The Presidential Library marking the 255th anniversary of Ivan Krylov. Famous fabulist through the eyes of his contemporaries

Ivan Andreevich Krylov was born on February 13, 1769 in the family of a poor army captain. After his father’s death, according to literary critic Vladislav Kenevich in the article Ivan Andreevich Krylov (1904), “the poverty that visited his family forced the mother to assign her son to the service. And so, 14-year-old Krylov, barely able to hold a pen in his hand” instead of school, goes to the magistrate with the rank of clerk. However, according to researchers of the fabulist’s work, it was “his service and early need that very early gave him some worldly experience, or at least developed in him the ability to understand human properties and the complex network of social relations”. Krylov did not have the opportunity to receive a good classical education, but his father left him a chest of books as an inheritance, and his mother managed to instill a love of work and reading.

As a result, the future classic, despite his insufficient education, entered the literary field very early: he was not yet twenty years old when he wrote his first theatrical plays. Then young Krylov takes up operas. Then he tries himself in the tragic genre, and finally moves on to comedy. He is also involved in journalism and publishing.

At the end of the nineties, Krylov met Prince Sergei Golitsyn and began serving as his secretary and teacher of his children. Ivan Andreevich taught the basics of Russian literature and foreign languages.

Fame came to Krylov in his anniversary year of 1809, when 23 of his fables were first published as a separate publication. Since then, publications have followed one after another, the last, published during his lifetime, in 1843, consisted of 9 books, which contained about 200 fables. The appearance of each new fable of his was an event - journalists extolled them, the public learned them by heart. New editions were sold in great demand. Krylov, with his characteristic humor, explained such an unprecedented demand for his books by the fact that they are given to children, and children, as you know, tear books...

“He had a brilliant mind”, - wrote historian Alexei Markevich about Krylov, compiler of the collection “Krylov and His Fables” (1895), a digital copy of which is available in the collections of the Presidential Library. The author says that Ivan Andreevich’s abilities were so great that when his friend, the writer Gnedich, who had studied the Greek language all his life, began to complain about the difficulties of translating the Iliad, Krylov, already in his old age, made a bet with him and, at the same time, kind of empty, that in two years he will know this language well. And indeed, Krylov almost did not leave the house all this time and studied the Greek language so much that he read all the Greek writers fluently.”

Ivan Andreevich was very unpretentious in everyday life. The only thing he was partial to was good food. Markevich in his article called him “a big gourmand”. Krylov turned a blind eye to everything else. He dressed quite casually, for almost thirty years, from 1812 to 1841, while serving in the Imperial Public Library, he lived in a government apartment, spending almost all his free time at home and reading whatever came to hand. To the reproaches of those around him that over time he began to write little, Krylov replied that he preferred to hear this, and not that it was high time for him to stop writing. Markevich cites such a case that characterizes the fabulist. Krylov had a large painting in a heavy frame hanging above the sofa, where he liked to lie. When it fell off one of the nails and hung sideways, they tried to explain to Krylov that it was dangerous and the painting needed to be secured. He answered that, according to the calculation he had made, the picture, having finally broken off, would fall without hitting him on the sofa...

The way he often was in life: in a natural and calm pose, with a book in his hands, Krylov was introduced by the famous sculptor Pyotr Klodt, the author of the monument to the fabulist, installed in the Summer Garden of St. Petersburg. The pedestal is decorated with bronze images of people and animals - the heroes of his fables. One can learn about archival documents about the construction of the monument, look at postcards and photographs thanks to the collection Monuments to Ivan Krylov.

One can learn more about the life and career of the famous fabulist on the Presidential Library's portal in the collection Ivan Krylov (1769–1844), which includes rare publications, studies, textbooks, biographical articles, archival documents, collections of Krylov’s works, in particular, The Complete Works of Ivan Krylov and lifetime publications as well as various illustrative materials.