Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin and Russian literature of the early 20th century are inseparable. This happened because the writer, in his own works, covered contemporary life, discussed topics and sought answers to questions that are usually classified as eternal. All his work is based on life prototypes. Alexander Ivanovich drew plots from life, he only refracted this or that situation in an artistic way. According to generally accepted opinion, the work of this author belongs to the literary movement of realism, but there are pages that are written in the style of romanticism.

In 1870, a boy was born in one of the cities of the Penza province. They named him Alexander. Sasha's parents were poor nobles.

The boy's father served as a secretary in court, and his mother took care of the household. Fate decreed that after Alexander turned one year old, his father died suddenly from illness.

After this sad event, the widow and children go to live in Moscow. Alexander's further life, one way or another, will be connected with Moscow.

Sasha studied at a cadet boarding school. Everything indicated that the boy’s fate would be connected with military affairs. But in reality it turned out completely wrong. The theme of the army became firmly entrenched in Kuprin’s literary work. Such works as “Army Ensign”, “Cadets”, “Duel”, “Junkers” are dedicated to military service. It is worth noting that the image of the main character of “The Duel” is autobiographical. The author admits that he created the image of the second lieutenant based on the experience of his own service.

The year 1894 was marked for the future prose writer by his resignation from military service. This happened thanks to his explosive nature. At this time, the future prose writer is looking for himself. He tries to write, and his first attempts are successful.

Some stories from his pen are published in magazines. This period until 1901 can be called a fruitful period of Kuprin’s literary creativity. The following works were written: “Olesya”, “The Lilac Bush”, “The Wonderful Doctor” and many others.

In Russia during this period of time, popular unrest was brewing due to opposition to capitalism. The young author reacts creatively to these processes.

The result was the story “Moloch”, where he turns to ancient Russian mythology. Under the guise of a mythological creature, he shows the soulless power of capitalism.

Important! When “Moloch” was published, its author began to closely communicate with the luminaries of Russian literature of that period. These are Bunin, Chekhov, Gorky.

In 1901, Alexander met his only one and tied the knot. After marriage, the couple moved to St. Petersburg. At this time, the writer was active both in the literary field and in public life. Written works: “White Poodle”, “Horse Thieves” and others.

In 1911, the family moved to Gatchina. At this time, a new theme appears in creativity - love. He writes, "Shulamith".

A. I. Kuprin “Garnet Bracelet”

In 1918, the couple emigrated to France. Abroad, the writer continues to work fruitfully. More than 20 stories have been written. Among them are “Blue Star”, “Yu-Yu” and others.

1937 became a landmark year in that Alexander Ivanovich was allowed to return to his homeland. The sick writer returns to Russia. He lives in his homeland for only a year. The ashes rest in the Volkovsky cemetery in Leningrad.

The most important thing you need to know about the life and work of this outstanding author is located in the chronological table:

Date	Event
September 26 (August 7), 1870	Birth of Kuprin
1874	Moving with my mother and sisters to Moscow
1880–1890	Studying at military schools
1889	Publication of the first story “The Last Debut”
1890–1894	Service
1894–1897	Moving to Kyiv and writing activities
1898	"Polessye Stories"
1901–1903	Marriage and move to St. Petersburg
1904–1906	Printing of the first collected works
1905	"Duel"
1907–1908	Addresses the love theme in creativity
1909–1912	Received the Pushkin Prize. “Garnet Bracelet” has been published.
1914	Military service
1920	Emigration to France with family
1927–1933	A fruitful period of creativity abroad
1937	Return to Russia
1938	Death in Leningrad

The most important thing about Kuprin

A brief biography of the writer can be summarized in several main milestones of his life. Alexander Ivanovich comes from an impoverished noble family. It so happened that the boy was left without a father early on. For this reason, the formation of personality was quite difficult. After all, as you know, a boy needs a father. The mother, having moved to Moscow, decides to send her son to study at a military school. Therefore, the army structure quite strongly influenced Alexander Ivanovich and his worldview.

Main stages of life:

• Until 1894, that is, before retiring from military service, the aspiring author tried his hand at writing.
• After 1894, he realized that writing was his calling, so he devoted himself entirely to creativity. Makes acquaintance with Gorky, Bunin, Chekhov and other writers of that time.
• The revolution of 1917 confirmed Kuprin in the idea that perhaps they were right in their views on power. Therefore, the writer and his family cannot stay in Russia and are forced to emigrate. Alexander Ivanovich has been living in France for almost 20 years and working fruitfully. A year before his death, he was allowed to return to his homeland, which he did.
• In 1938, the writer’s heart stopped beating forever.

