What is a biography? Detailed analysis. Biography See what "Biography" is in other dictionaries

A meeting with the author of the book “Stalin. The Life of a Leader by Oleg Khlevnyuk

Text: Vladimir Emelianenko/RG
Photo: RIA Novosti
In the photo: Joseph Stalin in his office, 1938

The 2015 research book by HSE professor, historian Oleg Khlevnyuk about the last dictator of the USSR remains one of the most books read about Stalin in Russia and abroad. One of the reasons - the generation of historians and writers - the same age as Khlevnyuk - accounted for the so-called archive revolution of the 90s. When a huge corpus of previously secret documents became available.

Until the early 1990s, many biographies of Stalin were published, but only in the West. In the Soviet Union, there were no biographies of Stalin in principle. Only the official one - “Stalin. short biography". However, Western interpretations of his biography were based on a narrow circle of sources. They suffered from a lack of documents, knowledge historical context and the rumors and legends that have always accompanied the figure of Stalin.

The first, even before Khlevnyuk, who tried to write a biography of Stalin on the basis of documents, was the Soviet historian Dmitry Volkogonov. His 1989 book on Stalin, Triumph and Tragedy, was, without exaggeration, a breakthrough in objectivity and the desire to understand the phenomenon. However, she did not have enough documents. In addition, it was a journalistic political portrait, allowing for both partiality and subjectivity of the author. Nevertheless, "Triumph and Tragedy" played a significant role in shaping the Soviet people opinions about the era of the "Great Terror" as a time of mass political repressions.

Over the past almost thirty years, the book, having played an educational role, has become outdated. Since then, there has not been a single scientific biography of Stalin on the Russian book market. There was a lot of journalism, apologetics and exaggerated sensations, but no approximation to history through documents.

- My book is the first scientific biography of Stalin for recent decades, - said Oleg Khlevnyuk at a meeting with readers at MDM. - It was written based on the study a wide range archives. There is not a single word or statement in it that would not be backed up by reference to documents, archives, and published sources. If there are any assumptions that I make, then I write so that I assume that the reader knows that this is my point of view. Unfortunately, the literature about Stalin that the shelves are filled with today is made in such a way that the authors pass off their assumptions and fictions as the truth.

Khlevnyuk admitted that his work, like the work of any researcher of Stalin's biography, was complicated by the fact that the politician, like his associates, did not keep diaries. And those memoirs that are, for example, Khrushchev or Mikoyan, only complicate the work. It is known, after all, that memoirs written many years later are always written with a desire to justify oneself, to keep silent about something, to present something in a better light.

However, Oleg Khlevnyuk is convinced that as the archives, especially the FSB, expire, state secrets in other archives expire, his biography of Stalin will also inevitably become outdated.

- We still lack documents and historical sources in order to get closer to an objective understanding of the figure of Stalin,- says Oleg Khlevnyuk. - And although it is obvious that we are talking about dictatorship and dictator, a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon is still ahead - as the archives are opened.

