Description of Catherine 2 in the captain's daughter. The image of Catherine the Great in works of Russian literature

Pushkin’s depiction of Catherine II was also interpreted from a reactionary position, as the desire of the author of the novel to demonstrate deep respect for the All-Russian autocrat. For a long time, our Pushkin scholars explained both the introduction of the empress into the novel and the peculiarities of her portrayal by censorship circumstances. At one time, D. P. Yakubovich wrote: “Having tried to show Catherine in a “homely way,” Pushkin was finally forced to give her image in a traditionally official, almost popular tone, as the image of a merciful queen, seen through the eyes of noble heroes. This image is in blatant contradiction with the usual sharply negative opinions of Pushkin himself about the “depraved empress”... It is clear that without the conditionally gold leaf face, Pushkin could not even think about publishing his novel.” In the subsequent negative and diminished portrayal of Catherine in the novel, it became dominant.

The introduction of the image of Catherine II into the novel “The Captain's Daughter” is explained by Yu. M. Lotman as Pushkin’s desire to equalize the actions of the impostor and the reigning empress in relation to Grinev and Marya Ivanovna. The “similarity” of the action lies in the fact that both Pugachev and Catherine II - each in a similar situation acts not as a ruler, but as a person. “Pushkin in these years was deeply characterized by the idea that human simplicity forms the basis of greatness (cf., for example, “Commander”), namely, that in Catherine II, according to Pushkin’s story, a middle-aged lady lives next to the empress, walking in the park with the dog, allowed her to show humanity. “The Empress cannot forgive him,” says Catherine II to Masha Mironova. But not only the empress lives in her, but also a person, and this saves the hero, and prevents the unbiased reader from perceiving the image as one-sidedly negative.”

As the researcher rightly wrote, “The Captain’s Daughter” is “such a well-known work” that any deviation from the text or “gross violence against Pushkin’s text” is easily detected.

Let's look at the proposed arguments. The researcher claims that the court convicted Grinev fairly. Let's turn to the text of the novel. The original accusation, which served as the reason for the arrest, was formulated by a member of the Investigative Commission as follows: “On what occasion and at what time did I enter Pugachev’s service and on what orders was I employed by him?” Grinev’s natural reaction: “I answered with indignation that I, as an officer and a nobleman, could not enter into any service with Pugachev and could not accept any orders from him.” Grinev’s indignation is justified, and he answered the court sincerely. We know that this accusation is a fiction, it does not correspond to the facts of Grinev’s true behavior.

The possibility of Grinev’s betrayal seemed to be suggested to the judges by Grinev’s strange fate: he was not hanged by Pugachev, he was at a “feast” with the “villains”, he accepted “gifts from the main villain, a fur coat, a horse and half a piece of money.”

Grinev explained: “how my acquaintance with Pugachev began in the steppe during a snowstorm; how during the capture of the Belogorsk fortress he recognized me and spared me.” The explanation has almost satisfied the members of the Investigative Commission. Next, it was necessary to inform the purpose of the trip to Pugachev - for the release of Marya Ivanovna. Grinev, out of a sense of tact, did not want “the commission to demand an answer,” and he fell silent.

• “My judges, who seemed to begin to listen to my answers with some favor, were again prejudiced against me at the sight of my embarrassment. The guards officer demanded that I be confronted with the main informer.”

What is important in this message is that the judges were prejudiced against Grinev and that the basis of this prejudice was Shvabrin’s denunciation. Shvabrin “repeated his accusations”: “according to him, I was sent by Pugachev to Orenburg as a spy; went out every day to shootouts in order to convey written news about everything that was happening in the city: that he had finally clearly given himself over to the impostor, he traveled with him from fortress to fortress, trying in every possible way to destroy his traitor nobles, in order to take their places and enjoy the rewards distributed from the impostor "

This testimony was an outright lie, a gross slander. Pushkin deliberately prepared the reader to perceive their falsity. Yes, Grinev from Orenburg came to the rebellious settlement to visit Pugachev, but he did not serve under Pugachev, was not his spy. Moreover, we know that when asked by Pugachev about the situation in Orenburg, he told a lie:

• “Now tell me what the state of your city is.
• “Thank God,” I answered, “everything is fine.” - Are you safe? - repeated Pugachev. - And the people are dying of hunger!

The impostor spoke the truth; but I, out of duty of oath, began to assure that all these were empty rumors and that Orenburg had plenty of all kinds of supplies.” Pugachev's associates caught

Yes, Grinev left Orenburg to “exchange fire with Pugachev’s riders,” but he did not convey to them any written news for Pugachev. True, one day he ran into a Cossack and “was about to hit him with his Turkish saber,” but he recognized him as a constable Maksimych, who gave him a letter from Marya Ivanovna, in which she reported on the oppression of Shvabrin. Yes, Grinev traveled with Pugachev from Berdskaya Sloboda to the Belogorsk Fortress, but he traveled in order to help out the captain’s daughter. Mironov.

