Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is the most important thing. Training and the beginning of a creative path

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin and Russian literature of the early 20th century are inseparable. This happened because the writer, in his own works, covered contemporary life, discussed topics and sought answers to questions that are usually classified as eternal. All his work is based on life prototypes. Alexander Ivanovich drew plots from life, he only refracted this or that situation into artistically. According to generally accepted opinion, the work of this author belongs to literary direction realism, but there are pages that are written in the style of romanticism.

In 1870, a boy was born in one of the cities of the Penza province. They named him Alexander. Sasha's parents were poor nobles.

The boy's father served as a secretary in court, and his mother took care of the household. Fate decreed that after Alexander was one year old, his father died suddenly from illness.

After this sad event, the widow and children go to live in Moscow. Future life Alexandra, one way or another, will be connected with Moscow.

Sasha studied at a cadet boarding school. Everything indicated that the boy’s fate would be connected with military affairs. But in reality it turned out completely wrong. The theme of the army became firmly entrenched in Kuprin’s literary work. Such works as “Army Ensign”, “Cadets”, “Duel”, “Junkers” are dedicated to military service. It is worth noting that the image of the main character of “The Duel” is autobiographical. The author admits that he created the image of the second lieutenant based on the experience of his own service.

The year 1894 was marked for the future prose writer by his resignation from military service. This happened thanks to his explosive nature. At this time, the future prose writer is looking for himself. He tries to write, and his first attempts are successful.

Some stories from his pen are published in magazines. This period until 1901 can be called a fruitful period literary creativity Kuprina. The following works were written: “Olesya”, “Lilac Bush”, “ Wonderful doctor" and many others.

In Russia during this period of time, popular unrest was brewing due to opposition to capitalism. The young author reacts creatively to these processes.

The result was the story “Moloch”, where he turns to ancient Russian mythology. Under the guise of a mythological creature, he shows the soulless power of capitalism.

Important! When “Moloch” was published, its author began to closely communicate with the luminaries of Russian literature of that period. These are Bunin, Chekhov, Gorky.

In 1901, Alexander met his only one and tied the knot. After marriage, the couple moved to St. Petersburg. At this time, the writer is active and literary field, and in public life. Works written: “ White poodle", "Horse Thieves" and others.

In 1911, the family moved to Gatchina. At this time, creativity appears new topic– love. He writes, "Shulamith".

A. I. Kuprin " Garnet bracelet»

In 1918, the couple emigrated to France. Abroad, the writer continues to work fruitfully. More than 20 stories have been written. Among them are “Blue Star”, “Yu-Yu” and others.

1937 became a landmark year in that Alexander Ivanovich was allowed to return to his homeland. The sick writer returns to Russia. He lives in his homeland for only a year. The ashes rest in the Volkovsky cemetery in Leningrad.

The most important thing you need to know about the life and work of this outstanding author is located in the chronological table:

The most important thing about Kuprin

A brief biography of the writer can be summarized in several main milestones of his life. Alexander Ivanovich comes from an impoverished noble family. It so happened that the boy was left without a father early on. For this reason, the formation of personality was quite difficult. After all, as you know, a boy needs a father. The mother, having moved to Moscow, decides to send her son to study at military school. Therefore, the army structure quite strongly influenced Alexander Ivanovich and his worldview.

Main stages of life:

• Until 1894, that is, until he retired from military service, the aspiring author tried his hand at writing.
• After 1894, he realized that writing was his calling, so he devoted himself entirely to creativity. Makes acquaintance with Gorky, Bunin, Chekhov and other writers of that time.
• The revolution of 1917 confirmed Kuprin in the idea that perhaps they were right in their views on power. Therefore, the writer and his family cannot stay in Russia and are forced to emigrate. Alexander Ivanovich has been living in France for almost 20 years and working fruitfully. A year before his death, he was allowed to return to his homeland, which he did.
• In 1938, the writer’s heart stopped beating forever.

Useful video: the early period of creativity of A. I. Kuprin

Biography for children

Children become acquainted with the name Kuprin while studying at primary school. Below we give biographical information about the writer that students need.

For younger children school age It is important to know that Alexander Ivanovich turned to the topic of children and childhood for a reason. He writes on this topic simply and naturally. In this cycle he creates a large number of stories about animals. In general, in works of this orientation, Kuprin expresses a humane attitude towards all living things.

In stories whose heroes are children, the theme of orphanhood is acutely expressed. Perhaps this is due to the fact that their author himself was left without a father early on. But it is worth noting that he shows orphanhood as social problem. Works about children and for children include “The Wonderful Doctor”, “Yu-Yu”, “Taper”, “Elephant”, “White Poodle” and many others.

Important! Undoubtedly, the contribution of this outstanding writer in the development and formation of children's literature is extremely large.

A. I. Kuprin in Gatchina

Kuprin's last years

Kuprin had many difficulties in his childhood, not less problems it was in last years life. In 1937 he was allowed to return to Soviet Union. He was greeted solemnly. Among those greeting the famous prose writer were many famous poets and writers of that time. In addition to these people, there were a lot of fans of Alexander Ivanovich’s work.

By this time, Kuprin was diagnosed with cancer. This disease greatly undermined the resources of the writer’s body. Returning to his homeland, the prose writer hoped that staying in his native land would only benefit him. Unfortunately, the writer's hopes were not destined to come true. A year later, the talented realist passed away.

last years of life

Kuprin in videos

IN modern world informatization, a lot of biographical information about creative people digitized. The TV channel “My Joy” broadcasts a series of programs “My Live Journal”. In this series there is a program about the life and work of Alexander Kuprin.

