A.S. Griboyedov. Key dates of life and creativity

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Name:
Date of Birth: January 15, 1795
Place of Birth: Moscow, Russian Empire
Date of death: February 11, 1829
A place of death: Tehran, Persia

Biography of Griboyedov Alexander Sergeevich

Alexander Griboedov is known only for one of his plays "Woe from Wit", but he was also an excellent playwright, musician and poet. The comedy "Woe from Wit" is still very popular in the theaters of Russia, and many statements from it have become winged.

Griboedov was born into a very wealthy family and is a descendant of an old noble family. The parents took the education of the boy very seriously, early years showed many of his versatile talents. He received excellent home education and training. This greatly influenced his future life.

In 1803 future writer enters the Moscow University Noble Boarding School. At only 11 years old, Griboyedov began to study at Moscow University in the verbal department. At the age of 13, he received a Ph.D. in verbal sciences. Also, he enters and finishes the other two departments - moral-political and physical-mathematical.

Griboyedov was very versatile and educated, and this is what distinguished him from his contemporaries. He spoke more than ten foreign languages, showed himself as a talented specialist in writing and music.

Griboyedov volunteered in 1812 during World War II. However, he was in the reserve regiment, so he never took part in combat battles. At this time, he first tries to write and creates the comedy "The Young Spouses".

In 1816, Griboyedov went to live in St. Petersburg, where he began working in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, actively mastered and actively developed in the field of literature, and constantly visited theatrical and literary circles. It was here that he managed to get acquainted with Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. He tries himself as a playwright and writes the comedies "His Family" and "Student".

In 1818, the fate of Alexander Griboedov changed dramatically, as he was appointed to the post of secretary of the tsar's attorney, who headed the Russian mission in Tehran. This was a punishment to the writer for participating in a duel as a second, which ended in the death of one of the duelists. The young novice writer missed his native places very much, it was very hard for him to be in a foreign land.

Then, in 1822, he traveled to Georgia, to the city of Tiflis (today Tbilisi), where he wrote the first two parts of his great comedy Woe from Wit. In 1823, Griboyedov returned to his homeland in connection with a vacation, and there he wrote the third and fourth parts. Already in 1824 in St. Petersburg the play was completed. Nobody published it, as it was prohibited by the supervision. Pushkin read the comedy and declared that it was very well written.

Griboedov wanted to travel around Europe, but he had to urgently return to service in Tiflis in 1825. In 1826 he was arrested because of the Decembrist case. Many about once his name was heard during interrogations, however, due to insufficient evidence, the writer was released.

Griboyedov played an important role in the signing of the Turkmanchay peace treaty in 1828, as he delivered the text of the agreement to St. Petersburg. At the same time, he received a new title - the plenipotentiary minister (ambassador) of Russia in Persia. He believed that all plans for the development of literary field collapse because of it.

Griboedov returns to Tiflis, where he marries Nina Chavchavadze, who is only 16 years old. Then they travel together to Persia. There were organizations in the country that were against the peace treaty and that believed that Russia had too much influence on their country. On January 30, 1829, a brutal mob attacked the Russian embassy in Tehran, and Alexander Griboyedov fell victim to it. He was so badly disfigured that the writer was recognized only by the scar on his arm. The body was taken to Tiflis and buried on Mount St. David.

Documentary

Your attention documentary, biography of Griboyedov Alexander Sergeevich.

Bibliography Griboyedov Alexander Sergeevich

Dramaturgy

year unknown
1812 (plan and scene from drama)
1824
Woe from Wit (comedy in four acts in verse)
1826 or 1827
Georgian night (excerpts from the tragedy)
not earlier than 1825
Dialogue of Polovtsian husbands (excerpt)
1823
Who is brother, who is sister, or deception after deception (new vaudeville opera in 1 act)
1814
Young Spouses (comedy in one act, in verse)
1818
Feigned Infidelity (comedy in one act in verse)
1818
Interlude test (interlude in one act)
year unknown
Rodamist and Zenobia (the plan of the tragedy)
1817
Your family, or a married bride (an excerpt from a comedy)
1825
Serchak and Itlyar
1817
Student (comedy in three acts, written together with P. A. Katenin)
1823
The youth of the prophetic (sketch)

The creator of the delightful comedy "Woe from Wit", which was subsequently simply disassembled into quotes. Decembrists talented musician and the smartest diplomat. And all this is Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov. A short biography always contains only superficial data. Here it will be revealed detailed information, based on official facts, which were confirmed by archival documents. What a lot this author has been through. Ups and downs, intrigues and duels, inner feelings and, of course, tender affection for his young wife.

Future writer Griboedov. Biography. Photo

The very story of Griboedov's birth is still shrouded in mystery. If we take various biographical data or track records of Alexander Sergeevich, then significant differences in dates immediately become noticeable. Therefore, the year of birth cannot be indicated exactly, but approximately between one thousand seven hundred and ninety and ninety-five.

Moreover, many biographers speculate that Griboyedov was illegitimate. That is why the dates of his birth in all archival documents are so inaccurate. His mother's family deliberately concealed this fact. Later, a husband was found who hid the shame of the girl and took her with the child. He also had the surname Griboyedov and was one of the poor relatives.

Father and mother of the great writer

A man of low education, a retired major, his father later very rarely appeared in the family, preferring to stay in the village. There he devoted all his time to card games, which significantly depleted his fortune.

The mother of Alexander Sergeevich was a fairly rich and noble lady, who became known not only in Moscow, but also in its environs as an excellent pianist. The woman is very domineering and sharp, but she surrounded her children with warmth and care, and also gave them a wonderful home education. Her family came from Lithuania, they bore the surname Grzybowski. And only in the sixteenth century the family received the name Griboyedov.

Moreover, the Griboyedov family was related to such famous names like Odoevsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Naryshkin. And acquaintances were made with a fairly wide circle of the nobility of the capital.

The beginning of the training of little Alexander

In 1802, Alexander entered the Moscow University boarding school, received several awards there for excellent education, and at the age of eleven he already became a candidate of verbal sciences. Carefully studies many sciences.

All this is just youth biography Griboyedov. Interesting facts of the life of the writer relate to more late period. The only point that needs to be noted is that, despite his excellent learning abilities, Alexander Sergeevich decides to devote himself to military service.

The beginning of a military career

Since 1812, the facts of Griboedov's biography are directly related to his military career. Initially, he was enrolled in the Saltykov regiment, which spent the entire autumn in the Kazan province, without joining the army.

After the death of the count, this regiment was attached to the command of General Kologrivy. And Alexander gets to him as an adjutant, where he became very close to Begichev. So without becoming a participant in a single battle, Griboyedov resigns and comes to St. Petersburg.

Acquaintance with theatrical and literary circles

Enough interesting biography Griboedov begins with a service at the State Collegium, where he meets with the famous Kuchelbecker and Pushkin. At the same time, he begins to communicate in theatrical and literary communities.

Moreover, in 1816, Alexander became a member of the Masonic lodge, which included Pestel, Chaadaev, and even the future head of the imperial office, Benckendorff.

