“Felitsa” by G.R. Derzhavin
History of creation. Ode “Felitsa” (1782), the first poem that made the name of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin famous. It became a striking example of a new style in Russian poetry. The subtitle of the poem clarifies: “Ode to the wise Kyrgyz-Kaisak princess Felitsa, written by the Tatar Murza, who has long settled in Moscow, and lives on his business in St. Petersburg. Translated from Arabic." This work received its unusual name from the name of the heroine of “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” the author of which was Catherine II herself. She is also named by this name, which in Latin means happiness, in Derzhavin’s ode, glorifying the empress and satirically characterizing her environment.
It is known that at first Derzhavin did not want to publish this poem and even hid the authorship, fearing the revenge of the influential nobles satirically depicted in it. But in 1783 it became widespread and, with the assistance of Princess Dashkova, a close associate of the Empress, was published in the magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word,” in which Catherine II herself collaborated. Subsequently, Derzhavin recalled that this poem touched the empress so much that Dashkova found her in tears. Catherine II wanted to know who wrote the poem in which she was so accurately depicted. In gratitude to the author, she sent him a golden snuff box with five hundred chervonets and an expressive inscription on the package: “From Orenburg from the Kirghiz Princess to Murza Derzhavin.” From that day on, literary fame came to Derzhavin, which no Russian poet had known before.
Main themes and ideas. The poem "Felitsa", written as a humorous sketch from the life of the empress and her entourage, at the same time raises very important problems. On the one hand, in the ode “Felitsa” a completely traditional image of a “god-like princess” is created, which embodies the poet’s idea of the ideal of an enlightened monarch. Clearly idealizing the real Catherine II, Derzhavin at the same time believes in the image he painted:
Give me some advice, Felitsa:
How to live magnificently and truthfully,
How to tame passions and excitement
And be happy in the world?
On the other hand, the poet’s poems convey the idea not only of the wisdom of power, but also of the negligence of performers concerned with their own profit:
Seduction and flattery live everywhere,
Luxury oppresses everyone.
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
This idea in itself was not new, but behind the images of the nobles depicted in the ode, the features of real people clearly emerged:
My thoughts are spinning in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
Then I direct arrows towards the Turks;
Then, having dreamed that I was a sultan,
I terrify the universe with my gaze;
Then suddenly, I was seduced by the outfit.
I'm off to the tailor for a caftan.
In these images, the poet’s contemporaries easily recognized the empress’s favorite Potemkin, her close associates Alexei Orlov, Panin, and Naryshkin. Drawing their brightly satirical portraits, Derzhavin showed great courage - after all, any of the nobles he offended could deal with the author for this. Only Catherine’s favorable attitude saved Derzhavin.
But even to the empress he dares to give advice: to follow the law to which both kings and their subjects are subject:
You alone are only decent,
Princess, create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
The union will strengthen their integrity;
From disagreement to agreement
And from fierce passions happiness
You can only create.
This favorite thought of Derzhavin sounded bold, and it was expressed in simple and understandable language.
The poem ends with the traditional praise of the Empress and wishing her all the best:
I ask for heavenly strength,
Yes, their sapphire wings spread out,
They keep you invisibly
From all illnesses, evils and boredom;
May the sounds of your deeds be heard in posterity,
Like the stars in the sky, they will shine.
Artistic originality. Classicism forbade combining high ode and satire belonging to low genres in one work, but Derzhavin not only combines them in characterizing different persons depicted in the ode, he does something completely unprecedented for that time. Breaking the traditions of the laudatory ode genre, Derzhavin widely introduces colloquial vocabulary and even vernacular into it, but most importantly, he does not paint a ceremonial portrait of the empress, but depicts her human appearance. That is why the ode contains everyday scenes and still life;
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table.
“God-like” Felitsa, like other characters in his ode, is also shown in everyday life (“Without valuing your peace, / You read, write under the cover...”). At the same time, such details do not reduce her image, but make her more real, humane, as if exactly copied from life. Reading the poem “Felitsa”, you are convinced that Derzhavin really managed to introduce into poetry the individual characters of real people, boldly taken from life or created by the imagination, shown against the backdrop of a colorfully depicted everyday environment. This makes his poems bright, memorable and understandable.
Thus, in “Felitsa” Derzhavin acted as a bold innovator, combining the style of a laudatory ode with the individualization of characters and satire, introducing elements of low styles into the high genre of ode. Subsequently, the poet himself defined the genre of “Felitsa” as a mixed ode. Derzhavin argued that, in contrast to the traditional ode for classicism, where government officials and military leaders were praised, and solemn events were glorified, in a “mixed ode” “the poet can talk about everything.” Destroying the genre canons of classicism, with this poem he opens the way for new poetry - “real poetry™”, which received brilliant development in the work of Pushkin.
The meaning of the work.
Derzhavin himself subsequently noted that one of his main merits was that he “dared to proclaim Felitsa’s virtues in a funny Russian style.” As the researcher of the poet’s work V.F. rightly points out. Khodasevich, Derzhavin was proud “not that he discovered Catherine’s virtues, but that he was the first to speak in a “funny Russian style.” He understood that his ode was the first artistic embodiment of Russian life, that it was the embryo of our novel. And, perhaps,” Khodasevich develops his thought, “if “old man Derzhavin” had lived at least to the first chapter of “Onegin,” he would have heard echoes of his ode in it.”
One of the main poems of G. R. Derzhavin is his ode “Felitsa”. It is written in the form of an appeal from “a certain Murza” to the Kyrgyz-Kaisak princess Felitsa. The ode for the first time made contemporaries start talking about Derzhavin as a significant poet. The work was first published in 1789. In this poem, the reader has the opportunity to observe both praise and blame at the same time.
main character
In the analysis of the ode “Felitsa” it is imperative to indicate that it was dedicated to Empress Catherine II. The work is written in iambic tetrameter. The image of the ruler in the work is quite conventional and traditional, reminiscent in its spirit of a portrait in the style of classicism. But what is noteworthy is that Derzhavin wants to see in the empress not just a ruler, but also a living person:
“...And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table...”
Novelty of the work
In his work, Derzhavin portrays the virtuous Felitsa in contrast to the lazy and pampered nobles. Also in the analysis of the ode “Felitsa” it is worth noting that the poem itself is imbued with novelty. After all, the image of the main character is somewhat different compared to, for example, the works of Lomonosov. Mikhail Vasilyevich’s image of Elizabeth is somewhat generalized. Derzhavin points in his ode to specific deeds of the ruler. He also speaks of her patronage of trade and industry: “She orders us to love trade and science.”
Before Derzhavin’s ode was written, the image of the empress was usually built in poetry according to its own strict laws. For example, Lomonosov portrayed the ruler as an earthly deity who stepped from distant heavens to earth, a storehouse of infinite wisdom and boundless mercy. But Derzhavin dares to move away from this tradition. It shows a multifaceted and full-blooded image of the ruler - a statesman and an outstanding personality.
Entertainment of nobles, condemned by Derzhavin
When analyzing the ode “Felitsa”, it is worth noting that Derzhavin condemns laziness and other vices of the court nobles in a satirical style. He talks about hunting, and about playing cards, and about trips to buy newfangled clothes from tailors. Gavrila Romanovich allows herself to violate the purity of the genre in her work. After all, the ode not only praises the empress, but also condemns the vices of her careless subordinates.
