These people could be united, explaining their commonality with a huge talent and an irresistible desire to create. However, this is not what connects them at all - the fact is that they were all born in the families of serfs. Didn't you know? Meet the seven great Russian serfs!
1. Andrey Voronikhin
Andrei Nikiforovich VoronikhinYes Yes. Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg built a fortress. Even not so - a hereditary serf.
All members of the Voronikhin family were serfs of Count Alexander Stroganov, president of the Moscow Academy of Arts. Whether the count was a timber merchant or an idle provincial gentleman, it is unlikely that the world would have recognized the brilliant architect Andrei Voronikhin.
Kazan Cathedral. Photo: visit-petersburg.ru But fate turned out this way, and not otherwise. A reverent attitude to art reigned in the Stroganov estate. The serfs were also introduced to the fine sciences. A capable boy, who got into one of the icon-painting workshops, showed extraordinary diligence, and the count sent an apprentice to Moscow to study with the famous architects V.I. Bazhenov and M.F. Kazakov. Returning to St. Petersburg, the 26-year-old young man received his freedom and, together with the son of the count, went to study abroad.
For several years, Voronikhin mastered painting and architecture in Switzerland, Germany, and France. Days and nights in libraries. Great renaissance art! Everything was going just great. But then the French Revolution of 1789 happened! The curator of Voronikhin and Stroganov Jr. - Romm became one of the ideologists of the revolution and entered the Convention. The count had to urgently recall the young men to Russia. And just in time - the beloved mentor soon lost his head ... on the guillotine.
In Russia, Voronikhin's talent was helped by an unfortunate event - a fire in the Stroganov mansion. To rebuild the building, erected according to the project of the great Rastrelli, the count instructed his young protégé. Voronikhin was a little over 30 years old. The architect had no experience, but he had talent, diligence and honesty. These qualities were quite enough - Voronikhin began to be attracted to the construction of mansions and park ensembles.
In 1799, by decree of Paul I, a competition was announced for the project of a new church "in the Roman style" on Nevsky Prospekt. The competition was attended by star architects - Cameron, Thomas de Thomon, Gonzago. But Voronikhin's project, similar to St. Peter's Cathedral, won.
Step by step, without ceasing to learn and improve, the serf boy became a professor of architecture at the Academy of Arts and the author of one of the most significant architectural structures in Europe.
2. Pyotr Eliseevich Kasatkin, his descendants and the Eliseevs' shop
(Eliseevsky Store) - a building on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt (house 56) and Malaya Sadovaya Street (house 8) in St. Petersburg, a monument of early modern architecture. Shop facade. The Eliseevsky store, which has been synonymous with paradise throughout its history, is named so not in honor of one person, but in honor of a dynasty. After the revolution, there were no Eliseevs left in the family, but the store remained Eliseevsky.
In the meantime, all this food luxury began with a small thing - with a saucer of strawberries. The serf gardener Pyotr Eliseevich Kasatkin managed to grow a summer berry in the greenhouse in the midst of a harsh winter and bring it to the Christmas table of Count Sheremetyev. Miracle? Undoubtedly! Another miracle was freestyle and 100 rubles - a lot of money.
Arriving in St. Petersburg, Kasatkin invested every penny into the business - he bought a wonderful product - oranges. With a tray on his head, Pyotr Eliseevich went out onto Nevsky and began to invite the noble audience:
"Who wouldn't spare a penny to please a lady with an orange?"
By evening the oranges were sold out. Profit amounted to 1 ruble. The Eliseev case has gone! A year later, Peter was able to ransom three children and a brother. Soon the “Association of the Eliseev Brothers” was opened - the sons of Elisha.
House of the trading partnership "Brothers Eliseev" (Eliseevsky store). Smart business quickly yielded results. The brothers hired merchant sailing ships to deliver exotic fruits to St. Petersburg. From warm countries - mainly Spain and Portugal, merchants brought sherry, Madeira and Malvasia to the city. The wines made a splash! The Eliseevs' shop became famous, and the merchants themselves and their grown children received the merchant rank.
At the end of the 19th century, after the death of Pyotr Eliseev, his brother Grigory Eliseev, a former serf, was a real state councilor and vowel of the Duma.
The store, owned by the same family for many years, has been getting better day by day. Sellers here were paid well, but they were also asked strictly. Regardless of whether the client was poor or rich, in the Eliseevsky store he was served in the highest class.
House of the trading partnership "Eliseev Brothers"
House of the trading partnership "Eliseev Brothers"
Alas, in 1917 the gastronomic empire came to an end. On the site of the Eliseevsky store, Grocery Store No. 1 affably opened the doors to the empty shelves. For almost a century, citizens have forgotten why the store was called Eliseevsky, although they did not stop calling it that.
And in the hungriest time, there was still a joke: “The merchant Eliseev is returning to Leningrad from the other world to look at his store:“ Everything seems to be in place, only, I remember, there were barrels with red and black caviar at the entrance, to whom, one wonders, interrupted?"
Today, the Eliseevsky store is a landmark of Nevsky Prospekt. Tourists do not leave the temple of trade without an edible souvenir. But few people know that the founder of the empire - serf gardener .
3. Taras Shevchenko
Young Taras Shevchenko in K.P. Bryullov. 1947. A version of the painting is in the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko (Kyiv) The university, the metro station, the theater and the embankment are named after this serf. It is hard to believe, but the poet, artist and national hero - Taras Shevchenko really came out of the serfs. The landowner Engelhardt, who owned the family, noticed the young man's artistic gift and sent him to study in St. Petersburg. Fortunately, the talent of a serf boy made an impression on quite influential cultural figures of that time - Venetsianov, Bryullov and Zhukovsky. The patrons tried to persuade Engelhardt to let Shevchenko go, but the landowner did not agree to sign the freedom of his serf artist. Bryullov described the owner of the young serf as follows: "this is the largest pig in Torzhkov's shoes."
In the end, Karl Bryullov painted a portrait of Zhukovsky and played it in the lottery. With the proceeds of 2,500 rubles, Taras Shevchenko was bought freestyle.
Portrait of the poet V.A. Zhukovsky. 1837. Taras Shevchenko National Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine Freedom has done its job. In 1840, the first collection of Shevchenko's poems "Kobzar" was published in St. Petersburg, and after that the poem "Gaidamaki" was published. Shevchenko painted pictures and poems equally well. However, not everyone liked his ideology. "Outrageous content", "imaginary misfortunes of the hetman's rule", "impudent slander", "poisons harmful and dangerous" - as soon as the zealots did not incline the poet's work.
Most of all he got for the poem "Dream", where there was an undisguised satire on the empress. 33-year-old Shevchenko instantly fell under recruitment and was sent to the backyard of the empire. Only after the death of Nicholas I, the disgraced poet came under an amnesty. Today, the former serf is considered one of the most significant figures in Russian literary history.
4. Semyon Badaev
Votkinsk metallurgical state-owned plant in the Vyatka province. Artist: Valentin Belykh Are you unfamiliar with this name? Quite possible. The personality of Semyon Badaev is known to a narrow circle of specialists, and only his technological exploits have come down to us. We are talking about the legendary Badaev steel, which in the 19th century was the best in the world in terms of the combination of toughness and strength.