A variety of intrigues and theatrical hobbies - all this includes further biography Griboyedov. Interesting facts of this period of the writer's life report that he was drawn into an unpleasant story related to the dancer Istomina. Because of her, a duel took place between Sheremetyev and Zavadovsky, which ended in the death of the first.

This greatly influenced the future writer, life in St. Petersburg became simply unbearable for him, as rumors began to spread around the city that he was a pander and a coward. And Alexander Griboyedov, whose biography was impeccable in terms of courage and courage, could no longer withstand this.

Trip to the Caucasus

At the same time, the financial situation of Griboyedov's mother was significantly shaken, and he had to seriously think about his future. At the beginning of 1818, a Russian embassy was formed at the court of Persia. And Alexander Sergeevich accepts a new appointment as secretary there. He took his new position quite seriously and began to intensively study Persian and Arabic, as well as get acquainted with various literature about the East.

Arriving in Tiflis, Griboedov immediately participates in a duel with Yakubovich, but, fortunately, no one was hurt. Moreover, the opponents immediately reconciled. Soon, Alexander Sergeevich becomes the favorite of General Yermolov, sincere conversations constantly take place between them, which had a huge impact on Griboyedov.

Life and work in Tabriz

In 1819, the Russian mission arrived at the residence, which was located in Tabriz. Here Alexander wrote the first lines of the famous "Woe from Wit".

It was at this time that the biography of Griboyedov becomes especially interesting, Interesting Facts which is reported that the writer, despite the anger of the Persians, was able to achieve the release of Russian soldiers in the amount of seventy people and bring them to the territory of Tiflis. And General Yermolov even presented Alexander Sergeevich for an award.

Here Griboedov stayed until 1823, referring to the need for long-term treatment. In the meantime, he himself continued to study oriental languages ​​​​and write "Woe from Wit", the scenes of which, as they were created, he read to his friend Kuchelbecker. Thus, not only a well-known work was born, but also new biography: Griboyedov is a writer and a great creator.

Homecoming

In 1823, in March, Alexander Sergeevich returned to Moscow and met with his friend Begichev. It remains to live in his house and continue to work on his work. Now he often reads his creation in literary circles, and with Prince Vyazemsky he even writes a vaudeville called "Who is a brother, who is a sister, or Deception after deception."

Then the writer moves to St. Petersburg specifically in order to obtain permission to publish his work. Unfortunately, it was not possible to publish the work in full, but some excerpts were published, which caused an avalanche of criticism.

And when Alexander Sergeevich read out his comedy in artistic circles, he got the maximum positive emotions. But, despite the great connections, it was not possible to stage a comedy.

So began to be born great writer Alexander Griboyedov, whose biography is now known to almost every schoolchild.

Decembrist Alexander Griboyedov

But the joy of overwhelming success did not last long, Griboyedov began to visit dreary thoughts more and more often, and he decides to embark on a trip to the Crimea and visit Kyiv.

Alexander Sergeevich meets here with his friends - Trubetskoy and Bestuzhev-Ryumin, who are members of the secret society of the Decembrists.

They immediately have the idea to involve Alexander, but he then political views was not interested, but continued to enjoy the beauty of those places and studied all kinds of sights. But depression does not leave him, and at the end of September, Alexander Sergeevich joined the detachment of General Velyaminov. Here he writes his poem "Predators on Chegem".

Soon Yermolov received a message that Alexander should be detained because of his involvement in the uprising, and he secretly told the writer about this. But despite this, the arrest still took place. This is how the Decembrist Griboyedov appeared. The biography is short, but sad. In conclusion, Alexander spent about six months, and then was not only released, but also invited to a reception with the king, where he vainly asked for pardon for his friends.

The further fate of the writer after an unsuccessful uprising

The first months of the summer of 1826 the famous writer lived at Bulgarin's dacha. This is a particularly difficult period, and Griboyedov, whose biography and work these days are filled with sadness and pain for his executed and exiled comrades, decides to move to Moscow.

Here he gets into the thick of things. Yermolov is dismissed due to insufficient competence in commanding troops, and Alexander is transferred to the service of Paskevich. Very often, Griboyedov, a writer and poet, now began to experience attacks of fever and nervous attacks.

At this time, Russia and Turkey are deploying hostilities, a professional diplomat was needed in the East. Naturally, they send Alexander Sergeevich, despite the fact that he made every effort to refuse. Nothing helped.

In any literature where Griboyedov is mentioned (biography, photo and other information that concerns his life), it is impossible to find any facts about why this talented person so insistently sent to this, which turned out to be fatal for him, mission. Was this not the intentional revenge of the king for participating in the uprising in which he was accused? After all, it turns out that then the further fate of Alexander was already a foregone conclusion.

From the moment he was appointed to this position, Griboyedov begins to mope more and more, anticipating his imminent death. Even to his friends, he constantly repeated that it was there that his grave would be. And on the sixth of June, Alexander Sergeevich leaves Petersburg forever. But in Tiflis he is waiting for a very an important event. He marries Princess Chavchavadze, whom he had known for many years and knew her as a child.

Now the young wife accompanies Griboedov, he constantly writes letters to friends filled with wonderful epithets about his young Nina. The writer arrived in Tehran already new year holidays Initially, everything went well. But then because contentious issues concerning the prisoners, conflicts began, and already on January 30, a group of armed people, inspired by the Muslim clergy, attacked the premises in which the great writer and diplomat was located.

So Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov was killed, whose biography and work were cut short for everyone quite unexpectedly. And will forever remain an irreparable loss.

Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:	Moscow, Russian Empire
Date of death:
A place of death:	Tehran, Persia
Citizenship:	Russian empire
Occupation:	Russian playwright, poet, orientalist, diplomat, pianist, composer

Death in Persia

Creation

Woe from Wit

Interesting Facts

Addresses in St. Petersburg

Editions of essays

Literature

(January 4 (15), 1795, Moscow - January 30 (February 11), 1829, Tehran) - Russian playwright, poet and diplomat, composer (two Griboedov Waltzes have survived), pianist. State Councilor (1828).

Griboedov is known as Homo unius libri- author of one book, the brilliantly rhymed play "Woe from Wit", which is still one of the most popular theatrical productions in Russia, as well as the source of numerous catchphrases.

Biography

Griboedov was born in Moscow in 1795 into a well-to-do, well-born family.

Father - Sergei Ivanovich Griboyedov (1761-1814). Mother - Anastasia Fedorovna Griboyedova (1768-1839).

According to relatives, in childhood Griboyedov was very concentrated and unusually developed.

In 1803, Griboedov was sent to the Noble Boarding School. And three years later, at the age of eleven, he entered the university. Alexander Sergeevich graduated from the verbal department of the philosophical faculty of Moscow University. Griboyedov was a "wunderkind" who graduated from the university at the age of 15.

In 1810 he received the title of candidate of verbal sciences, but did not leave his studies, but entered the ethical and legal department, and then to the faculty of physics and mathematics.