Personality in ode
And also in the analysis of the ode “Felitsa”, the student can note the fact that Derzhavin also introduced a personal element into the work. After all, the ode also contains the image of Murza, who is sometimes frank and sometimes sly. In the image of nobles, contemporaries could easily find those close to Catherine who were discussed. Derzhavin also meaningfully emphasizes: “That’s how I am, Felitsa, depraved! But the whole world looks like me.” Self-irony is quite rare in odes. And the description of Derzhavin’s artistic “I” is very revealing.
Who is Felitsa opposed to?
A student can discover many new facts in the process of analyzing the ode “Felitsa”. The poem was in many ways ahead of its time. Also, the description of the lazy nobleman anticipated the image of one of the main characters in Pushkin’s works - Eugene Onegin. For example, the reader can see that after waking up late, the courtier lazily indulges in smoking a pipe and dreams of glory. His day consists only of feasts and love pleasures, hunting and racing. The nobleman spends the evening walking on boats along the Neva, and in a warm house, family joys and peaceful reading await him, as always.
In addition to the lazy Murza, Catherine is also contrasted with her late husband, Peter III, which can also be indicated in the analysis of the ode “Felitsa”. Briefly, this point can be highlighted as follows: unlike her husband, she first of all thought about the good of the country. Despite the fact that the Empress was German, she wrote all her decrees and works in Russian. Catherine also defiantly walked around in a Russian sundress. In her attitude, she was strikingly different from her husband, who felt only contempt for everything domestic.
Character of the Empress
In his work, Derzhavin does not give portrait descriptions of the empress. However, this shortcoming is compensated by the impression that the ruler makes on her environment. The poet seeks to emphasize her most important qualities. If it is necessary to analyze the ode “Felitsa” briefly, then these features can be described as follows: it is unpretentious, simple, democratic, and also friendly.
Images in ode
It should be noted that the image of Prince Chlorus also runs through the entire poem. This character is taken from The Tale of Prince Chlorus, which was written by the Empress herself. The ode begins with a retelling of this fairy tale; there are such images as Felitsa, Lazy, Murza, Chlorine, Rose without thorns. And the work ends, as it should be, with praise to the noble and merciful ruler. Just as happens in mythical works, the images in the ode are conventional and allegorical. But Gavrila Romanovich presents them in a completely new manner. The poet portrays the empress not just as a goddess, but also as one who is not alien to human life.
Analysis of the ode “Felitsa” according to plan
A student can use a plan something like this:
- Author and title of the ode.
- History of creation, to whom the work is dedicated.
- Composition of the ode.
- Vocabulary.
- Features of the main character.
- My attitude towards ode.
Who was the author of the ode making fun of?
Those who need to make a detailed analysis of the ode “Felitsa” can describe those nobles whom Derzhavin ridiculed in his work. For example, this is Grigory Potemkin, who, despite his generosity, was distinguished by his capriciousness and whimsicality. The ode also ridicules the ruler’s favorites Alexei and Grigory Orlov, revelers and horse racing enthusiasts.
Count Orlov was a winner of fist fights, a ladies' man, a gambling hunter, as well as the killer of Peter III and the favorite of his wife. This is how he remained in the memory of his contemporaries, and this is how he was described in Derzhavin’s work:
“...Or, taking care of all matters
I leave and go hunting
And I’m amused by the barking of dogs...”
We can also mention Semyon Naryshkin, who was the huntsman at Catherine’s court and was distinguished by his exorbitant love of music. And Gavrila Romanovich also puts himself in this row. He did not deny his involvement in this circle; on the contrary, he emphasized that he also belonged to the circle of the chosen ones.
Image of nature
Derzhavin also glorifies beautiful natural landscapes, with which the image of an enlightened monarch is in harmony. The landscapes he describes are in many ways similar to scenes from tapestries decorating the living rooms of the St. Petersburg nobility. Derzhavin, who was also fond of drawing, called poetry “talking painting” for a reason. In his ode, Derzhavin speaks of a “high mountain” and a “rose without thorns.” These images help make the image of Felitsa even more majestic.
D.'s first most original composition is a poem. 1779 "Ode to a Birth in the North"
porphyritic youth (dedicated to the grandson of Catherine 11 - Alexander 1)
This is the verse. D. changed almost all the canonical signs of solemn high
ode, created an original ode, in which the high began to connect with the image
everyday life, high style combines with average.
A) abandonment of the 4-foot iambic, replacing it with a 4-foot trochee.
B) refusal of the odic stanza, written in “solid text”
C) the ode turns into a kind of song, folk. stylization, inherent in trochee (dance size).
D) D. abandoned the lyrical images characteristic of the ode. disorder, odic soaring.
Having lined up. in verse. novella plot, which is expanded. on a recognizable background
(Russian winter)
d) principle. The addressee's image changes. He refuses to portray the addressee as
Supreme Being. For him, the monarch is a “man on the throne”, having ordinary, but
positive traits. The power of the monarch is based on the fact that he knows how to manage his
passions.
The development of this theme is also present in other odes (“Felitsa”, ode “Nobleman”)
Even the image of Peter, traditionally deified in Russian literature of the 19th century. having comprehended. D. in
human scale, was depicted as a “worker on the throne.” Pushkin developed this.
D., summing up his thin. quest, gave the definition of his own ode as “the ode of the hostel.” (verse “Discourse on lyric poetry or an ode” Such an ode is open
life lets in all the impressions of existence. pictures, glorifies openness to the world, skill
appreciate life in all its manifestations. There is no division between high and low. First word
Analysis of the ode “Felitsa”. (1782) Used characters from a fairy tale invented by Ek. 11to his grandson Alr. At first glance, the ode dedicated to the empress is laudatory.
Felitsa is the image of Catherine 11, Murza is a collective image of the court nobles from her
environment (specific individuals and autobiographical features of the author himself are guessed).
the objects of praise (Ekat.) and satire are her nobles. A departure from the traditions of the classics especially
noticeable in the show by Felitsa-Ek. eleven . Instead of an image of an “earthly goddess,” we find a portrait of a real person. The portrait is not official, ceremonial, but drawn. other
paints. D. saw in Ek. 11 the ideal of a humane ruler, an example of all kinds
virtues. He wanted to see a Man on the throne, a wise, enlightened empress.
At the same time, she is shown in her daily worries. In everyday life, in ordinary life, she
behaves very modestly, no different from others, except for his love of poetry, indifference
“Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table;
Not valuing your peace,
You read, write in front of the levy...
In “Felitsa” D. overcame another tendency of the classicist: in addition to praise, he is enthusiastic. in relation to Ek. , there is no less satire and irony in relation to
nobles., ridiculing their vices. It was also unusual that there was a departure from the high syllable and style that is obligatory for this genre, many colloquial, colloquial words and expressions were found: “having slept until noon”, “to the tailor for a caftan”, “having a hat on one side”... ..
The entire ode is written in that “funny Russian syllable”, the invention of which D. considered one
of his main services to Russian poetry, i.e. a combination of jokes, gaiety, irony with the seriousness and importance of the topics raised in this work.