To the question Why does Gogol give a biography only to Plyushkin? Biography details. Gogol Dead soul chapter 6 set by author Ksenia the best answer is Starting work on the poem "Dead Souls", Gogol set himself the goal of "showing all of Rus' at least from one side." The poem is built on the basis of a story about the adventures of Chichikov, an official who buys dead Souls» . Such a composition allowed the author to talk about different landowners and their villages, which Chichikov visits in order to make his deal. The face of landlord Russia is presented in five chapters, each of which is dedicated to one landowner. The chapter on Plyushkin closes this series.
According to Gogol, heroes follow us, "one more vulgar than the other." It is known that Gogol had a plan, which remained unfulfilled, to write a poem in three parts, like " Divine Comedy» Dante, where the first part is "Hell". Then it turns out that the first and only completed volume of this three-part poem has similarities with Dante's Inferno, and the same sequence of showing the characters should be observed in it: the further they go, the worse they become. According to this logic, it turns out that of all the landowners, Plyushkin, who is drawn last, should be the most terrible, his soul should have completely died.
The author's characterization of Plyushkin - "a hole in humanity" - seems to confirm this conjecture. But there is evidence that of all the heroes of the first volume, Gogol wanted to lead through purification to the rebirth of the soul in the third volume, only two - Chichikov and Plyushkin. This means that the author's position is far from being as straightforward as it might seem at first glance.
This is noticeable already by the way the estate of this landowner, the richest in the whole province, is depicted. On the one hand, this description respects the principle general characteristics Plyushkin: he is a "hoarder" and a "squanderer" at the same time, because, completely absorbed in his stinginess and thirst for money-grubbing, he has lost an idea of ​​​​the real state of affairs. As a result, he cannot distinguish the important and necessary from the trifles, the useful from the unimportant. So a rich crop rots in his barns, while all rubbish is stored in a heap, carefully guarded by the owner. There is a lot of good, but not only the peasants live from hand to mouth, but the landowner himself.
And we see the same thing in the description of “a vast village with many huts and streets”, but at the same time, in all the village buildings, Chichikov noticed “some special dilapidation”. Huge as a castle, the manor's house looked like "some kind of decrepit invalid". On the other hand, “the old, vast garden stretching behind the house”, which also combines the features of its former grandeur and terrible neglect, produces a different impression: it turns out to be beautiful even in its “picture desolation”. Why, then, is nature able to preserve its “soul”, while a person, captured by the power of things, must “dead” forever? Perhaps there is hope even for the one who has become a "hole in humanity"? It seems to me that it is the meeting with Chichikov that helps to see in Plyushkin something that gives some hope for the revival of his dead soul.
There is one more feature of the chapter devoted to Plyushkin, which distinguishes it from other chapters on landowners: only here is a detailed biography of the hero given. Why does the author deviate from the plan adopted by him in other chapters?
On the one hand, if in all other landlords it was precisely their typicality that was emphasized, then in Plyushkin the author sees not only a phenomenon characteristic of landlord Russia, but a kind of exception. Even Chichikov, who had seen "a lot of the whole kind of people", "had never seen such a thing", and in the author's description of Plyushkin it is said that "such a phenomenon rarely comes across in Rus'". Therefore, the nature of this landowner requires special explanations.
The state in which Chichikov finds him is indeed terrifying. Drawing a portrait of Plyushkin, the author exaggerates to the limit: Chichikov could not even "recognize what gender the figure was: a woman or a man" - and in the end he decided that the housekeeper was in front of him. But, perhaps, even the housekeeper will not put on the rags that Plyushkin wears: on his dressing gown "the sleeves and upper floors were so greasy that they looked like yuft, which goes on boots."

The article tells about what a biography is, for what purposes it is usually compiled, what types of it exist.

Life on our planet has existed for almost 4 billion years, during which time many species, ranging from the first primitive bacteria to highly developed organisms. But the most tenacious and able to adapt better than the rest were people. And by the way, the population has always grown at different rates and unevenly, and it has almost doubled only in the last 60 years.

All people are different, they have unique character traits, life experiences and achievements. And only a few are honored to be inscribed in history or other sources, thanks to which they will be remembered centuries later.

With the development of writing and printing, such a thing as a biography became popular. At the very beginning, such texts were mainly religious nature, they described the life of the saints, did not differ in accuracy, but gradually everything changed. So what is a biography, why is it needed, what are its varieties? In this we will understand.

Definition

If we turn to the encyclopedia, then by its definition, a biography is a description of a person's life path, which was compiled by other people. If he compiled it himself, then this is called an autobiography.

Biography is a source of important sociological information, on the basis of which it is possible to determine the role of a single individual in national, historical, or some other conditionality.

Simply put, a biography is a detailed or not very detailed description of a person’s life, which lists his achievements, merits and other social and public manifestations. And usually not everyone gets it. So now we know what a biography is. But what is it like and what is it for?

Kinds

Biographies can be divided into several types.

Scientific - this is one where in a work of one kind or another all events are documented in detail, sources, evidence, etc. are given. True, this is not always possible to do, especially when it comes to some kind of historical figure that existed several thousand years ago.