In the summer of 1812, during the Patriotic War of 1812, when the enemy appeared on the territory of Russia, Griboedov joined the Moscow Hussar Regiment (volunteer irregular unit) of Count Saltykov, who received permission to form it S. N. Begichev writes:

But as soon as they began to form, the enemy entered Moscow. This regiment was ordered to go to Kazan, and after the expulsion of the enemies, at the end of the same year, it was ordered to follow to Brest-Litovsk, join the defeated Irkutsk dragoon regiment and take the name of the Irkutsk hussar.

On September 8, 1812, cornet Griboyedov fell ill and remained in Vladimir, and until, presumably, November 1, 1813, due to illness, he did not appear at the regiment's location. Arriving at the place of service, he got into the company "young cornets from the best noble families» - Prince Golitsyn, Count Efimovsky, Count Tolstoy, Alyabyev, Sheremetev, Lansky, the Shatilov brothers. Griboyedov was related to some of them. Subsequently, he wrote in a letter to Begichev: “I spent only 4 months in this squad, and now for the 4th year I can’t get on the true path”.

Until 1815, Griboyedov served in the rank of cornet under the command of General of the Cavalry A. S. Kologrivov. Griboyedov's first literary experiments - "Letter from Brest-Litovsk to the publisher", feature article "On Cavalry Reserves" and comedy "Young Spouses"(translation of the French comedy "Le secret du Ménage") - refers to 1814. In the article "On Cavalry Reserves" Griboyedov acted as a historical publicist.

The enthusiastically lyrical "Letter ..." from Brest-Litovsk to the publisher of Vestnik Evropy was written by him after awarding Kologrivov in 1814 with the "Order of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, 1st degree" reserves, about it.

At the end of 1814, Griboyedov arrived in St. Petersburg, met and became close to the circle of "junior archaists", where he got the idea of ​​​​creating national art, striving for loftiness and naturalness of style.

From 1817 he served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. Petersburg; at this time he met Pushkin.

Since 1818, secretary of the Russian mission in Tehran, since 1822 in Tiflis, secretary for diplomatic affairs under the commander of the Russian troops, A.P. Yermolov.

In January 1826 he was arrested in the Groznaya fortress on suspicion of belonging to the Decembrists; during the arrest, friends destroyed the archive that compromised the poet; Griboyedov was brought to St. Petersburg, but the investigation could not find evidence that the poet belonged to secret society. By common consent of all the suspects, no one testified to the detriment of Griboyedov.

In September 1826 he returned to Tiflis and continued his diplomatic activities; took part in the conclusion of the Turkmanchay peace treaty (1828), which was beneficial for Russia, and delivered its text to St. Petersburg. Appointed as Resident Minister (Ambassador) to Iran; on the way to his destination, he again spent several months in Tiflis and married there on August 22 (September 3), 1828, Princess Nina Chavchavadze, daughter of the head of the Erivan region and Georgian poet Alexander Chavchavadze.

Death in Persia

Foreign embassies were located not in the capital, but in Tabriz, at the court of Prince Abbas-Mirza, but soon after arriving in Persia, the mission went to introduce itself to Feth Ali Shah in Tehran. During this visit, Griboyedov died: on January 30 (February 11), 1829 (6 Shaaban 1244 AH), a crowd of religious fanatics defeated the Russian diplomatic mission, and all its members were killed, except for Secretary Maltsov. The crowd broke into the house, robbing and destroying everything around. Griboedov, it is believed, ran out with a saber and was hit on the head with a stone, then stoned and hacked to pieces. The circumstances of the pogrom of the Russian mission are described in different ways, but Maltsov was an eyewitness to the events, and he does not mention the death of Griboyedov, he only writes that 15 people defended themselves at the door of the envoy's room. Maltsov writes that 37 people were killed in the embassy (all but him alone) and 19 Tehran residents. Riza-Kuli writes that Griboyedov was killed with 37 comrades, and 80 people were killed from the crowd. His body was so mutilated that he was identified only by a trace on his left hand, obtained in the famous duel with Yakubovich. Griboedov's body was taken to Tiflis and buried on Mount Mtatsminda in a grotto at the Church of St. David.

The Shah of Persia sent his grandson to Petersburg to settle the diplomatic scandal. In compensation for the spilled blood, he brought rich gifts to Nicholas I, among them was the Shah diamond. Once this magnificent diamond, framed by many rubies and emeralds, adorned the throne of the Great Mughals. Now it shines in the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Diamond Fund.

On the grave, the widow Nina Chavchavadze erected a monument to him with the inscription: “Your mind and deeds are immortal in Russian memory, but why did my love survive you?”.

recent years Yury Tynyanov dedicated the life of A. S. Griboyedov to the novel “The Death of Vazir-Mukhtar” (1928).

Creation

By literary position Griboedov belongs (according to the classification of Yu. N. Tynyanov) to the so-called "junior archaists": his closest literary allies are P. A. Katenin and V. K. Kyuchelbeker; however, the “Arzamas” also appreciated him, for example, Pushkin and Vyazemsky, and among his friends there were such different people, as P. Ya. Chaadaev and F. V. Bulgarin.

Even during the years of study at Moscow University (1805), Griboedov wrote poems (only mentions have come down to us), creates a parody of Ozerov's work "Dmitry Donskoy" - "Dmitry Dryanskoy". In 1814, two of his correspondence were published in Vestnik Evropy: On Cavalry Reserves and Letter to the Editor. In line with the controversy with Zhukovsky and Gnedich about the Russian ballad, he writes an article “On the analysis of the free translation of Lenora” (1815). In the same year, he published and staged the comedy The Young Spouses, a parody of French comedies that made up the Russian comedy repertoire at that time. He uses a very popular genre of "social comedy" - works with a small number of characters and a setting for wit.

In 1816, the comedy The Student was published. According to contemporaries, Katenin took a small part in it, but rather his role in creating the comedy was limited to editing. The comedy has a polemical character, directed against the "younger Karamzinists", parodying their works, a type of artist of sentimentalism. The main point of criticism is the lack of realism.

Parodying techniques: introducing texts into everyday contexts, exaggerated use of periphrasticity (all concepts in comedy are given descriptively, nothing is named directly). In the center of the work is the bearer of the classicistic consciousness (Benevolsky). All knowledge about life is gleaned by him from books, all events are perceived through the experience of reading. Saying "I saw it, I know it" means "I read it". The hero seeks to play book stories life seems uninteresting to him. The deprivation of a real sense of reality later Griboedov will repeat in Woe from Wit - this is a feature of Chatsky.

In 1818, Griboyedov took part in the writing of "Feigned Infidelity" together with A. A. Gendre. The comedy is an adaptation of Barthes' French comedy. The character Roslavlev, the predecessor of Chatsky, appears in it. This is a strange young man who is in conflict with society, uttering critical monologues. In the same year, the comedy "Own Family, or a Married Bride" was released. Co-authors: A. A. Shakhovskoy, Griboyedov, N. I. Khmelnitsky

What was written before “Woe from Wit” is still very immature or created in collaboration with more experienced writers at that time (Katenin, Shakhovskoy, Zhandre, Vyazemsky); written after "Woe from Wit" - either not brought further than rough sketches, or (which is also quite likely) died with the author in Tehran. Of the major ideas of the late period - the drama "1812", "Georgian Night". Griboedov's prose (essays and especially letters) is not without interest.

