Main dates of life and activity of a. n
Biography Russian writer, one of the main representatives of "educational philosophy" in Russia. Alexander, the eldest son and mother's favorite, was born on August 31 (August 20, old style) 1749. His grandfather, Afanasy Prokofievich Radishchev, one of Peter the Great's amusements, rose to the rank of brigadier and gave his son Nikolai a good upbringing for that time. Father, Nikolai Afanasyevich, was a Saratov landowner, mother, Fekla Stepanovna, came from an ancient noble family Argamakov. My father's estate was located in Verkhny Ablyazov. Alexander learned Russian literacy from the Book of Hours and the Psalter. When he was 6 years old, a French teacher was assigned to him, but the choice turned out to be unsuccessful: the teacher, as they later learned, was a fugitive soldier. Then the father decided to send the boy to Moscow, where he was entrusted to the care of a good French tutor, a former adviser to the Rouen parliament, who had fled the persecution of the government of Louis XV. In 1756, Alexander was sent to the noble gymnasium of Moscow University. Gymnasium life lasted six years. In September 1762, the coronation of Catherine II took place in Moscow, on the occasion of which Catherine promoted many nobles to rank. On November 25, Radishchev was granted a page. In January 1764 he arrived in St. Petersburg and until 1766 he studied in the page corps. When Catherine ordered twelve young noblemen to be sent to Leipzig for scientific studies, including six pages of the most distinguished in behavior and academic success, among whom Radishchev was located. When sending students abroad, instructions were given regarding their studies, written in Catherine II’s own hand. Significant funds were allocated for the maintenance of students - 800 rubles each. (since 1769 - 1000 rubles) per year for each. But assigned to the nobles as a chamberlain and educator, Major Bokum concealed a significant part of the sums in his own favor, so that the students were in great need. Radishchev's stay abroad was described in his "Life of F.V. Ushakov." Students' activities in Leipzig were quite varied. They listened to philosophy, history, law. In accordance with the instructions of Catherine II, students could study “other sciences” if they wished. Radishchev studied medicine and chemistry, not as an amateur, but seriously, so that he could pass the exam to become a doctor and then successfully practiced treatment. Chemistry classes also always remained one of his favorite things. Radishchev knew German, French and Latin well; later he learned English and Italian. After spending five years in Leipzig, he, like his comrades, greatly forgot the Russian language, so upon returning to Russia he studied it under the guidance of the famous Khrapovitsky, Catherine’s secretary. Upon completion of his studies, Radishchev became one of the most of its time, not only in Russia. In 1771 he returned to St. Petersburg and soon entered service in the Senate as a protocol clerk, with the rank of titular councilor, where he did not serve for long, because. I was hampered by poor knowledge of the Russian language, the camaraderie of clerks, and the rude treatment of my superiors were burdensome. Radishchev entered the headquarters of General-Chief Bruce, who commanded in St. Petersburg, as a chief auditor. In 1775, Radishchev retired with the rank of army second major. One of Radishchev’s comrades in Leipzig, Rubanovsky, introduced him to the family of his older brother, whose daughter, Anna Vasilievna, Alexander married. In 1778 he was again assigned to serve in the state chamber college for an assessor vacancy. In 1788 he was transferred to serve in the St. Petersburg customs office, as an assistant manager, and then as a manager. Both in the chamber collegium and in the customs, Radishchev stood out for his selflessness, devotion to duty, and serious attitude to business. Russian language classes and reading led Radishchev to his own literary experiments. In 1773, he published a translation of Mably's work, then began to compile a history of the Russian Senate, but destroyed what he had written. In 1783, after the death of his beloved wife, he began to seek solace in literary work. In 1789, he published “The Life of Fyodor Vasilyevich Ushakov with the addition of some of his works.” Taking advantage of Catherine II’s decree on free printing houses, Radishchev opened his own printing house at home and in 1790 published his main work: “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow.” The book began to sell out quickly. Her bold thoughts about serfdom and other sad phenomena of the then social and state life attracted the attention of the empress herself, to whom someone delivered “The Journey.” Although the book was published “with the permission of the deanery,” that is, with the permission of the established censorship, prosecution was nevertheless brought against the author. At first they did not know who the author was, since his name was not on the book; but, having arrested the merchant Zotov, in whose shop “Journey” was sold, they soon learned that the book was written and published by Radishchev. He was also arrested, his case was “entrusted” to the famous Sheshkovsky. Catherine forgot that Radishchev, both in the page corps and abroad, studied “natural law” by the highest command, and that she herself preached and allowed the preaching of principles similar to