Childhood. Moving to Moscow
Alexander Nikolaevich was the son of a wealthy landowner Nikolai Afanasyevich Radishchev. He was born in the Saratov province, in the village of Verkhniy Oblyazov in 1749. His father was a cultured man, so he tried to give his son an excellent education. Radishchev's mother was Fekla Savvichna. She was from a family of Moscow noble intelligentsia. Her maiden name is Argamakova.
It is noteworthy that Radishchev’s parents treated their serfs very well, which they also taught their son. Alexander Nikolaevich spent his childhood in Oblyazov. It is known that their house was rich and large, and there were always a lot of people in it. Radishchev had four sisters and six brothers; the children communicated with the serfs on equal terms and ran around the village with them. Radishchev’s teacher was, apparently, also a serf, his name was Pyotr Mamontov. Radishchev fondly recalled how his uncle told fairy tales.
When the boy was 7 years old, his parents took him to Moscow. There he lived in the care of a relative of his mother. Along with the master's children, he studied with a university professor and a French teacher. He was an old Frenchman who had fled his country.
The boy's surroundings were unusual. He listened to lectures by progressive thinkers, debates about serfdom, construction, education, and bureaucracy. The Argamakovs' guests were dissatisfied with Elizabeth's government, and even under Peter the Third, detente did not happen; on the contrary, indignation only grew. Alexander Nikolaevich grew up in such an environment.
Brief biography of Radishchev Alexander Nikolaevich
clause 1. early years
The future writer and public figure was born in 1749 in the Penza province. His parents were nobles. The father of the family had a good education, knew languages, and had a large library. The mother belonged to an old noble family, which was considered significant for the enlightened Russian intelligentsia. For example, one of his closest relatives, Argamakov, served as director of Moscow University.
The writer's family was friendly and had many children - the parents raised eleven children who were allowed to communicate with the serfs. Little Alexander and his sisters and brothers absorbed peasant songs and fairy tales. The writer will mention one of the serfs, Praskovya, in his work.
It was important for parents to raise educated children, so young Radishchev was sent to the capital to live with Uncle Argamakov, the brother of the university director. The Moscow enlightened elite gathered in this house. Teachers and professors were invited to teach the children.
As a teenager, Alexander was sent to study in the Corps of Pages. Young Radishchev, accustomed to the freedom-loving atmosphere of his parents’ family, felt uncomfortable. The purpose of this educational institution was the training of courtiers, and not the formation of enlightened individuals. The main disciplines in the Corps were dancing and etiquette.
Radishchev, like some of his fellow students, gravitated towards knowledge. At the request of Catherine II, twelve of the best students, including Alexander, were sent to the University of Leipzig, the center of European science, in 1766. Its teachers were famous scientists who gave lectures on a variety of subjects - mathematics, logic, philosophy, law. At the university they studied languages, there were discussions and disputes about various works and trends of that time.
Most of all, Radishchev was interested in lectures on literature. It was while studying in Leipzig that he became interested in literature. He started translating. The first attempt at writing was the work of Anton Gik. Radishchev’s friend at the university was Fyodor Ushakov, a philosopher who came from Russia to study. This man delighted Alexander with his erudition, but Fyodor soon died without completing his studies. The death of a friend greatly influenced the future writer, who would later compose a work dedicated to Ushakov, where he introduced the reader to this extraordinary personality.
The students who were studying in Leipzig were introduced to a person who was observing them. Such was the will of the empress, who did not want to leave young people unsupervised. Many denunciations were written against the students, and a rebellion was brewing in their ranks. All of them, including Radishchev, could have gone to prison for a certain period of time, but one Russian diplomat saved the situation. The students were released and continued their studies.
Corps of Pages
When the boy turned 13 years old, he was granted a page. This was done by Empress Catherine the Second. His Argamakov relatives took care of little Radishchev.
Until 1764, Catherine, together with the government, was in Moscow, where the coronation took place, and then, together with her pages, including Radishchev, she returned to St. Petersburg.
The Corps of Pages was not a “decent” educational institution in those years. All the boys were trained by only one teacher - Moramber, who was obliged to show them how to properly serve the empress at balls, in the theater, and on trains.
A short biography of Radishchev, in which the most important place is devoted to his creative successes, will not describe the experiences of the boy, who was transferred from an atmosphere of serious conversations and public interests to a court environment. Of course, he had already absorbed all the hatred for despotism, lies, flattery, and now he saw it all with his own eyes, and not just anywhere, but in all the splendor of the palace.