Useful video: the early period of creativity of A. I. Kuprin

Biography for children

Children become acquainted with the name Kuprin while studying in elementary school. Below is biographical information about the writer that students need.

It is important for children of primary school age to know that Alexander Ivanovich turned to the topic of children and childhood for a reason. He writes on this topic simply and naturally. In this series he creates a large number of stories about animals. In general, in works of this orientation, Kuprin expresses a humane attitude towards all living things.

In stories whose heroes are children, the theme of orphanhood is acutely expressed. Perhaps this is due to the fact that their author himself was left without a father early on. But it is worth noting that he shows orphanhood as a social problem. Works about children and for children include “The Wonderful Doctor”, “Yu-Yu”, “Taper”, “Elephant”, “White Poodle” and many others.

Important! Undoubtedly, the contribution of this outstanding writer to the development and formation of children's literature is extremely great.

A. I. Kuprin in Gatchina

Kuprin's last years

Kuprin had many difficulties in his childhood, and there were no less problems in the last years of his life. In 1937 he was allowed to return to the Soviet Union. He was greeted solemnly. Among those greeting the famous prose writer were many famous poets and writers of that time. In addition to these people, there were a lot of fans of Alexander Ivanovich’s work.

By this time, Kuprin was diagnosed with cancer. This disease greatly undermined the resources of the writer’s body. Returning to his homeland, the prose writer hoped that staying in his native land would only benefit him. Unfortunately, the writer's hopes were not destined to come true. A year later, the talented realist passed away.

Last years of life

Kuprin in videos

In the modern world of informatization, a lot of biographical information about creative people has been digitized. The TV channel “My Joy” broadcasts a series of programs “My Live Journal”. In this series there is a program about the life and work of Alexander Kuprin.

On the TV channel “Russia. Culture" broadcasts a series of lectures about writers. The duration of the video is 25 minutes. Moreover, lectures about Alexander Ivanovich also form a cycle. There are those that tell about childhood and adolescence and the period of emigration. Their duration is approximately the same.

There are collections of videos about Kuprin on the Internet. Even an entire virtual page is dedicated to the famous Russian writer. This page also contains links to audiobooks. Reader reviews are posted at the very end.

Return to Homeland

Wikipedia about Kuprin

The electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia contains a voluminous information article about Alexander Ivanovich. It tells in detail about the life path of the prose writer. Detailed descriptions of his main works are given. The information concerning the writer’s family is covered quite fully. This text is accompanied by personal photographs of Kuprin.

After the basic information, the author's bibliography is presented, with electronic links to almost all books. Anyone who is truly interested in his work can read what interests them. There are also links to videos with filmed works of Alexander Ivanovich. At the end of the article, memorable places associated with the name of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin are listed, many are illustrated with photographs.

Useful video: biography of A.I. Kuprina

Conclusion

70 years have passed since Kuprin's death. This is a fairly long time period. But, despite this, the popularity of Alexander Ivanovich’s works does not decrease. This is due to the fact that they contain things that are understandable to everyone. The works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin should be read by everyone who wants to better understand the nature of relationships and the motives that drive different people. They are a kind of encyclopedia of moral qualities and deep experiences of any person.

Russian writer, translator

Alexander Kuprin

Brief biography

Born on September 7, 1870 in the county town of Narovchat (now Penza region) in the family of an official, hereditary nobleman Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin (1834-1871), who died a year after the birth of his son. Mother - Lyubov Alekseevna (1838-1910), nee Kulunchakova, came from a family of Tatar princes (a noblewoman, did not have a princely title). After the death of her husband, she moved to Moscow, where the future writer spent his early years and adolescence. At the age of six, the boy was sent to the Moscow Razumov School, from where he graduated in 1880. In the same year he entered the Second Moscow Military Gymnasium.

In 1887 he was enrolled in the Alexander Military School. Subsequently, he described his military youth in the stories “At the Turning Point (Cadets)” and in the novel “Junkers”.

Kuprin's first literary experience was poetry that remained unpublished. The first published work was the story “The Last Debut” (1889).

In 1890, Kuprin, with the rank of second lieutenant, was released into the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment, stationed in the Podolsk province, in Proskurov. He served as an officer for four years; military service gave him rich material for future works.

