Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev - Russian prose writer, poet, philosopher, member of the Commission for the Drafting of Laws under Alexander 1. He gained the greatest popularity thanks to his main book "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow".
The biography of Alexander Radishchev is full of many interesting facts from his public life.
So, before you is a short biography of Alexander Radishchev.
Biography of Alexander Radishchev
Alexander Radishchev was born on August 20 (31), 1749 in the village of Verkhnee Ablyazovo. He grew up and was brought up in a large family with 11 children.
The writer's father, Nikolai Afanasyevich, was an educated and devout man who knew 4 languages. Mother, Fekla Savvichna, came from the noble family of the Argamakovs.
Childhood and youth
Alexander Radishchev spent his entire childhood in the village of Nemtsovo, Kaluga province, where his father's estate was located.
The boy learned to read and write from the Psalter, and also studied French, which was popular at that time.
At the age of 7, Alexander was sent by his parents to Moscow, in the care of his maternal uncle. In the Argamakovs' house, he studied various sciences together with the children of his uncle.
It is curious that a French tutor, who fled his homeland due to political persecution, was involved in raising children. During that period of his biography, under the influence of the knowledge gained, the teenager began to develop free-thinking in himself.
Having reached the age of 13, immediately after the coronation of Catherine II, Radishchev was honored to be among the imperial pages.
Soon the young man served the queen at various events. 4 years later, Alexander, along with 11 young nobles, was sent to Germany to study law.
At this time, biography Radishchev managed to significantly expand his horizons. Returning to Russia, young people looked to the future with enthusiasm and strove to serve for the benefit of the fatherland.
Literature
Alexander Radishchev became interested in writing while still in Germany. Once in St. Petersburg, he met the owner of the Zhivopisets publishing house, where his essay was later published.
In his story, Radishchev described the gloomy village life in colors, and also did not forget to mention serfdom. The work caused great indignation among the officials, but the philosopher continued to write and translate books.
The first separately published work of Alexander Radishchev was published in anonymous circulation.
The work was called "The Life of Fyodor Vasilyevich Ushakov with the addition of some of his works." It was dedicated to a friend of Radishchev at the University of Leipzig.
This book also contained many ideas and statements that ran counter to the ideology of the state.
In 1789 Radishchev decided to present to the censors the manuscript "Travels from St. Petersburg to Moscow", which in the future will bring him both glory and great grief.
It is curious that initially the censors did not see anything seditious in the work, believing that the book was a simple guide. Thus, due to the fact that the commission was too lazy to delve into the deep meaning of "Travel", the story was allowed to be sent to print.
However, no printing house wanted to publish this work. As a result, Alexander Radishchev, together with like-minded people, began to print the book at home.
The first volumes of Travel was sold out instantly. The work caused a great commotion in society and soon ended up in the hands of Catherine the Great.
When the empress read the story, she highlighted particularly egregious phrases. As a result, the entire edition was seized and burned in the fire.
By order of Ekaterina Radishchev was arrested, and later sent into exile in Irkutsk Ilimsk. However, even there he continued to write and reflect on the problems of human nature.
Social activities and exile
Before the scandal associated with the publication of Travel from St. Petersburg to Moscow, Alexander Radishchev held various high positions.
The man worked for several years in the trade and industrial department, and then moved to customs, where in ten years he rose to the position of chief.
It should be noted that after the arrest, Radishchev did not deny his guilt. However, he was perplexed by the fact that he was sentenced to death, imputing high treason to him.
The writer was also accused of allegedly "encroaching on the sovereign's health." Radishchev was saved from death by Catherine, who replaced the sentence with a ten-year exile to Siberia.
Personal life
Over the years of his biography, Alexander Radishchev was married twice.
His first wife was Anna Rubanovskaya. In this union, they had six children, two of whom died in infancy.
Rubanovskaya died during her sixth birth in 1783 at the age of 31.
When the disgraced writer was sent into exile, the younger sister of his late wife named Elizabeth began to look after the children. Over time, the girl came to Radishchev in Ilimsk, taking with her 2 of his children - Ekaterina and Pavel.
In exile, Elizabeth and Alexander began to live as husband and wife. Later they had a boy and two girls.
In 1797 Alexander Nikolaevich became a widower for the second time. On her return from exile, Elizaveta Vasilyevna caught a cold on the way in the spring of 1797 and died in Tobolsk.
Last years and death
Radishchev was released from exile ahead of schedule.
In 1796, Paul I, who is known to have had a terrible relationship with his mother Catherine II, was on the throne.
The emperor, in spite of his mother, ordered to release Alexander Radishchev at will. It is worth noting that the philosopher received full amnesty and restoration of his rights already during the reign of Alexander I in 1801.
During that period of his biography, Radishchev settled in St. Petersburg, developing laws in the relevant commission.
Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev died on September 12 (24), 1802 at the age of 53. There were various rumors about the reasons for his death. They said he committed suicide by drinking poison.
However, then it is not clear how the deceased could have a funeral service in the church, since in Orthodoxy they refuse to perform a funeral service for suicides and generally perform any other funeral rites.
The official document says that Radishchev died of consumption.
