Kuprin autobiography for children. Alexander Kuprin - biography, information, personal life. Beginning of a literary career

Russian writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin (1870–1938) was born in the town of Narovchat, Penza province. A man of difficult fate, a career military man, then a journalist, emigrant and “returnee,” Kuprin is known as the author of works included in the golden collection of Russian literature.

Stages of life and creativity

Kuprin was born into a poor noble family on August 26, 1870. His father worked as a secretary in the regional court, his mother came from a noble family of Tatar princes Kulunchakov. In addition to Alexander, two daughters grew up in the family.

The life of the family changed dramatically when, a year after the birth of their son, the head of the family died of cholera. The mother, a native Muscovite, began to look for an opportunity to return to the capital and somehow arrange the life of the family. She managed to find a place with a boarding house in the Kudrinsky widow's house in Moscow. Three years of little Alexander’s life passed here, after which, at the age of six, he was sent to an orphanage. The atmosphere of the widow's house is conveyed by the story “Holy Lies” (1914), written by a mature writer.

The boy was accepted to study at the Razumovsky orphanage, then, after graduation, he continued his studies at the Second Moscow Cadet Corps. Fate, it seems, destined him to be a military man. And in Kuprin’s early works, the theme of everyday life in the army and relationships among the military is raised in two stories: “Army Ensign” (1897), “At the Turning Point (Cadets)” (1900). At the peak of his literary talent, Kuprin writes the story “The Duel” (1905). The image of her hero, Second Lieutenant Romashov, according to the writer, was copied from himself. The publication of the story caused great discussion in society. In the army environment, the work was perceived negatively. The story shows the aimlessness and philistine limitations of the life of the military class. A kind of conclusion to the dilogy “Cadets” and “Duel” was the autobiographical story “Junker”, written by Kuprin already in exile, in 1928-32.

Army life was completely alien to Kuprin, who was prone to rebellion. Resignation from military service took place in 1894. By this time, the writer’s first stories began to appear in magazines, not yet noticed by the general public. After leaving military service, he began wandering in search of income and life experiences. Kuprin tried to find himself in many professions, but the experience of journalism acquired in Kyiv became useful for starting professional literary work. The next five years were marked by the appearance of the author’s best works: the stories “The Lilac Bush” (1894), “The Painting” (1895), “Overnight” (1895), “Barbos and Zhulka” (1897), “The Wonderful Doctor” (1897), “ Breget" (1897), the story "Olesya" (1898).

The capitalism that Russia is entering has depersonalized the working man. Anxiety in the face of this process leads to a wave of workers' revolts, which are supported by the intelligentsia. In 1896, Kuprin wrote the story “Moloch” - a work of great artistic power. In the story, the soulless power of the machine is associated with an ancient deity who demands and receives human lives as a sacrifice.

“Moloch” was written by Kuprin upon his return to Moscow. Here, after wandering, the writer finds a home, enters the literary circle, meets and becomes close friends with Bunin, Chekhov, Gorky. Kuprin marries and in 1901 moves with his family to St. Petersburg. His stories “Swamp” (1902), “White Poodle” (1903), “Horse Thieves” (1903) are published in magazines. At this time, the writer is actively involved in public life; he is a candidate for deputy of the State Duma of the 1st convocation. Since 1911 he has lived with his family in Gatchina.

Kuprin’s work between the two revolutions was marked by the creation of love stories “Shulamith” (1908) and “Pomegranate Bracelet” (1911), distinguished by their bright mood from the works of literature of those years by other authors.

During the period of two revolutions and the civil war, Kuprin was looking for an opportunity to be useful to society, collaborating either with the Bolsheviks or with the Socialist Revolutionaries. 1918 was a turning point in the writer’s life. He emigrates with his family, lives in France and continues to work actively. Here, in addition to the novel “Junker,” the story “Yu-Yu” (1927), the fairy tale “Blue Star” (1927), the story “Olga Sur” (1929), a total of more than twenty works, were written.

In 1937, after an entry permit approved by Stalin, the already very ill writer returned to Russia and settled in Moscow, where a year after returning from emigration, Alexander Ivanovich died. Kuprin was buried in Leningrad at the Volkovsky cemetery.

