V. Stasov and his importance as an art critic

Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov(January 2, 1824, St. Petersburg - October 10, 1906, St. Petersburg) - Russian music and art critic, art historian, archivist, public figure.

The son of the architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov. Vladimir's elder sister Nadezhda (1822-1895) was an outstanding public figure, and his younger brother Dmitry (1828-1918) was an outstanding lawyer.

Biography

In 1836, Vladimir Stasov was sent to the School of Law. Even at the school, Stasov was imbued with a keen interest in music, but he did not find any special composer inclinations in himself, and decided for the first time to try his hand at the field of criticism. In 1842, he wrote an article about F. Liszt, who arrived in St. Petersburg, although he did not publish it anywhere.

After graduating from college in 1843, he entered the service of assistant secretary in the Land Survey Department of the Senate, from 1848 he served as secretary in the Department of Heraldry, and from 1850 as assistant legal adviser in the Department of Justice. Stasov was fluent in six languages.

In 1847, with publications in " Domestic notes» his first article - about French composer Hector Berlioz, began his literary and critical activity. In the same year, Stasov was invited by the publisher of Otechestvennye Zapiski Kraevsky to cooperate in the department of foreign literature. Since that time, Stasov began to write small reviews on painting, sculpture, architecture and music. In 1847-1848 he published about 20 articles.

In 1848, for his connection with the Petrashevites, Stasov was suspended from work in the magazine, arrested and imprisoned in Peter and Paul Fortress. In 1851, V. V. Stasov retired and, as secretary of the Ural industrialist and philanthropist A. N. Demidov, a very rich man, an admirer of the arts, went abroad. Worked in major libraries and archives. He was a librarian at the Demidov estate in San Donato near Florence, often visited Russian artists and architects living in Italy - Alexander Bryullov, Sergei Ivanov, Vorobyov and Aivazovsky.

In May 1854, V.V. Stasov returned to St. Petersburg. At that time, with his help, an artistic association of composers took shape, which became known under the name given by Stasov. mighty bunch. In the 1860s, Stasov supported the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, with which all his activities are closely connected. Stasov was one of the main inspirers and historian of the "Wanderers", took an active part in the preparation of the first and a number of their subsequent exhibitions. At the end of 1856, the director of the Public Library in St. Petersburg, M.A. Korf, offered Stasov a job as his assistant, namely, to collect materials on the history of the life and reign of Nicholas I.

In 1856-1872, Stasov worked at the Public Library, having his own desk in the Art Department. On his initiative, a number of exhibitions of ancient Russian manuscripts are being organized. In November 1872, he was accepted to the full-time position of a librarian, until the end of his life he was in charge of the Art Department. In this position, he constantly consulted writers, artists, composers, collected manuscripts of Russian artists, especially composers (largely thanks to Stasov, the Russian National Library now has the most complete archives composers of the Petersburg school).

In 1900, together with his friend Leo Tolstoy, he was elected an honorary member of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

He died on October 23, 1906 in St. Petersburg. He was buried in the necropolis of the masters of arts of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The bronze monument over the grave is the work of the sculptor I. Ya. Gintsburg and the architect I. P. Ropet.

views

Stasov actively supported the movement of the Wanderers and opposed the uncontested domination of academic art. His critical articles and monographs on the most famous representatives of Russian art today (N. N. Ge, V. V. Vereshchagin, I. E. Repin, M. P. Mussorgsky, A. P. Borodin, K. P. Bryullov, etc.), and also the extensive correspondence with them is of the greatest interest. He is also known as an opponent of the music critic (and his former friend) A. N. Serov in discussing the merits of two operas by M. I. Glinka; Stasov was a researcher and promoter of the composer's work.

Stasov was the ideologist of a new direction in music, represented by a group of St. Petersburg composers, whom he called "The Mighty Handful".

Stasov was also an active critic of anti-Semitism, and was a connoisseur of Jewish art. So in response to Richard Wagner's essay "Jewishness in Music", he answered in the essay "Jewishness in Europe / According to Richard Wagner /" (1869), where he sharply criticized the composer's anti-Semitism

Addresses in St. Petersburg

• 01/02/1824 - 1830 - 1st line of Vasilyevsky Island, 16;
• 1854-1873 - Mokhovaya street, 26;
• 1873-1877 - Trofimov's house - Shestilavochnaya street, 11;
• 1877-1881 - Sergievskaya street, 81;
• 1881-1890 - tenement house- Znamenskaya street, 26, apt. 6;
• 1890-1896 - tenement house - Znamenskaya street, 36;
• 1896 - 10/10/1906 - 7th Rozhdestvenskaya street, 11, apt. 24.

Memory

• In 1957, a memorial plaque with the text was installed on the house at 26 Mokhovaya Street: "The outstanding Russian art critic Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov lived and worked in this house from 1854 to 1873." .

Name immortalization

I. S. Turgenev:

Argue with a man smarter than you: he will defeat you ... but from your very defeat you can benefit for yourself. Argue with a man of equal mind: whoever wins, at least you will experience the pleasure of fighting. Argue with a man of the weakest mind: argue not out of a desire to win, but you can be useful to him. Argue even with a fool! You won't get any fame or profit... But why not have some fun sometimes! Do not argue only with Vladimir Stasov!