those that the “Journey” preached. She reacted to Radishchev’s book with strong personal irritation, she herself drew up questions for Radishchev, and she herself, through Bezborodko, supervised the entire matter. Imprisoned in a fortress and interrogated by the terrible Sheshkovsky, Radishchev declared his repentance, renounced his book, but at the same time, in his testimony he often expressed the same views as those given in “The Journey.” By expressing repentance, Radishchev hoped to soften the punishment that threatened him, but at the same time he was unable to hide his convictions. Radishchev's fate was decided in advance: he was found guilty in the very decree to bring him to trial. The Criminal Chamber carried out a very brief investigation, the contents of which were determined in a letter from Bezborodko to the commander-in-chief in St. Petersburg, Count Bruce. The Criminal Chamber applied to Radishchev the articles of the Code on an attempt on the sovereign's health, conspiracies, treason, and sentenced him to death. The verdict, transmitted to the Senate and then to the Council, was approved in both instances and presented to Catherine. On September 4, according to the old style, 1790, a personal decree was held, which found Radishchev guilty of the crime of the oath and office of a subject, by publishing a book; Radishchev’s guilt is such that he fully deserves the death penalty, to which he was sentenced by the court, but “out of mercy and for everyone’s joy,” on the occasion of the conclusion of peace with Sweden, the death penalty was replaced by exile to Siberia, to the Ilimsk prison, “for a ten-year hopeless stay ". The decree was then carried out. The sad fate of Radishchev attracted everyone's attention: the sentence seemed incredible, rumors arose in society more than once that Radishchev had been forgiven and was returning from exile, but these rumors were not justified, and Radishchev stayed in Ilimsk until the end of Catherine's reign. His wife’s sister, E.V., came to visit him in Siberia. Rubanovskaya, and brought the younger children (the older ones stayed with their relatives to get an education). In Ilimsk, Radishchev married E.V. Rubanovskaya. Emperor Paul, soon after his accession, returned Radishchev from Siberia (Imperial command of November 23, 1796), and Radishchev was ordered to live on his estate in the Kaluga province, the village of Nemtsov, and the governor was ordered to monitor his behavior and correspondence. After the accession of Alexander I, Radishchev received complete freedom; he was summoned to St. Petersburg and appointed a member of the commission to draw up laws. Radishchev's contemporaries Ilyinsky and Born certify the accuracy of the legend about Radishchev's death. This legend says that when Radishchev submitted his liberal project on the necessary legislative reforms - a project where the liberation of the peasants was again put forward, the chairman of the commission, Count Zavadovsky, made him a strict reprimand for his way of thinking, sternly reminding him of his previous hobbies and even mentioning Siberia. Radishchev, a man with very poor health and broken nerves, was so shocked by Zavadovsky’s reprimand and threats that he decided to commit suicide, drank poison and died in terrible agony. Radishchev died on the night of September 12, old style, 1802 and was buried in the Volkov cemetery. Radishchev's name was banned for a long time; it almost never appeared in print. Soon after his death, several articles about him appeared, but then his name almost disappears in the literature and is found very rarely; Only fragmentary and incomplete data are provided about it. Batyushkov included Radishchev in the program of essays on Russian literature he compiled. It was only in the second half of the fifties that the ban on Radishchev’s name was lifted and many articles about him appeared in the press. educated people Information sources:
"Russian Biographical Dictionary"
(Source: “Aphorisms from around the world. Encyclopedia of wisdom.” www.foxdesign.ru) Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms
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RADILOV RADIMOV RADIN RADISHCHEV RADIEV RADIK RADKEVICH 1. Radim, Rada, Radya, Radishche are various forms of the Old Russian name Radimir (to care for the world). Rada, Radya can be forms church name Rodion (which is heard by ear as Radion). 2.… …Russian surnames
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Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev - Russian writer, poet, philosopher - was born on August 31 (August 20 according to the old style) 1749 in Moscow, was the son of a large landowner-landowner. It was on his estate near Moscow, with. Nemtsovo, Radishchev’s childhood passed; for some time he lived in Verkhny Ablyazov. Home education, the boy received was wonderful, and in Moscow, where he ended up at the age of 7, Sasha had the opportunity to study with the children of his uncle A.M. Argamakov, who for several years was the director of the newly opened Moscow University. Here, professors and teachers from the university gymnasium taught Alexander and his cousins, and the boy was personally tutored by a French tutor, a former parliamentary adviser fleeing persecution from his government. Therefore, without visiting educational institution, the future famous writer, most likely, completed, if not the entire gymnasium course program, then at least partially.
