Alexander Kuprin short biography. Alexander Kuprin: biography of the writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin short biography

  • 08.12.2021

Photo from 1912
A.F. Marx

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on September 7 (August 26 according to the old style), 1870 in the city of Narovchat in the Penza province (now the village of Narovchat in the Penza region) into a noble family. Father - Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin (1834-1871). Mother - Lyubov Alekseevna Kuprina (maiden name Kulunchakova) (1838-1910). When Alexander Ivanovich was a year old, his father died, and Lyubov Alekseevna moved to Moscow with her son. The education of the future writer begins at the Moscow Razumov School in 1876, at the age of six. After graduating from school in 1880, he entered the Second Moscow Military Gymnasium. And in 1887 he already entered the Alexander Military School. During the training, a test of the pen takes place: an unsuccessful attempt to write poetry and the story "The Last Debut", which in 1889 is published in the journal "Russian satirical sheet". The writer wrote about this period of his life in the novel "Junker" and the stories "At the Break (The Cadets)".
After graduating from college in 1890, with the rank of lieutenant, he began serving in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment in the Podolsk province (now part of the Vinnitsa, Khmelnitsky and Odessa regions in Ukraine). But already in 1894 he retired and moved to Kiev.
Since 1894, Kuprin traveled a lot around the Russian Empire and tried himself in various professions, which gave him rich material for his works. During this period, get acquainted with Chekhov, Gorky and Bunin. In 1901 he moved to St. Petersburg.
In 1902 he marries Maria Karlovna Davydova (1881-1966), with whom he lived until 1907, and in the same year begins to live with Elizaveta Moritsovna Heinrich (1882-1942), and signs with her in 1909, after receiving an official divorce from his first wife.
In the nineties, some works of Alexander Ivanovich were published, but he gained fame in 1905, after the publication of the story "Duel". From 1905 to 1914, many of Kuprin's works were published. In 1906 he was a candidate for the State Duma.
After the outbreak of the First World War in the summer of 1914, he opened a hospital at his home, but already in December 1914 he was mobilized. In 1915 he was demobilized for health reasons.
He enthusiastically accepts the February Revolution of 1917. After the October Revolution, for some time he tries to work with the Bolsheviks, but does not accept their views and joins the White movement. In the North-Western Army, Yudenich was engaged in editorial work in the newspaper "Prinevsky Territory". After a major defeat of the army, he leaves first for Finland in 1919, and then for France in 1920. In Paris, Kuprin wrote three long novels, many short stories and essays. In 1937, at the invitation of the government and Stalin's personal permission, he returned to the USSR. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from cancer. He was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery next to Turgenev.

Life and work of A. I. Kuprin.

The future pen master was born into a noble family on 09/07/1870, in the Penza province, Narovchat. His parents were nobles.
At the age of six, Sasha was assigned to the Moscow Razumov School. The next stage of his education was a military gymnasium, after which, becoming a cadet, he was trained at the Alexander Military School until 1890.
At the school, the future master of the word wrote his first youthful poems, some of them have survived to this day. The first publication appeared in 1889 in a magazine called "Russian satirical sheet" and was called "The Last Debut".
Being in the rank of second lieutenant of an infantry regiment, Kuprin continued to try his pen. His works: “In the Dark”, “Inquiry”, “Moonlight Night” were published in St. Petersburg by the magazine “Russian Wealth”.
Army brutal morals, hopeless boredom and endless drill, averted the military from continuing to serve. Having retired in 1894, he settled in Kiev. After moving to this city, books were published: a book of stories "Miniatures" and a collection of essays "Kiev types".
For about seven years, Alexander Ivanovich traveled around the expanses of his homeland and mastered various crafts, worked as a land surveyor, fisherman, teacher, actor, and even worked in a circus. The accumulated impressions are reflected in his books. For example, in the story "Moloch" the hopeless exhausting work of factory workers is described. And in 1898, "Polesye stories" and the story "Olesya" were created.
The wanderings ended in 1901 and the young writer, on the advice of I. Bunin, settled in St. Petersburg and married M. K. Davydova. He was hired by the Magazine for All.
The flowering of the author's talent came in the years between the two revolutions. In 1905, the story "Duel" was published. She brought Kuprin universal fame. Publications followed one after another, from 1904 to 1917 the stories were published: "Garnet Bracelet", "Gambrinus", "Emerald", "Shulamith", the story "Pit", as well as the first collected works.
Friendship with M. Gorky and A. Chekhov contributed a lot to the formation of the writer and his participation in society. Alexander Ivanovich helped the rebel sailors from the cruiser Ochakov hide from the police. When the First World War began, Alexander voluntarily joined the army, but was soon demobilized. Upon his return, he placed wounded soldiers in his house in Gatchina.
Changes also affected family life. Divorced from his first wife, he married E. M. Heinrikh. In 1909, the work of the prose writer was awarded the Pushkin Prize. And in 1915 the complete works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin were published.
The February Revolution of 1917 brought the prose writer closer to the Socialist-Revolutionaries. He accepted it with enthusiasm, but the new government brought dictatorship and civil war to the country. Disappointed, Kuprin joined Yudenich's army, and in 1920 he immigrated with his wife and daughter to France.
Alexander Ivanovich continued to work in immigration. There was created a novel-autobiography "Junker", the books "New stories and stories", "Elan", "Wheel of time". But life abroad turned out to be filled with poverty and nostalgia for their native land. His return to Russia in 1937 was supported by IV Stalin.
At home, the Kuprin family was given a warm welcome, housing and medical services were provided. The writer by that time suffered from cancer of the esophagus. His last essay "Moscow dear" became the final point in the author's work.
Kuprin A.I. died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad, at the age of 67. He rests at the Volkovsky cemetery. His wife survived him for a short time, unable to withstand the hunger during the Leningrad blockade, she committed suicide.
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is an outstanding Russian realist writer, his works describe events in which he was a participant or an eyewitness. And vividly draw the life and way of life of his contemporaries. With his work, he managed to make a significant contribution to Russian literature.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin and Russian literature of the early 20th century are inseparable. This happened because the writer in his own works covered contemporary life, discussed topics and sought answers to questions that are usually classified as eternal. All his work is based on life prototypes. Alexander Ivanovich drew stories from life, he only refracted this or that situation in artistic terms. According to the generally accepted opinion, the work of this author belongs to the literary direction of realism, but there are pages that are written in the style of romanticism.