• In Lipetsk there is Stasova street.
• There is Stasova street in Vladimir.
• There is Stasova Street in Krasnodar (since 1957).
• "Children's Music School. V. V. Stasov” in Moscow.
• There is Stasova street in Minsk.

Activity V. V. Stasova as art criticism was inextricably linked with the development of Russian realistic art and music in the second half of the 19th century. He was their passionate promoter and protector. He was an outstanding representative of Russian democratic realistic art criticism. Stasov, in his criticism of works of art, evaluated them from the point of view of the fidelity of artistic reproduction and interpretation of reality. He tried to compare the images of art with the life that gave birth to them. Therefore, his criticism of works of art often expanded to criticism of the very phenomena of life. Criticism became the affirmation of the progressive and the struggle against the reactionary, anti-popular, backward and evil in public life. Art criticism was at the same time journalism. In contrast to the former art criticism - highly specialized or designed only for professional artists and connoisseurs, connoisseurs of art - the new, democratic criticism appealed to a wide range of viewers. Stasov believed that the critic is the interpreter of public opinion; it must express the tastes and demands of the public. Stasov's many years of critical activity, imbued with deep conviction, principled and passionate, really received public recognition. Stasov not only promoted the realistic art of the Wanderers, but also the very new, democratic, progressive criticism. He gave her authority public importance. Stasov was an extremely versatile and deeply educated person. He was interested not only in fine arts and music, but also in literature. He wrote studies, critical articles and reviews on archeology and art history, on architecture and music, on folk and decorative arts, read a lot, owned most European languages as well as classical Greek and Latin. He owed his great erudition to continuous labor and his inexhaustible curiosity. These qualities of his - the versatility of interests, erudition, high education, the habit of constant, systematic mental work, as well as the love of writing - were developed in him by his upbringing and living environment.

Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov was born in 1824. He was the last, fifth child in a large family of the outstanding architect V.P. Stasov. From childhood, his father instilled in him an interest in art and diligence. He taught the boy to systematic reading, to the habit of expressing his thoughts and impressions in literary form. So, from his youth, the foundations of that love for literary work, that hunting and ease with which Stasov wrote were laid. He left behind a huge literary legacy.

After graduating from the School of Law in 1843, young Stasov serves in the Senate and at the same time independently studies music and art which attracted him in particular. In 1847, his first article appeared - "Live Pictures and Other art objects Petersburg". It opens the critical activity of Stasov.Stasov was greatly benefited by his work as a secretary for the Russian rich man A. N. Demidov in Italy, in the possession of his San Donato, near Florence. Living there in 1851 - 1854, Stasov is diligently working on his art education.

Karl Bryullov Portrait of A.N. Demidov 1831. Anatoly Nikolaevich Demidov (1812, Florence, Italy - 1870, Paris, France) - Russian and French philanthropist, real state councilor, Prince of San Donato. Representative of the Demidov family, the youngest son of Nikolai Nikitich Demidov from his marriage to Elizaveta Alexandrovna Stroganova. He lived most of his life in Europe, only occasionally coming to Russia.

Shortly after returning home to St. Petersburg, Stasov began working at the Public Library. He worked here all his life, heading the Art Department. The collection and study of books, manuscripts, engravings, etc. further develops Stasov's knowledge and becomes the source of his enormous erudition. He helps with advice and consultation to artists, musicians, directors, obtaining the necessary information for them, looking for historical sources for their work on paintings, sculptures, and theatrical productions. Stasov spins in wide circle outstanding cultural figures, writers, artists, composers, artists, public figures. He developed especially close ties with young realist artists and musicians who were looking for new ways in art. He is keenly interested in the affairs of the Wanderers and musicians from the Mighty Handful group (by the way, the name itself belongs to Stasov), helps them both in organizational and ideological matters.

The breadth of Stasov's interests was reflected in the fact that he organically combined the work of an art historian with the work of an art critic. Living, active participation in modern artistic life, in the struggle of democratic, advanced art with the old, backward and reactionary, helped Stasov in his work on the study of the past. The best, most faithful aspects of their historical and archaeological research, judgments about folk art Stasov was indebted to his critical activity. The struggle for realism and nationality in contemporary art helped him to better understand the issues of art history.

Tolstoy L.N., S.A., Alexandra Lvovna, V.V. Stasov, Ginsburg, M.A. Maklakov. From the life of L.N. Tolstoy. Pictures of the work exclusively c. S.A. Tolstoy.

Stasov's outlook on art and his artistic convictions took shape in the midst of a high democratic upsurge in the late 1850s and early 1860s. The struggle of the revolutionary democrats against serfdom, against the feudal estate system, against the autocratic-police regime for the new Russia extended to the sphere of literature and art. It was a struggle against the backward views on art that reigned in the ruling class and had official recognition. The degenerate noble aesthetics proclaimed "pure art", "art for art's sake". The sublime, cold and abstract beauty or the sugary conditional external beauty of such art was opposed to the real surrounding reality. To these reactionary and dead views of art, the democrats oppose life-related, nourishing ones. giving it realistic art and literature. N. Chernyshevsky in his famous dissertation "The Aesthetic Relations of Art to Reality" proclaims that "life is beautiful", that the field of art is "everything that is interesting for a person in life." Art should cognize the world and be a "textbook of life". In addition, it must make its own judgments about life, have "the meaning of a sentence on the phenomena of life."

