The Silver Age begins in the 90s of the 19th century. This turning point went down in history under such a charming name. A restless atmosphere raged in the state, demanding drastic changes. Writers also strove to master new literary images, put forward bold experimental ideas. L. Andreev, I. Bunin, A. Serafimovich, V. Veresaev, A. Kuprin, K. Balmont, V. Bryusov, A. Bely and others created completely new art.
Thus, the paths of literary art and politics met. In the literature, various, sometimes polar ways of reflecting what is happening are looming. Resistance arises from two main movements - realism and modernism. This struggle determined the further development and improvement of the prose of the "Silver Age".
Silver Age realism
The realistic movement is displayed by Russian young writers: L. Andreev, I. Bunin, A. Serafimovich, V. Veresaev, A. Kuprin, N. Garin-Mikhailovsky, I. Shmelev, N. Teleshov and others. They continued the Chekhovian legacy, became adherents of the realism of the century before last. In their published works, they changed, developed and transformed the foundations of the people's literary art of the sixties and seventies, paying special attention to the person's personality. Realists were interested in history, the meaning of human life, nature.
Life and work of the writer of the "Silver Age" L. N. Andreev
Leonid Nikolaevich Andreev was born in the city of Orel (Oryol province), in one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one. He made sketches of short stories when he was educated at the city gymnasium. In one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eighth year he composed the story "Bargamot and Garaska", which was highly appreciated by the writer Maxim Gorky.
Selected works of L. N. Andreev:
- Bargamot and Garaska (1898);
- Little Angel (1901);
- The Grand Slam (1901);
- Lies (1901);
- Silence (1901);
- Once Upon a Time (1901);
- Laughter (1902);
- The Wall (1903);
- The Abyss (1902);
- Thought (1904);
- In the Fog (1903);
- The Life of Basil of Thebes (1904);
- Red Laughter (1905);
- To the Stars (play), (1905);
- "Samson in Shackles" (play), (1914);
- "The Tale of the Seven Hanged" (short story), (1908);
- "Love for Neighbor" (satire), (1908);
- "Beautiful Sabine Women" (satire), (1912);
- "Sashka Zhegulev" (novel), (1912).
Andreev's work, saturated with realistic ideas, becomes recognizable and encouraged in the Russian Empire, as well as abroad, but he cannot accept the revolution of 1917, therefore, in the same year, the writer irrevocably leaves the country. In 1919, Leonid Nikolaevich Andreev died and was buried in Finland.
The life and work of the writer of the "Silver Age" I. A. Bunin
Ivan Alekseevich Bunin was born in the city of Voronezh (Voronezh province), in one thousand eight hundred and seventieth year. Three years after his birth, an impoverished noble family moved to a place near Yelets (Voronezh province). In one thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven, the future writer entered the Yeletsk classical gymnasium for men, where he tried to write his first works. After the publication of the first story, the local editorial office invites him to work as an assistant in the printing department. In his youth he worked in various offices, newspapers, and traveled a lot. From one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, Poltava, and then Moscow - the permanent place of residence of Ivan Alekseevich Bunin. In one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, Bunin marries Anna Nikolaevna Tsakni. From this marriage, a child was born, who subsequently dies. Ivan and Anna are breaking up. In 1922, Bunin marries Vera Nikolaevna Muromtseva. In 1918, Bunin leaves for Odessa from Moscow, already ruling the Bolsheviks. In 1920 he emigrates to Paris, where he conducts dynamic social and political work, interacting with the Bolshevik parties.
Selected works of I. A. Bunin:
- "Poems" (1891),
- "In the open air" (1898),
- "On The Seagull" (1898), (essay),
- "Antonov apples (1900),
- "Village" (1910),
- "Sukhodol" (1911),
- "The gentleman from San Francisco" (1915),
- "Cursed Days" (1918),
- "Mitya's Love" (1924),
- "Sunstroke" (1925),
- "The Life of Arseniev" (1933),
- "Song of Hiawatha" by the American poet G. Longfellow (1896) (translation).
