Pisemsky A.F. (1821-1881), writer

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PISEMSKY Alexey Feofilaktovich (1821-1881), writer, playwright. Graduated from the Second Mathematics Department of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University (1844). Lived in St. Petersburg from 1854, served in Land Department (Departament Udelov). Collaborated with Sovremennik, Otechestvennye zapiski and other Petersburg journals, which led to his fame; Scetches of Peasants' Life (1856), the novel (A Thousand Souls (1858) and the drama A Bitter Fate (1859) were especially popular. In 1857-63 he was an editor (until 1860 together with A.V. Druzhinin) of the Biblioteka dlya chteniya journal. It is here Pisemsky's satirical articles written from the name of "State Counsellor Salatushka" and "the old humorous jade of Nikita Bezrylov", aimed against Sovremennik, Iskra and their editors, were published in 1861; from then Russian literature associated the name of Pisemsky with the "anti-nihilistic" line of Russian literature. The publication of the novel A Troubled Sea (1863) ensured this reputation. The Story of Bezrylov is likely to be the main reason for Pisemsky leaving St. Petersburg in December 1863. In his works Pisemsky mainly focused on the life of Russian provinces; St. Petersburg was rarely chosen as a scene of action (sketch Pitershchik (A Man from Petersburg), the third part of A Thousand Souls, some chapters of the novel People of the Forties, 1869, the novel In the Whirlpool, 1871, and some others). In 1856-58 he lived at 34 Ligovsky Avenue, then in the one and the same building with A.N. Maikov, at 51 Sadovaya Street (memorial plaque).

Reference: Плеханов С. Н. Писемский. М., 1986.

A. B. Muratov. Druzhinin Alexander Vasilievich
Maykov Apollon Nikolaevich
Pisemsky Alexey Feofilaktovich
Ligovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 34
Sadovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 51
Мартынов И. А. А. Писемский // История русской литературы: В 10 т. М.; Л., 1956
Плеханов С. Н. Писемский. М., 1986 Sovremennik (Contemporary), journal
Otechestvennye Zapiski (Notes of the Fatherland), journal
Biblioteka Dlya Chteniya (The Reader's Library), journal
Iskra (The Spark), journal, 1858-73