In 1893-1894, the St. Petersburg magazine “Russian Wealth” published his story “In the Dark,” the stories “Moonlit Night” and “Inquiry.” Kuprin has several stories on an army theme: “Overnight” (1897), “Night Shift” (1899), “Hike”.

In 1894, Lieutenant Kuprin retired and moved to Kyiv, without any civilian profession. In the following years, he traveled a lot around Russia, trying many professions, greedily absorbing life experiences that became the basis of his future works.

During these years, Kuprin met I. A. Bunin, A. P. Chekhov and M. Gorky. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg and began working as secretary of the “Magazine for Everyone.” Kuprin's stories appeared in St. Petersburg magazines: “Swamp” (1902), “Horse Thieves” (1903), “White Poodle” (1903).

In 1905, his most significant work was published - the story "The Duel", which was a great success. The writer’s performances reading individual chapters of “The Duel” became an event in the cultural life of the capital. His other works of this time: the stories “Staff Captain Rybnikov” (1906), “River of Life”, “Gambrinus” (1907), the essay “Events in Sevastopol” (1905). In 1906, he was a candidate for deputy of the State Duma of the first convocation from the St. Petersburg province.

In the years between the two revolutions, Kuprin published a series of essays “Listrigons” (1907-1911), stories “Shulamith” (1908), “Garnet Bracelet” (1911), etc., and the story “Liquid Sun” (1912). His prose has become a notable phenomenon of Russian literature. In 1911 he settled with his family in Gatchina.

After the outbreak of World War I, he opened a military hospital in his house and campaigned in newspapers for citizens to take out war loans. In November 1914, he was mobilized and sent to the militia in Finland as commander of an infantry company. Demobilized in July 1915 for health reasons.

In 1915, Kuprin completed work on the story “The Pit,” in which he talks about the life of prostitutes in brothels. The story was condemned for excessive naturalism. Nuravkin’s publishing house, which published “Yama” in the German edition, was brought to justice by the prosecutor’s office “for distributing pornographic publications.”

Kuprin met the abdication of Nicholas II in Helsingfors, where he was undergoing treatment, and accepted it with enthusiasm. After returning to Gatchina, he worked as editor of the newspapers “Free Russia”, “Volnost”, “Petrogradsky Listok”, and sympathized with the Socialist Revolutionaries.

In 1917, he completed work on the story “The Star of Solomon”, in which, creatively reworking the classic plot of Faust and Mephistopheles, he raised questions about free will and the role of chance in human destiny.

After the October Revolution, the writer did not accept the policy of war communism and the terror associated with it, Kuprin emigrated to France. He worked at the World Literature publishing house, founded by M. Gorky. At the same time, he translated F. Schiller’s drama “Don Carlos”. In July 1918, after the murder of Volodarsky, he was arrested, spent three days in prison, was released and added to the list of hostages.

In December 1918, he had a personal meeting with V.I. Lenin on the issue of organizing a new newspaper for peasants, “Earth,” who approved the idea, but the project was “cut down” by the chairman of the Moscow Soviet, L.B. Kamenev.

On October 16, 1919, with the arrival of the Whites in Gatchina, he entered the North-Western Army with the rank of lieutenant and was appointed editor of the army newspaper “Prinevsky Krai,” headed by General P. N. Krasnov.

After the defeat of the North-Western Army, he was in Reval, from December 1919 - in Helsingfors, from July 1920 - in Paris.

In 1937, at the invitation of the USSR government, Kuprin returned to his homeland. Kuprin’s return to the Soviet Union was preceded by an appeal from the USSR Plenipotentiary Representative in France V.P. Potemkin on August 7, 1936 with a corresponding proposal to J.V. Stalin (who gave the preliminary “go-ahead”), and on October 12, 1936 - with a letter to the People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs N. I. Ezhov. Yezhov sent Potemkin’s note to the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, which on October 23, 1936 decided: “to allow the writer A. I. Kuprin to enter the USSR” (voted “for” by I. V. Stalin, V. M. Molotov, V. . Y. Chubar and A. A. Andreev; K. E. Voroshilov abstained).

Soviet propaganda tried to create the image of a repentant writer who returned to sing about a happy life in the USSR. According to L. Rasskazova, in all the official notes of Soviet officials it is recorded that Kuprin is weak, sick, incapacitated and unable to write anything. Presumably, the article “Native Moscow” published in June 1937 in the newspaper Izvestia, signed by Kuprin, was actually written by the journalist assigned to Kuprin, N.K. Verzhbitsky. An interview was also published with Kuprin’s wife Elizaveta Moritsevna, who said that the writer was delighted with everything he saw and heard in socialist Moscow.