At the beginning of the century before last, up to two thousand pounds of Badaev steel were produced annually at steel mills. Thanks to this most durable alloy, Russia got rid of imported steel dependence for a long time. Machine tools, agricultural machines, weapons and tools, medical instruments - all this from the middle of the 19th century began to be made from the Badaev alloy.
Semyon Badaev is an example of a unique talent, completely self-taught, who was bought out of serfdom from the landowner Rogozin by the government. For the freedom of the brilliant metallurgist, 3,000 rubles were paid, a huge amount at that time. But the freedom of the empire from steel imports cost much more!
For outstanding achievements, the former serf was awarded a gold medal on the Vladimir ribbon and was awarded the rank of officer. However, the regalia did not stop the Russian nugget - he worked for the rest of his life at the Kamsko-Votkinsky plant, where he was looking for an even more perfect steel formula. By the way, it was at this plant that 10 years after the death of the inventor one of the Russian metallurgical miracles was made - the spire of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The spire of the bell tower of the Cathedral of Peter and Paul in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Photo: Timur Agirov 5. Mikhail Shchepkin
You were not mistaken - the Shchepkinsky school is named after a serf. Former fortress. The founder of the Russian realistic theater, the predecessor of the Stanislavsky system.
Count Gavrila Volkenstein, who owned the family of little Misha, was not indifferent to all kinds of actions, so he organized a home theater for fun. In one of the productions - the comedy "Nonsense", played entirely by schoolchildren, Misha Shchepkin distinguished himself so that, together with the "troupe", he was invited by the mayor to entertain the public at his daughter's wedding. It was in 1800.
Mikhail Semyonovich Shchepkin. Portrait by artist N. V. Nevrev However, almost random experience was not enough for the talent to unfold to its full potential. Shchepkin helped open up ... drunkenness. The fact is that Mikhail dreamed of the stage and spent all his free time in the Kursk theater of the Barsov brothers - what he just did not do - and prompted, and rewrote roles, and brought inventory. Once one of the actors got drunk, and the role went to Mikhail Shchepkin, who knew the text perfectly. Soberly assessing the chance, the young man played as if the honor of Russia depended on his role. In a sense, this is what happened...
The young actor was noticed. Soon he was already playing in the Kharkov, and then in the Poltava theater. Moreover, especially for the innovative artist living the role on stage, plays are written and images are created. At the same time, the actor remains a serf. Only in 1822 did the fans raise an impressive amount to buy a freestyle for Mikhail Shchepkin.
Already a free man, Shchepkin joined the troupe of the Moscow Maly Theater, where he brilliantly played roles in performances based on plays by Shakespeare, Gogol, Griboyedov. Among the people, the theater where Shchepkin played was called “Shchepkinsky House”.
6. Orest Kiprensky
Orest Kiprensky. Self-portrait. 1828. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow If you have ever studied at school, you know Kiprensky very well. Kiprensky is the author of the most famous portrait of Pushkin. And also portraits of Zhukovsky, Batyushkov, Davydov, Olenin and other influential people of the early 19th century. In general, Orest Kiprensky is considered the earliest Russian portrait painter.
Portrait of the poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. 1827. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow As often happened in those disenfranchised times, the landowner Dyakonov, not particularly worried about the consequences, helped one of his serfs to become a mother. Little Orest was registered in the family of the serf Adam Schwalbe, and he received the middle name Adamovich. The surname was coined in honor of the place of residence of the goddess of love - Cyprida. According to another version, Orest Adamovich was baptized in Koporye, and Kiprensky is a transformation of this toponym. When the boy was six years old, he nevertheless received the most valuable gift from his biological father - freedom!
The second gift from his father was a place in the educational department of the Academy of Arts. Kiprensky graduated from this school with a gold medal and even stayed to work at the Academy. On the one hand - a brilliant successful artist with an incredible sense of color, light, mood, on the other - a dissolute and passionate reveler, intemperate in libations - Kiprensky was far from academicism and was not perceived by his contemporaries as a significant artist. For a long time the artist was completely forgotten. And only at the beginning of the twentieth century, art lovers began to show interest in his work.
On the Roman tombstone of the painter is written "In memory of Orest Kiprensky, the most famous among Russian artists."
7. Praskovya Zhemchugova
N.I. Argunov. Portrait of the actress P.I. Kovaleva-Zhemchugova (Sheremetyeva). Central Theater Museum. A. Bakhrushina, Moscow The 8-year-old serf girl of the Sheremetyevs, Parasha Kovaleva, sang so bewitchingly that the shocked gentlemen took her to their estate in Kuskovo. There, the "nightingale" studied dances, music, languages, stage skills, mastered the harp and harpsichord. The “pearl” voice of the girl prompted the count and his last name. However, Sheremetyev also gave precious surnames to all other peasant artists, from Granatovs to Turquoises.
Zhemchugova played her first role at the age of 11, and by the age of 17 she was already an accomplished actress. Arriving in St. Petersburg, the count introduced his "lark" to Paul I. Having received the greatest patronage, the actress became very popular in high society, and in 1801 Praskovya Zhemchugova became the wife of Nikolai Sheremetyev. In order to create a family tree for his serf wife, the ambitious Sheremetyev recorded her in the metric as the Polish princess Kovalevskaya. And of course he gave freedom to his wife and all her relatives.
The most famous song of Zhemchugova, which has survived to this day, is considered to be an autobiographical poetic story of a meeting between a serf peasant woman and her future husband - the song "Late evening from the forest I drove the cows home ...". For two centuries, the song has been one of the most beloved among the people, and today it can often be heard at folklore holidays.
- PS: The portrait of the actress P.I. Kovaleva-Zhemchugova was painted by the Russian painter Nikolai Ivanovich Argunov, whose entire serf dynasty (including him) was also at the disposal of the Sheremetevs.
The theme of serfdom was depicted more than once in the works of Russian classics. ...
Such a description suggests that the heroine feels her power over the serfs. The mistress is cruel to the serfs, and in this she is similar to Mrs. Prostakova, who gives "five slaps a day" to the slaves. Both heroines are ruthless, hard-hearted, domineering. The theme of serfdom is also heard in the work of N. A. Nekrasov "Who should live well in Russia." One of the heroes, Obolt Obolduev, says: "Whom I want to have mercy on, whom I want to execute." Obolduev is powerful and cruel. The lives of people are in his hands. Like Mrs. Prostakova, he rules over weak-willed serfs and this is their similarity. So, the topic of serfdom has been repeatedly portrayed in Russian literature and the owners of serfs are presented as cruel powerful people. The manifestation of such qualities among the boyars unites them.
Updated: 2017-07-12
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It was not easy for the peasants to live during the time described by A. S. Pushkin in the story "Dubrovsky" - the time of serfdom. Very often the landowners treated them cruelly and unfairly.
