Before moving on to the main stages of the biography and creative activity of Dmitry Sergeevich, it is worth especially noting his literary achievements, thanks to which he not only became famous, but also went down in history forever. An outstanding modernist author, essayist and critic, Merezhkovsky is rightfully considered the founder of the genre of the historiosophical novel in Russian literature, and is also among:

• the best authors of the Silver Age;
• pioneers of religious and philosophical analysis of literary works;
• the founders of Russian symbolism - a new direction for Russian art.

Merezhkovsky successfully combined his main creative activity, which was expressed in writing poems and novels, with writing of a completely different kind. He translated and also wrote reviews of literary works.

Among his contemporaries, the writer was known not only for his creations, but also for his philosophical ideas. The latter, combined with the radical political views that the writer held, caused people to have the exact opposite reaction. Some fully supported Dmitry Sergeevich and approved of his opinion, others became opponents of the author and his supporters. But both the former and even the latter (despite all the disagreements with the writer) unanimously recognized Merezhkovsky as a talented author, a genre innovator and one of the most original and gifted writer-thinkers of the 20th century.

The high assessment of the writer’s work by his contemporaries is confirmed by the following fact of his biography: Merezhkovsky is a 10-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Dmitry Sergeevich's candidacy for the prestigious award was first nominated in 1914 by academician Nestor Kotlyarevsky. But despite so many nominations, Merezhkovsky did not have the chance to become a laureate of the main prize for writers around the world.

Childhood

The outstanding Russian prose writer and poet Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky was born on August 14 (new style - August 2), 1865 in a palace building on Elagin Island. The writer is a native Petersburger.

In normal times, the Merezhkovsky family lived in an old house not far from the Laundry Bridge, but during the summer season they moved to one of the palace buildings, using it as a dacha. The future writer was born within the walls of the palace. In total there were 9 children in the family - 6 boys and 3 girls. Dmitry was the youngest child of the couple.

The Merezhkovsky family was noble, but untitled. Dmitry's father, Sergei Ivanovich Merezhkovsky, served as an official all his life and achieved considerable career heights. By the time his ninth child was born, he had risen to the rank of full state councilor and worked at the imperial court, but did not stop there. The highest post in Sergei Ivanovich's career was Privy Councilor. It was in this rank that the father of the family retired in 1881 at the age of 59.

Dmitry's mother, Varvara Vasilievna Chesnokova, was involved in running the household and raising children. She was the daughter of the chief police chief who managed the office in St. Petersburg. A woman of amazing beauty, she, despite her angelic character, deftly and skillfully commanded her husband, who, for all his selfishness and callousness, literally idolized his wife. It is Varvara Vasilievna who deserves the credit for the fact that her children at least partially received parental (or rather maternal) warmth and affection.

Many years of service as an official hardened Sergei Ivanovich and turned him from the inside into a real flint. He treats children strictly and at the same time with disdain.

Thanks to the high position of their father, the Merezhkovsky family was rich (in particular, they owned a magnificent estate-palace in Crimea) and could afford to live in style and luxury. However, despite the ample opportunities and material well-being of the family, the Merezhkovskys’ house was simply furnished, and there were no exquisite dishes or an abundance of dishes on the dining table.

A modest life in a regime of increased frugality was the decision of the head of the family. In this way, Sergei Ivanovich hoped to protect children from two common vices - extravagance and love of luxury.

Accompanying her husband on official trips, Varvara Vasilievna entrusted the care of the children to a housekeeper of German origin and an elderly nanny. The latter told little Dmitry the lives of saints as a bedtime story, which as a result became the main reason for his exalted religiosity at the level of fanaticism.

Subsequently, Dmitry's childhood memories will result in his works - “Autobiographical Notes” in prose and “Ancient Octaves” in poetry.

Pen samples

In 1876, young Dmitry became a student at the Third Classical Gymnasium in St. Petersburg. The already grown-up high school student would later characterize the atmosphere of the institution as murderous. In order to somehow take a break from endless cramming and training, 13-year-old Dmitry begins to try his hand at poetry - Merezhkovsky’s first poetic lines appear. In his writing style, he imitated Pushkin’s “Bakhchisarai Fountain”.

There, within the walls of the gymnasium, the aspiring writer discovered the work of Moliere and, under the influence of a new hobby, formed the “Moliere circle.” There was no political background in the community organized by Dmitry, but the imperial office thought otherwise - all members of the circle were invited for interrogation.

It is unknown how this story would have ended if Dmitry’s father had not intervened in it. Thanks to his high position, he settled the matter, and at the same time learned about the first manifestations of poetic talent in his son. Sergei Ivanovich was seriously interested in the literary gift of his younger son and he began to introduce Dmitry to experts in the art of writing.

In the summer of 1879, Merezhkovsky performed his poems in front of Princess Elizaveta Vorontsova. The elderly lady was fascinated by the young man’s creations and, seeing in him not only talent, but also extraordinary spiritual sensitivity, she encouraged him to continue composing.

The next famous critic was Fyodor Dostoevsky, but his verdict was radically different from Vorontsova’s. The meeting of two authors - a beginner and a famous one - took place in 1880. Reading his poems in front of Dostoevsky, the young man blushed, turned pale, stammered and stuttered.

“Impatient annoyance,” which did not leave the writer’s face throughout the entire speech, was expressed during the announcement of the verdict in the words of Fyodor Mikhailovich: “Weak. No good. To write well, you have to suffer and suffer.” Sergei Ivanovich hastened to object: “It’s better not to write than to suffer.” But it was too late - the desire to achieve recognition had already ingrained itself in Dmitry’s mind.

Debut and fame

The negative assessment of his work deeply affected Merezhkovsky. Insulted and annoyed by Dostoevsky's low opinion of his poetic abilities, Dmitry began to achieve public recognition with redoubled zeal. In the same 1880, Merezhkovsky’s debut publication appeared on the pages of the magazine “Picturesque Review” - the poems “Cloud” and “Autumn Melody”.

After this, he begins to publish regularly in various publications. Of his first works, the poem “Sakya-Muni” brought the greatest popularity to the poet, which was included in almost all collections for reciters of that time. This poem opened the way for the author to great literature. In addition, the most famous poetic creations of Dmitry Sergeevich include the following poems:

• "Children of night";
• "Native";
• "Double Abyss";
• "Nature";
• “Love is enmity” and others.

The writer's first book ("Poems") and his first poem ("Archpriest Avvakum") were published in 1888. This year is considered to be the beginning of Merezhkovsky’s creative activity.

A difficult creative path

Gradually, Merezhkovsky’s work changes its direction. The writer moves further and further away from poetry and develops as a prose writer. The reason for this was the author’s discovery of a previously unknown and extremely interesting topic for himself - the drama of Ancient Greece.

The writer enthusiastically translated the works of Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus. These works of his were published in the monthly publication “Bulletin of Europe”. A prose translation of the novel “Daphnis and Chloe” was released as a separate book. But none of Merezhkov’s translations of ancient literature received the response they deserved. All of them were appreciated and even called “the pride of the Russian school of literary translation” only later, many years later, after the death of the writer.

Merezhkov’s essays (short essays with free composition) and articles had approximately the same fate. The heroes of these short works-reflections were such prominent writers as:

• Goncharov;
• Dostoevsky;
• Korolenko;
• Maykov;
• Pushkin;
• Cervantes;
• Pliny;
• Ibsen and many others.

Each article by Merezhkovsky was equivalent to a full-fledged serious work. But instead of the glory of one of the most insightful and subtle critics of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, which should have rightfully belonged to the writer, Dmitry Sergeevich became a real exile in the world of art, both as a critic and as a literary critic.

The rejection of Merezhkovsky's works was due to their genre novelty. Criticism of the subjective type, which the author practiced, gained popularity much later, becoming a type of literary and philosophical essay.

Successful exile

In 1892, Dmitry’s second collection of poems, entitled “Symbols,” saw the light of day. This name became programmatic for the embryo of modernism that was taking shape at that time. In the fall of the same year, the writer gave a scandalous lecture in which he spoke about the reasons for the decline of modern Russian literature and about new trends in this area.

Like the collection "Symbols", this lecture was declared a manifesto of symbolism, as well as a modernist renewal of art. During his speech, Merezhkovsky created a unique plan for a new type of art, highlighting three lines on it:

• "symbol language"
• "mystical content";
• impressionism.

According to the writer, these components of the new art are capable of expanding the “artistic impressionability” of modern Russian literature. The author emphasized that each of the three components of the new movement is found in the works of such writers as:

• Turgenev;
• Tolstoy;
• Goncharov;
• Dostoevsky.

