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Subject: General characteristics of Russian literature of the XIX century. Poetry, prose and

Dramaturgy of the 19th century in Russian criticism and journalism.

Target: 1. To acquaint students with the features of Russian literature of the 19th century, with

Classic works.

2. Develop the ability to appreciate their dignity, to feel their inner

Beauty and perfection are a prerequisite for education...

3. Raise love and respect for the culture of the Russian people.

DURING THE CLASSES

Russian literature... has always been the conscience of the people.

Its place in the public life of the country has always been

Honorary and influential. She raised people

Strived for a fair reorganization of life.

D. S. Likhachev. Great legacy.

I. General characteristics of Russian literature of the XIX century

1. Discussion of the words of academician Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, taken out in the epigraph.

Issues for discussion:

1. What is the main content of the concepts of classical works, inner beauty, education?

2. Why did D.S. Likhachev call Russian literature “the conscience of the people”? How do you understand these words?

3. What is the place of literature in modern social life? Argument your position.

4. Does literature help to educate people today and does it contribute to a just reorganization of life?

At the beginning of the XIX century. very important events took place in our country and in Europe, which had a great influence on the development of Russian literature.

• Teacher's message about the main events (table)
• Speech by the student with reports:

1. "Golden Age" of Russian literature of the XIX century
2. Directions of Russian literature of the XIX century
3. Journals about Russian literature of the 19th century
4. Representatives of Russian literature of the XIX century.

D. S. Likhachev emphasized that "Russian literature ... closely accompanies Russian history and constitutes its essential part."

Z: We will write down the main provisions of the lecture in the form of a generalizing table.

Period	The most important historical events in Europe and Russia	General characteristics of development Russian literature of the 19th century	Dynamics of the main literary genres
I half 19th century (1795- first half- in the 1850s II polo- guilt 19th century (1852- 1895)	Opening of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum (1811). war of 1812 Revolutionary these and national freedom driving movements in Europe. The emergence of secret deka Brist organizations in Rho ssii(1821-1822). Resurrection Decembrists (1825) and his defeat. The reactionary policy of Nicholas I. The persecution of freedom thoughts of Russia. The crisis of serfdom public reaction. Strengthening democratic trends. Revolutions in Europe (1848-1849), their suppression Russia's defeat in the Crimean War. Death of Nicholas I (1855). Rise of the Democratic movements and peasant unrest. The crisis of self- zhavia. Abolition of serfdom. The beginning of the bourgeois transformation developments. Democratic ideas populism. Activation of secret ter- roristic organizations tions. Assassination of Alexander II. Strengthening the reaction tsarist policies. The theory of "small things". Growth the proletariat. Propaganda of Marxist ideas ma	The development of European culture tour heritage. Attention to Russian folklore. Decline of classicism and sentimentalism. The rise and rise of romanticism ma. Literary societies and circles ki, publication of magazines and almanac hov. The principle of historicism, put forward nutty Karamzin. Romantic aspirations and loyalty to the ideas of the Decembrists in works of Pushkin, Lermonto va. The origin of realism and its coexistence next to manticism. crowding out prose poetry. Transition to reality zmu and social satire. The development of the theme of "little lovek". Literary opposition rature of the "Gogol school" and lyric poets romantically plan Increasing censorship and repression progressive writers (Turgenev, Saltykov-Shchedrin). Weakening is censored oppression after the death of Nicholas I. The development of realist dramaturgy chesky novel. new themes, problems and heroes. The leading role of the journals "So- temporary "and" Domestic notes." Appearance galaxy of populist poets. Opening of the monument to Pushkin In Moscow. Prohibition on advanced logs and ascend the role of an entertainment magazine leaves. Poetry of "pure art" bits." The denunciation of the general orders and social inequality. The growth of fabulously legendary and fantastic stories	1. Travel, sentimental novel, elegy, messages, idyll. 2. "Modernized" Decembrists ode, tragedy, "high comedy", patriotic chesky poem, ballad, stories- chesky novel. 3.Historical, romantic tic, everyday story. Literary-critical article, physiological essay, social story, poem.Landscape, love-es- thetic and philosophical lyrics 1.Activation of genres literary criticism and journalism. Democratic what a story, socio-psycho graphic novel, essay, short story, story, story 2. Lyric genres in works of romantic poets, social motives in the revolutionary rationo-democratic poetry

II. Poetry, prose and dramaturgy of the 19th century in Russian criticism and journalism

In order for you to get an idea of ​​the diversity of Russian literature of the 19th century, let us repeat the problems of the main works that you studied in grades 5-8.