On the TV channel “Russia. Culture" broadcasts a series of lectures about writers. The duration of the video is 25 minutes. Moreover, lectures about Alexander Ivanovich also form a cycle. There are those that tell about childhood and adolescence and the period of emigration. Their duration is approximately the same.

There are collections of videos about Kuprin on the Internet. Even an entire virtual page is dedicated to the famous Russian writer. This page also contains links to audiobooks. Reader reviews are posted at the very end.

Homecoming

Wikipedia about Kuprin

IN electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia has posted a voluminous information article about Alexander Ivanovich. It tells in detail about the life path of the prose writer. Are given detailed descriptions his main works. The information concerning the writer’s family is covered quite fully. This text is accompanied by personal photographs of Kuprin.

After the basic information, the author's bibliography is presented, with electronic links to almost all books. Anyone who is truly interested in his work can read what interests them. There are also links to videos with filmed works of Alexander Ivanovich. Listed at the end of the article memorable places, associated with the name of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, many are illustrated with photographs.

Useful video: biography of A.I. Kuprina

Conclusion

70 years have passed since Kuprin's death. This is a fairly long time period. But, despite this, the popularity of Alexander Ivanovich’s works does not decrease. This is due to the fact that they contain things that are understandable to everyone. The works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin must be read by everyone who wants to better understand the nature of relationships and the motives driving by different people. They are a kind of encyclopedia of moral qualities and deep experiences of any person.

Alexander Kuprin is a great Russian writer who left a rich legacy of works to humanity. Observant, subtle and sensitive by nature, Alexander Ivanovich reflected in his works the life and morality of that time.

He was born on August 26 (September 7), 1870 in the family of a minor official in the small town of Narovchat, which is located in the Penza province. His father died a year after Alexander was born. Three children remained in the arms of mother Lyubov Alekseevna - older sisters and Sasha himself. The girls are sent to a boarding school, and Lyubov Alekseevna leaves with her son for Moscow.

It is worth noting that the writer’s mother is a native ancient family Tatar princes Kulanchakovs. She has a strong character, stubborn, she loves her children very much. Life in Moscow was hard, miserable, and the mother enrolled her six-year-old son in the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school (1876). It was not easy for Alexander, the boy was sad and homesick, and even thought about escaping. He read a lot, knew how to invent stories, and was popular for this. Alexander composed his first creation, a poem, at the age of seven.

Gradually, life got better, and Kuprin decided to become a military man. After graduating from the boarding school in 1880, he immediately entered the Second Moscow Military Academy. Eight years later he studies at the Moscow Alexander Military School. The years of study were not in vain for Alexander Ivanovich; later he would write and expose them in his works. There will be a lot of thoughts about honor, uniform, courage, the characters of the heroes, as well as corruption.

He continued to read and study literature, and in 1889 his first story, “The First Debut,” was published. In 1890, after completing his studies, Kuprin entered service in an infantry regiment as a second lieutenant. Its new location is Podolsk province. Four years later, Alexander Ivanovich retired. Having no specialty, Kuprin tries himself in various fields activities.

This person, greedy for impressions, takes on any job, he is not afraid of anything, everything is interesting to him. His character is explosive, but he is ready for an adventure. It was important for him to communicate with people, to get used to their atmosphere of life, to capture the feelings, character and subtleties of each person. Then Kuprin will skillfully reflect his observations in his works.

Soon he meets, and. Publications in Moscow and St. Petersburg begin to publish his works, notes, and essays. In 1901, Alexander Kuprin married Maria Davydova, and a year later their daughter Lida was born. In 1905, the story “The Duel” was published. In addition to the army impressions set out in his works, Kuprin writes about love, about animals (“White Poodle” 1902), becomes popular, and is published a lot. In 1907, after a divorce from his first wife, Alexander Kuprin remarried Elizaveta Heinrich. Daughter Ksenia is born.

Alexander Ivanovich served in Finland in 1914, but was discharged due to health reasons. (1914-1918), then he and his wife Elizaveta and daughter Ksenia set up an infirmary at home. They provided assistance to wounded soldiers. Kuprin perceived the revolution negatively. He was on the side of the white movement, although at first he tried to cooperate with the Bolsheviks. Like many others creative personalities, Kuprin and his family leave Russia, they go to France. Alexander Ivanovich continues to create, but not so productively; he misses his homeland. Actively participates in the anti-Bolshevik press.

In the spring of 1937, the writer and his family returned to their homeland. He was greeted warmly and cordially. Unfortunately, the writer was seriously ill and died a year later. He died on August 25, 1938 in the city of Leningrad. Most popular works Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin:

“Duel”, “Garnet Bracelet”, “Olesya”, “Pit”.

Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich (1870-1938), prose writer.

Born on August 26 (September 7, new year) in the city of Narovchat, Penza province, in the family of a minor official who died a year after the birth of his son. After the death of her husband, his mother (from the ancient family of Tatar princes Kulanchakov) moved to Moscow, where the future writer spent his childhood and youth. At the age of six, the boy was sent to the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school (orphanage), from where he left in 1880. In the same year he entered the Moscow military academy, transformed into the Cadet Corps.