These views of the revolutionary democrats formed the basis of Stasov's aesthetics. He strove in his critical activity to proceed from them, although he himself did not rise to the level of revolutionism. He considered Chernyshevsky, Dobrolyubov, Pisarev "column-drivers of the new art" ("25 years of Russian art"). He was a democrat and a deeply progressive person who defended the ideas of freedom, progress, art connected with life and promoting advanced ideas.

In the name of such art, he begins his struggle with the Academy of Arts, with its educational system and with its art. The Academy was hostile to him both as a reactionary government institution and because of its obsolescence, isolation from life, and the pedantry of its artistic positions. In 1861, Stasov published an article "On the subject of an exhibition at the Academy of Arts." With it, he begins his struggle with obsolete academic art, in which mythological and religious subjects far from life prevailed, for a new, realistic art. This was the beginning of his long and passionate critical struggle. In the same year it was written big job"On the Significance of Bryullov and Ivanov in Russian Art". Stasov considers the contradictions in the work of these famous artists as a reflection of the transition period. He reveals in their works the struggle of a new, realistic beginning with an old, traditional one and seeks to prove that it was these new, realistic features and trends in their work that ensured their role in the development of Russian art."What a strong and new movement was conceived by all this art! How all views and aspirations have turned upside down! How things have changed from before! The new art also received a new physiognomy. Approaching his works—whatever the degree of their merit—one senses that what is at stake here is not at all what was going on during the last period of art that preceded our time. It is no longer about virtuosity, not about the skill of execution, not about panache, skill and brilliance, but about the very content of the paintings ..."

Karl Bryullov (1799-1852) Portrait of Princess E.P. Saltykova. 1833-1835

In 1863, 14 artists refused to complete their graduation theme, the so-called "program", defending the freedom of creativity and a realistic depiction of modernity. This "revolt" of the students of the academy was a reflection of the revolutionary upsurge and awakening of the public in the field of art. These "Protestants", as they were called, founded the Artel of Artists. It then grew into a powerful movement, the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. These were the first not governmental and not noble, but democratic public organizations artists in which they were their own masters. Stasov warmly welcomed the creation first of the Artel, and then of the Association of the Wanderers.

If the Artel was the first attempt in Russian art to create an artistic association independent of official guardianship, then the Partnership implemented this idea.

He rightly saw in them the beginning of a new art and then in every possible way promoted and defended the Wanderers and their art. Our collection contains some of the most interesting of Stasov's articles on the analysis of traveling exhibitions. The article “Kramskoy and Russian Artists” is indicative of its defense of the positions of advanced, realistic art and its prominent figures. In it, Stasov passionately and rightly rebels against the belittling of the importance of the remarkable artist, leader and ideologist of the Wanderers - I. N. Kramskoy.

The authorship of this painting has not yet been revealed, it is known that it was sold at an auction in Israel. The painting depicts Repin, Stasov, Levitan, Surikov, Kuindzhi, Vasnetsov and other artists. On the easel (stretcher), facing us with the "back" side, is the painting by I. Repin (1844-1930) "They Did Not Wait". This painting has a double in plot: the artist Yu.P. Tsyganov (1923-1994), he painted this picture while still a student, - "V.V. Stasov among Russian artists":

An interesting example of the defense of works of realistic art from reactionary and liberal criticism is Stasov's analysis famous painting I. Repin "They didn't wait." In it, Stasov refutes the distortion of its social meaning.

Stasov always sought in the art of deep ideological content and life truth, and from this point of view, first of all, he evaluated the works. He claimed: "Only that is art, great, necessary and sacred, which does not lie and does not fantasize, which does not amuse itself with old toys, but looks with all eyes at what is happening everywhere around us, and, having forgotten the former aristocratic division of plots into high and low, flaming breast clings to everything where there is poetry, thought and life "("Our artistic affairs"). He even inclined at times to consider the craving for the expression of great ideas that excite society as one of the characteristic national features of Russian art. In the article “25 Years of Russian Art”, Stasov, following Chernyshevsky, demands that art be a critic of social phenomena. He defends the tendentiousness of art, considering it as an open expression by the artist of his aesthetic and social views and ideals, as the active participation of art in public life, in the education of people, in the struggle for advanced ideals.

Stasov argued: “Art that does not come from the roots folk life if not always useless and insignificant, then at least always powerless. Stasov's great merit is that he welcomed the reflection of people's life in the paintings of the Wanderers. He encouraged this in every possible way in their work. He gave a careful analysis and high appreciation of the display of images of the people and folk life in Repin's paintings "Barge haulers on the Volga" and especially " Procession in the Kursk province.

I. Repin Barge Haulers on the Volga

He especially put forward such pictures in which the protagonist is the mass, the people. He called them "choirs". For showing the people in the war, he praises Vereshchagin, in his appeal to the people of art he sees similarities in the work of Repin and Mussorgsky.