Z: Arrange the following works chronologically and answer the question, what problems are raised in them:

A. S. Pushkin. "The Captain's Daughter" (1836);

M. Yu. Lermontov. "Borodino" (1937); "Mtsyri" (1939);

N. V. Gogol. "Taras Bulba" (1834), "Inspector" (1836);

I. S. Turgenev. "Notes of a hunter" (1852);

N. A. Nekrasov. "Railroad" (1862);

M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. "The Tale of How One Man Feeded Two Generals" (1869);

A. P. Chekhov. "Chameleon" (1884).

Final question:

- Why do we call the works of the great Russian writers of the 19th century masterpieces?

1. Reading a textbook article on poetry of the early 19th century.

Presentation of students with reports (individual tasks):

1. "Golden Age" of Russian poetry: general characteristics

1. The "Golden Age" of Russian Poetry: Key Representatives - PRESENTATION
2. Russian journalism in the first half of the 19th century

III. The concept of romanticism and realism

Z: Find out the main differences romanticism and realism . In Russian literature of the first half of the 19th century, these trends did not replace one another, but coexisted and interacted, so it is difficult to draw a clear line between them.

Z: Take, for example, for comparisonCaptain's daughter "A.S. Pushkin and " Mtsyri" by M.Yu. Lermontov, finding in them features of both romanticism and realism.

Questions for benchmarking:

1. What events are depicted in the works?

2. What problems do the authors raise in them? What is the author's attitude towards

Events and issues?

3. How are these works related to Russian history?

4. Give a brief description of Peter Grinev and Mtsyri. Is there between them

Commonality? What differences in their lives and characters do you consider the main ones?

5. Do you think it makes sense that The Captain's Daughter was written

Prose, and "Mtsyri" - in verse? Comment on your opinion.

Z: Let us summarize the information about the main features of romanticism and realism in the form of a table.

Romanticism and Realism in Russian Literature of the 19th Century

Basis for comparison	Romanticism	Realism
Origin and development	Arose under the influence of German and English literature in creativity Zhukovsky, Batyushkov. Received development after the war of 1812 in the work of the Decembrist poets, the early work of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol	It arose in the 1820-1830s in the work of Pushkin, developed by Lermontov and Gogol. The pinnacle of Russian realism the second half of the XIX century are considered the novels of Turgenev, Dostoevsky, L. Tolstoy
Artistic world, problems and pathos	Image of the inner world of a person, his life hearts. Tension of feelings, discord of a person with reality. Ideas of freedom, interest in history and strong personalities. Romantic double world	Depiction of life in life-like images, the desire for in-depth knowledge of the "ordinary" life, a wide coverage of reality in its cause-and-effect relationships. Socio-critical pathos in the depiction of reality.
Events and heroes	Image exceptional, extraordinary events and characters. Lack of attention to the past of the characters, static images. The rise and idealization of a hero alienated from reality	The image of the movement of human life, the development of the individual under the influence of the social environment, the dynamism of images. Reality requires the hero to be involved in it.
Language		The conciseness of style in the realistic prose of the beginning of the century and the complexity of language structures in the prose of the second half of the century, due to the study of cause-and-effect relationships in public life
The fate of the direction	The crisis of romanticism begins in the 1840s. Gradually, he gives way to realism and interacts with it in a difficult way.	In the second half of the century, criticism of public life intensifies, mastering the connections of a person with his close environment, "micro- environment", the critical pathos of the image of reality intensifies

IV. Lesson summary

Russian literature of the 19th century absorbed the richest spiritual experience of mankind. She raised and tried to solve the most important social and moral issues, proclaimed love for the world and man and hatred for all manifestations of oppression, admired the courage and strength of the human soul. Russian literature creatively used the experience of European literatures, but did not imitate them, but created original works based on Russian life and its problems.

v. Homework

Prepare a story about the problems and heroes of the literature of the 19th century, confirming your thoughts with examples,

or

message about Russian lyrics of the beginning of the 19th century (optional). Illustrate the main differences between romanticism and realism.