It was especially difficult for serfs among such landowners as Troekurov. The wealth and noble family of Troekurov gave him great power over people and the ability to satisfy any desires. People for this spoiled and uneducated person were toys that had neither a soul nor their own will (and not only serfs). He kept under lock and key the maids who were supposed to do needlework, forcibly married them off at his own discretion. At the same time, the landowner's dogs fared better than people. Kirila Petrovich treated the peasants and courtyards “strictly and waywardly”, they were afraid of the master, but hoped for his patronage in relations with their neighbors.
Quite different relations developed with the serfs of Troekurov's neighbor Andrei Gavrilovich Dubrovsky. The peasants loved and respected their master, they sincerely experienced his illness and waited with hope for the arrival of Andrei Gavrilovich's son, young Vladimir Dubrovsky.
It so happened that a quarrel between former friends - Dubrovsky and Troekurov - led to the transfer of the property of the first (together with the house and serfs) to Troekurov. Ultimately, Andrei Gavrilovich, who had a hard time surviving the insult of his neighbor and the unfair decision of the court, dies.
The peasants of Dubrovsky are very attached to their masters and are determined not to allow themselves to be handed over to the power of the cruel Troekurov. The serfs are ready to defend their masters and, having learned about the decision of the court and the death of the old master, raise a rebellion. Dubrovsky interceded in time for the clerks who came to explain the state of affairs after the transfer of property. The peasants were already going to knit Shabashkin, police chief and deputy zemstvo court, shouting: “Guys! down with them!” when the young master stopped them, explaining that by their actions the peasants could harm both themselves and him.
The clerks made a mistake by staying overnight in Dubrovsky's house, because the people, although they calmed down, did not forgive the injustice. When the young gentleman went around the house at night, he met Arkhip with an ax, who at first explained that he "came ... to see if everyone was at home," but afterward he honestly confessed his deepest desire: "would everyone be at once, and ends in the water.
Dubrovsky understands that things have gone too far, he himself is put in a hopeless situation, deprived of his estate and lost his father due to the tyranny of a neighbor, but he is also sure that "not the clerks are to blame."
Dubrovsky decided to burn down his house so that strangers would not get it, and orders to take his nanny and other people who remained in the house, except for the clerks, into the yard.
When the courtyards, on the orders of the master, set fire to the house. Vladimir was worried about the clerks: it seemed to him that he had locked the door to their room, and they would not be able to get out of the fire. He asks Arkhip to go and check if the door is open, with an order to unlock it if it is closed. However, Arkhip has his own opinion on this matter. He blames the events on the people who brought the evil news, and firmly locks the door. The clerks are doomed to death. This act can characterize the blacksmith Arkhip as a cruel and ruthless person, but it is he who, after a while, climbs onto the roof, not being afraid of fire, in order to save the cat distraught with fear. It is he who reproaches the boys, rejoicing in unexpected fun: "You are not afraid of God: God's creature is dying, and you are foolishly rejoicing."
Blacksmith Arkhip is a strong man, but he lacks the education to understand the full depth and seriousness of the current situation. material from the site
Not all serfs had the determination and courage to bring the work they started to the end. Only a few people disappeared from Kistenevka after the fire: the blacksmith Arkhip, the nanny Egorovna, the blacksmith Anton and the yard man Grigory. And, of course, Vladimir Dubrovsky, who wanted to restore justice and saw no other way out for himself.
In the vicinity, instilling fear in the landowners, robbers appeared who robbed the landowners' houses and burned them. Dubrovsky became the leader of the robbers, he "was famous for his intelligence, courage and some kind of generosity." The guilty peasants and serfs, tortured by the cruelty of their masters, fled into the forest and also joined the detachment of "people's avengers".
Thus, Troekurov's quarrel with old Dubrovsky served only as a match that managed to ignite the flame of popular discontent with the injustice and tyranny of the landowners, forcing the peasants to enter into an uncompromising struggle with their oppressors.
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The Russian peasant has depended on the landowner since ancient times. Serfdom existed in our country until 1861. Most of the farmers were the personal property of the nobles. The master could do almost anything with them. Any attempts by the inhabitants of villages and villages to defend their dignity were perceived as a rebellion and were brutally suppressed by the gendarmes. Meanwhile, the leadership of Russia adopted decrees that limited the arbitrariness of the landlords.
Almost everything is possible
The serfs did not have any civil rights. They were completely dependent on the nobleman on whose land they lived and worked. The master could even take the child away from the parents, and then:
make him your servant in the estate;
rape;
sell.
No one had the right to marry or marry without the permission of the landowner. Some people were forced to marry against their will. Many nobles enjoyed not only the right of the first night, they believed that serf girls and women were obliged to satisfy the master at any time. However, both men and boys were subjected to sexual violence, depending on the personal preferences of the owner.
Serfs were subjected to corporal punishment, sometimes beaten to death. People were sold, separated from their relatives. In the 18th century, the list of masters' rights was expanded. Since 1736, the nobleman could now determine the fate of his peasant who escaped. In 1747, the landowners received the right to sell serfs for recruitment, and in 1760 they were exiled to Siberia.
For a simple farmer, the master was both a master, a judge, and an executioner.
Killing is not good
According to Russian law, the murder of any person has always been a criminal offense. But the measure of punishment depended on the social status of the victim. Thus, the Council Code of 1649 contained such a recommendation to the landowner, whose serf arbitrarily left his possessions, and then was returned to him by the authorities: “... So that he doesn’t kill that fugitive man to death and maim him, and starve him to death.”
Even at the end of the 18th century, when serfdom reached its peak, the master did not have the formal right to take the life of his peasant. True, if a person died as a result of corporal punishment, such cases were almost never investigated. It was enough for the landowner to cover his tracks, and the frightened serfs were silent. Say, the man died by the will of God.
A sadistic nobleman who tortured dozens, and sometimes hundreds of people to death, faced only one punishment: taking the estate under the guardianship of the state. In this case, the management of the estate passed into the hands of an appointed official, although the master retained the right of ownership and he continued to receive income from the estate. True, such measures were exceptional, and state guardianship, as a rule, did not last long.
The murder of a peasant belonging to another nobleman also remained practically unpunished. It was only necessary to compensate the cost of the serf deprived of his life. And given that a person in Russia was valued no more than a good horse or a thoroughbred dog, such a fine did not frighten many gentlemen.
Forced to work on Sunday
It cannot be said that the highest leadership did not care about the needs of the peasants at all. In 1797, Emperor Paul I adopted the Manifesto on a three-day corvee. This document was an attempt to limit the exploitation of disenfranchised people.
The tsar allowed the landlords to use the labor of serfs in their fields no more than 3 days a week. Moreover, they could not be forced to work on Sundays and church holidays. All the rest of the time, the tillers were given the opportunity to work on their plots in order to pay the owner the due dues in the fall.
However, the manifesto was only advisory in nature, almost no one executed it. Corvee usually took 6 days a week, some gentlemen forced the peasants to work on Easter. Other landowners generally took away their allotments from farmers. Then disenfranchised people were forced to work for the master 7 days a week, receiving only meager rations for this.
Sold at fairs and auctions
The image of an enlightened monarchy, which Catherine II strove to follow, was slightly spoiled by the slave-owning order that existed in Russia. Therefore, in 1771, the empress by her decree forbade the sale of peasants "under the hammer".
