alter and the Gospel were translated into the new language. Through the communication of monasteries at the end of the 9th century, writing penetrated the territory of Ancient Russia, where the first writers were the monks: Nestor, Hilarion, Polycarp and Simon, Cyril of Turov, Archpriest Avvakum and others. The periodization of ancient Russian literature can be divided into five stages:

1. The period of the creation of the school of the canonical Orthodox DRL in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra by monks Anthony and Theodosius. The writing of the Tale of Bygone Years by the monk Nestor in the 12th century.
2. At the monasteries (the cities of Vladimir-Zalessky, Suzdal, Smolensk, etc.) new DRL centers are being created. The development of the literary process is palpable.
3. The periodization of ancient Russian literature contains a period of violent deformation of society: the stage of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. In the first half of the century, “The Life of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky”, “The Word about the Destruction of the Russian Land” were created. At the second stage, ending with the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, chronicles acquire a heroic-panegyric character.
4. The period of decline of the DRL, lasting until the end of the XVI century. The readership is limited to monasteries and a few literate nobility, by the way, trained by the same monks.
5. The last stage of the DRL prepared the final transition from canonical literature to authorial literature. It is characterized by the emergence of new genres: historical, autobiographical narrative, poetry. The subject of DRL is gradually becoming the domestic sphere of human activity, the personal beginning is more tangible. The era of transformations of Peter I affects andliterary process.

What priceless literary works characterize the periodization of Russian literature at the DRL stage? The table below shows these compositions systematically.

Literature of the Russian Empire

The history of the Russian Empire demonstrates the positive influence of the state on the literary process. It cannot be argued that writers were nurtured there. However, there was a civil society in the country. There was a certain plurality of opinions. With the statehood formed, experts distinguish in the history of literature:

• The period of the Russian Enlightenment. It represents a fundamentally important stage, chronologically covering the 18th century. In literature, the main niche is occupied by the classics, laying the foundation for its further development.
• Special super-productive "golden stage", which supplemented the periodization of Russian literature in the 19th century. She finally declared herself in full voice, actively influencing world literature. The works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov have become favorite classics for foreign readers as well.

XVIII century in the periodization of Russian literature

The stage of the Russian Enlightenment chronologically correlates with the European Enlightenment, the tone of which was set by France.

The first Russian Emperor Peter I and Empress Catherine II systematically introduced European secularism into literature. Future writers began to receive university education. Decree of PeterI, the Academic University and the Academy of Arts were opened, by the decree of Catherine II - Moscow State University.

Scientist, poet and publicist Lomonosov, poet Vasily Trediakovsky, linguist and writer Dmitry Kantemir became early Russian enlighteners. The Russian silabotonic system of versification was developed. A century later, she declared herself in the brilliance and charisma of the work of Pushkin and Lermontov. However, we will mention them later, when we will discuss the periodization of Russian literature of the 19th century.

In the second half of the XVIII century. the directions of the literary process in Russia were determined by the first playwright Denis Fonvizin (it is difficult to underestimate the influence of his "Undergrowth" on the education of the nobility) and the first writer - an opponent of the authorities, who can be called the conscience of the people - Alexander Radishchev.

Even the far-sighted Catherine II did not realize then that the genius of the writer and philosopher showed her as a hint the pain points of the Russian Empire, which should be reformed. But then she acted as the main apologist for the feudal system, calling Alexander Nikolaevich for his ideas set forth in Travels from St. Petersburg to Moscow, “a rebel worse than Pugachev.”

Unfortunately, the rulers often do not hear the voice of Cassandra, sounding in the works of the classics!

The era of the Russian Enlightenment laid a good foundation for the further rise of creativity. Pride in the Motherland, which broke Napoleon, the conqueror of Europe, also served as an incentive for future intellectual breakthroughs.

Prehistory and birthRussian realism XIX century

The periodization of Russian literature of the 19th century reflects the process of the formation of a new classical world literature. How difficult it is to write concisely about the literature of this century!

The first two decades of the golden Russian age of literature can be called the interaction and competition of different styles.

The historian and writer Nikolai Karamzin worked in the style of sentimentalism. Classicist poet Gavriil Derzhavin created majestic odes (for example, "Felitsa" - in honor of Catherine II), which became the title imperial works.