I. Repin Procession in the Kursk province 1880—1883

Stasov here really grasped the most important and significant thing in the work of the Wanderers: the features of their nationality. Showing the people not only in its oppression and suffering, but also in its strength and greatness, in the beauty and richness of types and characters; defending the interests of the people was the most important merit and life feat itinerant artists. It was real patriotism and the Wanderers and their herald - criticism of Stasov.With all the passion of his nature, with all the journalistic fervor and talent, Stasov throughout his life defended the idea of ​​​​independence and originality in the development of Russian art. At the same time, the false idea of ​​the alleged isolation, or exclusivity, of the development of Russian art was alien to him. Defending its originality and originality, Stasov understood that it generally obeys general laws development of new European art. Thus, in the article “25 Years of Russian Art”, speaking about the origin of Russian realistic art in the work of P.A. Fedotov (1815-1852), he compares it with similar phenomena in Western European art, establishing both the commonality of development and its national identity. Ideological, realism and nationality - these main features Stasov defended and promoted in his contemporary art.

Pavel Fedotov Major's matchmaking.

The breadth of interests and the great versatile education of Stasov allowed him to consider painting not in isolation, but in connection with literature and music. The comparison of painting with music is especially interesting. It is characteristically expressed in the article "Perov and Mussorgsky".Stasov fought against the theories of “pure art”, “art for art’s sake” in all their manifestations, whether it was a topic far from life, whether it was the “protection” of art from “rough everyday life”, whether it was the desire to “liberate” painting from literature, whether it was and, finally, contrasting the artistry of works with their practical usefulness and utility. In this regard, the letter "Introductory Lecture by Mr. Prakhov at the University" is interesting.

I. Repin IN. IN. Stasov at his dacha in the village of Starozhilovka near Pargolov. 1889

The heyday of Stasov's critical activity dates back to 1870-1880. At this time, his best works were written, and at this time he enjoyed the greatest public recognition and influence . Stasov further, until the end of his life, defended the public service of art, argued that it should serve social progress. Stasov struggled all his life with opponents of realism on different stages development of Russian art. But, closely associated with the Wandering movement of 1870-1880 as a critic based on this art and its principles, Stasov was unable to go further. He could not truly perceive and understand the new artistic phenomena in Russian art. late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century. Being fundamentally right in the fight against decadent, decadent phenomena, he often unfairly ranked among them the works of artists who were not decadent. The aging critic, in the heat of controversy, sometimes did not understand the complexity and inconsistency of new phenomena, did not see their positive aspects, reducing everything only to fallacy or limitation.

But, of course, in the best works criticism is not all true and acceptable to us. Stasov was the son of his time, and in his views and concepts, along with very valuable, there were also weak and limited sides. They were especially significant in his scientific historical research, where he sometimes retreated from his own positions of independence in the development of the art of the people, identified the concepts of nationality and nationality, etc. And his critical articles are not free from errors and one-sidedness. So, for example, in the heat of the fight against the obsolete old art, Stasov came to deny the achievements and value of the Russian Art XVIII — early XIX century as allegedly dependent and non-national. To a certain extent, he shared here the delusions of those contemporary historians who believed that the reforms of Peter I broke off the supposedly national tradition of the development of Russian culture. In the same way, in the fight against the reactionary positions of the contemporary Academy of Arts, Stasov came to its complete and absolute denial. In both cases, we see how an outstanding critic sometimes lost his historical approach to the phenomena of art in the heat of passionate polemics. In the closest and most contemporary art to him, he sometimes underestimated individual artists, such as Surikov or Levitan. Along with a deep and correct analysis of some of Repin's paintings, he misunderstood others. The correct and deep understanding of nationality in painting is opposed by Stasov's external understanding of it in contemporary architecture. This was due to the weak development of the very architecture of his time, its low artistry.

Stasov V.V. (among artists)

It would be possible to point out other erroneous or extreme opinions of Stasov, caused by polemical enthusiasm and the circumstances of the struggle. But not these mistakes or delusions of the remarkable critic, but his strengths, fidelity to its basic provisions are important and valuable to us. He was strong and truly great as a democratic critic, who gave artistic criticism great social significance and weight. He was right in the main, main and decisive: in the public understanding of art, in upholding realism, in asserting that it is the realistic method, the connection of art with life, the service of this life that ensures the flourishing, height and beauty of art. This statement of realism in art is historical meaning, the strength and dignity of Stasov. This is the enduring significance of his critical works, their value and instructiveness for us today. Stasov's works are also important for getting acquainted with the historical development and achievements of Russian realistic art.

A.M. Gorky, V.V. Stasov, I.E. Repin on "Pushkin Alley" in "Penates"

What is instructive and valuable for us in Stasov-criticism is not only his great adherence to principles, the clarity and firmness of his aesthetic positions, but also his passion, the temperament with which he defends his convictions. Until the end of his days (Stasov died in 1906) he remained a critic-fighter. Remarkable is his love of art and devotion to what he considered in it to be genuine and beautiful. This living connection with art, the feeling of it as his own work, practical and necessary, was correctly described by M. Gorky in his memoirs of Stasov. Love for art dictates both its affirmations and its denials; he always "burned the flame of great love for the beautiful."