Thus, Merezhkovsky brought the lecture to the final conclusion that modernism, in its essence, continues the trends of the classics of Russian literature. This speech by the writer became a sensation. But it is unnecessary to emphasize that the theories he put forward were accepted, at best, with ridicule or contempt.

Despite this, in 1896 Merezhkovsky was included in the famous “Encyclopedia” of Brockhaus and Efron. The encyclopedia entry described him as a “famous poet.” At that time, the writer was 30 years old. Later, many of Merezhkovsky’s poems became the text part of musical compositions and songs. In particular, they were set to music by such famous composers as:

• Rachmaninov;
• Chaikovsky;
• Rubinstein, etc.

However, inclusion in the encyclopedic dictionary was only the beginning of the writer’s full recognition. The status of the writer and the public’s attitude towards him changed radically after the publication of the novel “Julian the Apostate”. This work by Dmitry is inscribed in history as the first symbolist historical novel in Russian literature. In 1900, the release of the translated novel in France finally strengthened the writer’s position not only in his native country, but also abroad. This book brought him fame throughout Europe.

From 1907 to 1918, Merezhkovsky worked on the trilogy “The Kingdom of the Beast,” in which he explored the nature and essence of the Russian monarchy against a vast historical background.

Personal life and social activities

One of the main features of both Merezhkovsky’s poetry and prose is the endless feeling of loneliness, which permeates the writer’s lines. Nevertheless, Dmitry was not lonely in the full sense of the word. All his life (with the exception of his childhood and adolescence) he was married to one woman, who became truly the only one for him - lover, wife, friend, support and support. Merezhkovsky's wife was the poetess Zinaida Gippius, no less gifted than himself, a demonic beauty who was often called a witch.

They met in Borjomi in the spring of 1888, when a newly minted university graduate (in 1884-1888 Dmitry studied at the University of St. Petersburg at the Faculty of History and Philology) was traveling around the south of Russia. Dmitry was 22 years old, Zinaida was 19 years old. From the very first meeting, they both immediately felt complete unity with each other - both spiritual and intellectual.

Two months after they met, Dmitry proposed to Zinaida. At the beginning of 1889 they got married in Tiflis. During their half-century of marriage, they never parted for a day.

In 1901, Merezhkovsky and his wife created the so-called Religious and Philosophical Meetings - a kind of “tribune” where one can freely discuss church and cultural issues. The minutes of the project meetings were published in the New Path magazine, created by the writer. But soon the religious and philosophical society transformed into a literary and journalistic circle.

So the couple became the owners of one of the largest literary salons in St. Petersburg, at the evenings of which poets now considered classics presented their first creations:

• Mandelstam;
• Yesenin;
• Blok and others.

The couple greeted each revolution (both 1905 and 1917) with great enthusiasm, convinced that such riots would only bring good things to people. But in the end they were unable to accept established Bolshevism. In 1919, Dmitry and Zinaida secretly left their homeland, becoming one of the pillars of the Russian emigrant movement.

For 52 years of marriage, Merezhkovsky and Gippius did not spend a single day without each other. From the moment of their wedding in Tiflis, they were together always and everywhere, no matter what trials fate brought them. Only death could separate devoted spouses. Merezhkovsky's life ended on December 9, 1941 in the capital of France - Paris. The writer died at the age of 76. Zinaida Gippius survived her husband by 4 years.

Many of Merezhkovsky’s works are considered difficult to understand and difficult to perceive. Despite this, the study of the biography and work of the outstanding writer and poet is included in the school literature curriculum, which is taught in middle and high schools.

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Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeevich

“His idea is such a huge idea that one can say in advance that he will not bear it, just as thousands of other writers cannot bear it, he will burn, but he will leave us the same great thought as a legacy. How many lonely years did Merezhkovsky wait for readers who would not reinterpret him in their own way, but would suffer from the same disease as him! Now they just started listening to him. Thank God, it’s long overdue!”

Alexander Blok, “Merezhkovsky. Eternal Companions", 1906

“Thus, through the intense elimination of modernity, Merezhkovsky revealed his Egypt - “Endless antiquity and endless newness.” This is Merezhkovsky’s always path: to grow roots from the present through the present - into the past. All his work is a slow germination into the deep and fertile layers of History: Russia of Alexander, Paul, Peter; Italy Leonardo; Age of Apostate; now - Aegean culture, and then - Egypt, Babylon. For him, knowledge of the past is real communication in spirit and a ladder of initiations.”

N. M. Bakhtin, “Merezhkovsky and History”, 1926

Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeevich was born on August 14, 1866 in St. Petersburg. His father served as a minor palace official. Dmitry Merezhkovsky began writing poetry at the age of 13. Two years later, as a high school student, he visited F. M. Dostoevsky with his father. The great writer found the poems weak and told the aspiring author that in order to write well, one must suffer. At the same time, Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky met Nadson. At first, he imitated him in his poems and it was through him that he first entered the literary environment.

In 1888, Merezhkovsky’s first collection was published, simply titled “Poems.” The poet here acts as a student of Nadson. However, as Vyacheslav Bryusov notes, Dmitry Merezhkovsky was immediately able to take on an independent tone, starting to talk about joy and strength, unlike other poets who considered themselves students of Nadson, who “whined” about their weakness and timelessness. Studying at universities, passion for the philosophy of positivism Dmitry since 1884 Dmitry Sergeevich studied at St. Petersburg and Moscow universities, at the faculties of history and philology. At this time, Merezhkovsky became interested in the philosophy of positivism, and also became close to such employees of the Northern Messenger as Uspensky, Korolenko, Garshin, thanks to which he began to understand the problems facing society from a populist position. This hobby, however, was short-lived. Acquaintance with the poetry of V. Solovyov and European symbolists significantly changed the poet’s worldview. Dmitry Sergeevich abandons “extreme materialism” and switched to symbolism.

Dmitry Merezhkovsky, as contemporaries noted, was a very reserved person who was reluctant to let other people into his world. The year 1889 became even more significant for him. It was then that Merezhkovsky got married. His chosen one is the poetess Zinaida Gippius. The poet lived with her for 52 years and never left her for a day. His wife described this creative and spiritual union in an unfinished book called “Dmitry Merezhkovsky.” Zinaida was the “generator” of ideas, and Dmitry formalized and developed them in his work. Travels, translations and the rationale for symbolism In the late 1880s and 1890s, they traveled extensively to various countries in Europe. Dmitry Sergeevich translated ancient tragedies from Latin and Greek, and also acted as a critic, published in such publications as “Trud”, “Russian Review”, “Northern Messenger”.

Merezhkovsky gave a lecture in 1892 in which he gave the first justification for symbolism. The poet argued that impressionism, symbolic language and “mystical content” could expand the “artistic impressionability” of Russian literature. The collection "Symbols" appeared shortly before this performance. He gave a name to a new direction in poetry. "New Poems".

In 1896, the third collection, “New Poems,” was published. Since 1899, Merezhkovsky’s worldview has changed. He begins to be interested in issues of Christianity related to the conciliar church.

In the article “Merezhkovsky,” Adamovich recalled that when the conversation with Dmitry was lively, he sooner or later switched to one topic - the meaning and meaning of the Gospel.

Dmitry Merezhkovsky's wife in the fall of 1901 proposed the idea of ​​​​creating a special society of people of philosophy and religion to discuss issues of culture and church. This is how religious and philosophical meetings, famous at the beginning of the last century, appeared. Their main theme was the assertion that only on a religious basis can the revival of Russia take place. Until 1903, these meetings were held with the permission of the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, Pobedonostsev. Clergymen also took part in them. Although Christianity of the “Third Testament” was not accepted, the desire to create a new religious society at a turning point in the development of our country was understandable and close to contemporaries.

Dmitry Merezhkovsky, whose biography interests us, worked a lot on historical prose. He created, for example, the trilogy “Christ and Antichrist”, the main idea of ​​which was the struggle between two principles - Christian and pagan, as well as a call for a new Christianity, in which “heaven is earthly” and “earth is heavenly”. In 1896, the work “Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate” appeared - the first novel of the trilogy. The second part was published in 1901 (“The Resurrected Gods. Leonardo da Vinci”). The final novel, entitled Antichrist.

Peter and Alexey" was born in 1905.

The fourth collection, “Collected Poems,” was published in 1909. There were few new poems in it, so this book was rather an anthology. However, a certain selection of works made by Merezhkovsky gave the collection modernity and novelty. It included only works that responded to the author’s changed views. Old poems took on new meaning. Merezhkovsky was sharply isolated among contemporary poets. He stood out because he expressed general sentiments in his work, while Blok, Andrei Bely, Balmont, even touching on “topical” social topics, spoke primarily about themselves, about their own attitude towards them. And Dmitry Sergeevich, even in the most intimate confessions, expressed a universal feeling, hope or suffering.