Woe from Wit

The comedy in verse "Woe from Wit" was conceived in St. Petersburg around 1816 and completed in Tiflis in 1824; the final edition is an authorized list left in St. Petersburg with Bulgarin - 1828).

The comedy "Woe from Wit" is the pinnacle of Russian dramaturgy and poetry; The bright aphoristic style contributed to the fact that she was all "dispersed into quotes."

"Never a single nation has been so scourged, never a single country has been dragged so in the mud, never has so much rude abuse been thrown into the face of the public, and, however, never achieved a more complete success" - P. Chaadaev. Apologia of a madman.

• When Griboyedov finished work on the comedy Woe from Wit, the first person to whom he went to show his work was the one he was most afraid of, namely the fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krylov. With trepidation, Griboedov went to him first to show his work.

“I brought the manuscript! Comedy…” “Commendable. So what? Leave." “I will read you my comedy. If you ask me to leave from the first scenes, I will disappear. “If you please, begin at once,” the fabulist grumpily agreed. An hour passes, another - Krylov is sitting on the sofa, hanging his head on his chest. When Griboyedov put down the manuscript and looked inquiringly at the old man from under his glasses, he was struck by the change that had taken place in the face of the listener. The radiant young eyes shone, the toothless mouth smiled. He held a silk handkerchief in his hand, ready to apply it to his eyes. "No," he shook his heavy head. The censors won't let this pass. They swagger over my fables. And this is much cooler! In our time, the empress would have sent the first trip to Siberia for this piece. Here is Griboedov for you.

• Griboyedov was a real polyglot and spoke many foreign languages. He was fluent in French, English, German and Italian, and understood Latin and Greek. Later, while in the Caucasus, he learned Arabic, Persian and Turkish.

Memory

• In Moscow, there is an institute named after A.S. Griboyedov - IMPE them. A. S. Griboedova.
• Released in 1995 Postage Stamp Armenia, dedicated to Griboedov.
• In Tbilisi there is a theater named after A.S. Griboyedov, a monument to A.S. Griboedov (author M.K. Merabishvili) and a street named after. A. S. Griboedova.

Addresses in St. Petersburg

• 11.1816 - 08.1818 - profitable house of I. Valkh - Embankment of the Catherine Canal, 104;
• 01.06. - 07.1824 - hotel "Demut" - embankment of the Moika River, 40;
• 08. - 11.1824 - the apartment of A. I. Odoevsky in tenement house Pogodina - Torgovaya street, 5;
• 11.1824 - 01.1825 - the apartment of P. N. Chebyshev in the tenement house of Usov - Nikolaevskaya embankment, 13;
• 01. - 09.1825 - A. I. Odoevsky's apartment in Bulatov's apartment building - St. Isaac's Square, 7;
• 06.1826 - A. A. Zhandr's apartment in Yegerman's house - embankment of the Moika River, 82;
• 03. - 05.1828 - hotel "Demut" - embankment of the Moika River, 40;
• 05. - 06.06.1828 - the house of A. I. Kosikovsky - Nevsky Prospekt, 15.

Awards

• Order of St. Anna II degree with diamond signs (March 14 (26), 1828)
• Order of the Lion and the Sun, 1st class (Persia, 1829)
• Order of the Lion and the Sun II degree (Persia, 1819)

Editions of essays

• complete collection compositions. T. 1-3. - P., 1911-1917.
• Works. - M., 1956.
• Woe from the mind. The publication was prepared by N.K. Piksanov. - M .: Nauka, 1969. (Literary monuments).
• Woe from the mind. The publication was prepared by N. K. Piksanov with the participation of A. L. Grishunin. — M.: Nauka, 1987. — 479 p. (Second edition, supplemented.) (Literary monuments).
• Compositions in verses. Comp., prepared. text and notes. D. M. Klimova. - L .: Owls. writer, 1987. - 512 p. (Library of the poet. Large series. Third edition).
• Complete Works: In 3 volumes / Ed. S. A. Fomicheva and others - St. Petersburg, 1995-2006.

Museums

• "Khmelita" - State Historical, Cultural and Natural Museum-Reserve of A. S. Griboyedov

Literature

• Belinsky V. G., "Woe from Wit", Poln. coll. op. - T. 3. - M., 1953.
• Goncharov I. A., "A million torments." Sobr. op. - T. 8. - M., 1952.
• AS Griboyedov in the memoirs of contemporaries. - M., 1929.
• Piksanov N. K. Creative history of "Woe from Wit". - M.-L., 1928.
• literary heritage. - T. 47-48 [Griboyedov]. - M., 1946.
• Meshcheryakov V. Life and deeds of Alexander Griboyedov. — M.: Sovremennik, 1989. — 478 p. Circulation 50,000 copies. ISBN 5-270-00965-X.
• Nechkina M. V. A. S. Griboyedov and the Decembrists. - 2nd ed. - M., 1951.
• Orlov V. N. Griboyedov. - 2nd ed. - M., 1954.
• Petrov S. A. S. Griboyedov. - 2nd ed. - M., 1954.
• A. S. Griboyedov in Russian criticism. - M., 1958.
• Popova O. I. Griboyedov - diplomat. - M., 1964.
• History of Russian literature of the XIX century. Bibliographic index. - M.-L., 1962.

The beginning of the creative biography of Griboyedov

The famous Russian playwright, author of Woe from Wit, Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov was born on January 4, 1795 (the year of birth, however, is debatable) into a Moscow noble family. His father, retired Second Major Sergei Ivanovich, a man of little education and modest origin, rarely visited the family, preferring to live in the countryside or give himself up card game that drained his resources. Mother, Nastasya Fedorovna, who came from a different branch of the Griboyedovs, richer and nobler, was a domineering, impulsive woman, known in Moscow for her intelligence and harshness of tone. She loved her son and daughter, Maria Sergeevna (two years younger than her brother), surrounded them with all kinds of cares, gave them an excellent home education.

Portrait of Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov. Artist I. Kramskoy, 1875

Maria Sergeevna was famous in Moscow and far beyond its borders as a pianist (she also played the harp beautifully). Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov from childhood spoke French, German, English and Italian and played the piano very well. Prominent teachers were chosen as his educators: first Petrozilius, the compiler of the catalogs of the library of Moscow University, later Bogdan Ivanovich Ion, a pupil of Goettingen University, then he studied in Moscow and was the first to receive a doctorate in law at Kazan University. Further education and Griboedov's education, home, school and university, went under the general guidance of the famous professor of philosopher and philologist I. T. Bule. WITH early childhood the poet moved in a very cultured environment; together with his mother and sister, he often spent the summer with his wealthy uncle, Alexei Fedorovich Griboyedov in famous estate Khmelity in the Smolensk province, where he could meet with the families of the Yakushkins, Pestels and other famous later public figures. In Moscow, the Griboedovs were related by family ties to the Odoevskys, Paskeviches, Rimsky-Korsakovs, Naryshkins and were familiar with a huge circle of the capital's nobility.