The fact is that the property of the ruined nobles was often sold at special auctions. Serfs also went to the one who paid the highest price. Such events, where people were sold on a par with cattle, were also visited by foreigners, which spoiled the image of the country.
However, the decree of the Empress was followed only formally. It's just that when selling peasants at auction, the resourceful organizers of the auction stopped using the hammer.
And in 1808, Alexander I officially banned the sale of people at fairs. Although the only punishment for violating this decree was a reprimand to the landowner from the leadership of the local Nobility Assembly. However, such a censure could have been avoided by stating that the peasants were not sold, but only sent to serve under a contract of employment.
That is, the imperial command was not actually carried out. And the trade in serfs, including at fairs, was actively conducted until 1861.
Separated family members during the sale
Another attempt to limit the arbitrariness of the landowners was made by Emperor Nicholas I. In 1833, he forbade the separation of serf family members when selling or donating to other masters. First of all, it was about the inadmissibility of taking children away from their parents.
Such a vicious practice was officially introduced in 1696, when Peter I, by his decree, allowed the nobles to take peasant youths to their estates in order to replenish the ranks of domestic servants. Most often, beautiful girls 10-12 years old were taken away from their parents.
Nicholas I also forbade the separation of brothers and sisters when they were sold, if they were orphans. However, the decree of 1833 also did not work. Some landowners, wanting to get additional income, regularly took teenagers from their parents and took them to the fair. No one took into account the tears of mothers whose children were taken away, because for a pretty girl, for example, one could get 10 rubles, and sometimes more.
8. FORTRESS ARTISTS, POETS AND INVENTORSAlas, I, and I was born
In the last mortal share,
endowed with feeling by nature,
So disastrous in captivity.
Serf poet Ivan Sibiryakov.
Petersburg of the 19th century is associated with a number of names of remarkable Russian serf artists - Kiprensky, Sazonov, Tropinin, Utkin, Voronikhin. Orest Kiprensky in his early youth already received a vacation pay and, after graduating from the Academy of Arts, went to Italy, where he soon became widely known. The artist Vasily Sazonov, "the slave of His Excellency Count N. P. Rumyantsev," who was set free by his master "in respect for talents," also emerged from the serf environment. The reason for this was the medal received by the Rumyantsev serf at the Academy of Arts in 1809 for drawing from life. "Having graduated from the Academy in 1815 with a gold medal and having visited Italy, Sazonov, upon returning to Russia, devoted himself entirely to work, achieving the title of academician of painting.
Otherwise, the fate of the serf gr. Morkov - Vasily Tropinin. Once the landowner was informed about the boy's remarkable ability to draw. “There is only one pampering, there will be no sense anyway,” said Morkov, and the boy was sent to St. Petersburg to study the art of confectionery. Improving in the manufacture of puff pastries and cakes, the boy tried to seize a minute to run to the workshop of a neighbor painter, with whose son he made friends During these absences, the confectioner dragged the negligent cook by the hair, beat him with a whip, but the boy still continued to run to the artist's studio. Tropinin gradually began to draw, surprising those around him with his successes. The astonishing successes of Tropinin attracted the envious attention of old professors to him, and one of them hastened to notify Morkov that he was in danger of losing his serf if he allowed him to graduate from the Academy of Arts. roofs, fences and carriages.
The artist dutifully fulfilled the requirements of his master, and only in rare free moments did he manage to paint. Finally, Morkov deigned to recognize the talent of his serf, allowing him from now on to paint icons and portraits, first of members of the Morkov family, and then of neighboring landowners. Soon, Tropinin's portraits became widely known, and even St. Petersburg received news of a talented serf painter.
One Frenchman who visited the estate of Morkov was delighted with the works of Tropinin. But what was the astonishment of the foreigner when, at the count's dinner, among the servants dressed in liveries, he recognized the Artist. The expansive Frenchman hurried to offer him a free chair, embarrassing both the master and the serf. After that, Tropinin was relieved of the obligation to stand behind the graphite chair. However, his financial situation continued to be very difficult. Gr. Morkov paid the artist a salary of 36 rubles. ass. per year and 7 rubles. "food". On these pennies it was necessary to support his wife and child.
For eight long years Tropinin waited for the "freestyle", which Morkov finally "graciously" offered him for Easter, "instead of a red egg." However, the artist's family continued to remain in serfdom, and Tropinin's son received a vacation pay only from Morkov's heirs.
In the metric record of the famous Russian engraver Nikolai Ivanovich Utkin, the following was stated: "His Excellency, Mr. Actual State Councilor Nikita Artamonovich Muravyov, a son was born to a courtyard man Ivan Utkin in 1780 on the eighth day of May." In fact, Utkin's mother was Muravyova Pelageya, Muravyov's father-nephew, Mikhail Nikitich Muravyov, a famous writer, father of the Decembrists, Nikita and Alexander Muravyov, Pushkin's good friends. To legitimize the birth of a child, Pelageya's father, Ivan Utkin, was recorded as his father. The children of Mikhail Nikitich, the future Decembrists, however, called Nikolai Ivanovich Utkin their brother, to which the extremely shy Utkin remarked: "Forgive me, what kind of Muravyov I am, I'm just your father's serf."
The life of N. I. Utkin was favorable.
N. A. Muraviev, giving him "freedom", sent the young man to the Academy of Arts, where he showed great ability in engraving art. At the end of the course of the Academy, Utkin, who was awarded a gold medal, was sent abroad for improvement. Returning to his homeland, Utkin was appointed professor at the Academy of Arts. Devoted entirely to his art, he completed many works. His portraits made him universally famous. The artist died at a ripe old age, 83 years old, enjoying the fame of "the most skillful Russian engraver."
The largest architect of the early 19th century, A. N. Voronikhin, also emerged from the serf environment. His father was a courtyard man of the famous philanthropist gr. A. S. Stroganov, President of the Academy of Arts. Stroganov gave the talented boy an excellent education, after which Voronikhin, having received his freedom, was sent by Stroganov abroad. Returning to St. Petersburg, Voronikhin quickly became famous for a number of brilliantly executed projects. Recommended to Paul I as one of the most talented Russian architects, Voronikhin was given the task of building the Kazan Cathedral. The two largest creations of Voronikhin, the Kazan Cathedral and the building of the Mining Institute on the Neva embankment, are perfect examples of the architecture of St. Petersburg of the classicism era. Envious and ill-wishers spoke with disdain about this yesterday's "slave", who, in their opinion, owed his fame only to a happy occasion. Vigel ironically remarked that Voronikhin "was probably destined by fate for shoemaking." Meanwhile, the exceptional talent of the artist opened the way for him to the heights of art.
His name, by right, took one of the first places in the history of Russian architecture.
It should be noted that in St. Petersburg, with the presence of the Academy of Arts and a number of famous foreign architects, there was no place for serf architects. Their work should be studied in the provinces, especially in Moscow, where a number of well-known estates near Moscow were created with the participation of serf architects. Yusupov fortress architect Starzhakov built the famous "Arkhangelskoye" ..
