Apollo short biography. Apollon nikolaevich maikov, short biography

1. Literature or painting?

“My whole biography is not in external facts, but in the course and development of internal life ...” - said the poet. The lyrics of Apollo Maikov were a reflection of his life - hobbies, political views and historical events that he witnessed.

Literature or painting?

Apollo Maikov was born into a noble family. He inherited his love for art from his parents, representatives of the creative intelligentsia. Father, Nikolai Maikov, was an academician of painting, mother, Evgenia Maikova, was a writer and poetess. “The Maykovs' house was seething with life, people who brought here inexhaustible content from the spheres of thought, science, arts,” recalled the writer Ivan Goncharov, who gave lessons in literature and the Russian language in the family.

Growing up in such an environment, Apollo Maikov was confident that he would devote his life to art. He was equally gifted in literature and painting, but decided to opt for poetry for two reasons: his youthful poems were highly appreciated by the literary historian Alexander Nikitenko and the poet Pyotr Pletnev, and his developing myopia prevented him from spending enough time on painting.

"His poems are reminiscent of ancient poets"

Having entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University in 1837, Apollo Maikov began to study ancient Greek and Roman history. This hobby influenced his work. Contemporaries wrote: "He seems to be looking at life through the eyes of a Greek, his poems are reminiscent of ancient poets, carry a bright and optimistic beginning."

Maikov's first works were published in the late 1830s. In 1842, his first collection of poems was published. "Poetic, full of life and the definiteness of language "- this is how Vissarion Belinsky commented on the book of the young poet. Admiring the work of Maikov "Dream", the critic wrote: "For Pushkin himself, this poem would be one of his best anthological plays."

For this collection Apollo Maikov received a grant from Emperor Nicholas I. With the money received, he went on a trip to Europe, which lasted almost two years. The poet visited Italy, France, Austria and other countries.

He shared his impressions of the trip with the readers in a new collection - "Essays on Rome", published in 1847 in St. Petersburg. Literary critics noted that his work had changed: from antiquity he moved on to modern life, he began to be more interested in the poetry of "thoughts and feelings".

Ivan Kramskoy. Portrait of Apollo Maikov fishing. 1883

Apollo Maikov. River landscape. 1854

Vasily Perov. Portrait of Apollo Maikov. 1872

Petrashevsky circle and natural school

Returning to the capital in 1844, Apollo Maikov became a prominent figure in the literary circles of St. Petersburg. He actively collaborated with the magazines Sovremennik and Otechestvennye zapiski, and was friends with Vissarion Belinsky, Nikolai Nekrasov and Ivan Turgenev.

With the help of his brother, Valerian, Apollo got to a meeting of the first socialist circle in Russia, organized by Mikhail Petrashevsky. There the poet developed a close acquaintance with Fyodor Dostoevsky and Alexei Pleshcheev. Although of all views natural school Maikov did not share, the influence of this literary trend still affects his work. The poems of the 1840s are full of civic motives. Maikov published his poems in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski by Andrei Kraevsky, in 1845 he wrote the poem Two Fates, for which he received the Pushkin Prize of the Academy of Sciences. In 1846, the poem Mashenka was published in Nikolai Nekrasov's Petersburg Collection.

... On the shelf of a book - yes, about a person
You can probably conclude
According to his chosen library,
In his soul, in terms of reading, -
Goldoni's comedies lay there,
The story of the madonna and the saints,
Libretto of the opera, poems by Tassoni
Yes, the calendar of the temple processions ...