In 1802 or 1803, Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov entered the Moscow university noble boarding school; On December 22, 1803, he received "one prize" there at a "lesser age". Three years later, on January 30, 1806, Griboyedov was admitted to Moscow University at the age of about eleven. On June 3, 1808, he was already promoted to candidate of verbal sciences and continued his education at the Faculty of Law; June 15, 1810 received the degree of Candidate of Laws. Later, he still studied mathematics and natural sciences, and in 1812 he was already "ready for the test for admission to the rank of doctor." Patriotism captivated the poet military service and the field of science was forever abandoned.

On July 26, 1812, Griboedov was enrolled as a cornet in the Moscow hussar regiment of Count P. I. Saltykov. However, the regiment did not get into the active army; all autumn and December 1812 he stood in the Kazan province; in December, Count Saltykov died, and the Moscow regiment was attached to the Irkutsk hussar regiment as part of the cavalry reserves under the command of General Kologrivov. For some time in 1813, Griboyedov lived on vacation in Vladimir, then came to the service and ended up as adjutant to Kologrivov himself. In this rank, he took part in the recruitment of reserves in Belarus, about which he published an article in Vestnik Evropy in 1814. In Belarus, Griboyedov became friends - for life - with Stepan Nikitich Begichev, also Kologrivov's adjutant.

Having not been in a single battle and bored with service in the provinces, Griboyedov submitted a letter of resignation on December 20, 1815 "to determine the state affairs"; On March 20, 1816, he received it, and on June 9, 1817, he was accepted into the service of the State Collegium of Foreign Affairs, where he was listed along with Pushkin and Kuchelbecker. He arrived in St. Petersburg as early as 1815, and here he quickly entered social, literary and theatrical circles. Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov moved among the members of the emerging secret organizations, participated in two Masonic lodges (“United Friends” and “Good”), got acquainted with many writers, for example, Grechem, Khmelnitsky, Katenin, actors and actresses, for example, Sosnitsky, Semyonovs, Valberkhovs and others. Soon Griboyedov also appeared in journalism (with the epigram "From Apollo" and anti-criticism against N. I. Gnedich in defense of Katenin), and in dramatic literature - with the plays The Young Spouses (1815), The Own Family (1817; in collaboration with Shakhovsky and Khmelnitsky), Feigned Infidelity (1818), Intermedia Test (1818).

Theatrical hobbies and intrigues involved Griboyedov in a difficult story. Because of the dancer Istomina, a quarrel arose and then a duel between V. A. Sheremetev and gr. A.P. Zavadovsky, which ended in the death of Sheremetev. Griboedov was closely involved in this case, he was even accused as an instigator, and A.I. Yakubovich, a friend of Sheremetev, challenged him to a duel, which did not take place then only because Yakubovich was exiled to the Caucasus. Sheremetev's death had a strong effect on Griboyedov; He wrote to Begichev that "a terrible longing came over him, he constantly sees Sheremetev before his eyes, and his stay in St. Petersburg became unbearable for him."

Griboyedov in the Caucasus

It happened that around the same time, Griboyedov's mother's funds were greatly shaken, and he had to seriously think about the service. At the beginning of 1818, a Russian representation was organized at the Persian court in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. S. I. Mazarovich was appointed Russian attorney under the Shah, Griboedov was appointed secretary under him, and Amburger was appointed clerk. At first, Griboedov hesitated and refused, but then he accepted the appointment. Immediately, with his characteristic energy, he began to study Persian and Arabic with prof. Demange and sat down to study literature about the East. At the very end of August 1818, Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov left Petersburg; on the way, he stopped by Moscow to say goodbye to his mother and sister.

Griboyedov and Amburger arrived in Tiflis on October 21st, and here Yakubovich immediately again challenged Griboedov to a duel. It took place on the morning of the 23rd; the seconds were Amburger and H. H. Muraviev, a famous Caucasian figure. Yakubovich fired first and wounded Griboyedov in the left hand; then Griboyedov fired and missed. Opponents immediately reconciled; Griboyedov's duel went off safely, but Yakubovich was expelled from the city. The diplomatic mission stayed in Tiflis until the end of January 1819, and during this time Griboedov became very close to A.P. Yermolov. Conversations with the "Proconsul of the Caucasus" left a deep impression in Griboyedov's soul, and Yermolov himself fell in love with the poet.

In mid-February, Mazarovich and his retinue were already in Tabriz, the residence of the heir to the throne, Abbas Mirza. Here Griboyedov first became acquainted with the British diplomatic mission, with whom he was always in touch. friendly relations. Around March 8, the Russian mission arrived in Tehran and was solemnly received by Feth Ali Shah. In August of the same 1819, she returned to Tabriz, her permanent residence. Here Griboyedov continued his studies in oriental languages ​​and history, and here for the first time he laid down on paper the first plans for Woe from Wit. According to the Gulistan Treaty of 1813, the Russian mission had the right to demand from the Persian government the return to Russia of Russian soldiers - prisoners and deserters who served in the Persian troops. Griboyedov warmly took up this matter, found up to 70 such soldiers (Sarbaz) and decided to bring them to Russian borders. The Persians were embittered about this, in every possible way prevented Griboedov, but he insisted on his own and in the fall of 1819 led his detachment to Tiflis. Yermolov greeted him kindly and presented him for an award.

In Tiflis, Griboyedov spent Christmas time and on January 10, 1820, set off on his return journey. Having visited Etchmiadzin on the way, he established friendly relations with the Armenian clergy there; in early February he returned to Tabriz. At the end of 1821, a war broke out between Persia and Turkey. Griboedov was sent by Mazarovich to Yermolov with a report on Persian affairs, and on the way he broke his arm. Referring to the need for prolonged treatment in Tiflis, he asked his ministry through Yermolov to appoint him under Alexei Petrovich as secretary for foreign affairs, and the request was respected. From November 1821 to February 1823, Griboyedov lived in Tiflis, often traveling with Yermolov around the Caucasus. With H. H. Muravyov, Griboyedov studied oriental languages, and shared his poetic experiences with V. K. Kuchelbeker, who arrived in Tiflis in December 1821 and lived until May 1822. The poet read Woe from Wit to him, scene after scene, as they gradually built up.

Griboyedov's return to Russia

After Kuchelbecker left for Russia, Griboedov became very homesick for his homeland and, through Yermolov, applied for a vacation to Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the end of March 1823 he was already in Moscow, in native family. Here he met with S. N. Begichev and read to him the first two acts of Woe from Wit, written in the Caucasus. The second two acts were written in the summer of 1823 on the estate of Begichev, in the Tula province, where a friend invited Griboedov to stay. In September, Griboedov returned to Moscow with Begichev and lived in his house until the following summer. Here he continued to work on the text of the comedy, but already read it in literary circles. Together with the book P. A. Vyazemsky Griboedov wrote the vaudeville “Who is the brother, who is the sister, or deception after deception”, with music by A. N. Verstovsky.

