Nikitin Ivan Savvich (1824-1861), Russian poet and prose writer.

Born September 21 (October 3), 1824 in Voronezh. The son of the owner of a candle factory that had gone bankrupt by the 1830s, was educated at the Voronezh parish (1833) and district (1834-1839) theological schools and the theological seminary (1839-1843; expelled for poor progress), in whose literary life A. V. Koltsov. He was engaged in housekeeping (up to performing the duties of a janitor at an inn bought by the family), respectively, changing his recent appearance of a freedom-loving “Westerner” to the appearance of a simple Russian peasant (hair “in a circle”, boots with high tops, a sheepskin coat on a naked body, etc. .P.).

Joy has swift wings.

Nikitin Ivan Savvich

After the first publication (verse Rus - "Under the big tent / Blue skies ...", 1853), he became close to the circle of local historian N.I. Vtorov, who studied the history, ethnography and folklore of the Voronezh region, among the participants of which were the future executor, biographer and editor poet M.F. De-Poulet and the publisher of his works A.R. Mikhailov.

Influence of A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, F.I. Tyutchev (Slanderers, 1849; When sunset with farewell rays, 1850; When alone, in moments of reflection, 1851) and especially Koltsov (An old man’s sadness, Duma, both 1849 ; Song, 1853), with its characteristic folklore vocabulary and rhythm, is replaced in Nikitin's lyrics by his own intonations, recognizable "ethnographic" themes, attention to everyday life, religious motives (Old friend of a friend, Winter Night in the Village, both 1853; Merchant at the Mill, 1854).

In 1854, N.V. Kukolnik published in his Library for Reading two collections of Nikitin's poems; several poems were published in the magazine "Moskvityanin". Quick fame inspired Nikitin, he is stubbornly engaged in self-education (including the study of French and German, translations from Fr. Schiller and G. Heine), again dresses “in fashion” and becomes, according to his tireless trustee Vtorov, “secular man." At the same time, a sharp deterioration in health, a consequence of hard physical labor, contributed to the strengthening of the mournful tone of Nikitin's poetry.

In 1856, his first collection of Poems was published, which caused both approving and harsh (for "dependence" - N.G. Chernyshevsky in the Sovremennik magazine) reviews from critics.

In an effort to poeticize the "unpoetic" material of the real life of commoners, Nikitin begins to focus on the lyrics of N.A. Nekrasov with a pronounced narrative beginning, colloquial vocabulary, and the diversity of the characters of the village "bottom" - beavers, poor people, destitute (The story of a peasant woman, 1854; Burlak , both 1854; Street meeting, 1855; The story of my friend, 1856), focusing on the dramas of everyday life - betrayals, murders, selfish deceptions, etc. (often in the song genre - Quarrel, Treason, both 1854; Get rid of, melancholy ..., 1855).

According to the critic A.M. Skabichevsky, the autobiographical basis of many of Nikitin's poems, who was in a difficult relationship with his father, a man of strong temper, was "the eternal Russian plot of family tyranny", growing under Nikitin's pen into the problem of the discrepancy between the high spiritual impulses of a creative personality and her rough egoistic environment, into the problem of the inescapable loneliness of a talented loser, characteristic of romanticism and specifically refracted in Nikitin's "folk" lyrics.

Ivan Savvich Nikitin(September 21 (October 3), 1824, Voronezh - October 16 (28), 1861, ibid) - Russian poet.