After completing his studies, he continued his military education at the Alexander Junker School (1888 90). Subsequently he will describe his " military youth" in the stories "At the Turning Point (Cadets)" and in the novel "Junkers". Even then I dreamed of becoming "a poet or novelist."

First literary experience Kuprin had poems that remained unpublished. The first work to see the light was the story “The Last Debut” (1889).

In 1890, after graduating from military school, Kuprin, with the rank of second lieutenant, was enlisted in an infantry regiment stationed in the Podolsk province. The life of an officer, which he led for four years, provided rich material for his future works. In 1893 1894 in the St. Petersburg magazine " Russian wealth"his story "In the Dark" and short stories were published" Moonlit night" and "Inquiry". A series of stories is dedicated to the life of the Russian army: "Overnight" (1897), " Night shift"(1899), "Hike". In 1894, Kuprin retired and moved to Kiev, without any civilian profession and with little life experience. In the following years, he traveled a lot around Russia, having tried many professions, greedily absorbing life experiences that became the basis of his future works.

During these years, Kuprin met Bunin, Chekhov and Gorky. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg, began working as a secretary of the “Magazine for Everyone,” married M. Davydova, and had a daughter, Lydia. Kuprin's stories appeared in St. Petersburg magazines: "Swamp" (1902); "Horse Thieves" (1903); "White Poodle" (1904). In 1905, his most significant work was published - the story "The Duel", which had big success. The writer’s performances reading individual chapters of “The Duel” became an event cultural life capital Cities. His works of this time were very well-behaved: the essay “Events in Sevastopol” (1905), the stories “Staff Captain Rybnikov” (1906), “River of Life”, “Gambrinus” (1907). In 1907, he married his second wife, sister of mercy E. Heinrich, and had a daughter, Ksenia.

Kuprin's work in the years between the two revolutions resisted the decadent mood of those years: the cycle of essays "Listrigons" (1907 11), stories about animals, the stories "Shulamith", "Garnet Bracelet" (1911). His prose became a notable phenomenon of Russian literature at the beginning of the century.

After October revolution The writer did not accept the policy of military communism, the “Red Terror”; he feared for the fate of Russian culture. In 1918 he came to Lenin with a proposal to publish a newspaper for the village, “Zemlya”. At one time he worked at the World Literature publishing house, founded by Gorky.

In the fall of 1919, while in Gatchina, cut off from Petrograd by Yudenich's troops, he emigrated abroad. The seventeen years that the writer spent in Paris were an unproductive period. Constant material need and homesickness led him to the decision to return to Russia. In the spring of 1937, the seriously ill Kuprin returned to his homeland, warmly received by his admirers. Published the essay "Native Moscow". However, the new creative plans were not destined to come true. In August 1938, Kuprin died in Leningrad from cancer.

Articles about the biography of A. I. Kuprin. Complete collection works of A. I. Kuprin Biographies:

Berkov P. N. "A. I. Kuprin", 1956 (1.06mb)
Krutikova L.V. "A.I. Kuprin", 1971 (625kb)
Afanasyev V. N. "A. I. Kuprin", 1972 (980kb)
N. Luker "Alexander Kuprin", 1978 (excellent short biography, in English, 540kb)
Kuleshov F. I. "The creative path of A. I. Kuprin 1883 1907", 1983 (2.6MB)
Kuleshov F. I. "The creative path of A. I. Kuprin 1907 1938", 1986 (1.9MB)

Memories, etc.:

Kuprina K. A. "Kuprin my father", 1979 (1.7MB)
Fonyakova N. N. "Kuprin in St. Petersburg Leningrad", 1986 (1.2MB)
Mikhailov O. M. "Kuprin", ZhZL, 1981 (1.7MB)
East. Russian lit., ed. "Science" 1983: A.I. Kuprin
Lit. history of the Academy of Sciences 1954: A.I. Kuprin
A Brief Introduction to Creativity
Kuprin Literary Code
O. Figurnova about Kuprin in exile
Lev Nikulin "Kuprin (literary portrait)"
Ivan Bunin "Kuprin"
V. Etov "Warmth to all living things (Lessons of Kuprin)"
S. Chuprinin "Rereading Kuprin" (1991)
Kolobaeva L. A. “Transformation of the idea of ​​the “little man” in the work of Kuprin”
Paustovsky about Kuprin
Roshchin about Kuprin 1938

Army prose:

I.I. Gapanovich "War stories and tales of Kuprin" (Melbourne slavistic studies 5/6)
At the turning point (Cadets)
Duel (1.3 MB)
Juncker
Army ensign
Night shift
Staff Captain Rybnikov
Marianne
Wedding
Overnight
Breguet
Inquiry
In the barracks
Hike
Lilac bush
Rave
The Last Knights
In the bear's corner
One-Armed Commandant

Stories about the circus:

Allez!
In the menagerie
Lolly
At the circus
Daughter of the great Barnum
Olga Sur
Bad pun
Blondel
Lucia
In the cage of the beast
Marya Ivanovna
Clown (Play in 1 act)

About Polesie and hunting:

Olesya
Silver wolf
Enchanted Capercaillie
On wood grouse
Night in the forest
Backwoods
woodcocks

About horses and racing:

Emerald
Hoopoe
Red, bay, gray, black...