Derzhavin's civil odes are addressed to persons endowed with great political power: monarchs, nobles. Their pathos is not only laudatory, but also accusatory, as a result of which Belinsky calls some of them satirical. Among the best of this series is “Felitsa,” dedicated to Catherine II. The very image of Felitsa, a wise and virtuous Kyrgyz princess, was taken by Derzhavin from “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” written by Catherine II. The ode was published in 1783 in the magazine “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word” and was a resounding success. Previously known only to a narrow circle of friends, Derzhavin became the most popular poet in Russia. “Felitsa” continues the tradition of laudable odes to Lomonosov and at the same time differs sharply from them with a new interpretation of the image of an enlightened monarch. The ode “Felitsa” was written at the end of the 18th century. It reflects a new stage of enlightenment in Russia. Enlightenment scholars now see in the monarch a person to whom society has entrusted the care of the welfare of citizens. Therefore, the right to be a monarch imposes on the ruler numerous responsibilities towards the people. In the first place among them is legislation, on which, according to educators, the fate of their subjects primarily depends. And Derzhavin’s Felitsa acts as a gracious monarch-legislator. The question arises, what facts did Derzhavin have at his disposal, what did he rely on when creating the image of his Felitsa - Catherine, whom he did not personally know at that time. The main source of this image was an extensive document written by Catherine II herself - “The Order of the Commission on the Drafting of a New Code.” Derzhavin's innovation was manifested in Felitsa not only in the interpretation of the image of an enlightened monarch, but also in the bold combination of laudatory and accusatory principles, ode and satire. Previous literature did not know such works, since the rules of classicism clearly distinguished these phenomena. The ideal image of Felitsa is contrasted with careless nobles (in the ode they are called “Murzas”). “Felitsa” depicts the most influential persons at court: Prince G. A. Potemkin, Counts Orlov, Count P. I. Panin, Prince A. A. Vyazemsky. Later in the “Explanations” to “Felitsa” Derzhavin will name each of the nobles by name, but for his contemporaries there was no need for these comments. The portraits were made so expressively that the originals were easily discernible. Catherine sent out separate copies of the ode to each of the nobles named above, emphasizing those lines that related to the addressee.
Godlike princess
Kirghiz-Kaisak horde!
Whose wisdom is incomparable
Discovered the right tracks
To Tsarevich young Chlorus
Climb that high mountain
Where does a thornless rose grow?
Where virtue lives, -
She captivates my spirit and mind,
Let me find her advice.
Bring it on, Felitsa! instruction:
How to live magnificently and truthfully,
How to tame passions and excitement
And be happy in the world?
Your son is accompanying me;
But I am weak to follow them.
Disturbed by the vanity of life,
Today I control myself
And tomorrow I am a slave to whims.
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table;
Not valuing your peace,
You read and write in front of the lectern
And all from your pen
You shed bliss on mortals;
Like you don't play cards,
Like me, from morning to morning.
You don't like masquerades too much
And you can’t even set foot in the club;
Keeping customs, rituals,
Don't be quixotic with yourself;
You can't saddle the horse of Parnassus,
You don’t enter a gathering of spirits,
You don’t go from the throne to the East;
But walking the path of meekness,
With a charitable soul,
Have a productive day.
And I, having slept until noon,
I smoke tobacco and drink coffee;
Transforming everyday life into a holiday,
My thoughts are spinning in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
Then I direct arrows towards the Turks;
Then, having dreamed that I was a sultan,
I terrify the universe with my gaze;
Then suddenly, seduced by the outfit,
I'm off to the tailor for a caftan.
Or am I at a rich feast,
Where do they give me a holiday?
Where the table glitters with silver and gold,
Where there are thousands of different dishes;
There's a nice Westphalian ham,
There are links of Astrakhan fish,
There are pilaf and pies there,
I wash down the waffles with champagne;
And I forget everything in the world
Among wines, sweets and aroma.
Or among a beautiful grove
In the gazebo where the fountain is noisy,
When the sweet-voiced harp rings,
Where the breeze barely breathes
Where everything represents luxury to me,
To the pleasures of thought he catches,
It languishes and revitalizes the blood;
Lying on a velvet sofa,
The young girl feels tender,
I pour love into her heart.
Or in a magnificent train
In an English carriage, golden,
With a dog, a jester or a friend,
Or with some beauty
I'm walking under the swing;
I go to taverns to drink mead;
Or, somehow I’ll get bored,
According to my inclination to change,
With my hat on one side,
I'm flying on a fast runner.
Or music and singers,
Suddenly with an organ and bagpipes,
Or fist fighters
And I make my spirit happy by dancing;
Or, taking care of all matters
I leave and go hunting
And I am amused by the barking of dogs;
Or over the Neva banks
I amuse myself with horns at night
And the rowing of daring rowers.
Or, sitting at home, I’ll play a prank,
Playing fools with my wife;
Then I get along with her at the dovecote,
Sometimes we frolic in blind man's buff;
Then I’m having fun with her,
Then I look for it in my head;
I like to rummage through books,
I enlighten my mind and heart,
I read Polkan and Bova;
Over the Bible, yawning, I sleep.
That's it, Felitsa, I'm depraved!
But the whole world looks like me.
Who knows how much wisdom,
But every person is a lie.
We do not walk the paths of light,
We run debauchery after dreams.
Between a lazy person and a grumbler,
Between vanity and vice
Did anyone accidentally find it?
The path of virtue is straight.
I found it, but why not be mistaken?
To us, weak mortals, on this path,
Where does reason itself stumble
And one must follow passions;
Where are the learned ignoramuses for us?
Like the darkness of travelers, their eyelids are dark?
Seduction and flattery live everywhere,
Luxury oppresses everyone. -
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
You alone are only decent,
Princess! create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
The union will strengthen their integrity;
From disagreement to agreement
And from fierce passions happiness
You can only create.
So the helmsman, sailing through the show-off,
Catching the roaring wind under sail,
Knows how to steer a ship.
You just won’t offend the only one,
Don't insult anyone
You see through your fingers the tomfoolery
The only thing you cannot tolerate is evil;
You correct misdeeds with leniency,
Like a wolf, you don’t crush people,
You know right away their price.
They are subject to the will of kings, -
But God is more just,
Living in their laws.
You think sensibly about merit,
You give honor to the worthy,
You don't consider him a prophet,
Who can only weave rhymes,
What crazy fun is this?
Honor and glory to the good caliphs.
You condescend to the lyrical mode;
Poetry is dear to you,
Pleasant, sweet, useful,
Like delicious lemonade in summer.
There are rumors about your actions,
That you are not at all proud;
Kind in business and in jokes,
Pleasant in friendship and firm;
Why are you indifferent to adversity?
And in glory she is so generous,
That she renounced and was considered wise.
They also say it’s not false,
It's like it's always possible
You should tell the truth.
It's also unheard of,
Worthy of you! one,
It's like you're bold to the people
About everything, and show it and at hand,
And you allow me to know and think,
And you don’t forbid about yourself
To speak both true and false;
As if to the crocodiles themselves,
All your mercies to Zoils
You are always inclined to forgive.
Pleasant rivers of tears flow
From the depths of my soul.
ABOUT! when people are happy
There must be their destiny,
Where is the meek angel, the peaceful angel,
Hidden in the porphyry lightness,
A scepter was sent down from heaven to wear!
There you can whisper in conversations
And, without fear of execution, at dinners
Don't drink to the health of kings.
There with the name Felitsa you can
Scrape out the typo in the line,
Or a portrait carelessly
Drop her to the ground
There are no clownish weddings there,
They are not fried in ice baths,
They don’t click on the nobles’ mustaches;
Princes don't cluck like hens,
Favorites don't want to laugh at them
And they don’t stain their faces with soot.
You know, Felitsa! You're right
And men and kings;
When you enlighten morals,
You don't fool people like that;
In your rest from business
You write lessons in fairy tales,
And you repeat to Chlorus in the alphabet:
"Don't do anything bad,
And the evil satyr himself
You will make a despicable liar.”
