The Presidential Library’s materials tell of Denis Fonvizin’s fate

April 14, 1745 Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, the future classic of Russian literature of the XVIII century and the creator of the genre of Russian household comedy was born in Moscow. The Presidential Library e-collections present both the “Complete Collection of Original Works” by a satirist, published in 1902 and studies on his life and career.  

The same book Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, tells us that the Fonvizins family originates from Baron Peter von Wiesen, who was captured during the Livonian War during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and settled in Russia, and that his grandson, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, became Orthodox. Like many of their compatriots “von Wiesen became real Russian people. They even began to write their last name not in German, that is, separately the background and separately Wiesen, but in Russian solid word: Fonvizin”. “Moreover, the Fonvizins were educated for their time, they were distinguished by great honesty and good family morals”, - the author continues the story of the playwright’s family.  

The book also notes the early abilities of the future writer: “A four year old boy knew how to read, and his father made sure that the meaning of the read was always clear to the child: he stopped him with words that seemed to him incomprehensible to the little boy and explained their meaning. The education of Denis Ivanovich, as we see, was delivered correctly and sensibly at first,  - the author of the above-mentioned work emphasizes.

After graduation from full university course, Fonvizin was enlisted in military service, but he was soon invited to the Foreign College. From this moment his life in St. Petersburg, where he enters the literary circles, where his talent flourishes, began.

An educated, easy-to-communicate young man was loved in society; there were always influential patrons who were ready to promote him through the ranks, to create conditions for literary work. At first it was the cabinet minister Yelagin, an ardent theatergoer, with his patronage Fonvizin managed to write the comedy “Brigadier”, which the whole capital soon began talking about. The Presidential Library’s collections contain the digitized book “Fon-Vizin: His Life and Literary Career" (1892).

Empress Catherine II wished to hear the new Russian comedy herself. “Fonvizin read the “Brigadier” to the empress in the Hermitage, and he read excellently”, - says the preface to the publication “Works of D. I. Fonvizin: Complete Collection of Original Works” (1902), an electronic copy of which is available on the Presidential Library’s portal - and then all the nobles desired to see the author and hear the play”.

The favorable position of Nikita Panin, who was the tutor of the Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich and in charge of foreign affairs, also contributed to the fact that the young writer launched vigorous activity, “fully revealing his talents”. When Panin received an award from the empress for raising a crown prince — an estate with nine thousand souls of peasants — he distributed a royal gift to his best colleagues. The share of Denis Ivanovich had about one thousand two hundred souls of serfs. He became a rich man. In a word, Fonvizin did not have to grumble for life.

The main features of his talent - “observation, a lively mind and satirical talent, the playwright developed in the comedy “The Minor”, enlarging the characters and emphasizing the main flaws of Russian society, which can be found today.

According to another version, which is given in a brief biographical sketch to “Works of D. I. Fonvizin: The Complete Collection of Original Works”, 1902, an electronic copy of which is available in the public domain on the Presidential Library’s portal, after viewing the play, the similar words the prince Grigory Potemkin said to Fonvizin. They were: “Die, Denis, or don't write anything else”...  

But in spite of everything, according to the memoirs of contemporaries “Fonvizin everywhere was a welcome guest”.

Denis Ivanovich stayed cheerful and light tempered, even when a tragedy occurred in 1785 - there was a stroke and paralysis that immobilized the entire left side of his body. Fonvizin often began to leave for Europe for treatment, but it did not work.

The poet I. I. Dmitriev, who met with the writer on the eve of his death, spoke about the last hours and inflexible character of D. I. Fonvizin. His words are cited in D. D. Blagoy’s mentioned work: Fonvizin “entered Derzhavin’s office, supported by two young officers... “ At eleven o'clock in the evening Fonvizin went home, and the next morning, December 12, 1792 he passed away. The writer was buried in St. Petersburg in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery’s cemetery.