Alexei Gorky. Maksim Gorky. Alexey Maksimovich Peshkov: biography, creativity

If you ask: "What do you think about the work of Alexei Gorky?", Then very few people will be able to answer this question. And not because these people do not read, but because not everyone knows and remembers that this is the well-known writer Maxim Gorky. And if you decide to complicate the task even more, then ask about the works of Alexei Peshkov. Here, it's just that only a few will remember that this is the real name of Alexei Gorky. It was not just a writer, but an active public figure. As you have already understood, it will be a truly national writer - Maxim Gorky.

Childhood and youth

The years of life of Gorky (Peshkov) Alexei Maximovich - 1868-1936. They fell on an important historical epoch. The biography of Alexei Gorky is rich in events, since his very childhood. The native city of the writer is Nizhny Novgorod. His father, Maxim Peshkov, worked as a manager of the shipping company, he died when the boy was only 3 years old. After the death of her husband, Alesha's mother remarried. She died when he was 11 years old. Further education of little Alexei was done by his grandfather.

Being an 11-year-old boy, the future writer already "went to people" - he earned himself bread. Whoever he worked: he was a baker, worked as a messenger in a shop, a dishwasher in a buffet. Unlike the stern grandfather, the grandmother was a kind and faithful woman and a wonderful storyteller. It was she who instilled in Maxim Gorky a love of reading.

In 1887, the writer will attempt to commit suicide, which he will relate to the painful experiences caused by news of grandmother's death. Fortunately, he remained alive - the bullet did not hit the heart, but damaged the lungs, which caused problems with the work of the respiratory system.

The life of the future writer was not easy, and he could not stand it, he fled the house. The boy wandered a lot around the country, he saw the whole truth of life, but in an amazing way he could keep faith in the ideal Man. He will describe his childhood, life in the grandfather's house in "Childhood" - the first part of his autobiographical trilogy.

In 1884, Alexei Gorky tries to enter Kazan University, but because of his financial situation, he learns that this is impossible. During this period, the future writer begins to gravitate toward a romantic philosophy, according to which, the ideal Man is not like the Real Man. Then he gets acquainted with the Marxist theory and becomes a supporter of new ideas.

The appearance of a nickname

In 1888, the writer was arrested for a short time for communicating with the Marxist circle N. Fedoseyev. In 1891, Mr .. decided to start wandering around Russia and eventually managed to reach the Caucasus. Alexey Maximovich constantly engaged in self-education, accumulated and expanded his knowledge in various fields. He agreed to any job and kept all his impressions carefully, they later appeared in his very first stories. Subsequently, he called this period "My Universities".

In 1982, Gorky returned to his native places and took the first steps in the literary career as a writer in several provincial publications. For the first time his pseudonym "Gorky" appeared in the same year in the newspaper "Tiflis", in which his story "Makar Chudra" was printed.

The pseudonym was not chosen by chance: he hinted at the "bitter" Russian life and the fact that the writer would only write the truth, no matter how bitter it may be. Maxim Gorky saw the life of the common people and could not, with his temperament, ignore the injustice that was on the part of the wealthy classes.

Early creativity and success

Alexei Gorky was actively engaged in propaganda, for which he was under constant control of the police. With the help of V. Korolenko in 1895 in the largest Russian magazine was published his story "Chelkash". Next were "Old Woman Izergil", "Song of the Falcon", "Former People". They were not special from a literary point of view, but they successfully coincided with new political views.

In 1898, his collection Sketches and Stories was published, which was an extraordinary success, and Maxim Gorky receives all-Russian recognition. Let his stories not be highly artistic, but they depicted the life of the common people, from the very bottom of it, which brought Alexei Peshkov recognition as the only writer who writes about the lower class. At that time he was as popular as Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov.

In the period from 1904 to 1907 there were written plays "Mesto", "At the bottom", "Children of the Sun", "Summer Residents". His earliest works did not have any social orientation, but the characters had their own types and special attitude to life, which was very popular with readers.