Biography
Born in the family of a candle merchant Savva Evtikhievich Nikitin (1793-1864).
He studied at the theological seminary. The seminary gave Nikitin a lot, but the young man did not like the bureaucratic and boring system of education, and he would later express his attitude to this way of life in The Diaries of a Seminarian (1861).
In 1844, Nikitin's father bought an inn on Kirochnaya Street and settled with his son here. However, the drunkenness and violent nature of his father led the family to ruin, forcing Nikitin to leave the seminary and become the owner of the inn.
After the first publications Nikitin entered the circle of local intelligentsia, formed around Nikolai Ivanovich Vtorov. Vtorov himself and another of the members of the circle, Mikhail Fedorovich De-Poulet (future executor, biographer and editor of editions of Nikitin's works), became close friends of Nikitin.
Remaining the owner of the inn, Nikitin he did a lot of self-education, studying French and German, as well as the works of Russian and foreign writers (Shakespeare, Schiller, Goethe, Hugo and others). In 1859, Nikitin used a loan of 3,000 rubles, obtained through the mediation of friends from the famous entrepreneur and philanthropist Vasily Alexandrovich Kokorev, and opened a bookstore with a reading room in the center of Voronezh, which quickly became one of the centers of the cultural life of the city.

Creation
The earliest surviving poems date back to 1849, many of them imitative in nature. He made his debut in print with the poem "Rus", written in 1851, but published in the "Voronezh Gubernskie Vedomosti" only on November 21, 1853, that is, after the start of the Crimean War. The patriotic pathos of the poem made it very topical. December 11, 1853 it was reprinted in the newspaper "S.-Petersburgskie Vedomosti" with the following comment:
Isn't it true that something familiar is heard in this poem, in the feeling with which it is imbued, in the methods, in the texture of the verse? Is Koltsov destined to resurrect in the city of Nikitin?
Later poems Nikitin were published in the magazines Moskvityanin, Otechestvennye Zapiski and other publications.
The first separate collection (1856) included poems on a variety of topics, from religious to social. The collection has received mixed reviews. The second collection of poems was published in 1859. The prose "Diary of a seminarian" was published in the "Voronezh Conversation for 1861" (1861).
Nikitin is considered the master of the Russian poetic landscape and Koltsov's successor. Major themes in poetry Nikitin- native nature, hard work and hopeless life of the peasants, the suffering of the urban poor, protest against the unfair arrangement of life.
Basically, he, being courageously restrained and cautious, apparently, in the most secret, deeply hidden, hid his human suffering behind a sense of beauty in nature. The more poignantly nature sounded in him, and he in it, the deeper it all sank into the soul of the reader.
- Dmitry Kovalev
Died I. S. Nikitin from consumption on October 16, 1861 in Voronezh, where he was buried. Over time, the cemetery was liquidated, a circus was built in its place. The grave of I. S. Nikitin and several other graves, one of which is the burial of another famous poet A. V. Koltsov, were not touched. This place is fenced and is called "Literary Necropolis".

Poem "Fist"
Major Poetry Nikitin, the poem "Fist", was begun in October 1854. The first edition was completed by September 1856. The second edition, to which the poet made significant corrections, was completed by the beginning of 1857. The first publication was a separate edition in 1858 (date censorship permission - August 25, 1857).
The word "kulak" at the time of Nikitin meant not a prosperous peasant, as was established later, but a completely different social type. According to Dahl, the kulak is “a dealer, a reseller ... in bazaars and marinas, he himself is penniless, he lives by deceit, calculation, measurement.” In the center of Nikitin's poem is the image of just such a fist, the Voronezh tradesman Karp Lukich. This ruined merchant struggles to earn a living by petty fraud in the market, cannot get out of severe poverty, drinks and tyrannizes his household. The poet shows us in different life situations the character of this person, the inner life of his house, the fate of his family (wife and daughter). The poem has strong autobiographical features: the main character and his wife in many ways resemble the poet's parents.
The poem evoked favorable reviews from Dobrolyubov and other critics. In an anonymous review of the Moscow Review, it was said:
Several dramatic scenes, in some places genuine comedy and always a warm feeling of universal love ... a lively transmission of reality, typically outlined characters and wonderful descriptions of nature complete the charm produced by this fresh and truly poetic creation of a young, but already very creatively deployed writer.

Nikitin's poetry and Russian musical culture
into words Nikitin more than 60 songs and romances were written, many of them by very famous composers (Napravnik, Kalinnikov, Rimsky-Korsakov). Some of Nikitin's poems, set to music, have become popular folk songs. The most famous is "Ukhar-merchant" ("I went to the fair-merchant ..."), which, however, underwent reduction and alteration in the folk version, which completely changed the moral meaning of the poem.
In 2009, composer Alexander Sharafutdinov recorded an album of songs "Joy and Kruchina" based on Nikitin's poems.