It was in the Corps of Pages that Alexander Nikolaevich met Kutuzov, who would become his best friend for many years. And although their paths will subsequently diverge, the commander will not say a single bad word about Radishchev. The short biography of the latter is a direct confirmation of this.
Interesting Facts
- The serfs taught little Radishchev to read and write. Since childhood, he learned about the hardships of peasant life, which gave birth in the writer’s soul to hatred of the landowners and pity for the people.
- Alexander Nikolaevich was married twice. The first wife, Anna Rubanovskaya, died in childbirth; they had four children in total. The writer’s second wife was Anna’s younger sister Elizaveta Rubanovskaya; they had three children.
- According to some reports, Radishchev died from a serious illness that struck the writer during his exile.
- Radishchev's work had a significant influence on Russian politics, including the Decembrist movement. A. Lunacharsky spoke of the writer as a prophet and forerunner of the revolution.
- At school, Radishchev's works are studied in the eighth and ninth grades.
An interesting test on Radishchev’s short biography:
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In Leipzig
Two years after moving to St. Petersburg, Radishchev, along with five other young men, was sent to Germany to study at the university. Catherine the Second wanted them to become educated lawyers and serve in the judiciary.
Gradually their small group grew. For example, Fyodor Ushakov, who was at that time a young official, arrived in Leipzig. He left the service for the sake of university knowledge. Fedor was the oldest and quickly became the leader of the group of young men.
Radishchev spent almost five years on foreign soil. All this time he studied diligently and almost received a medical education, but still literature attracted him most of all. Radishchev's brief biography indicates his interest in the pre-romantic movement emerging in Germany.
The country was shocked by the Seven Years' War, which ended quite recently, so many ideological ideas developed in society, one might say free-thinking, if not revolutionary. And Russian students were at the center of it all. Goethe studied with them at the university, they listened to lectures by the outstanding philosopher Platner, who was a supporter of liberalism.
In Germany, the young men did not live very well, since their boss Bokum, assigned by the empress, was a real tyrant and greedy. He took away all the money sent for maintenance from young people. And then the students decided to rebel. This decision backfired on them, as they would have been arrested and sent to trial. But the Russian ambassador intervened.
Bokum was fired much later, just before Radishchev left for his homeland.
Return
A short biography of Radishchev mentions that in 1771 he came to St. Petersburg together with Kutuzov and Rubanovsky. The young people were full of optimism and determination, imbued with advanced social ideals, they wanted to serve society.
It seems that during the years they spent in Germany, the Empress completely forgot about the purpose of sending pages abroad. Radishchev was assigned to work in the Senate as a protocol clerk. This caused a sea of indignation in the young man, and he soon quit his service.
In 1773 he joined the staff of General Bruce, where he was appointed military prosecutor. This work also did not inspire Alexander Nikolaevich, but he had an outlet. Thanks to his charm and education, he became an entry into high society drawing rooms and writers' offices. Alexander Nikolaevich did not forget about his literary hobbies for a minute. Even a very short biography of Radishchev cannot remain silent about his work. Yes, this is not necessary.
Childhood and education
Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev was born on August 20 (31), 1749 in Moscow into a noble family. The future writer spent his childhood in the village of Nemtsovo, then his family moved to the village of Verkhnee Ablyazovo. Alexander Nikolaevich received his primary education at home. In 1756, his father took Radishchev to Moscow. The boy was placed with A. Argamakov, who at that time served as the director of Moscow University. Radishchev was trained there by a specially hired French tutor.
In 1762, Alexander Nikolaevich was granted a page and sent to the St. Petersburg Page Corps. In 1766, by order of Catherine II, he was sent to Germany, where he entered the Faculty of Law at the University of Leipzig. In a brief biography of Radishchev, it is worth mentioning that during this period of his life the writer became interested in the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Helvetius, and Raynal.
Literary path
For the first time, Alexander Nikolaevich turned to literary creativity back in Leipzig. It was a translation of a political-religious pamphlet. But his young page did not finish, because Vedomosti published another, less poignant passage.
In St. Petersburg, he met the publisher of the magazine “Painter” Novikov. Soon an essay entitled “Excerpt from a Journey” appeared there, but it was published anonymously. A short biography of Radishchev, the most important thing in which is always on the surface, confirms the fact that the writer almost never indicated his name on his works.
The “Excerpt” vividly showed the life of a fortress village, with all its gloomy events. Of course, the top authorities did not like this, and the landowners were offended. But neither the author nor the publisher were afraid. And soon the same magazine published an article, “An English Walk,” defending the previous edition. And then the continuation of “Excerpt”.