Apollo Maikov. An excerpt from the poem "Two Fates" (1845)

When many members of the Petrashevsky circle were exiled, Maikov changed his attitude towards the revolutionary movement in Russia. Later, in his notes to the poet Yakov Polonsky, he spoke of his “liberal period”: “A lot of nonsense, a lot of selfishness and little love. It was my stupidity, but not meanness. "

Slavophiles and "pure art"

Since the 1850s, Apollo Maikov has become close to the editorial board of Moskvityanin, and conservative sentiments are increasingly felt in his work. Maikov shared the Slavophil ideas of Mikhail Pogodin (publisher of the magazine), Mikhail Katkov, Fyodor Tyutchev. During this period, the poet opposed the influence of Western European culture. He wrote a lot about the beauty of Russian nature. These poems, according to publicist Mikhail Borodkin, "were learned by heart almost with the first prayers." Many of Maikov's works were set to music

The history of the Maikov family is directly related to the history of Russian literature, art and education.

Apollo Maikov was born in Moscow on May 23, 1821. The poet's grandfather, Apollon Aleksandrovich Maikov, was a former director of the imperial theaters; his brother, Mikhail Aleksandrovich, worked in the literary field.

The poet's father, Nikolai Apollonovich, was a remarkable painter, academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. The brothers of Apollon Maikov are people respected in all respects: Valery was a talented critic and philosopher, Vladimir was the publisher of the children's magazine "Snowdrop", Leonid was vice-president of the Academy of Sciences, he was known for his works on the history of Russian literature.

Apollo Maikov grew up in an environment where art and science have always been, if not the only, then the most important content of life, and constituted a constant and necessary condition everyday life. The young man Maikov could not stray from the path of serving his native poetry destined for him by fate. External circumstances, during the entire course of his literary career, were most favorable for the correct and all-round development of creative forces in him.

All his childhood up to the age of nineteen, Apollo spent not in the capital, but in the gentle, peaceful bosom of mother nature, in the midst of the simplicity and truth of Russian folk life, in the freedom and silence of a village near Moscow, in the estates of his father and grandmother. Thus, at that time of life, when impressions are perceived with the greatest force and sink deeply into the soul of everything, the first foundations of self-awareness and spiritual personality in the soul of the future poet were laid by the Russian countryside and the Russian people. These foundations remained unshakable in Maikov until the end of his days, serving as a solid foundation for all later spiritual layers.

During the years of gymnasium and university studies, the leaders and mentors of the young Apollo, in addition to the closest relatives, were such personalities as the co-editor of the magazine "Library for Reading" VA Solonin, according to the testimony of his contemporaries who knew him - one of the most educated and best members of the literary family of that time, IA Goncharov, who was dearly in love with Russian literature, later famous author of "Oblomov" and "The Break".

It is not surprising, therefore, that Maikov, a student at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, did not get bogged down in the jungle of jurisprudence, but remained an artist-poet, having learned from the lectures he heard at the faculty mainly what was useful and necessary for the development and inspiration of his creative powers. Roman law related to the study Latin both the classics and the encyclopedia of jurisprudence, in connection with the pursuit of philosophy, were the favorite subjects of the young Maykov. In addition, he attended courses in Russian and general history with P.G. Ustryalov and M.S. Kutorga, and Russian literature with Nikitenko, who was the first to pay attention to Maikov's poetic experiments back in 1838. He read the poems "The Wrath of God" and "Venus of the Medici" from the manuscript at the university.

Almost at the same time, one of Maikov's anthological plays was read by S.P. Shvyrev at the university in Moscow - and the name of Maikov, a talented, novice poet, became known in literary circles.

Then published in 1840 and 1841 works in the "Odessa Almanac", "Library for Reading", "Notes of the Fatherland", and, finally, a book published in 1842 entitled "Poems of Apollo Maikov", greeted with warm praise from Belinsky and general sympathy of all amateurs and connoisseurs Russian poetry, finally decided the fate of Maikov, who until that time was still hesitating in the choice between poetry and painting, to which he also felt a great inclination.

The Minister of Public Education Uvarov presented a book of poems by Maikov, who had just graduated from the course, with the degree of the first candidate, to the sovereign, who gave the young poet funds to travel abroad, where Maikov spent almost two years in assimilating the fruits of European enlightenment, in the study of "countries and peoples" , mainly Italy and Rome, their nature, way of life, history and creativity.

