Where did Shchedrin study? Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin - biography, information, personal life

One of the most famous Vyatka exiles was Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin. The writer and official spent eight long years in Vyatka against his will. It was a difficult and ambiguous, but extremely important time in the fate of Saltykov.

Portrait of Saltykov-Shchedrin by Ivan Kramskoy

Childhood

Mikhail Saltykov was born in the old noble family in the village of Spas-Ugol, Kalyazinsky district, Tver province. was the sixth child hereditary nobleman Evgraf Vasilyevich Saltykov (1776-1851). The first teacher of Saltykov-Shchedrin was the serf of his parents, the painter Pavel Sokolov; then his elder sister, a priest of a neighboring village, a governess and a student of the Moscow Theological Academy studied with him. At the age of 10, Saltykov entered the Moscow Noble Institute, and two years later he was transferred as one of the best students to the famous Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. In August 1844, Saltykov was enrolled in the office of the Minister of War, and only two years later he received his first full-time position there - assistant secretary. Literature already then occupied him much more than service: he not only read a lot, especially George Sand and the French socialists, but also wrote - at first small bibliographic notes published in the journal Domestic Notes.

Fateful in the life of Saltykov was his acquaintance with the revolutionary figure M. V. Butashevich-Petrashevsky, with whom Mikhail Evgrafovich studied at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Petrashevsky invited Saltykov to attend his famous "Fridays" - weekly meetings at which topical political issues were discussed. Gradually, Saltykov was imbued with liberal ideas and, under their influence, created the story "A Tangled Case". The story contained a certain degree of free-thinking, which during the reign of Nicholas I was persecuted cruelly and decisively by the tsarist administration, which was deeply impressed by the February French Revolution. Moreover, the circumstances coincided extremely unfortunately for Saltykov. The most important in the fate of the novice writer was the conversation that happened at one of the social events between the head of Saltykov in the military ministry, A.I. Despite the fact that this phrase was said by the emperor more as a joke, Chernyshev took these words quite seriously, apparently considering himself publicly disgraced. Subsequently, Chernyshev became one of those who actively insisted that Saltykov be severely punished for his story. Initially, he even suggested exiling Saltykov to the Caucasus as a private, but here Nikolai already pulled Chernyshev in excessive zeal and said: “But you are trying too hard here.” So in 1848 Saltykov ended up in Vyatka. It is interesting that he really did not like the story "A Tangled Case" and only later, years later, he once remarked in a private conversation: "And the devil pulled me to write such nonsense."

Early 20th century

Pretty decent apartment

M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin spent all 8 years of the Vyatka exile in the same house in the second part of the city on Voznesenskaya Street. This house was built in 1848 and belonged to the estate of the former Bavarian manufacturer Johann Christian Rasch, who was registered in Vyatka as a tradesman. Saltykov rented the whole house - four rooms and a "people's" - with total area about 120 sq. meters. During the period of exile, an old servant (“uncle”) Platon and a young valet Grigory lived with him. In letters to his brother, Saltykov called his Vyatka refuge "a rather tolerable apartment" and noted that he lives quite modestly. It is curious that the Vyatka police chief advised Saltykov-Shchedrin, who was looking for housing, to see this particular house. The house was located relatively close to the center and from the place of service of Mikhail Evgrafovich, moreover, at that time it was completely new. The fact that no one had lived in the house before and that it was clean and tidy was important for the visiting exile official, who was born and raised in a wealthy family. The interior layout of the house has remained almost unchanged to this day. One of the rooms is a vestibule; three rooms were occupied by Saltykov; next was the kitchen and, finally, the men's room, where two serfs were placed.

Career

On July 3, 1848, Saltykov was enlisted in the Vyatka provincial government as a junior official, in fact, a simple scribe. But already on November 12 of the same year, thanks to the petition of the Vyatka vice-governor Kostlivtsev, Saltykov's comrade from the lyceum, and Petersburg acquaintances, the young 23-year-old writer was approved as a senior official for special assignments. From May 30 to August 20, 1849, Saltykov was already the ruler of the office, and from August 5, 1850, he was appointed adviser to the Vyatka provincial government. Thus, Saltykov is enough short time made a very solid career, in fact, he became the third person in the entire province in terms of influence - after the governor and vice-governor. Saltykov himself, obviously, was surprised at his service agility. In one of his letters to his brother D.E. Saltykov dated March 25, 1852, he wrote: “... If you saw me now, you would, of course, be amazed at my change. I became quite business man, and there is hardly another official in the whole province, whom official activity would be better for her. I say this in good conscience and without boasting, and I am fully indebted to Sereda for all this, who instilled in me that living solicitude, that constant anxiety about the affairs of the service, which puts them for me much higher than my own ... ". Indeed, Governor A. I. Sereda treated Saltykov well, in fact, as did N. N. Semenov, who replaced the head of the province at the most important post.

