There is an opinion that classical works are no longer relevant, because the new generation has completely different ideals and life values. People who think so are deeply mistaken.
Classics is the best that has been created in the entire history of world literature. She brings up taste and moral concepts.
These books are capable of transferring the reader to the past, introducing him to historical events. Even if you do not take into account all these advantages, it is worth noting that reading classical works is insanely interesting.
Every citizen of the country should get acquainted with the main works created by his compatriots. There are quite a few talented authors in Russia.
This article will focus on the most famous Russian writers. Their works are the literary wealth of our country.
10. Anton Chekhov
Years of life: January 29, 1860 - July 15, 1904.
Famous works: “Ward No. 6”, “A man in a case”, “Lady with a dog”, “Uncle Vanya”, “Chameleon”.
The writer began his creative activity with short, humorous stories. These were real masterpieces. He ridiculed human vices, forcing readers to pay attention to their shortcomings.
In the 90s of the XIX century, he went to Sakhalin Island, the concept of his work is changing. Now his works are about the human soul, about feelings.
Chekhov is a talented playwright. His plays were criticized, not everyone liked them, but Anton Pavlovich did not embarrass this fact, he continued to do what he liked.
The most important thing in his plays is the inner world of heroes. Chekhov's work is a unique phenomenon in Russian literature, in its entire history no one has created anything like this.
9. Vladimir Nabokov
Years of life: April 22, 1899 - July 2, 1977.
The most popular works: “Lolita”, “Luzhin Defense”, “Gift”, “Mashenka”.
Nabokov's works cannot be called traditional classics; they are distinguished by a unique style. He is called an intellectual writer; in his work, the main role belongs to the imagination.
The writer does not attach importance to real events, he wants to show the emotional experiences of the heroes. Most of his characters are misunderstood geniuses, lonely and suffering.
A real revolution in literature was the novel "Lolita". Initially, Nabokov wrote it in English, but decided to do translation for Russian-speaking readers. The novel is still considered shocking, even despite the fact that modern man does not differ in Puritan views.
8. Fedor Dostoevsky
Years of life: November 11, 1821 - February 9, 1881.
The most famous works: “Crime and Punishment”, “Brothers Karamazov”, “Idiot”.
The first works of Dostoevsky were tremendous success, but the writer was arrested for political views. Fedor Mikhailovich was fond of utopian socialism. The death penalty was appointed, but at the last moment they replaced it with hard labor.
This period of his life had a strong influence on the psyche of the writer, there was no trace of his socialist ideas. Dostoevsky gained faith and rethought his attitude to the common people. Now the heroes of his novels are ordinary people who fell under the influence of external circumstances.
The main thing in his works is the psychological state of the heroes. Dostoevsky was able to uncover the nature of a wide variety of human emotions: rage, humiliation, self-destruction.
Dostoevsky’s works are known all over the world, but literary scholars still cannot come to a consensus and find answers to many questions regarding the work of this writer.
7. Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Years of life: December 11, 1918 - August 3, 2008.
The most famous works: "The Gulag Archipelago," "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich."
Solzhenitsyn is compared with Leo Tolstoy, even considered his successor. He also loved the truth and wrote “solid” works about people's lives and about social phenomena occurring in society.
The writer wanted to draw the attention of readers to the problems of totalitarianism. Moreover, he described historical events from different angles.
The reader gets a unique opportunity to understand how people who were on “different sides of the barricades” treated this or that historical fact.
A distinctive feature of his work is called documentary. Each of his hero is a prototype of a real person. Solzhenitsyn did not engage in literary fiction, he simply described life.
6. Ivan Bunin
Years of life: October 22, 1870 - November 8, 1953.
The most famous works: “Arsenyev’s Life”, “Mitin’s Love”, “Dark Alleys”, “Sunstroke”.
Bunin began his career as a poet. But, perhaps, prose made him famous. He loved to write about the life of the Russian countryside, about the bourgeoisie, about love, about nature.
Ivan Alekseevich understood that he couldn’t return his old life, he really regretted it. Bunin hated the Bolsheviks. When the revolution began, he was forced to leave Russia.
His works, written abroad, are saturated with homesickness. Bunin was the first writer to receive a Nobel Prize in literature.
5. Ivan Turgenev
Years of life: November 9, 1818 - September 3, 1883.
The most famous works: “Fathers and Sons”, “Notes of the Hunter”, “On the Eve”, “Asya”, “Mumu”.
The work of Ivan Sergeyevich can be divided into three periods. His first works are filled with romance. He wrote poetry and prose.
The second stage is “Notes of the hunter”. This is a storybook in which the theme of the peasantry is revealed. "Notes" became the reason why Turgenev was sent into exile in the family estate. The authorities did not like the collection.
The third period is the most mature. The writer became interested in philosophical topics. He began to write about love, death, duty. During this period, the novel “Fathers and Sons” was created, which was loved not only by Russian, but also by foreign readers.
4. Nikolai Gogol
Years of life: 1809 - March 4, 1852.
The most famous works: “Dead Souls”, “Viy”, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, “Examiner”, “Taras and Bulba”.
Gogol became interested in literature as a student. The first experience did not bring him success, but he did not give up.
It is difficult to describe his work now. The works of Nikolai Vasilievich are multifaceted, not like each other.
One of the stages is “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka”. This is a story on the theme of Ukrainian folklore, they are similar to fairy tales, readers love them very much.
Another stage - plays, the writer makes fun of contemporary reality for him. Dead Souls is a satirical work about Russian bureaucracy and serfdom. This book brought Gogol great fame abroad.
3. Mikhail Bulgakov
Years of life: May 15, 1891 - March 10, 1940.
The most famous works: “Master and Margarita”, “Dog’s Heart”, “White Guard”, “Fatal Eggs”.
Bulgakov’s name is inextricably linked with the novel “Masters and Margarita”. This book did not bring him popularity during his lifetime, but made him famous after his death.
This work is of interest to readers in Russia and abroad. There is a place for satire, there are elements of fiction and a love line.
In all his works, Bulgakov strove to show the true state of things, the shortcomings of the current system of power, the dirt and falsity of philistinism.
2. Leo Tolstoy
Years of life: September 9, 1828 - November 20, 1910.
The most famous works: “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina”, “Family Happiness”.
Foreigners associate Russian literature with the name of Leo Tolstoy. This great writer is known all over the world.
The novels “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina” need no introduction. In them, Lev Nikolaevich describes the life of the Russian nobility.
Of course, his work is very multifaceted. These are military novels, diaries, articles and letters. His works have still not lost their relevance, and cause keen interest in the reader, because he raises important issues that will concern humanity at all times.
1. Alexander Pushkin
Years of life: May 26, 1799 - January 29, 1837.
The most famous works: “Eugene Onegin”, “Dubrovsky”, “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, “Song of the Prophetic Oleg”.
Pushkin is called the greatest writer of all time. He wrote his first poem when he was 15.
The life of Alexander Sergeyevich was very short, but during this time he managed to write many poems about love and not only. The same list contains plays, prose and drama, and even fairy tales for children.