Individual task:

Prepare a written report about one of the poets of the Pushkin era (optional).

"Verily, that was the golden age of our literature,

the period of her innocence and bliss! .. "

M. A. Antonovich

M. Antonovich in his article called the "golden age of literature" the beginning of the 19th century - the period of creativity of A. S. Pushkin and N. V. Gogol. Subsequently, this definition began to characterize the literature of the entire 19th century - up to the works of A.P. Chekhov and L.N. Tolstoy.

What are the main features of Russian classical literature of this period?

Fashionable at the beginning of the century, sentimentalism gradually fades into the background - the formation of romanticism begins, and from the middle of the century realism rules the ball.

New types of heroes appear in literature: the "little man", who most often dies under the pressure of the foundations accepted in society, and the "extra man" - this is a string of images, starting with Onegin and Pechorin.

Continuing the traditions of the satirical image, proposed by M. Fonvizin, in the literature of the 19th century, the satirical image of the vices of modern society becomes one of the central motifs. Often satire takes on grotesque forms. Vivid examples are Gogol's "Nose" or "The History of a City" by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Another distinguishing feature of the literature of this period is an acute social orientation. Writers and poets are increasingly turning to socio-political topics, often plunging into the field of psychology. This leitmotif permeates the works of I. S. Turgenev, F. M. Dostoevsky, L. N. Tolstoy. A new form appears - the Russian realistic novel, with its deep psychologism, the most severe criticism of reality, irreconcilable enmity with the existing foundations and loud calls for renewal.

Well, the main reason that prompted many critics to call the 19th century the golden age of Russian culture: the literature of this period, despite a number of unfavorable factors, had a powerful influence on the development of world culture as a whole. Absorbing all the best that world literature offered, Russian literature was able to remain original and unique.

Russian writers of the 19th century

V.A. Zhukovsky- Pushkin's mentor and his Teacher. It is Vasily Andreevich who is considered the founder of Russian romanticism. It can be said that Zhukovsky "prepared" the ground for Pushkin's bold experiments, since he was the first to expand the scope of the poetic word. After Zhukovsky, the era of the democratization of the Russian language began, which was so brilliantly continued by Pushkin.

Selected Poems:

A.S. Griboyedov went down in history as the author of one work. But what! Masterpiece! Phrases and quotes from the comedy "Woe from Wit" have long become winged, and the work itself is considered the first realistic comedy in the history of Russian literature.

Analysis of the work:

A.S. Pushkin. He was called differently: A. Grigoriev claimed that "Pushkin is our everything!", F. Dostoevsky "the great and still incomprehensible Forerunner", and Emperor Nicholas I admitted that, in his opinion, Pushkin is "the smartest person in Russia". Simply put, this is Genius.

Pushkin's greatest merit is that he radically changed the Russian literary language, saving it from pretentious abbreviations, such as "young, breg, sweet", from ridiculous "marshmallows", "Psyche", "Cupids", so revered in high-sounding elegies, from borrowings, which then so abounded in Russian poetry. Pushkin brought colloquial vocabulary, craft slang, elements of Russian folklore to the pages of printed publications.

A. N. Ostrovsky also pointed out another important achievement of this brilliant poet. Before Pushkin, Russian literature was imitative, stubbornly imposing traditions and ideals alien to our people. Pushkin, on the other hand, "gave courage to the Russian writer to be Russian", "revealed the Russian soul". In his stories and novels, for the first time, the theme of the morality of the social ideals of that time is so vividly raised. And the main character, with Pushkin's light hand, is now becoming an ordinary "little man" - with his thoughts and hopes, desires and character.

Analysis of works:

M.Yu. Lermontov- bright, mysterious, with a touch of mysticism and an incredible thirst for will. All his work is a unique fusion of romanticism and realism. Moreover, both directions do not oppose at all, but, as it were, complement each other. This man went down in history as a poet, writer, playwright and artist. He wrote 5 plays: the most famous is the drama "Masquerade".

And among prose works, the real diamond of creativity was the novel "A Hero of Our Time" - the first realistic novel in prose in the history of Russian literature, where for the first time the writer tries to trace the "dialectics of the soul" of his hero, mercilessly subjecting him to psychological analysis. This innovative creative method of Lermontov will be used by many Russian and foreign writers in the future.