I. Repin Portrait of Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov. 1900

In this direct experience of art, in the passionate defense of its vital meaning and importance, in the affirmation of the realistic, needed by the people, serving him and drawing his strength and inspiration from art in his life, and lies the most important and instructive, highly valued and respected by us in the works of Stasov.

Stasov Vladimir Vasilievich

WITH tasov (Vladimir Vasilievich) - the son of the previous one, an archaeologist and a writer in part fine arts, born in 1824, died in 1906. He completed a course at the Imperial School of Law. He first served in the boundary department of the government. Senate, then in the department of heraldry and at a consultation with the Ministry of Justice. Having retired in 1851, he went to foreign lands and until the spring of 1854 he lived mainly in Florence and Rome. In 1856, he entered the service of the commission for collecting materials on the life and reign of the emperor, which was under the control of the bar. , and wrote, on the basis of original documents, several historical works, including studies: "Young years of Emperor Nicholas I before his marriage", "Review of the history of censorship in the reign of Emperor Nicholas I", "Review of the activities of the III department of His Majesty's own office during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I", "History of Emperor Ivan Antonovich and his family", "History of attempts to introduce the Gregorian calendar in Russia and in some Slavic lands"(compiled on the basis of data state archive and printed, by the Highest command, only in a small number of copies not designated for circulation in the public). All these studies were written specifically for the emperor and entered his personal library. Since 1863, Stasov for about 20 years was a member of the general presence of the II branch of His Majesty's Own Chancellery. From 1856 to 1872, he took part in all the work of the art department of the Imperial Public Library, and in the autumn of 1872, he assumed the position of librarian of this department. In the early 1860s he was the editor of Izvestia of the Imperial Archaeological Society, as well as the secretary of the ethnographic department of the Imperial Geographical Museum, which he arranged in collaboration with. On behalf of the Academy of Sciences, he wrote reviews of works: "On the history of Russian engraving" (in 1858 and 1864), Archimandrite Macarius - on Novgorod antiquities (1861), - on the history and technique of Russian lace (1886), etc. Since 1847 he published articles in more than fifty Russian and foreign periodicals and published several essays in separate books. Of these articles and publications, the most important are: a) on archeology and art history - "The Vladimir Treasure" (1866), "Russian Folk Ornament" (1872), "The Jewish Tribe in the Creations of European Art" (1873), "The Catacomb with Frescoes in Kerch "(1875), "Capitals of Europe" (1876), "Arc and Gingerbread Horse" (1877), " Orthodox churches Western Russia in the 16th century" (1880), "Notes on ancient Russian clothing and weapons" (1882), "Twenty-five years of Russian art" (1882 - 3), "Brakes of Russian art" (1885), "Coptic and Ethiopian architecture" (1885), "Paintings and compositions hidden in capital letters ancient Russian manuscripts" (1884), "The throne of Khiva khans" (1886), "Armenian manuscripts and their ornamentation" (1886); in addition, critical articles about the works of artists, and about the writings of D.A. Rovinsky; b) biographies artists and artists-, and, I. Repin, V. Vereshchagin, V. Prokhorov, as well as a zealot of national education; c) articles on the history of literature and ethnography - "The Origin of Russian Epics" (1868), "The Oldest Tale in the World" (1868), "An Egyptian Tale in the Hermitage" (1882), "About Victor Hugo and His Significance for France" ( 1877), "On the Russians of Ibn Fadlan" (1881). In 1886, by the Highest order, at the expense of the state treasury, Stasov published an extensive collection of drawings, entitled: "Slavic and Oriental ornament according to manuscripts from the 4th to the 19th century" - the result of thirty years of research in the main libraries and museums throughout Europe. At present, he is preparing for publication an essay on Jewish ornamentation, with an atlas of chromolithographed tables attached - a work based on drawings of Jewish manuscripts of the 10th - 14th centuries stored in the Imperial Public Library. Collection of Op. Stasov was published in three volumes (St. Petersburg, 1894). In his numerous articles on Russian art, Stasov, without touching at all artistic technique performance, always put in the first place the richness and nationality of the works of art he considered. His convictions, however contested, were always sincere. Lately, he has especially tried to oppose with his articles the new trends in painting, which received the general name of decadence. A.S.
Stasov's work on the origin of epics played a particularly important role in the history of Russian science. It appeared at a time when populist sentimentality or mystical and allegorical interpretations reigned in the study of the ancient Russian epic. Contrary to the opinion that epics are an original national work, a repository of ancient folk traditions, Stasov argued that our epics were entirely borrowed from the East, and even that was only a retelling of his epic works, poems and fairy tales, moreover, the retelling is incomplete, fragmentary, which is always inaccurate. a copy, the details of which can only be understood by comparison with the original; that plots, although Aryan (Indian) in essence, came to us more often from second hands, from the Turkic peoples and in Buddhist processing; that the time of borrowing is rather later, around the era of the Tatars, and does not belong to the centuries of long-standing trade relations with the East; that from the side of characters and depictions of personalities, Russian epics did not add anything independent and new to their foreign basis, and did not even reflect the social system of those eras to which, judging by proper names heroes, they belong; that between the epic and the fairy tale there is generally no difference that they suggest, seeing in the first a reflection of the historical fate of the people. This theory made a big boom in the scientific world, caused a lot of objections (among other things, in the Journal of the Ministry of National Education, 1868, No. 11; in the Report on the 12th award of the Uvarov Awards (St. Petersburg, 1870); in the newspaper " Moscow"; in the "Act of the Novorossiysk University", 1869; in "Conversations of the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature" (issue 3, Moscow, 1871); and others) and attacks that did not stop before the suspicion of the author's love for his native, Russian. Not entirely accepted by science, Stasov's theory, however, left deep and lasting traces in it. First of all, it tempered the heat