The Merezhkovskys moved to Paris in March 1906 and lived here until mid-1908. In 1907, in collaboration with Filosofov and Gippius, Merezhkovsky published the book “Le Tsar et la Revolution”. He also began creating the trilogy “The Kingdom of the Beast” based on materials from the history of Russia at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Dmitry Sergeevich, after the release of the first part of this trilogy (1908), was subjected to prosecution. In 1913, its second part (“Alexander I”) appeared. The last novel, “December 14,” was published in 1918.

"Sick Russia" is a book that appeared in 1910. It included historical and religious articles that were published in 1908 and 1909 in the newspaper Rech. Wolf's book partnership published a 17-volume collection of his works between 1911 and 1913, and Sytin published a four-volume edition in 1914. Merezhkovsky's prose was translated into many languages ​​and was very popular in Europe. In Russia, the works of Dmitry Sergeevich were subjected to strict censorship - the writer spoke out against the official church and autocracy.

D. V. Filosofov, D. S. Merezhkovsky, Z. N. Gippius, V. A. Zlobin. Exodus from Soviet Russia. Late 1919 - early 1920

The Merezhkovskys still lived in Russia in 1917. The poet saw the country on the eve of the revolution in the image of a “coming boor.” A little later, having lived in Soviet Russia for two years, he became firmly established in his opinion that Bolshevism is a moral disease that is a consequence of the cultural crisis in Europe. The Merezhkovskys hoped that this regime would be overthrown, however, upon learning of the defeat of Denikin in the south and Kolchak in Siberia, they decided to leave Petrograd. At the end of 1919, Dmitry Sergeevich achieved the right to give his lectures in units of the Red Army. In January 1920, he and his wife moved to territory that was occupied by Poland. The poet gave lectures in Minsk for Russian emigrants. The Merezhkovskys are moving to Warsaw in February. Here they are actively involved in political activities. When Poland signed a peace treaty with Russia, and the couple were convinced that the “Russian cause” in this country was over, they left for Paris. The Merezhkovskys settled in an apartment that had belonged to them since pre-revolutionary times. Here they established old connections and established new acquaintances with Russian emigrants. Emigration, the founding of the Green Lamp Dmitry Merezhkovsky was inclined to view emigration as a kind of messianism. He considered himself the spiritual “guide” of the intelligentsia who found themselves abroad. The Merezhkovskys organized the religious, philosophical and literary society "Green Lamp" in 1927. G. Ivanov became its president. The "Green Lamp" played a significant role in the intellectual life of the first wave of emigration, and also united the best representatives of the foreign Russian intelligentsia. When World War II began, the society stopped meeting (1939).

The Merezhkovskys founded the New Course back in 1927, a magazine that lasted only a year. They also participated in the first congress of emigrant writers from Russia, held in September 1928 in Belgrade (it was organized by the Yugoslav government). Merezhkovsky was among the contenders for the Nobel Prize in 1931, but Bunin received it.

The Merezhkovskys were not liked among Russians. The hostility was largely caused by their support for Hitler, whose regime seemed more acceptable to them than Stalin's. At the end of 1930, Merezhkovsky became interested in fascism and even met with one of its leaders, Mussolini. He saw in Hitler the deliverer of Russia from communism, which he considered a “moral disease.” After Germany attacked the USSR, Dmitry Sergeevich spoke on German radio. He gave a speech, “Bolshevism and Humanity,” in which he compared Hitler to Joan of Arc. Merezhkovsky said that this leader could save humanity from communist evil. After this speech, everyone turned their backs on the spouses.

10 days before the occupation of Paris by the Germans, in June 1940, Zinaida Gippius and Dmitry Merezhkovsky moved to Biarritz, located in the south of France. On December 9, 1941, Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky died in Paris.

Each of the 4 collections of poemsMerezhkovskovskyvery characteristic. “Poems” (1888) is a book in which Dmitry Merezhkovsky also appears as Nadson’s student. Noteworthy quotes from her include the following: “Do not despise the crowd! Do not brand their sorrows and needs with merciless and angry mockery.” These are lines from one of the most characteristic poems in this book. Nevertheless, from the very beginning, Dmitry Sergeevich was able to take an independent tone. As we have already noted, he spoke of strength and joy. His poems are pompous and rhetorical, however, this is also typical, since Nadson’s comrades were most afraid of rhetoric, although they used it in a slightly different guise, sometimes immoderately. Merezhkovsky turned to rhetoric in order to use its sonority and brightness to break the silent, colorless fog in which the life of Russian society was wrapped in the 1880s. "Symbols" is the second book of poems, written in 1892. It is notable for the versatility of its themes. Here is ancient tragedy and Pushkin, Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe, Francis of Assisi and ancient Rome, the poetry of the city and the tragedy of everyday life. Everything that will fill all books, occupy all minds in 10-15 years, was outlined in this collection. "Symbols" is a book of premonitions. Dmitry Sergeevich foresaw the onset of a different, more vibrant era.

Merezhkovsky gave a titanic appearance to the events taking place around him (“Come, new prophets!”). “New Poems” is the third collection of poems, written in 1896. It is significantly narrower in its coverage of life phenomena than the previous one, but much more poignant. Here the calmness of “Symbols” turned into constant anxiety, and the objectivity of the poems turned into intense lyricism. Merezhkovsky considered himself in Symbols a servant of the “abandoned gods.” But by the time the “New Poems” appeared, he himself had already renounced these gods, spoke about his comrades-in-arms and about himself: “Our speeches are daring...”. "Collected Poems" - the last, fourth collection (1909). Merezhkovsky turned to Christianity in it. He recognized the blade of “boldness” as too brittle and the altar of “world culture” devoid of deity. However, in Christianity he wanted to find not only consolation, but also weapons. All the poems in this book are imbued with a desire for faith.

The outstanding Russian prose writer, philosopher, poet, literary critic, playwright Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky was the youngest child in a large, large family of a major official, actual privy councilor, Sergei Ivanovich Merezhkovsky (1821 - 1908). The writer's mother, Varvara Vasilievna Chesnokova, was the daughter of the manager of the office of the St. Petersburg chief of police. Merezhkovsky talks about his family, primarily about his mother, who had a special influence on him in childhood, in his autobiographical poem “Ancient Octaves.”

In 1880, Merezhkovsky, on his father’s initiative, met F. M. Dostoevsky and read him his poems, which the writer assessed negatively. In the same year, Merezhkovsky became friends with S. Ya. Nadson and met the secretary of Otechestvennye Zapiski A. I. Pleshcheev.

In 1881, his first poem was published in the collection “Response”.

In 1884, Merezhkovsky became a student at the Faculty of History and Philology at St. Petersburg University, became interested in positivism and Tolstoyism, and traveled around Russia.

In the spring of 1885, the writer visited the terminally ill Nadson and met I. E. Repin and the Wanderers.

In the spring of 1888, Merezhkovsky successfully graduated from the university and went on a trip to the Caucasus with N. Minsky. In the same year, he meets his future wife, Zinaida Nikolaevna Gippius, and on July 11 he proposes to her.

In the fall of 1888, D.S., together with his bride, opened literary evenings, where K.M. Fofanov, A.I. Pleshcheev, A. Volynsky, N.M. Minsky attended, and the still unknown F. Sologub appeared.

In 1888, Merezhkovsky’s first book, “Poems (1883 - 1987),” was published in St. Petersburg.

After the wedding, the couple settled in St. Petersburg. The color of the intelligentsia of St. Petersburg constantly gathers in their apartment.

Dmitry Merezhkovsky and Zinaida Gippius became support and support for each other for 52 years, which they lived never apart, constantly being in spiritual communication, and at the same time became two major writers, poets, and thinkers. Each of them left behind their own original literary heritage.

In the summer of 1890, the writer began work on the novel “Julian the Apostate.”

From 1891 to 1895, the writer worked a lot, studied historical materials, and comprehended the phenomena of world culture. During these years, Dmitry Merezhkovsky repeatedly visited Italy, preparing to write a novel about Leonardo da Vinci.

In the spring of 1891, the Merezhkovskys went to Italy (for some time together with A.P. Chekhov and A.S. Suvorin) and to Paris. This time was the beginning of the “search for God.”

In 1892, "Symbols. Songs and Poems" was published.

In the spring of 1892, the Merezhkovskys traveled through Italy and Greece. D.S. writes essays “Acropolis”, “Pliny the Younger”, stories from Italian life, poems.

In December 1892, during a trip to Italy, the family met D.V. Filosofov.

In 1895, Severny Vestnik published Merezhkovsky’s novel “The Outcast,” which later became the first part of the famous trilogy “Christ and Antichrist” - the novel “The Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate.”

In 1896, the collection “New Poems” was published.