Selected works:

N.V. Gogol known as a writer and playwright, but it is no coincidence that one of his most famous works - "Dead Souls" is considered a poem. There is no other such Master of the word in world literature. Gogol's language is melodious, incredibly bright and figurative. This was most clearly manifested in his collection Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.

On the other hand, N.V. Gogol is considered the founder of the "natural school", with its satire bordering on the grotesque, accusatory motives and ridicule of human vices.

Selected works:

I.S. Turgenev- the greatest Russian novelist who established the canons of the classic novel. He continues the traditions established by Pushkin and Gogol. He often refers to the theme of "an extra person", trying to convey the relevance and significance of social ideas through the fate of his hero.

Turgenev's merit also lies in the fact that he became the first propagandist of Russian culture in Europe. This is a prose writer who opened the world of the Russian peasantry, intelligentsia and revolutionaries to foreign countries. And the string of female images in his novels became the pinnacle of the writer's skill.

Selected works:

A.N. Ostrovsky- an outstanding Russian playwright. I. Goncharov most accurately expressed Ostrovsky's merits, recognizing him as the founder of the Russian folk theater. The plays of this writer became a "school of life" for the playwrights of the next generation. And the Moscow Maly Theater, where most of the plays of this talented writer were staged, proudly calls itself the "Ostrovsky House".

Selected works:

I.A. Goncharov continued to develop the traditions of the Russian realistic novel. The author of the famous trilogy, who, like no one else, managed to describe the main vice of the Russian people - laziness. With the light hand of the writer, the term "Oblomovism" also appeared.

Selected works:

L.N. Tolstoy- a real block of Russian literature. His novels are recognized as the pinnacle of the art of novel writing. The style of presentation and the creative method of L. Tolstoy are still considered the standard of the writer's skill. And his ideas of humanism had a huge impact on the development of humanistic ideas throughout the world.

Selected works:

N.S. Leskov- a talented successor to the traditions of N. Gogol. He made a huge contribution to the development of new genre forms in literature, such as pictures from life, rhapsodies, incredible events.

Selected works:

N.G. Chernyshevsky- an outstanding writer and literary critic who proposed his theory of the aesthetics of the relationship of art to reality. This theory became the reference for the literature of the next few generations.

Selected works:

F.M. Dostoevsky is a brilliant writer whose psychological novels are known all over the world. Dostoevsky is often called the forerunner of such trends in culture as existentialism and surrealism.

Selected works:

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin- the greatest satirist, who brought the art of denunciation, ridicule and parody to the heights of skill.

Selected works:

A.P. Chekhov. With this name, historians traditionally complete the era of the golden age of Russian literature. Chekhov was recognized throughout the world during his lifetime. His short stories have become a benchmark for short story writers. And Chekhov's plays had a huge impact on the development of world drama.

Selected works:

By the end of the 19th century, the traditions of critical realism began to fade away. In a society permeated through and through with pre-revolutionary moods, mystical moods, partly even decadent ones, have come into fashion. They became the forerunner of the emergence of a new literary trend - symbolism and marked the beginning of a new period in the history of Russian literature - the silver age of poetry.

Introduction

The first lesson of literature in the 10th grade is introductory. The teacher has two tasks to solve:

• to identify the level of literary development of students in grade 10, their reading circle, reader interests, literary outlook;
• in the introductory lecture, characterize the historical development of Russia in the first and second half of the 19th century, give a general description of the literature of the century, identify the main stages in the development of Russian classical literature, the evolution of literary trends and genres, artistic methods, and Russian literary criticism.

To solve the first problem, the teacher can conduct a frontal conversation, revealing the general level of development of the class. To determine the level of literary development of each student, you can invite them to answer the teacher’s questions in writing at home, and then process the results of the survey:

• answer the teacher's questions, and then process the results of the survey:
• What works of Russian literature of the 19th century did you read in the summer? Rate them on a five-point system.
• What questions posed in Russian classical literature are still relevant today?
• Which characters in 19th century literature do you like or dislike? Argument your point of view.

When preparing for a review lecture, the teacher should take into account that in order to assimilate its content, it is necessary to develop in schoolchildren the ability to draw up a plan (summary) of the teacher’s story, fix its main provisions, prepare various types of comparative tables, select quotes, etc.

During the lecture, the teacher dwells on the most significant features of each stage in the development of literature and can compile a reference table with the students.