Kuprin died on the night of August 25, 1938 from esophageal cancer. He was buried in Leningrad on the Literary Bridge of the Volkovsky Cemetery next to the grave of I. S. Turgenev.

Bibliography

Works by Alexander Kuprin

Editions

• A. I. Kuprin. Complete works in eight volumes. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house of A. F. Marx, 1912.
• A. I. Kuprin. Complete works in nine volumes. - St. Petersburg: Edition of A.F. Marx, 1912-1915.
• A. I. Kuprin. Favorites. T. 1-2. - M.: Goslitizdat, 1937.
• A. I. Kuprin. Stories. - L.: Lenizdat, 1951.
• A. I. Kuprin. Works in 3 volumes - M.: Goslitizdat, 1953, 1954.
• A. I. Kuprin. Collected works in 6 volumes. - M.: Fiction, 1957-1958.
• A. I. Kuprin. Collected works in 9 volumes. - M.: Pravda, 1964.
• A. I. Kuprin. Collected works in 9 volumes. - M.: Fiction, 1970-1973.
• A. I. Kuprin. Collected works in 5 volumes. - M.: Pravda, 1982.
• A. I. Kuprin. Collected works in 6 volumes. - M.: Fiction, 1991-1996.
• A. I. Kuprin. Collected works in 11 volumes. - M.: Terra, 1998. - ISBN 5-300-01806-6.
• A. I. Kuprin. Paris is intimate. - M., 2006. - ISBN 5-699-17615-2.
• A. I. Kuprin. Complete works in 10 volumes. - M.: Sunday, 2006-2007. - ISBN 5-88528-502-0.
• A. I. Kuprin. Collected works in 9 volumes. - M.: Knigovek (Literary supplement “Ogonyok”), 2010. - ISBN 978-5-904656-05-8.
• A. I. Kuprin. Garnet bracelet. Stories. / Comp. I. S. Veselova. Entry Art. A. V. Karaseva. - Kharkov; Belgorod: Family Leisure Club, 2013. - 416 pp.: ill. - (Series “Great Masterpieces of World Classics”). - ISBN 978-5-9910-2265-1
• A. I. Kuprin. Voice from there // “Roman-newspaper”, 2014. - No. 4.

Film incarnations

• Garnet Bracelet (1964) - Grigory Gai
• The Aeronaut (1975) - Armen Dzhigarkhanyan
• White Snow of Russia (1980) - Vladimir Samoilov
• Kuprin (2014) - Mikhail Porechenkov

Memory

• In Russia, 7 settlements and 35 streets and alleys in cities and villages of Russia are named after Kuprin, 4 of them in the Penza region (Penza, Narovchat, Nizhny Lomov and Kamenka).
• In the village of Narovchat, Penza region, in Kuprin’s homeland, on September 8, 1981, the world’s only house-museum of Kuprin was opened and the first monument to the writer in Russia was erected (a marble bust by sculptor V. G. Kurdov). The writer’s daughter, Ksenia Aleksandrovna Kuprina (1908-1981), took part in the opening of the museum and monument.
• In the Vologda region, in the village of Danilovskoye, Ustyuzhensky district, there is a museum-estate of the Batyushkovs and Kuprin, where there are several authentic things of the writer.
• In Gatchina, the central city library (since 1959) and one of the streets in the Marienburg microdistrict (since 1960) bear Kuprin’s name. Also in 1989, a bust-monument to Kuprin by sculptor V.V. Shevchenko was erected in the city.
• In Ukraine, major streets in the cities of Donetsk, Mariupol, Krivoy Rog, as well as streets in the cities of Odessa, Makeevka, Khmelnitsky, Sumy and some others are named after A.I. Kuprin.
• In Kyiv, at house number 4 on the street. Sagaidachny (Podol, former Alexandrovskaya), where the writer lived in 1894-1896, a memorial plaque was unveiled in 1958. A street in Kyiv is named after Kuprin.
• In St. Petersburg, on the site of the “Vienna” restaurant, which A.I. Kuprin often visited, there is a mini-hotel “Old Vienna”, one of the rooms of which is entirely dedicated to the writer. There are also rare pre-revolutionary editions of his books and many archival photographs.
• In 1990, a memorial marker was installed in Balaklava in the area of ​​Remizov’s dacha, where Kuprin lived twice. In 1994, Balaklava Library No. 21 on the embankment received the name of the writer. In May 2009, a monument to Kuprin by sculptor S. A. Chizh was unveiled.
• A memorial plaque was erected to the writer in Kolomna.
• In 2014, the series “Kuprin” was filmed (directed by Vlad Furman, Andrey Eshpai, Andrey Malyukov, Sergey Keshishev).
• One of the lanes in the city of Rudny (Kustanay region, Kazakhstan) is named after Alexander Kuprin.