From Moscow, Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov moved to St. Petersburg (at the beginning of June 1824) in order to achieve censorship permission for Woe from Wit. In the northern capital, Griboedov received a brilliant reception. He met here with ministers Lansky and Shishkov, a member of the State Council, Count Mordvinov, Governor General Earl Miloradovich, Paskevich, was introduced to Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich. In literary and artistic circles, he read his comedy, and soon the author and the play became the center of everyone's attention. It was not possible to carry out the play on the stage, despite influential connections and efforts. The censors let only excerpts go to print (7-10 events of the first act and the third act, with large cuts). But when they appeared in the almanac F. V. Bulgarina"Russian Thalia for 1825", this caused a whole stream of critical articles in St. Petersburg and Moscow magazines.

The bright success of the comedy brought Griboyedov much joy; this was also joined by a passion for the dancer Teleshova. But in general the poet was gloomy; he was visited by fits of melancholy, and then everything seemed to him in a gloomy light. To get rid of this mood, Griboedov decided to go on a trip. It was impossible, as he thought at first, to go abroad: the official leave was already overdue; then Griboedov went to Kyiv and the Crimea to return to the Caucasus from there. At the end of May 1825, Griboyedov arrived in Kyiv. Here he eagerly studied antiquities and admired nature; from acquaintances met with members of the secret Decembrist society: Prince Trubetskoy, Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Sergey and Artamon Muravyov. Among them, the idea arose to involve Griboyedov in a secret society, but the poet was then too far from political interests and hobbies. After Kyiv, Griboyedov went to the Crimea. For three months, he traveled all over the peninsula, enjoyed the beauty of the valleys and mountains, and studied historical sights.

Griboyedov and the Decembrists

The gloomy mood, however, did not leave him. At the end of September, Griboedov traveled through Kerch and Taman to the Caucasus. Here he joined the detachment of Gen. Velyaminov. In strengthening A stone bridge, on the Malka River, he wrote the poem "Predators on Chegem", inspired by the recent attack of the highlanders on the village of Soldatskaya. By the end of January 1826, Yermolov, Velyaminov, Griboyedov, Mazarovich gathered from different parts of the Grozny fortress (now Grozny). Here Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov was arrested. In the commission of inquiry on the case of the Decembrists, Prince. Trubetskoy testified on December 23: “I know from the words Ryleeva that he received Griboedov, who is with General Yermolov”; then book. Obolensky named him on the list of members of the secret society. Uklonsky, a courier, was sent for Griboyedov; he arrived in Groznaya on January 22 and presented Yermolov with an order for the arrest of Griboyedov. It is said that Yermolov warned Griboedov so that he could destroy some of the papers in time.

On January 23, Uklonsky and Griboedov left Grozny, on February 7 or 8 they were in Moscow, where Griboedov managed to see Begichev (they tried to hide the arrest from his mother). On February 11, Griboyedov was already sitting in the guardhouse of the General Staff in St. Petersburg, together with Zavalishin, the Raevsky brothers and others. Both at the preliminary interrogation by General Levashov, and later at the Investigative Commission, Griboedov resolutely denied belonging to a secret society and even assured that he knew absolutely nothing about the plans of the Decembrists. Ryleev's testimony, A. A. Bestuzheva, Pestel and others were in favor of the poet, and the commission decided to release him. On June 4, 1826, Griboyedov was released from arrest, then he received a "cleansing certificate" and running money (for returning to Georgia) and was promoted to court advisers.

Thoughts about the fate of the motherland also constantly worried Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov. During the investigation, he denied belonging to secret societies, and indeed, knowing him, it is difficult to admit this. But he was close to many of the most prominent Decembrists, no doubt, he knew perfectly well the organization of secret societies, their composition, action plans and projects of state reforms. Ryleev testified during the investigation: “I had several general conversations with Griboyedov about the situation in Russia and gave him hints about the existence of a society aimed at changing the form of government in Russia and introducing constitutional monarchy»; Bestuzhev wrote the same thing, and Griboedov himself said about the Decembrists: “in their conversations I often saw bold judgments about the government, in which I myself took part: I condemned what seemed harmful, and wished for the best.” Griboyedov spoke out for freedom of printing, for a public court, against administrative arbitrariness, abuses of serfdom, reactionary measures in the field of education, and in such views he coincided with the Decembrists. But it is difficult to say how far these coincidences went, and we do not know exactly how Aleksandr Sergeevich Griboedov felt about the constitutional projects of the Decembrists. There is no doubt, however, that he was skeptical about the feasibility of the conspiratorial movement and saw in Decembrism a lot weaknesses. In this, however, he agreed with many others, even among the Decembrists themselves.

Let us also note that Griboyedov was strongly inclined towards nationalism. He loved Russian folk life, customs, language, poetry, even dress. When asked by the Commission of Inquiry about this, he answered: “I wanted Russian dress because it is more beautiful and calmer than tailcoats and uniforms, and at the same time I believed that it would again bring us closer to the simplicity of domestic customs, extremely dear to my heart.” Thus, Chatsky's philippics against imitation in customs and against the European costume are the cherished thoughts of Griboyedov himself. At the same time, Griboyedov constantly showed dislike for the Germans and the French, and in this he drew close to the Shishkovists. But, in general, he stood closer to the group of Decembrists; Chatsky is a typical representative the then progressive youth; It was not for nothing that the Decembrists intensively distributed lists of "Woe from Wit".

Griboedov in the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828

June and July 1826 Griboyedov still lived in St. Petersburg, at Bulgarin's dacha. It was a very difficult time for him. The joy of liberation dimmed at the thought of friends and acquaintances executed or exiled to Siberia. To this was added anxiety for his talent, from which the poet demanded new high inspirations, but they, however, did not come. By the end of July, Griboyedov arrived in Moscow, where the entire court and troops had already gathered for the coronation of the new emperor; I. F. Paskevich, a relative of Griboyedov, was also here. Unexpectedly, the news came here that the Persians had violated the peace and attacked the Russian border post. Nicholas I was extremely angry about this, blamed Yermolov for inaction and, in derogation of his power, sent Paskevich (with great authority) to the Caucasus. When Paskevich arrived in the Caucasus and took command of the troops, Griboedov's position turned out to be extremely difficult between the two warring generals. Yermolov was not formally dismissed, but he felt the disgrace of the sovereign in everything, constantly clashed with Paskevich and, finally, resigned, and Griboedov was forced to go to the service of Paskevich (which his mother asked him to do back in Moscow). The troubles of his official position were joined by another physical ailment: with the return to Tiflis, Griboedov began to have frequent fevers and nervous attacks.

Having assumed control of the Caucasus, Paskevich entrusted Griboyedov with foreign relations with Turkey and Persia, and Griboedov was drawn into all the worries and difficulties of the Persian campaign of 1826-1828. He conducted a huge correspondence with Paskevich, participated in the development of military operations, endured all the hardships of a marching life, and most importantly, he took upon himself the actual conduct of diplomatic negotiations with Persia in Deykargan and Turkmanchay. When, after the victories of Paskevich, the capture of Erivan and the occupation of Tabriz, the Turkmanchay peace treaty was concluded (February 10, 1828), which was very beneficial for Russia, Paskevich sent Griboyedov to present a treatise to the emperor in St. Petersburg, where he arrived on March 14. The next day, Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov was received by Nicholas I in an audience; Paskevich received the title of Count of Erivan and a million rubles of reward, and Griboyedov received the rank of State Councilor, an order and four thousand chervonets.