Periodization of Russian literature of the 19th century	General characteristics of the period	Development of major literary genres
I. I quarter (1801-1825)	Development of the ideas of noble revolutionism. Decembrism. The struggle of literary trends: classicism, sentimentalism, romanticism, early realism, naturalism. The middle of the 1920s is the birth of the method of critical realism. The leading artistic method is romanticism	Ballad, lyrical poem, psychological story, elegy
II. Literature of the 30s (1826-1842)	Deepening of the general crisis of serfdom, public reaction. Loyalty to the ideas of Decembrism in the work of A. Pushkin. The heyday of revolutionary romanticism M. Lermontov. The transition from romanticism to realism and social satire in the work of N. Gogol. Realism acquires leading importance, although most writers work within the framework of romanticism. Strengthening democratic tendencies. The government actively promotes the theory of "official nationality".	Development of prose genres. Romantic stories by A. Marlinsky, V. Odoevsky. Realistic aesthetics in the critical articles of V. Belinsky. Romantic character of historical novels by M. Zagoskiia, dramaturgy by N. Kukolnik, lyrics by V. Benediktov. The struggle of progressive and democratic forces in journalism
III. Literature of the 40-50s (1842-1855)	Strengthening the crisis of the feudal system, the growth of democratic tendencies. Development of the ideas of revolution and utopian socialism. Growth of influence on public life of advanced journalism. The ideological struggle between Slavophiles and Westernizers. Rise of the "natural school". The priority of social issues. Development of the "little man" theme. The confrontation between the literature of the Gogol school and the poets-lyricists of the romantic plan. Reactionary protective measures of the government in connection with the revolutions in Europe	The main genres of the "natural school": a physiological essay, a social story, a socio-psychological novel, a poem. Landscape, love-aesthetic and philosophical lyrics of romantic poets
IV. Literature of the 60s (1855-1868)	Rise of the Democratic Movement. Confrontation between liberals and democrats. The crisis of autocracy and the propaganda of the ideas of the peasant revolution. The rise of democratic journalism and its opposition to conservative journalism. Materialistic aesthetics of N. Chernyshevsky. New themes and problems in literature: raznochintsy heroes, passivity of the peasantry, showing the hard life of workers. "Soil" Realism and truthfulness in the depiction of life in the works of L. Tolstoy, F. Dostoevsky, N. Leskov. The high artistic skill of romantic poets (A. Fet, F. Tyutchev. A. K. Tolstoy, A. Maikov, Ya. Polonsky, etc.)	Democratic story, novel. Activation of the genres of literary criticism and journalism. Lyrical genres in the work of romantic poets
v. Literature of the 70s (1869-1881)	Development of capitalism in Russia. Democratic ideas of populism, their utopian socialism. Activation of secret revolutionary organizations. Idealization of peasant life in the literature of populist writers, showing the decomposition of the communal way of life. The leading role of the journal "Domestic Notes". Realistic tendencies in the works of M. Saltykov-Shchedrin, F. Dostoevsky, G. Uspensky, N. Leskov	Essay, short story, story, novel, tale
VI. Literature of the 80s (1882-1895)	Strengthening the reactionary policy of tsarism. The growth of the proletariat. Propaganda of the ideas of Marxism. Prohibition on cutting-edge magazines. The growing role of entertainment journalism. Critical realism in the work of M. Saltykov-Shchedrin, L. Tolstoy, V. Korolenko and others. Renewal of themes in literature: the image of the “average man”, an intellectual who professes the theory of “small deeds”. Motives of disappointment and pessimism in the work of S. Nadson and V. Garshin. Criticism of the ruling order and denunciation of social inequality in the works of L. Tolstoy	Story, story, novel. Romantic genres in the poetry of S. Nadson, social motives in the poetry of the People's Volunteer revolutionaries
VII. Literature of the 90s (1895-1904)	Development of capitalism in Russia. Growth of Marxist ideas. Opposition between realistic and decadent literature. Ideas of raznochinny democracy in the work of V. Korolenko. The origin of proletarian literature (M. Gorky), the development of critical realism in the work of I. Bunin, A. Kuprin, L. Tolstoy, A. Chekhov	Story, story, novel. journalistic genres. Genres in the Traditions of Revolutionary Poetry. Dramatic genres

The 19th century is called the "Golden Age" of Russian poetry and the century of Russian literature on a global scale. It should not be forgotten that the literary leap that took place in the 19th century was prepared by the entire course of the literary process of the 17th and 18th centuries. The 19th century is the time of the formation of the Russian literary language, which took shape largely thanks to A.S. Pushkin.