Last debut
In the dark
Psyche
Moonlit night
Slavic soul
About how Professor Leopardi gave me a voice
Al-Issa
Secret audit
To glory
Forgotten Kiss
Madness
At the crossing
Sparrow
Toy
Agave
Petitioner
Painting
Terrible moment
Meat
No title
Millionaire
Pirate
Holy love
Curl

Life
Kyiv types all 16 essays
Strange case
Bonze
Horror
Demigod
Natalya Davydovna
Dog happiness
Yuzovsky plant
On the river
Blissful
Bed
Fairy tale
Nag
Someone else's bread
Friends
Moloch
Stronger than death
Enchantment
Caprice
Narcissus
Firstborn
Barbos and Zhulka
The first person you meet
Confusion

Kindergarten
Wonderful doctor
Loneliness
In the bowels of the earth
Lucky card
Spirit of the century
Executioner
Lost Force
Travel pictures
Sentimental novel
Autumn flowers
By order
Tsaritsyn fire
Ballroom pianist

At rest
Swamp
Coward
Horse thieves
White poodle
Evening guest
Peaceful life
Measles
Frenzy
Jew
Diamonds
Empty dachas
White Nights
From the street
black mist
Good Society
Priest
Events in Sevastopol
Dreams
Toast
Happiness
Murderer
How I was an actor
Art
Demir-Kaya

River of Life
Gambrinus
Elephant
Fairy tales
Mechanical Justice
Giants
Small fry

Shulamith
A little bit of Finland
Seasickness
Student
My passport
The last word
Laurel
About the poodle
In Crimea
Above the ground
Marabou
Poor Prince
On the tram
Fashion martyr
Family style
The Tale of the Trampled Flower
Lenochka
Temptation
Dragonfly Jumper
My flight
Legend
Garnet bracelet
Royal Park
Listrigons
Easter eggs
Organizers
Telegraphist
Big fountain
Head of Traction
Sad story
Alien rooster
Travelers
Grass
Suicide
White acacia

Black Lightning
The Bears
elephant walk
Liquid sun
Anathema
Côte d'Azur
Hedgehog
Light cones
Captain
Wine barrel
Holy lie
Bricky
Dreams
Garden of the Blessed Virgin
Violets
Gad
Two saints
Sealed Babies
Gogol-mogol
Goga Veselov
Interview
Grunya
Starlings
Cantaloupes
Brave fugitives
Yama (1.7 MB)
Star of Solomon

Goat life
Bird People
Sapsan's thoughts about people, animals, objects and events
Sashka and Yashka
Caterpillar
Piebald horses
Tsar's clerk
Magic carpet
Lemon peel
Fairy tale
Doggie Black Nose
Fate
Golden Rooster
Blue Star
Crimson blood
Blessed South
Yu-yu
Poodle tongue
Animal Lesson
The Last of the Bourgeois
Paris home
Inna
Napoleon's Shadow
Yugoslavia
Stories in drops
Paganini violin
Balt
Zawiraika
Hero, Leander and the shepherd
Four beggars
House
Cape Huron
Rachel
Paradise
Motherland
red porch
Island
Meeting
pink pearl
Early music
Everyday singing
Easter bells

Paris and Moscow
Sparrow king
Avianetka
Lord's Prayer
Wheel of Time
Printing ink
Nightingale
At Trinity-Sergius
Paris intimate
Light of the kingdom
Bird People
Ust tribe
Lost Heart
The story of the fish "Raskass"
"N.-J." - an intimate gift from the emperor
Barry
System
Natasha
Mignonette
Gem
Dragnet
Night violet
Zhaneta
Interrogation
Tsarev guest from Narovchata
Ralph
Svetlana
Moscow native
Voice from there
Happy days
Search
Theft
Two celebrities
The Piebald Man's Tale

Works from different years, articles, reviews, notes

Dome of St. Isaac of Dalmatia
Cab driver Peter (unpublished, with annotation by P.P. Shirmakov)
In Memory of Chekhov (1904)
Anton Chekhov. Stories, In Memory of Chekhov (1905), About Chekhov (1920, 1929)
In memory of A. I. Bogdanovich
In memory of N. G. Mikhailovsky (Garin)
About how I saw Tolstoy on the steamer "St. Nicholas"
Utochkin
About Anatoly Durev
A. I. Budishchev
Fragments of memories
Mysterious laughter
The sun of Russian poetry
Beaded ring
Ivan Bunin - Falling Leaves. G.A. Galina Poems
R. Kipling Brave Seafarers, Rudiard Kipling
N. N. Breshko-Breshkovsky Whisper of life, Operetta secrets
A. A. Izmailov (Smolensky) In the bursa, The Fish's Word
Alexey Remizov Watch
About Knut Hamsun
Dumas the Father
About Gogol, Laughter has died
Our justification, His malice will prevail for days
A note about Jack London, Jack London
Pharaoh's tribe
About Camille Lemonnier, Henri Rochefort
About Sasha Cherny, S.Ch.: Children's Island, S.Ch.: Frivolous stories, Sasha Cherny
Free Academy
Reading Minds, Anatoly II
Nansen Roosters, Aroma of the Premiere, Folklore and Literature
Tolstoy, Ilya Repin
Peter and Pushkin
The Fourth Musketeer
From an interview
Letter
Kuprin about Gumilyov
Yangirov about "The Voice from There"
Reply to O. Figurnova

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin. Born on August 26 (September 7), 1870 in Narovchat - died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Russian writer, translator.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on August 26 (September 7), 1870 in county town Narovchate (now Penza region) in the family of an official, hereditary nobleman Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin (1834-1871), who died a year after the birth of his son.