Memory
In Voronezh, in 1911, a monument to the poet was erected on Nikitinskaya Square according to the project of the sculptor I. A. Shuklin.
In Voronezh, in the house where the poet lived since 1846, since 1924 the Nikitin Literary Memorial House Museum (Voronezh Regional Literary Museum named after I. S. Nikitin) has been operating.
A street in the city of Voronezh is named after Ivan Savvich.
The Voronezh Regional Universal Scientific Library is named after the poet.
There is Nikitin street in Lipetsk.
There is Nikitin street in Novosibirsk. Many Novosibirsk residents mistakenly believe that the name of the street is dedicated to Afanasy Nikitin.
In Voronezh, there is a gymnasium named after I. S. Nikitin.
In 1949 and 1974, postage stamps with the image of I. S. Nikitin were issued in the USSR.
In 2011, for the 425th anniversary of Voronezh, the Russian Post issued a postcard depicting the monument to I. S. Nikitin (sculptor I. A. Shuklin).

Ivan Savvich Nikitin is a talented poet and prose writer who worked in the direction of landscape lyrics. Author of the most popular works. His observations of nature and the soul of a commoner are amazing. Nikitin Ivan Savvich, whose portrait photos are presented in the article, even with his whole appearance shows greatness of spirit and great wisdom in life.

Period in history

The main themes in Russian literature of the 19th century were the struggle against autocracy and serfdom. The time when Nikitin was born and died is the period of the struggle against feudalism, the raising of the spirit of patriotism and the birth of the Decembrist movement.

Ivan Savvich also fell under the influence of contemporary literature. He, a poet of the Nekrasov direction, most often painted in his work the socially low strata of society. His poems are characterized by a plot in which peasants and the urban poor are vividly depicted. Often in the works of the author you can find an echo of his own life. Personal poverty also inspires the poet to work.

The poet wrote, taking the works of Nekrasov and Koltsov as an example, but this did not prevent him from developing his own style.

It was the experiences, characteristic of many people of that time, that left a seal on the poems of Ivan Savvich Nikitin. The short works of the author are the pain and joy of that period in the history of Russia.

The childhood of the poet

The life of Ivan Savvich Nikitin was not easy from the very beginning. But, perhaps, everything had turned out differently, fate would not have endowed him with talent.

Nikitin, the future poet, was born on October 3, 1824 in Voronezh, into a simple bourgeois family. His father was a candle merchant and at that time made good money. From an early age, he was taught to read and write by a shoemaker neighbor. Nature gave the boy the greatest joy. For hours he could walk around the neighborhood, observe the changes in the earth. The closeness and detachment of the child did not frighten the parents.

“I am glad of the autumn bad weather: the noise of the crowd is unbearable for me,” Nikitin Ivan Savvich later wrote.

The father had big plans for his son, so he sent him to study at the seminary. It was there that the boy first tried to write poetry.

Prematurity

While the boy was studying, problems began at home. The family business did not work out, and the father began to drink. Moreover, having a very cool character, he was addicted to a glass and the poet's mother. Due to family troubles, the guy was not up to school, and soon he was expelled from the school. From the school desk, he stood up to the counter of the candle shop.

Some time later, Ivan Savvich's mother died. After a while, the business completely outlived itself. And the only thing that made the guy happy was literature. However, one could forget about dreams of studying at the university.

Striving for beauty

So sadly passed the years of the life of Nikitin Ivan Savvich. Hard work, a despot-drunk father and gray, similar days. But the spark that drew the poet to the beautiful, everyday life could not extinguish. He strives for high art and never ceases to absorb the work of Pushkin, Gogol, Shakespeare and his favorite Belinsky. What remains of the candle shop, the young man exchanges for an inn. And among the always drunk and noisy clients, the future poet managed to allocate time for writing poetry.