True to his decision not to involve Marya Ivanovna in the investigation, Grinev refused to give an explanation as to why he went with Pugachev to the Belogorsk fortress. He stated that he stuck to “his first explanation and could not say anything else to justify himself.”

The investigation and trial ended there. Information from the site Bigreferat.ru / site A few weeks later, Grinev the father received a letter from St. Petersburg from his relative Prince B., who informed about the court verdict (the prince’s letter is retold by Grinev the son: “... Suspicions about my participation in The plans of the rioters, unfortunately, turned out to be too thorough that an exemplary execution should have befallen me...").

So, Grinev was convicted on suspicion of treason, of “participating in the plans” of Pugachev, and was convicted on the basis of a false denunciation. I emphasize: the sentence formula - “participation in the plans of the rebels” - is based on Shvabrin’s testimony that Grinev was a spy for Pugachev, that he betrayed his oath and served an impostor. Pushkin not only revealed the deep injustice of the royal court, but also linked together Shvabrin’s false denunciation and the actions of the judges; the gross slander of a vile man and a traitor turned out to be dressed in the form of a court verdict.

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The 18th century is the century of Russian Enlightenment. This is the age of Catherine II. This is the century of the heyday of Russian culture. It is difficult to list everything that was done in this area in the second half of the 18th century. Made on the initiative of an enlightened monarch to establish and glorify the absolute monarchy.

The age of Russian Enlightenment is the age of Reason, people seeking ways to justice and harmony for themselves and for the world. The idea of ​​the dignity and greatness of man, of the capabilities of his mind, was strengthened in the personal consciousness.

Enlightenment philosophy and ideology in Russia were focused on state and universal values, and the latter possessed significant moral and cultural energy. The ultimate goal of a perfect society in all, with a few exceptions, educational ideological and moral constructions of the era, was the perfect man, and the efforts of the Russian people were largely aimed at following the model of the ideal man - the citizen. But assessing the fruits of the reign of Catherine II as a whole (and in the 18th century she remained on the throne longer than any of the crowned heads), we come to the conclusion that this was the era of glory and power of Russia, which secured the status of a great power. As Catherine II admits in her “Notes”, that sooner or later “she will become the autocrat of the Russian Empire,” and step by step, with remarkable consistency, she moved towards this goal. In those circumstances, such a task was, perhaps, only within the power of her character. Catherine very consistently and purposefully moved towards being known as an “enlightened monarchy” and achieved this with her work and patience.

The obvious and hidden paradoxes of the enlightened Catherine's age, its internal duality, have always intrigued the Russian public consciousness. Just remember A.S. Pushkin: Catherine for him, on the one hand, is “Tartuffe in a skirt and crown,” on the other, the wise mother - the empress of “The Captain’s Daughter.”

In literature and painting of the 18th century, the dream of an ideal ruler was embodied in the image of a real monarch, a real person - Empress Catherine II. What should a great ruler of a great power be like? Wise and strong, brave and proud? Or maybe humane, modest, not alien to human weaknesses? These two views of the statesman coexisted at that time in the works of poets and artists, in the minds of their contemporaries. These two views still exist today.

The goal is to consider the image of Catherine II in poetry, painting of the 18th century and in the novel by A.S. Pushkin “The Captain's Daughter”.

Having formulated this goal, we will solve the following tasks:

1. Get acquainted with the literature on this topic.

2. Determine what traditions of depicting Catherine have developed in Russian painting and poetry of the 18th century.

3. Determine which traditions of depicting Catherine were followed by A.P. Sumarokov, G.R. Derzhavin, A. S. Pushkin

Brief biography of the Russian Empress

Catherine was born into the family of the Prussian general Christian August and Johanna Elisabeth from the Holstein-Gottorp family. At birth her name was Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. Her family simply called her Fike. She received a French education.

Sofia came to Russia in 1744 at the invitation of Elizabeth Petrovna, since Sofia’s uncle wooed the Russian Empress, but died before the wedding. On August 28, 1744, 15-year-old Sofia married the 16-year-old heir to the Russian throne, Pyotr Fedorovich (the future Peter III), the son of Anna Petrovna (daughter of Peter I) and Karl Friedrich. Having converted to Orthodoxy, Sophia-Frederica is named Ekaterina Alekseevna. The marriage was unsuccessful, the husband had a mistress, Elizaveta Vorontsova.

On January 5, 1762, after the death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter III ascended the throne. The latter pursued an unreasonable foreign and domestic policy, concluding an alliance with Prussia, abolishing a number of taxes and equalizing the rights of Orthodoxy and Protestantism, which led to an increase in discontent in Russian society and especially in the guard. On July 9, 1762, as a result of a coup d'etat, Catherine was proclaimed empress. The coronation took place on September 13 in Moscow.