Mother, Lyubov Alekseevna (1838-1910), née Kulunchakova, came from a family of Tatar princes (noblewoman, princely title Did not have). After the death of her husband, she moved to Moscow, where the future writer spent his childhood and adolescence.

At the age of six, the boy was sent to the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school (orphanage), from where he left in 1880. In the same year he entered the Second Moscow cadet corps.

In 1887 he was graduated from the Alexander Military School. Subsequently, he described his “military youth” in the stories “At the Turning Point (Cadets)” and in the novel “Junkers”.

Kuprin's first literary experience was poetry that remained unpublished. The first work to see the light was the story “The Last Debut” (1889).

In 1890, Kuprin, with the rank of second lieutenant, was released into the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment, stationed in the Podolsk province (in Proskurov). The officer's life he led during four years, provided rich material for his future works.

In 1893-1894, the St. Petersburg magazine “Russian Wealth” published his story “In the Dark,” the stories “Moonlit Night” and “Inquiry.” Kuprin has several stories on an army theme: “Overnight” (1897), “Night Shift” (1899), “Hike”.

In 1894, Lieutenant Kuprin retired and moved to Kyiv, without any civilian profession. In the following years, he traveled a lot around Russia, trying many professions, greedily absorbing life experiences that became the basis of his future works.

During these years, Kuprin met I. A. Bunin, A. P. Chekhov and M. Gorky. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg and began working as secretary of the “Magazine for Everyone.” Kuprin's stories appeared in St. Petersburg magazines: “Swamp” (1902), “Horse Thieves” (1903), “White Poodle” (1903).

In 1905, his most significant work was published - the story "The Duel", which was a great success. The writer’s performances reading individual chapters of “The Duel” became an event in the cultural life of the capital. His other works of this time: the stories “Staff Captain Rybnikov” (1906), “River of Life”, “Gambrinus” (1907), the essay “Events in Sevastopol” (1905). In 1906 he was a candidate for deputy State Duma I convocation from the St. Petersburg province.

Kuprin’s work in the years between the two revolutions resisted the decadent mood of those years: the cycle of essays “Listrigons” (1907-1911), stories about animals, the stories “Shulamith” (1908), “Garnet Bracelet” (1911), fantastic story"Liquid Sun" (1912). His prose has become a notable phenomenon of Russian literature. In 1911 he settled in Gatchina with his family.

After the outbreak of World War I, he opened a military hospital in his house and campaigned in newspapers for citizens to take out war loans. In November 1914, he was mobilized into the army and sent to Finland as commander of an infantry company. Demobilized in July 1915 for health reasons.

In 1915, Kuprin completed work on the story “The Pit,” in which he talks about the life of prostitutes in Russian brothels. The story was condemned for being, according to critics, excessive naturalism. Nuravkin’s publishing house, which published Kuprin’s “The Pit” in the German edition, was brought to justice by the prosecutor’s office “for distributing pornographic publications.”

The abdication of Nicholas II was met in Helsingfors, where he was undergoing treatment, and received it with enthusiasm. After returning to Gatchina, he was the editor of the newspapers “Free Russia”, “Liberty”, “Petrogradsky Listok”, and sympathized with the Socialist Revolutionaries. After the Bolsheviks seized power, the writer did not accept the policy of war communism and the terror associated with it. In 1918, I went to Lenin with a proposal to publish a newspaper for the village - “Earth”. He worked at the World Literature publishing house, founded by. At this time he translated Don Carlos. He was arrested, spent three days in prison, was released and added to the list of hostages.

On October 16, 1919, with the arrival of the Whites in Gatchina, he entered the North-Western Army with the rank of lieutenant and was appointed editor of the army newspaper “Prinevsky Krai,” headed by General P. N. Krasnov.

After the defeat of the North-Western Army, he went to Revel, and from there in December 1919 to Helsinki, where he stayed until July 1920, after which he went to Paris.

By 1930, the Kuprin family was impoverished and mired in debt. His literary fees were meager, and alcoholism plagued his years in Paris. From 1932, his vision steadily deteriorated, and his handwriting became significantly worse. The return to the Soviet Union became the only solution material and psychological problems Kuprina. At the end of 1936, he finally decided to apply for a visa. In 1937, at the invitation of the USSR government, he returned to his homeland.

Kuprin’s return to the Soviet Union was preceded by an appeal from the USSR Plenipotentiary Representative in France V.P. Potemkin on August 7, 1936 with a corresponding proposal to J.V. Stalin (who gave the preliminary “go-ahead”), and on October 12, 1936 - with a letter to the People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs N. I. Ezhov. Yezhov sent Potemkin’s note to the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, which on October 23, 1936 decided: “to allow the writer A. I. Kuprin to enter the USSR” (voted “for” by I. V. Stalin, V. M. Molotov, V. Y. Chubar and A. A. Andreev; K. E. Voroshilov abstained).

He died on the night of August 25, 1938 from esophageal cancer. Buried in Leningrad on Literatorskie Mostki Volkovsky cemetery next to the grave of I. S. Turgenev.