As it turned out recently, when studying the Sheremetev archives, opened only by the October Revolution, serf architects Dikushev (Dikushin), Mironov and Pyotr Argunov took part in the construction of the famous Ostankino Palace. The name of Fyodor Argunov is associated with the construction of the St. Petersburg Sheremetev house on the Fontanka.
The Argunovs were a whole dynasty that gave Russia six artists. The most important among them was Ivan Argunov, an outstanding painter of the late 18th century, a student of the famous portrait painter Georg Groot. The brilliant Russian artist, who created a wonderful portrait gallery of his contemporaries, remained, however, all his life, "the greatest slave of the Count Sovereign" Sheremetev. "Your Excellency, most merciful sovereign," he should have written in his letters to Sheremetev, "fall at your feet with my servility." And only his daughter, taking into account the special merits of her father, received freedom in 1807 when she married.
Among the count's servants, the Argunovs nevertheless occupied a privileged position. The son of Ivan Argunov, Nikolai, "for writing" the count's portrait, received in 1798 a very large amount for him - 80 rubles. The eighteenth century generally regarded the work of the artist very low. Even a painter with a big name had a more than modest income. So, the famous Levitsky, who immortalized Catherine II in a number of his works, received from 300 to 700 rubles. for a portrait.
High prices were paid only to foreigners.
In 1803, the artist Tonchi received 1,080 rubles for a portrait of N. Sheremetev. The modest Danish artist Paterson estimated his views of St. Petersburg, executed in oil, at 750 rubles. The portraits of the famous brush by Roslan were valued by the artist at 4,000 rubles. From the “Diary” of Lagrené the Elder, kept in the Goncourt collection, it can be seen that the artist’s largest earnings were during his stay in Russia, where he received 5,000 livres for the “Resurrection of Christ” alone. In addition, Lagrené received a salary of 10,000 livres a year and used a government apartment, heating, lighting, travel, etc.
A large allowance for that time, 10,000 rubles, was received by the famous decorator Gonzaga. According to the French painter Parisot in his letters, the artist Vigee-Lebrun was paid 3-4 thousand francs for portraits. A full-length portrait of her brush was valued at 30,000 francs, that is, almost ten times more expensive than the artist would have received for the same portrait in Paris.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the famous English artist George Dow made a millionth fortune with his portraits in Russia. According to Dr. Trenville and the Marquis of Londonderry, he was paid 1,000 rubles each. from the "head". And he painted hundreds of these "heads".
Along with these large earnings of foreigners, Russian artists were starving. We know in what poverty the famous sculptor Shubin died, in what need the brilliant painter Levitsky lived. Even in the 30s of the XIX century, artists, "according to their abilities" left at the Academy of Arts for improvement, received 20 rubles. per month of salary and 150 rubles. per year for "building clothes". Even more difficult was, of course, the financial situation of serf artists. even such outstanding ones as the Argunovs, which belonged to the famous patrons of the Sheremetevs.
Architects P. Argunov, A. Mironov and G. Dikushev (Dikushin) received 40 rubles by order of N. Sheremetev. in year. Painters S. Kalinin and K. Funtusov received 30 rubles each. "Theatrical pictorial art" student G. Mukhin (his teacher was Gonzaga) was paid 30 rubles. in year. He received the same amount for a dress.
The famous painter Nikolai Argunov received 25 rubles. salary and the same amount "for a dress." Subsequently, he began to receive 40 rubles. Once, by order of the count, he was given 50 rubles. to buy a coat. In the form of a special mercy, a serf boy was assigned to him for "losing colors." And only in 1806, when Nikolai Argunov remained the only representative of his talented family, N.P. Sheremetev, as a sign of special favor, wished to equalize him in salary with his all-powerful valet Fyodor Kiryushenkov. But this turned out to be "completely impossible", since the count's lackey received, as it turned out, "unlike the others." Therefore, the artist was entitled to the highest salary of a serf - 300 rubles. in year. When one of the plates that were "under the supervision" of Argunov was broken in the sideboard, the artist was fined 100 rubles. Only after the death of "Croesus the Younger" Argunov received the right to free residence, with exemption from dues.
The artist Zatsepin received the same permission.
The Sheremetevs, as already noted, jealously guarded their "sovereign" rights to serfs, especially those who showed special talents that flattered the vanity of their owners. Like the Argunovs, the architect Mironov did not achieve freedom either, despite his old age and unsuitability for further service.
However, there were still cases when the Sheremetevs let their serf artists leave. In 1803, N. P. Sheremetev gave "eternal freedom" to his "house servant" Ivan Petrov Alexandrov, for the "talents" he had shown as a student of the Academy of Arts.
Along with this, "an architectural student of D. Golovtsev," N. P. Sheremetev's order read in 1808, "on demand from Pavlovsk, for the riot and drunkenness he made, punish with rods and use in yard work, with the production of less than a yard salary , that is, imprisonment. After the punishment has been healed, give it to a strait house for a year. Subsequently, Golovtsev was recruited.
This order referred to the end of N. P. Sheremetev's life, when, due to illness, he became extremely irritable. According to V. Stanyukovich, who had previously avoided corporal punishment in every possible way, Sheremetev, in the last period of his life, began to resort to them, especially in cases of drunkenness or rampage of his "subjects".
Despite the well-known privileges associated with the title of artist, according to the custom of that time, he was flogged, changed, given and sold, along with other courtyard people. Only the price for them, when sold, was much higher than usual. For the bronze master Taras Ivanov, who worked on the decoration of the Kazan Cathedral, in 1810, 1000 rubles were paid to the landowner Teplov.
The real state councilor Svistunova, for her serf artist Mikhail Shiryaev, who painted the large stone theater, asked in 1827 from the theater directorate 1,500 rubles. But the theatrical authorities, according to N. Drizen, did not agree on the price and refused this purchase. Obviously, the court adviser Saltykov, who offered 300 rubles in 1796, also regarded his serf painter Ivan Malyshev highly. remuneration for the mere indication of the whereabouts of this "disciple of Prof. Lampius" who had fled from his owner.
For a very large sum for that time, 2500 rubles, the Peterhof cutting factory bought out the serf prince in 1831. A. V. Golitsyna - a peasant Arkhip Ivanovich Kachurin with his wife. He worked as a chaser for a bronze master, having earned the following attestation - "he knows his craft very well, he is very diligent in his work and honest behavior." However, the factory, having acquired this skilled craftsman, to cover the large amount of money paid for Kachurin, reduced his salary. Serf Golitsyna, Kachurin received 840 rubles. per year, and upon redemption by the factory - 400 rubles.
If even the Sheremetevs did not know how to appreciate the talent of the Argunovs, then how difficult it must have been for the serf artists who belonged to the ignorant provincial landowners. Such a gentleman did not recognize any difference between his painter-artist and lackey. Therefore, it was quite common for the publication in St. Petersburg Vedomosti of a certain “collegiate adviser and cavalier Pyotr Martynov”, announcing the sale of his serf painter, “who paints images and all kinds of pictures, With his wife at 30, who could be in the lackey and other domestic positions and who knows how to read and write.
