Belinsky, emperors Alexander II, Alexander III, th

Belinsky, emperors Alexander II, Alexander III, the phenomenon of verification and approving of cultural significance, the figure of Maxim Gorky, the First Congress of Soviet Writers. A cultural and historical essay.


How was Pushkin treated in Russian society?

Someone read the works of Alexander Pushkin, someone played cards with him, someone danced with his wife at balls ... In general, psychologically Alexander Pushkin was not so easy to live.

However, when he died, Mikhail Lermontov, who was practically not personally acquainted with Pushkin, wrote wonderful poem, and the Russian society plunged into deep sadness ...

It was after the ill-fated duel that it became clear to everyone what the significance of Pushkin's work for Russian culture was.

Vissarion Belinsky preferred a different path. He made a brilliant step: he announced Nikolai Gogol the head (the leader) of Russian literature (1835). (From Gogol the leadership passed to Turgenev. From Turgenev - to a group of cultural figures (Nekrasov, Grigorovich ...), from Grigorovich - to Chekhov ... Chekhov recognized Bunin's talent ...

Of course, not everyone had the energy and talent of Vissarion Belinsky ...

And why was Belinsky needed with his ingenious statement, announcement about the head of Russian literature?

We discover in Russian society the phenomenon of verification and approving of cultural significance and we declare the existence of this phenomenon.

Culturally, the Russian society of the imperial era was polarized, sharply. An insignificant stratum of cultured and educated people existed surrounded by a huge mass of illiterate, uneducated, albeit cultured, - but only in the aspects of folk and religious culture, - “ordinary” people.

Someone, some personality, must announce to the city and to the world ... Someone - an authoritative one - must verify and approve the cultural significance of this or that cultural figure.

Who announced Alexander Pushkin as the head of Russian literature during Pushkin's lifetime? ...

Thus, we see Belinsky with his brilliant local, dot cultural revolution.

In Russian society, the figure of the emperor (empress) played a dominant role. A role of highest level...

This figure was producing a cultural influence. Empress Catherine II corresponded with Voltaire, Emperor Alexander I oversaw the writing of Karamzin's "History" ...

At the same time, after 1795, a layer appeared in the Russian intelligentsia, the beginning of the cultural history of which conditionally dates back to 1364 ...

And if Vissarion Belinsky declared Nikolai Gogol the head of Russian literature, then the emperors could not lag behind Belinsky.

According to legend, Emperor Alexander II wept while reading Leo Tolstoy's "The Sevastopol Sketches". It is important circumstance, -  nobody disputed this legend ... On the contrary, it was spreading ... It was a convenient legend, verifying and approving the cultural significance of "The Sevastopol Sketches" - a work extremely important for politics, Russian history. ""Sevastopol" had greater success than "Childhood" and "Boyhood", magazines noted that this was the work of the master, severely verified and calculated, energetic and compressed. The Emperor liked the story so much that he ordered it to be translated into French and published in the Russian magazine Le Nord (this  magazine was publishing in Brussels in French). The young empress wept over this sincere account of the misfortunes of her people. These tears meant a lot to the fame of the one who signed L.N.T. "I seem to be starting to acquire a reputation in St. Petersburg," Tolstoy writes in his diary. " (Henri Troyat "Leo Tolstoy").

“At the end of 1889, one of Korolenko's works fell into the hands of Alexander III. The king read and became interested in the personality of the writer. Soon a lengthy report was presented to him. Here, the main facts of the biography of Korolenko were reported during the period of serving his exile, the refusal of the oath was especially noted ...

After reading the report, the All-Russian Emperor, to whom Korolenko refused to make the oath of allegiance, deigned to draw a thoughtful resolution: "All this shows that Korolenko's personality is very unreliable, and he not without talent." (Г.М. Миронов. Короленко [George Mironov. Korolenko]).

It would seem, why does young Alexei Peshkov need Vladimir Korolenko?

Peshkov published his first work with the support of two East-Republicans (Alexander Kalyuzhny and Vladimir Tsvetnitsky) in 1892 in distant Tiflis. (After conversation with Korolenko and receiving a feedback, a review from him, Peshkov lost a desire to write) ...

This question is natural for a person who is not familiar with the phenomenon of verification and approving of cultural significance.

On the contrary, for a person who is formally logically or intuitively familiar with the existence of this phenomenon, the semi-real, semi-mythical support for Korolenko was of fundamental importance.

“Korolenko and Nikolai Konstantinovich Mikhailovsky were listed in the censorship department only as the official publishers of the magazine - the police department did not allow an“ unreliable ”writer to be an editor…… Mikhailovsky and Korolenko were tightly bound by their joint work at "Russkoye Wealth" ("Russkoye Bogatstvo") [magazine]. ... Mikhailovsky delayed the publication for six months of the story and finally gave in; Korolenko spoke enthusiastically about "Chelkash"." (Г.М. Миронов. Короленко [George Mironov. Korolenko]).