A.S. Pushkin and N.V. Gogol identified the main artistic types that would be developed by writers throughout the 19th century. This is the artistic type of the “superfluous person”, an example of which is Eugene Onegin in the novel by A.S. Pushkin, and the so-called type of "little man", which is shown by N.V. Gogol in his story "The Overcoat", as well as A.S. Pushkin in the story "The Stationmaster".
Literature inherited its publicism and satirical character from the 18th century. In the prose poem N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls", the writer in a sharp satirical manner shows a swindler who buys up dead souls, various types of landowners who are the embodiment of various human vices (the influence of classicism affects). In the same plan, the comedy "The Inspector General" is sustained. The works of A. S. Pushkin are also full of satirical images. Literature continues to satirically depict Russian reality. The tendency to depict the vices and shortcomings of Russian society is a characteristic feature of all Russian classical literature. It can be traced in the works of almost all writers of the 19th century. At the same time, many writers implement the satirical trend in a grotesque form. Examples of grotesque satire are the works of N.V. Gogol "The Nose", M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "Gentlemen Golovlevs", "History of one city".

http://jordencook.com/maps341 Since the middle of the 19th century, the formation of Russian realistic literature has been taking place, which is being created against the background of the tense socio-political situation that prevailed in Russia during the reign of Nicholas I. A crisis in the serf system is brewing, contradictions between the authorities and the common people are strong . There is a need to create a realistic literature that sharply reacts to the socio-political situation in the country. Literary critic V.G. Belinsky marks a new realistic trend in literature. His position is being developed by N.A. Dobrolyubov, N.G. Chernyshevsky. A dispute arises between Westernizers and Slavophiles about the paths of Russia's historical development.

Writers turn to the socio-political problems of Russian reality. The genre of the realistic novel is developing. Their works are created by I.S. Turgenev, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, I.A. Goncharov. Socio-political and philosophical problems prevail. Literature is distinguished by a special psychologism.

The development of poetry somewhat subsides. It is worth noting the poetic works of Nekrasov, who was the first to introduce social issues into poetry. Known for his poem “Who in Russia to live well? ”, as well as many poems, where the hard and hopeless life of the people is comprehended.

visit web page The literary process of the late 19th century discovered the names of N. S. Leskov, A.N. Ostrovsky A.P. Chekhov. The latter proved to be a master of a small literary genre - a story, as well as an excellent playwright. Competitor A.P. Chekhov was Maxim Gorky.

The end of the 19th century was marked by the formation of pre-revolutionary sentiments. The realist tradition was beginning to fade. It was replaced by the so-called decadent literature, the hallmarks of which were mysticism, religiosity, as well as a premonition of changes in the socio-political life of the country. Subsequently, decadence grew into symbolism. This opens a new page in the history of Russian literature.

The 19th century is one of the most significant in Russian literature. It was this era that gave the world the names of the great classics, who influenced not only Russian, but also world culture. The main ideas inherent in the literature of this time are the growth of the human soul, the struggle between good and evil, the triumph of morality and purity.

Difference from the previous century

Giving a general description of Russian literature of the 19th century, it can be noted that the previous century was distinguished by a very calm development. Throughout the previous century, poets and writers sang of the dignity of man, tried to instill high moral ideals. And only at the end of the century more daring and bold works began to appear - the authors began to focus on human psychology, his experiences and feelings.

Reasons for flourishing

In the process of working on homework or a report on the topic “General characteristics of Russian literature of the 19th century”, a student may have a natural question: what caused these changes, why was literature able to reach such a high level of development? The reason for this was social events - this is the war with Turkey, and the invasion of Napoleonic troops, and the abolition of serfdom, and public reprisals against oppositionists. All this led to the fact that completely new stylistic devices began to be applied in literature. Working on the general characteristics of Russian literature of the 19th century, it is worth mentioning that this era rightfully went down in history as the "Golden Age".