IABunin's work in the literature of the "Silver Age" has become an innovation. He has two Pushkin Prizes from 1903 and 1909. The Nobel Prize was awarded to I. A. Bunin in 1933 after the publication of the novel "Life of Arseniev". In 1909 he was elected an honorary academician in the category of fine literature of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. From 1920 to 1953, Bunin lived in France. Until one thousand nine hundred and fifty-four, the works of I. A. Bunin were not published in our country.
Silver Age modernism
A new literary movement, modernism, is entering the arena. It offered various methods to recognize life and being. The literary work of these writers was distinguished by its unusualness, which does not stand still, but rushes forward. The direction of modernism united such different writers as K. Balmont, V. Bryusov, A. Bely, D. Merezhkovsky, F. Sologub and others. They created new art using images-symbols. Modernist writers were carried away with a dream upward, asking global questions about how to save humanity, how to return faith in God. Artistic works of modernists, which touched upon previously forbidden topics: individualism, amoralism, eroticism, excited the public, forced it to pay attention to art, to a person with his feelings, passions, light and dark sides of his soul. Under the influence of modernists, the attitude of society towards spiritual activity changed.
The life and work of the writer of the "Silver Age" D. S. Merezhkovsky
Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky was born in 1866 in St. Petersburg. His father was a minor palace official. The boy has been composing poetry since the age of thirteen, and in 1888, while studying at Moscow and St. Petersburg universities, he released his debut collection, Poems. In 1889, Dmitry Sergeevich married the poet Zinaida Gippius. They lived together for fifty-two years. Merezhkovsky was thoroughly engaged in translations from Latin and Greek, but only in the twentieth century his works were appreciated. His first collection of poems "Symbols" is the title of a new poetic direction. For many years, the poet became the generally recognized leader of this literary movement.
Selected works of D. S. Merezhkovsky:
- collection of poems "Symbols" (1892);
- Christ and the Antichrist (1896);
- Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate "(1900);
- “The Risen Gods. Leonardo da Vinci "(1903);
- "Antichrist. Peter and Alexey "(1905);
- "Kingdom of the Beast". In all parts of the trilogy - "Paul I", "Alexander I" and "December 14" (1907).
In 1917, the writer emigrated to France, where he criticized the autocracy. Merezhkovsky was popular in the West; they tried to translate his works into many languages. Lived to one thousand nine hundred and forty-one.
The life and work of the writer of the "Silver Age" V. Ya. Bryusov
Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov was born in one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in Moscow, into a merchant family. The poet's literary future was influenced by his grandfather A. Ya. Bakulin, his mother's father, who was fond of literature and created fables. Bryusov began to compose as a child, first printing out verse quatrains in block letters, later - stories, essays and scientific publications.
In the nineties, Bryusov began to get carried away with the works of modernists in France - Mallarmé, Verlaine, Baudelaire. At this time he wrote three collections "Russian Symbolists". The work of the writer is certainly influenced by the French modernists. In the late nineties, Valery Yakovlevich met with the writer of the modernist direction KD Balmont, to whom he dedicates his collection of poems "The Third Guard". Bryusov V. Ya. enjoys popularity and authority among like-minded Russian modernists. He takes on the role of organizer of the implementation of ideas.
In 1917, the writer met the Great October Revolution positively. He began to take part in his perfection in the publications and journalism of literature in Moscow. In 1924 Valery Yakovlevich died and was buried in Moscow.
Selected works of the writer:
- “Decadents. (End of the century) ". Drama, 1893,
- "This is me", 1897,
- "City and Peace", 1903,
- The Fiery Angel (historical novel), 1908,
- "Incinerated", M., 1909,
- "Mirror of Shadows", M., 1912,
- Jupiter Downed, 1916,
- "Ninth Stone", 1917,
- "Last Dreams", M., 1920,
- "Dali", 1922,
- "Hurry!", 1924.