In 1897, a collection of articles “Eternal Companions. Portraits from World Literature” was published. The book caused a wide resonance and heated debate in the literary community.

In the same year, the Merezhkovskys met with V. Ya. Bryusov and met V. V. Rozanov.

In 1898 - 1899 there is a rapprochement with the “World of Art”, A. N. Benois, L. Bakst, S. P. Diaghilev and others. Merezhkovsky is planning to create a New Church, the Church of the Holy Spirit.

In 1900, the magazine "World of God" published the second part of the trilogy "Christ and Antichrist" - the novel "The Resurrected Gods. Leonardo da Vinci."

In 1900 - 1902, the magazine "World of Art" published a major study by Merezhkovsky "L. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky" - one of the pinnacles of Russian philosophical criticism. During these years, Merezhkovsky was looking for like-minded people to create a New Church.

In 1901, the writer became one of the founders of the Religious and Philosophical Assembly.

This year the Merezhkovskys travel to Moscow, meet with K. D. Balmont, V. Ya. Bryusov, and publishers. The idea of ​​Religious and Philosophical Meetings emerges.

On November 29, 1901, with the permission of the chief prosecutor of the Synod, Pobedonostsev, the first meeting of the Religious and Philosophical Meetings was held. Chairman - Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy Anthony, founding members D. S. Merezhkovsky, V. V. Rozanov, V. A. Ternavtsev, V. S. Mirolyubov.

In 1902, Merezhkovsky came up with the idea of ​​​​creating the magazine “New Way”.

On October 14, 1902, the premiere of “Hippolytus” by Euripides, translated by D. S. Merezhkovsky, took place on the stage of the Alexandria Theater with an introductory speech “On the new meaning of an ancient tragedy.”

In the winter of 1903, Merezhkovsky published articles about Gogol in the first issue of the New Way magazine.

On April 5, 1903, the Synod issues a decree banning the activities of Religious and Philosophical Assemblies. Merezhkovsky begins work on the novel "Peter and Alexei". While working on the third part of the trilogy “Christ and Antichrist,” Merezhkovsky studied the historical era in depth, lived among the Old Believers, observing their life.

In September 1903, Diaghilev invited Merezhkovsky to edit the fiction section of the World of Art magazine.

In 1904, the magazine "New Way" published the last part of the trilogy - the novel "Antichrist. Peter and Alexei." The trilogy caused a wide resonance in society and was celebrated not only in Russia, but also in Europe. Thomas Mann and Georg Brandes highly appreciated the work of Dmitry Merezhkovsky.

In May 1904, Merezhkovsky visited Leo Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana.

In August of this year, Merezhkovsky teamed up with idealist philosophers S. N. Bulgakov and G. I. Chulkov in order to save the journal “New Way”. The collection "Collected Poems. 1883 - 1903" was published.

In January 1905, Merezhkovsky met N.A. Berdyaev, and later B.K. Zaitsev.

On January 5, 1905, the Merezhkovskys and D. Filosofov conceived the idea of ​​“three brotherhoods” as a new religious union and withdrawal into the “spiritual desert.”

In January, the premiere of the play “There Will Be Joy”, directed by V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, took place on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater.

In March 1905 there was a final break with A. Blok.

This summer Merezhkovsky is working on the drama "Paul I"; meets with A. M. Remizov; publishes articles "The Philistinism and the Intelligentsia. The Coming Ham", "Now or Never", "On a New Religious Action".

January 24, 1906 - Premiere of Sophocles' tragedy "Antigone" in Merezhkovsky's translation, which had been postponed for a long time due to the plans of Gorky and his group to make a scandal with it.

Spring - autumn 1906. Merezhkovsky has the idea of ​​​​creating an editorial office of “Anarchy and Theocracy”, on the basis of which collections under the general title “The Sword” were prepared, a collection of articles by D. Merezhkovsky, Z. Gippius, D. Filosofov “Le Tsar et la Révolution” (Paris) - about the problems of autocracy and revolution in Russia. The articles have been translated into French.

The Merezhkovskys met Anatole France, famous Catholic figures, Rudolf Steiner, and constantly communicate with A. Bely.

At the end of 1906, the Merezhkovskys met with Jean Jaurès and showed interest in left-wing parties. The idea of ​​a joint meeting appears; Later, he became acquainted with P. A. Kropotkin, G. V. Plekhanov, A. F. Kerensky, and became close to B. V. Savinkov.

In 1906, Merezhkovsky published the book “Gogol and the Devil,” and in the same year his study “The Coming Ham” was published - a prophetic warning about the consequences of the approaching revolution.

In 1906, the Merezhkovskys left for Paris, where they lived until 1914, sometimes visiting Russia.

In January 1907, he met N.S. Gumilyov.

On April 22, the Merezhkovskys and D. Filosofov retire to celebrate Easter and create the “Good Friday” prayer.

This summer, D. S. Merezhkovsky finishes writing the drama "Paul I" - a description of a conspiracy that changed a lot in the history of Russia and begins work on the collection "Not Peace, but a Sword."

In 1907, the Religious-Philosophical Assembly, the founder of which was the writer, was transformed into the Religious-Philosophical Society.

At this time, the writer is working on his second historical trilogy, “The Kingdom of the Beast,” created on purely Russian material.

In 1908, the printed edition of the play "Paul I" was confiscated, and legal proceedings were brought against the author for "impudent disrespect for the supreme authority."

On July 11, 1908, the Merezhkovskys returned to Russia. They take part in the Religious and Philosophical Society revived by N.A. Berdyaev, but D.S. refuses the offer to become its chairman.

On September 12, the actual transfer of the Education magazine and the Morning newspaper into the hands of the Merezhkovskys took place.

In 1908, Merezhkovsky worked on “Alexander I” and published collections of articles “In Still Waters”, “Not Peace, but a Sword. Toward a Future Criticism of Christianity.”

On December 12, 1908, D.S. speaks at a meeting of the Literary Society in defense of A. Blok, which led to the resumption of their relationship.

In 1909, Merezhkovsky headed the fiction department at Russian Thought and published the novel “The Pale Horse” by V. Ropshin (B. Savinkov).

On December 14, 1909, at a charity evening in favor of A. Remizov, two acts from “Paul I” were staged.

This year the book "M. Yu. Lermontov. Poet of Superhumanity" is published.

In May 1910, the Merezhkovskys came to Paris at the invitation of B. Savinkov, who expected their approval of the idea of ​​reviving his terrorist “combat organization.”

In 1910, V. E. Meyerhold staged two acts from the play “Paul I” on a private stage; Another collection of articles “Sick Russia” and “Collected Poems. 1883 - 1910” is published.

In the same year, Bishop Hermogenes of Saratov demanded the excommunication of a number of modern Russian writers, including Merezhkovsky.

In September 1911, Merezhkovsky completed work on the novel "Alexander I". The novel was published in Russian Thought.

At the end of the year the Merezhkovskys leave for Paris.

In 1911, the publishing house of the M. O. Wolf Partnership began publishing the first “Complete Works” of D. S. Merezhkovsky in 17 volumes.

In 1911 - 1912, the second part of the trilogy “The Kingdom of the Beast” was published - the novel “Alexander I”.

On March 25, 1912, at the border in Verzhbolovo, all manuscripts were confiscated from Merezhkovsky, including the manuscript of “Alexander I”.

D. S. Merezhkovsky, together with the publisher Pirozhkov, is being brought to trial for publishing the drama “Paul I” under Article 128 “Insolent disrespect for the Supreme Power...”. The trial is scheduled for April 16. Four days after their arrival, the Merezhkovskys again left for Paris. In May the case is postponed until September.

After Easter, Vyach often visits the Merezhkovskys. Ivanov.

On September 18, 1912, a hearing took place in the case of Merezhkovsky and Pirozhkov, and they were acquitted.

On January 14, 1913, the Merezhkovskys went to Paris. Then - to Menton; visit Savinkov and Bunakov in San Remo; meet with G. Plekhanov and return to Russia.

In 1914, in Moscow, in the famous Sytin publishing house, the most complete collection of works by D. Merezhkovsky was published in 24 volumes.

In the same year, a scandal occurred over the publication of Merezhkovsky’s letters to A. Suvorin in Novoye Vremya.

In 1915, Dmitry Merezhkovsky published the book “Two Secrets of Russian Poetry. Nekrasov and Tyutchev,” which continues his research into the phenomena of Russian and world culture; publishes "It Was and Will Be: Diary. 1910 - 1914."

In May 1916, Merezhkovsky met O. L. Kostetskaya.

On October 22, 1916, the premiere of the play “Romantics” staged by V. Meyerhold took place on the stage of the Alexandria Theater, which was a great success.

In 1917, the play "Paul I" was staged on various provincial stages.

Merezhkovsky greeted the February Revolution with hope and enthusiasm. In March 1917, D.S. attended a meeting in the Winter Palace and met with A. Kerensky. In August - meetings with B. Savinkov.

Merezhkovsky perceived the October revolution as a counter-revolution, a putsch, the advent of a new tyranny, a new “kingdom of the beast,” “the triumph of Ham.” He foresaw the development of events much better than others, having spent his entire life researching tyranny, he realized that this regime would last for a long time, and that it carried a mortal danger.

In the fall of 1917, Merezhkovsky began work on a book about Egypt.

January 21, 1918 D. S. Merezhkovsky, together with A. A. Akhmatova and F. Sologub, takes part in the “Morning of Russia” evening in favor of the Red Cross.

After the publication of his article “Intellectuals and Revolution” and a call for a boycott of the poet, his final break with A. Blok occurred.

In April 1919, the Merezhkovskys sold the library. In the fall, the writer is involved in community service: carrying logs, digging trenches, etc.

On December 24, 1919, Merezhkovsky, together with Z. Gippius, D. Filosofov and their secretary V. Zlobin, left St. Petersburg under the pretext of giving lectures for Red Army soldiers.

In January 1920, D. S. Merezhkovsky, Z. Gippius, D. Filosofov and V. Zlobin secretly crossed the Polish border. They live in Poland for several months, found the anti-Bolshevik newspaper Svoboda, and seek an audience with Hetman Pilsudski. After the signing of an armistice between Poland and the Bolsheviks, they moved to Paris.

On December 16, 1920, Merezhkovsky gave his famous lecture “Bolshevism, Europe and Russia,” in which he noted for the first time that the Bolshevik slogan “Peace, Bread, Freedom” actually meant “War, Famine, Slavery.”

Merezhkovsky becomes close to Bishop Melchizedek; lectures successfully. In Warsaw, he assists B. Savinkov, who entered into an alliance with I. Pilsudski.

On March 25, 1920, the premiere of the drama “Tsarevich Alexei” took place on the stage of the Bolshoi Drama Theater in Petrograd, in the preparation of which A. Blok took part.

In the summer of 1920, Merezhkovsky was working on a book about Bolshevism - “The Apocalypse of the Russian Revolution”; conducts propaganda as B. Savinkov’s closest deputy.

On June 23, a meeting of the Secret Committee on the formation of the Russian army took place in Brest-Litovsk, in which Merezhkovsky took part.

On June 25, 1920, an audience with Pilsudski took place at his military headquarters in Belvedere, after which Merezhkovski wrote an enthusiastic article “Joseph Pilsudski.”

July 10 - the publication of the emigrant newspaper "Svoboda" begins. Merezhkovsky publishes his articles in it, in particular “An Appeal to the Russian Emigration and Russian People, Explaining the War of Poland with Russia.”

At this time, the first friction with B. Savinkov occurred.

On July 31, 1920, the Merezhkovskys went to Danzig (Gdansk), and at the beginning of September they returned to Warsaw.

After the signing of the Polish-Soviet truce in Minsk, the Merezhkovskys became disillusioned with the Poles and B. Savinkov and left for Paris on October 26, 1920.

In November 1920, the long-term “Triple Alliance” of the Merezhkovskys and D. Filosofov collapsed due to the latter’s refusal to leave B. Savinkov and return to Paris.

On December 16, 1920, the first French lecture took place in the Parisian Hall of Scientific Societies, which was subsequently included as a separate article in the book “The Kingdom of Antichrist” under the title “Europe and Russia.”

In the summer of 1921, the Merezhkovskys moved to Wiesbaden, the writer was working on a book about Egypt. At the same time, an acquaintance and rapprochement with I.A. Bunin occurs.

In 1922, a collection of Merezhkovsky, Gippius, Filosofov and Zlobin “The Kingdom of the Antichrist” was published - their reflections on Bolshevik Russia.

In 1923, Merezhkovsky collaborated with Sovremennye Zapiski and published in parts the novel “The Secret of Three. Egypt and Babylon.” In the same year, D.S. was published in "Latest News", "Renaissance", "New Russia" under the editorship of A. Kerensky, in the magazine "Numbers" and in the magazine "New Ship".

In November 1923, the premiere of the drama “Tsarevich Alexei” staged by V. Nemirovich-Danchenko took place on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. N. Monakhov played the role of Alexey; scenery and costumes were designed by A. Benois.

In 1924, the Prague publishing house returned the novel “Tutankamon on Crete” to correct historical inaccuracies.

In 1924 - 1926 Merezhkovsky publishes the historical duology "The Birth of the Gods. Tutankamun on Crete", "Messiah" in "Modern Notes", the book "The Secret of Three: Egypt and Babylon" (Prague, 1925).

The Merezhkovskys are resuming “resurrections” following the example of St. Petersburg literary and philosophical evenings.

In 1926, the Merezhkovskys organized the literary and philosophical society "Green Lamp", whose president was the poet Georgy Ivanov.

On February 5, 1927, the first meeting of the literary and philosophical society "Green Lamp", organized on the basis of "Sundays" (chairman G. Ivanov, secretary V. Zlobin), took place.

In July, the Merezhkovskys meet with A. I. Kuprin, I. A. Bunin, V. F. Khodasevich; The writer is working on the magazines "New House" and "New Ship".

In September 1928, in Belgrade, Merezhkovsky visited King Alexander I of Yugoslavia as part of a delegation of Russian writers. The king awarded the writer the Order of St. Savva for his creative work; breakfast with the king and queen. Then D.S. lectures in Belgrade and Zagreb.

In 1929, in Belgrade, two parts of the biography of Napoleon Bonaparte were published in the Russian Library.

In the summer of 1930, the Merezhkovskys met in Grasse with I. A. Bunin, K. V. Mochulsky, V. F. Khodasevich, M. A. Aldanov.

In August - work on a film script based on Pushkin's "Boris Godunov".

At the end of the year 1930, Merezhkovsky and Bunin were considered as the most serious candidates for the Nobel Prize.

The books "The Mystery of the West: Atlantis - Europe" are published in Belgrade.

At the beginning of 1932, the International Latin Academy, the Yugoslav Academy and the University of Vilna recommended D. S. Merezhkovsky for the Nobel Prize.

On April 15, Merezhkovsky invited Bunin to share the Nobel Prize, no matter who received it. Bunin rejected this proposal.

In 1932, in Belgrade, one of Merezhkovsky's main works was published - the study "Jesus the Unknown", the final part of the trilogy "The Secret of Three". The first part is “The Mystery of Three: Egypt and Babylon” (Prague, 1925), the second is “The Mystery of the West: Atlantis-Europe” (Belgrade, 1930). The writer devotes a lot of time to biographies of the greats.

On December 4, 1934, an audience with Mussolini took place at the Venetian Palace in Rome, where Merezhkovsky proposed publishing his book about Dante, and also expressed a desire to begin work on a book about the Duce.

At the same time, Merezhkovsky pays a visit to Vyach. Ivanov in Rome.

In 1934, the weekly "Sword" was published, the editor of which was D. Merezhkovsky in Paris, and D. Filosofov in Warsaw.

On December 14, 1935, a banquet was held dedicated to the 70th anniversary of D. S. Merezhkovsky, at which Vyach. Ivanov read out the welcome letter. The banquet was chaired by I. Bunin and the French Minister of Public Education, Mario Roustan.

In 1936, a study by Merezhkovsky was published in Berlin, which is a continuation of the theme of “The Unknown Jesus”: “Paul. Augustine”.

In the same year, Merezhkovsky, together with Bunin, Zaitsev, Gippius and Shmelev, began working on the editorial board of Illustrated Russia.

In June, at the invitation of Mussolini, Merezhkovsky visits Rome and Florence; working on a book about Dante.

Merezhkovsky writes a “Preface” to a book about Mussolini and on November 20, in a letter to the Duce, requests an audience. The dictator agrees to accept Merezhkovsky only through his secretary, after which D.S. decided not to come to Italy anymore. He gives up work on a book about Mussolini and begins translating his book about Dante into French.

On June 20, 1937, Merezhkovsky arrived in Italy to discuss the possibility of filming a film about Leonardo. In the same year, the writer is working on a book about Martin Luther.

In 1938, Merezhkovsky published the books “Faces of the Saints from Jesus to Us (Paul. Augustine. St. Francis of Assisi)” (Berlin); "Joan of Arc and the Third Kingdom of the Spirit" (Berlin).

In 1939, Merezhkovsky spoke on the radio with a welcoming speech to Hitler. This action, in secret from Zinaida Gippius, was organized by V. Zlobin. In this speech, Merezhkovsky compared Hitler with Joan of Arc, and believed that he must save the world from the power of the devil. Subsequently, Merezhkovsky reconsidered his positions, but was subjected to a fair boycott in emigrant circles.

In 1939, the last book of the writer’s lifetime, “Dante,” was published in Brussels in 2 volumes.

In 1940, Merezhkovsky worked on correcting and editing old poems.

On June 5 he is forced to leave for Biarritz. Friends arranged a celebration for Merezhkovsky on the occasion of his 75th birthday, this brings success and money. The Merezhkovskys move to a small villa.

In 1940, the writer worked on the “Spanish Mystics” cycles: St. Teresa of Jesus; St. John of the Cross; Little Teresa" (published 1959 - 1984) and "The Reformers (Luther. Calvin. Pascal)" (published in French 1941 - 1942); collects material for a book about Goethe; lectures on Leonardo da Vinci and Pascal, who caused fierce criticism from Catholics.The Germans forbade Merezhkovsky to lecture on Napoleon.

At the beginning of July 1941, the Merezhkovskys were evicted from the villa for non-payment, they had to live in debt. D.S. speaks on Paris radio with a speech “Bolshevism and Humanity.”

On December 5, 1941, the Merezhkovskys visit the Church of St. Teresa, whose cult they maintained for many years.

On December 10, 1941, after the funeral service in the Al. Nevsky on Rue Daru, a modest funeral of the writer took place at the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois.

D.S. Merezhkovsky did not write a single line against his conscience. He saw further than many, delved deeper into the essence of phenomena and historical processes than many. In order to understand the era described in the novel "Peter and Alexey", Merezhkovsky lived among the Old Believers in Siberia. He was the first to predict the cataclysms that await Russia in the future, publishing studies: “The Coming Ham” and “Sick Russia”. He tried to connect the events of world history, different eras and peoples, into a single philosophical system. From Julian the Apostate to the Decembrists and Napoleon Bonaparte. He showed for the first time that in the Russian Empire, almost nothing depends on the tsar, even the most progressive one, brought up on the ideas of freedom, whose favorite teacher was the famous Swiss democrat Caesar La Harpe, and such a tsar was Alexander I. The country is really ruled by mayors, cruel landowners, governors, a pack of sadists, all these Izmailovs, Struyskys, Pestels (father of the Decembrist P. Pestel), Protasovs.

Merezhkovsky's works left no one indifferent. They hated him, they envied him, they admired him. The release of each of his works caused, if not a scandal, then heated debates and a lot of contradictory responses. Many critics and writers from Burenin to Bryusov tried to belittle his work.

Merezhkovsky was interested in new phenomena and personalities that appeared in the twentieth century. The writer admired Mussolini and Pilsudski, but over time became disillusioned with them. In Hitler, he also saw, at first, a possible liberator from Bolshevik tyranny, but later reconsidered his position. For his welcoming speech to Hitler on the radio in 1939, Merezhkovsky was subjected to a fair boycott in emigrant circles. And here his fate is somewhat similar to the fate of another major writer of the twentieth century - Knut Hamsun, Nobel laureate.

Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky is one of the greatest Russian writers and thinkers of the twentieth century. His creative legacy - prose, philosophical and literary critical works, poetry, biographies - has stood the test of time with honor and entered the golden fund of Russian and European classics of the 20th century. Merezhkovsky was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature as the most European of Russian writers.

Before the revolution, D. S. Merezhkovsky was one of the most published writers in modern Russia. In the USSR the writer was not published at all. His books could only be bought in second-hand bookstores, where, despite their very high cost, they never sat around. In modern Russia, Merezhkovsky began to be published in the early 90s.

Svetlana Sidorova
Leonid Suris

Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky - poet, prose writer, playwright, philosopher, literary critic, one of the founders of symbolism in Russia - was born August 2(14), 1865 in St. Petersburg in the large family of a major official, actual privy councilor, Sergei Ivanovich Merezhkovsky, who served in the palace.

The milestones of Merezhkovsky’s biography coincide with the main milestones of Russian history of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1884 Merezhkovsky entered the Faculty of History and Philology of Moscow and St. Petersburg University, where he immediately showed interest in philosophy. Here he became acquainted with Korolenko, Garshin and Uspensky, from whom Merezhkovsky adopted an understanding of the problems of the state and society from the perspective of populism. After becoming acquainted with the poems of Vladimir Solovyov, Merezhkovsky turns to symbolism. He survived the fascination with philosophical positivism and leftist deviation, replaced them with preaching the philosophy of religion in its unity with culture, welcomed the February revolution, but did not accept Bolshevism, at the end of 1919 fled abroad, becoming one of the pillars of the Russian emigration.

In connection with the biography of Merezhkovsky, two facts are usually mentioned: the visit of the young man Merezhkovsky and his father to Dostoevsky in order to show the poems of the aspiring poet, about which Fyodor Mikhailovich said: “Weak, bad, no good. To write well, you have to suffer, suffer!” - and marriage to Z.N. Gippius, with whom Merezhkovsky lived for 52 years, “not being separated from the wedding day in Tiflis, not once, not for a single day.”

Late 1880s and 1890s The Merezhkovskys are going on a tour of Europe. Dmitry Sergeevich and his wife are studying European culture. Here Merezhkovsky acts as a literary translator - he translates ancient tragedies from Latin and Greek, writes criticism, his works are published in Trud, Russian Review and Severny Vestnik.

In 1888 Merezhkovsky’s first book, “Poems ( 1883-1887 )", A in 1892– collection “Symbols (Songs and Poems)” and in 1893- brochure “On the causes of decline and new trends in modern Russian literature”, which to a certain extent became programmatic for the literary direction of symbolism.

1899 became a turning point for Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky - he turns to religious issues, talks a lot about Christianity and the church, and two years later, in 1901 Zinaida Gippius gave Merezhkovsky the idea of ​​​​creating a philosophical and religious circle in which the intelligentsia could discuss pressing issues of religion, church and Russian culture. The idea was developed and meetings took place before 1903. K.P. Pobedonostsev, in his post as chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, approved such meetings, but he also banned the meetings for criticizing the official church.

Merezhkovsky became famous with his first novel trilogy, “Christ and Antichrist”: “The Death of the Gods (Julian the Apostate)” ( 1896 ), "Resurrected Gods (Leonardo da Vinci)" ( 1902 ), "Antichrist (Peter and Alexei)" ( 1905 ). At the same time, he wrote a large study “L. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky" ( 1901-1902 ). This stage of creativity is rightfully considered the most successful in Merezhkovsky’s literary biography. He immediately declared himself as an unconventional novelist. He rather represents the type of essayist that has developed in Europe. A polyglot, an expert on antiquity and the Italian Renaissance, he freely contaminated cultural meanings in both journalistic and novel genres. Both were subordinated to the same metaphysical and cultural schemes: Christ and Antichrist, God-Man and Man-God, Spirit and Flesh, the power of heaven and the power of earth. Merezhkovsky used the same historical and cultural universals. Thus, in the novel about Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Leonardo appear as thesis and antithesis, as Flesh and Spirit, and Raphael is the synthesis of Spirit and Flesh. In Russian art, which is the subject of Merezhkovsky's research, this triad is inverted: the history of art begins with a synthesis - Pushkin, then breaking down into two component lines - the work of L.N. Tolstoy (“the clairvoyant of the Flesh”) and the work of Dostoevsky (“the clairvoyant of the Spirit”).

In the spring of 1906 Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky and his wife go to France. There, in Paris, they will live before 1908. It was there that the work “Le Tsar et la Revolution” (The Tsar and the Revolution), jointly with his wife and D. Filosofov, was published, and there Merezhkovsky began work on “The Kingdom of the Beast” - a trilogy on the theme of Russian history of the 18th-19th centuries. In 1908 The first part of this trilogy is published - “Paul I”, for which Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky received a trial. The second part of the trilogy, “Alexander I,” is published five years later in 1913. Completes the trilogy “December 14th” also after five years in 1918. At the beginning of the 20th century, Merezhkovsky’s work was popular in Europe - his works were translated into many languages, multi-volume collected works were published, but in Russia Merezhkovsky’s works were not widely disseminated due to severe censorship, since the poet opposed the autocracy and the official church.

In 1909 The fourth collection of Merezhkovsky's poems was published under the title "Collected Poems". There were few new poems in this collection; the main part was the content of the three previous collections. The interest of this collection also lies in the fact that the author compiled it based on his new views.

In 1915 Merezhkovsky published the journalistic collection “It Was and Will Be: Diary 1910-1914” and the literary study “Two Secrets of Russian Poetry: Nekrasov and Tyutchev.” In 1916 the premieres of two of his plays took place: “There Will Be Joy” (Moscow Art Theater) and “Romantics” (Alexandrinsky Theater, staged by V.E. Meyerhold); the second of them was a great success.

The Merezhkovskys welcomed the February Revolution 1917. The October events caused a furious protest from Merezhkovsky. He interpreted what happened as a rampant “rudeness”, the reign of the “Beast People”, mortally dangerous for the entire world civilization, the triumph of “supramundane evil”. Merezhkovsky and Gippius first took up efforts to free the ministers imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. At the end of this year, the writer gave anti-Bolshevik lectures and articles, one of them, “1825-1917” (December 14, newspaper “Evening Bell”), analyzed the leading role of the intelligentsia in the Russian revolutionary movement. In 1919 Merezhkovsky was forced to begin cooperation with the Gorky publishing house “World Literature”, where he began to receive rations and earnings. In the same year, Merezhkovsky sought permission to give lectures in the ranks of the Red Army. Under this pretext, he and his wife get very close to the border with the territories occupied by Poland and flee. On the territory of Poland, Merezhkovsky is active in political activities directed against Bolshevism, but after the signing of an armistice between Russia and Poland, he is forced to move to Paris.

In 1927 With the active participation of Merezhkovsky, the religious and philosophical circle “Green Lamp” was created, which played a significant role in the life of the Russian emigration. In the same year, the Merezhkovskys published the New Course magazine, but a year later they were forced to stop publishing it.

In September 1928 The Merezhkovskys took part in the First Congress of Russian Emigrant Writers, organized in Belgrade by the King of Yugoslavia, Alexander I Karageorgievich. At the same time, the Serbian monarch awarded the writer the Order of St. Sava, first degree, for services to culture. Merezhkovsky and Gippius gave public lectures organized by the Yugoslav Academy, after which the Serbian Academy of Sciences began publishing the “Russian Library”, which included works by Bunin, Merezhkovsky, Gippius, Kuprin, Remizov, Shmelev, Balmont, Severyanin.

In June 1936 Merezhkovsky received a scholarship from Mussolini's government to work on a book about Dante; Moreover, the Italian dictator found time to meet with the writer several times and talk with him about politics, art and literature.

Autumn 1938, when Nazi Germany annexed Austria and captured the Sudetenland, and then Czechoslovakia, Merezhkovsky and Gippius categorically condemned the “Munich Agreement.” The couple met the beginning of World War II in Paris.

Works by Dmitry Merezhkovsky of the 20-30s: “The Birth of the Gods (Tutankamon on Crete)” ( 1924 ), "Messiah" ( 1925 ), "Napoleon" ( 1929 ), "Mystery of the West: Atlantis-Europe" ( 1931 ), "Jesus the Unknown" ( 1932-1933 ), "Paul and Augustine" ( 1937 ), "Francis of Assisi" ( 1938 ), "Dante" ( 1939 ).

In the last months of his life, Merezhkovsky worked continuously: he gave public lectures on Leonardo da Vinci and Pascal, tried to read a report on Napoleon, but it was banned by the occupation authorities. By June 1941 The Merezhkovskys ran out of money: evicted from the villa for non-payment, they rented furnished rooms for the summer. In September, having borrowed money from friends, the couple returned to their Paris apartment. Exhausted physically and morally, Merezhkovsky tried to work on “Little Teresa” until his last days, but it remained unfinished.

Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky died December 9, 1941 from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Merezhkovsky was aware of the unity of his work and wrote in the preface to the collected works that “this is not a series of books, but one, published for convenience only in several parts. One about one thing.” Merezhkovsky's creative heritage is truly enormous: hundreds of critical and journalistic articles, several novel cycles. But the greatest success and recognition fell to him precisely at the initial stage, although even at that time the assessments of his work were the most contradictory. A. Bely testified that Merezhkovsky, although famous and popular in Europe, remained misunderstood and lonely in Russia. It took a long time to understand the nature of his innovation.

Time has shown that Merezhkovsky was the creator of a new type of novel - the historiosophical novel. Its originality lies in the fact that the author was driven by the desire not to capture history, but to explain it, connecting its beginnings and ends, to feel the rhythm of history, defining the secret laws of its movement. The basis of Merezhkovsky's romantic creativity is mytho-poetic thinking, based on philosophical and religious intuition. Symbols and concepts of philosophical and religious intuitions become the organizing centers of all creativity and serve as cross-cutting symbolic leitmotifs. Hence the main features of the poetics of creativity. Merezhkovsky combined an artist and a scientist. Z. Gippius wrote in her memoirs that he was obsessed with the thirst for knowledge: “He treated every planned work with the seriousness of a scientist.” He researched sources, traveled to the places of alleged events, searched for and collected various evidence. And in his work, the novelist often followed the expert and witness in Merezhkovsky. The source in the novel became either the hero's diary, or the text of his letter, or the content of his monologue. Merezhkovsky himself called his method “the method of religious-historical knowledge.” The passion for art was also largely conceptual: it is in art and the creative act, according to Merezhkovsky, that the only possible resolution he hoped for was the painful antinomies of the world and its cultural history.

You yourself are your God, you yourself are your neighbor.
Oh, be your own creator
Be the upper abyss, the lower abyss,
Your beginning and your end.