In 1870, a boy was born in one of the cities of the Penza province. They named him Alexander. Sasha's parents were poor nobles.

The boy's father served as a secretary in court, and his mother was engaged in housekeeping. Fate decreed that after Alexander was one year old, his father died suddenly from an illness.

After this sad event, the widow with children goes to live in Moscow. The further life of Alexander, one way or another, will be connected with Moscow.

Sasha studied at a cadet boarding school. Everything indicated that the fate of the boy would be connected with military affairs. But in reality it turned out to be completely different. The theme of the army has firmly entered the literary work of Kuprin. Military service is devoted to such works as "Army Ensign", "Cadets", "Duel", "Junkers". It is worth noting that the image of the main character of "Duel" is autobiographical. The author admits that he created the image of a second lieutenant, based on the experience of his own service.

The year 1894 was marked for the future prose writer by his resignation from military service. This happened due to his explosive nature. At this time, the future prose writer is looking for himself. He tries to write, and the very first experiments become successful.

Some of the stories written by him are published in magazines. This period until 1901 can be called the fruitful period of Kuprin's literary work. The following works have been written: "Olesya", "Lilac Bush", "Wonderful Doctor" and many others.

In Russia, during this period of time, popular unrest is brewing due to opposition to capitalism. The young author reacts creatively to these processes.

The result was the story "Moloch", where he refers to ancient Russian mythology. Under the guise of a mythological creature, he shows the spiritual power of capitalism.

Important! When "Moloch" saw the light, its author began to communicate closely with the luminaries of Russian literature of that period. These are Bunin, Chekhov, Gorky.

In 1901, Alexander met his only one and tied the knot. After the marriage, the couple moved to St. Petersburg. At this time, the writer is active both in the literary field and in public life. Written works: "White Poodle", "Horse Thieves" and others.

In 1911 the family moved to live in Gatchina. At this time, a new theme appears in creativity - love. He writes "Shulamith".

A. I. Kuprin "Garnet bracelet"

In 1918, the couple emigrated to France. Abroad, the writer continues to work fruitfully. Written over 20 stories. Among them are "Blue Star", "Yu-Yu" and others.

1937 became a landmark in the sense that Alexander Ivanovich was allowed to return to his homeland. The sick writer returns to Russia. He lives in his homeland for only a year. The ashes rest at the Volkovsky cemetery in Leningrad.