Objects associated with the name of A. I. Kuprin in Narovchat

Family

• Davydova (Kuprina-Iordanskaya) Maria Karlovna(March 25, 1881-1966) - first wife, adopted daughter of cellist Karl Yulievich Davydov and publisher of the magazine “World of God” Alexandra Arkadyevna Gorozhanskaya (the wedding took place on February 3, 1902, divorce in March 1907, but officially the divorce documents were received only in 1909). Subsequently - the wife of statesman Nikolai Ivanovich Jordansky (Negorev). She left behind the memoirs “Years of Youth” (including about the time she lived together with A.I. Kuprin) (M.: “Khudozhestvennaya literatura”, 1966).
  • Kuprina, Lidia Alexandrovna(January 3, 1903 - November 23, 1924) - daughter from her first marriage. Graduated from high school. At the age of sixteen she married a certain Leontyev, but divorced a year later. In 1923 she married Boris Egorov. At the beginning of 1924, she gave birth to a son, Alexei (1924-1946), and soon separated from her husband. When her son was ten months old, she died. Alexey was raised by his father, later participated in the Great Patriotic War with the rank of sergeant, and died of heart disease, which was a consequence of a shell shock received at the front.
• Heinrich Elizaveta Moritsovna(1882-1942) - second wife (since 1907, married on August 16, 1909). Daughter of Perm photographer Moritz Heinrich, younger sister of actress Maria Abramova (Heinrich). She worked as a nurse. She committed suicide during the siege of Leningrad.
  • Kuprina Ksenia Alexandrovna(April 21, 1908 - November 18, 1981) - daughter from her second marriage. Model and actress. She worked at the Paul Poiret Fashion House. In 1958 she moved from France to the USSR. Played in the theater

Alexander Kuprin is a great Russian writer who left a rich legacy of works to humanity. Observant, subtle and sensitive by nature, Alexander Ivanovich reflected in his works the life and morality of that time.

He was born on August 26 (September 7), 1870 in the family of a minor official in the small town of Narovchat, which is located in the Penza province. His father died a year after Alexander was born. Three children remained in the arms of mother Lyubov Alekseevna - older sisters and Sasha himself. The girls are sent to a boarding school, and Lyubov Alekseevna leaves with her son for Moscow.

It is worth noting that the writer’s mother is a native of the ancient family of Tatar princes Kulanchakov. She has a strong character, stubborn, and loves her children very much. Life in Moscow was hard, miserable, and the mother enrolled her six-year-old son in the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school (1876). It was not easy for Alexander, the boy was sad and homesick, and even thought about escaping. He read a lot, knew how to invent stories, and was popular for this. Alexander composed his first creation, a poem, at the age of seven.

Gradually, life got better, and Kuprin decided to become a military man. After graduating from the boarding school in 1880, he immediately entered the Second Moscow Military Academy. Eight years later he studies at the Moscow Alexander Military School. The years of study were not in vain for Alexander Ivanovich; later he would write and denounce the Russian army in his works. There will be a lot of thoughts about honor, uniform, courage, the characters of the heroes, as well as about corruption.

He continued to read and study literature, and in 1889 his first story, “The First Debut,” was published. In 1890, after completing his studies, Kuprin entered service in an infantry regiment as a second lieutenant. Its new location is Podolsk province. Four years later, Alexander Ivanovich retired. Having no specialty, Kuprin tries himself in various fields of activity.

This person, greedy for impressions, takes on any job, he is not afraid of anything, everything is interesting to him. His character is explosive, but he is ready for an adventure. It was important for him to communicate with people, to get used to their atmosphere of life, to capture the feelings, character and subtleties of each person. Then Kuprin will skillfully reflect his observations in his works.

