Mikhail Nikolaevich Zagoskin
Mikhail Nikolaevich Zagoskin was a prominent Russian writer and civil servant, born in 1789 near Penza to a wealthy landlord family. He began his civil service career in St. Petersburg in 1802 and participated in the War of 1812. Zagoskin initially made his mark in the theatrical world with his comedy "Mr. Bogatonov," which was performed from 1817 to 1831. He later became an influential editor and contributor to the journal "Severnyi nabliudatel'," where he published his first short stories.
His literary peak came in the late 1820s, with the release of historical novels like "Iurii Miloslavskii," which garnered both popularity and critical acclaim. Zagoskin held several prestigious positions, including director of the Imperial Moscow Theaters and later the Kremlin Armory. He was a member of prominent literary societies and contributed significantly to both drama and short fiction throughout his career. His later works, such as "Moskva i moskvichi," offered unique insights into life in Moscow. Despite achieving early fame, Zagoskin’s diverse body of work continues to resonate with audiences today.
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Mikhail Nikolaevich Zagoskin
Writer
- Born: June 23, 1789
- Birthplace: Near Penza, Russia
- Died: June 23, 1852
Biography
Both a renowned writer and an accomplished civil servant, Mikhail Nikolaevich Zagoskin, the eldest of nine children, was born near Penza, Russia, in 1789 to Nikolai Mikhailovich Zagoskin, a wealthy landlord, and Natal’ia Mikhailovna Zagoskin, née Martynova. In 1802, Zagoskin was sent to St. Petersburg to begin civil service. He was a part of the St. Petersburg Militia and fought during the War of 1812.
Zagoskin’s early literary efforts were for the theater; his comedy, G. Bogatonov: Ili, Provintsial v stolitse (Mr. Bogatonov: or, a provincial in the capital) was performed regularly from 1817 to 1831. Zagoskin was also an editor of and a contributor to the journal Severnyi nabliudatel’ (the northern observer), where his first short story was published. Zagoskin married Anna Dmitrievna Vasil’tsovskaya in 1816; the couple moved to Moscow with their two sons in 1820. There, Zagoskin continued to write plays, including comedies in verse and vaudevilles, and also studied widely, so that he might pass an exam to permit his promotion. Zagoskin was accepted into Vol’noe obshchestvo liubitelei rossiiskoi slovesnosti (the free society of lovers of Russian literature) in 1819 and into Obshchestvo liubitelei rossiiskoi slovesnosti (the society of lovers of Russian literature) at Moscow University in 1922. The same year, he joined the theater department as an administrator.
Near the end of the 1820’s, Zagoskin’s literary fame peaked. Published in 1829, his historical novelIurii Miloslavskii: Ili, Russkie v 1612 godu (Iurii Miloslavskii: or, the Russians in 1612) was a popular and critical success. He set his next such effort, Roslavlev: Ili, Russkie v 1812 godu (Roslavlev: or, the Russians in 1812), during the Napoleonic Wars. At the same time, Zagoskin was appointed director of the Imperial Moscow Theaters, in which capacity he served for over a decade. He was accepted into the Russian Academy in 1832.
Zagoskin turned his literary attention once more to drama and also to short fiction. Two volumes of stories, many earlier published in Biblioteka dlia chteniia (library for reading) appeared in 1837. In the 1840’s, Zagoskin became director of the Kremlin Armory and recommenced writing historical fiction. While Brynskii les (Brynsky forest) and Russkie v nachale os’mnadtsatogo stoletiia (the Russians at the beginning of the eighteenth century) did not fare as well as their predecessors had, Moskva i moskvichi (Moscow and Muscovites), an assortment of sketches and fragments in a number of different styles, was successful. Published in installments in 1842, 1843, 1848, and 1850, the work provides glimpses of life in Zagoskin’s Moscow. In his final years, Zagoskin was known as the host of an important literary salon. While Zagoskin was most renowned early in his writing career, his diverse works continue to attract attention today.