Photo from 1912
A.F. Marks

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin born on September 7 (August 26, old style) 1870 in the city of Narovchat in the Penza province (now the village of Narovchat in the Penza region) into a noble family. Father - Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin (1834-1871). Mother - Lyubov Alekseevna Kuprina (maiden name Kulunchakova) (1838-1910). When Alexander Ivanovich was one year old, his father died, and Lyubov Alekseevna and her son moved to Moscow. The education of the future writer begins at the Moscow Razumov School in 1876, at the age of six. After graduating from school in 1880, he entered the Second Moscow Military Gymnasium. And in 1887 he already entered the Alexander Military School. During his studies, he tried his hand at writing: an unsuccessful attempt to write poetry and the story “The Last Debut”, which was published in 1889 in the magazine “Russian Satirical Leaflet”. The writer wrote about this period of his life in the novel “Junker” and the stories “At the Turning Point (Cadets).”
After graduating from college in 1890, he began serving with the rank of lieutenant in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment in the Podolsk province (now part of the Vinnitsa, Khmelnytsky and Odessa regions in Ukraine). But already in 1894 he resigned and moved to Kyiv.
Since 1894, Kuprin traveled a lot around the Russian Empire and tried himself in various professions, which gave him rich material for his works. During this period, get acquainted with Chekhov, Gorky and Bunin. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg.
In 1902 he married Maria Karlovna Davydova (1881-1966), with whom he lived until 1907, and in the same year he began to live with Elizaveta Moritsovna Heinrich (1882-1942), and married her in 1909, after receiving an official divorce from his first wife.
In the nineties, some of Alexander Ivanovich’s works were published, but he gained fame in 1905, after the publication of the story “The Duel.” From 1905 to 1914, many of Kuprin’s works were published. In 1906 he was a candidate for deputy of the State Duma.
After the outbreak of the First World War in the summer of 1914, he opened a hospital at home, but in December 1914 he was mobilized. In 1915 he was demobilized for health reasons.
Receives the February Revolution of 1917 with enthusiasm. After the October Revolution, for some time he tried to work with the Bolsheviks, but did not accept their views and joined the White movement. In the North-Western Army, Yudenich was engaged in editorial work in the newspaper “Prinevsky Krai”. After a major defeat, the army left first for Finland in 1919, and then for France in 1920. In Paris, Kuprin writes three long stories, many short stories and essays. In 1937, at the invitation of the government and personal permission of Stalin, he returned to the USSR. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from cancer. He was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery next to Turgenev.

Very short biography (in a nutshell)

Born on September 7, 1870 in the city of Narovchat, Penza region. Father - Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin (1834-1871), official. Mother - Lyubov Alekseevna (1838-1910). In 1880 he entered the Moscow Cadet Corps, and in 1887 he entered the Alexander Military School. On February 3, 1902 he married Maria Davydova. Since 1907, Heinrich began to live with Elizabeth. From two marriages he had three daughters. In 1920 he emigrated to France. In 1937 he returned to the USSR. Died on August 25, 1938 at the age of 67. He was buried in St. Petersburg on the Literary Bridge of the Volkovsky Cemetery. Main works: “The Duel”, “The Pit”, “Moloch”, “Garnet Bracelet”, “The Wonderful Doctor” and others.

Brief biography (details)

Alexander Kuprin is an outstanding Russian realist writer of the late 19th century. The writer was born on September 7, 1870 in the district town of Narovchat, Penza region, in the family of a hereditary nobleman. The writer's father, Ivan Ivanovich, died shortly after the birth of his son. Mother, Lyubov Alekseevna, was from a family of Tatar princes. After the death of her husband, she moved to Moscow, where Alexander, at the age of six, was sent to an orphanage. In 1880 he entered the Moscow Cadet Corps, and in 1887 he entered the Alexander Military School. He would later write about the years spent at this school in the story “At the Turning Point” and in the novel “Junker”.

The writer's first literary experience manifested itself in poems that were never published. Kuprin's work was first published in 1889. It was the story "The Last Debut". The writer collected rich material for his future works while serving in the Dnieper Infantry Regiment in 1890. A few years later, his works “Russian Wealth”, “Overnight”, “Inquiry”, “Hike” and others were published. It is believed that Kuprin was a very greedy person for impressions and loved to lead a wandering lifestyle. He was interested in people of various professions, from engineers to organ grinders. For this reason, the writer could equally well describe a variety of subjects in his books.

