In the first third of the nineteenth century, Russians becameto display an unusual interest in folk culture and folklore. In different cities appeared the society of connoisseurs of antiquity and produced ethnographic magazines. Even in the gymnasium collections of poems and short stories were published, from which the creative path of most famous poets and writers began. Among them was Peter Ershov, whose biography will be described in this article. So, let's get started.
Ershov was born in 1815 in the village of Bezrukovo(Tobolsk Province). From birth, he was a very weak child, so his parents, according to the Siberian superstition, sold him through the window to the beggar for only one penny.
When the boy was ten, his father,who worked as a police chief, was transferred to Tobolsk. The future poet was struck by huge stone houses, the ancient Kremlin and the deserted Chuvash cape, near which once fought the armies of Khan Kuchum and Ermak. But most of all, Peter liked to go to crowded fairs.
In 1830, a young man graduated from the gymnasium withhonors and entered the St. Petersburg University at the Faculty of Law. But Peter Ershov, whose biography is in any literary encyclopedia, was not considered a zealous student. Do not be deducted helped him only luck. For example, preparing for the exam by law, he taught only one ticket, and he certainly came across. After graduating from university, Peter himself was upset: "Being a candidate of the university, I do not speak any foreign language".
In 1833, Professor Pletnev at one of hislectures read the first part of the fairy tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse" written by Ershov as a course work. Everyone was delighted. Later Pletnev showed a fairy tale to Pushkin. Alexander Sergeyevich also liked it, and he even edited the first four verses in it, saying to his friends: "If this continues, then I can safely move away from this kind of writing. This Ershov perfectly owns the rhyme. "
In 1834 the tale was published by the magazine "Libraryfor reading". In the same year, she was published as a separate book, which brought the nineteen-year-old poet popular fame. During the life of the poet she was reprinted as many as seven times. Many authors of that time tried to imitate her. Only strict Belinsky criticized the work, calling it a forgery for folk art. It is worth noting that the harsh critic considered even Pushkin's poems as fakes.
After graduation from the University of Petr Pavlovichdirected to work as a teacher in a gymnasium. In Tobolsk, the poet befriended the composer Alyabyev and several Decembrists. He even forwarded Odoevsky's reply to Pushkin's poetic message to Petersburg.
At that time Peter Ershov's creativity was gaining newbreath. He wrote the "Siberian Cossack", writes the story "The poor man" and the poem "Suzge". But all these were ordinary works. The people were waiting for Ershov's new tales, but the poet seemed to have lost his inspiration. Of course, Peter had many plans. For example, he planned to write an entire epic about Ivan Tsarevich.
Many people still ask:"How many fairy tales did Ershov write?" According to official data, only one. Perhaps he composed others, but they did not reach the descendants. According to the son of Pyotr Pavlovich, the poet had an archive of seven solid, well-intertwined volumes. But it is still not found.
In Tobolsk, Peter Ershov, whose biography is goodknown to fans of his work, fell in love with Seraphim Leschov. He was not embarrassed by the fact that she was a widow burdened by four children. Seraphima was beautiful, educated and practical, so she did not immediately marry a twenty-four-year-old teacher. However, in early September 1939, the wedding of the lovers still took place.
Five years later, Petr Ershov (200 years old)the birth of the poet was celebrated this year) was appointed inspector of the gymnasium. But he himself dreamed of another post. Here is what Pyotr Pavlovitch wrote to Professor Pletnev: "The director of our gymnasium went on a three-month vacation, and, according to rumors, he will not return to Tobolsk any more. In his place, there are many applicants and one of them was recommended to the minister. Meanwhile, this post was my main goal. I think after 13 years of impeccable service, I deserved it by right. Can I hope for your petition from the Minister about considering my candidacy? "Unfortunately, the poet did not become the director of the gymnasium.
Ershov Peter Pavlovich, interesting facts of lifewhich were given in this article, entered the history of literature as the author of a fairy tale. The poet himself was calm about this, realizing the limits of the gift given to him. He wrote to Professor Pletnev: “You asked about my literary works? Well what to say to that. They ended with the transfer of "Contemporary" in the hands of Nekrasov. If the previous editors were there, I would willingly participate in the work. But the new direction of the journal is not for me. For a long time I was not a doer, but an observer of literature and learned to objectively evaluate the things around me. I believe that currently literary fame is not too flattering, even for the incompetent author. And poetry? .. She was buried along with Lermontov and Pushkin ... Zhukovsky's swan song was silenced by magazine screamers, and it will be very sad if it breaks off, like Gogol's song ... A bright poetic future is possible only in the case of the arrival of a mighty talent that will make our cold age wonder before the harmony of sound. "
Peter Ershov (the biography described above) died in 1869 in the city of Tobolsk.