Needless to say, such a journey, immediately after the end of the university course, was as timely as possible and it supplemented and completed the education of Apollon Nikolaevich and provided a wealth of material for further creative work - material that the poet never stopped using throughout his life. To this and another, several years later, the trip to Europe undertaken by Maikov, Russian literature owes the appearance of many remarkable works of art.

The state service, first as an assistant librarian in the Rumyantsev Museum, then as a censor in the committee for foreign censorship, and, finally, as the chairman of the same committee, not only did not interfere with Maikov's writing activities, but, due to especially happily prevailing circumstances, even beneficially helped her by bringing poet with such personalities as Prince Odoevsky and F.I. Tyutchev. Being Maykov's closest bosses in the service, they were at the same time his personal friends, advisers, connoisseurs, critics.

Tyutchev's influence especially strongly contributed to the final development of those views of Maikov on Russian history and the foundations of Russian statehood, to which he remained faithful to the end.

All his life Maikov worked, was engaged in self-education, literary creativity... The works of Apollon Nikolaevich are the rich contribution that our national literature can be proud of.

February 26, 1897 at a solemn meeting of the Society of Zealots of Russian Historical Enlightenment in memory of the Emperor Alexander III, Maikov spoke and read his famous poem "October 20, 1894". The poet was cheerful and cheerful. A few days later he felt unwell, complained of chills, and developed pneumonia. He died on March 8, 1897.

Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov was born May 23 (June 4 NS) 1821 in Moscow in a noble family. The son of the academician of painting N.A. Maikov, brother of V.N. and L.N. Maikovs.

Maikov was brought up in an atmosphere full of interest in art. Childhood years were spent in a Moscow house and an estate near Moscow, which were often visited by artists and writers. The artistic atmosphere of the house contributed to the formation of the spiritual interests of the future poet, who early began to draw and write poetry.

Since 1834 the family moved to St. Petersburg, and the further fate of Maykov is connected with the capital. V 1837-1841 A.N. Maikov studied at the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. After graduating from university, he served in the Department of the State Treasury, but soon, having received an allowance for traveling abroad from Nicholas I, he left for Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, then to Paris, where he attended lectures on art and literature. He also visited Dresden and Prague.

In 1844 Maikov returned to Russia. Since 1844- assistant librarian at the Rumyantsev Museum, since 1852 and until the end of his life - a censor, then chairman of the committee for foreign censorship. He traveled abroad several times, mainly to Greece and Italy.

His first poems appeared in the handwritten collections "Snowdrop" ( 1835-1838) and "Moonlit Nights" ( 1839 g .), produced in the Maikov family. Has appeared in print with the verse "Eagle" ("Library for reading", 1835 g., T. IX). In 1842 published the collection "Poems", in which Maikov's characteristic interest in Ancient Greece and Rome. Maikov continued the tradition of anthological poetry by K.N. Batyushkov and N.I. Gnedich. He is characterized by clarity and plasticity of images, the humanistic ideal of earthly life.

In the next collection "Essays on Rome" ( 1847 ) Maikov made an attempt in the background the ancient world show the nature and everyday scenes of modern Italy. The idealization of antiquity is combined with thoughts about the descendants of free peoples, sympathy for the national liberation movement headed by G. Garibaldi (verse "Palazzo"). In the mid 40s A. Maikov is getting closer to Belinsky and Petrashevists. Some works of this period, such as the poem "Two Fates" ( 1845 ), "Mashenka" ( 1846 ), "Young lady" ( 1846 ), written in the spirit of the natural school, contain civil motives.