Stories and novels by Alexander Kuprin:

1892 - “In the Dark”
1896 - “Moloch”
1897 - “Army Ensign”
1898 - “Olesya”
1900 - “At the Turning Point” (Cadets)
1905 - “Duel”
1907 - "Gambrinus"
1908 - “Shulamith”
1909-1915 - “The Pit”
1910 - “Garnet Bracelet”
1913 - “Liquid Sun”
1917 - “Star of Solomon”
1928 - “The Dome of St. Isaac of Dalmatia"
1929 - “The Wheel of Time”
1928-1932 - "Junkers"
1933 - “Zhaneta”

Stories by Alexander Kuprin:

1889 - “The Last Debut”
1892 - “Psyche”
1893 - “On a Moonlit Night”
1894 - “Inquiry”, “Slavic Soul”, “Lilac Bush”, “Unspoken Revision”, “To Glory”, “Madness”, “On the Road”, “Al-Issa”, “Forgotten Kiss”, “About That how Professor Leopardi gave me a voice"
1895 - “Sparrow”, “Toy”, “In the Menagerie”, “The Petitioner”, “Painting”, “The Terrible Minute”, “Meat”, “No Title”, “Overnight”, “Millionaire”, “Pirate”, “ Lolly”, “Holy Love”, “Curl”, “Agave”, “Life”
1896 - “Strange Case”, “Bonza”, “Horror”, “Natalya Davydovna”, “Demi-God”, “Blessed”, “Bed”, “Fairy Tale”, “Nag”, “Someone else’s Bread”, “Friends”, “ Marianna", "Dog's Happiness", "On the River"
1897 - “Stronger than Death”, “Enchantment”, “Caprice”, “Firstborn”, “Narcissus”, “Breguet”, “The First Person You Come Along”, “Confusion”, “The Wonderful Doctor”, “Barbos and Zhulka”, “Kindergarten” ", "Allez!"
1898 - “Loneliness”, “Wilderness”
1899 - “Night Shift”, “Lucky Card”, “In the Bowels of the Earth”
1900 - “Spirit of the Century”, “Dead Force”, “Taper”, “Executioner”
1901 - “Sentimental Romance”, “Autumn Flowers”, “By order”, “Trek”, “At the Circus”, “Silver Wolf”
1902 - “At rest”, “Swamp”
1903 - “Coward”, “Horse Thieves”, “How I Was an Actor”, “White Poodle”
1904 - “Evening Guest”, “Peaceful Life”, “Frenzy”, “Jew”, “Diamonds”, “Empty Dachas”, “White Nights”, “From the Street”
1905 - “Black Fog”, “Priest”, “Toast”, “Staff Captain Rybnikov”
1906 - “Art”, “Killer”, “River of Life”, “Happiness”, “Legend”, “Demir-Kaya”, “Resentment”
1907 - “Delirium”, “Emerald”, “Small fry”, “Elephant”, “Fairy Tales”, “Mechanical Justice”, “Giants”
1908 - “Seasickness”, “Wedding”, “Last Word”
1910 - “In a family way”, “Helen”, “In the cage of the beast”
1911 - “Telegraph Operator”, “Mistress of Traction”, “Royal Park”
1912 - “Weed”, “Black Lightning”
1913 - “Anathema”, “Elephant Walk”
1914 - “Holy Lie”
1917 - “Sashka and Yashka”, “Brave Fugitives”
1918 - “Piebald Horses”
1919 - “The Last of the Bourgeois”
1920 - “Lemon Peel”, “Fairy Tale”
1923 - “The One-Armed Commandant”, “Fate”
1924 - “Slap”
1925 - “Yu-yu”
1926 - “The Daughter of the Great Barnum”
1927 - “Blue Star”
1928 - “Inna”
1929 - “Paganini’s Violin”, “Olga Sur”
1933 - “Night Violet”
1934 - “The Last Knights”, “Wreck-It Ralph”

Essays by Alexander Kuprin:

1897 - “Kyiv types”
1899 - “On the wood grouse”

1895-1897 - series of essays “Student Dragoon”
"Dnieper Sailor"
"Future Patty"
"False Witness"
"Chorister"
"Firefighter"
"The Landlady"
"Tramp"
"Thief"
"Artist"
"Arrows"
"Hare"
"Doctor"
"Prude"
"Beneficiary"
"Card supplier"

1900 - Travel pictures:
From Kyiv to Rostov-on-Don
From Rostov to Novorossiysk. Legend about the Circassians. Tunnels.

1901 - “Tsaritsyn Fire”
1904 - "In Memory of Chekhov"
1905 - “Events in Sevastopol”; "Dreams"
1908 - “A Little Bit of Finland”
1907-1911 - series of essays “Listrigons”
1909 - “Don’t touch our tongue.” About Russian-speaking Jewish writers.
1921 - “Lenin. Instant Photography"

The work of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was formed during the years of revolutionary upsurge. All his life he was close to the theme of the epiphany of a simple Russian man who greedily sought the truth of life. Kuprin devoted all his creativity to the development of this complex psychological theme. His art, as his contemporaries put it, was characterized by a special vigilance in seeing the world, concreteness, and a constant desire for knowledge. The educational pathos of Kuprin's creativity was combined with a passionate personal interest in the victory of good over all evil. Therefore, most of his works are characterized by dynamics, drama, and excitement.

Kuprin's biography is like an adventure novel. In terms of the abundance of meetings with people and life observations, it was reminiscent of Gorky’s biography. Kuprin traveled a lot, did a variety of work: he served at a factory, worked as a loader, played on stage, sang in a church choir.

On early stage Kuprin experienced creativity strong influence Dostoevsky. It manifested itself in the stories “In the Dark,” “On a Moonlit Night,” and “Madness.” He writes about fateful moments, the role of chance in a person’s life, and analyzes the psychology of human passions. Some stories of that period say that the human will is helpless in the face of natural chance, that the mind cannot comprehend the mysterious laws that govern man. Decisive role in overcoming literary stamps, coming from Dostoevsky, played a direct acquaintance with the lives of people, with real Russian reality.

He starts writing essays. Their peculiarity is that the writer usually had a leisurely conversation with the reader. They clearly showed clear storylines, a simple and detailed depiction of reality. Greatest influence Kuprin the essayist was influenced by G. Uspensky.

First creative quest Kuprin ended with the largest thing that reflected reality. It was the story “Moloch”. In it, the writer shows the contradictions between capital and forced human labor. He managed to catch social features the latest forms capitalist production. An angry protest against the monstrous violence against man, on which the industrial flourishing in the world of “Moloch” is based, a satirical demonstration of the new masters of life, an exposure of the shameless predation in the country of foreign capital - all this cast doubt on the theories of bourgeois progress. After essays and short stories, the story was an important stage in the writer’s work.

In search of moral and spiritual ideals of life, which the writer contrasted with the ugliness of modern human relations, Kuprin turns to the lives of tramps, beggars, drunken artists, starving unrecognized artists, children of the poor urban population. This is a world of nameless people who form the mass of society. Among them, Kuprin tried to find his goodies. He writes the stories “Lidochka”, “Lokon”, “Kindergarten”, “At the Circus” - in these works Kuprin’s heroes are free from the influence of bourgeois civilization.

In 1898, Kuprin wrote the story “Olesya”. The plot of the story is traditional: an intellectual, an ordinary and urban person, in a remote corner of Polesie meets a girl who grew up outside of society and civilization. Olesya is distinguished by spontaneity, integrity of nature, and spiritual richness. Poetizing life unconstrained by modern social cultural frameworks. Kuprin sought to show clear advantages “ natural man”, in which he saw spiritual qualities lost in civilized society.

In 1901, Kuprin came to St. Petersburg, where he became close to many writers. During this period his story “Night Shift” appears, where main character- a simple soldier. The hero is not an aloof person, not the forest Olesya, but a completely a real man. From the image of this soldier, threads stretch to other heroes. It was at this time that the new genre: novella.

In 1902, Kuprin conceived the story “The Duel”. In this work, he undermined one of the main pillars of the autocracy - the military caste, in the features of the decomposition and moral decline of which he showed signs of the decomposition of the entire social system. The story reflects the progressive sides of Kuprin’s work. The basis of the plot is the fate of an honest Russian officer, whom the conditions of army barracks life made him feel wrong. social relations of people. Once again, Kuprin is not talking about an outstanding personality, but about a simple Russian officer Romashov. The regimental atmosphere torments him; he does not want to be in the army garrison. He was disappointed in army service. He begins to fight for himself and his love. And the death of Romashov is a protest against the social and moral inhumanity of the environment.

With the onset of reaction and the aggravation of social life in society, Kuprin’s creative concepts also change. During these years, his interest in the world of ancient legends, history, and antiquity intensified. An interesting fusion of poetry and prose, the real and the legendary, the real and the romance of feelings arises in creativity. Kuprin gravitates toward the exotic and develops fantastic plots. He returns to the themes of his earlier novella. The motives of the inevitability of chance in a person’s fate are heard again.

In 1909, the story “The Pit” was published from the pen of Kuprin. Here Kuprin pays tribute to naturalism. It shows the inmates of a brothel. The whole story consists of scenes, portraits and clearly breaks down into individual details of everyday life.

However, in a number of stories written in the same years, Kuprin tried to point out real signs of high spiritual and moral values in reality. “Garnet Bracelet” is a story about love. This is what Paustovsky said about it: this is one of the most “fragrant” stories about love.

In 1919, Kuprin emigrated. In exile, he writes the novel “Zhanette”. This work is about the tragic loneliness of a person who has lost his homeland. This is a story about the touching affection of an old professor, who found himself in exile, for a little Parisian girl - the daughter of a street newspaper girl.

Emigrant period Kuprin is characterized by withdrawal into himself. Large autobiographical work of that period - the novel “Junker”.

In exile, the writer Kuprin did not lose faith in the future of his Motherland. At the end life path he still returns to Russia. And his work rightfully belongs to Russian art, to the Russian people.

Military career

He was born into the family of a minor official who died when his son was in his second year. Mother from Tatar princely family, after the death of her husband she was poor and was forced to send her son to an orphan school for minors (1876), then a military gymnasium, later transformed into a cadet corps, which he graduated from in 1888. In 1890 he graduated from the Alexander Military School. Then he served in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment, training for military career. Without entering the Academy of the General Staff (this was prevented by a scandal associated with the violent, especially drunk, temper of a cadet who threw a policeman into the water), Lieutenant Kuprin resigned in 1894.

Life style

Kuprin was an extremely colorful figure. Greedy for impressions, he led a wandering lifestyle, trying different professions - from a loader to a dentist. Autobiographical life material formed the basis of many of his works.

About him hectic life there were legends. Possessing remarkable physical strength and explosive temperament, Kuprin greedily rushed towards any new life experience: went underwater in a diving suit, flew an airplane (this flight ended in a disaster that almost cost Kuprin his life), organized an athletic society... During the First World War, he and his wife set up a private hospital in his Gatchina house.