Meanwhile, the already mentioned French artist Parisot, who lived in Russia at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, testified that among the serf artists there were "good painters". There were also outstanding talents among them. These include the serf of a certain landowner Kornilov, Alexander Polyakov, given by his owner in 1822 "for training" to the famous artist Dau, for a fee of 800 rubles. in year. An English artist who at that time was painting portraits of participants in the war of 1812 for the gallery of the Winter Palace, instructed Polyakov to paint accessories, and sometimes even faces in the portraits. Polyakov so mastered the manner of his teacher that Dau sold several repetitions of his portraits, executed by a serf artist, for his own. On this occasion, the Society for the Encouragement of Artists even filed a statement about the "reprehensible actions" of a foreign portrait painter who forced Polyakov "to work in obscurity for the benefit and honor of another." The speed of Polyakov's work was such that, as eyewitnesses say, the artist wrote a sketch of a half-length portrait of Mordvinov within six hours. Polyakov received in 1833 the title of a free artist, "in consideration of his well-known works", but two years later he died.
The artist Dau was given to help with his work in Russia a number of "disciples" from the serfs who had gone through a big school with him. The names of only two of them have come down to us - Klyukvin and Myakushin.
We also do not have exact information about the theater artist Korablev, who in the 30s painted, according to N. Ya. - “Korablev was a true talent,” writes Afanasiev, “who fully deserved the name of an artist. He studied in St. bitter drunk."
The circumstances of the life of the serf sculptor Boris Orlovsky were more favorable. His name (for some reason omitted by E. Kots in her detailed work "The Serf Intelligentsia", L. 1926) is all the more important for Leningrad, since his works still adorn the streets and squares of the city. The artist's father, by the name of Smirnov, a court man of a certain Matsneva, was sold in 1801 together with his family, "without land, for delivery," to a Tula landowner, foreman Shatilov. . Soon the boy was transferred to St. Petersburg to the workshop of the famous marble master Triscorni. From his comrades, who called him Orlovsky by his place of birth, he received his future surname, which will remain with him forever. The bust of Alexander I, the work of a young sculptor, attracted everyone's attention and Orlovsky was admitted to the Academy of Arts. Its owners were persuaded to give their talented serf free. Sent to Italy for improvement, Orlovsky spent 7 years there, working hard in Rome in Thorvaldsen's studio. Summoned to St. Petersburg in 1825, Orlovsky performed a number of important tasks here. His chisel owns the monuments of Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly in front of the Kazan Cathedral, the statue of an angel on the Alexander Column and a number of other works.
Orlovsky died in the prime of his life in 1837. Not possessing a great talent, he was distinguished by exceptional conscientiousness and diligence. “Leave your pranks,” he told his students at the Academy of Arts, “love your art. When I was studying, I didn’t go in gray, fashionable overcoats, but wore a teak robe. My father left me a legacy of 10 kopecks of copper, two shirts and icon, but through work and diligence, without having great talent, I achieved what few achieve "... Thorvaldsen said:" You can get used to negligence and laziness very soon; first we unfasten one button from the tailcoat, then we allow ourselves to unfasten the other and so we proceed further until we completely remove the tailcoat. I repeat to you, do not study for medals; Don't chase awards, let them chase you."
The serf intelligentsia, often falling into the hands of cruel and ignorant petty tyrants, were subjected to outrageous violence and abuse. According to A. Pelikan, one talented serf, who studied at the Academy of Arts, collected by subscription among his well-wishers the 3,000 rubles required for redemption. But when he brought them to his master, he announced that he had changed his mind and agreed to give freedom only for 5,000 rubles. This was reported to the President of the Academy of Arts, c. book. Maria Nikolaevna; she wrote a kind letter to the greedy serf-owner asking him to give him his freedom for the previous amount, since it turned out to be impossible to collect a large one. The letter was brought by the artist himself. After reading it, the master first sent the unfortunate artist to the stable, ordering him to be given 25 rods for daring to interfere in his affairs with such a high-ranking person, and then hastened to fulfill the desire of the Grand Duchess.
One of the former Sheremetev serfs, Professor A. Nikitenko, described his meeting in 1836 with a serf artist in the house of c. Golovin in Petersburg. “Here we found, he writes, a boy of fourteen years old, who in a small room copied a copy of a Rubens painting. The copy is excellent: it is almost finished. already begins to think about the insignificance of life, indulge in melancholy and despondency. The count does not want to give him free rein for anything. M-v (a friend of Nikitenko) asked him about it In vain. What will happen to this boy? - Now he is self-taught making copies of Rubens "In two or three years he will break his brushes, throw his paintings into the fire, and become a drunkard or a suicide. Count Golovin, however, is considered a kind gentleman and an educated man... Oh, Russia! Oh, Russia!"
The sculptor N. A. Ramazanov tells about a similar case in his memoirs. As the academician of painting E. Vasiliev told him, the landowner Bl. was a serf painter Polyakov, who studied with Father Vasiliev and received a medal from the Academy for his success in painting. His portraits were already highly regarded. However, the master, who at first promised to release him, did not keep his word and, at the end of the teaching, this talented and educated person had to accompany the gentleman's carriage on the back and throw out the bandwagon in front of those houses where paintings of his brush hung. Polyakov soon drank himself and went missing.
Nicholas I, as a convinced serf-owner, did not favor "freed" artists. When the portrait painter Anton: Legashev, a former serf court adviser Novikova, graduated from the Academy of Arts, the Council of the latter applied to the Committee of Ministers to grant Legashev, as was usually the case, the title of "artist of the 14th class." The Academy's request was granted, but Nicholas I, having looked at the artist's paintings, made a resolution: "I saw the work and find it too early to give a rank." The secondary application of the Academy was again rejected by Nicholas. Legashev soon left for Beijing. Being there as an artist under the Russian mission, he soon became a fashionable painter of bureaucratic Beijing. All the local nobility wanted to see themselves immortalized by the brush of a talented Russian artist.
In addition to a number of listed artists and sculptors, former serfs, in the list of pupils of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts we find the names of painters, former serfs: Alimpy Vasiliev, Kamensky, Khlobystnev, Chernov. The miniaturist Kondratiev, the historical and portrait painter, academician Serebryakov, the portrait painter Yanov, the artists Sergeev, Sukhanov, A. and P. Bogdanov and a number of others came out of the serf environment. Many major Russian artists were also "soldier's sons". These include the famous artist Semyon Shchedrin, academician of painting Martynov, landscape painter, academician Novikov, battle painter Serebryakov, landscape painters Sosin and Shitikov. The well-known perspectivist Alekseev was the son of a watchman, the foreign pensioner Piskunov was the son of a porter, the landscape painter Sergeev was the son of a lantern apprentice, the historical painter Fomin was the son of a groom; portrait painter, academician Sablukov came from "court choristers", landscape painters Solntsev and portrait painter Shishkin were children of theater ushers.
In that era, the landowners usually experienced a very great need for "home" architects, and therefore, among the pupils of the architectural department of the Academy of Arts, there are a number of names of serfs. Among the architects who came out of the serfs, academicians should be named:
Sadovnikov. Sviyazev and Semenov, as well as Vasilyeva, Kostina, Kulchenkova, Lutsenko, Popov, Pustovoitov, Soshnikov and others. Architects also came out of the serf environment: Ashitkov, Golev, Koshkin, Sumarokov, Tikhomirov and others, among the architects were children of grooms, lackeys, flute players.