Classicism and a pro-government position are characteristic of the poet Vasily Zhukovsky, the author of the first Russian anthem (“Prayer of the Russians”).

The executed Decembrist and poet Kondraty Ryleyev wrote in the style of civic romanticism.

The second stage, which is famous for the periodization of Russian literature of the 19th century, can rightfully be called Pushkin's. Indeed, it is difficult to overestimate the contribution to the Russian language and Russian poetry of the magician of rhymes Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. His words about himself, who created the “monument not made by hands”, turned out to be prophetic.

The creativity of the genius was multifaceted. The poet began to write in the style of romanticism (the poems "Gypsies", "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai"). Then, after the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, historicism and civicism, characteristic of classicism, began to appear in his work more and more powerfully (the tragedy “Boris Godunov”, the poem “Poltava“).

Then Alexander Sergeevich enters a completely new style in his work -Russian realism. His novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" and the collection of prose "Belkin's Tales" are full of truth about the social condition of people, life authenticity.

The third stage of golden Russian literature of the 19th century

Pushkin was the spark that ignited the flame. It's like a chain reaction. In the future, Pushkin's Russian realism was developed by two classics: Lermontov and Gogol, but each in his own way. Lermontov goes deep into the personality of the protagonist, a man tormented by contradictions, in conflict with the outside world and not finding use for his vitality. Gogol, on the other hand, goes "in breadth", trying to present a global picture of Russian life.

And as a result, already at its third stage, the periodization of Russian literature of the 19th century surprises the world with its unprecedented creative potential. The table of Russian classics who worked in the period from 1840 to 1990 contains world-famous names.

Fyodor Tyutchev Afanasy Fet Ivan Goncharov Alexander Ostrovsky Ivan Turgenev Fyodor Dostoyevsky Lev Tolstoy Mikhail S altykov-Shchedrin Nikolai NekrasovAnton Chekhov

1803-1873 1820-1892 1812-1891 1823-1886 1818-1883 1821-1881 1828-1910 1826-1889 1821-1877 1860-1904

All these luminaries of Russian literature realized what an invaluable creative heritage they received from their predecessors. And they were able to use it correctly. Agree that the periodization of Russian literature, adorned with the names of classics not forgotten even now in the world, is impressive.century. This table, we note, is artificially limited by us to the ten most prominent individuals who are the creators of entire creative directions.

XX century. Periodization of Literature

The Silver Age of Russian literature is called a short period: from 1892 to 1921. It is distinguished by a powerful rise in poetic creativity, a real constellation of rhymers. Judge for yourself: Alexander Blok, Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva, Nikolai Gumilyov, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Sergei Yesenin. What gave birth to it? Revolutionary utopian romanticism that the creative elite of Russian society has been ill with?

The Soviet period of Russian literature is characterized by the confrontation between the formal, canonically "soviet" socialist realism that developed after 1921 and individual masters who risked going beyond the limits of their works. For some reason, it is believed that the periodization of Russian literature of the 20th century states an exclusively systemic decline from the widespread dictate of ideological clichés.

One can only regret that the literary critics who preach this view have reflected reality only in black and white. Was it really so?

Antagonism between literature and totalitarianism

Yes, in general, mass Soviet literature was decadent. Yes, only a few were engaged in real creativity. However, literature still did not enter the crisis. Boris Pasternak did not follow the zombifying influence of the communists, going against the current and writing the truth about his generation in the language of his "smoking conscience", becoming an outcast on his own. Motherland. This is what the dying Mikhail Bulgakov did when, against all odds, he, not being published by Stalin's will, wrote The Master and Margarita on the table.

And sometimes the author's pen was inexplicably and powerfully led by love for his small Motherland, which did not allow either to lie or to grovel. This happened once to the communist Mikhail Sholokhov when he was writing his Quiet Flows the Don. Despite the attacks and "strong recommendations", he did not change the image of Grigory Melekhov to the Soviet standard. Often the Strugatsky brothers wrote to the table, whose works also had nothing to do with the notorious socialist realism.

However, it should be recognized that the periodization of Russian literature, depending on the political bias of its interpreters, ambiguously characterizes this period.