The building of the provincial offices, where Saltykov worked during the Vyatka exile. Early 20th century

Endless work

In Vyatka, Saltykov worked hard and became famous for his energy and perseverance in official affairs, intolerance for corruption and bribery. He was always the first to come to the service, and the last to leave, and even at home in Vyatka he arranged for himself an office for work. In a letter to his brother, Saltykov wrote: “The work is such a ruin that I quite often get lost: sometimes I would like to handle every matter conscientiously and maturely, but you get so tired that the matter involuntarily falls out of hand. I definitely have no assistants, for everyone tries to get away with it. It is very remarkable that I am the least in the service and understand the matter more than anyone, despite the fact that I have subordinates who have been dealing with cases for fifteen years. Saltykov traveled a lot around the province, dealt with statistics, auditing the economy and finances, and compiled annual reports. Vyatka province. them in the first half of the 19th century. wrote according to an old pattern. All local institutions in January sent reports on their activities in the past year. Half-meter "crowds" of papers accumulated in the provincial government. Saltykov critically assessed the reliability and completeness of the reports presented. Noting errors in them, he demanded " complete picture activities, and not a statement of duties, ”as did some police officers and mayors. In addition to the economic department, he was also in charge of the newspaper table (with a library attached to it) and a printing house. During the year, Saltykov received more than 12 thousand official papers and sent 40-50 answers and orders daily. 19 officials worked under him, but he often independently prepared drafts of various reports, certificates, relations and personally edited all responsible documents. When investigating the case of the Old Believers, Saltykov met the 74-year-old merchant T. I. Shchedrin, whose last name he later took as a literary pseudonym.

Rumors, gossip and romance

In Vyatka society, Saltykov was accepted not as a disgraced rebel, but as a person with good means(his parents had more than 2000 peasant souls), noble birth and a brilliant education, moreover, as an enviable groom for the best Vyatka brides. It is logical that the Vyatka young ladies who sought his favor paid attention to Saltykov. However, he himself, according to the memoirists, was a great lover of the female. Saltykov was credited with an affair with the wife of the governor A.I. Sereda - Natalya Nikolaevna, a woman already of a very respectable age. There is also a widespread point of view in the literature about whirlwind romance Saltykova with the wife of the doctor N. V. Ionina Sofya Karlovna. A number of authors even held the opinion that the daughter of Lydia, born in 1856 to S.K. illegitimate child Saltykov. However, many of the novels that were attributed to Saltykov, in reality, were just rumors and fables. Mikhail Evgrafovich himself very clearly informed his brother about this in one of his letters: “You won’t believe (...) how bored I am in Vyatka. Such gossip constantly arises here, espionage and nasty things are arranged so that you really cannot open your mouth so that the most ridiculous fables do not tell about you ... People live here only fables and gossip, from which a decent person is truly sick ... ".

Bust of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, located in the southern building of the former provincial offices. 2015

Love of all life

Little known, but it was in Vyatka that Saltykov met the love of his life. Being in Vyatka exile, he often visited the house of his immediate superior, Vice-Governor A.P. Boltin. Gradually, they became friends, Mikhail Evgrafovich met the Boltin family: his wife Ekaterina Ivanovna and two 12-year-old twin daughters - Elizabeth and Anna. Initially, he liked both sisters at once: in one, the writer appreciated intelligence, in the other, beauty. However, beauty soon won: secretly meeting with Lisa, the writer falls seriously in love. He calls the girl affectionately "Betsy". “That was my first fresh love, those were the first sweet anxieties of my heart!” - Mikhail Evgrafovich wrote later. The novel is actively developing, but the youth of the bride interferes with the union. Saltykov patiently waited for Elizabeth to grow up and they get married. However, unexpectedly, the Boltins leave Vyatka and move to Vladimir, to the place of the new service of the father of the family. Saltykov suffers and suffers, because he cannot follow his love - the conditions of the Vyatka exile do not allow this.

