“The lord of bold satire” D. I. Fonvizin in the rarities of the Presidential Library

April 3 (April 14, according to the new style), 2017, marks the 272 years anniversary of the birth of writer and creator of Russian popular comedy Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. Apart from saving his creative heritage the digital stock of the Presidential Library also familiarizes readers with dedicated to the writer biographical and literary studies and critical articles of different years.

Fonvizins originate from Baron Peter von Wiesen, who was captured during the Livonian War during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and has settled in Russia. “The grandson of this Peter von Wiesen, under Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, accepted Orthodoxy and from that time the von Wisens became real Russian people. They even began to write their names not in a German manner, that is, the last name’s extension “von” is separately from Wiesen, but in Russian, as a solid word: Fonvizin. It should be also added to this that the Fonvizins in their time were well educated people, distinguishing by great honesty and kind family customs,” – such is the history of the family according the rare edition of 1900 Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, published on the Presidential Library website.

The future writer was born in 1745 in Moscow. “In his four the boy was already able to read, and his father watched that a meaning of whatever he has read was always clear to the child: he stopped him on those words that seemed to him incomprehensible to the little boy, and explained their meaning. The education of Denis Ivanovich, as we see, was put right and smart at its very beginning,” – going by nickname K. P. M. author of the above-mentioned work highpoints.

Indeed, the education of the boy was given great attention: when Moscow University was founded in 1755, his father immediately sent him to a university gymnasium, later Denis enrolled in the students. After graduating from the course in three years, Fonvizin, according to the traditions of that time, enrolled in the military service, but soon left it and was admitted to the ““the foreign collegium,” where he was entrusted with the translations of the highest priority documents.” From this moment of his life in St. Petersburg he is engaged with the literary circles, where his talent blossoms.

The writer D. I. Fonvizin became widely known for his first comedy entitled “The Brigadier-General,” which Catherine II desired to listen read by the author in person. There is a digitized copy of the 1892 year’s book entitled “Fon-Vizin: His life and literary activities” in the Presidential Library stock. We could find in it a following feedback on the creative work of a young writer: “In the “The Brigadier-General” Fon-Vizin, owing to his observation skills, a lively mind and satirical talent, managed to more strikingly put on stage and give life to the very types that his predecessors already noticed and even defined at some length. These types, so to speak, have already been in our literary sphere and, as it was, expected only a skillful pen that would have been able to portray them in relief.”

But the real triumph to Fonvizin was brought by another comedy – “The minor,” forever inscribed the writer's name in the history of national literature. “Public “applauded this play by throwing purses with money” on the stage. They say that Potemkin told Fonvizin in this case: “Die, Denis, or do not write anything else,”” according to a brief biographical essay in the book entitled Writings of D. I. Fonvizin: Complete collected original works. An electronic copy of the 1902 year’s edition is in open access the Presidential Library website.

How such a success of this piece could be explained? “There are two vividly appearing, special to him as a litterateur qualities in the satirical writings of Fonvizin: the gift of “laughing together cheerfully and waspy” (Belinsky) - a huge talent of a humorist-satirist - and the remarkable observation of a realist artist who can grasp the typical aspects of reality and embed into his impressions a great artistic expressiveness,” - D. D. Blagoy writes in his released in 1945 “D. I. Fonvizin” book, available in the electronic reading room of the Presidential Library. The author also quotes the writer: “Fonvizin himself says that he had the ability to “make the faces and speak with the voice of so many people”: “I mocked up the deceased Sumarokov, in truth, masterfully and spoke not only in his voice, but also in his mind, so that he himself could not say any other, as what I spoke with his voice.””

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, quoted in the publication entitled Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, an unrestrained yet sharp-tongued satirist, however, was loved in the society: “To complain and to gloom was not at all in his extremely lively, carefree and cheerful character. Fonvizin was greeted everywhere with open arms, everywhere he was a welcome guest, a sight for sore eyes.”

So he remained until the last days. Evidence of this can be found in already mentioned work by D. D. Blagoy, who refers to the words of the poet I. I. Dmitriev, who saw a seriously ill writer a few hours before his death: “He entered Derzhavin's office, supported by two young officers… He already was not able to use one his hand, and same case was with one his foot, which has grown numb… He spoke struggling, pronouncing each word in gruff and wild voice; but his big eyes rapidly sparkled. “At eleven o'clock in the evening Fonvizin went home, and the next morning, December 12, 1792, he died. The writer was buried in St. Petersburg in the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (Monastery).