The 1890s were fruitful for Kuprin. It was then that one of his best stories, “Moloch,” was published. In the 1900s, the writer met such literary geniuses as Bunin, Gorky, Chekhov. In 1905, the writer’s most significant work appeared - the story “The Duel”. This story immediately brought great success to the writer, and he began to give readings of individual chapters in the capital. And with the appearance of the stories “The Pit” and “The Garnet Bracelet,” his prose became a significant part of Russian literature.

The turning point in Kuprin’s life was the revolution that broke out in the country. In 1920, the writer emigrated to France, where he spent almost seventeen years. This was a kind of calm period in his work. However, after returning to his homeland, he wrote his last essay, “Native Moscow.” The writer died on the night of August 25, 1938 and was buried on the Literary Bridge in St. Petersburg.

Brief biography video (for those who prefer to listen)

Life and work of A. I. Kuprin.

The future master of the pen was born into a noble family on September 7, 1870, in the Penza province, Narovchat. His parents were nobles.
At the age of six, Sasha was sent to the Moscow Razumov School. The next stage of his training was a military gymnasium, after which, becoming a cadet, he was trained at the Alexander Military School until 1890 G.
At the school, the future master of words wrote his first youthful poems, some of which have survived to this day. The first publication appeared in 1889 year in a magazine called “Russian satirical leaflet” and was called “The Last Debut”.
While holding the rank of second lieutenant in an infantry regiment, Kuprin continued to try his hand at writing. His works: “In the Dark”, “Inquiry”, “Moonlit Night” were published in St. Petersburg by the magazine “Russian Wealth”.
The army's cruel morals, hopeless boredom and endless drills, turned the military man away from continuing his service. Having gone to 1894 year after retirement, he settled in Kiev. After moving to this city, books were published: a book of stories “Miniatures” and a collection of essays “Kyiv Types”.
For about seven years, Alexander Ivanovich traveled around the expanses of his homeland and mastered various crafts, worked as a land surveyor, fisherman, teacher, actor, and even worked in a circus. The accumulated impressions are reflected in his books. For example, the story “Moloch” describes the hopeless, exhausting work of factory workers. And in 1898 "Polessye Stories" and the story "Olesya" were created.
The wanderings ended in 1901 year and the young writer, on the advice of I. Bunin, settled in St. Petersburg and married M.K. Davydova. He was hired by the Magazine for Everyone.
The heyday of the author's talent occurred in the years between the two revolutions. IN 1905 year the story “The Duel” was published. She brought Kuprin universal fame. Publications followed one after another, with 1904 by 1917 The following stories were published: “The Garnet Bracelet”, “Gambrinus”, “Emerald”, “Shulamith”, the story “The Pit”, as well as the first collected works.
Friendship with M. Gorky and A. Chekhov greatly contributed to the development of the writer and his participation in the life of society. Alexander Ivanovich helped the rebel sailors from the cruiser "Ochakov" hide from the police. When World War I began, Alexander voluntarily joined the active army, but was soon demobilized. Upon his return, he placed wounded soldiers in his house in Gatchina.
Changes also affected family life. Having divorced his first wife, he married E.M. Heinrich. IN 1909 year, the prose writer’s work was awarded the Pushkin Prize. And in 1915 The complete collected works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin were published.
February Revolution 1917 years brought the prose writer closer to the Socialist Revolutionaries. He accepted it with enthusiasm, but the new government brought dictatorship and civil war to the country. Disappointed, Kuprin joined Yudenich’s army, and in 1920 immigrated with his wife and daughter to France.
Alexander Ivanovich continued to work in immigration. The autobiographical novel “Junker”, the books “New Tales and Stories”, “Elan”, “Wheel of Time” were created there. But life abroad turned out to be filled with poverty and nostalgia for their native land. His return to Russia 1937 year supported by J.V. Stalin.
At home, the Kuprin family was given a warm welcome, housing and medical services were provided. The writer by that time was suffering from esophageal cancer. His last essay, “Native Moscow,” became the final point in the author’s work.
Kuprin A.I. died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad, at the age of 67 years. He rests in the Volkovsky cemetery. His wife did not survive him for long; unable to withstand the hunger during the Leningrad Siege, she committed suicide.
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is an outstanding Russian realist writer; his works describe events in which he was a participant or eyewitness. And they vividly depict the life and everyday life of his contemporaries. With his creativity he managed to make a significant contribution to Russian literature.