You are ashamed to be considered great,
The bear is decently wild
Without extreme distress in the heat of the moment
Does that person need lancets?
Who could do without them?
Who is great in goodness, like God?
Felitsa glory, glory to God,
Who pacified the battle;
Which is poor and wretched
Covered, clothed and fed;
Which with a radiant eye
Clowns, cowards, ungrateful
And he gives his light to the righteous;
Equally enlightens all mortals,
He comforts the sick, heals,
He does good only for good.
who gave freedom
Jump into foreign regions,
Allowed his people
Seek silver and gold;
Who allows water,
And it doesn’t prohibit cutting down the forest;
Orders to weave, and spin, and sew;
Untying the mind and hands,
Tells you to love trading, science
And find happiness at home;
Whose law, right hand
They give both mercy and judgment. -
Prophecy, wise Felitsa!
Where is a rogue different from the honest?
Where does old age not wander around the world?
Does merit find bread for itself?
Where does revenge not drive anyone?
Where do conscience and truth live?
Where do virtues shine?
Isn't it yours at the throne?
But where does your throne shine in the world?
Where, branch of heaven, do you bloom?
In Baghdad, Smyrna, Cashmere?
Listen, wherever you live, -
I appreciate my praises to you,
Don’t think about hats or beshmetya
For them I wanted from you.
Feel the good pleasure
Such is the wealth of the soul,
Which Croesus did not collect.
I ask the great prophet
May I touch the dust of your feet,
Yes, your words are the sweetest current
And I will enjoy the sight!
I ask for heavenly strength,
Yes, their sapphire wings spread out,
They keep you invisibly
From all illnesses, evils and boredom;
May the sounds of your deeds be heard in posterity,
Like the stars in the sky, they will shine.
“Felitsa” is one of Derzhavin’s best creations. In it, the fullness of feeling was happily combined with the originality of the form, in which the Russian mind is visible and Russian speech is heard. Despite its considerable size, this ode is imbued with an internal unity of thought and is consistent in tone from beginning to end. Personifying modern society, the poet subtly praises Felitsa, comparing himself to her and satirically depicting his vices.
V. G. Belinsky
G. R. Derzhavin dedicated many works to representatives of the supreme state power: monarchs, nobles, and members of the court. The pathos of these works is not only laudatory, but also accusatory, as a result of which some of them can be classified as satirical. And yet these are vivid, original examples of the poet’s civic lyricism. Among the best poems of the civil cycle is the ode “Felitsa”, dedicated to Empress Catherine II.
The image and name of Felitsa, a wise and virtuous Kyrgyz princess, was taken by the author from “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” which the empress herself wrote for her grandson, the future Emperor Alexander I. This tale told how the Kyrgyz khan kidnapped the Kiev prince Chlorus, about who was famous for being a “reasonable child,” and ordered him to find a rare flower, a symbol of virtue, a rose without thorns. The khan's daughter, Princess Felitsa, helped the prince complete his difficult assignment by giving him her son's Reason as a guide.
In the early 80s of the 18th century, when Felitsa was created, Derzhavin was not yet closely acquainted with the empress. He knew about Catherine only by “hearsay” and sincerely believed that she was in fact who she was trying to pass herself off as - the keeper of the sciences, a modest and fair queen, sacredly honoring the laws and caring for the welfare of the people, sharing with the common people people with all their needs and problems. Therefore, at its core, the poem is in the spirit of a laudatory ode, extolling the merits of the empress.
At the same time, Derzhavin’s ode differs in many ways from the traditional laudatory poems of those times.
The author's innovation is manifested in the combination of genres - ode and satire, and in the use of a new meter and new rhyme, and in the combination of high and low style, and in the novelty of the writer's socio-political views. But the main difference lies in the very interpretation of the image of the ruler.
Derzhavin's image of Felitsa is multifaceted. On the one hand, she is an enlightened monarch, on the other, she is a private citizen. For the first time, the author allows himself a detailed description of Catherine’s appearance, her habits, lifestyle, and character traits:
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the simplest food happens at your table;
Not valuing your peace,
You read, you write in front of the lectern, And from your pen you shed Bliss to mortals;
Like you don't play cards,
Like me, from morning to morning.
You don't like masquerades too much
And you can’t even set foot in the club;
Keeping customs, rituals,
Don’t be so selfish...
It should be said that Derzhavin’s term “quixoticism” means a violation of socially accepted customs and decency. Such behavior was characteristic of many public people before Catherine. And the author sincerely admires the wisdom of the new empress, who strove to follow “customs” and “rites” in everything.
Speaking about the monarch, the poet does not resort to generalizations, as other writers did before him. He dwells in detail on the very specific merits of the ruler: her patronage of trade and industry, her contribution to the development of sciences and crafts.
In Derzhavin’s view, Catherine is the “god”
Who gave freedom to ride into foreign regions,
He allowed his people to seek silver and gold;
Who allows water and does not forbid cutting down forests;
Orders to weave, and spin, and sew;
Untying the mind and hands,
Tells you to love trading, science and find happiness at home.
Based on the contents of the “Order of the Commission on the Drafting of a New Code” (1768), written by the empress, the author of “Felitsa” endowed his heroine with tact, justice, mercy and condescension:
You just won’t offend the only one,
Don't insult anyone
You see the foolishness through your fingers,
The only thing you cannot tolerate is evil;
You correct misdeeds with leniency,
Like a wolf, you don’t crush people,
You know right away their price.
Unlike her predecessors and predecessors, Catherine did not use sophisticated techniques to intimidate her subordinates. She consciously abandoned the absurd persecution for “crimes against majesty,” expressed in a thoughtlessly spoken word or careless handling of “images” and attributes of the monarch: portraits, books, decrees, etc. Under her, ordinary people could “both know and think ”, it was allowed “to speak both true and false”, without fear of severe punishment.
Glorifying the empress for her wise and merciful decrees, Derzhavin notes that now ordinary people could calmly
...whisper in conversations And, without fear of execution, at dinners, do not drink for the health of the kings.
There with the name Felitsa you can scrape out a typo in the line
Or the portrait is carelessly dropped on the ground.
Derzhavin’s merits of the Empress include the pacification of wars and disagreements, and the fact that in her humane actions she is like God himself, who “covered, clothed and fed” the poor and wretched, who does only good, “rests the sick, heals”, creates justice "both mercy and judgment."
The author depicts the main virtues of Catherine as mercy, justice, “conscience with truth,” wisdom in making decisions, decrees, laws, modesty, kindness (“You are ashamed to be considered great in order to be terrible and unloved”). Her reign seems like a real paradise on earth:
Pleasant rivers of tears flow from the depths of my soul.
ABOUT! since people are happy there should be their destiny,
Where is the meek angel, the peaceful angel,
Hidden in the porphyry lightness,
A scepter was sent down from heaven to wear!
However, with all the enthusiasm of the poet praising the merits of the monarch, ironic notes are sometimes traced in the description of the image of the empress. Felitsa “enlightens morals”, writes “teachings in fairy tales,” but at the same time the author points out that poetry is “kind to her... like delicious lemonade in the summer.” And yet, Catherine’s great virtues supplant and cover all her small shortcomings. And presented in a bright, new, original style, they become even more noticeable and significant. That is why this one ode by Derzhavin served to glorify the policies of Catherine II and increase her popularity much more than the odes of all official ode-writers. The poet was summoned to court, awarded and elevated to the post of governor.