Starting out since the 50s A. Maikov increasingly merges with the conservative camp. Patriotic feelings the day before Crimean War reflected in the poem "Claremont Cathedral" ( 1853 ) and in the collection "1854" ( 1855 ). In 1858 after a trip to Greece, the series "Neapolitan Album" and "New Greek Songs" appeared. A. Maikov met the peasant reform with enthusiastic verses "Picture", "Fields", "Niva". Opposing himself to the revolutionary-democratic camp, he became a supporter of “art for art,” which drew sharp criticism from M.Ye. Saltykov-Shchedrin, parodies by N.A. Dobrolyubov, the Iskra poets, Kozma Prutkov.

Apollo Maikov showed a constant interest in historical topics. Passion for the era Ancient Rus and Slavic folklore helped him create one of the best poetic translations of "The Lay of Igor's Host" ( 1866-1870 ). Like the Slavophiles, Maikov contrasted the new bourgeois relations with the traditions of Russian antiquity and a strong Russian statehood. With sympathy, he painted images of Alexander Nevsky, Ivan IV, Peter I ("Who is he?", 1868 ; "In Gorodets in 1263", 1875 ; "The Strelets legend about Princess Sophia Alekseevna", 1867 ; "At the grave of the Terrible", 1887 ).

A. Maikov was attracted by dramatic episodes of world history. In the poems "Savonarola" ( 1851 ) and "Sentence" ( 1860 ) religious fanaticism and dogma are opposed by a humanistic worldview. Based on history Ancient rome dramatic poems "Three Deaths" ( 1851 , published. 1857 ), "Death of Lucius" ( 1863 ), "Two worlds" ( 1871, 1881 , was awarded the Pushkin Prize in 1882 year), closely related to each other. The first of them, depicting the despotism of Nero, provided rich material for parallels with the despotic regime of Nicholas I. In Death of Lucius, Christianity is opposed to paganism, winning new adherents. The same antithesis is found in the lyric drama Two Worlds.

The last period (since the 70s) is marked by a decline in A. Maikov's creative activity, an increase in religious sentiments that have replaced artistic epicureanism. In the first place is the religious and philosophical theme, opposed to modernity with the hated by A. Maikov the offensive of capital (cycle of poems "Eternal Questions", "From Apollodorus the Gnostic"). Among the best creations of Apollo Maikov is his landscape lyrics ("Spring! The first frame is on display", "Haymaking", "In the rain", "Swallows", etc.). Unlike Italian landscapes, where the poet strove for external decorativeness, poems dedicated to Russian nature are distinguished by sincerity, watercolor subtlety of colors, melodiousness, and some contemplation. Many of his poems inspired composers (P.I.Tchaikovsky, N.A.Rimsky-Korsakov, and others). Apollo Maikov delivered translations from W. Goethe, G. Heine, A. Mitskevich, G. Longfellow and others.

Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich (1821 - 1897), poet.

Born May 23 (June 4 NS) in Moscow in an old noble family with rich cultural traditions. His father was a famous painter, academician of painting. Childhood years were spent in a Moscow house and an estate near Moscow, which were often visited by artists and writers.

The artistic atmosphere of the house contributed to the formation of the spiritual interests of the future poet, who early began to draw and write poetry.

In 1834 the family moved to St. Petersburg, and the further fate of Maykov is connected with the capital.

In 1837 - 1841 he studied at the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, not leaving literary studies. After graduating from university, he served in the Department of the State Treasury, but soon, having received an allowance for traveling abroad from Nicholas I, he left for Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, then to Paris, where he attended lectures on art and literature. He also visited Dresden and Prague.

His first collection of poetry was published in 1842 and was highly appreciated by V. Belinsky, who noted his "talent, genuine and remarkable." The collection was a great success.

Impressions from a trip to Italy are expressed in Maikov's second poetry collection "Essays on Rome" (1847).

During these years, he became close to Belinsky and his entourage - Turgenev and Nekrasov, attended M. Petrashevsky's "Fridays", maintained close acquaintance with F. Dostoevsky and A. Pleshcheev. Although Maykov did not fully share their ideas, they had a certain influence on his work. His works such as the poems "Two Fates" (1845), "Mashenka" and "The Young Lady" (1846), contain civil motives.

