Aleksandr Onisimovich Ablesimov
Aleksandr Onisimovich Ablesimov, born on August 27, 1742, in Kostroma Province, Russian Empire, emerged from a well-to-do, noble family, likely connected to the Sumarokov family. His initial education was informal, limited to reading and writing in Russian, and he faced mockery for his lack of knowledge in Western European languages. Ablesimov began his military service as a child and gained significant literary influence through his relationship with the poet Aleksandr Sumarokov, who appointed him as a copyist for a new Russian theater. His literary career commenced with the publication of poems in 1759, and he participated actively in the Seven Years' War, eventually rising to a rank of ensign before transitioning to civilian service.
In St. Petersburg, Ablesimov became known for his satirical poetry, addressing social vices and developing a unique approach to character development in Russian theater. Despite his contributions to literature, he faced ridicule from his peers, particularly due to his ambition to elevate Russian theatrical arts. After returning to military service in 1770, he later took a position in Moscow overseeing the city police. Ablesimov's attempts to stage a play about satire faced challenges, and he passed away in poverty in 1783, leaving behind a legacy of literary innovation that was underappreciated in his time. His grave is now largely forgotten, reflecting the often-overlooked nature of his contributions.
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Aleksandr Onisimovich Ablesimov
- Born: August 27, 1742
- Birthplace: Galichsky district, Kostroma Province, Russian Empire
- Died: 1783
Biography
Aleksandr Onisimovich Ablesimov was born on August 27, 1742, in the Galichsky district of Kostroma Province in the Russian Empire. His was a well-to-do family, and sources point to a relationship with the Sumarokov family, also descendants of the nobility of the area. Ablesimov spent his childhood on the family estate, where he received a makeshift education. He learned to read and write Russian, but he never studied any Western European foreign languages, a fact for which his contemporaries would continually mock him.
Following the practice common at the time, he was enrolled for military service while still a child so that he could be promoted to a rank considered suitable to his social status by the time he was actually called up for service. In 1756, the poet Aleksandr Sumarokov requested that Abelsimov be assigned as a copyist for the new Russian theater he was organizing. This experience heavily influenced Ablesimov’s literary tastes and kindled his own desire to write. In 1758 Ablesimov began his actual military service in the artillery corps, but throughout his military service he maintained contact with Sumarokov. In 1759, Ablesimov published his first poems in the journal Trudoliubivaia pchela (the industrious bee). During the period of 1760 to 1762, Ablesimov saw active duty in the Seven Years’ War and attained the rank of sergeant. By 1765 he had become the commander of a brigade, and the following year he was discharged from the military with the rank of ensign.
Ablesimov then entered civilian state service, working on a board to create a new code of laws. Living in St. Petersburg, he was able to meet with many of the imperial capital’s leading literary lights, and he began publishing satirical and comic poetry. He ridiculed a broad variety of vices, from the taking of bribes to sartorial excess.
In 1770, Ablesimov was called back to the military, serving against the Turks in the Caucasus. In 1772 he left the military and settled in Moscow to head up the supervisory board of the city police. His literary endeavors caused some considerable stress with his co-workers, who regularly ridiculed him.
Abelsimov sought to develop Russian plays and operas as well as verse, and he introduced multidimensional comic characters in place of the caricatures which had previously been common. However, the complexities and ambiguities that won him favor among the lower and middle classes won him only criticism and complaints from the nobility. By 1780, he was attempting to stage a play about the attacks on satire. However, in 1783 he died in poverty, having spent all his funds educating his daughter, and left only the three-legged table on which he had composed his writing. His grave fell into neglect and was soon forgotten altogether.