New Russian Literature

New Russian literature was born in 1991, after the collapse of the USSR. She was given a start by incriminating works, among which Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago stands out, as well as works by emigrants that have become allowed in their homeland: Vladimir Nabokov, Ivan Shmelev, Andrei Bely, Konstantin Balmont.

Then, during perestroika, a new wave of writers was initiated in Russian literature: Viktor Pelevin, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Boris Akunin, Sergei Lukyanenko. These novelists are characterized by the compositional mastery of the classic, the unique artistic vision of the problems of our time, the masterful construction of the plot, and the fascination of the narration.

Obviously, inboth the historical and cultural process and the periodization of Russian literature are constantly in a state of development. Who knows, maybe we are now at the beginning of a time period when Russian literature is again entering a new quality. One thing is certain: new approaches in it, as well as new trends, no doubt, are yet to come.

XX century - the crisis of Russian literature

Periodization of Russian literature of the 20th century suggests three periods:

1. Silver Age - a short time at the turn of the century.
2. 20s - mid 50s of the 20th century.
3. Second half of the 50s - 90s of the 20th century.

The Silver Age began in the 90s of the 19th century. The work of poets, whose heyday fell on this period, is filled with a premonition of a revolutionary crisis. The poems of Alexander Blok, Nikolai Gumilyov, Marina Tsvetaeva, Anna Akhmatova are full of sadness. Masters of the artistic word are sentimental and refined, like autumn flowers, anticipating the approach of frost…

Since 1917, with the growth of the class struggle in society, the transition to the next stage of Russian literature of the 20th century begins. As a reflection of this process, Vladimir Mayakovsky's chased lines should be taken, which gloomily predict the "last hour" of the "bourgeois".

In 1921, the first stage ended. Russian literature was divided into two parts: writers living in Soviet Russia and their colleagues who emigrated. The former tried to "destroy the old world to its foundations", the latter tried to preserve traditions. The reason for the division was the publication of pro-partyliterary magazines "Print and Revolution" and "Krasnaya Nov".

In 1932, these magazines cheerfully stated the creation of a new style of socialist realist fiction. Emigrant writers initially rejected the concept of party creativity, which was first heard in M. Gorky's novel "Mother".

Among the poets of the second period, M. Voloshin, N. Klyuev, V. Khodasevich, N. Rubtsov, N. Zabolotsky stand out. Among the writers are E. Zamyatin, M. Prishvin, I. Babel, A. Green.

The death of IV Stalin (1953) marks a qualitatively new stage in literature. Weakened party dictatorship. Writers hope for creative freedom. However, instead, General Secretary Khrushchev announced the persecution of the Nobel Prize winner Boris Pasternak for the novel "Doctor Zhivago". Poets and writers emigrate from the USSR (for example, Joseph Brodsky). Honest works find readers through "samizdat".

However, already in the 60s, young poets marked the "thaw": the emotional Yevgeny Yevtushenko, the lyrical Bella Akhmadulina, the innovative Andrei Voznesensky, the pathetic-civil Robert Rozhdestvensky.

There is also a deep, unbiased prose about contemporaries, about their movements of the soul, suffering from such writers: Vasily Shukshin, Yuri Kazakov, Valentin Rasputin. Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Anatoly Rybakov write epic novels about the terrible time of the personality cult. In dramaturgy, plays appear that illuminate the inner world of a person (for example,“Duck Hunt” and “Elder Son” by playwright Alexander Vampilov).

Conclusion

Russian literature is really capable of stirring up "good feelings". Its potential is bottomless. From the sunny musical style of Pushkin and Balmont to the intellectually deep and figurative representation of our virtual age by Pelevin. Fans of sentimental lyrics will love the work of Akhmatova. It has both the wisdom inherent in Tolstoy and the filigree psychologism of Dostoevsky, to whom Freud himself took off his hat. Even among prose writers there are those whose style, in artistic expressiveness, resembles poetry. These are Turgenev and Gogol. Lovers of subtle humor will discover Ilf and Petrov. Those who want to taste the adrenaline from the plots of the criminal world will open the novels of Friedrich Neznansky. Fantasy connoisseurs will not be disappointed by Vadim Panov's books.

In Russian literature every reader will be able to find something that will touch his soul. Good books are like friends or fellow travelers. They are able to console, advise, entertain, support.