Since 1852, Maikov took the position of censor in the Committee for Foreign Censorship and since then, for more than forty years, served in this department. Then he became close to the Slavophils, imbued with their ideas and gradually moved away from the liberals and the radicals, becoming a zealous defender of the "solid" monarchical power and the Orthodox religion. He also more consistently switched to conservative positions, as evidenced by the poem "Claremont Cathedral" published in 1853 and the cycles "Neapolitan Album" and "New Greek Songs" published in 1858 (after a trip to Greece). He met the peasant reform of 1861 with enthusiastic verses "Fields", "Niva". Having finally opposed his understanding of art to the ideas of revolutionary democrats, he became a supporter of "art for art", which caused sharp criticism from Saltykov-Shchedrin and satirical parodies of Dobrolyubov.

Fascinated by the era of Ancient Rus and Slavic folklore, Maikov created one of the best translations of The Lay of Igor's Host.

Based on the history of Ancient Rome, he wrote the philosophical and lyrical drama Two Worlds, which was awarded the Pushkin Prize by the Academy of Sciences in 1882. If earlier the poet was attracted by antiquity, now his interest has shifted to Christianity as a new moral doctrine opposing the aestheticism of paganism.

Among the best creations of Maykov is his landscape lyrics: "Haymaking", "In the rain", "Swallows" and others, distinguished by sincerity and melodiousness. Many of his poems inspired composers to write romances. In 1893 his three-volume collected works, the sixth in a row, were published, completing his sixty years of literary activity.

Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich is a famous Russian poet. He lived in the 19th century (1821-1897). Creative heritage this poet is of interest in our time, which speaks of his undoubted talent.

The origin of A.N. Maikov

It should be said that Apollo Maikov was not the only talented representative of his surname. The poet's ancient family was rich in talented people. The famous Russian theologian Nil Sorsky lived in the 15th century, and during the time of Catherine the poet Vasily Maikov worked.

The father of our hero was an academician of painting. The rest of his family also belonged to the creative intelligentsia. Mother is a translator and poet, brother Valerian is a publicist and literary critic, and Leonidas, another brother of Apollo, is a publisher and literary historian.

Childhood and adolescence, the first book of poetry

Apollon Nikolayevich spent his childhood on the estate that belonged to his father. It was located near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The Maykov family moved to St. Petersburg in 1834. Apollo in childhood was fond of both literature and painting. However, myopia prevented him from following in his father's footsteps. In the first prosaic experiments of Maikov, the influence of Gogol is visible. Then Apollo Maikov became interested in poetry. His biography of this period was also marked by his studies at St. Petersburg University, at the Faculty of Law. After graduating from the university, Apollon Nikolaevich published the first book of his poems. This significant event happened in 1842.

A trip abroad, new verses

In the same year, Apollo Maikov went abroad. Here he stayed for about two years. Maikov attended lectures by renowned scientists in Paris. While in Rome, he took part in the revelry of Russian artists, wrote poetry, made sketches, went on horseback riding in the Roman valley. The result of the impressions received was Maikov's poetic cycle "Essays on Rome" (published in 1847). It was during his life in Italy that the first scrapping was marked in the poet's work. Apollo Maikov broke with anthological poetry and began to strive for the so-called poetry of thought and feeling. Maikova ceased to be interested in the old man. He decided to turn to modernity. As a result, portraits of the inhabitants of Rome appeared (Lorenzo, "Capuchin", "The Beggar").

Homecoming

Returning to his homeland, the poet began to work at the Rumyantsev Museum as an assistant librarian. In the second half of 1840, his circle of friends included Nekrasov, Grigorovich, Turgenev, Belinsky. Apollo Maikov was influenced by the natural school at that time. The poet published a lot in the Notes of the Fatherland. In the "Petersburg collection" Nekrasov in 1846 appeared his poem "Mashenka". A little earlier, another poem was created, "Two Fates", which tells the story of a "superfluous" person.