Derzhavin Gavrila Romanovich (1743-1816). Russian poet. Representative of Russian classicism. G.R. Derzhavin was born near Kazan into a family of small landed nobles. The Derzhavin family originated from the descendants of Murza Bagrim, who voluntarily went over to the side of Grand Duke Vasily II (1425-1462), which is attested in a document from the personal archive of G.R. Derzhavin.
Derzhavin's work is deeply contradictory. While revealing the possibilities of classicism, he at the same time destroyed it, paving the way for romantic and realistic poetry.
Derzhavin's poetic creativity is extensive and is mainly represented by odes, among which civil, victorious-patriotic, philosophical and anacreontic odes can be distinguished.
A special place is occupied by civil odes addressed to persons endowed with great political power: monarchs, nobles. Among the best of this cycle is the ode “Felitsa” dedicated to Catherine II.
In 1762, Derzhavin received a call to military service in St. Petersburg, in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment. From this time on, Derzhavin’s public service began, to which the poet devoted over 40 years of his life. The time of service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment is also the beginning of Derzhavin’s poetic activity, which undoubtedly played an exceptionally important role in his career biography. Fate threw Derzhavin into various military and civilian positions: he was a member of a special secret commission, the main task of which was to capture E. Pugachev; For several years he was in the service of the all-powerful Prosecutor General Prince. A.A. Vyazemsky (1777-1783). It was at this time that he wrote his famous ode "Felitsa", published on May 20, 1873 in the "Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word".
"Felitsa" brought Derzhavin noisy literary fame. The poet was generously rewarded by the empress with a golden snuffbox sprinkled with diamonds. A modest official of the Senate department became the most famous poet throughout Russia.
The fight against the abuses of nobles, nobility and officials for the good of Russia was a defining feature of Derzhavin’s activities both as a statesman and as a poet. And Derzhavin saw the power capable of leading the state with dignity, leading Russia to glory, to prosperity, to “bliss” only in an enlightened monarchy. Hence the appearance in his work of the theme of Catherine II - Felitsa.
In the early 80s. Derzhavin was not yet closely acquainted with the empress. When creating her image, the poet used stories about her, the dissemination of which Catherine herself took care of, a self-portrait painted in her literary works, ideas preached in her “Instructions” and decrees. At the same time, Derzhavin knew very well many prominent nobles of Catherine’s court, under whose command he had to serve. Therefore, Derzhavin’s idealization of the image of Catherine II is combined with a critical attitude towards her nobles,
The very image of Felitsa, a wise and virtuous Kyrgyz princess, was taken by Derzhavin from “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” written by Catherine II for her grandchildren. "Felitsa" continues the tradition of laudable odes of Lomonosov and at the same time differs from them in its new interpretation of the image of the enlightened monarch. Enlightenment scholars now see in the monarch a person to whom society has entrusted the care of the welfare of citizens; he is entrusted with numerous responsibilities towards the people. And Derzhavin’s Felitsa acts as a gracious monarch-legislator:
Not valuing your peace,
You read and write in front of the lectern
And all from your pen
Shedding bliss to mortals...
It is known that the source of the creation of the image of Felitsa was the document “Order of the Commission on the Drafting of a New Code” (1768), written by Catherine II herself. One of the main ideas of the “Nakaz” is the need to soften the existing laws that allowed torture during interrogations, the death penalty for minor offenses, etc., so Derzhavin endowed his Felitsa with mercy and leniency:
Are you ashamed to be considered great?
To be scary and unloved;
The bear is decently wild
Rip animals and drink their blood.
And how nice it is to be a tyrant,
Tamerlane, great in atrocity,
There you can whisper in conversations
And, without fear of execution, at dinners
Don't drink to the health of kings.
There with the name Felitsa you can
Scrape out the typo in the line
Or a portrait carelessly
Drop it on the ground.
What was fundamentally new was that from the very first lines of the ode the poet depicts the Russian Empress (and in Felitsa, readers easily guessed it was Catherine) primarily from the point of view of her human qualities:
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
It happens at your table...
Derzhavin also praises Catherine for the fact that from the first days of her stay in Russia she strove to follow in everything the “customs” and “rites” of the country that sheltered her. The Empress succeeded in this and aroused sympathy both at court and in the guard.
Derzhavin's innovation was manifested in "Felitsa" not only in the interpretation of the image of an enlightened monarch, but also in the bold combination of laudatory and accusatory principles, ode and satire. The ideal image of Felitsa is contrasted with negligent nobles (in the ode they are called “Murzas”). “Felitsa” depicts the most influential persons at court: Prince G. A. Potemkin, Counts Orlov, Count P. I. Panin, Prince Vyazemsky. Their portraits were so expressively executed that the originals were easily recognizable.
Criticizing the nobles spoiled by power, Derzhavin emphasizes their weaknesses, whims, petty interests, unworthy of a high dignitary. So, for example, Potemkin is presented as a gourmet and glutton, a lover of feasts and amusements; The Orlovs amuse “their spirit with fist fighters and dancing”; Panin, “giving up worry about all matters,” goes hunting, and Vyazemsky enlightens his “mind and heart” - he reads “Polkan and Bova”, “he sleeps over the Bible, yawning.”
Enlightenmentists understood the life of society as a constant struggle between truth and error. In Derzhavin’s ode, the ideal, the norm is Felitsa, the deviation from the norm is her careless “Murzas”. Derzhavin was the first to begin to depict the world as it appears to an artist.
The undoubted poetic courage was the appearance in the ode “Felitsa” of the image of the poet himself, shown in an everyday setting, not distorted by a conventional pose, not constrained by classical canons. Derzhavin was the first Russian poet who was able and, most importantly, wanted to paint a living and truthful portrait of himself in his work:
Sitting at home, I'll do a prank,
Playing fools with my wife...
The “eastern” flavor of the ode is noteworthy: it was written on behalf of the Tatar Murza, and eastern cities are mentioned in it - Baghdad, Smyrna, Kashmir. The end of the ode is in a laudatory, high style:
I ask the great prophet
I will touch the dust of your feet.
The image of Felitsa is repeated in Derzhavin’s subsequent poems, caused by various events in the poet’s life: “Gratitude to Felitsa”, “Image of Felitsa”, “Vision of Murza”.
The high poetic merits of the ode “Felitsa” brought it wide fame at that time in the circles of the most advanced Russian people. A. N. Radishchev, for example, wrote: “If you add many stanzas from the ode to Felitsa, and especially where Murza describes himself, almost poetry will remain without poetry.” “Everyone who can read Russian found it in their hands,” testified O. P. Kozodavlev, editor of the magazine where the ode was published.
Derzhavin compares Catherine's reign with the cruel morals that reigned in Russia during the Bironism under Empress Anna Ioannovna, and praises Felitsa for a number of laws useful for the country.
The ode "Felitsa", in which Derzhavin combined opposite principles: positive and negative, pathetic and satire, ideal and real, finally consolidated in Derzhavin's poetry what began in 1779 - mixing, breaking, eliminating the strict genre system
Composition
In 1782, the not yet very famous poet Derzhavin wrote an ode dedicated to the “Kirghiz-Kaisak princess Felitsa.” The ode was called “To Felice”. A difficult life taught the poet a lot; he knew how to be careful. The ode glorified the simplicity and humanity of Empress Catherine II in dealing with people and the wisdom of her reign. But at the same time, in ordinary, if not rude, colloquial language, she spoke about luxurious amusements, about the idleness of Felitsa’s servants and courtiers, about the “Murzas” who were by no means worthy of their ruler. In the Murzas, Catherine’s favorites were clearly visible, and Derzhavin, wanting the ode to fall into the hands of the Empress as quickly as possible, was at the same time afraid of this. How will the autocrat look at his bold trick: mockery of her favorites! But in the end, the ode ended up on Catherine’s table, and she was delighted with it. Far-sighted and intelligent, she understood that courtiers should be put in their place from time to time, and the hints of the ode were an excellent occasion for this. Catherine II herself was a writer (Felitsa was one of her literary pseudonyms), which is why she immediately appreciated the artistic merits of the work. Memoirists write that, having called the poet to her, the empress generously rewarded him: she gave him a golden snuffbox filled with gold ducats.