The unsociable lonely Nikitin found more happiness in these short moments than in the senseless waste of time talking to people. Gradually, a poet began to grow in him. Poems by Ivan Savvich Nikitin are short, but correctly composed and meaningful.

First step to success

In November 1853, the young man decided to send his works to the editor. They are published in the publication "Voronezh Gubernskie Vedomosti". Then the author signed with the initials “I. N.". Nikolai Vtorov worked at the newspaper publication, who not only became interested in the young poet, but later became his best friend.

The works quickly received positive reviews and brought fame to the young poet. Nikitin Ivan Savvich became Koltsov's "successor". He beautifully extols nature, love for the earth sounds in his works, he sings of the beauty of a simple working person. In addition, he has since been accepted into the circle of intellectuals. Finally, he revolves around people with whom he is interested.

One of the three poems he sent to the editor was "Rus". In this work, he expressed his pain and patriotic sentiments associated with the Crimean War.

Source of inspiration

Despite the glory, the life of the hero of our story has changed little. The poet Nikitin Ivan Savvich did not stop working at the inn. My father still drank, but in 1854-1856 the relationship between them improved a little. The atmosphere that prevailed in the courtyard often inspired the writer. There one could eavesdrop on the conversations of ordinary people, enrich the imagination with new images, observe a gray but interesting life. And this was so necessary for Nikitin for creativity.

Also during these years, the poet was engaged in self-education, got acquainted with the works of other writers, studied French.

What is the spiritual power of the poet

In the summer of 1855, the poet caught a cold from swimming and undermined his already poor health. During that period, he turns to faith and pours out his feelings in poetry. In sad moments, such poems as "Prayer" (1851), "New Testament" (1853), "The Sweetness of Prayer" (1854) came out from under his pen. These are the most religious years of the life of Nikitin Ivan Savvich. Short works touch to the depths of the soul with their simplicity and depth of content:

"Oh my God! give me will power

Mind doubt dead.

In 1857, one of the few comrades of the poet, Nikolai Vtorov, left Voronezh. Melancholy attacks the master of the pen, for a while his creative forces leave him. But the same mood did not rule over the poet for long, and he splashes out his experiences, negative emotions and loss of strength on paper. So, next year, the work “Fist” comes out from under his pen. The poem was received very well by critics and readers.

Autobiographical "Fist"

In the years when Nikitin was born and died, in Russia there was such a thing as a “fist”.

It meant a merchant who profits from the fact that he measures, weighs and deceives people. The protagonist of the work is the merchant Lukic. He leads a wrong and dishonest way of life, not embarrassed to steal, lie and cheat. These little crafty deeds are the only thing on which he and his family live. The poem is partly biographical. The merchant and his wife are the author's parents. The everyday scenes he described are moments that he saw with his own eyes.

The poem "The Fist" turned out to be very rich in life episodes. Her speech is fresh, and the description of nature is fascinating. There are parts that could become independent verses if taken out of context. The poem deserves the title of national treasure. In no other work is life described so vividly.

The poet's childhood was difficult, and "The Fist" is to some extent his biography. Ivan Savvich Nikitin lived at a time when drunkenness was very common. The poem fully reflected the then state of the Russian Empire. Therefore, having described the problems of his family, he characterized the entire society of that time.

The sunset of a short life

A year later, in 1858, the second collection of poems was published. Critics did not appreciate the work, but this did not prevent the poet from doing what he loved. He continues to study and is now engaged in translations, which helps him to better understand the rich world of literature.

In February 1859, Nikitin opened a bookstore, to which a library was attached. In Voronezh, the shop becomes a center of culture for the common people and the intelligentsia.

At the time when Nikitin was born and died, it was precisely such bookstores that collected the bright minds of society.

Since that time, the poet's health began to deteriorate. When he felt well, his work was replenished with new works. But during his illness, the poet could not be interested in almost anything that surrounded him.

The diary of a seminarian was written by the poet a year before his death. It was his first prose work.

Fees for creativity allowed him to become financially independent.