At the age of 13, Radishchev became a student of a privileged educational institution - the Corps of Pages, where he studied until 1766, after which he was among 13 young nobles who were sent to the University of Leipzig to study as a lawyer. In addition to law, Radishchev was engaged in literature, medicine, natural sciences, studied several foreign languages. The worldview of the young Radishchev was largely formed under the influence of the works of Helvetius and other French enlightenment encyclopedists.
Upon returning to St. Petersburg in 1771, Radishchev was appointed to work in the Senate as a protocol clerk. During 1773-1775. he served at the headquarters of the Finnish division as a chief auditor, thanks to which he had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the slogans proclaimed by Pugachev (his uprising was just underway), get acquainted with the orders of the military department, the affairs of soldiers, etc., which left a noticeable imprint on his ideological development. He soon retired, although he performed his duties conscientiously.
Since 1777, Radishchev served in the Commerce Board, headed by A. Vorontsov, who had a negative attitude towards the policies of Catherine II. The liberal official made him his confidant, and in 1780, thanks to his recommendation, Radishchev began working at the St. Petersburg customs; being a civil servant, he in the 80s. supported educators Novikov, Krechetov, Fonvizin. At the same time, Radishchev appeared as a writer: thus, in 1770 his philosophical article “The Tale of Lomonosov” appeared, in 1783 - the ode “Liberty”. Radishchev was a member of the “Society of Friends of Verbal Sciences” organized in 1784 in St. Petersburg, which included former university students.
Since 1790, Radishchev worked as director of customs; in the late 90s. the main work in creative biography Radishchev - a philosophical and journalistic story “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow,” which exposed the socio-political system of serfdom that existed at that time, sympathetically depicting the life of the common people. The book was immediately confiscated, and 3 weeks after its publication, an investigation was launched under the personal supervision of the empress herself. The words of Catherine II that Radishchev was a rebel worse than Pugachev went down in history. The author of the seditious book was sentenced to death, but at the behest of the empress, the punishment was replaced by 10 years of exile in a distant prison in Siberia.
During the years of exile, Radishchev was not idle: fulfilling the instructions of A. Vorontsov, he studied the economy of the region, folk crafts, and peasant life. He also wrote a number of works, in particular, the philosophical work “About Man, His Mortality and Immortality.” In 1796, Paul I, who took the throne, gave Radishchev permission to live in Nemtsovo, his own estate, under strict police supervision. He acquired true freedom only under Alexander I.
In March 1801, this emperor attracted Radishchev to the work of the commission for drafting laws, however, even in his new position, Radishchev proposed to abolish serfdom, class privileges. Count Zavadovsky, who headed the work of the commission, put the presumptuous employee in his place, hinting to him about a new exile. Being in great mental turmoil, Radishchev took poison on September 24 (September 12, O.S.), 1802 and took his own life. There are other versions of his death: tuberculosis and an accident due to the fact that the writer mistakenly drank a glass of aqua regia. It is unknown where the grave of Alexander Nikolaevich is located.
Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev. Born on August 20 (31), 1749 in Verkhniy Ablyazovo (Saratov province) - died on September 12 (24), 1802 in St. Petersburg. Russian prose writer, poet, philosopher, de facto head of the St. Petersburg customs, member of the Commission for drafting laws under Alexander I. He became best known for his main work, “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow,” which he published anonymously in 1790.
Alexander Radishchev was the first-born in the family of Nikolai Afanasyevich Radishchev (1728-1806), the son of the Starodub colonel and large landowner Afanasy Prokopyevich.
He spent his childhood on his father's estate in the village of Nemtsovo, Borovsky district, Kaluga province. Apparently, his father, a devout man who was fluent in Latin, Polish, French and German, took a direct part in Radishchev’s initial education.
As was customary at that time, the child was taught Russian literacy using the Book of Hours and the Psalter. By the time he was six years old, a French teacher was assigned to him, but the choice turned out to be unsuccessful: the teacher, as they later learned, was a fugitive soldier.