The most important thing you need to know about the life and work of this outstanding author is placed in the chronological table:

dateEvent
September 26 (August 7), 1870Birth of Kuprin
1874Moving with mother and sisters to Moscow
1880–1890Education in military schools
1889Publication of the first story "The Last Debut"
1890–1894Service
1894–1897Moving to Kiev and writing
1898"Polesye stories"
1901–1903Marriage and moving to St. Petersburg
1904–1906Printing of the first collected works
1905"Duel"
1907–1908Addresses the love theme in creativity
1909–1912Received the Pushkin Prize. "Garnet Bracelet" published.
1914Military service
1920Emigration to France with family
1927–1933A fruitful period of creativity abroad
1937Return to Russia
1938Death in Leningrad

The most important thing about Kuprin

Briefly, the biography of the writer can be summarized in several key milestones of his life. Alexander Ivanovich comes from an impoverished noble family. It so happened that the boy was left without a father early. For this reason, the formation of personality was quite difficult. After all, as you know, a boy needs a father. The mother, having moved to Moscow, decides to assign her son to study at a military school. Therefore, the army way of life had a strong influence on Alexander Ivanovich, his worldview.

Main stages of life:

  • Until 1894, that is, before retiring from military service, the aspiring author tried his hand at writing.
  • After 1894, he realized that writing was his vocation, so he devoted himself entirely to creativity. Reduces acquaintance with Gorky, Bunin, Chekhov and other writers of that time.
  • The revolution of 1917 approved Kuprin in the idea that they might be right in their views on power. Therefore, the writer with his family cannot stay in Russia and is forced to emigrate. For almost 20 years, Alexander Ivanovich has been living in France and working fruitfully. A year before his death, he is allowed to return to his homeland, which he does.
  • In 1938, the writer's heart stopped beating forever.

Useful video: the early period of creativity of A. I. Kuprin

Biography for children

The guys get acquainted with the name of Kuprin while studying in elementary school. Below is the biographical information about the writer that students need.

It is important for children of primary school age to know that Alexander Ivanovich turned to the topic of children and childhood for a reason. He writes on the subject simply and naturally. In this cycle, he creates a large number of stories about animals. In general, in the works of this direction, Kuprin expresses a humane attitude towards all living things.

In the stories, the heroes of which are children, the theme of orphanhood is sharply expressed. Perhaps this is due to the fact that their author himself was left without a father early. But it is worth noting that he shows orphanhood as a social problem. The works about children and for children include "The Wonderful Doctor", "Yu-Yu", "Taper", "Elephant", "White Poodle" and many others.

Important! Undoubtedly, the contribution of this outstanding writer to the development and formation of children's literature is extremely great.

A. I. Kuprin in Gatchina

Kuprin's last years

In Kuprin's childhood, there were many difficulties, and there were no less problems in the last years of his life. In 1937 he was allowed to return to the Soviet Union. He was greeted solemnly. Among those welcoming the famous prose writer were many famous poets and writers of that time. In addition to these people, there were a lot of admirers of Alexander Ivanovich's work.

By this time, Kuprin had been diagnosed with cancer. This disease greatly undermined the resources of the writer's body. Returning to his homeland, the prose writer hoped that staying in his native land would only benefit him. Unfortunately, the hopes of the writer were not destined to come true. A year later, the talented realist was gone.

last years of life

Kuprin in video footage

In the modern world of informatization, a lot of biographical information about creative people has been digitized. The TV channel “My Joy” broadcasts a series of programs “My Live Journal” on its air. In this cycle there is a program about the life and work of Alexander Kuprin.

On the TV channel "Russia. Culture” broadcasts a series of lectures about writers. The duration of the video is 25 minutes. Moreover, lectures about Alexander Ivanovich also constitute a cycle. There are those that tell about childhood and youth and about the period of emigration. Their duration is about the same.

On the Internet there are collections of videos about Kuprin. Even a whole virtual page is dedicated to the famous Russian writer. This page also has links to audiobooks. At the very end are reader reviews.

Homecoming

Wikipedia about Kuprin

The electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia contains a voluminous informational article about Alexander Ivanovich. It tells in detail about the life path of the prose writer. Detailed descriptions of his main works are given. The information concerning the writer's family is quite fully covered. This text is accompanied by personal photographs of Kuprin.

After the main information, the author's bibliography is presented, and almost all books have electronic links. Anyone who is truly interested in his work can read their interest. There are also links to videos with screened works of Alexander Ivanovich. At the end of the article, memorable places associated with the name of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin are listed, many of which are illustrated with photographs.

Useful video: biography of A.I. Kuprin

Conclusion

70 years have passed since the death of Kuprin. This is a fairly large time span. But, despite this, the popularity of the works of Alexander Ivanovich does not decrease. This is due to the fact that they contain things that are clear to everyone. The works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin must be read by anyone who wants to better understand the nature of relationships and the motives that drive different people. They are a kind of encyclopedia of moral qualities and deep feelings of any person.

In contact with

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a talented and original Russian writer of the late XIX - early XX century. Kuprin's personality, like his work, is an explosive mixture of a nobleman, a noble robber and a poor wanderer. A huge, unprocessed precious nugget, in which the primitive beauty and strength of character, the power and magnetism of personal charm are preserved.