With good health, he travels, visits St. Petersburg and Moscow, actively participates in the cultural growth of his native Voronezh.

May 1861 became fatal for the hero of our story. The poet caught a cold, fought the disease for a long and hard time.

Not simple, thorny was his biography. Ivan Savvich Nikitin died of consumption on October 16, 1861 at the age of 37.

The time of his career was only 8 years.

The poet was buried at the Novo-Mitrofanevsky cemetery, close to another chanter of nature - Koltsov.

The poet was alone when he was born, and Nikitin also died alone. Due to his closed nature, it was difficult for a man to get along with people. The mother passed away young. And the father, even when his son was on his deathbed, did not refuse the bottle.

Even during his lifetime, Nikitin gained fame. Almost two hundred years have passed since the birth of the poet, and his poems, glorifying nature, patriotism and accurately conveying folk images, still remain interesting and relevant.

Ivan Nikitin, whose biography is of sincere interest to admirers of real deep poetry, is a Russian original poet of the 19th century. His work vividly describes the spirit of that distant time.

Nikitin Ivan Savvich: biography for children

Ivan Savvich was born in the city of Voronezh on October 3, 1824 in the family of a wealthy tradesman who sold candles. He learned to read and write early thanks to a cobbler neighbor, read a lot as a child and loved to be in nature, with which he felt unity from birth. At the age of eight, he entered a religious school, then continued his studies at the seminary. The sudden end of his studies led to the ruin of his father, his pernicious passion for alcohol and the death of his mother, which forced the young man to take care of his loved ones. Ivan, expelled due to frequent absence from class and poor academic performance, began to work instead of his father in a candle shop, which was then sold for debts together with the candle factory, and a dilapidated inn was purchased with this money.

Difficulties of being

The biography of Nikitin, who worked at the inn as a janitor, describes his difficult, monotonous life. But despite the difficult circumstances, the young man did not sink spiritually, in any free moment he tried to read books, compose poems that begged to come out of his heart. Ivan began to write poetic lines while still in the seminary, he decided to give his creations to print only in 1853. Their publication took place in the Voronezh Gubernskiye Vedomosti when the young man was 29 years old. The author's works were copied and passed from hand to hand, they began to be printed in "Notes of the Fatherland", "Library for Reading". The nugget poet, who loved nature from childhood and sang of its beauty, is Nikitin Ivan Savvich. A short biography for children conveys his ability to subtly feel the world around him, to sing the subtle shades of colors. He was able with just a stroke of the pen to describe the world around him with inspiration and piercing sensitivity. Ivan Nikitin, whose biography describes his true work, showed himself as a talented landscape painter.

Love for the people is one of the main themes in the work

A brief biography of Ivan Nikitin for children tells that a significant place in the work of the poet, who sincerely worried about his people and let his troubles pass through his own heart, is occupied by poems that describe the life of an ordinary commoner (“The Coachman’s Wife”, “Plowman”, “Mother and daughter”, “The Beggar”, “Street Meeting”). They clearly express deep to their people, ardent sympathy for their plight and a great desire to improve their situation. At the same time, Nikitin did not idealize the people, looking at him with sober eyes, he painted him truthfully, without hiding the gloomy sides and negative traits of the people's character: family despotism, rudeness (“Corruption”, “Stubborn Father”, “Delezh”). Nikitin, in the full sense of the word, was a city dweller, although he visited the outskirts of Voronezh, he stayed in rich landlord estates, in a real village, in a peasant house, he never visited and did not feel the life of an ordinary person. Nikitin received material for describing the living conditions of ordinary people from cab drivers who stopped at his inn and peasants who came to Voronezh. However, Ivan Savvich, who had some limitations in observing people's life, precisely for this reason, was not able to fully draw a comprehensive broad picture of the life of the people, but managed to give only fragmentary information.