Actually, Radishchev’s tragic creative path began with this publication.
Alexander Nikolaevich did a lot of translations, which Novikov also published. By order of Catherine, he translated the book “Reflections on Greek History” by Mably. But at the end he left several of his notes, thereby entering into a polemic with the author, as well as several definitions (including the words “autocracy”).
In 1789, the book “The Life of F. Ushakov” was published, which created a lot of noise. It was again published anonymously, but no one doubted Radishchev’s authorship. Everyone noticed that there were a lot of dangerous expressions and thoughts in the book. However, the authorities ignored her exit, which served as a signal for the writer to take further action.
The short biography of Radishchev for the 9th grade is not so informative, but it also notes that not only the authorities, but also members of the Russian Academy and many nobles were dissatisfied with the work of this man.
Radishchev did not calm down. He wanted some radical action. Therefore, he began to speak in the Society of Friends of Verbal Sciences, which included many writers, as well as sailors and officers. And he achieved his goal: they listened to his speeches.
The society began to publish the magazine “Conversing Citizen,” which published works imbued with Radishchev’s ideas. An article by the philosopher himself was also published there, more like a propaganda speech (“Conversation about the fact that there is a son of the Fatherland”). By the way, he had to try very hard to get it sent to print. Even his like-minded people understood how dangerous this could be.
The writer himself did not seem to notice how clouds were gathering over him. But the biography clearly describes this. Radishchev Alexander Nikolaevich, whose creativity served him badly, found himself in the crosshairs of the authorities. His next publication added fuel to the fire.
"Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow"
Radishchev's short biography contains one surprising fact. His main work passed the censorship test without any problems. It would seem impossible, but it was so. The whole point is that the chief police officer of the Council of Piety was simply too lazy to read it. Seeing the title and table of contents, he decided that it was just a guidebook. The book was printed in the author's home printing house, so no one knew about its contents.
The plot is quite simple. A certain traveler travels from one settlement to another and, passing by villages, describes what he saw. The book very loudly criticizes the autocratic government, talks about the oppressed peasants and the permissiveness of the landowners.
A total of six hundred copies were printed, but only twenty-five went on sale. For a long time, readers came to the seller wanting to hold the revolutionary publication in their hands.
Of course, such a work could not fail to find a response from either readers or the ruling elite. The Empress compared the writer with Pugachev, and it was the rebel who won the comparison.
In addition to the authorities, there were other people who did not appreciate Radishchev’s work. For example, Pushkin responded very coldly to the book, noting that it was a “mediocre work” written in a “barbaric style.”
Arrest and exile
By order of Catherine II, Radishchev was arrested. This happened on June 30, 1790. According to official documents, the reason for the detention was only the authorship of “Journey”. But, since the empress had long known about the nature of her subject’s ideas and activities, his other literary works were also brought into play.
Because of the connection with the disgraced man, the Society of Friends was dispersed. The investigation was entrusted to the head of the secret police, Stepan Sheshkovsky, who was the empress’s personal executioner. Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev somehow found out about this. A short biography (9th graders consider this topic as part of the school curriculum) pointed to the fact that the remaining copies of the book were destroyed personally by the author, who was truly afraid.
Radishchev was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. He escaped terrible torture only because his wife's sister took all her jewelry to the executioner. When the “rebel” realized how dangerous the game he was involved in was, he was overcome with horror. The threat of the death penalty hung over him, and the stigma of traitors hung over his family. Then Radishchev began to write letters of repentance, although not very sincere.
They demanded that the writer name the names of his accomplices and like-minded people. But Radishchev did not say a single name. Following the trial, a death sentence was imposed on July 24. But since the writer was a nobleman, the approval of all government agencies was required. Radishchev waited for him until August 19. But for some reason the execution was postponed, and on September 4, Catherine replaced the hanging with exile to Siberia.
Information about the ten years spent in the Ilmen prison could be added to his short biography. Alexander Radishchev, whose writer friends turned their backs on the exile, lived there for only six years. In 1796, Emperor Paul, known for his confrontation with his mother, released the writer. And in 1801 he was amnestied.
Link and social activities
Before the publication “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” reached Catherine 2, Alexander served as an official in St. Petersburg. He worked for several years in the department of trade and industry, then moved to customs, served there for 10 years and received the status of chief. However, starting on June 30, 1790, his career was ended once and for all.
As mentioned earlier, the famous book reached the empress, she ordered the arrest of its author and imprisonment in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Alexander Radishchev himself did not deny his guilt, but was very surprised when the authorities prepared the death penalty for him.