The writer was interested in people of the most different professions: engineers, organ grinders, fishermen, card sharpers, beggars, monks, businessmen, spies... In order to get to know the person he was interested in more reliably, to feel the air he breathed, he was ready, without sparing himself, to embark on the most unimaginable adventure. According to his contemporaries, he approached life as a true researcher, seeking the most complete and detailed knowledge possible.

Kuprin also willingly practiced journalism, publishing articles and reports in various newspapers, and traveled a lot, living in Moscow, near Ryazan, in Balaklava, and in Gatchina.

Writer and revolution

Dissatisfaction with the existing social order attracted the writer to revolution, so Kuprin, like many other writers, his contemporaries, paid tribute to revolutionary sentiments. However, he reacted sharply negatively to the Bolshevik revolution and the power of the Bolsheviks. At first, he still tried to cooperate with the Bolshevik authorities and even intended to publish the peasant newspaper “Earth,” for which he met with Lenin.

But soon he unexpectedly switched sides White movement, and after his defeat he left first for Finland and then for France, where he settled in Paris (until 1937). There he actively participated in the anti-Bolshevik press, continued literary activity(novels “The Wheel of Time”, 1929; “Junker”, 1928-32; “Zhaneta”, 1932-33; articles and stories). But living in exile, the writer was terribly poor, suffering both from lack of demand and isolation from his native soil, and shortly before his death, believing Soviet propaganda, in May 1937 he returned with his wife to Russia. By this time he was already seriously ill.

Sympathy to the common man

Almost all of Kuprin’s work is imbued with the traditional Russian literature pathos of sympathy for the “little” person, doomed to drag out a miserable fate in an inert, wretched environment. In Kuprin, this sympathy was expressed not only in the depiction of the “bottom” of society (the novel about the life of prostitutes “The Pit”, 1909-15, etc.), but also in the images of his intelligent, suffering heroes. Kuprin was inclined precisely to such reflective, nervous to the point of hysteria, characters not devoid of sentimentality. Engineer Bobrov (story “Moloch”, 1896), endowed with a trembling soul, responsive to the pain of others, worries about the workers wasting their lives in back-breaking factory work, while the rich are fattening on ill-gotten money. Even characters from a military environment like Romashov or Nazansky (the story “The Duel”, 1905) have a very high pain threshold and a small reserve of mental strength to withstand the vulgarity and cynicism of their environment. Romashov is tormented by the stupidity of military service, the depravity of the officers, and the downtroddenness of the soldiers. Perhaps none of the writers made such a passionate accusation against the army environment as Kuprin. True, in the image ordinary people Kuprin differed from the populist-oriented writers inclined to people-worship (although he received the approval of the venerable populist critic N. Mikhailovsky). His democracy was not limited to a tearful demonstration of their “humiliation and insult.” Kuprin’s simple man turned out to be not only weak, but also capable of standing up for himself, possessing an enviable inner strength. Folk life appeared in his works in its free, spontaneous, natural flow, with its own circle of ordinary worries - not only sorrows, but also joys and consolations (“Listrigons”, 1908-11).

At the same time, the writer saw not only her bright sides and healthy beginnings, but also outbursts of aggressiveness and cruelty, easily guided by dark instincts (the famous description of the Jewish pogrom in the story “Gambrinus”, 1907).

The joy of being In many of Kuprin’s works, the presence of an ideal, romantic principle is clearly felt: it is both in his craving for heroic subjects and in his desire to see the highest manifestations human spirit- in love, creativity, kindness... It is no coincidence that he often chose heroes who fall out, break out of the usual rut of life, seek the truth and seek some other, more complete and living being, freedom, beauty, grace... literature of that time, so poetically, like Kuprin, he wrote about love, tried to return humanity and romance to it. “The Garnet Bracelet” (1911) has become for many readers just such a work, where a pure, unselfish, ideal feeling is glorified.

A brilliant portrayer of the morals of various strata of society, Kuprin vividly, with particular attention, described the environment and everyday life (for which he received criticism more than once). There was also a naturalistic tendency in his work.

At the same time, the writer, like no one else, knew how to feel from the inside the flow of natural, natural life - his stories “Barbos and Zhulka” (1897), “Emerald” (1907) were included in the golden fund of works about animals. The ideal of natural life (the story “Olesya”, 1898) is very important for Kuprin as a kind of desirable norm; he often highlights it modern life, finding in it sad deviations from this ideal.

For many critics, it was precisely this natural, organic perception of Kuprin’s life, the healthy joy of being, that was the main distinguishing quality of his prose with its harmonious fusion of lyricism and romance, plot-compositional proportionality, dramatic action and accuracy in descriptions.

Literary mastery Kuprin is an excellent master not only literary landscape and everything connected with the external, visual and olfactory perception of life (Bunin and Kuprin competed to see who could more accurately determine the smell of a particular phenomenon), but also literary character: portrait, psychology, speech - everything is worked out to the smallest nuances. Even the animals that Kuprin loved to write about reveal complexity and depth in him.

The narration in Kuprin’s works, as a rule, is very spectacular and is often addressed - unobtrusively and without false speculativeness - precisely to existential problems. He reflects on love, hatred, the will to live, despair, strength and weakness of man, recreates the complex spiritual world man at the turn of the era.