An autobiography is compiled by the person himself. It can be as voluminous literary work, where he wished to tell about his life and merits, as well as a brief retelling of it when applying for a job or in another situation.

The artistic biography of life differs primarily in the way the material is presented. It is less official, but the life of the hero or heroes of the work is still described in as much detail as possible and in accordance with how everything really happened. This type of biography can be attributed to the popular, this technique is often used to increase people's interest in some historical events or other processes.

Meaning

Essentially, biographers serve several purposes. In addition to a tribute to memory, a biography that details life path historical personality, allows you to analyze the events of distant or not very years, to understand why everything happened the way it did, could it be otherwise, etc. This is especially valuable from a cultural point of view. Of course, such literary or film works are not compiled about all people.

This honor is awarded to ancient rulers, politicians, scientists, naturalists and figures of our time, who also contribute to the development of a particular field of science, culture or public life. For example, film directors, actors, famous athletes and others. So now we know what a biography is.

Personal biography

True, there are situations when a biography is compiled not as a tribute or for historical or cultural analysis, but as an ordinary document that reflects a person’s life path, his professional skills, and so on.

A personal biography is needed first of all where control over people and strict selection are carried out according to professional or personal qualities. These are law enforcement agencies, the armed forces, various scientific institutions closed type or other institutions where it is necessary to evaluate a person in terms of describing his life, actions and qualities. Now we understand what a biography is.

Biography

Biography

Literary Encyclopedia. - In 11 tons; M.: publishing house of the Communist Academy, Soviet Encyclopedia, Fiction. Edited by V. M. Friche, A. V. Lunacharsky. 1929-1939 .

Biography

(from Greek bios - life and grapho - I write), literary genre, a description of the life of a real person, based on factual material. Biography can be scientific, popular, artistic. The genre existed in antiquity (“Comparative Lives” Plutarch, Life of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius). Curriculum vitae in European literature belong Voltaire, WITH. Zweig, R. Rolland. In Russia, the masters of the genre are P.A. Vyazemsky("Fonvizin"), Yu. N. Tynyanov(“Pushkin”) and others. Biography should be distinguished from autobiographies written by its hero himself, and from artwork, prototype whose hero is a real historical person (for example, "Peter the Great" by A.N. Tolstoy), since the biography does not imply fiction.

Literature and language. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Under the editorship of prof. Gorkina A.P. 2006 .

Biography

BIOGRAPHY(Greek bios life and grafo - I write; biography) - a consistent image of the life of a person from birth to death. The task of the biographer, according to the definition of T. Carlyle, is to "draw a true picture of human earthly wandering" (Histor. and critical experiments. Biogr. V. Scott). Not limited to a simple presentation of the external facts of life and this differs from the curriculum vitae and obituary(see), B. sets himself the goal of depicting the spiritual appearance as fully as possible this person in all its manifestations. If only a few are selected from the biography character traits from the life and work of this person, then it turns out characteristic. Biogr. the literature is extremely extensive. There were already biographers in classical antiquity; such are, for example, Plutarch and Tacitus. Western-Eur. the Middle Ages knew B. almost exclusively in the form of biographies of saints, but from the 16th century. B. secular people appeared. Pre-Petrine Rus' was especially fond of the biographies of saints, but along with this, biogr. and other kinds of figures, for example, the ancient Greek philosophers. The development of biogr. Literature in Russia begins in the 18th century. The materials for B. are diaries, family archives, notes, memoirs, letters, autobiographies, obituaries, portraits, creative products, etc. special kind B. is autobiography(cm.). B. is absolutely necessary for the historian of literature, who is interested in the personality of the author of the monument he is studying. B. writer helps to determine the range of his interests and artistic influences, to find certain sources of creativity. Does everything in the writer's B. seem to be of equal value and necessary for the historian of literature? For example, some biographers pay attention to such trifles as the question of whether Pushkin smoked. Historians of literature evaluate such trifles in different ways. Some believe that every, even the smallest feature, of a biography is important for characterizing a writer, while others say that “knowledge of the writer's B. is important and valuable for the history of literature. insofar as she clarifies the process of his literary creativity and outlines his writer's physiognomy. Information about how much, for example, this or that writer paid for a caftan, etc., is of absolutely no importance, but they have. (V.N. Peretz. Brief essay methodology ist. Russian lit. Petrgr. 22). From biogr. writers, as in the classic. works of this kind of literature usually indicate: "Fon-Vizin" book. Vyazemsky; "Rings" Belinsky; "Krylov" Pletnev; "Derzhavin" Grot. One of the first biogr. dictionaries in Russia is “Experience istorich. dictionary about Russian writers» N. I. Novikova. SPb. 1772. From the latest editions - “Critical Biogr. dictionary of Russian writers and scientists from the beginning of the Russian image. to the present day ”S. A. Vengerov. Five volumes: A. B. V., but in recent volumes the alphabet is broken (St. Petersburg 1889-97, ed. remained unfinished). Bibliographer. decree. B.: I. Vladislavlev. What to read III. Life wonderful people. M. 1914.