Revolutionary activity

Writer Alexei Gorky was an ardent supporter of the Marxist social democracy and in 1901 wrote the "Song of the Petrel", which called for a revolution. For open propaganda of revolutionary actions, he was arrested and deported from Nizhny Novgorod. In 1902, Gorky became acquainted with Lenin, in the same year his election to the Imperial Academy in the category of elegant literature was abolished.

The writer was also an excellent organizer: from 1901 he was the head of the publishing house Znanie, in which the best writers of that period were published. He supported the revolutionary movement not only spiritually, but also materially. The writer's apartment was used as a headquarters for revolutionaries in front of important events. At his apartment in St. Petersburg even acted Lenin. After the armed December rebellion in 1905, Maxim Gorky, because of fears of arrest, decided to leave Russia for the time being.

Life Abroad

Alexei Gorky went to Finland and from there - to Western Europe and the United States, where he collected funds for the struggle of the Bolsheviks. At the very beginning he was greeted with friendliness: the writer brought his acquaintance with Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain. In America his famous novel "Mother" is published. However, later the Americans began to resent his political actions.

In the period from 1906 to 1907, Gorky lived on the island of Capri, from where he continued to support the Bolsheviks. At the same time, he creates a special theory of "god-building." The point was that moral and cultural values are much more important than political ones. This theory formed the basis of the novel "Confession." Although Lenin rejected these beliefs, the writer continued to adhere to them.

Return to Russia

In 1913, Alexei Maksimovich returned to his homeland. During the First World War, he lost faith in the power of Man. In 1917, his relations with the revolutionaries worsen, he is disappointed in the leaders of the revolution.

Gorky understands that all his attempts to save the intelligentsia are not met by the Bolsheviks. But after the attempt on Lenin in 1918 recognizes his beliefs as erroneous and returns to the Bolsheviks. In 1921, despite a personal meeting with Lenin, he could not save his friend, the poet Nikolai Gumilev, from being shot. After that he leaves Bolshevik Russia.

Re-emigration

In connection with the intensification of bouts of tuberculosis and at the urgent request of Lenin, Alexei Maksimovich leaves Russia for Italy, to the city of Sorrento. There he completes his autobiographical trilogy. In emigration, the author is until 1928, but continues to maintain contacts with the Soviet Union.

He does not leave writing activity, but writes already in accordance with new literary trends. Away from the Motherland, they wrote a novel, The Artamonovs' Case, short stories. The extensive work "The Life of Klim Samgin" was started, which the writer did not have time to finish. In connection with the death of Lenin, Gorky wrote a book of memories of the leader.

Return home and the last years of life

Alexei Gorky came to the Soviet Union several times, but he did not stay there. In 1928, during a trip around the country, he was shown a "parade" side of life. The admired writer wrote essays on the Soviet Union.

In 1931, at Stalin's personal invitation, he returned to the USSR forever. Alexei Maksimovich continues to write, but in his works he praises the image of Stalin and the entire leadership, not mentioning the numerous repressions. Of course, this state of affairs did not suit the writer, but at that time, statements that were contrary to the authorities were not tolerated.

In 1934, Gorky's son dies, and on June 18, 1936, Maxim Gorky dies under circumstances unclear until the end. The entire path of the national writer was accompanied by the entire leadership of the country. The urn with his ashes was buried in the Kremlin wall.

Features of Maxim Gorky's creativity

His work is unique in that it was during the collapse of capitalism that he was able to convey the state of society very clearly through the description of ordinary people. No one before him described with such detail the life of the lower strata of society. It was this unconcealed truth of the life of the working class that won him popular love.

His faith in man is traced in his early works, he believed that a person can make revolution with the help of his spiritual life. Maxim Gorky was able to combine a bitter truth with faith in moral values. And it was this combination that made his works special, the heroes remembered, and made Gorky the writer of the workers.