Serfdom, which produced a number of talented artists, was much poorer in the field of literature. The work of serf poets was not very original, being to a large extent a reflection of the ideology of the ruling class.
As Marx and Engels noted in their time, "the thoughts of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling thoughts, that is, the class that is the ruling force of society is at the same time its ruling spiritual force."
Usually, the future self-taught poet, who by a lucky chance was taught to read and write, began by imitating well-known models. Sometimes his modest work reached literary circles; it happened that the poet himself dared to present the fruits of his timid muse to the judgment of one of the "Olympians". He was condescendingly listened to, they told him "you", not at all hiding their disdain for his "low rank." Fortunately, there were people among the writers who ardently sympathized with the humble newcomers. Such were Zhukovsky, Dmitriev, Shishkov and, in particular, P. Svinin and B. Fedorov. The serf poets are entirely indebted to the troubles of some of them for their release from the power of their masters.
However, the long-awaited will did not always bring relief in the fate of the poet. Severe need often forced him to grab the first job that came across as a copyist or clerk in the shop, and the talent that did not have time to grow stronger died under the unbearable burden of adversity and deprivation.
Of the writers who "came from the bottom", Slepushkin was very popular in his time. He was a serf E. Novosiltsova, nee c. Orlova, whose son died in a duel with Chernov. A St. Petersburg peddler who briskly traded pears from a stall, Slepushkin subsequently rented a shop in the Novo-Saratov German colony, near St. Petersburg, and in 1812 finally settled in the village of Rybatsky along the Neva. In the 1920s, his poems and fables began to appear in print, which the benevolent Pushkin read "with more and more astonishment." The poet took a lively part in the efforts to buy Slepushkin free. But Novosiltsova asked for 30,000 rubles for his vacation pay. And only thanks to the assistance of the book. Yusupova, who collected 3,000 rubles for the ransom of Slepushkin, he was finally released.
Criticism favorably reacted to Slepushkin's muse, demanding only, through the lips of Senkovsky, that the Poet let the villagers feel "the poetry of their modest but noble state, affirming in them a sense of contentment with their fate." And the "Russian Hesiod" began to zealously sing of "the serenity of the peasant lot."
Oh how you live happily
The farmer is hardworking.
You rise with the song of a nightingale,
And, rejoicing, you hasten to the fields;
There until sunset on a clear day,
Under blue skies
You enjoy your work.
Slepushkin's muse, which met the interests of the nobility, serenely sang of a peasant who had
Thank God, there is a lot of bread, the rich man is reputed to be,
From that he divides everywhere and is content and lives.
However, having become the owner of a brick factory near St. Petersburg in the 30s, Slepushkin betrayed his "well-intentioned" muse. And, passing through the city outpost, a former serf poet, to the question: "Who is going?" - proudly answered: "Merchant Slepushkin."
Slepushkin's poems once had an influence on contemporaries. They played a decisive role in the fate of another serf - Yegor Alipanov. The "slave" of Second Major Maltsov, a carpenter and carpenter at his factories, captivated by the work of Slepushkin, he "began to quietly sing his humble" "dilapidated corner". But Alipanov slavishly copied samples of noble literature of the 18th century, introducing muses, marshmallows, cupids, Helikon and Apollo into his poems. He also translated Pushkin, imitated Zhukovsky. Like Slepushkin, his peasants "worked merrily." Nevertheless, it must be admitted that in Alipanov's poems, for the first time in Russian literature, the "poetry of labor" sounded, the first laudatory song of a worker to his factory.
I like to watch works aspiration,
Standing in the factory workshop...
There, a huge horn breathes with flame,
And mlat knock, like thunder, rumbles.
A river of fire pours into the hole,
Furs languid rumble is heard
And the lake of fire stands.
The poet was soon crowned by the Russian Academy "for commendable exercises in literature", continuing to remain Maltsov's serf. Only thanks to the insistent efforts of the Academy, he finally received freedom.
Despite the limited talent of Alipanov, he undoubtedly deserves the merit of introducing hitherto unknown themes into Russian lyrics, which entered poetry only a hundred years later, after October.
Circumstances turned out so that the life paths of Slepushkin and Alipanov connected. The latter married the daughter of Slepushkin. But "caring for a large family and the inconstancy of the happiness of life changed his character," a contemporary testifies, "a deep thoughtfulness is visible on his face, and in a conversation hopelessness for happiness." Alipanov died in the mid-1950s and was buried in Pavlovsk, but his modest grave did not survive.
Ivan Sibiryakov also belongs to the number of serf poets. His unpretentious work attracted the attention of society. A number of the most prominent representatives of Russian literature - Zhukovsky, Vyazemsky, the Turgenev brothers, began to vigorously petition for the release of the poet. Its owner, Ryazan leader of the nobility D. Maslov, demanded an unheard-of sum of 10,000 rubles for the release of his confectioner. But this did not stop Sibiryakov's patrons, who collected, by subscription, the amount required by the landowner. Sibiryakov soon became "free".
After serving for some time in one of the St. Petersburg departments, under the command of Pushkin's friend, A. I. Turgenev, Sibiryakov moved in 1822 to serve in the Alexandrinsky Theater, where he first served as an "actor of the Russian troupe", and then as a prompter and copyist. For over 20 years, Sibiryakov was in the service of the theater directorate, completely abandoning his passion for poetry. Need and family strife brought him, towards the end of his life, to such "irritability of character" that even the question arose in the management "whether Sibiryakov, due to his irritability, is also subjected to some degree of mental disorder." Such was the bleak fate of this serf poet, who died in a hospital in St. Petersburg in 1848.
A small group of these peasant poets, wiped out by the hardships of life, nevertheless did not disappear without a trace. They also made their modest contribution to Russian poetry.
After the revolution, a number of research works were devoted to peasant art - artists, artists and poets. Attention should also be paid to self-taught people who came out of the people and selflessly devoted their energies to the service of science and technology.
Among such self-taught people who lived in St. Petersburg, we must first of all note Semyon Vlasov, a serf of the Yaroslavl landowner Skulskaya. First a shepherd, then a worker in the Grayson factory, he achieved fame by presenting in 1811 a model of a hydrostatic machine he had invented for lifting water. The authorities became interested in this inventor, who came out of the "low class", and Skulskaya was asked about the conditions under which she agreed to give her serf freedom. Skulskaya demanded 5,000 rubles, which, in her opinion, Vlasov could pay himself "according to his art". This was followed by an order to give Semyon Vlasov freedom, and Skulskaya to issue a recruiting receipt. In the fall of 1811, Vlasov was admitted to the ranks of the students of the St. Petersburg Medical and Surgical Academy, in the pharmaceutical field. Vlasov was soon appointed laboratory assistant at the academy. During 1814-1815. he made a number of interesting discoveries, including a new method for extracting sulfuric acid, dyeing fabrics, and preparing some paints. He also found a way to increase the action of electric machines and replace complex steam engines with simpler ones. But the realization of his discoveries required time and money; meanwhile, the drafts and drawings submitted to the Ministry of Public Education lay motionless. Worried about this, the author vainly bombarded the ministry with petitions to pay attention to his work; no one was interested in them. His sudden death, at the age of 32, put an end to his disappointments. The works of this serf inventor were never published.