The editorial board of Russkoye Bogatstvo is working heavy... Korolenko enthusiastically speaks of "Chelkash", and Mikhailovsky is delaying, delaying ...

There was another side to the issue. And without the Korolenko's help, Maxim Gorky received his first publication in Tiflis. And without the publication of "Chelkash" in "Russian wealth" Maxim Gorky was turning into an increasingly authoritative literary figure. So the "Russian wealth" had to act diplomatically ... to yield, so to speak, to the flow of events ...

But, nevertheless, despite all his literary authority, Gorky persistently  biographically  binds himself and his creative destiny to Korolenko.

What for? What is the aim?

Gorky, formally-logically or intuitively, understands the effect, the value of such procedure as the verification and approving of cultural significance (by some authoritative person).

Korolenko is undoubtedly a significant and talented writer. This is confirmed by the resolution of Alexander III ... An opinion of this level is not subject to criticism and is not questioned. What if nobody reads Korolenko's works nowadays? And if someone is going to read, he must be persistent - such a reading is not interesting and is not attractive ...

It is important for Maxim Gorky to get verification and approval from Korolenko. In a real world, or through the skillful construction of his own biography, Maxim Gorky receives such verification and approving (from, through Korolenko).

Maxim Gorky's intuition leads him along the right path. He spends about a third of his adult life in Europe (mainly in Italy) in the company of his second wife, Yurkovskaya - Zhelyabuzhskaya - Andreeva.

At the end of the 20s of the 20th century, Maxim Gorky was a generally recognized European cultural figure who has an indisputable verification of cultural significance.

Meanwhile, the phenomenon of the verification of cultural significance manifests itself in Soviet Russia.

Nadezhda Krupskaya, People's Commissar Anatoly Lunacharsky and other powerful cultural figures are engaged in culture there. But there is no figure with universally recognized cultural verification and approving.

Vladimir Korolenko criticizes unpleasantly and soon dies in 1921. Bunin shies away from returning to Soviet Russia. (Bunin's talent was recognized by Chekhov, and Chekhov's talent was recognized by Grigorovich; Nekrasov, Grigorovich  ... - they were the heirs of Turgenev; and Turgenev - he was the heir of Gogol, and Gogol was recognized as the head of Russian literature by Vissarion Belinsky). Kuprin returns to Soviet Russia, but he is either sick or pretending to be sick - and does not take an active part in cultural soviet  life.

Writer Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy returns. It's good that his surname is Tolstoy ...

Maxim Gorky, both in terms of his actual cultural influence and the presence of verification and approving (Emperor Alexander the Third - Vladimir Korolenko - Maxim Gorky), is indisputably recognized by all cultural circles and layers of Soviet Russia (USSR).

We must recognize the enormous role of Maxim Gorky for Russian Soviet literature. He organized the First Congress of Soviet Writers in 1934. Under his patronage, the writers spoke at the Congress for two weeks. A huge number of LIVING, ALIVE writers were mentioned in the speeches of Maxim Gorky at the Congress (with positive ratings, estimates).

Gorky not only saved many writers (the fate of Alexander Grin would have awaited them), but he carried out a verification and approving of the cultural significance of a huge mass of Soviet writers. These writers constituted the most important cultural layer during the existence of the USSR. (Note that the verification and approving of Yuri Trifonov was carried out by Joseph Stalin ...).

Concluding this essay, we, firstly, state the existence and the most important role of the phenomenon of verification of cultural significance (for Russian and Soviet culture), and, secondly, we note the enormous role of Maxim Gorky for Russian, Soviet culture, for Russian, Soviet literature. We emphasize his qualities of a philanthropist, of the All-Russian cultural and arts patron.


[CXCVIII. Dialogue about the first publication of M. Gorky. - June 17, 2017.
MCCXСV. The First Congress of Soviet Writers. A literary and historical note. - February 18, 2020.
MCCСCXCII. Vissarion Belinsky. Literary marshal. Literary theorist. Literary patron. An essay. - June 9, 2020.
MDXXX. Liquidation of the supervisory-intellectual, space and literary intelligentsia. Common features and differences. The essay. - June 30, 2020.
MDXCVII. Lenin, Stalin, Mikhail Degryarev and a European intellectual potential. Experimental essay - an attempt of biographical and political comparison. - July 28, 2020.]


August 30, 2020 07:20


Translation from Russian into English: August 30, 2020 10:24.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский «Белинский, императоры Александр Второй, Александр Третий, феномен верификации культурной значимости, фигура Максима Горького, Первый Съезд советских писателей. Культурно-исторический очерк».