Catherine the Great, following Peter I, pursued an active policy, striving to strengthen the Russian Empire and expand its borders. Diplomatic efforts led to the partition of Poland between Russia, Austria and Prussia (1772, 1793 and 1795). Belarus and Right-Bank Ukraine (1793), as well as Courland and Lithuania (1795) went to Russia. As a result of the Russian-Turkish wars (1768-1774 and 1787-1792), the lands of New Russia (1774) (now southern Ukraine), Crimea and Kuban were annexed to Russia. The cities of Sevastopol and Yekaterinoslav were founded. Suvorov was already waiting for the order to march on Istanbul, but Austria refused to help and the campaign was cancelled. An indirect result of the weakening of the Ottoman Empire was the annexation of Georgia (1783).

At the beginning of her reign, Catherine tried to carry out a general political reform, guided by the ideas of the Enlightenment. Senate reform and administrative reform were carried out; The Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens was opened; smallpox vaccination introduced; Freemasonry spread; paper money – banknotes – were introduced into circulation; secularization of church lands was carried out; an attempt was made to convene a legislative commission; The hetmanate in Ukraine was liquidated in the Zaporozhye Sich.

The era of Catherine was also marked by an uprising led by Emelyan Pugachev (1773-1774).

Catherine in painting and literature

The image of Catherine the Second - the “enlightened monarch” - was created in the mythologized consciousness of the era. She contained something (mind, energy, obsession) that potentially contributed to her being elevated by the mass consciousness of the era to the level of a mythological character.

Catherine the Second realized her thoughts through facts and actions, so she, being an enlightened monarch, was a model of the era.

From the point of view of the idea - the characteristics of Catherine the legislator and her time, the statement of I. Bogdanovich is interesting:

But everyone sings for you

They sing and won’t stop singing

The wise Catherine,

What the golden age gave us to see.

The line “What the golden age gave us to see” refers us to the golden age, cloudless, full of harmony and beauty, goodness and happiness, which existed in ancient culture. Contemporaries wished with all their hearts for the advent of the “golden age” under Catherine.

According to the definition of S. M. Solovyov, I. I. Betsky, a distinctive feature of the reign of Catherine the Second, in addition to its gradual, non-violent transformations, was, as N. M. Karamzin wrote, that the consequence of the cleansing of autocracy from the “impurities of tyranny” was peace of hearts, successes of secular amenities, knowledge, reason.

Thus, the century of Catherine the Second became a period of the dawn of culture in all spheres of Russian life.

Monuments of architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, music are living witnesses of time, bringing to us the dream of an ideal world and an ideal person.

In the 18th century, two well-defined traditions of depicting Catherine II developed in Russian art - literature and painting.

The first tradition is associated with idealization and exaltation of the empress. Artists and poets create an official, “ceremonial portrait” of Catherine, a wise monarch who spends her days working and caring for the good of the people.

It was during the reign of Catherine II that the first institutes and schools were opened in Russia: the Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg, which laid the foundation for female education in Russia, educational homes in Moscow and St. Petersburg, a school at the Academy of Arts, the first commercial school, etc.; under her leadership, a school reform was carried out - public schools were created for the first time, the first charters, instructions, textbooks were issued, the training of future teachers was organized for the first time, a system of general primary education for all classes (with the exception of serfs) was introduced. It was the years of the reign of Catherine II that were marked by a powerful flowering of Russian artistic art - literature, painting, architecture, music. The Hermitage is opened - Russia's first richest collection of art collections (1764), the first Russian university (1755) and the Academy of Arts (1757).

According with the second tradition of depicting Catherine The Second Empress appeared as an ordinary earthly woman, not alien to human feelings and moods(chamber, intimate portraits).

The first tradition was reflected in the works of artists P.A. Antropov and D.G. Levitsky, poets G.R. Derzhavin and A.P. Sumarokov.

In Russian pictorial art of the 18th century, portraiture flourished, and the ceremonial portrait became the leading genre. Two of the largest Russian portrait painters of the 18th century - A.P. Antropov and D.G. Levitsky - dedicated their canvases to Catherine II.

The most vivid image of Catherine II, in accordance with the first tradition, appears in the famous “Portrait of Catherine II the Lawgiver in the Temple of the Goddess of Justice,” made by the famous Russian artist of the 18th century D. G. Levitsky (1783) (see Appendix No. 1).

The idea of ​​this portrait was inspired by the Age of Enlightenment. The portrait of D. G. Levitsky was created on the basis of an allegory; the artist presented Catherine as a priestess of the goddess of justice Themis. As the artist himself explained, he wanted to portray Catherine as a “legislator,” a priestess of Themis, the goddess of Justice. The Empress burns sleeping pills on the altar of the Fatherland, sacrificing her sleep and peace to it. At the foot of the altar lie books of fair laws, and in the distance you can see the sea with ships - a hint of the conquest of Crimea. This allegory is the embodiment of the idea of ​​the “enlighteners” about the “true monarch”, who himself, first of all, was supposed to be the first citizen of the Fatherland. This artist’s work is a “ceremonial portrait” in its purest form. Catherine does not wear any royal regalia: instead of the imperial crown, she is crowned with a laurel wreath adorning the civil crown. Catherine, according to Levitsky, is an ideal ruler, an enlightened empress, a servant of justice and law.