of mythologists, contributed to the elimination of sentimental and allegorical theories, and in general caused a revision of all previous interpretations of our ancient epic- revision, and now unfinished. On the other hand, it outlined a new fruitful path for historical and literary studies, a path proceeding from the fact of communication between peoples in the matter of poetic creativity. Some private conclusions and indications of Stasov (about fragmentary presentation, lack of motivation in some epics borrowed from someone else's source; about the impossibility of considering the class characteristics of various epic heroes historically accurate, etc.) were confirmed by subsequent researchers. Finally, the thought of eastern origin of some of our epic plots is again expressed and systematically carried out, albeit with a completely different apparatus,. The enemy of all false patriotism, Stasov in his literary works acts as an ardent fighter for the national element, in best sense this word, constantly and persistently indicates in what Russian art can find Russian content and convey it not in an imitative foreign, but in an original national manner. Hence the predominance of critical and polemical elements in his work. Z.
Stasov's musical-critical activity, which began in 1847 ("Musical Review" in "Notes of the Fatherland"), embraces more than half a century and is a vivid and vivid reflection of the history of our music during this period of time. Having begun at a dull and sad time in Russian life in general and Russian art in particular, it continued in an era of awakening and a remarkable rise in artistic creativity, the formation of a young Russian musical school, its struggle with routine and its gradual recognition not only here in Russia, but also on West. In countless magazine and newspaper articles. (Articles up to 1886 were published in Stasov's "Collected Works" (vol. III, "Music and Theatre", St. Petersburg, 1894); for a list of articles published after (incomplete and reaching only up to 1895), see "Musical Calendar-Almanac" for 1895 edition of the "Russian Musical Newspaper" (St. Petersburg, 1895, p. 73). Stasov responded to every somewhat remarkable event in the life of our new music school, passionately and with conviction new works, fiercely repelling the attacks of opponents of the new direction.Not being a real specialist musician (composer or theorist), but having received a general musical education, which he expanded and deepened self-study and familiarity with outstanding works Western art(not only new, but also old - old Italians, Bach, etc.), Stasov did not go into special technical analysis the formal side of the analyzed musical works, but with all the greater fervor defended their aesthetic and historical significance. Guided by a fiery love for his native art and its best figures, a natural critical flair, a clear awareness of the historical necessity of the national direction of art and an unshakable faith in its final triumph, Stasov could sometimes go too far in expressing his enthusiastic passion, but relatively rarely made mistakes in general assessment everything significant, talented and original. By this he connected his name with the history of our national music for the second half of XIX centuries. In terms of sincerity of conviction, disinterested enthusiasm, vehemence of presentation and feverish energy, Stasov stands completely apart not only among our music critics, but also among European ones. In this respect, he is somewhat reminiscent of, leaving, of course, any comparison of their literary gifts and importance. It is to Stasov’s great merit before Russian art that his inconspicuous work should be put as a friend and adviser to our composers (starting with, whose friend Stasov was for a long series of years, and ending with representatives of the young Russian school -, etc.), who discussed with them their artistic intentions, the details of the script and the libretto that busied themselves with their personal affairs and contributed to the perpetuation of their memory after their death (biography, for a long time the only one we have, biographies of Mussorgsky and our other composers, publication of their letters, various memoirs and biographical materials, etc.). Stasov did a lot as a historian of music (Russian and European). His articles and brochures are devoted to European art: "L" abbe Santini et sa collection musicale a Rome "(Florence, 1854, Russian translation in the "Library for Reading", 1852), a lengthy description of autographs foreign musicians belonging to the Imperial Public Library ("Domestic Notes", 1856), "Liszt, Schumann and Berlioz in Russia" ("Northern Herald", 1889, No. 7 and 8; extracts from here "Liszt in Russia" were printed with some additions to " Russian Musical Newspaper", 1896, No. 8 - 9); "Letters of a great man" (Fr. Liszt, "Northern Herald", 1893), " New biography Liszt" ("Northern Herald", 1894), etc. Articles on the history of Russian music: "What is beautiful demesne singing" ("Proceedings of the Imperial Archaeological Society", 1863, vol. V); description of Glinka's manuscripts ("Report of the Imperial Public Library for 1857"); a number of articles in the third volume of his works, including: "Our music for the last 25 years" ("Bulletin of Europe", 1883, No. 10), "Brakes of Russian Art" (ibid., 1885, No. 5, 6) and others; biographical sketch "N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov" ("Northern Herald", 1899, No. 12); "German organs among Russian amateurs" ("Historical Bulletin", 1890, No. 11); "In memory of M.I. Glinka" ("Historical Bulletin", 1892, No. 11, etc.), "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by M.I. Glinka, for the 50th anniversary of the opera ("Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters", 1891 - 1892, etc.), "Assistant Glinka" (Baron F.A. Rahl "Russian Antiquity", 1893, about him "Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters", 1892 - 93), biographical sketch of Ts.A. Cui ("Artist", 1894, No. 2); biographical sketch ("Russian Musical Newspaper", 1895, No. 2); "Russian and foreign operas performed at the Imperial Theaters in Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries" ("Russian Musical Newspaper", 1898, Nos. 1, 2, 3, etc.) "Composition attributed to Bortnyansky" (project for printing hook singing; in the "Russian Musical Newspaper" 1900, No. 47), etc. The letters of Glinka, Serov, Mussorgsky, Prince, Liszt, etc., published by Stasov, are of great importance. Very valuable and a collection of materials on the history of Russian church singing, compiled by Stasov in the late 1950s and handed over by him to a well-known musical archaeologist, who used it for his fundamental work on church singing in Russia. He took great care of the Department of Musical Autographs of the Public Library, where he transferred many different manuscripts of our and foreign composers. See "Russian Musical Newspaper", 1895, No. 9 and 10; F. "V.V. Stasov. Essay on his life and work as a musical writer." S. Bulich.

