A person first gets acquainted with the famous and thoughtful comedy "The Government Inspector" while still at school in a literature lesson. Her story will forever be remembered. And the main phrase of the Governor: “I invited you, gentlemen, in order to tell you the unpleasant news: an auditor is coming to us” actively cited by both adults and children.
Perhaps you have not forgotten yet, what is the history of the creation of the "Inspector"? If you don't remember, don't worry! Just read this article and find out all the secrets that this fascinating comedy hides.
Who wrote The Inspector
Of course, the history of the creation of the comedy "The Inspector General" is unacceptable for consideration without mentioning such an important person as the author of the work. He is the great and inimitable Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol.
His figure is rather mysterious, and his works are filled with mysticism and some kind of "hell". But in spite of this (or perhaps precisely because of this), Gogol is rightfully considered one of the best poets, playwrights, prose writers, essayists and critics of all time.
His contribution to Russian literature is enormous. After all, he gave his contemporaries and descendants so many fascinating and unusual works, such as "Dead Souls", "Taras Bulba", "Viy", "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka", as well as many other wonderful stories.
The beginning of the path of Nikolai Vasilyevich
Before the story of the creation of The Inspector General was developed, Gogol had come a long way, twenty-six years long.
The eminent writer was born in 1809 on March 20 according to the old (Julian) calendar or April 1 according to the new (Gregorian). His family descended from the Little Russians, and an unusual person was named in honor of St. Nicholas.
Gogol's school years were rather mediocre, he did not differ in special talent. Of all the subjects, he succeeded only in drawing and the study of Russian literature, and the works that he wrote then were far from masterpieces.
Upon reaching the age of nineteen, the future genius of Russian literature went to St. Petersburg. There he found a place for himself as an official, and also tried his hand at theater and literature. But the service was a burden to Gogol, and in the theater he did little. As a result, the future writer decided to develop in the literary field.
How Success Started
The history of the comedy "The Inspector General" happened much later. And at the beginning of Gogol's literary path there were many difficult trials. The public did not want to notice and accept it. He wrote and put his manuscripts on the table, because they were of no interest to anyone.
The time was difficult, but the writer withstood it and finally published a work that brought him long-awaited fame and success. It was "Evening on the eve of Ivan Kupala" (the first name was "Basavryuk"). It was after him that the world recognized Nikolai Vasilyevich as a good writer.
Gogol's mysticism
The history of the creation of The Inspector General (Gogol) is quite simple, it is not at all covered with mysticism. However, ask any schoolchild, and he will certainly answer you that Nikolai Vasilyevich is one of the most mysterious and enigmatic figures in literary history.
The writer was very interested in religion, mysticism. Which clearly demonstrates his novel called "Viy". Gogol himself claimed that this work was based on local (Ukrainian) folklore, folk tradition. But historians and literary critics, no matter how much they searched, cannot find at least any mention of the events described in the work. And this proves that Nikolai Vasilyevich himself invented and painted the whole mystical plot.
In addition, there is another mysterious page in Gogol's writing history. It is not known for certain, but it is still believed that Gogol (a few days before his own death) decided to burn the second volume of another of his great books, Dead Souls. Why he did it, and whether he did it at all, the descendants will never know. However, there is no evidence that this event did not happen either. Therefore, it remains only to guess and talk about how mysterious the writer was.
The mysterious death of a writer
Before the story of the creation of The Inspector General is covered, let's take a brief look at the last days of the great writer.
Nikolai Vasilyevich died in 1852 on February 21. Even during his lifetime he was a mysterious person, but his death is also not ordinary. The thing is that all his life the greatest writer was terribly afraid of only one thing - that he would be buried alive. Therefore, he never went to bed and mostly napped in the armchair during the day.
There is an opinion that Nikolai Vasilyevich suffered from a mental illness, which, together with an aggravated passion for religion, worsened in the last years of Gogol's life, brought him to severe exhaustion. But the writer still did not die from this.
Gogol's death was shrouded in mysticism, and after several years, endless conjectures and gossip forced the writer's body to be exhumed. And then (supposedly) all those present saw that the body of Nikolai Vasilyevich was in an unnatural position. And the inside of the lid of the coffin in which the writer rested was all torn apart, as if someone had torn and scratched it with their nails in order to get out.
Thus, a hypothesis appeared that Gogol did not die a natural death. He, due to the severe exhaustion of the body, fell into a lethargic sleep. And he was buried alive.
The history of the comedy "The Government Inspector" by N. V. Gogol
It is believed that the idea to write this comedy came to Gogol's mind when he was working on the first volume of Dead Souls. It was in 1835, the author decided to create a work that would bring together all the vices of man, everything bad that was in Russia at that time.
The writer wanted to show people all the injustices of life, not only ridicule them and force readers and viewers to draw the appropriate conclusions, but simply laugh heartily at the bedlam that is described in the play and, accordingly, is happening in the country.
Gogol completed his work after two months. But he continued to rewrite, to add the result. So the history of the creation of the comedy "The Government Inspector" by Gogol stretched until 1836.
First show
The premiere of the comedy took place on April 19 of the same year at the Alexandrinsky Theater, which is located on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. The whole event was quite serious, because the emperor himself, Nikolai I, was sitting in the hall. Gogol was waiting and at the same time was afraid of the reaction that would follow after watching his grandiose comedy.
But the public mistook it for vaudeville and completely did not understand the deep meaning that Gogol put into his creation.
However, the writer was upset not only because of this. He himself felt that the comedy was a little boring and should be somewhat redone. And because the history of the creation of the "Inspector" continued.
final version
The comedy received a proper response only in 1842, when the final version of The Inspector General was presented. Then eminent critics and editors of magazines noted that its main feature is grotesqueness, which is felt in absolutely everything, from the plot itself to the characters presented.
However, Nikolai Vasilyevich wanted his creation to be understood and appreciated as fully and adequately as possible, and therefore, after printing the comedy in the newspaper and showing it in the theater, he published several articles about what the true meaning of The Inspector General was.
The secret history of the creation of the auditor. Gogol Nikolay Vasilievich
The very idea of writing the comedy The Government Inspector came directly to Gogol. But the plot of this work was suggested to him by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
This is proved by the surviving correspondence between the two greatest literary geniuses of those times, in which Gogol, turning to Pushkin, asks him to throw in an interesting comedy plot, which, according to him, will become funnier than all that came before it.
And Alexander Sergeevich in response sends a few lines that serve as the beginning of a future grandiose comedy. Here is the history of the creation of the "Inspector".