Biography of Kuprin briefly

Alexander Kuprin was born on August 26, 1870 in the Penza province. His father was a petty official of noble origin, and his mother's pedigree had Tatar roots. The boy was orphaned early and for almost seventeen years he was in military state institutions - an orphanage, a gymnasium, a cadet, and later, a cadet school. Intellectual inclinations made their way through the armor of military drill, and young Alexander had a dream of becoming a poet or writer. At first there were youthful poems, but after military service in the provincial garrisons, the first stories and novels appear. The novice writer takes the plot of these works from his own life. Kuprin's creative life begins with the story "Inquiry", written in 1894. In the same year, he retires and sets off to wander around the south of Russia. competitions of athletes, worked at a factory in the Donbass, served as a forest ranger in Volyn, studied to be a dental technician, played in a provincial theater and circus, worked as a land surveyor.These travels enriched his life and writing experience.Gradually, Kuprin becomes a professional writer, printing his not accepting the October Revolution, Kuprin emigrates and lives abroad until 1937. Nostalgia for the homeland responded not only with a creative decline, but also with physical ill health. .

Creativity Kuprin

In 1896, Kuprin wrote and published the story "Moloch", which is the beginning of a new stage in the creative life of a novice writer and a completely new work for Russian literature. Capitalism, despite its progressiveness, is a ruthless moloch that devours the lives and destinies of people to obtain material In 1898 he publishes the story "Olesya", the first of his few works about love. Naive and beautiful in its naivete, the pure love of a forest girl, or as she is called in the district of the “sorceress” Olesya, breaks down on the timidity and indecision of her lover. A person of a different circle and worldview was able to awaken love, but failed to protect his beloved. From the beginning of a new , 20th century, Kuprin began to be published in St. Petersburg magazines. The heroes of his works are ordinary people who know how to preserve honor and dignity, not to betray friendship. In 1905, the story "Duel" was published, which the author dedicates to Maxim Gorky. Alexander Ivanovich writes about love and human devotion in the story "Shulamith" and the story "Garnet Bracelet". There are not so many works in world literature where they describe so subtly a hopeless, unrequited, and at the same time, selfless feeling of love, as Kuprin does in "Garnet Bracelet".

  • Alexander Kuprin himself is a great romantic, even an adventurer in some ways. In 1910 he takes off in a hot air balloon.
  • In the same year, but a little later, he was one of the first in Russia to fly an airplane.
  • He sinks to the seabed, studying diving, and befriends the Balaklava fishermen. And then everyone he meets in life appears on the pages of his works - from the millionaire capitalist to the beggar.

A.I. Kuprin is a bright representative of Russian critical realism, whose work fell on the most difficult pre- and post-revolutionary years of the 20th century.

Writer Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich (1870 - 1938).

Young years

Alexander was born in the small town of Narovchat (today it is the Penza region) on August 26, 1870. He was orphaned very early (his father died when the child was one year old; a period of considerable material difficulties began for a mother with a young son). Mother managed to give Sasha an education: having moved to Moscow, he studied at the Moscow Razumovsky boarding school.

In 1887, Alexander was accepted as a student at the Alexander Military School. The years of study became for him a period of accumulation of experience and the first literary works. In 1889 he published a story, which he gave the title "The Last Debut".

Stormy youth and the beginning of maturity

After studying for about 4 years, Kuprin served in the Dnieper Infantry Regiment, and then, after retiring, he traveled around the south of Russia and tried himself in various professions: from a loader to a dentist. At this time, he is already beginning to actively write. The story “Moloch”, the story “Olesya”, which later became classics, the stories “Shulamith” and “Garnet Bracelet” are published. From the writer's pen came the story "The Duel", which brought him literary fame.

During the First World War, Kuprin opened a military hospital in his own house, and participated in hostilities. He was interested in politics, in his views he was close to the Social Revolutionaries.

Emigration and return home

Kuprin did not accept the October Revolution, joined the White movement, and emigrated in 1919. For 17 years he lived in Paris, while continuing to work. One of the most significant works of this period is the story "Junker", based on memoirs. Diseases, poverty, nostalgia for Russia forced the writer to return to the Soviet Union in 1937. But he had only a year to live - Alexander Ivanovich died on August 25, 1938.

His works, whose heroes are representatives of the poor intelligentsia and the common people, have not lost their relevance in our time. The heroes of Kuprin love life, they are trying to survive, to resist the surrounding cynicism and vulgarity. They live in a natural, changing world, where they are forever intertwined and have an endless dispute between Good and Evil.

Information about Kuprin briefly.