Griboyedov in Persia. Griboedov's death

Again Griboyedov lived in St. Petersburg for three months, moving in government, public and literary circles. He complained to his friends about being very tired, dreamed of rest and office work, and was about to retire. Fate decided otherwise. With the departure of Griboedov to Petersburg, there was no Russian diplomatic representative left in Persia; meanwhile, Russia had a war with Turkey, and the East needed an energetic and experienced diplomat. There was no choice: of course, Griboyedov was supposed to go. He tried to refuse, but it did not work, and on April 25, 1828, Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov was appointed Minister-Resident in Persia by the highest decree, while Amburger was appointed Consul General in Tabriz.

From the moment of his appointment as envoy, Griboyedov became gloomy and experienced severe forebodings of death. He constantly told his friends: “There is my grave. I feel that I will never see Russia again.” On June 6, Griboedov left Petersburg forever; a month later he arrived in Tiflis. Here an important event took place in his life: he married Princess Nina Alexandrovna Chavchavadze, whom he knew as a girl, gave her music lessons, followed her education. The wedding took place in the Zion Cathedral on August 22, 1828, and on September 9, the departure of the Russian mission to Persia took place. The young wife accompanied Griboedov, and the poet wrote enthusiastic letters about her to his friends from the road.

The mission arrived in Tabriz on October 7, and Griboyedov immediately fell upon heavy worries. Of these, two were the main ones: firstly, Griboedov had to insist on paying indemnities for the last campaign; secondly, to search for and send to Russia Russian subjects who fell into the hands of the Persians. Both that, and another was extremely difficult and caused bitterness both in the people, and in the Persian government. To settle things, Griboyedov went to the Shah in Tehran. Griboyedov arrived in Tehran with his retinue by the New Year, was well received by the Shah, and at first everything went well. But soon clashes began again because of the prisoners. Two Armenian women from the harem of the Shah's son-in-law, Alayar Khan, turned to the patronage of the Russian mission, wishing to return to the Caucasus. Griboyedov received them into the mission building, and this excited the people; then Mirza Yakub, the eunuch of the Shah's harem, was accepted into the mission at his own insistence, which overflowed the cup. The mob, incited by the Muslim clergy and agents of Alayar Khan and the government itself, attacked the premises of the embassy on January 30, 1829 and killed Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov along with many others ...

Monument to Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov on Chistoprudny Boulevard, Moscow

The personality of A. S. Griboyedov

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov lived a short but rich life. From a passion for science at Moscow University, he moved on to a carefree living through life in military service and then in St. Petersburg; Sheremetev's death caused an acute crisis in his soul and prompted him, in the words of Pushkin, to "a sharp turn", and in the East he inclined towards self-deepening and isolation; when he returned from there to Russia in 1823, he was already a mature man, strict with himself and people, and a great skeptic, even a pessimist. The social drama of December 14, bitter thoughts about people and the homeland, as well as anxiety for his talent caused Griboyedov a new spiritual crisis, which threatened to resolve itself in suicide. But late love brightened up last days the poet's life.

Many facts testify how passionately he could love - his wife, mother, sister, friends, how rich he was in strong will, courage, hot temperament. A. A. Bestuzhev describes him in this way in 1824: “A man of noble appearance, of medium height, in a black tailcoat, with glasses over his eyes, entered ... In his face one could see as much sincere participation as in his methods of the ability to live in good company, but without any affectation, without any formality; it can even be said that his movements were somehow strange and jerky, and with all that, decent as much as possible... society. The bonds of petty propriety were unbearable to him, even because they are bonds. He could not and did not want to hide his mockery at the gilded and self-satisfied stupidity, neither contempt for low search, nor indignation at the sight of a happy vice. The blood of the heart always played in his face. No one will boast of his flattery, no one will dare to say that he has heard lies from him. He could deceive himself, but never deceive. Contemporaries mention his impetuosity, harshness in address, biliousness along with softness and tenderness and special gift like. Even people who were prejudiced against him succumbed to Griboyedov's charm. His friends loved him selflessly, just as he knew how to love them passionately. When the Decembrists got into trouble, he did his best to alleviate the plight of anyone he could: Prince. A. I. Odoevsky, A. A. Bestuzhev, Dobrinsky.

Literary creativity of Griboyedov. "Woe from Wit"

Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov began to publish in 1814 and since then did not leave literary studies until the end of his life. However, his creative legacy small. There is absolutely no epic in it, and almost no lyrics. Most of all in the work of Griboyedov are dramatic works, but all of them, with the exception of the famous comedy, are of low dignity. The early plays are interesting only because Griboyedov's language and verse were gradually developed in them. In form they are quite ordinary, like hundreds of plays in the genre of light comedy and vaudeville of that time. The content is much more significant than the plays written after Woe from Wit, such as: 1812, Radamist and Zenobia, Georgian Night. But they have come down to us only in plans and fragments, from which it is difficult to judge the whole; it is only noticeable that the dignity of the verse in them is greatly reduced and that their scenarios are too complex and extensive to fit into the framework of a harmonious stage play.

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov entered the history of literature only with "Woe from Wit"; he was a literary one-minded man, homo unius libri (“a man of one book”), and put “everything best dreams, all the bold aspirations" of his work. But he worked on it for several years. The play was completed in rough draft in the village of Begichev in 1823. Before leaving for St. Petersburg, Griboedov presented Begichev with a comedy manuscript, a precious autograph, which was later kept Historical Museum in Moscow ("Museum autograph"). In St. Petersburg, the poet again reworked the play, for example, he inserted a scene of Molchalin's flirting with Lisa in the fourth act. A new list, corrected by Griboedov's hand, was presented to him in 1824 by A. A. Gendru ("The Gendre Manuscript"). In 1825 excerpts from the comedy were published in Bulgarin's Russkaya Talia, and in 1828 Griboedov presented Bulgarin with a new copy of Woe from Wit, revised again (the Bulgarin List). These four texts form the chain of the poet's creative efforts.

Their comparative study shows that Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov made especially many changes in the text in 1823-1824, in the Museum autograph and the Zhandrovskaya manuscript; only minor changes were made to later texts. In the first two manuscripts we see, firstly, a stubborn and happy struggle with the difficulties of language and verse; secondly, the author abbreviated the text in several cases; Thus, Sophia's story about a dream in Act I, which took 42 verses in the Museum's autograph, was later reduced to 22 verses and greatly benefited from this; the monologues of Chatsky, Repetilov, the characterization of Tatiana Yuryevna were shortened. There are fewer inserts, but among them there is such an important one as the dialogue between Molchalin and Lisa in the 4th act. As for the composition of the characters and their characters, they remained the same in all four texts (according to legend, Griboyedov at first wanted to bring out several more people, including Famusov's wife, a sentimental fashionista and a Moscow aristocrat). Idea content comedy also remained unchanged, and this is very remarkable: all the elements of social satire were already in the text of the play before Griboyedov got acquainted with the social movement in St. Petersburg in 1825 - such was the maturity of the poet's thought.

