Biography of Pavel Petrovich Bazhov. Russian writers

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

What associations do you have when you hear the name Bazhov Pavel Petrovich? Isn't it true that mountains of gems and amazing unprecedented animals, the Mistress of the Copper Mountain and Danila the Master immediately appear in the imagination … And most importantly - the author's unique style. As if a dense epic old man appeared to us in bast shoes and a linen shirt and, in his own way, tells about miracles to small children, seated on the benches and on the skirts.

Birth of a great folklorist

Bazhov's biography originates in the Urals in the factory village of Sysert, which later became a city. The future writer was born in January 1879. His father was a mining foreman.

The boy often heard various unusual stories and legends of the Ural people from his parents and workers of the mining plant. Probably, even then extraordinary fantasies about the most bizarre inhabitants of mountains and forests were born. One way or another, the folklore that struck the imagination of a little dreamer found its continuation in many of the most incredible tales.

Education

Like all children of his time, Pavel studied at a three-year school. However,study was easy for him, and therefore one of the best students of his stream, having graduated with honors from school, went on to further study at a theological school, and subsequently to a theological seminary. In general, Bazhov's biography could have been successfully crowned with an academic spiritual education, and the world would never have known all the delights of real Ural folklore.

However, the future writer did not agree to take holy orders. And so he began to try his hand in various directions. Working days began with teaching the Russian language in a small rural school. But soon after that, the young talent was entrusted with teaching Russian and Church Slavonic languages, as well as Russian literature at the Yekaterinburg Theological School.

Together with his pedagogical activity, a great love came into the life of the writer - Valentina Ivanitskaya, one of his students. With her, Bazhov's biography began the countdown of family life.

How author's folklore was born

In those years, the young philologist began to consciously collect Ural folklore for the first time. This happened in the mini-expeditions organized by Bazhov to villages and villages. An enthusiastic writer wrote down everything he could find about oral folk art: songs, fairy tales, nursery rhymes and jokes, a wide variety of ritual incantations, proverbs and sayings. The author also took photographs of workers and peasants in folk costumes.

Of course, the villagers reacted differently to the eccentric provincial teacher, nevertheless, they willingly shared stories and legends from their ancestors. And after allit was this weirdo that laid a solid foundation for the most original fantasy creations of the author.

A century of great upheavals

And then Russia suffered hard times, the worst in all of recent history, the times of world wars, revolutions and the greatest crises. It is impossible to imagine what emotions an emotional, deeply spiritual person had to go through in terrible times for Russia. But Bazhov, as an educated person, could not help but understand how difficult it is for ordinary hard workers to live in Russia, how they starve in villages and villages. And therefore, without hesitation, he took the side of the Bolsheviks and became a communist.

It was not easy for the Bazhov family in those days, as, indeed, for everyone who had to go through the times of great cataclysms. For all the time that the Civil War lasted, the writer was arrested twice. Every time he managed to escape from prison. A fact is known when a half-dead Bazhov, who escaped from prison, was saved by a peasant who hid him in his cart with hay.

Life under Soviet rule

After the war, the Bazhov family managed to return to their homeland. A small house, which had been built even before the coup d'état, now seemed to the family the most comfortable and expensive haven. In this house the writer lived most of his conscious life. It is noteworthy that it still exists, however, already as a house-museum of Bazhov.

Until the age of 30, Pavel Petrovich builds his career in the editorial office of the then popular Krestyanskaya Gazeta. This work has allowedthe writer not only to support his family, but also to continue his most important hobby and life's work - the search for folk art and writing the most unusual author's folklore.

It was not easy for a writer's family even in those days. The ups and downs of fate threw more and more tests into Bazhov's life. He was repeatedly expelled from the party, fired from the editorial office, and even tried to arrest him again. However, it was in those difficult, unstable times that the first book by Pavel Bazhov, “The Urals Were” (1924), was published. At the same time, the writer also received the position of editor of the aforementioned newspaper.

How "Ural tales" were born

The 30s were especially difficult for Soviet citizens. The starving people went to any meanness for the sake of survival, and in this war, as you know, all means are good. It was enough for a thoughtless word, a casually spoken phrase, or even the usual neighborly hostility, so that one night people with weapons came and took an ordinary inconspicuous worker into the unknown. Not to mention the editor of an entire newspaper!

In 1937, the writer Bazhov was once again arrested. But, as before, he managed to escape punishment. Obviously, some heavenly powers kept the talent for posterity. Even in this situation, when the family had to drag out a miserable existence, Bazhov's biography as a writer gained a new round. For more than a year, Bazhov hid at home from the NKVD. Being imprisoned, the writer, thirsting for creativity, began to write his famous Ural Tales.

Unusual Literature

Perhaps there are no writers like Pavel Bazhov in the history of Russian literature. In general, to say that the author's creations can be similar is somewhat blasphemous. And yet today we can easily define at least the genre features of the works of Russian writers. So, for example, no one will doubt that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote mostly stories, mostly of a humorous orientation. Just as no one will doubt that "Kolobok" is a Russian folk tale.

But how to call the phenomenon that Pavel Petrovich Bazhov created - "Ural tales"? These books of the author are difficult to classify as generally accepted literary genres. Perhaps someone is inclined to attribute short stories to ordinary children's fairy tales or, at worst, to epics. However, if you take a closer look, it becomes clear that the far from childish philosophy and wisdom of a people with a huge history, framed in strange turns of speech characteristic of distant, distant ancestors, becomes clear.

Recognition

Fortunately, the great Russian folklorist Pavel Bazhov achieved universal recognition during his lifetime. This applies both to the people and to the highest literary minds. The fact is that, in addition to political repressions, for a long time Pavel Bazhov was known in literary circles as a "collector of folklore." Therefore, many critics believed that all of Bazhov's books are based solely on the collected material and should not be related to the author himself.

However, many years of titanic work could not be in vain for the author. yearscreative activity brought a lot of original works that Bazhov can be proud of. "Ural Tales" is the most famous creation of the author, which brought him the long-awaited recognition and fame.

However, the writer's work is not limited to tales alone. There are publications and memoirs among the author's creations.

It is also noteworthy that modern directors are very fond of the creations of Pavel Bazhov and are happy to use them in their productions. Based on the plots of the great writer, such films as "Stone Flower", "Golden Snake", "Stepanova Memo" and others were shot.

Of course, the animation took not the last place: "Sinyushkin's Well", "Malachite Box" and "Silver Hoof" are only a small part of the masterpieces based on the works of the author.

The author and contemporary composers did not ignore. S. Prokofiev's ballet "The Tale of the Stone Flower" can rightfully be considered the most famous classical work based on Bazhov's tales.

In conclusion

Bazhov's biography could have been different if it weren't for the time, if it wasn't for the place, and you can still remember all sorts of "ifs" … But nothing in the world happens without meaning.

It is surprising that in the vicissitudes of the most terrible and difficult trials that befell the writer, Bazhov Pavel Petrovich managed to keep in himself all the brightest and most direct that only small children can experience. Probably, it was this quality that protected and saved the great man from despondency. And so each of usthere is much to learn from one of the wisest and most original writers.