A sad fate also befell the serf D. N. Sheremetev Mikhail Sutyrin, who created a name for himself with the "ship platoon machine" invented by him in 1822. The exploitation of his car, first built on the Volga, enriched a certain French businessman who accused Sutyrin of "forgery". The inventor's machines were described in court and died, while his competitor made over 300,000 rubles in this case.
Completely ruined, Sutyrin finally achieved the restoration of his rights. Having then asked for 5,000 rubles from the office of his owner, Sheremetev, he built a "passage boat" on the Neva, using in it a special mechanism invented by him, which operated by throwing anchors. In the summer of 1822, this "passage boat" began to conduct ships between St. Petersburg and Shlisselburg, having acquired a very respectful confidence from "the commercial public." "Passageboat", although not a fast ship, had the advantage that it could land everywhere, while Byrd's steamers arriving in Kronstadt were not allowed to move beyond a certain zone for fear of a "fiery eruption". Sutyrin's invention was undoubtedly of great importance for its time, replacing the hard labor of barge haulers. However, it did not come into use. Meanwhile, Sutyrin's creditors did not want to wait, and in 1823 he was forced to sell his invention. But the buyers did not pay him the following money, and Sutyrin, fearing to be subjected to personal detention for debts, preferred to hide. There is no information about his further fate.
Among the serf inventors of the early 19th century, M. G. Kalashnikov, who was awarded 1,500 rubles by the Ministry of the Interior, should also be mentioned. "for useful labors and occupations." The owner of Kalashnikov, the landowner Kardovsky, did not prevent his talented serf from issuing his freedom. The young inventor hurried to St. Petersburg, where a series of bitter disappointments awaited him. The models and designs he presented were met with ridicule. Kalashnikov was asked "where did he study engineering", while noting that classes of this kind are the lot of only "people known for their learning and this is not a peasant's business." However, Kalashnikov continued to work hard, courageously overcoming bitter need. He invented a machine for removing water from the scaffolds that held the bridges in St. Petersburg, he discovered a new way to raise water to a great height, as well as a method for irrigating fields and meadows using water from rivers and lakes. Kalashnikov made successful models of Tuchkov, Sampsonevsky and St. Isaac's bridges. During 25 years of his life in St. Petersburg, a talented inventor, struggling with severe poverty, was forced to engage in "various petty trades", ending his life as a janitor for some merchant.
Mikhail Fedorov, serf c. Laval. He invented a small steamboat of a special design, on which he traveled all over Lake Ladoga, arriving in St. Petersburg in July 1836. Crowds of people gathered to look at a home-made steamboat that stood at Laval's dacha on Aptekarsky Island; Fedorov gave explanations to all those who were interested, pointing out that the ship "goes very well against the current", while the materials for its construction cost only 500 rubles. A. G. Laval bought this ship. The further fate of its inventor is unknown to me.
The fate of another serf inventor, Kirill Sobolev, is curious. The carpenter of the Kostroma landowner, retired captain Makarov, he first attracted the attention of a mechanical fire escape invented by him. The rumor about his abilities reached the authorities and the St. Petersburg governor-general was ordered to communicate with the landowner about Sobolev's release. But Makarov asked for his vacation plot of land that belonged to the city of Lyubim, Yaroslavl province. When this harassment, as illegal, was rejected, Makarov refused to issue a free serf to the inventor, and only the insistent demands of the authorities prompted the landowner to release Sobolev into the wild, for which his owner was issued, at his request, three recruitment receipts, according to the number of "souls" males who made up the family of the released person. Finally, on March 28, 1811, Sobolev, together with his wife and two sons, received freedom.
However, it soon turned out that Makarov, not including Sobolev's thirteen-year-old daughter in the holiday, began to demand payment of quitrent from him, threatening, otherwise, to sell her to the side. “Kirillo Vasilyevich,” the landowner wrote to his former serf, “you again forgot with your slanderous persistence that you need to send quitrent for the past year. If you don’t send it by the first mail, then your daughter will be sold and given away.” This act of Makarov was brought to the attention of the government and the landowner was ordered to immediately issue a vacation pay to Sobolev's daughter. At the same time, Makarov was warned that "if he acts with similar rules in managing his other peasants," then his estate will be taken into custody. This threat finally forced Makarov to give the girl free.
The released inventor worked hard. In 1826, Svinin, a zealous patron of "domestic nuggets," reported on new inventions by a "famous Russian mechanic." By this time, Sobolev's inventions included: a factory wind bellows, a polishing machine, a mill on wooden millstones, and finally, "a boat powered by three persons replacing ten rowers." "All cars," reported P. Svinin, can be seen in practice in the apartment of Sobolev, who lives along the Moika, between the Police and Konyushenny bridges, in the Tiran's house, No. 9.
For many years, the Sheremetev serf Ivan Alexandrovich Batov, the first instrumental master of his time, unsuccessfully petitioned for his release. Contemporaries called Batov the "Russian Stradivarius", believing that "after the famous Italian masters, the Russian master Ivan Batov, of course, takes first place", "The cleanliness of Batov's finish is brought to the highest degree of perfection," they wrote about him, "in garnishing ancient instruments he has no equal."
Sheremetev allowed his serf to work only for outstanding musicians of that era. “Thus,” contemporaries noted, “the famous virtuosos of that time: Khandoshkin, Tietz, Frenzel, Fodor, and later Rode, Batllo, Lafont, Lamar, Borer and many others used the art of Batov, to which they did full justice.”
The workshop of this remarkable artist was located on Karavannaya Street, in a wretched apartment with a dark, dirty staircase overlooking the courtyard. The whole workshop was littered with pieces of valuable wood, instrument cases, cellos and violins. They lay in long rows on tables, hung on the walls. “It was reminiscent of the famous workshop from Hoffmann’s story “The Cremonese Violin,” wrote one of his contemporaries. However, despite his fame, Batov continued to be a serf at Sheremetev.
Batov once presented his wayward owner with a wonderful cello, on which he worked tirelessly for over six months. The famous musician Romberg invited by Sheremetev "In the presence of many Russian and foreign artists, he examined the instrument with curiosity, sat down to play it three times and three times asked the question: "Did this master really make it?" Only after that Sheremetev gave Batov the long-awaited "free". then about 60 years old.
The joyless lot of self-taught inventors of that time is best characterized by the words of a contemporary who visited in 1820 a certain "passionate mechanic" who lived on Gorokhovaya Street, "in the attic, along the dirty stairs", in Tairov's house (where he lived in the 30s years of A. S. Pushkin). “His fiery soul, tired of obstacles and failures, we read, is waiting for attention, like a withered flower of healing rain. A drop - and he blossomed again or died forever. , the appearance takes on a gloomy look; in his family - not long before this peaceful, happy, displeasure arises - in a word, poor, he is on the edge of the abyss.