The picturesqueness, luxury of colors, lush, ceremonial setting also emphasizes the “scenicity” of Catherine II, in whom the artist sees only a statesman.

In the literature of classicism, with its dominant high genres of ode, tragedy and oratory, the heroes were mainly kings, politicians and generals. Classical poets “painted” a ceremonial portrait of Catherine II in their works, depicting not a specific person, but their dream of an ideal, enlightened sovereign, a wise, fair monarch who cares about people - this is how Catherine seemed to them in the first years after her accession to the throne. The works of these poets are characterized by a solemn, sometimes even pretentious style, an enthusiastic, “kneeling”, abstract description of the empress, likened to the gods, devoid of a concrete image. Thus, M.M. Kheraskov, in a solemn ode to Catherine II (1763), mentions the “beautiful face of the goddess”; “Bring glory to the goddess / Above the sun at last!” - exclaims A.P. Sumarokov in his “Ode to Empress Catherine the Second on her namesake day, 1762 November 24 days.”

In the works of these poets we will not find a description of the appearance of Catherine II, her moral character, or characteristic qualities; In their works, the authors glorify the empress and openly express their admiration for her.

One of the most prominent representatives of Russian literature of the mid-17th century, A.P. Sumarokov (1717-1777), dedicated two solemn odes to Catherine II.

In “Ode to Empress Catherine II on her namesake day, November 24, 1762,” the poet calls Catherine “wise,” “the beauty of powers, the beauty of crowns,” and compares her with the goddesses of wisdom and justice – Minerva and Astraea.

In his other “Ode to Empress Catherine II on her birthday, April 21, 1768,” Sumarokov presents Catherine as an ideal monarch, reasonable, thinking, “extraordinary soul”:

He thinks this way about the glory of the throne:

A vast country for me

Toward the correction of the law

Entrusted from heaven.

Me in the days of my power

I'm not looking for any other fun

Except for the happiness of people.

I will correct everything that is possible in them,

I will leave the benefit and honor to them

I wear my tiara...

This is my joy in my labors,

I want to take this splash,

That in Russia everyone is my child,

That in Russia I am everyone’s mother...

G.R. Derzhavin dedicated several works to Catherine II - “Vision of Murza”, “Felitsa” and “Image of Felitsa”.

In G.R. Derzhavin’s ode “The Vision of Murza” (1790), an image of Catherine II is given, very similar in meaning and style to the portrait of Catherine II, the Lawgiver, popular in the 18th century, made by the artist D.G. Levitsky. “This is a picturesque ode,” notes G.V. Zhidkov, “effectively conceived and masterfully executed. It is not for nothing that the image created here by Levitsky formed the basis of the stanzas “Vision of the Murza.” “The “wonderful vision” that the author “saw” is nothing more than a very detailed and beautiful description of Levitsky’s canvas.”

There is a lot in common between Levitsky's painting and Derzhavin's poetry - the multicoloredness of poetry and painting, allegory. The verbal portrait almost exactly corresponds to the pictorial portrait:

I saw a wonderful vision:

A woman came down from the clouds,

She got off and found herself a priestess

Or the goddess in front of me...

...On the sacrificial she is hot,

Burning incense poppies,

Served the highest deity...

The poet very accurately reproduces the content of the picture, adheres to its color scheme: he describes the “silver wave” of the outfit, the “sapphire” eyes, and actively reproduces the ribbon of the Vladimir Order:

White clothes flowed

There is a silver wave on it;

The city's crown is on its head,

A gold belt shone on the Persians;

From black-fiery linen,

Rainbow-like outfit

From the shoulder gum strip

Hanging on my left hip...

G. R. Derzhavin’s ode, like his contemporaries-poets, is characterized by the same sublime style, the same likening of Catherine to a goddess (three times), an angel (“My god! My angel in the flesh!” exclaims the poet); he calls Catherine “crowned virtue” and, noting that the empress’s deeds are “the essence of beauty,” expresses the reverent attitude of the creator towards the image he created:

Like glory, like the moon I’ll put it

Your image for future centuries;

I will exalt you, glorify you;

I myself will be immortal by you.

The second tradition of depicting Catherine II in pictorial art found expression in the works of Russian artists E.P. Chemesov and V.L. Borovikovsky, some foreign artists - Fosoye and Dikonson, in literature - in the already mentioned poet G.R. Derzhavin.

The most talented and characteristic is the portrait of Catherine II by Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky (1757-1825).

