Vlas Doroshevich, Russian journalist, publicist: biography, creativity

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

Vlas Doroshevich is a well-known Russian publicist and journalist, one of the most popular feuilleton writers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Also known as a deep and vibrant theater critic.

Biography of the feuilletonist

Vlas Doroshevich was born in Moscow in 1865. His father was a journalist Sergei Sokolov, but died early from a serious illness. His mother was also associated with literature, received a classical education at the Smolny Institute, and actively published in the capital's periodicals.

Vlas Mikhailovich Doroshevich owes his surname to his adoptive father, who adopted him at the age of six months. A mother left her son in a hotel, not being ready to raise him alone, without a husband.

Doroshevich's mother changed her mind only 10 years later. However, despite her reckless act, the court sided with the woman and returned the abandoned child to her. This episode left an imprint on the whole fate of Doroshevich. Since then, he has regularly addressed the topic of legitimate but unfortunate children.

At the age of 7, Vlas Doroshevich entered the Moscow gymnasium No. 4. Over the next few years, he changed several educational institutions. Most often, the reason for expulsion is his bad behavior, as well as disrespectful attitude towards elders.and the authorities. Ultimately, he graduated from the gymnasium as an external student.

Vlas Doroshevich, still a high school student, begins to cooperate with the capital's newspapers. The first publications are published in "Moskovsky list" and "Petersburg newspaper".

Glory comes to Doroshevich

Doroshevich's works gained real popularity at the very end of the 19th century, when they began to be published in Odessa periodicals, mainly with humorous works.

From 1902 until the October Revolution, he worked as the editor of the newspaper "Russian Word", owned by the famous publisher Sytin. In a short period, Doroshevich made this publication the most popular in the country, the circulation of the Russian Word outnumbered all other newspapers and magazines.

In 1918, Vlas Doroshevich moved to Sevastopol, his biography in the last years of his life was directly connected with the Crimea. He did not support the counter-revolutionary movement and retired from public life and journalism for a while. At the end of the Civil War, being seriously ill, he announced the recognition of Soviet power. He returned to Petrograd in 1921, where he soon died of tuberculosis that had developed in the Crimea.

Comic works

Doroshevich entered the domestic journalism by starting to print humorous stories. Since 1881 he has been publishing these works in the Moscow Leaflet. Anonymous at first.

The first story by Doroshevich known to us was called"Revenge". He was published in the capital's magazine "Volna". Its author was Uncle Vlas. In the same periodical, he begins the author's column "Diary of a layman." In fact, she ridiculed the "Notes of a layman" literary critic Nikolai Mikhailovsky. True, the column was immediately closed, in the very first publication Doroshevich criticized the ties between Russian journalism and capital, directly accusing it of creating ordered materials.

So Doroshevich declared his desire for independence and the unacceptability of corrupt journalism. In the same publications, sharp critical notes, a lively word and subtle sarcasm are already appearing, which accompany his further humorous stories and other publications.

Feuilletons by Doroshevich

Vlas Doroshevich played a big role in the development of Russian journalism. The feuilletons written by him are still considered a role model in this genre. For this, he was even nicknamed the "king of feuilletons".

He skillfully compiled a variety of genres - a political pamphlet, a documentary story, a satirical monologue and many others. He formed his own style of "short line", thanks to which the works turned out to be concise, precise and energetic. He left the verbosity popular at the time, influencing not only journalists of that time, but also writers.

During the time of Doroshevich, newspaper prose becomes on a par with great Russian literature due to careful and scrupulous work with the word. A large layer of Doroshevich's feuilletons are devoted to the theater. In them, he defended the principles of realism in art, sharply criticizing the decadence that at that time penetrated all sectors of society.

Odessa period

In 1893 Doroshevich moved to Odessa. Here he becomes a feuilletonist in a large provincial newspaper "Odessa Leaf". He takes up the case from the very first publication, sharply criticizing the head of the city. The resonance was so strong that Doroshevich even had to leave Odessa for a while and return to St. Petersburg.

After 6 months he returns and has been continuously printing his Odessa feuilletons until 1899. The main topics he paid attention to were the bureaucracy of local authorities, petty-bourgeois traditions, the stupid desire of entrepreneurs and merchants to make money on everything. At the same time, he acts as a defender of the interests of the poorest segments of the population, advanced and progressive figures.

It was here that Vlas Doroshevich attracted the attention of the democratic intelligentsia. The Odessa language, which he actively used in feuilletons, was highly appreciated by Gorky. True, at the same time, many modern writers criticized Doroshevich for his cheeky style.