Detractors say that he secretly went to Vladimir to Lisa a couple of times. Soon the death of the tsar, who stubbornly kept Saltykov in Vyatka exile, allowed Mikhail Evgrafovich to see his beloved. He asks his mother Olga Mikhailovna for blessings for marriage, but she flatly refused to bless her son's marriage to the "dowryless" Boltina. At the same time, the father of the bride, A.P. Boltin, suggested that Saltykov take a break in relations with Liza for a whole year. If a year later Saltykov does not change his mind and Lisa does not mind, then the wedding will take place. Saltykov stubbornly waited, and in the end, in June 1856, he nevertheless achieved his goal and married Elizaveta Boltina. For 17 years, the spouses had no children, only on February 1, 1872, the first-born son Kostya was born to the Saltykovs, and on January 9, 1873, daughter Liza. Despite the fact that the marriage was rather difficult, Saltykov and Boltina lived together all their lives.

Elizaveta Boltina in her youth.

quarrelsome nature

Saltykov was a very complex person, with a difficult, extremely difficult character. LN Spasskaya recalled this very vividly in her memoirs. In particular, the following episode is typical: “My parents treated M.E. more coldly than he treated them, because of his difficult character and many unsympathetic habits - and indeed, one had to have inexhaustible patience with him: coming several times in day, he continually quarreled and reconciled. An intelligent, interesting and witty interlocutor, M.E. could not endure contradictions and in a dispute lost all self-control and lost his temper. At once he grabbed his hat and ran away, muttering to himself: “Well, to hell with you! My foot will no longer be in this accursed house!” and the like... But not even half an hour passes, when the embarrassed physiognomy of M.E. appears from behind the door, and he asks with a guilty and timid smile: “Well, are you very angry with me? Well, for God's sake, don't be angry! Forgive me! What is my fault that I have such a damned character? ”... Of course, they didn’t get angry with him, but such antics, constantly repeating themselves, terribly bothered.

Also, the excessive rudeness with which Saltykov communicated with his servants was noted more than once. He liked to invite friends to his dinners and was often upset that many refused. The reason was just Saltykov's manner of scolding and scolding his servants with the most last words with completely wild fury right at the dinner table. Moreover, Saltykov was literally infuriated by any, even an innocent mistake or awkwardness of a servant. As for the behavior at a party, here Saltykov often behaved unrestrainedly. Possessing a bad stomach, he loved to eat and did not refuse the invitations of his acquaintances from Vyatchka. L. N. Spasskaya recalled that after these dinners, Saltykov, out of his habit, went daily to the Ionin’s house, and since, having eaten too much, he always felt unwell, he began to severely criticize the dinners and scold the hosts who treated him. Loved Saltykov and card games, at the gaming table he behaved as absurdly and violently, as often in ordinary life.

The house in Vyatka on Voznesenskaya Street, where M.E. Saltykov lived during his exile.
2015

Liberation

During the 8-year exile, Saltykov repeatedly filed petitions for release, but each time they were rejected. On February 18, 1855, Emperor Nicholas I died, and there was real hope for changes not only in the life of the Vyatka exile, but in general - in the fate of Russia. In addition, he helped Saltykov and Lucky case. In the autumn of 1855, Adjutant General P.P. Lanskoy, a cousin of the new Minister of the Interior, arrived in Vyatka on militia matters with his wife Natalya Nikolaevna (in her first marriage, Pushkina, nee Goncharova). Having met Saltykov and having entered his position, Lanskoy accepted " lively participation”in his position and on October 13 sent an official submission to St. Petersburg about the release of Saltykov, backing up his request with private letters to his brother minister and manager of the III Department Dubelt. Exactly one month later, Minister of the Interior S. S. Lanskoy informs the Vyatka governor that Emperor Alexander II "deigned to command the highest: to allow Saltykov to live and serve wherever he wishes." On November 29, police supervision was removed from Saltykov, and on December 24, having handed over his cases and sold, and partly abandoned his property, he left Vyatka forever.

Photo: ru.wikipedia.org, GAKO, S. Suvorov, A. Kasanov

Saltykov-Shchedrin (pseudonym N. Shchedrin) Mikhail Evgrafovich (1826 1889), prose writer.