The life experience and creativity of A. I. Kuprin are extremely closely related to each other. The autobiographical element occupies an important place in the writer’s books. For the most part, the author wrote about what he saw with his own eyes, experienced in his soul, but not as an observer, but as a direct participant in life’s dramas and comedies. What he experienced and saw was transformed in different ways in his work - there were cursory sketches, an accurate description of specific situations, and a deep socio-psychological analysis.

At the beginning of his literary activity, the classic paid a lot of attention to everyday color. But even then he showed a penchant for social analysis. His entertaining book “Kyiv Types” contains not only picturesque everyday exoticism, but also a hint of the all-Russian social environment. At the same time, Kuprin does not delve into the psychology of people. Only as years passed did he begin to carefully and scrupulously study a variety of human material.

This was especially evident in such a theme of his work as the army environment. The writer’s first realistic work, the story “Inquiry” (1894), is associated with the army. In it, he described the type of person who suffers at the sight of injustice, but is spiritually restless, devoid of strong-willed qualities and unable to fight evil. And such an indecisive truth-seeker begins to accompany all of Kuprin’s work.

Army stories are notable for the writer's faith in the Russian soldier. She makes such works as “Army Ensign”, “Night Shift”, “Overnight” truly spiritual. Kuprin shows the soldier as cheerful, with rough but healthy humor, intelligent, observant, and prone to original philosophizing.

The final stage of creative quest at the early stage of literary activity was the story “Moloch” (1896), which brought real fame to the young writer. In this story, at the center of the action is a humane, kind, impressionable person who reflects on life. Society itself is shown as a transitional formation, that is, one in which changes are brewing that are unclear not only to the characters, but also to the author.

Love occupied a large place in the work of A. I. Kuprin. The writer can even be called a singer of love. An example of this is the story “On the Road” (1894). The beginning of the story does not foreshadow anything sublime. A train, a compartment, a married couple - an elderly boring official, his young beautiful wife and a young artist who happened to be with them. He becomes interested in the official's wife, and she becomes interested in him.

At first glance, it is a story of a banal romance and adultery. But no, the writer’s skill turns a trivial plot into a serious topic. The story shows how a chance meeting illuminates the lives of two good people with honest souls. Kuprin constructed his little work with such psychological precision that he was able to say a lot in it.

But the most remarkable work dedicated to the theme of love is the story “Olesya”. It can be called a forest fairy tale, drawn with the authenticity and precision of details inherent in realistic art. The girl herself is an integral, serious, deep nature, she has a lot of sincerity and spontaneity. And the hero of the story is an ordinary person with an amorphous character. But under the influence of a mysterious forest girl, his soul brightens and, it seems, is ready to become a noble and integral person.

The work of A. I. Kuprin conveys not only the concrete, everyday, visible, but also rises to symbolism, implying the very spirit of certain phenomena. Such, for example, is the story “Swamp”. The overall coloring of the story is heavy and gloomy, similar to the swamp fog in which the action takes place. This almost plotless work shows the slow death of a peasant family in a forest lodge.

The artistic means used by the classic are such that there is a feeling of a disastrous nightmare. And the very image of a forest, dark and ominous swamp takes on an expanded meaning, creating the impression of some kind of abnormal swamp life smoldering in the gloomy corners of a huge country.

In 1905, the story “The Duel” was published, in which the methods of psychological analysis indicate Kuprin’s connection with the traditions of Russian classics of the 19th century. In this work, the writer showed himself to be a first-class master of words. He once again proved his ability to comprehend the dialectics of soul and thought, to artistically draw typical characters and typical circumstances.

A few words should also be said about the story “Staff Captain Rybnikov.” Before Kuprin, no one in Russian or foreign literature had created such a psychological detective story. The fascination of the story lies in the picturesque two-plane image of Rybnikov and the psychological duel between him and the journalist Shchavinsky, as well as in the tragic denouement that occurs under unusual circumstances.

The poetry of labor and the aroma of the sea pervade the stories “Listrigons”, which tell about Balaklava Greek fishermen. In this series, the classic showed the original corner of the Russian Empire in all its beauty. In the stories, the concreteness of the descriptions is combined with a kind of epicness and simple-minded fabulousness.