V. L. Borovikovsky (see Appendix No. 2) abandoned the tradition of depicting Catherine as a “god-like” queen, a majestic “earthly goddess” (like, for example, Levitsky). The artist tried to avoid pomp and formality in this “ceremonial” portrait of this genre. His merit is that he presented Catherine II as a simple, ordinary person. He depicts the Empress in her home dress while walking in the park with her beloved Italian greyhound. Her toilet is emphatically simple, modest, there are no ceremonial regalia, attributes of royal power (scepter, crown, orb, etc.). With the hospitable gesture of the rainbow hostess, she invites you to admire her estate. There are no lush, bright colors here, as in the portrait of D. G. Levitsky: the bluish-cold coloring of the portrait is as modest and noble as the image of the empress itself. The simplicity and humanity of the image of Catherine II is facilitated by the modest color scheme (shimmering shades of silver-blue and green tones), the image of the surrounding environment: a green clump of trees to the right and behind form a dull tone, on which a light figure calmly emerges; to the left there is a view of the mirror lake with the Chesme Column closing the distance. A modest pose, a calm face with intelligent, penetrating eyes and a slight half-smile, the absence of solemn, magnificent attire and a ceremonial interior - all this distinguishes the image of Catherine II in the portrait of V.L. Borovikovsky from the portrait of another outstanding artist of the 18th century, D.G. Levitsky. It is not without reason that many literary critics note that the portrait of Catherine by Borovikovsky is close to the “homely” image of the empress that Pushkin gave in the story “The Captain's Daughter.”

The desire to “humanize” the image of the empress at the end of the 18th century is also manifested in literature, in particular in the work of G.R. Derzhavin - his ode “Felitsa” (1782). G. R. Derzhavin in the ode “Felitsa” sincerely expressed his monarchist feelings. He glorified Catherine the Second as an example of an “enlightened monarch.” For his ode, he used the plot and characters of her allegorical “The Tale of Prince Chlorus,” written in a conventionally “oriental” style. From there he took the name Felitsa, which in the fairy tale was the name of the goddess of virtue. In the ode, Felitsa is Catherine the Second herself.

Derzhavin's innovation was manifested in the fact that he portrayed Catherine no longer as a “goddess”, but as a person on the throne. The Empress appears in the form of the heroine of a fairy tale composed by the Empress, Felitsa.

Felitsa, i.e. Catherine behaves like mere mortals: she walks, eats, reads, writes, even jokes:

Without imitating your Murzas,

You often walk.

And the food is the simplest

It happens at your table...

Literature and art developed the image of an ideal monarch, an “enlightened monarch,” and this was reflected in the ode of R. G. Derzhavin. Therefore, the enumeration of her everyday concerns aimed at increasing the well-being of the nation becomes even more advantageous for the image of the empress created by Derzhavin:

Felitsa glory, glory to God,

Who pacified the battle;

Which is poor and wretched

Covered, clothed and fed;

...Equally enlightens all mortals,

He comforts the sick, heals,

He does good only for good.

….Untying the mind and hands,

Tells you to love trading, science

And find happiness at home.

In contrast to the “ceremonial” descriptions of Catherine, Derzhavin also notes the features of Catherine’s inner appearance: her modesty, sense of duty, insight, condescension towards human weaknesses and shortcomings. In “Felitsa” the Derzhavin formula “be on the throne is a man” is revealed:

You just won’t offend the only one,

Don't insult anyone

You see through your fingers the tomfoolery

The only thing you cannot tolerate is evil;

You correct misdeeds with leniency,

You know exactly their price...

Catherine II in Derzhavin’s ode is “not at all proud”, “kind both in business and in jokes”, “pleasant in friendship”, “generous”, that’s why he calls her a “short angel”, “peaceful”.

Like his predecessors Lomonosov and Sumarokov, Derzhavin was dominated by ideas about an enlightened absolute monarchy as the ideal state system for Russia. Derzhavin tried to show that the basis of the positive qualities of Catherine the Second as a ruler lay in her human qualities. His “Felitsa” copes with her government duties so successfully because she herself is a person, not a god, not a supernatural being, and understands all human needs and weaknesses. Derzhavin did not limit himself to “Felicia”: the thoughts and images of this ode were developed in the “Image of Felitsa”, and in the “Vision of Murza”, and in the ode “For Happiness”.

The image of the ideal ruler - Felitsa - in Derzhavin's odes changes, he develops a critical attitude towards the empress, whom he had so poeticized before. Thus, G.R. Derzhavin, showing the virtues of the empress, her talents and abilities, at the same time sought to show that the basis of the positive qualities of Catherine II as a ruler were her purely human properties.

Catherine II in Pushkin's novel "The Captain's Daughter"

The depiction of Catherine II in Pushkin’s novel “The Captain’s Daughter,” as scholars have long noted, corresponds to the second tradition of depicting the empress in literature and painting of the 18th century; in particular, researchers note the close connection between the image of Catherine in the episode of the story and the portrait of V.L. Borovikovsky “Catherine II on a walk in Tsarskoye Selo Park” (see Appendix No. 2)..