Biogr. is extremely important for a number of scientific disciplines that are somehow related to human personality- psychology, history, pedagogy, sociology, etc., therefore, among some scientists, the idea arose of organizing Biogr. Institute for the systematic, comprehensive scientific study of B. “The Institute should be like a graphic memory of mankind, passing from generation to generation accumulated by people life experience and knowledge. At the same time, the institute should be an international address desk, where everyone who has marked his life path in one way or another will be registered. (N. Rybnikov. Biogr. and their study. M. 1920. Biographical Institute. M. 1920).

N. Ashukin. Literary Encyclopedia: Dictionary literary terms: In 2 volumes / Edited by N. Brodsky, A. Lavretsky, E. Lunin, V. Lvov-Rogachevsky, M. Rozanov, V. Cheshikhin-Vetrinsky. - M.; L.: Publishing house L. D. Frenkel, 1925

See what "Biography" is in other dictionaries:

Narrate. image of the history of the life of an individual, a way of representing in the culture of the specifics of the department. human existence. It occupies an important place in the culture of different eras. Life personality can be the subject of science, ... ... Encyclopedia of cultural studies

- (Greek, from bios life, and graphein to write). Description of someone's life. Derivatives: biographical, biographer. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. BIOGRAPHY Greek, from bios, life, and graphein to write. ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

biography- and, well. biography f. 1. Description of whose l. life. Wait. Short biographies of the most famous new writers. МЖ 4 247. Biography, description of the life of one person. Corypheus 1 209. || Characteristics, assessment. All Christ sellers. There is only one decent one there ... ... Historical dictionary gallicisms of the Russian language

Biography, life, autobiography, service (formular) list, form. His form is unclean (stained with jurisdiction) ... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. biography ... ... Synonym dictionary

biography- Biography, perhaps, it would not be worth citing here this seemingly simple word, but ... Since it is often necessary to hear a combination of a biography of life, it is impossible to exclude this word from our dictionary. After all, the biography is translated from Greek ... ... Dictionary of Russian language mistakes

Life * Biography * Age * Time * Health * Catastrophe * Path (life) * Birth * Death * Meaning of life * Fate * Purpose Biography Nothing bad can be learned from an autobiography about its author, except for the state of his memory. F. Jones ... ... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

A description of a person's life, made by himself (autobiography) or by other people. Biography is a source of primary sociological information that allows you to identify the psychological type of personality in its historical, national and social ... ... Financial vocabulary

- (from bio ... and ... graphy) 1) a description of a person's life; genre of historical, artistic and scientific prose. Modern biography(e.g., the Life of Remarkable People series) reveals historical, national and social conditioning, ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

biography- BIOGRAPHY, biography BIOGRAPHICAL, biography ... Dictionary-thesaurus of synonyms of Russian speech

BIOGRAPHY, biographies, women (from Greek bios life and grapho I write). 1. An essay that describes the history of the life and work of a person. 2. trans. Someone's life. He said interesting case from his biography. Dictionary… … Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov