Denis a biography

The secretary “For some matters” 3. Traveling in Europe 4. The main comedy Fonvizin 5. The fight against the disease “Father of the Russian Comedy”, “Satires of the Brave Lord”, “Northern Moliere” - all these are the author of the famous comedies “Brigadier” and “Nedogol” Denis Fonvizin. The writer of the Catherine’s era for his short life managed to transform Russian culture, diplomacy, classical and translated literature.

Fonvizin did not follow in the footsteps of his ancestors. During his studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in the journal “Useful Amusement” by Mikhail Kheraskov, the young man published the first satirical works.

The translated article “Justice Jupiter” also came out there. Then Fonvizin first saw the performance - the play “Henry and Pernille” of the Danish writer Ludwig Holberg. Knowledge of Latin and German, and later French allowed Denis Fonvizin to prove himself as a professional translator. During this period, he translated into Russian more fans of Holberg, the “metamorphoses” of Ovid, the works of Terrason and Voltaire.

The secretary “for some affairs” after graduation, Fonvizin entered the service as a translator in a foreign collegium. A year later, in the year, he moved to St. Petersburg, where he was appointed “to be for some affairs” under the office-minister Ivan Elagin. The first original comedy - the “foreman” - finished in the year. The play liked the play so much that the writer was compared with Moliere, the founder of the classical comedy.

In the year, Fonvizin left the service with Elagin and became secretary of the statesman Nikita Panin. There he corresponded with Russian diplomats in European courtyards, under the influence of Count Panin, he drew up a draft state reform. The wedding was played in Moscow, and the newlyweds returned to live to St. Petersburg, to the house on Gallerna Street. Three years later, Fonvizina's wife fell ill.

To improve health, they went to France - this was the first foreign trip of the writer. When his wife became better, they visited the southern French provinces. He described to them French reality, culture, talked about achievements in science and literature. After 6 years, Fonvizins visited Europe again - they went to Germany. Fonvizin visited Leipzig, Memel, Frankfurt, Nuremberg.

The writer walked around the city, went to museums and art galleries. The main comedy Fonvizin Denis Fonvizin served with Nikita Panin for up to a year, was one of his proxies and a close assistant, shared his opposition views in relation to the Empress of Russia. Based on the ideas of Panin, Fonvizin created one of the best works of Russian journalism - “Reasoning about indispensable state laws”.

For a long time, the “reasoning” remained popular, but under a different name - “Thoughts of the late Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin about the necessary need for an indispensable law for the Russian Empire.” The government and the nobility were hostile to the play - they were against the satirical production. Nikita Panin helped to circumvent censorship. The premiere was tightened, but soon the essay was put in two capitals.

The performance directed and distributed roles by Fonvizin himself: Starodum was played by a talented actor Ivan Dmitrevsky, and Pravdina - the artist of the Pudvilshchikov. The audience accepted the play with enthusiasm, but Catherine II did not like it: because of the sharp satire on the noble traditions, Fonvizin left the empress in disgrace until the end of his life.

The fight against the disease in the year Fonvizins left for Italy. There, the writer managed to visit ancient churches and cathedrals, examined paintings in museums and private collections. In a word, here you see a gallery and a school. My wife and I are very often in her, and especially I am almost every day, ”wrote Fonvizin to my mother. However, in Italy, the writer liked less than in Germany.

The Italians seemed noisy to him, there were no smart interlocutors, they don’t say French in French, they don’t play cards, but they are fed so that Fonvizin had to blush for the owner. In August, the writer returned to Russia. In Moscow, Fonvizin had the first stroke, and he was chained for a long time to bed. Doctors sent a sick writer for treatment in Karlsbad. When Fonvizin became better, he began to prepare his own satirical magazine “Friend of Honest People, or Old Duma” for the publication.

However, Catherine II forbade him. She also did not approve of the complete works of the writer. In the year of the writer, an apoplexy blow hit four times. Despite a serious illness, Denis Fonvizin worked on an autobiography “Suspicious recognition”. True, he did not have time to finish her.