Other interesting biographies.

Stasov, Vladimir Vasilievich(1824–1906), Russian music and art critic. Born in St. Petersburg on January 2 (14), 1824 in the family of architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov (1769–1848); brother of V.V. Stasov - lawyer Dmitry Vasilyevich Stasov (1828-1918). In 1843 he graduated from the School of Law, studied piano with the famous teacher A. L. Genselt. He served in the Senate, in the Ministry of Justice. From 1856 he worked at the Public Library (now the Russian National Library, RNL) in St. Petersburg, from 1872 until the end of his life he was in charge of its art department. In this post, he constantly advised writers, artists, composers, collected manuscripts of Russian artists, especially composers (largely thanks to Stasov, the National Library of Russia now has the most complete archives of composers of the St. Petersburg school).

Along with the new Russian music, Stasov supported the new Russian painting in every possible way, in particular, he took part in the activities of the Artel of Artists (later the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions - “Wanderers”); created a number of monographs on Russian artists. A special layer of Stasov's activity is his historical and archaeological research - including works on folk ornament, on the origin of epics, as well as on ancient Russian singing; on all these topics, he collected extensive materials, which he often transferred for use by other scientists.

Stasov has always been a figure of "extreme", radical views, and he was often accused (and is accused) of being one-sided. For example, he placed very high opera Glinka and the entire St. Petersburg school, but he appreciated Tchaikovsky almost exclusively as a symphonist, and not opera composer(which did not prevent him from maintaining very warm personal relations with Tchaikovsky); for quite a long time he opposed the system of conservatory education, believing that it levels the national identity of Russian talents. In the work of the St. Petersburg school, beloved by him, Stasov fully accepted everything done by Mussorgsky and Borodin, but, for example, he did not immediately appreciate the evolution of Rimsky-Korsakov's art. This was due to Stasov’s main positions, to which he remained faithful throughout his life, with the concepts of “realism” (which meant, first of all, the choice of topics relevant to modernity, anti-academism) and “nationality” (Stasov considered this category absolutely mandatory when assessing works of art, and in the new Russian music, based on national material, he saw the future of all European art). His particular preference was for artistic concepts based on genuine historical material; he highly appreciated the experiments of Dargomyzhsky and Mussorgsky in conveying the intonations of live speech in music; Stasov's special "horse" was the "Eastern theme", which for him was an integral part of the new Russian art. The rigidity of Stasov's attitudes and the categoricalness of his speeches were balanced, however, by his deep devotion to the interests of science and art, the sincerity of the desire for "new shores", and the artistry of nature. Stasov was often unfair and harsh, but he was always noble and generous and devoted to his friends to the end.

Vladimir Stasov is a music and art critic. His articles popularized the ideas of democratic culture and explained art to the masses. Stasov participated in the creation of the "Mighty Handful" community of composers and supported the movement of Wanderers. Together they fought against academicism and the isolation of art from real life.

Young erudite

Vladimir Stasov was born in St. Petersburg into a noble family. His mother died early, and the boy was raised by his father, the famous architect Vasily Stasov. He taught his son to read systematically and put his thoughts on paper - that's how Stasov fell in love literary work. As a child, Vladimir Stasov dreamed of entering the Academy of Arts and following in the footsteps of his father, but he wanted his son to become an official, so in 1836 he sent his son to the School of Law.