He was condemned as a conspirator, and they said that he was much worse than Pugachev. Alexander was credited with an attempt on the health of the government. However, in the end, Catherine 2 took pity and canceled the cruel sentence, attributing a 10-year exile to Siberia.
Last years
Alexander the First summoned the writer to St. Petersburg and appointed him to a position in the Commission for Drafting Laws.
After his exile, Radishchev wrote several poems, but he no longer enjoyed writing. It was difficult for him to drown out his freedom-loving thoughts. In addition, life in Siberia greatly undermined his health; he was no longer young and unhappy. Perhaps all these moments forced the writer to die.
A short biography of Radishchev contains information that there are two options for his death. The first is work related. Allegedly, he proposed introducing laws equalizing the rights of citizens, and the chairman reprimanded him, threatening Siberia. Alexander Nikolaevich took this to heart and poisoned himself.
The second version says that he drank a glass of aqua regia by mistake and died in front of his son. But funeral documents list natural death as the cause of death.
The writer’s grave has not survived to this day.
Family
The writer was married twice. With his first wife Anna Rubanovskaya he had four children. But the woman died during the birth of her last son, Paul. Anna’s sister Ekaterina agreed to look after the motherless children.
It was she who became Radishchev’s second wife, following him into exile. Three more children were born into their marriage. On the way back to St. Petersburg, Catherine fell ill and died. This loss was deeply experienced by all the children and Radishchev.
The short biography and work of the writer are truly dramatic. Despite all the events of his life, he did not give up his views and followed them until his last breath. This is where the power of the human spirit manifests itself!
“Notes of a trip to Siberia”: arrest and exile
Nikolay Baranov. Radishchev during interrogation (fragment). 1949. State Literary Museum, Moscow
On the evening of June 30, 1790, the police came to Radishchev’s home. He was arrested and taken to the Peter and Paul Fortress. July became a month of endless interrogations for the writer. Stepan Sheshkovsky, the head of the Secret Expedition under the Senate, who was in charge of political investigation and was known for his cruelty, was entrusted with his case. In mid-July, the case of “a rebel worse than Pugachev,” as Catherine II called him, came to trial at the St. Petersburg Criminal Chamber. Right during the meeting, “evidence” was read out - quotes from a seditious book.
On July 24, 1790, Alexander Radishchev was sentenced to death. Prosecutors called “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” a book “filled with the most harmful speculations, destroying public peace and belittling due respect for the authorities, striving to create indignation among the people against the bosses and superiors and, finally, offensive, violent expressions against the dignity of and royal power."
For more than a month, Radishchev waited painfully for the death penalty, but the execution of the sentence was delayed. Finally, in early September, he was informed: the empress personally commuted the death sentence to ten years of exile in Siberia, in the Ilimsk prison. On the document, Catherine II wrote in her own hand: “She is going to mourn the deplorable fate of the peasant condition, although it is undeniable that a good landowner does not have a better fate for our peasants in the whole universe.”
It was assumed that Radishchev would go to Siberia immediately after the announcement of the new verdict. Broken by torture and harsh conditions of the Peter and Paul dungeons, he most likely would not have reached the Ilimsk prison. The writer was helped by an old friend and patron, Count Alexander Vorontsov, who tried to make his path into exile easier. Vorontsov wrote to officials of the provinces through which Radishchev was traveling and asked them to treat the political criminal more gently and sent money. In addition, the count tried with all his might to get the sentence commuted - for some time there was even a rumor circulating in St. Petersburg that Radishchev had been pardoned and released. However, the hopes of the writer's friends and relatives were not fulfilled.
Alexander Radishchev arrived in Ilimsk in January 1792. Elizaveta Vasilievna, the sister of his late wife, and two younger sons went into exile with him. The writer expressed his impressions of the long and difficult journey in his letters to Count Vorontsov and travel notes “Notes of a Travel to Siberia.” He worked on the “Abridged Narrative of the Acquisition of Siberia” about the history of the region, studied philosophy, and created the work “On Man, His Mortality and Immortality,” where he reflected on the debate between materialists and idealists that captured the minds of thinkers of the late 18th century.
In exile, Radishchev married for the second time - to Elizaveta Rubanovskaya, the sister of his late wife. She was not destined to return with her husband from Siberia: she died in 1797 in Tobolsk.
Alexander Radishchev did not live the required 10 years in exile: in 1796 he was freed by Paul I, who sought to cancel as many decisions as possible of his mother, Catherine II.