Soon he meets A.P. Chekhov, M. Gorky and I. Bunin. Publications in Moscow and St. Petersburg begin to publish his works, notes, and essays. In 1901, Alexander Kuprin married Maria Davydova, and a year later their daughter Lida was born. In 1905, the story “The Duel” was published. In addition to the army impressions set out in his works, Kuprin writes about love, about animals (“White Poodle” 1902), becomes popular, and is published a lot. In 1907, after a divorce from his first wife, Alexander Kuprin remarried Elizaveta Heinrich. Daughter Ksenia is born.

Alexander Ivanovich served in Finland in 1914, but was discharged due to health reasons. The First World War (1914-1918) began, then he, his wife Elizabeth and daughter Ksenia set up an infirmary at home. They provided assistance to wounded soldiers. Kuprin perceived the revolution negatively. He was on the side of the white movement, although at first he tried to cooperate with the Bolsheviks. Like many other creative personalities, Kuprin and his family leave Russia, they go to France. Alexander Ivanovich continues to create, but not so productively; he misses his homeland. Actively participates in the anti-Bolshevik press.

In the spring of 1937, the writer and his family returned to their homeland. He was greeted warmly and cordially. Unfortunately, the writer was seriously ill and died a year later. He died on August 25, 1938 in the city of Leningrad. The most popular works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin:

“Duel”, “Garnet Bracelet”, “Olesya”, “Pit”.

Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich (1870 - 1938)

“We must be grateful to Kuprin for everything - for his deep humanity, for his subtle talent, for his love for his country, for his unshakable faith in the happiness of his people and, finally, for the ability that never died in him to light up from the most insignificant contact with poetry and free and leHow to write about this."

K. G. Paustovsky

Kuprin Alexander Ivanovichwas bornOn September 7, in the city of Narovchat, Penza province, in the family of a minor official who died a year after the birth of his son. After the death of her husband, his mother (from the ancient family of Tatar princes Kulanchakov) moved to Moscow, where the future writer spent his childhood and youth. At the age of six, the boy was sent to the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school (orphanage), from where he left in 1880. The same year he entered the Moscow Military Academy, transformed into the Cadet Corps, p.After graduating, he continued his military education at the Alexander Junker School (1888 - 90). “Military youth” is described in the stories “At the Turning Point (Cadets)” and in the novel “Junkers”. Even then he dreamed of becoming “a poet or novelist.”Kuprin's first literary experience was the remaining unpublished poems. FirstThe story "The Last Debut" was published in 1889.

In 1890, after graduating from military school, Kuprin, with the rank of second lieutenant, was enlisted in an infantry regiment stationed in the Podolsk province. The life of an officer, which he led for four years, provided rich material for his future works. In 1893 - 1894, his story “In the Dark” and the stories “On a Moonlit Night” and “Inquiry” were published in the St. Petersburg magazine “Russian Wealth”. A series of stories are dedicated to the life of the Russian army: “Overnight” (1897), “Night Shift” (1899), “Hike”. In 1894, Kuprin retired and moved to Kyiv, without any civilian profession and with little life experience. He wandered around Russia a lot, tried many professions, greedily absorbed life impressions, which formed the basis for future works.

In the 1890s, he published the essay "Yuzovsky Plant" and the story "Moloch", the stories "Wilderness", "Werewolf", the stories "Olesya" and "Kat" ("Army Ensign").During these years, Kuprin met Bunin, Chekhov and Gorky. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg, began working as a secretary of the “Magazine for Everyone,” married M. Davydova, and had a daughter, Lydia.

Kuprin's stories appeared in St. Petersburg magazines: "Swamp" (1902); "Horse Thieves" (1903); "White Poodle" (1904). In 1905, his most significant work was published - the story "The Duel", which was a great success. The writer’s performances reading individual chapters of “The Duel” became an event in the cultural life of the capital. His works of this time were very well-behaved: the essay “Events in Sevastopol” (1905), the stories “Staff Captain Rybnikov” (1906), “River of Life”, “Gambrinus” (1907). In 1907 he married his second wife, sister of mercy E. Heinrich, and had a daughter, Ksenia.

Kuprin's work in the years between the two revolutions resisted the decadent mood of those years: the cycle of essays "Listrigons" (1907 - 11), stories about animals, the stories "Shulamith", "Garnet Bracelet" (1911). His prose became a notable phenomenon of Russian literature at the beginning of the century.

After the October Revolution, the writer did not accept the policy of military communism, the “Red Terror”; he feared for the fate of Russian culture. In 1918 he came to Lenin with a proposal to publish a newspaper for the village - "Earth". At one time he worked at the World Literature publishing house, founded by Gorky.