Ever since "Woe from Wit" appeared on the stage and in print, history has begun for him in posterity. For many decades it exerted its strong influence on Russian drama, literary criticism and stage figures; but still remains the only piece where harmoniously combined household paintings with public satire.

And Alexander Griboedov was a diplomat and linguist, historian and economist, musician and composer. But he considered literature to be the main business of his life. "Poetry!! I love her passionately without memory, but is love enough to glorify myself? And finally, what is fame? - Alexander Griboyedov wrote in his diary.

"One of the smartest people in Russia"

Alexander Griboyedov was born into a noble family. The best teachers of that time were engaged in his education and upbringing: the encyclopedist Ivan Petrozilius, the scientist Bogdan Ion, the philosopher Johann Bule.

Alexander Griboyedov spent every summer at his uncle's family estate in the village of Khmelita. People often came here for noisy balls and dinner parties. famous writers, musicians, artists.

At an early age, Griboedov showed the ability to foreign languages: Greek, Latin, English, German, French, Italian. He played the piano and harp and later began to compose music and poetry. Already at the age of 11, he entered Moscow University and in two years graduated from the department of literature, and then the moral-political and physics-mathematical departments.

When the Patriotic War of 1812 began, the 17-year-old Griboedov signed up as a cornet in the Moscow Hussar Regiment. He did not have time to visit the battles: his unit began to form when Napoleon was already retreating. While Russian troops liberated Europe from the French, Griboedov served in the rear - in Belarus.

Travel notes of the secretary of the Russian embassy

In 1815, Griboedov left military service and moved to St. Petersburg. His mother, Anastasia Griboyedova, insisted that he get a job as an official in some ministry. However public service Griboyedov was not at all attracted, he dreamed of literature and theater. In the same year, Griboyedov wrote the comedy The Young Spouses, which was later staged by the court actors of the St. Petersburg theater.

Unknown artist. Alexander Griboyedov. 1820s

In St. Petersburg, Alexander Griboyedov led a secular lifestyle: he was a member of two Masonic lodges, was friends with members of the Southern and Northern secret societies, and communicated with writers and actors. Theatrical hobbies and intrigues involved Griboyedov in a scandalous story: he became a second in the duel between Vasily Sheremetev and Alexander Zavadovsky. To save her son from prison, Griboedov's mother used all her connections and arranged for him to be the secretary of the Russian embassy in Persia.

In 1818, Alexander Griboedov went to work, on the way he described in detail his southern journey in his diary. A year later, Griboyedov went on his first business trip to the Shah's court in Persia, where he continued to write travel notes. He described the events of his service in small narrative fragments - this is how the real story of a Russian prisoner, whom Griboedov returned to his homeland from Persia, formed the basis of Vagin's Tale.

"Not a comedy" censored

Alexander Griboedov spent more than a year and a half in the diplomatic service in Persia. Staying in this country depressed him: he often thought about his homeland, friends and theater, dreamed of returning home.

In the autumn of 1821, Griboyedov secured a transfer to Georgia. There he began to write a draft version of the first edition of Woe from Wit - he dreamed of publishing the play and seeing it staged.

In 1823, the writer-diplomat asked General Alexei Yermolov for a vacation and went to Moscow. Here he continued to work on the play "Woe from Wit", wrote the poem "David", composed a dramatic scene in verse "Youth of the Prophet" and created the first edition of the famous waltz in E minor. Together with Pyotr Vyazemsky, Griboyedov wrote a comedy play with couplet songs and dances “Who is a brother, who is a sister, or Deception after deception”.

When Alexander Griboedov finished the comedy Woe from Wit, he decided to present it to the already elderly fabulist Ivan Krylov. For several hours the author read his work to Krylov. He listened in silence, and then said: “The censors will not let this pass. They swagger over my fables. And this is much cooler! In our time, the empress would have sent the first trip to Siberia for this play. ”.

In many ways, Krylov's words turned out to be prophetic. At the request to stage "Woe from Wit" at the theater, Griboyedov was refused, moreover, the comedy was forbidden to be printed. The play was copied by hand and secretly passed from house to house - literary scholars counted 45,000 handwritten copies throughout the country.

The topical play, in which Griboyedov described the struggle of revolutionary youth with an obsolete society, caused heated debate. Some considered it a frank and revealing description of modern high society, others - a pathetic parody that only denigrated the capital's aristocrats.

“This is not a comedy, because there is no plan, no plot, no denouement in it ... It is just a saying in action in which Figaro is resurrected, but, like a copy, is far from the original ... There is no other goal in the play itself to make contempt not a vice, but arouse contempt for only one class of society ... He wanted to express his philosophical and political concepts, but he did not think about anything else.

Dmitry Runich, Trustee of the St. Petersburg Educational District

Peter Karatygin. Alexander Griboyedov. 1858

Many contemporaries believed that representatives of famous noble families served as prototypes for the heroes, whom Griboedov met at balls and holidays in his uncle's estate as a child. In Famusov they saw the owner of the estate, Alexei Griboyedov; in Skalozub - General Ivan Paskevich; in Chatsky - the Decembrist Ivan Yakushkin.

Writer diplomat

In 1825, Alexander Griboyedov returned to serve in the Caucasus at Yermolov's headquarters. Here the writer learned about the Decembrist uprising. Many of the conspirators were friends and relatives of Griboedov, so he himself fell under suspicion of involvement in the uprising. In January 1826, Griboyedov was arrested, but the investigation could not prove his belonging to a secret society.

In September 1826, Alexander Griboedov returned to Tiflis and continued his service: he attended diplomatic negotiations with Persia in Deykargan, corresponded with the commander Ivan Paskevich, and together they thought over military operations. In 1828, Griboyedov participated in the conclusion of the Turkmanchay peace treaty with Persia, which was beneficial for Russia.

“During this war, his enormous talents, fully processed by a multilateral correct education, his diplomatic tact and dexterity, his ability to work, huge, complex and requiring great considerations, appeared in all their splendor.”

From "Conversations in the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature"

Alexander Griboyedov delivered the text of the treaty to St. Petersburg. Nicholas I himself received him with honor in the capital. The emperor awarded the writer-diplomat with the rank of state councilor, the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree, and appointed him minister plenipotentiary in Persia.

Returning to serve in a new position, Griboyedov again stopped in Tiflis, where he married Princess Nina Chavchavadze. They met back in 1822 - then he gave the girl music lessons. Griboyedov lived with his young wife for only a few weeks, as he was forced to return to Persia.

In 1829, during a diplomatic visit to Tehran, 34-year-old Alexander Griboedov died: a huge crowd, incited by religious fanatics, attacked the house occupied by the Russian embassy. Alexander Griboyedov and his death were not written about in Russia for almost 30 years. Only when “Woe from Wit” was first staged on stage without censored edits, they started talking about him as a great Russian poet. The press began to appear the first information about the diplomatic role of Griboyedov in relations between Russia and Persia and his death.