Ivan Nikitin: a short biography of the nugget poet

Fascinated by the work of Nikitin, N. I. Vtorov (local historian) introduced him to the circle of local intelligentsia, introduced him to Count D. N. Tolstoy, who published the poet’s poems in the Moskvityanin and published his first collection in St. Petersburg as a separate edition (1856). Ivan Nikitin, whose biography for children tells about the growing popularity of the poet at that time, still lived hard. Father drank heavily, however, family relations improved slightly; the atmosphere of the inn was no longer so depressing for the young man, who moved in a circle of intelligent people who were sincerely disposed towards him. In addition, as the biography describes, Nikitin began to be overcome by illness. In the summer of 1855, he caught a cold while swimming, became very weak and did not get out of bed for a long time. In such difficult moments, faith came to his aid, prompting the appearance of poems with religious themes.

Religious motifs in Nikitin's poetry

The theme of human faith runs like a red thread through all the poetic work of Ivan Nikitin: "The New Testament", "Prayer", "The Sweetness of Prayer", "Prayer for the Chalice". Seeing the holy grace in everything, Nikitin became the most soulful singer of nature (“Morning”, “Spring in the Steppe”, “Meeting of Winter”) and enriched Russian poetry with a large number of masterpieces of landscape lyrics. More than six dozen wonderful songs and romances have been written to the verses of Ivan Nikitin. In 1854-1856, the poet worked on his own self-education, studied French and read a lot. After Vtorov's departure from Voronezh in 1857, who became his close friend, and also after the collapse of the Vtorov's circle, the poet with poignant sharpness felt the severity of the family and life situation, a pessimistic mood captured him with greater force.

Ivan Nikitin Bookstore

In 1858, Nikitin's long poem "The Fist" was published, vividly describing philistinism, sympathetically received by critics and a success with the public. The circulation of the work sold out in less than a year, bringing the poet a good income. Despite his illness and depressed mood, Nikitin continued to closely follow Russian literature in 1857-1858, reading Shakespeare, Cooper, Goethe, Hugo, Chenier from foreign countries. He also began to study German, translating Heine and Schiller. In 1857-1858 he worked in the "Notes of the Fatherland", "Russian Conversation". Royalties from the publication of poems, savings accumulated over several years, and a loan of 3,000 rubles from V. A. Kokorev allowed him in 1859 to purchase a bookstore, which became a favorite meeting place for city residents, a kind of literary club. Further - new hopes and plans, a creative upsurge, a new collection of poems, met somewhat coolly, but vitality was already running out.

The last years of the poet's life

Nikitin's biography was very difficult: the poet was constantly ill, especially acutely in 1859. The state of his health constantly alternated, a short improvement followed by a long deterioration. In the second half of 1860, Nikitin worked a lot, from his pen came out the work "Diary of a seminarian", written in prose. In 1861 he visited St. Petersburg and Moscow, took part in local cultural work, in the formation of a literacy society in Voronezh, and also in the establishment of Sunday schools.

In May 1861, the poet caught a bad cold, which caused an exacerbation of the tuberculosis process. On October 28, 1861 Nikitin Ivan Savvich died of consumption. The biography for children is interesting in the fact that in a short life the poet wrote about two hundred beautiful poems, three poems and a story. He was 37 years old. He was buried at the Novo-Mitrofanevsky cemetery, next to Koltsov.

Ivan Nikitin's contribution to Russian literature

The life and biography of Ivan Nikitin are vividly conveyed in his work, where the poet seeks to comprehend his existence, understands the feeling of dissatisfaction with his own being and suffers greatly from the inconsistency of the existing reality of representation; he found solace in nature and religion, which reconciled him for a time with life. In the work of Nikitin there is a lot of autobiographical element with prevailing sad tones, sadness and grief, which are also caused by a protracted illness. The source of such poignant sadness was not only personal adversity, but also the surrounding life with human suffering, social contrasts, and constant drama. Nikitin's biography is still interesting to the younger generation, who wants to feel the spirit of a bygone time and, at least through the poet's word, touch it. The works of Ivan Savvich went through a large number of editions and were sold in a huge number of copies.

Ivan Savvich Nikitin was born on September 21 (October 3), 1824 in Voronezh, in the family of a wealthy tradesman. His father sold candles.