In the fall of 1919, while in Gatchina, cut off from Petrograd by Yudenich's troops, he emigrated abroad. The seventeen years that the writer spent in Paris were an unproductive period. Constant material need and homesickness led him to the decision to return to Russia.

In the spring of 1937, the seriously ill Kuprin returned to his homeland, warmly received by his admirers. Published the essay "Native Moscow". However, the new creative plans were not destined to come true.

It is quite difficult and at the same time easy to write about Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin. It’s easy because I’ve known his works since childhood. And who among us doesn’t know them? A capricious, sick girl demanding an elephant to visit her, a wonderful doctor who fed two frozen boys on a cold night and saved an entire family from death; a knight immortally in love with a princess from the fairy tale “Blue Star”...

Or the poodle Artaud, performing incredible cubrets in the air, to the sonorous commands of the boy Seryozha; cat Yu-yu, gracefully sleeping under the newspaper. How memorable, from childhood and from childhood itself, all this, with what skill, how concisely - easily written! As if on the fly! Childlike - direct, lively, bright. And even in tragic moments, bright notes of love of life and hope are heard in these simple-minded stories.

Something childish and surprised always, almost until the very end, until death, lived in this large and overweight man with clearly defined oriental cheekbones and a slightly cunning squinting of his eyes.

Svetlana Makorenko

On September 6 and 7, the XXVIII Kuprin Literary Festival and the summing up of the results of the XII creative competition “Garnet Bracelet” will be held in Penza and Narovchat.

COMMANDMENTSKUPRINA

"1. If you want to depict something... first imagine it absolutely clearly: color, smell, taste, position of a figure, facial expression... Find figurative, unworn words, best of all unexpected ones. Give a juicy perception of what you have seen, and if you don’t know how to see for yourself, put down your pen...

6. Don't be afraid of old stories, but approach them in a completely new, unexpected way. Show people and things in your own way, you are a writer. Don’t be afraid of your real self, be sincere, don’t invent anything, but present it as you hear and see.

9. Know what you actually want to say, what you love and what you hate. Bring out the plot within yourself, get used to it... Walk and look, get used to it, listen, take part yourself. Never write from your head.

10. Work! Don’t be sorry to cross out, work hard. Be careful with your writing, criticize mercilessly, do not read unfinished work to friends, be afraid of their praise, do not consult with anyone. And most importantly, work while living... I’ve stopped worrying, pick up my pen and then again don’t give yourself rest until you achieve what you need. Achieve persistently, mercilessly.”

The “Commandments,” according to V.N. Afanasyev, were expressed by Kuprin during a meeting with one young author, and years later, reproduced by this author in the “Women’s Journal” for 1927.

But, perhaps, the main commandment Kuprin left to his descendants is love for life, for what is interesting and beautiful in it: for sunsets and sunrises, for the smells of meadow grass and forest prairie, for a child and an old man, for a horse and a dog. , to pure feeling and a good joke, to birch forests and pine groves, to birds and fish, to snow, rain and hurricanes, to the ringing of bells and a hot air balloon, to freedom from attachment to perishable treasures. And complete rejection of everything that disfigures and stains a person.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born August 26 (September 7), 1870 in the city of Narovchat, Penza province. From the nobles. Kuprin's father is a collegiate registrar; mother is from the ancient family of Tatar princes Kulunchakov.

Lost his father early; was brought up in the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school for orphans. In 1888. A. Kuprin graduated from the cadet corps, in 1890– Alexander Military School (both in Moscow); served as an infantry officer. After retiring with the rank of lieutenant in 1894 changed a number of professions: he worked as a land surveyor, a forest surveyor, an estate manager, a prompter in a provincial acting troupe, etc. For many years he collaborated in newspapers in Kyiv, Rostov-on-Don, Odessa, and Zhitomir.