Communication with Petrashevists and the editorial board of "Moskvityanin"

Apollon Nikolaevich in those years was ideologically close to Westernism. He became involved in the Petrashevsky movement through his brother Valerian. However, he was soon oppressed by their constant criticism of the government. Maikov saw utopianism in the Petrashevist movement, "a lot of selfishness," "a lot of nonsense," and "little love."

Apollon Nikolaevich, who was in crisis, ended up in the editorial office of Moskvityanin. Here he unexpectedly found not only participation, but also support for his views. Maikov denied the principles of civilization Western Europe... This thought went through his entire collection "1854", which accurately reflected Maikov's worldview at that time. Another cross-cutting theme of the book was historical mission The Russian state, which blocked the path to the West for the hordes of Batu and thereby prevented the death of the civilization of Europe ("Claremont Cathedral", etc.). Then Maikov became a convinced monarchist. He came to believe in the greatness of Nicholas I.

Creativity of the 1850s

As is the case with every true poet, Maikov's work of the 1850s is much broader than ideological guidelines. He created works on a social theme (idyll "The Fool", the cycle "Dumas of Life"), poems of an ideological and political nature. At the same time, Maikov wrote poetry that continued the anthological and aesthetic principles of his poetry of the early period. We are talking about such cycles as "Cameos" and "Fantasy". At the end of 1850. the cycles "At home", "In the wild", "In the rain", "Spring", "Haymaking" appeared. In these works, one can still feel Maikov's former harmonious view of nature. However, now he manifests himself in sketches of rural landscapes in Russia.

"Autumn"

In 1856 he created one of the most famous poems by Apollo Maikov. "Autumn" - so he called it. The poet from a young age was fond of hunting, but often caught himself thinking that he was much more pleased with the usual walk in the forest without a gun. He really loved to rake the leaves with his foot, to hear the crackling of branches ... However, in the fall, the forest loses its mystery and mystery, because "the last flower has been tied," "the last nut has been plucked." And this world gives rise to hitherto unknown feelings in the poet ...

Sea expedition

The Italian theme reappeared in the work of Apollon Nikolaevich in 1859. This was due to the fact that he, together with other researchers, made a sea expedition, visiting the islands of the Greek archipelago. The ship on which the voyage was carried out did not make it to Greece. He had to stay in Naples. Therefore, instead of one cycle, as Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich conceived, it turned out to be two. The Neapolitan Album was inspired by Italian impressions. This is a kind of story in verse, the theme of which is the life of the people in Naples. As a result of the study of the culture and history of Greece, "New Greek Songs" appeared ("The Swallow Has Rushed", "Lullaby", etc.).

One of his most famous poems is "Lullaby ...". Apollo Maikov created this work in 1860. More than 20 composers have written music for it. Among them are A. Chesnokov, A. Arensky, V. Rebikov, P. Tchaikovsky.

last years of life

In the last 25 years of his life, Maikov was interested in the eternal questions of being. He reflected on the development of civilizations. The fate of our country, its past and present, and its role in history also occupied an important place in Maikov's thoughts at that time. In the 1880s, Apollon Nikolaevich also created a number of poems distinguished by deep religiosity and the idea that religious humility is a distinctive feature of the Russian person ("The eternal night is approaching ...", "Leave, leave! ..", etc.).

Finally

Merezhkovsky in his book "Eternal Companions" wrote that Maikov Apollo is a poet, life path which was light and even. There was no persecution, no enemies, no passions, no struggle in him. There were poems, books, travel, family joys, fame. Indeed, his biography was not very poetic: he did not die on the scaffold or in a duel, he was not persecuted, he was not tormented by passions. For Apollo Maikov, everything external went inward. His real biography, his true destiny was his path from the Romans and Greeks to Russian reality, the history of nations, the poetry of the Bible and the eternal questions of life.