Born on January 15 (27 n.s.) in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province, in an old noble family. Childhood years were spent in the father's family estate in "... the years ... of the very height of serfdom", in one of the back corners of Poshekhonye. Observations of this life will later be reflected in the books of the writer.

Having received good home education, Saltykov at the age of 10 was accepted as a boarder at the Moscow Noble Institute, where he spent two years, then in 1838 he was transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Here he began to write poetry, having been greatly influenced by the articles of Belinsky and Herzen, the works of Gogol.

In 1844, after graduating from the Lyceum, he served as an official in the Office of the War Ministry. "... Duty is everywhere, coercion is everywhere, boredom and lies are everywhere..." he gave such a description of bureaucratic Petersburg. Another life attracted Saltykov more: communication with writers, visiting Petrashevsky's "Fridays", where philosophers, scientists, writers, military men gathered, united by anti-serfdom sentiments, the search for the ideals of a just society.

Saltykov's first stories "Contradictions" (1847), "A Tangled Case" (1848) with their sharp social issues drew the attention of the authorities, frightened French Revolution 1848. The writer was exiled to Vyatka for "... a harmful way of thinking and a pernicious desire to spread ideas that have already shaken the whole Western Europe...". For eight years he lived in Vyatka, where in 1850 he was appointed to the post of adviser to the provincial government. This made it possible to often go on business trips and observe the bureaucratic world and peasant life. The impressions of these years will have an impact on the satirical direction of the writer's work.

At the end of 1855, after the death of Nicholas I, having received the right to "live wherever he wanted", he returned to St. Petersburg and resumed literary work. In 1856 1857 "Provincial Essays" were written, published on behalf of the "court councilor N. Shchedrin", who became known to all reading Russia, who called him Gogol's heir.

At this time, he married the 17-year-old daughter of the Vyatka vice-governor, E. Boltina. Saltykov sought to combine the work of a writer with public service. In 1856 1858 he was an official for special assignments in the Ministry of the Interior, where work was concentrated on the preparation of the peasant reform.

In 1858 1862 he served as vice-governor in Ryazan, then in Tver. He always tried to surround himself at his place of service with honest, young and educated people, dismissing bribe-takers and thieves.

During these years, short stories and essays appeared ("Innocent Stories", 1857, "Satires in Prose", 1859 62), as well as articles on the peasant question.

In 1862, the writer retired, moved to St. Petersburg and, at the invitation of Nekrasov, joined the editorial office of the Sovremennik magazine, which at that time was experiencing enormous difficulties (Dobrolyubov died, Chernyshevsky was imprisoned in Peter and Paul Fortress). Saltykov took on an enormous amount of writing and editorial work. But the main attention was paid to the monthly review "Our public life", which became a monument of Russian journalism of the 1860s.

In 1864 Saltykov left the editorial office of Sovremennik. The reason was intra-journal disagreements on the tactics of social struggle in the new conditions. He returned to public service.

In 1865 1868 he headed the State Chambers in Penza, Tula, Ryazan; observations of the life of these cities formed the basis of "Letters on the Province" (1869). The frequent change of duty stations is explained by conflicts with the heads of the provinces, over whom the writer "laughed" in grotesque pamphlets. After a complaint from the Ryazan governor, Saltykov was dismissed in 1868 with the rank of real state councilor. He moved to St. Petersburg, accepted the invitation of N. Nekrasov to become co-editor of the journal "Domestic Notes", where he worked in 1868 1884. Saltykov now completely switched to literary activity. In 1869, he wrote "The History of a City" - the pinnacle of his satirical art.

In 1875 1876 he was treated abroad, visited the countries of Western Europe in different years life. In Paris he met with Turgenev, Flaubert, Zola.

In the 1880s, Saltykov's satire culminated in its rage and grotesque: " Modern idyll"(1877 83); "Lord Golovlevs" (1880); "Poshekhon stories" (1883㭐).

In 1884, the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski was closed, after which Saltykov was forced to publish in the journal Vestnik Evropy.

IN last years life, the writer created his masterpieces: "Tales" (1882 86); "Little Things in Life" (1886 87); autobiographical novel "Poshekhonskaya antiquity" (1887 89).

A few days before his death, he wrote the first pages of a new work "Forgotten Words", where he wanted to remind the "variegated people" of the 1880s about the words they had lost: "conscience, fatherland, humanity ... others are still there ...".

The biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin shows not only a talented writer, but also an organizer who wants to serve the country and be useful to it. He was valued in society not only as a creator, but also as an official who cares for the interests of the people. By the way, his real name- Saltykov, and creative pseudonym- Shchedrin.

Education

Since childhood, spent in the Tver provincial estate of his father, an old nobleman, located in the village of Spas-Ugol, the biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin begins. The writer will later describe this period of his life in the novel Poshekhonskaya Starina, published after his death.

Elementary education the boy received at home - his father had his own plans for his son's studies. And ten years old he entered the Moscow Noble Institute. However, his talents and abilities were an order of magnitude higher than the average level of this institution, and two years later, as best student he was transferred "for a state kosht" to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. In that educational institution Mikhail Evgrafovich became interested in poetry, but soon realized that writing poetry was not his path.

War Department official

The labor biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin began in 1844. A young man enters the service of an assistant secretary in the office of the War Department. He is captivated by literary activity, to which he devotes much more mental strength than bureaucratic. The ideas of the French socialists and the influence of the views of George Sand are seen in his early works(the stories "A Tangled Case" and "Contradictions"). The author sharply criticizes serfdom in them, which sets Russia back in relation to Europe a century ago. The young man expresses a profound thought that human life in society should not be a lottery, it should be life, and for this a different social way of life is needed.

Link to Vyatka

It is natural that the biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin during the years of the reign of Despot Emperor Nicholas I could not be free from repression: public freedom-loving thoughts were not welcomed.

Exiled to Vyatka, he served in the provincial government. He devoted a lot of time and energy to the service. The official's career was successful. Two years later he was appointed an adviser to the provincial government. Thanks to frequent business trips and active insight into the affairs of the people, extensive observations of Russian reality are accumulated.

In 1855, the term of exile ends, and the promising official is transferred to his native Tver province to the Ministry of the Interior for militia affairs. In fact, another Saltykov-Shchedrin returned to his small homeland. The (short) biography of the returned writer-official contains one more stroke - upon arrival home, he got married. His wife was Elizaveta Apollonovna Boltova (the Vyatka vice-governor blessed his daughter for this marriage).

A new stage of creativity. "Provincial Essays"

However, the most important thing is to acquire his own literary style: his regular publications in the Moscow journal "Russian Messenger" were expected by the literary community. So the general reader got acquainted with the author's "Provincial Essays". The stories of Saltykov-Shchedrin presented to the addressees the pernicious atmosphere of obsolete serfdom. anti-democratic state institutions the writer calls "the empire of facades". He denounces the officials - "stingers" and "naughty ones", the local nobles - "tyrants"; shows readers the world of bribes and undercover intrigues ...

At the same time, the writer understands the very soul of the people - the reader feels this in the stories "Arinushka", "Christ is risen!" Starting with the story "Introduction", Saltykov-Shchedrin immerses the recipients in the world of truthful artistic images. A short biography, concerning creativity, at the turn of writing the "Provincial Essays" was assessed by him very succinctly. “Everything that I wrote before was nonsense!” The Russian reader finally saw a vivid and truthful picture of the generalized provincial town Krutoyarsk, the material for the image of which was collected by the author in the Vyatka exile.

Collaboration with the journal "Domestic Notes"

The next stage of the writer's work began in 1868. Saltykov-Shchedrin Mikhail Evgrafovich left the civil service and concentrated entirely on literary activity.

He began to work closely with the Nekrasov journal Otechestvennye Zapiski. The writer publishes in this printed edition his collections of stories "Letters from the provinces", "Signs of the times", "Diary of a provincial ...", "History of a city", "Pompadours and pompadourses" ( complete list much longer).

The author's talent, in our opinion, most clearly manifested itself in the full of sarcasm, subtle humor of the story "The History of a City". Saltykov-Shchedrin Mikhail Evgrafovich skillfully illustrates to the reader the history of his own collective image"dark kingdom" of the city of Foolov.

Before the gaze of the addressees passes a host of rulers of this city, who were in power in XVIII-XIX centuries. Each of them manages to leave social problems without attention, while for its part compromising the city authorities. In particular, the mayor, Brodysty Dementy Varlamovich, ruled in such a way that he provoked the townspeople to turmoil. Another of his colleagues, Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, (former batman of the all-powerful Potemkin) died of gluttony while traveling around the lands entrusted to him. The third, Basilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin, became famous for having launched real military operations against his subjects and destroyed several settlements.

