When and where was Turgenev born?

Ivan Turgenev is one of the world's greatest classics. Thanks to his work, Russian literature in the 19th century became popular abroad. Moreover, the artistic system created by Turgenev influenced the Western European novel.

There are many interesting things to be said about literary work of this outstanding personality. But in today's article we will talk about Turgenev not as a writer, but as a person with an interesting and vibrant biography. How were the early years of the prose writer? Where was Turgenev born? In which city did he create his most famous works?

Origin

The writer was a representative of an ancient noble family. His father, Sergei Nikolaevich, once served in the cavalry regiment. He led a carefree lifestyle, was known as a handsome man, loved to live in a big way. He was probably quite a practical person, because in 1816 he married Varvara Lutovinova, the heiress of a huge fortune. In the small village where Turgenev was born, this lady had a huge estate. Now there is a state museum, which will be discussed later.

When was Turgenev born? The future writer was born in 1818. Twelve years later, his father left the family - a profitable marriage turned out to be unhappy. In 1834, Turgenev Sr. died.

The mother of the classic was a difficult woman. It miraculously coexisted serf habits with progressive views. Despotism nevertheless prevailed in her manner of education. It has already been said above in what year Turgenev was born. Varvara Lutovinova by that time was 25 years old. She had two more sons - Nikolai and Sergei, who died at an early age from epilepsy.

This woman beaten not only serfs, but also her own children. At the same time, she gave each of them an excellent education. The family spoke only French. But the mother of the future writer was not indifferent to Russian literature either.

Where was Turgenev born?

Ten kilometers from Mtsensk there is a small settlement called Spasskoye-Lutovinovo. Now there is a museum-reserve dedicated to the life and work of the writer.

The family estate of the Lutovinovs, where Turgenev was born, has a long and interesting history. One of the representatives of an old noble family, the village of Spasskoye was granted by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. The settlement where Turgenev was born cannot be called a city. This is a small village, known today thanks to the estate, converted into a museum in the 20th century. The history of the Lutovinov estate is described below. Let's return to the life and work of the creator of "Spring Waters" and other wonderful books.

early years

The future writer lived in his mother's estate until he was nine years old. It is noteworthy that a serf valet instilled in him a love of literature. This man, by the way, became the prototype of one of Turgenev's characters. In 1822 the family went to Europe. Five years later, the Turgenevs settled in Moscow.

At the age of 15, Ivan entered the verbal faculty, where Belinsky and Herzen also studied at that time. However, Moscow University did not have a chance to graduate Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich. Where did the idea to become a writer come from? This happened in St. Petersburg, where the family moved after the eldest son entered the guards artillery. Ivan Turgenev moved to a local university at the Faculty of Philosophy. Here he decided to connect his life with literature. However, initially he wanted to become not a writer, but a poet.

The beginning of creativity

And in 1834, Ivan Turgenev was a third-year student at the Faculty of Philosophy. It was at this time that he made his literary debut. He wrote a dramatic poem, then showed his composition to the teacher. The professor of literature reacted quite strictly to the work of the young author. True, he replied that there is "something" in the poem. These seemingly neutral words prompted Turgenev to write a number of other poetic works. Some of them were published in the Sovremennik magazine.

Abroad

Turgenev graduated from the University in 1836. He soon received his Ph.D. In 1838 he left for Germany, where he actively studied ancient languages, attended lectures on Greek and Roman literature. Turgenev met Zhukovsky, Koltsov, Lermontov. There were only a few meetings with the latter, which, although they did not lead to close communication, had a certain influence on Turgenev.

Staying abroad had a strong influence on the writer's work. Turgenev came to the conclusion that only the assimilation of the foundations of universal culture can lead Russia out of the darkness in which it is immersed. Since then, he has become a convinced "Westernizer".

"Spring Waters"

In 1839 the house where Turgenev was born burned down. In what city was the writer at that time? He then lived in Frankfurt am Main. Upon learning of the fire, he returned home. But soon he left his home again. In Germany, he once met a girl who made a strong impression on him. Returning home once again, the writer sat down for a novel, which, after publication, gained worldwide fame. It is about the book "Spring Waters".

Confession

In the forties, Turgenev became close to Annenkov and Nekrasov. At this time, he took an active part in the activities of the literary magazine Sovremennik. In one of the issues, "Notes of a Hunter" were published. The success of the work was huge, which inspired Turgenev to create other stories.

Turgenev was an ardent opponent of serfdom, which, according to many biographers, forced him to leave Russia so often. However, in 1848, during his stay in Paris, he witnessed revolutionary events, which, as expected, were accompanied by bloodshed. Since then, he forever hated the word "revolution".

At the beginning of the 50s, Turgenev's creativity flourished. Such works as "The Freeloader", "Breakfast at the Leader's", "A Month in the Village" have already been published. The writer also worked on translations of Shakespeare and Byron. In 1855 Turgenev returned to Russia. Shortly before his arrival, Varvara Lutovinova passed away. The writer failed to see his mother for the last time.

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In the early fifties, Turgenev often visited St. Petersburg. After Gogol's death, he wrote an obituary that was not passed by the censors. Then the writer sent his note to Moscow, where it was successfully published. The authorities did not like the obituary, the author of which too openly admired the creator of Dead Souls. Turgenev was sent into exile in Spasskoye-Lutovinovo.

True, there is an assumption that the reason for the dissatisfaction of the authorities was not at all a note dedicated to the death of Gogol. In Russia, many did not like the excessive radicalism of the views of the prose writer, his suspiciously frequent trips abroad, and sympathetic stories about serfs.

With fellow writers, Turgenev was not always able to find a common language. It is known that he left the Sovremennik magazine due to a conflict with Dobrolyubov. Turgenev preferred to communicate with Western writers, to whom Leo Tolstoy belonged for some time. Turgenev had friendly relations with this writer. However, in 1861, a quarrel broke out between the prose writers, which almost ended in a duel. Turgenev and Tolstoy did not communicate for 17 years. The author of Fathers and Sons also had a difficult relationship with Goncharov and Dostoevsky.

Spasskoye-Lutovinovo

The estate, which once belonged to Turgenev's mother, is located in the Mtsensk region. After the death of Varvara Lutovinova, the writer ceded the Moscow house and profitable estates to his brother. He himself became the owner of the family nest, where he spent his early years. Turgenev was in exile until 1853, but after his release he returned more than once to Spasskoye. In the estate he was visited by Fet, Tolstoy, Aksakov.

The last time Ivan Turgenev visited the family estate was in 1881. The writer died in France. The heirs removed almost all the furniture from the estate. It burned down in 1906. And 12 years later, the remaining property of Ivan Turgenev was nationalized.