Orientation of literature

Russian literature of that time was distinguished by a very bold formulation of questions about the meaning of human existence, about the most pressing socio-political, moral and ethical problems. The significance of these questions she deduces far beyond the limits of her historical epoch. When preparing a general description of Russian literature of the 19th century, one must remember that it became one of the most powerful means of influencing both Russian and foreign readers, gaining fame as an influential force in the development of education.

Epoch phenomenon

If it is necessary to give a brief general description of Russian literature of the 19th century, it can be noted that the common feature of this era was such a phenomenon as “literary centrism”. This means that literature has become a way of conveying ideas and opinions in political disputes. It has become a powerful tool for expressing ideology, defining value orientations and ideals.

It is impossible to say unequivocally whether this is good or bad. Of course, giving a general description of Russian literature of the 19th century, one can reproach the literature of that time for being too "preaching", "mentoring". Indeed, it is often said that the desire to become a prophet can lead to inappropriate guardianship. And this is fraught with the development of intolerance towards dissent of any kind. Of course, there is some truth in such reasoning, however, when giving a general description of Russian literature of the 19th century, it is necessary to take into account the historical realities in which writers, poets, and critics of that time lived. AI Herzen, when he found himself in exile, described this phenomenon as follows: "For a people who have been deprived of freedom of speech and self-expression, literature remains almost the only outlet."

The role of literature in society

Almost the same thing was said by N. G. Chernyshevsky: “Literature in our country still concentrates the entire mental life of the people.” Pay attention to the word "yet" here. Chernyshevsky, who argued that literature is a textbook of life, still recognized that the mental life of the people should not be constantly concentrated in it. However, "for now", in those conditions of Russian reality, it was she who took on this function.

Modern society should be grateful to those writers and poets who, in the most difficult social conditions, despite persecution (it is worth remembering the same N. G. Chernyshevsky, F. M. Dostoevsky and others), with the help of their works contributed to the awakening of a bright man, spirituality, adherence to principles, active opposition to evil, honesty and mercy. Considering all this, we can agree with the opinion expressed by N. A. Nekrasov in his message to Leo Tolstoy in 1856: “The role of a writer in our country, first of all, is the role of a teacher.”

Common and different in the representatives of the "Golden Age"

When preparing materials on the topic “General characteristics of Russian classical literature of the 19th century”, it is worth saying that all representatives of the “Golden Age” were different, their world was unique and peculiar. Writers of that time are difficult to sum up under any one general image. After all, every true artist (this word means a poet, a composer, and a painter) creates his own world, guided by personal principles. For example, the world of Leo Tolstoy is not similar to the world of Dostoevsky. Saltykov-Shchedrin perceived and transformed reality differently than, for example, Goncharov. However, the representatives of the "Golden Age" also have a common feature - this is responsibility to the reader, talent, a high understanding of the role that literature plays in human life.

General characteristics of Russian literature of the 19th century: table

The "Golden Age" is the time of writers of completely different literary movements. To begin with, we will consider them in a summary table, after which each of the directions will be considered in more detail.

Genre	When and where did it originate	Types of works	Representatives	Main features
Classicism	17th century, France	Ode, tragedy, epic	G. R. Derzhavin (“Anacreotic Songs”), Khersakov (“Bakharian”, “Poet”).	The national-historical theme prevails. The ode genre is predominantly developed. Has a satirical twist
Sentimentalism	In the second half XVIII in. in Western Europe and Russia, most fully formed in England	Tale, novel, elegy, memoir, travel	N. M. Karamzin (“Poor Liza”), early work of V. A. Zhukovsky (“Slavyanka”, “Sea”, “Evening”)	Subjectivity in assessing the events of the world. Feelings come first. Nature plays an important role. A protest is expressed against the corruption of high society. The cult of spiritual purity and morality. The rich inner world of the lower social strata is affirmed.
Romanticism	Late 18th - first half of the 19th century, Europe, America	short story, poem, tale, novel	A. S. Pushkin (“Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Boris Godunov”, “Little Tragedies”), M. Yu. Lermontov (“Mtsyri”, “Demon”), F. I. Tyutchev (“Insomnia”, “In the Village”, “Spring”), K. N. Batyushkov.	The subjective prevails over the objective. A look at reality through the "prism of the heart". The tendency to reflect the unconscious and intuitive in a person. Gravity for fantasy, the conventions of all norms. A penchant for the unusual and the sublime, a mixture of the high and the low, the comic and the tragic. The personality in the works of romanticism aspires to absolute freedom, moral perfection, to the ideal in an imperfect world.
Realism	XIX c., France, England.	Story, novel, poem	Late A. S. Pushkin (“Dubrovsky”, “Tales of Belkin”), N. V. Gogol (“Dead Souls”), I. A. Goncharov, A. S. Griboyedov (“Woe from Wit”), F. M. Dostoevsky ("Poor People", "Crime and Punishment"), L. N. Tolstoy ("War and Peace", "Anna Karenina"), N. G. Chernyshevsky ("What to Do?"), I. S. Turgenev (“Asya”, “Rudin”), M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (“Poshekhon stories”, “Gogolevs”), N. A. Nekrasov (“Who should live well in Russia?”).	At the center of a literary work is objective reality. Realists seek to identify causal relationships in events. The principle of the typical is used: typical characters, circumstances, specific time are described. Usually realists turn to the problems of the present epoch. The ideal is reality itself. Increased attention to the social side of life.