Fame came to Derzhavin. The new literary magazine "Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word", which was edited by the Empress's friend Princess Dashkova, and Catherine herself published in it, opened with the ode "To Felitsa". They started talking about Derzhavin, he became a celebrity. Was it just a matter of successful and bold dedication of the ode to the empress? Of course not! The reading public and fellow writers were struck by the very form of the work. The poetic speech of the “high” odic genre sounded without exaltation and tension. Lively, imaginative, mocking speech of a person who understands well how real life works. Of course, they spoke laudably about the empress, but also not pompously. And, perhaps, for the first time in the history of Russian poetry as about a simple woman, not a celestial being:
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table.
Ode “Felitsa” (1782) is the first poem that made the name of Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin famous, becoming an example of a new style in Russian poetry.
The ode received its name from the heroine of “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” the author of which was Catherine II herself. She is also named by this name, which means happiness in Latin, in Derzhavin’s ode, glorifying the empress and satirically characterizing her environment.
The history of this poem is very interesting and revealing. It was written a year before publication, but Derzhavin himself did not want to publish it and even hid the authorship. And suddenly, in 1783, news spread around St. Petersburg: the anonymous ode “Felitsa” appeared, where the vices of famous nobles close to Catherine II, to whom the ode was dedicated, were depicted in a comic form. The residents of St. Petersburg were quite surprised by the courage of the unknown author. They tried to get the ode, read it, and rewrite it. Princess Dashkova, a close associate of the Empress, decided to publish the ode, and precisely in the magazine where Catherine II herself collaborated.
The next day, Dashkova found the Empress in tears, and in her hands was a magazine with Derzhavin’s ode. The Empress asked who wrote the poem, in which, as she herself said, he portrayed her so accurately that he moved her to tears. This is how Derzhavin tells the story.
Indeed, breaking the traditions of the laudatory ode genre, Derzhavin widely introduces colloquial vocabulary and even vernacular into it, but most importantly, he does not paint a ceremonial portrait of the empress, but depicts her human appearance. That’s why the ode contains everyday scenes and still life:
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table.
Classicism forbade combining high ode and satire belonging to low genres in one work. But Derzhavin doesn’t even just combine them in the characterization of different persons depicted in the ode, he does something completely unprecedented for that time. “God-like” Felitsa, like other characters in his ode, is also shown in an ordinary way (“You often walk on foot...”). At the same time, such details do not reduce her image, but make her more real, humane, as if exactly copied from life.
But not everyone liked this poem as much as the empress. It puzzled and alarmed many of Derzhavin’s contemporaries. What was so unusual and even dangerous about him?
On the one hand, in the ode “Felitsa” a completely traditional image of a “god-like princess” is created, which embodies the poet’s idea of the ideal of the Right Reverend monarch. Clearly idealizing the real Catherine II, Derzhavin at the same time believes in the image he painted:
Give me some advice, Felitsa:
How to live magnificently and truthfully,
How to tame passions and excitement
And be happy in the world?
On the other hand, the poet’s poems convey the idea not only of the wisdom of power, but also of the negligence of performers concerned with their own profit:
Seduction and flattery live everywhere,
Luxury oppresses everyone.
Where does virtue live?
Where does a rose without thorns grow?
This idea in itself was not new, but behind the images of the nobles depicted in the ode, the features of real people clearly emerged:
My thoughts are spinning in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
Then I direct arrows towards the Turks;
Then, having dreamed that I was a sultan,
I terrify the universe with my gaze;
Then suddenly, showing off your outfit,
I'm off to the tailor for a caftan.
In these images, the poet’s contemporaries easily recognized the empress’s favorite Potemkin, her close associates Alexei Orlov, Panin, and Naryshkin. Drawing their brightly satirical portraits, Derzhavin showed great courage - after all, any of the nobles he offended could deal with the author for this. Only Catherine’s favorable attitude saved Derzhavin
But even to the empress he dares to give advice: to follow the law to which both kings and their subjects are subject:
You alone are only decent,
Princess, create light from darkness;
Dividing Chaos into spheres harmoniously,
The union will strengthen their integrity;
From discord - agreement
And from fierce passions happiness
You can only create.
This favorite thought of Derzhavin sounded bold, and it was expressed in simple and understandable language.
The poem ends with the traditional praise of the Empress and wishing her all the best:
I ask for heavenly strength,
Yes, their sapphire wings spread out,
They keep you invisibly
From all illnesses, evils and boredom;
Yes, the sounds of your deeds will be heard in your descendants.
Like the stars in the sky, they will shine.
Thus, in “Felitsa” Derzhavin acted as a bold innovator, combining the style of a laudatory ode with the individualization of characters and satire, introducing elements of low styles into the high genre of ode. Subsequently, the poet himself defined the genre of “Felitsa” as a “mixed ode.” Derzhavin argued that, in contrast to the traditional ode for classicism, where government officials and military leaders were praised, and a solemn event was glorified, in a “mixed ode,” “the poet can talk about everything.”
Reading the poem “Felitsa”, you are convinced that Derzhavin, indeed, managed to introduce into poetry the individual characters of real people, boldly taken from life or created by the imagination, shown against the backdrop of a colorfully depicted everyday environment. This makes his poems bright, memorable and understandable not only for the people of his time. And now we can read with interest the poems of this wonderful poet, separated from us by a huge distance of two and a half centuries.
Valentin Kruglov, student of 7 "A" class 288 of the Admiralteysky district school of St. Petersburg
The report of class 7 "A" student V. Kruglov "Literary portraits in G.R. Derzhavin's ode "Felitsa"" presents interesting and informative material concerning famous historical figures from the time of Catherine the Great. This is the Empress Catherine the Great herself, and the most educated woman of the 18th century, Princess Ekaterina Dashkova, and His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin, and the Russian diplomat Nikolai Panin, and Prince Grigory Orlov, and the famous joker and merry fellow Lev Naryshkin. The literary portraits contained in Derzhavin’s ode have their prototypes and were written by the brilliant poet of the second half of the 18th century with warm irony, satirical license and inimitable charm. From everyday features of the private lives of famous people to their great deeds - this is the range that contains the context of Derzhavin’s ode considered by the speaker. The report was presented at a school conference within the framework of the Pupil Scientific Society "The Beginning of the Path. The Road Can Be Mastered by Those Who Walk", which was held at school 288 in St. Petersburg on December 15, 2016.
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Report to the conference “Glorious Faces of Russia: People and Deeds” by Valentin Kruglova,
Student 7 "A" class GBOSH No. 288 Admiralteysky district of St. Petersburg.
Scientific supervisor: Evdokimov O.V., teacher of Russian language and literature, GBOU school 288 of the Admiralty district of St. Petersburg.
The topic of the report is “Literary portraits in an ode to G.R. Derzhavin "Felitsa".
The ode “Felitsa,” written by Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin in 1782, made the poet’s name famous in St. Petersburg, and therefore in Russia, and became a model of a new style in Russian poetry. Derzhavin's ode glorified Empress Catherine the Second and, with a certain amount of satire, characterized her immediate circle.
It should be noted that writing such poems, which satirically depicted the favorites of the Empress, was not a safe matter, but Derzhavin did it at his own peril and risk. Now, with the passage of time, we can say that literary portraits of the Empress’s associates came from the pen of Gabriel Romanovich.
These literary portraits of glorious, famous people of Russia in the second half of the 18th century, created by Derzhavin’s talent, aroused the genuine interest of his contemporaries. After all, literary heroes were guessed by readers, Catherine’s favorites were recognized, and this caused surprise and even delight in the reading public.
For the first time in Russian literature of the last quarter of the 18th century, one could observe how the most influential people from the circle of the Russian Tsarina acquired a poetic appearance similar to the original and became recognizable literary personalities.
Not only Catherine the Great, but also her closest all-powerful nobles, whom Russia knew and respected, political Europe knew and feared, thanks to Derzhavin’s ode, they suddenly turned out to be such accessible people that every reader could easily notice the features of human weaknesses and virtues, funny habits, image the lives these characters were given. But what was truly amazing for the literature of that time was that the author of the ode himself introduced into its fabric the image of the narrator, that is, himself, and also turned out to be an active literary personality on a par with the powerful heroes of the work. All this was new, unheard of and aroused admiration. The poems were perfectly sonorous, sometimes good-naturedly ironic, and sometimes artistically elegant.
The ode “Felitsa” received its name from the heroine of “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” which was written by the Empress herself, Catherine the Second.
It must be said that the Russian queen had a literary gift. She is the first woman in Russia who quite professionally composed librettos, fables, fairy tales, wrote them for her royal grandson, the future Emperor Alexander the First, the Blessed - with this title the Tsar will go down in Russian history. Catherine translated the plays of the English playwright William Shakespeare into Russian, being ahead of her contemporaries in paying attention to the English playwright by almost a hundred years. Moreover, the Empress loved the theater and often visited it. She always enjoyed watching talentedly written and talentedly played comedies and tragedies. Moreover, she herself wrote plays that were staged on the stage of the court theater in the Winter Palace. So, in 1771 alone, Catherine wrote 5 comedies. In 1772, these plays were learned by actors and performed on the stage of the court theater. The artistic level of the plays written by Catherine the Great is quite high for its time. The plays were a success and were liked by the public. The name of the author of the plays, of course, was not advertised, although in court circles everyone knew their author well. The plays are edifying, moralizing in nature, written in the spirit of classicism, and ridicule gossip and vices of society. The titles of the plays written by the queen are common nouns and, at times, intriguing:“The Name Day of Mrs. Vorchalkina”, “The Front Hall of a Noble Boyar”, “Mrs. Vestnikova with her Family”, “The Invisible Bride”.Perhaps the most famous play from the pen of the queen is “Oh, Time.” It was she who began to be attacked by the editor of the magazine “Painter” Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov, an educator of the second half of the 18th century, editor of St. Petersburg satirical magazines, who served as a translator at the College of Foreign Affairs. In 1769, Catherine secretly allowed everyone to publish magazines (though, a few years later, she apparently contributed to their closure). The magazines “Truten”, “All sorts of things”, “Pustomelya”, “Painter”, “Wallet” are published. Some magazines are published in large circulation. In “The Drone” and “The Painter,” Novikov’s dispute with the Empress unfolds. Novikov publishes Catherine’s written opinions of a critical nature.
Moreover, Catherine acted as the initiator, organizer and author of the libretto for a pompous national-patriotic project - a “historical action”. This is the play "Oleg's Initial Management". For the play, the queen attracted the best composers, singers and choreographers. The play premiered in St. Petersburg on November 2, 1790. All St. Petersburg performances based on Catherine’s works were extremely richly furnished. The operas “Fevey” and “Gore Bogatyr”, for which the Empress wrote a libretto, as well as the oratorio “Initial Management” were published in clavier and score (which was an extraordinary rarity in Russia at that time).
In a word, the Russian ruler was knowledgeable about literature, published her notes in Novikov’s public journal, composed quite well herself, and loved to read fiction in different languages.
Obviously, therefore, after reading the ode “Felitsa” dedicated to her, Catherine was moved to tears and began to become interested in the authorworks . She called on her friend, Ekaterina Dashkova, a well-educated, intelligent and faithful woman to the queen, who published this Derzhavin ode in the magazine. Her Majesty said to Dashkova: “Don’t be afraid, I’m just asking you about someone who knew me so closely, who could describe me so correctly, that you see that I’m crying like a fool here?” Princess Dashkova revealed the name of the poet. Catherine the Second was grateful to the poet. It was important for her that her poetic image in the ode was good, simple and charming. After some time, Derzhavin received a generous reward by mail: 500 gold chervonets and a cigarette case sprinkled with diamonds. In addition, the author of “Felitsa” had the honor of being introduced to the Empress herself, who favored him by making Derzhavin her secretary.
It should be said that the ode “Felitsa” deviates from the rules of classicism. Derzhavin innovatively mixed different genres, painted satirical images that were not typical for the ode genre. The poet in his work draws the first realistic portraits of his contemporaries and creates, in fact, an ideal image of the Russian Empress, describing her special behavior and habits that were not distinguished by her contemporaries:
“
Without imitating your Murzas,
You often walk
And the food is the simplest
Happens at your table;
Not valuing your peace,
You read and write in front of the lectern
And all from your pen
Shedding bliss to mortals”.
In fact, the Russian Tsarina could be seen walking near the Winter Palace. There were times when she slowly walked along Palace Square or the streets surrounding the Palace. There was no one next to the Empress - no guards, no ladies-in-waiting, or any fellow traveler accompanying Her Imperial Majesty. Everything was simple, ordinary, discreet, as it happens with an inconspicuous person living his personal, private life. This is what Catherine did when she had a headache and left the Palace to get some fresh air. The subjects who met and recognized Her Imperial Majesty stopped. The ladies curtsied, the gentlemen bowed and took off their hats.The line of the ode “Often you walk on foot” reflects a realistic situation.Without a doubt, Derzhavin knew this habit of the Empress’s lonely walks.
Derzhavin’s lines “And the simplest food // Happens at your table” are just as true.The fact is that on fasting days, Catherine the Great ate very modestly. During lunch on such days, there were only 4-5 people at her table, with whom the queen discussed various state affairs, political news, and had simple human communication. There were 5-6 dishes on the table, sometimes not very well prepared. Her old but faithful cook sometimes could not keep track of the porridge, and it would burn. Catherine endured this for quite a long time, and apologized to her guests for his mistake. Sour cabbage soup, porridge, cucumbers, sauerkraut, mushrooms, bread... this is on fast days. But on ordinary, frugal days, the Empress’s table was rich. There were dishes on the table: andturkeys with scio, terrines with wings and green puree, ducks with juice, chicken marinade, perches with ham, poulards with truffles, hazel grouse in Spanish, turtles, chiryata with olives, gateau Compiegne, twelve salads, seven sauces, tartlets.And here is the menu for the Empress’s “small” lunch: soup; boiled chicken with cauliflower; meat and potatoes; a quarter of roast lamb, duck and snipe (on one dish). In addition, on the table there was always boiled beef, cutlets, sausages, lobsters, as well as various side dishes of stewed and fried mushrooms and vegetables. The Empress washed down her lunch with currant vodka. For dessert they served oranges, apples, peaches, cherries, puff pastries and biscuits.