Soon after the opening of Moscow University, around 1756, Alexander's father took him to Moscow, to the house of his maternal uncle (whose brother, A. M. Argamakov, was the director of the university in 1755-1757). Here Radishchev was entrusted to the care of a very good French governor, a former adviser to the Rouen parliament, who fled persecution from the government of Louis XV. The Argamakov children had the opportunity to study at home with professors and teachers of the university gymnasium, so it cannot be ruled out that Alexander Radishchev prepared here under their guidance and completed, at least in part, the gymnasium course program.
In 1762, after the coronation, Radishchev was granted a page and sent to St. Petersburg to study in the Corps of Pages.
Four years later, among twelve young nobles, he was sent to Germany, to the University of Leipzig to study law. During the time spent there, Radishchev expanded his horizons enormously. In addition to a solid scientific school, he adopted the ideas of advanced French educators, whose works greatly prepared the ground for the bourgeois revolution that broke out twenty years later.
Of Radishchev’s comrades, Fyodor Ushakov is especially remarkable for the great influence he had on Radishchev, who wrote his “Life” and published some of Ushakov’s works. Ushakov was a more experienced and mature man than his other comrades, who immediately recognized his authority. He served as an example for other students, guided their reading, and instilled in them strong moral convictions. Ushakov’s health was upset even before his trip abroad, and in Leipzig he further ruined it, partly with poor nutrition, partly with excessive exercise, and fell ill. When the doctor announced to him that “tomorrow he will no longer be involved in life,” he firmly accepted the death sentence. He said goodbye to his friends, then, calling one Radishchev to him, handed over all his papers to him and told him: “remember that you need to have rules in life in order to be blessed.” Last words Ushakov “marked an indelible mark in the memory” of Radishchev.
In 1771, Radishchev returned to St. Petersburg and soon entered service in the Senate, as a protocol clerk, with the rank of titular councilor. He did not serve long in the Senate: he was burdened by the camaraderie of his clerks and the rude treatment of his superiors. Radishchev entered the headquarters of Chief General Bruce, who commanded in St. Petersburg, as chief auditor and stood out for his conscientious and courageous attitude to his duties. In 1775, he retired and got married, and two years later he entered the service of the Commerce Collegium, which was in charge of trade and industry. There he became very close friends with Count Vorontsov, who subsequently helped Radishchev in every possible way during his exile to Siberia.
From 1780 he worked at the St. Petersburg customs, rising to the position of its chief by 1790. From 1775 to June 30, 1790, he lived in St. Petersburg at the address: Gryaznaya Street, 14 (now Marata Street).
The foundations of Radishchev's worldview were laid in the earliest period of his activity. Returning to St. Petersburg in 1771, a couple of months later he sent an excerpt from his future book to the editors of the Zhivopiets magazine "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow", where it was published anonymously. Two years later, Radishchev’s translation of Mably’s book “Reflections on Greek History” was published. Other works of the writer, such as “Officer Exercises” and “Diary of One Week,” also belong to this period.
In the 1780s, Radishchev worked on “The Journey” and wrote other works in prose and poetry. By this time there was a huge social upsurge throughout Europe. The victory of the American Revolution and the French Revolution that followed it created a favorable climate for promoting the ideas of freedom, which Radishchev took advantage of.
In 1789, he opened a printing house at his home, and in May 1790 he published his main work, “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow.”
His treatise “On Man, His Mortality and Immortality” contains numerous paraphrases of Herder’s works “A Study on the Origin of Language” and “On the Knowledge and Sensation of the Human Soul.”
The book began to sell out quickly. His bold thoughts about serfdom and other sad phenomena of the then social and state life attracted the attention of the empress herself, to whom someone delivered “The Journey” and who called Radishchev “a rebel, worse than Pugachev.” Radishchev was arrested
, his case was entrusted to S.I. Sheshkovsky. Imprisoned in the fortress, Radishchev led the line of defense during interrogations. He did not name a single name from among his assistants, saved the children, and also tried to save his own life. The Criminal Chamber applied to Radishchev the articles of the Code on “attack on the sovereign’s health”, on “conspiracies and treason” and sentenced him to death. The verdict, transmitted to the Senate and then to the Council, was approved in both instances and presented to Catherine.