The first publication is the story “The Last Debut” ( 1889 ). Story "Inquiry" ( 1894 ) opened a series of war stories and stories by Kuprin (“The Lilac Bush”, 1894 ; "Overnight" 1895 ; "Army ensign", "Breguet", both - 1897 ; etc.), reflecting the writer’s impressions of military service. Kuprin's trips around Southern Ukraine provided material for the story "Moloch" ( 1896 ), in the center of which is the theme of industrial civilization, which depersonalizes man; the juxtaposition of the smelting furnace with a pagan deity demanding human sacrifices is intended to warn of the dangers of worshiping technological progress. A. Kuprin’s story “Olesya” ( 1898 ) - about the dramatic love of a savage girl who grew up in the wilderness and an aspiring writer who came from the city. The hero of Kuprin's early works is a man with a subtle mental organization, who cannot withstand the collision with the social reality of the 1890s and the test of great feeling. Among other works of this period: “Polesie stories” “In the wilderness” ( 1898 ), "On the wood grouse" ( 1899 ), "Werewolf" ( 1901 ). In 1897. Kuprin's first book, “Miniatures,” was published. In the same year, Kuprin met I. Bunin, in 1900– with A. Chekhov; since 1901 participated in Teleshov’s “environments” - a Moscow literary circle that united writers of a realistic direction. In 1901 A. Kuprin moved to St. Petersburg; collaborated in the influential magazines “Russian Wealth” and “World of God”. In 1902 met M. Gorky; was published in a series of collections initiated by him by the publishing company “Znanie”, here in 1903 The first volume of Kuprin's stories was published. The story “The Duel” brought wide popularity to Kuprin ( 1905 ), where the unsightly picture of army life with drill and half-conscious cruelty reigning in it is accompanied by reflections on the absurdity of the existing world order. The publication of the story coincided with the defeat of the Russian fleet in the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905., which contributed to its public resonance. The story was translated into foreign languages ​​and opened the name of the writer to European readers.

In the 1900s - first half of the 1910s. The most significant works of A. Kuprin were published: the story “At the Turning Point (Cadets)” ( 1900 ), "Pit" ( 1909-1915 ); stories “Swamp”, “At the Circus” (both 1902 ), "Coward", "Horse Thieves" (both 1903 ), "Peaceful Life", "White Poodle" (both 1904 ), "Staff Captain Rybnikov", "River of Life" (both 1906 ), "Gambrinus", "Emerald" ( 1907 ), "Anathema" ( 1913 ); a series of essays about fishermen of Balaklava - “Listrigons” ( 1907-1911 ). Admiration for strength and heroism, a keen sense of beauty and the joy of existence prompt Kuprin to search for a new image - an integral and creative nature. The story “Shulamith” is dedicated to the theme of love ( 1908 ; based on the biblical Song of Songs) and “Garnet Bracelet” ( 1911 ) is a touching story about the unrequited and selfless love of a small telegraph operator for the wife of a high-ranking official. Kuprin also tried his hand at science fiction: the hero of the story “Liquid Sun” ( 1913 ) is a brilliant scientist who gained access to a source of super-powerful energy, but hides his invention for fear that it will be used to create deadly weapons.

In 1911 Kuprin moved to Gatchina. In 1912 and 1914 traveled to France and Italy. With the outbreak of World War I he returned to the army, but the following year he was demobilized for health reasons. After the February Revolution 1917 edited the Socialist Revolutionary newspaper “Free Russia”, and collaborated with the publishing house “World Literature” for several months. After the October Revolution 1917, which he did not accept, returned to journalism. In one of the articles, Kuprin spoke out against the execution of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, for which he was arrested and briefly imprisoned ( 1918 ). The writer's attempts to cooperate with the new government did not produce the desired results. Having joined in October 1919 to the troops of N.N. Yudenich, Kuprin reached Yamburg (from 1922 Kingisepp), from there through Finland to Paris (1920 ). In exile they created: the autobiographical story “The Dome of St. Isaac of Dalmatia" ( 1928 ), the story “Zhaneta. Princess of Four Streets" ( 1932 ; separate edition - 1934 ), a number of nostalgic stories about pre-revolutionary Russia (“The One-Armed Comedian”, 1923 ; "Emperor's Shadow" 1928 ; "Tsar's guest from Narovchat" 1933 ) etc. The works of the emigrant period are characterized by idealistic images of monarchical Russia and patriarchal Moscow. Among other works: the story “The Star of Solomon” ( 1917 ), story "The Golden Rooster" ( 1923 ), series of essays “Kyiv types” ( 1895-1898 ), “Blessed South”, “Paris at Home” (both 1927 ), literary portraits, stories for children, feuilletons. In 1937 Kuprin returned to the USSR.

Kuprin’s works provide a broad panorama of Russian life, covering almost all layers of society 1890-1910s.; the traditions of everyday life prose of the second half of the 19th century are combined with elements of symbolism. A number of works embodied the writer’s attraction to romantic plots and heroic images. A. Kuprin's prose is distinguished by its depiction, authenticity in the depiction of characters, richness in everyday details, and colorful language that includes argotisms.