However, Derzhavin, adhering to decency, decided to describe Catherine’s dinner in the simplest, most modest colors:“And the simplest food // Happens at your table.” This is what I liked about the ode to the Russian Autocrat.
“You read, you write in front of the lectern // And from your pen to everyone // You shed bliss to mortals”, - here the poet, of course, spoke not only about Catherine’s literary activities, but also about her extensive legislative activity. After all, shebelonged to a small number of monarchs who communicated intensively and directly with their subjects by drafting manifestos, instructions, laws, polemical articles and pedagogical opuses. In her memoirs, Catherine admitted: “I cannot see a clean pen without feeling the desire to immediately dip it in ink.”
In addition to the image of the Empress, Derzhavin’s ode “Felitsa” contains literary portraits of her favorites. In itself, this idea of describing a ruler, a commander, a nobleman was not new, but behind the images of nobles drawn in the ode, the features of real people clearly appeared. And in this Derzhavin was an innovator.
For example, the ode mentions Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, the Empress’s favorite.He fought a lot and successfully. However, in his free time from government affairs, he loved to spend his days in feasts and amusements, whichloved it very much. Potemkin, this outstanding associate of Catherine the Great, was not only a responsible, gifted, efficient and hardworking person, but, at the same time, he could demonstrate the opposite qualities of a man spoiled by power and luxury. Thus, it is known that Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin could not adhere to the clear routine necessary for a statesman, but sometimes acted according to his momentary whims and fancies, which Derzhavin noticed and wrote about in his ode “Felitsa”. Speaking in the first person, Derzhavin speaks on behalf of Potemkin. That is, in the ode, it’s as if Potemkin himself talks about himself, about his life and pastime:
And I, having slept until noon,
I smoke tobacco and drink coffee;
Transforming everyday life into a holiday,
My thoughts are spinning in chimeras:
Then I steal captivity from the Persians,
Then I direct arrows towards the Turks;
Then, having dreamed that I was a sultan,
I terrify the universe with my gaze;
Then suddenly, seduced by the outfit,
I'm off to the tailor for a caftan.
Or am I at a rich feast,
Where do they give me a holiday?
Where the table glitters with silver and gold,
Where are thousands of different dishes:
IN Derzhavin's ode mentions another famous Catherine nobleman - Nikita Ivanovich Panin. Panin appearedmentor of the heir to the throne, Paul the First.The French diplomat Lavoe hardly had a good relationship with Panin, so he rather angrily described the daily routine of the Tsar’s minister. Here is this note from a French diplomat, which is more like a lampoon: “He was very fond of food, women and games; from constant eating and sleeping, his body was one mass of fat. He got up at noon; his associates told him funny things until one o'clock; then he drank chocolate and began to take the toilet, which lasted up to three hours. Around half past four, lunch was served, which lasted until five o'clock. At six the minister went to rest and slept until eight. It took a lot of work for his lackeys to wake him up, get him up and keep him on his feet. After the second toilet, the game began, ending around eleven. The game was followed by dinner, and after dinner the game began again. At about three o'clock in the morning the minister went to his room and worked with Bakunin, the main official of his department. He usually went to bed at five o’clock in the morning.”
Nikita Ivanovich was a great fan of hound hunting, because of which, it happened, he forgot about state affairs. The author of the ode satirically depicts these features of Panin’s service in his ode:
“Or, taking care of all matters
I leave and go hunting
And amused by the barking of dogs.”
It is difficult to say whether Panin himself liked the satirical portrayal of himself, but the public, reading the ode “Felitsa,” found Panin’s literary portrait too lively and believable.
- Alexey Grigorievich Orlov, an associate of Catherine. He was endowed with great physical strength and loved various games that required agility, such as fist fights, fights, dancing, racing and hunting one on one with a bear, but for a nobleman these were too undignified and rude fun. The image of Alexey is noticeable in these lines:
“Or music and singers,
Suddenly with an organ and bagpipes,
Or fist fighters
And I make my spirit happy by dancing.”
- Lev Aleksandrovich Naryshkin was the second cousin of Emperor Peter the Great, but only took the position of senior stable manager. He is a well-known joker and slacker at court. Naryshkin was distinguished by his extraordinary hospitality and love of organizing noisy balls, masquerades and picnics. One of the masquerades given by Naryshkin for Catherine II in 1772 cost him 300,000 rubles. Hehe loved to ride along the Neva at night, accompanied by a whole orchestra of musicians with horn instruments, which is why ordinary people could only dream of peace and quiet in the capital. It can be seen in these lines:
“Or over the Neva banks
I amuse myself with horns at night
And the rowing of daring rowers.”
Catherine sent out separate copies of the ode to EACH of the nobles affected there, emphasizing those lines that applied to them. Many of these nobles took part in the palace coup of 1762 on Catherine’s side. Almost all of these nobles did a lot for the state, although in their ode Derzhavin was shown satirically and with a great deal of irony. For example:
- Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin was a Russian statesman, the creator of the Black Sea military fleet in the Crimea (thanks to which the Russian Empire enormously strengthened its influence in the Black Sea and gained access to the Mediterranean Sea). After the victory over Turkey, through his efforts, Crimea was annexed to Russia. Grigory Potemkin became the first commander-in-chief of the highest rank of the Black Sea Fleet and, by order of Catherine the Great, was also the builder of cities in the south of Russia, for example, Yekaterinoslavl, Kherson, Sevastopol, Nikolaev. Potemkin became the first owner of the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. He was the de facto ruler of the Principality of Moldova from 1790 to 1791.Potemkin also introduced a reform of the military uniform, which before that was very uncomfortable and was mainly for military inspections, did not have a summer type, which is why they walked in the heat in two woolen uniforms, and the new one was lighter and more comfortable, and in the summer the army wore jackets and trousers made of light, white linen.
The new uniform was also quite nice, just like the old one
- Nikita Ivanovich Panin,head of Russian foreign policy in the first half of the reign of Catherine II. Count Panin was one of the most educated Russian people of his time. Catherine called him encyclopedia . He was interested in a wide variety of issues in the field of state knowledge and was familiar with many classic works of philosophical literature. It was the Russian diplomat who developed the agreement, which was a plan for the union of such northern powers as Russia, Prussia, Sweden, as well as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was the kingdom of the Polish and Lithuanian principalities. The northern chord, according to Panin, was supposed to exalt the prestige and importance of Russia, to create an alliance of all the northern powers around it. After the palace coup of 1762, he made an attempt to limit monarchical power by presenting to the Empress a project for the establishment of the Imperial Council and the reform of the Senate. In the introduction to the project, Panin sharply criticized the arbitrariness prevailing in the administration and proposed the establishment of a Council of 6-8 ministerial members; all papers that require the signature of the sovereign had to go through this council and be certified by one of the ministers. Of course, the project was rejected by the empress, but after that Panin did not lose his positions.
- Alexey Grigorievich Orlovforced the emperor Peter III sign the act of abdication and arranged his murder, for which he received the rank of major general. Orlov did not receive a good education and upbringing, he did not know foreign languages, and his bad manners were shocking, but despite this, he was interested in science, patronized Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov and Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, and corresponded with Jacques-Jacques Rousseau. He was one of the founders of the first scientific society called the Imperial Free Economic Society and its first elected chairman.
- During the palace coup, Lev Aleksandrovich Naryshkin was a supporter of Peter the Third, which is why he was arrested, but a little later, during the coronation of Catherine the Second, he was released and appointed senior head of the stable, and before that he was simply the head of the stable.