On September 4, 1790, a personal decree was issued that found Radishchev guilty of violating his oath and office by publishing a book “filled with the most harmful speculations that destroy public peace, detract from due respect for the authorities, and strive to create indignation among the people against the bosses and authorities.” and finally, insulting and violent expressions against the dignity and power of the king”; Radishchev’s guilt is such that he fully deserves the death penalty, to which he was sentenced by the court, but “out of mercy and for everyone’s joy,” the execution was replaced by a ten-year exile for him in Siberia, in the Ilimsky prison.
After his accession to the throne, Radishchev received complete freedom; he was summoned to St. Petersburg and appointed a member of the Commission to draw up laws.
There is a legend about the circumstances of Radishchev’s suicide: called to the commission to draw up laws, Radishchev drew up a “Draft of a Liberal Code”, in which he spoke about the equality of all before the law, freedom of the press, etc.
The chairman of the commission, Count P.V. Zavadovsky, gave him a strict reprimand for his way of thinking, sternly reminding him of his previous hobbies and even mentioning Siberia. Radishchev, a man with very poor health, was so shocked by Zavadovsky’s reprimand and threats that he decided to commit suicide: he drank poison and died in terrible agony.
In the book “Radishchev” by D. S. Babkin, published in 1966, a different version of Radishchev’s death was proposed. The sons who were present at his death testified to the severe physical illness that struck Alexander Nikolaevich already during his Siberian exile. The immediate cause of death, according to Babkin, was an accident: Radishchev drank a glass with “strong vodka prepared in it to burn out the old officer’s epaulettes of his eldest son” (royal vodka). The burial documents indicate a natural death.
In the church register of the Volkovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg on September 13, 1802, “college adviser Alexander Radishchev” is listed among those buried; fifty three years, died of consumption,” priest Vasily Nalimov was present at the removal.
Radishchev's grave has not survived to this day. It is assumed that his body was buried near the Church of the Resurrection, on the wall of which a memorial plaque was installed in 1987.
Family and personal life of Radishchev:Alexander Radishchev was married twice.
He married for the first time in 1775 to Anna Vasilyevna Rubanovskaya (1752-1783), who was the niece of his fellow student in Leipzig, Andrei Kirillovich Rubanovsky, and the daughter of an official of the Main Palace Chancellery, Vasily Kirillovich Rubanovsky. This marriage produced four children (not counting two daughters who died in infancy):
Vasily (1776-1845) - staff captain, lived in Ablyazov, where he married his serf Akulina Savvateevna. His son Alexey Vasilyevich became a court councilor, leader of the nobility and mayor of Khvalynsk.
Nikolai (1779-1829) - writer, author of the poem “Alyosha Popovich”.
Catherine (1782)
Pavel (1783-1866).
Anna Vasilievna died at the birth of her son Pavel in 1783. Soon after Radishchev’s expulsion, she came to him in Ilimsk, together with his two youngest children (Ekaterina and Pavel), younger sister his first wife Elizaveta Vasilyevna Rubanovskaya (1757-97). In exile they soon began to live as husband and wife. Three children were born in this marriage:
Anna (1792)
Thekla (1795-1845) - married Pyotr Gavrilovich Bogolyubov and became the mother of the famous Russian marine painter A.P. Bogolyubov.
Afanasy (1796-1881) - major general, Podolsk, Vitebsk and Kovno governor.
Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev, in his famous work “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow,” for the first time in Russian literature truthfully spoke about the inhumane attitude of landowners towards their serfs, about the lack of rights of the people and the violence perpetrated against them. The writer showed a picture of a revolt of serfs driven to despair. For this he had to pay dearly - a harsh exile to Siberia... You can learn about all this and other facts from the biography of A. N. Radishchev in this publication.
Origin of Radishchev
Let's start by introducing our hero. Nikolaevich is a famous Russian writer, an adherent of “enlightenment philosophy.” Radishchev's biography begins on August 31, 1749 (old style - August 20). It was then that Alexander Nikolaevich was born. Radishchev Afanasy Prokopyevich, the grandfather of the future writer, was one of Peter’s amusing people. He rose to the rank of foreman. Afanasy Petrovich gave his son Nikolai a good upbringing. Nikolai Afanasyevich Radishchev was a Saratov landowner. And Fekla Stepanovna, Alexander’s mother, was from the Argamakov family, an old noble family. Her eldest son was Alexander Radishchev. The biography and work of the great writer glorified this family.
Training in Verny Ablyazov and Moscow
My father's estate was located in Verkhniy Ablyazov. Alexander learned Russian literacy from the psalter and book of hours. When he was 6 years old, a Frenchman was assigned to him, but the choice of teacher was unsuccessful. As they later learned, this Frenchman was a fugitive soldier. The father decided to send his son to Moscow. Here he was entrusted to the care of a French tutor, who had previously been an adviser to the Rouen parliament, but he had to flee the persecution of Louis XV.
In 1756, Alexander was sent to a noble gymnasium located at Moscow University. Studying there continued for six years. The coronation of Catherine II took place in Moscow in September 1762. Many nobles were promoted to rank on this occasion. Radishchev's biography was marked by an important event for him on November 25: Alexander Nikolaevich was granted a page.
How Radishchev got abroad
He arrived in St. Petersburg in January 1764 and studied in the page corps until 1766. When Catherine decided to send 12 young noblemen for scientific studies in Leipzig, including 6 pages who distinguished themselves by success in learning and behavior, Radishchev became one of the lucky ones . When students were sent abroad, Catherine II personally wrote instructions on what they should do. Significant funds were allocated for their maintenance - at first 800 rubles, and from 1769 - a thousand a year for each.
Life in Leipzig
However, Major Bokum, assigned as a tutor to the nobles, withheld significant sums for his own benefit, so the students were in need. Radishchev, whose biography interests us, spoke about his stay abroad in “The Life of F.V. Ushakov.” The activities of young people in Leipzig were quite varied. They studied philosophy, law, history. According to the instructions of Catherine II, students could study “other sciences” if they wished. Radishchev chose chemistry and medicine. He became interested in them not just as an amateur, but very seriously. Alexander Nikolaevich even passed the exam to become a doctor and subsequently successfully received treatment. Chemistry classes have always remained one of his favorite things to do. Radishchev knew various languages well (Latin, French, German). Later he also learned Italian and English. After spending 5 years in Leipzig, Radishchev, like his comrades, forgot the Russian language. Therefore, he began to study it upon his return to Russia under the guidance of his secretary Ekaterina Khrapovitsky.
Return to St. Petersburg, service in the Senate
Upon completion of his studies, Alexander Nikolaevich became very educated person, of which there were not many at that time not only in our country, but also in the world. In 1771, Radishchev returned to St. Petersburg. Soon he entered the service of a protocol clerk in the Senate. Alexander Nikolaevich did not serve long in the rank of titular councilor, as poor knowledge interfered native language, and also was burdened by the treatment of the authorities and the camaraderie of the clerks.
Service at Bryusov's headquarters and at the Commerce Collegium, marriage
Radishchev decided to join the headquarters of Chief General Bryusov, who commanded in St. Petersburg. He became chief auditor. Alexander Nikolaevich retired in 1775, having risen to the rank of second major. Rubanovsky, one of his comrades in Leipzig, introduced Alexander Radishchev to his older brother’s family. Alexander Nikolaevich married Anna Vasilievna, the daughter of the latter.
In 1778, he again entered the service of the Chamber College as an assessor. In 1788, Radishchev was transferred to the St. Petersburg customs house. He became assistant manager and then manager. Both in the customs and in the chamber collegium, Alexander Radishchev stood out for his devotion to duty, selflessness, and serious attitude to his duties.
First literary works
Reading and studying the Russian language eventually led him to his own literary endeavors. In 1773, Radishchev published a translation of Mably's work, after which he began to compile a history of the Russian Senate, but destroyed what he had written.
The book that brought fatal fame
Radishchev's biography continues with the death of his beloved wife. It happened in 1783. After this, Alexander Nikolaevich decided to plunge into literary work and find peace in it. He published in 1789 “The Life of Fyodor Vasilyevich Ushakov...”. Radishchev, taking advantage of the Empress's decree on free printing houses, started his own at his home and published his main work in 1790, entitled “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow.”
This book immediately began to sell out quickly. Alexander Nikolaevich’s bold thoughts about serfdom, as well as other phenomena of state and public life At that time, they drew the attention of Catherine II herself, to whom someone presented “The Journey...”.
How the censors missed "The Journey..."
The biography of Radishchev is very interesting. Interesting Facts about him are numerous. They cannot be fit into the format of one article. However, one of them definitely needs to be mentioned. Radishchev's book was published with the permission of the deanery, that is, the established censorship. However, prosecution was still launched against the author. How is this possible? The fact is that "The Journey..." was censored simply because the censor thought it was a guidebook. Indeed, at first glance it may seem so - the chapters of the work are named after places and cities. The censor looked only at the contents and did not delve into the book.
Arrest and sentence
They did not immediately find out who the author of the essay was, since his name was not indicated in the book. However, after the arrest of the merchant Zotov, in whose store Radishchev’s work was sold, they learned that it was Alexander Nikolaevich who wrote the ill-fated work and published it. Radishchev was arrested, and his case was “entrusted” to Sheshkovsky. The Empress forgot that Alexander Radishchev studied “natural law” both abroad and in the page corps, that she herself allowed preaching and personally preached the principles that were mentioned in the “Travel”. Catherine II reacted to Alexander Nikolaevich’s work with great personal irritation. The Empress personally drew up questions for Radishchev and directed the entire matter through Bezborodko.
Alexander Nikolaevich was put in a fortress, where Sheshkovsky interrogated him. Radishchev repeatedly declared repentance and renounced the book he wrote. A brief biography of him, however, should not miss the fact that in his testimony he often revealed the very views that were presented in his work. Our hero hoped to mitigate the punishment that threatened him by expressing repentance. However, Radishchev could not hide his convictions.
A brief biography of his subsequent years is quite natural. It is clear that the fate of Alexander Nikolaevich was decided in advance. He was already found guilty by order to stand trial. A brief investigation by the Criminal Chamber was carried out. Its content is indicated in a letter from Bezborodko to Count Bruce, the commander-in-chief in St. Petersburg. Radishchev was sentenced to death.
Mitigation of fate
The verdict, transmitted to the Senate and then to the Council, was approved in these two instances, after which it was presented to the Empress. On September 4, 1790, a personal decree was issued recognizing Alexander Nikolaevich guilty of violating the office of a subject and the oath of office by publishing this book. The guilt of Alexander Radishchev, as it said, is such that he deserves the death penalty. However, out of mercy and in honor of the conclusion of a peace treaty with Sweden, such a severe punishment was replaced by exile to the Ilimsk prison, located in Siberia. He should have stayed there for 10 years. This decree was immediately carried out.
Difficult years of exile
Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev went through a difficult time. His biography is marked by difficult trials immediately after the verdict. The writer, arrested in the summer, was taken away from the fortress without warm clothes. Apparently, Catherine II hoped that Radishchev, already having a hard time experiencing his imprisonment, would die along the way. It is known that he sent money to the Tver governor so that Alexander Radishchev could buy everything he needed for a long journey.
Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev, whose biography continues in the Ilimsk prison, spent almost 5 years here. However, he did not lose heart. Radishchev treated local residents. Alexander Nikolaevich vaccinated children with smallpox, equipped a small oven in his home, where he began firing dishes. And, of course, he continued his literary activity.
The sad fate of such a famous writer, as Radishchev Alexander Nikolaevich. A brief biography of him should not miss the fact that the sentence imposed on him seemed incredible. Many times rumors arose in society that Alexander Nikolaevich had been forgiven, that he would soon return from exile. However, they were not making excuses.
Relationship with E.V. Rubanovskaya
E.V. came to see him in Siberia. Rubanovskaya, the sister of his late wife, brought her younger children with her (the older children stayed with their relatives to get an education). Radishchev became close to this woman in Ilimsk. However, they did not have the right to get married. This amounted to incest and was a violation church rules. In exile, Elizaveta Vasilievna gave birth to three children for Radishchev. She died in 1797 from a cold in Tobolsk, upon returning from exile. However, the feat of this woman, who anticipated the Decembrists, was not only not appreciated by her contemporaries. Even after the death of Elizaveta Vasilievna, she and Alexander Nikolaevich continued to be condemned. When Radishchev returned home, Nikolai Afanasyevich, his blind father, refused to accept his grandchildren. He said that marrying his sister-in-law was unthinkable. If Radishchev had chosen a serf girl, he would have accepted her, but Elizaveta Vasilievna cannot.
Homecoming
Soon after his accession to the throne, Emperor Paul returned from Siberia such an important public figure, as Radishchev Alexander Nikolaevich. A brief biography of his subsequent years, however, is marked by new difficulties. The decree of pardon was drawn up on November 23, 1796. Alexander Nikolaevich was ordered to live in the village of Nemtsov, Kaluga province, where his estate was located. The governor was instructed to monitor Radishchev's correspondence and behavior. After the accession of the emperor, Alexander Nikolaevich received complete freedom. He was summoned to St. Petersburg. Here Alexander became a member of the commission for drawing up various laws, and his story ends quite unexpectedly. How did this happen? Now you will learn about how A.N. died. Radishchev. His biography ends in a very unusual way.
