"Cool head and passionate heart". The Presidential Library marks Nikolay Dobrolyubov's anniversary

February 5, 2021, marks the 185th anniversary of Nikolay Alexandrovich Dobrolyubov - writer, publicist, literary critic.

Marking the writer's anniversary, the Presidential Library's portal releases digital copies of Collected Works by N. A. Dobrolyubov in eight volumes, issued in 1911. Also, digital copies of rare books that reveal both Dobrolyubov's oeuvre and personality are available in free access and the institution's collections.

"…Nekrasov did not involve many words to characterize the life of his early departed employee in the speech said near his fresh grave: "Poor childhood in the house of a poor priest, poor half-starved study; then four years of pressed hectic work, and finally a year abroad, spent in anticipation of death - the whole biography of Dobrolyubov", - writes the literary critic Vladimir Kranikhfeld in the foreword to Collected Works by N. A. Dobrolyubov. <...> "But, is it fair that only external events determine the way of human life? They are rather a frame for it... A simple, inelaborate frame for the external events of Dobrolyubov's life comprises a picture of great historical significance and value".

...Nikolay Dobrolyubov lived only 25 years. But, despite the youth, he wrote the best critical articles of that time: What is Oblomovism?, A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom, When Will the Real Day Come?. Chernyshevsky appointed him the editor of the literary-critical section of the Sovremennik magazine without any hesitation. Fate gave him only four years for literary activity. Dobrolyubov managed to become "the beauty and pride of Russian literature, who laid his powerful spell on the Russian intelligentsia of the 1860s". Vladimir Kranichfeld pointed out: "Dobrolyubov's ideas of his works no longer belong to him alone. They are the common property of all of us, and we often use them as an erased coin, having no idea who and why minted it".

"Dobrolyubov combined criticism with quite definite ideals and convictions... with the constant desire for greater fairness in human relations. His brilliant articles demonstrated "cool head and passionate heart", states the Narodny Uchitel' (People's Teacher) magazine in the article devoted to the 50th anniversary of Dobrolyubov's death.

Meanwhile, Dobrolyubov was very sensitive. Critic Alexander Skabichevsky describes the relationship of the young editor with the already famous Turgenev in the book N. A. Dobrolyubov, His Life and Literary Career(1894): "Ideal singleness in all literary relations and the lack of worship of any authority were the main reasons for the dispute of Dobrolyubov and Turgenev... Once, Turgenev came to the editorial office and said to Panayev and Nekrasov: "Gentlemen, do not forget, I expect you all to dine with me today", and then he added, turning his head to Dobrolyubov: "Come you too, young man". Avdotya Golovacheva (Panaeva) noted that he "must consider himself the happiest person today, having received an invitation to dinner from the chief literary general". Dobrolyubov, wounded by this contemptuous treatment, replied that he would not go anywhere: "Unfortunately, I have no tailcoat. I can not dare to come to the general in the frock coat".

"Dobrolyubov is usually portrayed as a callous, cold and rational person who does not know exciting feelings and lives only by an ascetic thought. Dobrolyubov also often describes himself this way. The diaries show that this is all nonsense. Humaneness was the other side of Dobrolyubov", notes the historian of Russian literature Valerian Polyansky in the foreword to the publication Diaries. 1851–1859 by N. A. Dobrolyubov.

"Life attracts me, and its temptation is irresistible", admits Dobrolyubov in one of his student diaries. A little later, having already graduated from the institute, he writes to his friend Alexander Zlatovratsky: "You and I are just beginning our spring... We are waiting for the delights of science, thought, truth, joy, love and friendship" - lines from this letter are quoted in the foreword to Collected Works by N. A. Dobrolyubov. But life brought no joys to Dobrolyubov both in childhood, adolescence and youth...

"Another year "disappeared into eternity"! And the other year passed, and my life lost a year! Sadly I met this year, which I was waiting for, I may say, with impatience. I hoped and expected a lot... But then it came, at the very beginning, my hopes crumbled to dust... Sad, sad!..", - writes 15-year-old Nikolay in his diary on January 1, 1852.

Valerian Polyansky told that young Dobrolyubov "cried and was irritated listening to a story about some misfortune... suffered being a witness of suffering... Everything that he saw and heard rose... a heavy feeling of discontent"... The first words that he wrote were: "Pure happiness lies in the easy conscience".

Dobrolyubov wrote in the article Nikolay Vladimirovich Stankevich (1858), published in the second volume of Collected Works: "It's time for us to make sure that the longing for suffering and hardship is unnatural for people. Romantic phrases about denying oneself, labour for labour, or "such a goal that has nothing in common with our personality" are the features of the medieval knight of rueful countenance. They are very curious related to an educated person of our time".

Diaries and early articles reveal the development of Dobrolyubov's personality, as well as his views. So, in 1853, the 17-year-old Dobrolyubov laments about his sins and grieves about "laziness to prayer, distraction and frivolity, free judgments, lies, cunning, seeking for popularity". Later he already doubts "the most important truth of salvation". By the age of 19, he is an atheist, a supporter of materialistic philosophy: he talks about the works of Feuerbach, and follows the polemics of Chernyshevsky with Herzen. In the same 1855, Dobrolyubov confesses that he "discusses great questions" with his friends and that they "are most interested in native Russia with its great future". Two years later, he will formulate his civic stance: "I am a desperate socialist, even now ready to enter into a poor society with equal rights...".

Nikolay Dobrolyubov died of tuberculosis in 1861. He was buried at the site for prominent art figures of the Volkovo Cemetery in Saint-Petersburg.