It was at the school that Vladimir Stasov became truly interested in art, especially music. Together with friends, he played scores, arranged operas and ballets, performed romances and arias, participated in performances and concerts. “Hardly in any other Russian educational institution, - Stasov recalled, - music flourished to the same extent as in the school of law. In our time, music has played such an important role with us that, probably, it could be considered one of the largest features of the general physiognomy of the school..

Vladimir Stasov. Photo: aeslib.ru

Mikhail Gorky, Vladimir Stasov and Ilya Repin in Kuokkala. 1900. Photo: ilya-repin.ru

Vladimir Stasov. Photo: nlr.ru

During his studies, Stasov met a young musician Alexander Serov. Together they enthusiastically discussed the works of contemporary painters, novelties of literature and writings. famous composers. During their studies, they studied almost all foreign and domestic musical literature. But the main ideological inspirer of Vladimir Stasov in matters of art was the critic Vissarion Belinsky.

“The enormous significance of Belinsky, of course, did not belong to just one literary part: he cleared our eyes, he educated characters, he chopped, with the hand of a strong man, patriarchal prejudices, by which all of Russia had lived entirely before him, he prepared from afar that healthy and powerful intellectual a movement that took hold and rose a quarter of a century later. We are all direct pupils of his.”

Vladimir Stasov

The formation of a critical view of art

In 1843, Vladimir Stasov graduated from college and got a job as an assistant secretary in the Land Survey Department of the Senate. Five years later, he transferred to the Department of Heraldry, and two years later, to the Department of Justice. But Stasov was not interested in either jurisprudence in general or the career of an official in particular. Most of all he was occupied with art.

Stasov believed that art needed professional critics. He shared the opinion of Vissarion Belinsky: art needs people "who, without producing anything themselves, nevertheless engage in art as their life's work ... studying it themselves, they explain it to others." Later, Stasov put forward the motto of his life "to be useful to others, if he himself was not born a creator."

At 23, Vladimir Stasov published the first critical article about the French composer Hector Berlioz in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski. In the same year, the chief publisher of the magazine, Andrey Kraevsky, invited Stasov to the department of foreign literature and allowed him to write short review articles on painting, music and architecture. For two years of work in Otechestvennye Zapiski, Vladimir Stasov wrote about 20 articles.

In 1851, Vladimir Stasov went abroad with the Ural industrialist and philanthropist Anatoly Demidov as his secretary. Stasov understood that a critic should understand all areas of culture, and therefore in Europe he communicated with musicians and scientists, artists and architects, and studied European art.

“Criticism must contain all the arts, certainly without exception, because they are different aspects and means of one and the same general whole ... then only can there be a complete thought and there will be no more amusing, hitherto existing disputes about which art above: sculpture, or poetry, or music, or painting, or architecture?

Vladimir Stasov

Critical realism by Vladimir Stasov

Ilya Repin. Portrait of Vladimir Stasov. 1905. State Russian Museum

Ilya Repin. Portrait of Vladimir Stasov. 1900. State Russian Museum

Ilya Repin. Portrait of Vladimir Stasov at his dacha in the village of Starozhilovka near Pargolov. 1889. State Tretyakov Gallery

Three years later, Vladimir Stasov returned to St. Petersburg. In Russia at that time, the democratic socio-political movement was gaining strength, and "critical realism" became the dominant trend in culture. He fought against academicism, religious and mythological themes and the isolation of art from the people. Realism proclaimed that art should cognize the world and be a "textbook of life."

Stasov believed that "every nation should have its own national art, and not trail behind others along beaten tracks, on someone else's orders, ”that is why he sought and supported the best representatives of Russian art. In St. Petersburg, Vladimir Stasov became friends with the young composers Mily Balakirev and Alexander Dargomyzhsky. Together they formed a small circle of Russian music lovers.

Later, the members of this circle - Mily Balakirev, Modest Mussorgsky, Alexander Borodin, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Caesar Cui - created the artistic association of composers "The Mighty Handful", the name of which was given by Stasov. The Kuchkists sought to embody the Russian national idea in music, studied musical folklore And church chant- and later used their elements in their compositions. Vladimir Stasov not only wrote articles about young musicians, but also helped them in their work: he suggested plots for operas, selected materials and documents for the libretto.

In the 1860s, Stasov also became friends with members of the Artel of Free Artists. Representatives of the movement rebelled against academicism in painting: they wanted to paint on life themes and not staged scenes. Stasov shared their ideas, defending the principles of realism.

In 1870, the artel was replaced by the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. Inspired by the idea of ​​populism, Moscow and St. Petersburg painters took up educational work and the organization of exhibitions. Vladimir Stasov supported their movement, in his articles he described the social issues that affected the work of the Wanderers, welcomed the reflection of people's life in their paintings.

In parallel, Stasov worked at the Public Library in St. Petersburg: he helped collect historical materials, organized exhibitions of ancient Russian manuscripts, and in 1872 became head of the art department. Over 50 years of service at the St. Petersburg Public Library, Vladimir Stasov has collected large collection works of artists and did a lot to open free access to the library.

In 1900, Stasov was elected an honorary member of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

Vladimir Stasov died in 1906 in St. Petersburg. He was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Two years later, a monumental tombstone with the inscription "Protector of Russian Art" was erected on his grave.