Instead of a conclusion

The life of Saltykov-Shchedrin was not simple. A person who is not indifferent and active, not only as a writer, he diagnosed the diseases of society and demonstrated them in all their ugliness for viewing. Mikhail Evgrafovich, as a state official, to the best of his ability, fought against the vices of power and society.

His health was crippled by a professional loss: the authorities closed the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski, with which the writer associated great personal creative plans. He died in 1889 and, according to his will, was buried next to Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, who had died six years earlier. It's common knowledge of them creative interaction in life. In particular, Turgenev inspired Mikhail Evgrafovich to write the novel The Golovlevs.

The writer Saltykov-Shchedrin is deeply revered by his descendants. Streets and libraries are named after him. On small homeland, in Tver, open memorial museums, also installed numerous monuments, busts.

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov was born on January 27 (15), 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Kalyazinsky district, Tver province (now Taldomsky district, Moscow region).
Saltykov's father, Yevgraf Vasilyevich, a pillar nobleman, served as a collegiate adviser. He came from an old noble family.
Mother, Olga Mikhailovna, nee Zabelina, Muscovite, merchant's daughter. Michael was the sixth of her nine children.
For the first 10 years of his life, Saltykov lives in his father's family estate, where he receives primary education at home. The first teachers of the future writer were the elder sister and serf painter Pavel.
1836 - 1838 - studying at the Moscow Noble Institute.
1838 - for excellent academic success, Mikhail Saltykov is transferred to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, that is, trained at the expense of the state treasury.
1841 - Saltykov's first poetic experiments. The poem "Lear" was even published in the Library for Reading magazine, but Saltykov quickly realizes that poetry is not for him, since he does not have the necessary abilities. He leaves poetry.
1844 - the end of the Lyceum in the second category, with the rank of X class. Saltykov enters the service in the office of the Military Department, but serves all the staff. He manages to get the first full-time position only after two years, this is the position of assistant secretary.
1847 - the first story by Mikhail Saltykov "Contradictions" is published.
The beginning of 1848 - in the "Notes of the Fatherland" the story "A Tangled Case" was published.
April of the same year - the tsarist government was too shocked by the revolution that took place in France, and Saltykov was arrested for the story "A Tangled Case", more precisely for "... a harmful way of thinking and a pernicious desire to spread ideas that have already shaken the whole of Western Europe ...". He was exiled to Vyatka.
1848 - 1855 - service in Vyatka, under the provincial government, first as a clerk, then as a senior official for special assignments under the governor and governor of the governor's office. Link Saltykov ends in the post of adviser to the provincial government.
1855 - with the death of Emperor Nicholas I, Shchedrin gets the opportunity to "live where he wants" and returns to St. Petersburg. Here he enters the service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a year later he was appointed an official for special assignments under the minister. Sent on a business trip to the Tver and Vladimir provinces.
June 1856 - Saltykov marries the daughter of the vice-governor of Vyatka, Elizaveta Apollonovna Boltina.
1856 - 1857 - the satirical cycle "Provincial Essays" is published in the journal "Russian Bulletin" with the signature "Outdoor Councilor N. Shchedrin". The writer becomes famous, he is called the successor of N.V. Gogol.
1858 - appointment as vice-governor in Ryazan.
1860 - 1862 - Saltykov serves as vice-governor in Tver for two years, after which he retires and returns to St. Petersburg.
December 1862 - 1864 - Mikhail Saltykov collaborated with the Sovremennik magazine at the invitation of N.A. Nekrasov. After leaving the editorial staff of the journal, the writer returns to public service. Appointed Chairman of the Penza State Chamber.
1866 - moving to Tula to the post of manager of the Tula State Chamber.
1867 - Saltykov was transferred to Ryazan to the same position. The fact that Saltykov-Shchedrin could not hold out for a long time in one place of service is explained by the fact that he did not hesitate to ridicule his superiors in grotesque "fairy tales". In addition, the writer behaved too atypically for an official: he fought against bribery, embezzlement and simply theft, defended the interests of the lower strata of the population.
1868 - the complaint of the Ryazan governor becomes the last in the writer's career. He was dismissed with the rank of real state councilor.
September of the same year - Saltykov is a member of the editorial board of the Otechestvennye Zapiski magazine, which is headed by N.A. Nekrasov.
1869 - 1870 - in the "Notes of the Fatherland" fairy tales "The Tale of How One Man Feeded Two Generals", " wild landlord”, the novel “The History of a City”.
1872 - the son Konstantin is born to the Saltykovs.
1873 - the birth of daughter Elizabeth.
1876 - Nekrasov falls seriously ill, and Saltykov-Shchedrin replaces him as editor-in-chief of Otechestvennye Zapiski. He worked unofficially for two years, in 1878 he was approved for this position.
1880 - the publication of the novel "Lord Golovlev".
1884 - "Notes of the Fatherland" banned.
1887 - 1889 - the novel "Poshekhonskaya antiquity" is published in the "Bulletin of Europe".
March 1889 - a sharp deterioration in the health of the writer.
May 10 (April 28), 1889 - Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin dies. According to his own will, he was buried at the Volkovo cemetery in St. Petersburg next to