In 1908, the story “Shulamith” appeared, which was called a hymn to female beauty and youth. This is a prose poem that combines sensuality and spirituality. There is a lot of bold, daring, frank in the poem, but there is no falsehood. The work tells about the poetic love of a king and a simple girl, which ends tragically. Shulamith becomes a victim of dark forces. The killer's sword kills her, but he is unable to destroy the memory of her and her love.

It must be said that the classic always had an interest in “little”, “ordinary people”. He made such a person a hero in the story “The Garnet Bracelet” (1911). The message of this brilliant story is that love is as strong as death. The originality of the work lies in the gradual and almost imperceptible increase in the tragic theme. There is also a certain Shakespearean note. She breaks through the quirks of the funny official and captivates the reader.

The story “Black Lightning” (1912) is interesting in its own way. In it, the work of A.I. Kuprin is revealed from another side. This work depicts provincial, provincial Russia with its apathy and ignorance. But it also shows those spiritual forces that lurk in provincial towns and make themselves felt from time to time.

During the First World War, such a work as “Violets” came out from the pen of a classic, glorifying the spring season in a person’s life. And the continuation was social criticism, embodied in the story “Cantaloupe”. In it, the writer paints the image of a cunning businessman and hypocrite who profits from military supplies.

Even before the war, Kuprin began working on a powerful and deep social canvas, which he called darkly and briefly - “The Pit”. The first part of this story was published in 1909, and in 1915 the publication of “The Pit” was completed. The work created true images of women who found themselves at the bottom of their lives. The classic masterfully depicted individual character traits and the dark corners of the big city.

Finding himself in exile after the October Revolution and the Civil War, Kuprin began to write about old Russia as an amazing past that always pleased and amused him. The main essence of his works of this period was to reveal the inner world of his heroes. At the same time, the writer often turned to the memories of his youth. This is how the novel “Junker” appeared, which made a significant contribution to Russian prose.

The classic describes the loyal mood of future infantry officers, youthful love, and such an eternal theme as maternal love. And of course, the writer does not forget nature. It is communication with nature that fills the youthful soul with joy and gives impetus to the first philosophical reflections.

“The Junkers” skillfully and knowledgeably describes the life of the school, while it provides not only educational, but also historical information. The novel is also interesting in the gradual formation of a young soul. The reader is presented with a chronicle of the spiritual development of one of the Russian youths of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. This work can be called an elegy in prose with great artistic and educational merits.

The skill of a realist artist and sympathy for the ordinary citizen with his everyday everyday worries were extremely clearly manifested in the miniature essays dedicated to Paris. The writer united them with one name - “Paris at home”. When A.I. Kuprin’s work was in its infancy, he created a series of essays about Kyiv. And after many years in exile, the classic returned to the genre of urban sketches, only the place of Kyiv was now taken by Paris.

French impressions were uniquely reunited with nostalgic memories of Russia in the novel “Zhaneta”. It soulfully conveyed the state of restlessness, mental loneliness, and unquenched thirst to find a loved one. The novel “Zhaneta” is one of the most masterful and psychologically subtle works and, perhaps, the saddest creation of the classic.

The fabulous and legendary work “The Blue Star” appears to readers as witty and original in its essence. In this romantic tale, the main theme is love. The plot takes place in an unknown fantasy country, where an unknown people live with their own culture, customs, and morals. And a brave traveler, a French prince, penetrates this unknown country. And of course, he meets a fairytale princess.

Both she and the traveler are beautiful. They fell in love with each other, but the girl considers herself ugly, and all the people consider her ugly, although they love her for her kind heart. But the fact was that the people who inhabited the country were real freaks, but considered themselves handsome. The princess was not like her compatriots, and she was perceived as ugly.

A brave traveler takes the girl to France, and there she realizes that she is beautiful, and the prince who saved her is also beautiful. But she considered him a freak, just like herself, and felt very sorry for him. This work has entertaining, good-natured humor, and the plot is somewhat reminiscent of good old fairy tales. All this made “Blue Star” a significant phenomenon in Russian literature.

In emigration, the work of A. I. Kuprin continued to serve Russia. The writer himself lived an intense, fruitful life. But every year it became more and more difficult for him. The stock of Russian impressions was drying up, but the classic could not merge with foreign reality. Taking care of a piece of bread was also important. And therefore one cannot help but pay tribute to the talented author. Despite his difficult years, he managed to make a significant contribution to Russian literature.