The future writer learned to read and write early. This was facilitated by a close acquaintance with a shoemaker who lives next door.

When Ivan was 8 years old, he was sent to a religious school. After graduating, he entered the seminary. But the training there had to be interrupted. The reason was the rapid ruin of his father, who quickly became addicted to the “green snake”, as well as the death of his mother.

All worries about the family fell on the shoulders of the young man. Nikitin entered the service in a candle shop. She was later sold for debts. The proceeds were used to purchase an inn.

creative way

Nikitin was not enthusiastic about the "bureaucratic" that prevailed in the Voronezh seminary, where he studied. Memories of the difficult years of study were published in 1861 in the form of a diary.

Nikitin's first poems appeared in 1849. Many of them were imitative.

In 1851, the poem "Rus" was written. It was published 2 years later, in the Voronezh Gubernskiye Vedomosti newspaper.

A little later, it was reprinted in the St. Petersburg Vedomosti newspaper. Critics appreciated the patriotic pathos of the young poet and began to call him "the new A. Koltsov."

Later, Nikitin's poems began to be published in Otechestvennye Zapiski, as well as in the Moskvatyanin magazine.

After the first publications, Nikitin became a member of the local club, which included the entire Voronezh intelligentsia. The “heart” of the club was N. I. Vtorov. He soon became a close friend of Nikitin. The second good friend of the poet was M. F. De Poulet. He became the editor of almost all of his works.

The very first collection was published in 1856. There were collected poems on a variety of topics. Basically, the poet turned to social problems and to religion. Critics rated this collection ambiguously.

In 1859, the second collection of Nikitin's poems was published. In 1861, his Diary of a Seminarian was published. The work was published in the newspaper "Voronezh conversation".

Nikitin also wrote such poems for children as: “In the dark thicket, the nightingale fell silent”, “The evening is clear and quiet”, “Live speech, live sounds”. They are currently in 3rd grade. Since childhood, feeling close to nature, Nikitin became a real singer of his native land.

Features of creativity

A significant place in the poet's work is given to people's troubles and suffering. The life of a peasant is wonderfully described in such poems as: “Street Meeting”, “Beggar”, “Mother and Daughter”, “Plowman”, “Coachman's Wife”.

Nikitin ardently sympathized with the Russian people and sincerely desired an improvement in their unenviable position. At the same time, the poet was not engaged in the idealization of the peasantry. The Russian muzhik is often represented in his works as a rude, brutish domestic despot. According to some colleagues in the pen, Nikitin was not a truly folk poet. His worldview was that of an urban man who watched the life of the peasantry from the sidelines. For this reason, according to critics, there is no true depth in his work.

Influence on Russian musical culture

Studying a brief biography of Ivan Savich Nikitin, you should know that such composers as Rimsky-Korsakov and E.F. Napravnik paid attention to his work. More than sixty romances and songs were written to the words of the poet. Many pieces of music have become widely popular among the people.

In 2009, the composer A. Sharafutdinov wrote the song album “Joy and Sorrow” to the words of the poet.

Illness and death

Ivan Savvich's health has always been weak. He was often sick. In the last years of his life he suffered from consumption. The poet died on October 16, 1861, in Voronezh. Ivan Nikitin rests at the local cemetery, not far from the grave of the poet A. Koltsov. This place is now called a literary necropolis.

Other biography options

• In the summer of 1855, the weak and sickly Ivan Nikitin caught a bad cold after swimming in the river. The disease proceeded very hard, with complications. The poet could not get out of bed for a long time. Several times he thought he was dying. But faith came to his aid, in his own words. After that, Nikitin began to create in a slightly different way. Religious and mystical notes began to appear more and more often in his poems.
• According to some reports, the poet suffered from drug addiction. He used salojuanna, a substance known only to a very narrow circle.
• In 1911, a monument to I. Nikitin was erected in Voronezh. Its author was the sculptor I. A. Shuklin. In the house where the poet lived, his house-museum now functions. Between 1949 and 1974 postage stamps with the image of the poet came out.