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin was born on January 15 (27), 1826 in the village of Spas-Ugol, Tver province, into an old noble family. Elementary education future writer received at home - a serf painter, a sister, a priest, a governess worked with him. In 1836, Saltykov-Shchedrin studied at the Moscow Noble Institute, from 1838 - at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

Military service. Link to Vyatka

In 1845, Mikhail Evgrafovich graduated from the Lyceum and entered the military office. At this time, the writer is fond of the French socialists and George Sand, creates a number of notes, stories ("Contradiction", "A Tangled Case").

In 1848, in a brief biography of Saltykov-Shchedrin, a long period of exile begins - for free-thinking he was sent to Vyatka. The writer lived there for eight years, at first he served as a clerk, and after that he was appointed an adviser to the provincial government. Mikhail Evgrafovich often went on business trips, during which he collected information about provincial life for his works.

State activity. Mature creativity

Returning from exile in 1855, Saltykov-Shchedrin joined the Ministry of the Interior. In 1856-1857 his "Provincial Essays" were published. In 1858, Mikhail Evgrafovich was appointed vice-governor of Ryazan, and then Tver. At the same time, the writer was published in the journals Russky Vestnik, Sovremennik, and Library for Reading.

In 1862, Saltykov-Shchedrin, whose biography was previously associated more with a career than with creativity, leaves the public service. Having stopped in St. Petersburg, the writer gets a job as an editor in the Sovremennik magazine. Soon his collections "Innocent Stories", "Satires in Prose" are published.

In 1864, Saltykov-Shchedrin returned to the service, taking the post of manager of the state chamber in Penza, and then in Tula and Ryazan.

The last years of the writer's life

Since 1868, Mikhail Evgrafovich retired, actively engaged in literary activity. In the same year, the writer became one of the editors of Otechestvennye Zapiski, and after the death of Nikolai Nekrasov, he took up the post of executive editor of the magazine. In 1869 - 1870, Saltykov-Shchedrin created one of his most famous works - "The History of a City" (summary), in which he raises the topic of relations between the people and power. Soon the collections "Signs of the Times", "Letters from the Province", the novel "Gentlemen Golovlevs" were published.

In 1884, Otechestvennye Zapiski were closed, and the writer began to publish in the Vestnik Evropy magazine.

In recent years, the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin culminates in the grotesque. The writer publishes collections "Tales" (1882 - 1886), "Little Things in Life" (1886 - 1887), "Peshekhonskaya Antiquity" (1887 - 1889).

Mikhail Evgrafovich died on May 10 (April 28), 1889 in St. Petersburg, was buried at the Volkovskoye cemetery.

Chronological table

Other biography options

While studying at the Lyceum, Saltykov-Shchedrin published his first poems, but quickly became disillusioned with poetry and left this occupation forever.
Mikhail Evgrafovich made popular literary genre socio-satirical tale aimed at exposing human vices.
The exile to Vyatka was a turning point in the personal life of Saltykov-Shchedrin - there he met his future wife E. A. Boltina, with whom he lived for 33 years.
While in exile in Vyatka, the writer translated the works of Tocqueville, Vivien, Cheruel, and made notes on Beccari's book.
As requested in his will, Saltykov-Shchedrin was buried next to the grave of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev.

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