Back in 1937, Viktor Shklovsky subtly remarked: “Pushkin gives Catherine a portrait of Borovikovsky. The portrait dates back to 1781, and was updated in memory by an engraving by Utkin in 1827. By the time “The Captain’s Daughter” was written, this engraving was in everyone’s memory. In the portrait, Catherine is depicted in a morning summer dress and a night cap; there is a dog near her feet; Behind Catherine there are trees and a monument to Rumyantsev. The Empress’s face is full and rosy.” The talented literary critic Yu.M. Lotman expresses similar thoughts in his studies about Pushkin: “In the research literature, with great subtlety, the connection between the image of the empress in the story and the famous portrait of Borovikovsky was pointed out.”

A.S. Pushkin values ​​in a historical figure, a monarch, the ability to show “human independence” (Yu.M. Lotman), human simplicity.

It seems important to make some digression regarding the personal qualities of Catherine II. As historians note, she was an extraordinary person: smart, insightful, and sufficiently educated. Over the 17 years that passed from the moment of her arrival in Russia until her accession to the throne, she diligently studied the country in which she was destined to live and reign - its history, customs and traditions, culture; it is enough to recall Catherine’s persistent self-education before coming to power - diligently studying the Russian language, which was not her native language, diligently reading books - initially French novels, and then the works of philosophers - educators, historians, works of famous lawyers and economists. Gaining the reputation of the future Russian empress, Catherine showed remarkable intelligence, understanding of people, the ability to please them, the ability to find like-minded people and inspire confidence in them. Of interest are the “Autobiographical Notes” of Catherine II, which shed light on the personality and activities of the Empress. “Notes” were written by her in French and published in 1859 in London by A.I. Herzen. And, although one cannot but agree with the opinion of many critics that in these “Notes” the Empress was not completely sincere (even in early childhood life taught her to be cunning and pretend), nevertheless they give an idea of ​​Catherine, who attracted many to her artists and poets. In this regard, we are especially interested in one of the fragments of the “Notes” - “The Moral Ideals of Catherine II”, which allows, with a certain degree of correction, to deepen our understanding of the extraordinary personality of Catherine II:

“Be gentle, philanthropic, approachable, compassionate and generous; Let your greatness not prevent you from being good-naturedly condescending to small people and putting yourself in their position, so that this kindness will never implore either your power or their respect. Listen to everything that is at least somewhat worthy of attention... Act in such a way that good people love you, evil people fear you and everyone respects you.

Keep within yourself those great spiritual qualities that make up the distinctive identity of an honest man, a great man and a hero...

I pray to Providence that it will imprint these few words in my heart and in the hearts of those who read them after me.”

These features of Catherine’s spiritual appearance were reflected in A.S. Pushkin’s story “The Captain’s Daughter.” The image of Catherine II embodied the dream of the brilliant Russian writer about truly human relationships. It is precisely the fact that “in Catherine II, according to Pushkin’s story, next to the empress lives a middle-aged lady walking in the park with a dog,” Yu. M. Lotman emphasizes, “allowed her to show humanity. “The Empress cannot forgive him (Grinev), says Catherine II to Masha Mironova. However, she is not only an empress, but also a person, and this saves the hero.”

Researchers, considering the connections between literature and painting, rightly note: “...If a pictorial portrait is always a moment stopped in time, then a verbal portrait characterizes a person “in actions” and “deeds relating to different moments of his biography and creativity.”

In the episode, which can conventionally be called “The Meeting of Masha Mironova with Catherine II,” Pushkin laconically and at the same time expressively describes Catherine’s appearance, her behavior, character traits, style of conversation and manner of communication. “The next day, early in the morning, Marya Ivanovna woke up, got dressed and quietly went into the garden. The morning was beautiful, the sun illuminated the tops of the linden trees, which had already turned yellow under the fresh breath of autumn. The wide lake shone motionless. The awakened swans swam importantly from under the bushes that shaded the shore. Marya Ivanovna walked near a beautiful meadow, where a monument had just been erected in honor of the recent victories of Count Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev.

Suddenly a white dog of the English breed barked and ran towards her. Marya Ivanovna got scared and stopped. At that very moment a pleasant female voice rang out: “Don’t be afraid, she won’t bite.” And Marya Ivanovna saw a lady sitting on a bench opposite the monument. Marya Ivanovna sat down at the other end of the bench. The lady looked at her intently; and Marya Ivanovna, for her part, casting several indirect glances, managed to examine her from head to toe. She was in a white morning dress, a nightcap and a shower jacket. She seemed to be about forty years old. Her face, plump and rosy, expressed importance and calmness, and her blue eyes and light smile had an inexplicable charm..."

In Pushkin’s story, as in Borovikovsky’s portrait, we see a middle-aged lady (“about forty,” writes the author), in home attire – “in a white morning dress, in a night cap and a shower jacket,” walking in the garden with a dog. Pushkin introduces into the episode a description of the landscape, which is close to the landscape background on which Catherine II is depicted in Borovikovsky’s painting: yellowed linden trees, bushes, a wide lake, a beautiful meadow, “where a monument had just been erected in honor of the recent victories of Count Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev” . Catherine has a “full and ruddy” face, “pleasant and calm,” expressing “tenderness and calmness,” with blue eyes and a slight smile. The writer emphasizes the empress’s pleasant and affectionate voice, her sympathetic manner of communication and conversation: she was the first to break the silence and talk with Masha; she spoke affectionately with a smile, “lifted her up and kissed her,” “caressed the poor orphan,” and promised to take care of her future. Pushkin reveals the peculiarities of Catherine’s character, emphasizes the ambiguity of her image: she can be strict, cold when it comes to her enemies, quick-tempered at the sight of disagreement, contradiction to her words and opinions (how she “flashed up” when Masha did not agree that Grinev “an immoral and harmful scoundrel” who sided with Pugachev!). At the same time, it is dominated, and Pushkin emphasizes this, by such character traits as responsiveness, mercy, and the ability to be grateful (“... I am indebted to the daughter of Captain Mironov.... I take upon myself to arrange your fortune”). The writer notes the simplicity of Catherine II (the empress listened to the orphan, the daughter of a simple commandant of a distant fortress), her willingness to help the poor girl and Grinev, her attentiveness (she listened carefully to Masha, understood her, sent her home not on foot, but in a court carriage). In this episode of the story, Pushkin openly expresses his attitude towards Catherine: “...blue eyes and a light smile had an inexplicable charm,” “Everything attracted the heart and inspired confidence,” he writes. The very style of description, the calm manner of narration, the vocabulary chosen by the writer emphasize his attitude towards Catherine II: words such as “smile” (three times), “pleasant” (voice, face), “affectionate” (voice), “kindly” (addressed), “caressing” (the poor orphan).

Some researchers believed that such an image of Catherine II, human, and not “conventionally odic” (Yu.M. Lotman), is associated with the desire to “lower” her image, moreover, to “expose” her as a ruler unworthy of her state destiny. The point of view of Yu.M. Lotman seems more fair, who is convinced that Catherine II embodies Pushkin’s dream of truly human relationships, the ability of a monarch to rise above a cruel age, “while retaining humanity, human dignity and respect for the living lives of other people.” "

A similar portrayal of Catherine II in the story “The Captain’s Daughter” is associated with the worldview of the late Pushkin, who considered the most important qualities of a monarch to be the ability to be merciful and merciful (it is no coincidence that the theme of mercy is one of the main ones in Pushkin’s work in recent years: the poet considered one of his most important spiritual merit is that he “called for mercy for the fallen” (poem “Monument”), as well as to be simple in relations with people (human simplicity, in his opinion, forms the basis of greatness, he talks about this in the poem “Commander”). The basis for A.S. Pushkin’s depiction of the image of Catherine II in the story lies the dream of the brilliant Russian writer about a state system that would be based on human relations, and about a policy that, as Yu.M. Lotman accurately defines, “raises humanity to a state principle that does not replace human relations with political ones, but transforms politics into humanity.”

But we must not forget that the image of Catherine II is in many ways opposed to the image of Emelyan. Pugachev appeared in the story from the “muddy whirling blizzard” as a kind of werewolf, a fiend of hell: “something black,” “either a wolf or a man.” It’s not for nothing that Savelich crosses himself and reads a prayer in front of the “residence” of the impostor, on which there seems to be a reflection of the flames of hell: red shirts, caftans and “faces”, shining eyes, tallow candles. And this “palace” stands “at the corner of the crossroads” - the place, according to popular belief, is unclean. The Empress appears in the setting of the Garden of Eden as an angelic, blue-eyed vision: in a white dress, with a white dog, surrounded by white swans. And when we read how the sun illuminates the yellowed tops of the linden trees in this garden, we remember the paper gold on the walls of Pugachev’s hut. The impostor is trying to decorate himself with artificial greatness - the one endowed with power from God seems like an ordinary lady. But both images are ambiguous. Catherine’s angelic aura fades if we remember that it was in her name that people’s tongues and nostrils were torn out, innocent people were arrested, and unjust trials were carried out. And Pugachev, although surrounded by devilish-looking henchmen, still sits “under the images,” and the lion and eagle, to which the rebel is likened in one of the epigraphs and in the Kalmyk fairy tale, are not only royal predators, but also symbols of the evangelists. In connection with the development of the concept of state relations, the image of the tsar was very relevant for Pushkin. In the story, this image is personified in two persons: Catherine and Pugachev (in accordance with two polar ideas about the rule of law among the peasantry and the government). The ideal traits imparted to Pushkin's rulers were manifested in their attitude towards Grinev. Pugachev is guided not only by the logic of the mind, that is, by the laws of his camp, but also by the “logic of the heart”: “To execute like this, to execute like this, to favor like this: this is my custom.” He saves Pyotr Grinev and Masha Mironova contrary to the laws of the camp, and in this inconsistency the best qualities of his character are revealed.

Thus, the author’s views become obvious: they are based on the desire for a policy that elevates humanity to the rank of a state principle. Any ruler must first of all be guided by his feelings, and only then by duty. Undoubtedly, Pushkin understood that his theory was largely utopian. By creating it, he contrasted his ideal with the existing world order.

Conclusion

The time of Catherine the Second is seen as one of the brilliant periods of Russian history, a time of true greatness of the Russian Power. It is a pity that modern man is inevitably little experienced in the details of ancient life, that the great events of the past, which one can and should be proud of, have been forgotten. The names of people whose will, intelligence and talent served Russia have almost been erased from public memory.

Catherine raised Russia to a level of honor and glory, showing Europe that Russians, wisely governed, can achieve anything.

Catherine the Second was an extraordinary monarch. She had all the virtues inherent in a great sovereign. She received special respect from all other powers and held in her hands the scales of the political system of Europe. Although in the minds of many generations of people she remains only a hypocritical ruler, we should not forget that with all the originality and contradictory personality of Catherine II and the results of her reign, it is increasingly noted that in comparison with previous eras of rule, her time established the glory and power of Russia as great power.

Catherine the Second knew how to surround herself with smart and business-minded people. It was during her era that a number of major government, political, military figures, and cultural creators emerged, supported and inspired by the monarch. The gallery of portraits gives a complete picture of Russian society of that time. From the paintings of A.P. Antropov, F.S. Rokotov, D.G. Levitsky, V.L. Borovikovsky, and other artists, Catherine herself looks at us with all the imperial signs of power, being an example of this era, dictating its own norms, and representatives of the highest aristocratic circles, military men, officials, clergy, writers, poets, actors, musicians, provincial landowners, artisans, peasants.

In painting and poetry of the 18th century, we see two traditions of depicting Catherine II - Catherine the Legislator and Catherine the Ordinary Woman. Both are very important for artists, poets of that time, and for A.S. Pushkin. One involuntarily recalls G. R. Derzhavin’s poems dedicated to the birth of Catherine the Second’s grandson, in which the poet addresses the royal baby:

Be the master of your passions,

Be the man on the throne!

The motif of humanism during the reign of Catherine the Great becomes characteristic of all spheres of culture. For the new ideology, the main problem becomes the establishment of true humanity in all areas of life.

List of used literature

1. Anisimov E.V., Kamensky A.B. Russia in the 18th – first half of the 19th centuries: History. Historical documents. – M.: Miros, 1994.

2. Berdyaev N.A. Russian idea // Russian literature - 1990. - No. 2-4.

3. Brickner A.G. The story of Catherine II. T.1. – M.: Sovremennik, 1991.

4. Brickner A.G. The story of Catherine II. – M.: Svorog and K, 2000.

5. Valitskaya A.P. Russian aesthetics of the 18th century: a historical and problematic essay on educational thought. – M.: Nauka, 1990.

6. Age of Enlightenment: Century XVIII: documents, memoirs, literary monuments. – M.: Nauka, 1986.

7. Vodovozov V. Essays on Russian history of the 18th century. – St. Petersburg: Printing house of F.S. Sushchinsky, 1982.

8. Derzhavin G.R. Odes. – L.: Lenizdat, 1985..

9. Derzhavin G.R. Works: Poems; Notes; Letters. – L.: Fiction, 1987. – 504 p.

10. Catherine II. Works of Catherine II. – M.: Sovremennik, 1990.

11. Zhivov V.M. State myth in the Age of Enlightenment and its destruction in Russia

12. Sumarokov A. Collected works in 2 volumes. M., 2000.

13. Lotman Yu.M. Conversations about Russian culture: life and traditions of the Russian nobility (XVIII - early XIX centuries). – St. Petersburg: Pravda, 1994.

14. Pushkin A.S. The Captain's Daughter. M., 1975.

Tsvetaeva M. Works in 2 volumes. M.: Fiction, 1984.

The image of Catherine II in painting and poetry of the 18th century and in the novel by A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"

The 18th century is the century of Russian Enlightenment. This is the age of Catherine II. This is the century of the heyday of Russian culture. The obvious and hidden paradoxes of the enlightened Catherine's age, its internal duality, have always intrigued the Russian public consciousness. In literature and painting of the 18th century, the dream of an ideal ruler was embodied in the image of a real monarch, a person - Empress Catherine. What should a great ruler of a great power be like: wise and strong, brave and proud, or maybe humane and modest?

Archive of materials: 572836.zip

Kalashnikova Nadezhda Vasilievna Teacher-supervisor