Russian literature of this era was a reflection of the leap that was made in the previous century. The "Golden Age" began mainly with the flowering of two currents - sentimentalism and romanticism. Since the middle of the century, the direction of realism has been gaining more and more power. Such is the general characteristic of Russian literature of the 19th century. The tablet will help the student to navigate the main trends and representatives of the "Golden Age". In the process of preparing for the lesson, it should be mentioned that the further socio-political situation in the country is becoming more and more tense, contradictions are growing between the oppressed classes and the common people. This leads to the fact that in the middle of the century the development of poetry somewhat calms down. And the end of an era is accompanied by revolutionary sentiments.

Classicism

This direction is worth mentioning, giving a general description of Russian literature of the early 19th century. After all, classicism, which arose a century ago before the beginning of the "Golden Age", primarily refers to its beginning. This term, translated from Latin, means "exemplary" and is directly related to the imitation of classical images. This direction arose in France in the 17th century. At its core, it was associated with absolute monarchy and the establishment of the nobility. It is characterized by ideas of high civic topics, strict observance of the norms of creativity, established rules. Classicism reflects real life in ideal images that gravitate towards a certain pattern. This direction strictly adheres to the hierarchy of genres - the highest place among them is occupied by tragedy, ode and epic. It is they who illuminate the most important problems for society, are designed to reflect the highest, heroic manifestations of human nature. As a rule, "high" genres were opposed to "low" ones - fables, comedies, satirical and other works that also reflected reality.

Sentimentalism

Giving a general description of the development of Russian literature of the 19th century, one cannot fail to mention such a direction as sentimentalism. The voice of the narrator plays an important role in it. This direction, as indicated in the table, is characterized by increased attention to the experiences of a person, to his inner world. This is the innovation of sentimentalism. In Russian literature, Karamzin's "Poor Lisa" occupies a special place among the works of sentimentalism.

Noteworthy are the words of the writer, which can characterize this direction: "And peasant women know how to love." Many argued that an ordinary person, a commoner and a peasant, is morally superior in many respects to a nobleman or a representative of high society. Landscape plays an important role in sentimentalism. This is not just a description of nature, but a reflection of the inner experiences of the characters.

Romanticism

This is one of the most controversial phenomena of Russian literature of the Golden Age. For more than a century and a half, there have been disputes about what lies at its basis, and no one has yet given any recognized definition of this trend. The representatives of this trend themselves emphasized the originality of the literature of each individual people. One cannot but agree with this opinion - in every country romanticism acquires its own features. Also, giving a general description of the development of Russian literature of the 19th century, it is worth noting that almost all representatives of romanticism stood up for social ideals, but they did it in different ways.

Representatives of this movement dreamed not of improving life in its particular manifestations, but of the complete resolution of all contradictions. Many romantics in their works are dominated by the mood of fighting evil, protesting against the injustice reigning in the world. Romantics also tend to turn to the mythological, fantasy, folk tales. In contrast to the direction of classicism, a serious influence is given to the inner world of a person.

Realism

The purpose of this direction is a truthful description of the surrounding reality. It is realism that matures on the soil of a tense political situation. Writers begin to turn to social problems, to objective reality. The three main realists of this era are Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Turgenev. The main theme of this direction is life, customs, events from the life of ordinary people from the lower classes.