D. Merezhkovsky

Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky was born in St. Petersburg in 1866. His father was a minor palace official. At the age of 13, Merezhkovsky began writing poetry. At the age of 15, as a high school student, he and his father visited F.M. Dostoevsky, who found the teenager’s poetry weak and told him: “To write well, you have to suffer, suffer!” At the same time, Merezhkovsky met Nadson, whom he initially imitated in poetry and through whom he entered the literary environment.
Merezhkovsky as a poet first made his mark in 1888 with the release of his first collection “Poems”. Here the poet acts as a student of Nadson. But, as he notes, he immediately managed to take an independent tone, speaking about strength and joy, unlike Nadson’s other students, who “whined” about timelessness and their weakness.
Since 1884, the future poet and religious thinker studied at the historical and philological faculties of St. Petersburg and Moscow universities. Here Dmitry Merezhkovsky became interested in positivist philosophy, and his rapprochement with the employees of the Northern Messenger V. Korolenko, G. Uspensky, V. Garshin led to an understanding of social problems from a populist position. However, this hobby was short-lived. Acquaintance with European symbolists and poetry significantly changed Merezhkovsky’s ideological orientation. From “extreme materialism” he moves to.
In 1889, he married his wife, from whom he did not leave for a day for 52 years. Gippius described this spiritual and creative union in her unfinished book “Dmitry Merezhkovsky”. It was the poet’s wife who was the “generator” of the ideas that Merezhkovsky developed and formalized.
In the late 1880s and 1890s, the couple traveled extensively throughout Europe. Merezhkovsky translated ancient tragedies from Greek and Latin, acted as a critic, and published in such publications as Severny Vestnik, Russian Review, and Trud.
In 1892, Dmitry Merezhkovsky gave a lecture “On the causes of decline and new trends in modern Russian literature,” where he gave the first theoretical justification for symbolism: he argued that it was “mystical content,” the language of symbols and impressionism that would expand the “artistic impressionability” of modern Russian literature. And shortly before the performance, his collection of poems “Symbols” was published, which gave its name to the new poetic direction.
Merezhkovsky's third collection of poems, “New Poems,” was published in 1896.
Since 1899, Merezhkovsky began a period of change in his worldview. He is occupied with questions of Christianity about the conciliar church. in the article “Merezhkovsky” recalls that “if the conversation was really lively, if there was tension in it, sooner or later it would stray onto Merezhkovsky’s single, constant theme - the meaning and significance of the Gospel. Until this word was uttered, the argument remained superficial, and the interlocutors felt that they were playing hide and seek.”
In the fall of 1901, Z. Gippius conceived the idea of ​​​​creating a society of people of religion and philosophy for “free discussion of issues of church and culture.” This is how the famous religious and philosophical meetings arose at the beginning of the century, the main theme of which was the assertion that the revival of Russia could only take place on a religious basis. These meetings took place until 1903 with the permission of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K.P. Pobedonostsev and with the participation of clergy. And although the Christianity of the “Third Testament” was not accepted, the very desire to create a new religious consciousness at a turning point in the development of Russia was close and understandable to contemporaries.
Merezhkovsky devoted a lot of time to working on historical prose, in particular the trilogy “Christ and Antichrist”, the central idea of ​​which is the struggle between two principles, pagan and Christian, and a call for the establishment of a new Christianity (the so-called third testament, the idea of ​​which was discussed at religious and philosophical meetings), where “the earth is heaven and the sky is earthly.”
The first novel in the Death of the Gods trilogy. Julian the Apostate" was published in 1896. In 1901, the second part was published - "Resurrected Gods. Leonardo da Vinci." The final novel is “Antichrist. Peter and Alexey" - published in 1905.
In 1909, Merezhkovsky’s fourth book of poems, “Collected Poems,” was published. There are few new poems here; it is more an anthology than a new book. But a certain choice of poems made by the author gave it novelty and modernity. Only those works that corresponded to the poet’s changed views were included. Old poems took on a new meaning here, and several new ones “illuminated the whole book with a special, even, but unexpected light.”
Among the poets of his time, Dmitry Merezhkovsky was sharply isolated as a poet of general sentiments. While, even touching on social, “topical” topics, they first of all talked about themselves, about their attitude towards them, Merezhkovsky, even in the most intimate confessions, expressed what was or should have become a universal feeling, suffering or hope.
As for Merezhkovsky’s appearance, it was probably best conveyed to us by his memoirs in the book “Arabesques,” entitled: “Merezhkovsky. Silhouette". “If two years ago you had walked about an hour into the Summer Garden in St. Petersburg, you would have met him, a small man with a pale, white face and large eyes cast into the distance... He is straight as a stick, in a coat with a beaver collar, in a fur hat . His tall face with a thick chestnut beard growing from his cheeks: it cannot stop at anything. He is in thought, in a blizzard of laughter, in a gentle, snowy smoke. His silhouette floated past, the silhouette of a thoughtful face with wide-open eyes - not a blind man: he sees everything, notices all the little things, collects the honey of wisdom from everything... His face is also a symbol. Here he passes - come up to him, look: and this waxen, cold, dead face will shine for a moment with the stamp of inner vitality, because in the subtle wrinkles around the eyes, and in the curve of the mouth, and in the calm eyes - there is an illumination of a hidden flame mad delights; he has two faces: and one is like ashes; and another, like a candle illuminated, burning in the spirit. But on his true face, deathly fatigue lay overlaid with labor and care. Move away - and here is the mask again. And there is no stamp of elusive, unquenchable delight on it...
If we approached him here, in the Summer Garden, he would look at us with a cold, hostile gaze, and bow dryly and dryly.”
In March 1906, the Merezhkovskys left for Paris, where they lived until mid-1908. In 1907, in collaboration with Z. Gippius and D. Filosofov, Merezhkovsky wrote the book “Le Tsar et la Revolution.” Here he began work on a trilogy based on materials from Russian history of the late 18th – early 19th centuries. "Kingdom of the Beast" After the release of the first part of the trilogy, the novel “Paul I”, in 1908, Merezhkovsky was subjected to prosecution. The second part, “Alexander I,” was published in 1913. In 1918, the last novel of the trilogy, “December 14,” was published.
In 1911-1913 O. Wolf's book partnership published a seventeen-volume collection of Merezhkovsky's works, and in 1914 D. Sytin published a twenty-four-volume collection. Merezhkovsky's prose was translated into many languages ​​and was popular in Europe. At the same time, in Russia his works were subject to strict censorship, the reason for which was the writer’s statements against the autocracy and the official church.
In 1917, the Merezhkovskys still lived in Russia. On the eve of the revolution, the poet saw her in the form of a “coming boor.” After the October Revolution, having lived for two years in Soviet Russia, he became convinced that Bolshevism was a moral disease, a consequence of the crisis of European culture. The Merezhkovskys hoped to overthrow the Bolshevik regime, but upon learning of the defeat of Kolchak in Siberia and Denikin in the south, they decided to flee Petrograd. At the end of 1919, Merezhkovsky sought a mandate to give lectures to Red Army units. Then, in January 1920, he and Z. Gippius moved to territory occupied by Poland. In Minsk, the poet gives lectures for Russian emigrants. And in February, the Merezhkovskys moved to Warsaw, where they were engaged in active political activities. After Poland signed a truce with Russia and, making sure that the “Russian cause” in Warsaw had come to an end, the Merezhkovskys left for Paris. They settled in an apartment that they had had since pre-revolutionary times, and established acquaintances and old connections with Russian emigrants. Dmitry Merezhkovsky himself viewed emigration as a kind of messianism, and considered himself a prophet and spiritual “leader” of the Russian emigration. In 1927, the Merezhkovskys organized the literary and religious-philosophical society “Green Lamp”, of which he became president. The society played a prominent role in the intellectual life of the first Russian emigration and brought together the best representatives of the Russian foreign intelligentsia. The society ceased its meetings with the outbreak of World War II in 1939. But back in 1927, the Merezhkovskys founded the New Course magazine, which lasted only a year. In September 1928, they participated in the 1st Congress of Russian emigrant writers, organized by the Yugoslav government in Belgrade. In 1931, Merezhkovsky was nominated for the Nobel Prize, but it went to I. Bunin. The Merezhkovskys were not liked among the Russians; Their hostility was caused by their support for Hitler, whose regime seemed more acceptable to them than Stalin's. In June 1940, ten days before the German occupation of Paris, Merezhkovsky and Gippius moved to Biarritz in the south of France.
Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky died on December 9, 1941 in Paris.

POETRY

***

A few years will pass, and from my efforts,
From life, from everything I once was,
There will only be a handful of silent, cold dust left,
Only a hill will remain among other people's graves.
Someone told me to live; but by what right?..
And someone, without asking, lit a fire in my chest
The fire of aimless torment poured poison into her
Painful melancholy, vice and passions.
………………………………………………………………
Open up, where are you, relentless executioner?
No, heart, shut up... not a sound, not a movement...
No one from heaven can answer us,
And the sacred right of vengeance has been taken away from us:
We don’t even have anyone to curse for our torment!
1885

Above the silent expanse of black soil,
Like coal, carved into the firmament
Rotten straw of dark huts,
Dismantled old roof poles.

The sun sadly sank into a cloud,
The sad aspen does not tremble;
The sky was reflected in a muddy puddle...
And there’s a familiar sadness to everything...

Every time I look in the field, -
I love my native land:
Good and sad to the point of pain,
Like a quiet complaint I listen.

There is peace, sadness and serenity in the heart...
The battle of life falls silent,
And in the chest - thoughtful tenderness
And a simple, childish prayer...
1887

Whatever happens, it doesn't matter.
The parks are decrepit, spin
Life's tangled threads,
Make noise, spindle.

Everything has been boring for a long time
To the three goddesses, prophetic spinners:
It was dust, it will be dust, -
Make noise, spindle.

Threads of eternal fate
They are pulling parkas out of tow,
Without sadness and without purpose.
Their prayers do not persuade them,

Beauty does not captivate:
They shake their heads.
They tell the bitter truth
Their faded lips.

We are doomed to lie:
A fatal knot for centuries
In the weak heart of man
Truth and lies are intertwined.

As soon as I open my mouth, I’m lying,
I don't dare cut the knots,
But I can’t unravel
I can't submit.

I lie to believe, to live,
And I'm sad in my lies.
Let the fatal noose
Life is a tangled thread,

Chains of slavery and love, -
Everything that I am filled with fear of -
They will cut with a single stroke,
Parka, the scissors are yours!
1892

And again, as on the first day of creation,
The azure of heaven is quiet,
As if there is no suffering in the world,
As if there is no sin in the world.

I don't need love and fame.
In the silence of the morning fields
I breathe like these grasses breathe,
Neither past nor future days.

I don't want to torture and count:
I just feel again
What happiness - not to think,
What a bliss it is not to want.

The pale month is on the decline,
The air is ringing, dead and clean,
And on the bare, chilly willow
A withered leaf rustles.

Freezes, gets heavy
In the abyss of a quiet pond,
And it turns black and thickens
Still water.

Pale month on the damage
The dying man lies
And on the bare black willow
The cold beam does not tremble.

The sky is shining, burning down,
Like a magical land
Like a lost paradise
Inaccessible fields.
1895

Without faith for a long time, without hopes, without love,
Oh, my strangely cheerful thoughts!
In the darkness and dampness of old gardens -
The dull brightness of the last flowers.
1900

OLD AGE

The more I live, the deeper the mystery of life,
The more ghostly the world is, the more terrible I am,
The more I strive for my abandoned homeland,
To my silent skies.

The more I live, the stronger my grief
And more unresponsive to the voice of distant storms,
And death is getting closer and clearer to my soul,
Like eternal azure.

I don’t feel sorry for my youth: more beautiful than the sun of May
My golden September, your shine and silence.
I'm not afraid of you, come to me, holy one,
Oh, Old Age, the best spring!

Enveloped by you, I will be young again
Under the light frost of sinless gray hair,
As soon as your wise cold tames me
And pain, and delirium, and the heat of spring.

You left, but it's too late:
We can't stop loving.
We'll be forever apart
Live together forever.

How can I, and knowing
That I won't be yours
Make it so dear
Wasn't it native?
No later than 1914