Death of Radishchev
Born and Ilyinsky, contemporaries of Alexander Nikolaevich, certify that the legend about his death is true. According to him, Radishchev submitted a project on legislative reforms. It again advocated the liberation of the peasants. Then Count Zavadovsky, the secretary of the commission, gave Alexander Nikolaevich a strict reprimand for his thoughts, reminding him of his past hobbies. Zavadovsky even mentioned the Siberian exile. Radishchev, whose health was greatly upset and his nerves were broken, was so shocked by Zavadsky’s threats and reprimand that he even decided to commit suicide.
Alexander Nikolaevich drank poison. He died in great pain. Radishchev died on the night of September 12, 1802. Alexander Nikolaevich was buried at the Volkov cemetery.
Banning the name Radishchev and rehabilitation
For a long time there was a ban on the name of such a great writer as A.N. Radishchev. His brief biography interests many today, but after his death his name practically did not appear in print. Several articles about Alexander Nikolaevich were written shortly after his death, and then his name almost disappeared from the literature. It was mentioned very rarely. Only incomplete and fragmentary information was provided about Radishchev. Batyushkov included Alexander Radishchev in the literature essay program compiled by him. Only in the 2nd half of the 1850s was the ban on the name Radishchev lifted. Since that time, many articles about him began to appear in the press.
To this day, researchers are attracted to Radishchev’s biography. Summary Many of our compatriots know his “Travels...”. All this speaks of his immortality as a writer.
Radishchev Ayaexandr Nikolaevich (08/20(31/1749, Moscow - 09/12/24/1802, St. Petersburg), prose writer, poet, philosopher. Born into an old rich noble family. He studied at the Corps of Pages in St. Petersburg in 1766-1771. Studied law in Leipzig, as well as philosophy, philology, exact sciences and medicine. After returning to St. Petersburg (1771), he served as a protocol clerk in the Senate, a military prosecutor, and an official in the Commerce Collegium and the capital's customs office (in 1790 he was appointed its director). Radishchev's early works include - in addition to the translation with his own notes of G. Mabley's book "Reflections on Greek History" (1773) - the sentimental "Diary of One Week" (1773, published 1811); sometimes R. is credited (as well as N. Novikov) with the anti-serfdom “Fragment of Travel” (1772). Under the influence of the American War of Independence, the ode “Liberty” was written (1783, distributed in copies, complete edition 1906). Then, after
after a short break, the following were published: the biographical story “The Life of Fyodor Vasilyevich Ushakov” (1789), “Letter to a Friend Living in Tobolsk” (1782, published 1790) on the occasion of the opening of the monument to Peter 1 in St. Petersburg; Radishchev is also credited with “Conversation about what is true son Fatherland" (1789) about the legal status of peasants in Russia. In his main work “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” (1790), in which Radishchev included some early works “The Tale of Lomonosov”, excerpts of the ode “Liberty”, a discussion about censorship), the author innovatively used the syncretic genre of “sentimental travel” with digressions characteristic of him and filled the work with socio-political content. Brought up in the spirit of the European Enlightenment, an admirer of the ideas of K. A. Helvetius and J. J. Rousseau, Radishchev sharply criticized the state foundations of tsarism, speaking out against serfdom and autocracy. He drew a bright picture the plight of the peasants and the reigning lack of rights, spoke about the inevitability of fundamental reforms in the state, justifying the moral right of the oppressed people to revolt if reforms are not undertaken from above. The book aroused the wrath of Catherine II, the circulation (partially destroyed by Radishchev himself) was confiscated, and the author was arrested and sentenced to death, commuted to exile in Ilimsk in Eastern Siberia. There, R. wrote his philosophical treatise “On Man, His Mortality and Immortality” (ed. 1809), poems and essays about the development of Siberia. Paul 1 freed Radishchev from exile (1796), he settled on his father’s estate in Nemtsovo, where he lived under police supervision, worked on the poem “Bova” (partially preserved) and the historical and literary treatise “Monument to the Dakgil-Khorean Knight” (1801, ed. 1811). In 1801, R. was pardoned by Alexander 1, returned to the capital and took part in the preparation of draft legislative reforms. He soon committed suicide.