Since 1895, Doroshevich began to publish reports on his foreign travels in Odessa Leaflet, making the publication even more popular. He goes to America, from where he sends numerous feuilletons and essays on local bourgeois customs.

Anecdotal time

A bright examplethe skill of the feuilletonist, for which Vlas Doroshevich was famous, - "Anecdotal Time". This is a feuilleton written in 1905.

In it, the author zealously criticizes the cravings that have appeared for everyone and tell jokes about everything. On all sorts of topics and among all sorts of segments of the population. An anecdote in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, according to Doroshevich, replaces high society intellectual conversation, discussions of the current situation in the country. Instead, everyone is trying to make fun.

At literary evenings and receptions, the main ones are not poets with their new works or the performance of classical musical works, but masters of telling fresh jokes. "The whole life has turned into a continuous joke," the author notes sadly.

The case of cannibalism

Another bright feuilleton written by Vlas Doroshevich - "The Case of Cannibalism". The action takes place in the town of Zavikhryaysk. It all starts with the disappearance of the police officer Siluyanov. They cannot find him for a long time, and soon it turns out that the merchant Semipudovy tells how he ate a pie with the missing person. However, he does not remember what happened next, as he was very drunk. He is immediately detained on suspicion of cannibalism.

At the same time, it is obvious to the reader that the heroes ate the pie together, and the merchant did not prepare the filling for the pie from Siluyanov at all. However, none of the characters in the story understands this.

In this work, Doroshevich sharply criticizes the work of law enforcement agencies, as well as courts andprosecutors. It demonstrates their complete incompetence and illiteracy. The mores of a provincial town are also vividly demonstrated. The missing Siluyanov appears at the end, confessing that he has been drinking all this time. And he himself is best characterized by how angry he was when he saw a book from any commoner. This feuilleton shows many aspects of the life of the society of that time. In a small satirical work, he covers the problems of culture, education and law enforcement, dwelling on every painful problem in each of these areas.

The main value of these feuilletons is that they are written for readers with any level of education, it is not difficult for both the writer and the handyman to understand the author's humor and intention. This is the unique nationality of Doroshevich's works.

Katorga

Doroshevich pays special attention in his work to a trip to Sakhalin. He went there in 1897, working in the "Odessa list". The hard laborers also rode with him. The result of this journey was an essay, the author of which was Doroshevich Vlas, - "Katorga". It truthfully described the whole life of convicts. And most importantly - the horror and hopelessness that awaited them on Sakhalin. And not only prisoners, but also free local residents.

Doroshevich tells a lot of stories about crimes, behind which the human fates of convicts who got here appear in detail.

In 1903 he collects this into a single book of essays"Sakhalin", which played an important role in shaping the revolutionary mood on the eve of 1905. The book was banned and seized, but the wave had already been launched.

Doroshevich and the "Russian Word"

Doroshevich achieved the greatest popularity while working in the Russian Word. In 1902 he became its editor, having reformed according to the Western European type. This newspaper has become the most popular periodical in Russia.

The secret of success was in the low price, high efficiency and personnel. In addition to Doroshevich, Gilyarovsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko and Amfiteatrov wrote in Russkoye Slovo.

Becoming editor, Doroshevich appointed separate employees to each department, as was done in newspapers in England and France. He appointed a separate editor at the head of each department. Each working day began with morning briefings, where work plans and the resonance created by the last issue were discussed.

The issue went to press at about 10 pm, but the latest news was brought in right in the process of publication until 4 am. This is how it was possible to achieve unprecedented efficiency at that time.

Doroshevich's plans were to establish correspondent offices in the largest cities of Russia.

The fate of Doroshevich after the revolution

In 1917, Doroshevich lived in Petrograd. At that time, he was already seriously ill and only occasionally gave lectures about foreign journalists of past years. He saw the fate of the French Revolution as tragic and, using its example, tried to warn his contemporaries what the events of the October Revolution could lead to.

At first he was against the revolution, speaking in print criticizing the ideas of the Bolsheviks and Lenin. However, later he recognized Soviet power, and during the Soviet period it was even actively printed. But after the collapse of the Union, his works finally disappeared from the bookshelves.

Influence of Doroshevich

Researchers note the great influence that Doroshevich had on Russian literature and journalism. It consists in the development of many journalistic genres, a new approach to them. This is especially true for the feuilleton.

His own "short line" style became a role model for many contemporaries and descendants.