The Free Society of Lovers of Russian Literature (WOLRS) is a literary and public organization in St. Petersburg that existed in 1816-1826.
Content
Founding of a
It was founded, with the permission of the government, on January 17 ( 29 ), 1816 under the name "Society of Literature Lovers".
The goals of society were literary, with indispensable concern for the "purity" of the language, which aroused objections of A. S. Shishkov when it was approved [1] . Then charity tasks were added.
The Highest Society was approved on January 19, 1818 under the name: "Free society of lovers of Russian literature . " Since 1818, the society has published a journal: “Competitor of enlightenment and beneficence. Proceedings of the free society of lovers of Russian literature. ”
Organization
The founders were A. D. Borovkov , A. A. Nikitin , F. N. Glinka , P. I. Keppen . In 1844, P. A. Pletnev wrote to J. K. Grot :
... for the most part it was founded by the members of the Masonic lodge of the elected Mikhail, somehow: Krikunovsky , Borovkov and Nikitin <...> in the beginning there were almost no writers, but people gathered in the same Masonic lodge and wishing to somehow help the poor of the learned class . After the Minister of Education enlightened them a special charter and allowed to publish a magazine
- Correspondence of Y. K. Grot with P. A. Pletnev. - SPb. , 1896. - T. 2. - S. 254.
The company immediately acquired important patrons: A. N. Golitsyn , A. D. Balashov , I. I. Dmitriev , V. P. Kochubei , Count S. K. Vyazmitinov , and O. P. Kozoddev became its trustees.
The chairman of the company was first Count Sergei Petrovich Saltykov , and since 1819 - constantly F.N. Glinka , and his assistant A.E. Izmaylov . From among the full members, each half-year a chairman, his assistant, secretary, executor, librarian, treasurer and censorship committee, consisting of three censors (poetry, prose and bibliography), three members and a secretary, were selected.
The composition of society was mixed: writers and public figures of various directions of that time; J.K. Grot wrote:
Among the members were: Delvig , Baratynsky , Ryleyev , two Bestuzhevs , brothers Knyazhevichi , Kyukhelbeker , Grech, Borovkov and others. Once Pletnev remarked to the chairman that Pushkin should have been elected, but F. N. replied: “Sheep will flock, and the lion walks alone.”
- I. Loboiko. My memories. My notes. - M .: New Literary Review, 2013 .-- 328 p. - S. 259.
Among the members of the society were A. P. Gevlich , B. M. Fedorov , N. F. Ostolopov , Y. V. Orlov , D. I. Khvostov , V. T. Narezhny , V. M. Fedorov , N. A. Tsertelev , D. I. Voronov , P. P. Svinyin , G. I. Spassky , V. N. Berkh , P. A. Korsakov , V. G. Anastasevich , S. A. Tuchkov , G. A. Sarychev and others
Society meetings were regular and public. According to the charter of the company, every essay read at its meeting became the property of the company, and the author did not have the right to print it.
The assembly house of the company was located in the 4th quarter of the 3rd Admiralty part on Voznesensky Prospekt , house No. 254, in the apartment of T. N. Krikunovsky.
Charity
All revenue from the publication was directed “to those who, in the pursuit of science and the arts, require support and charity; their widows and orphans of both sexes have an equal right to the benefit of society, which for the same purpose will publish useful books and translations of famous classical writers with special books, with many already in readiness. ”
Charity gatherings flowed quite abundantly into society; among other things, the Empress signed in two copies, depositing 200 rubles at a subscription price of 25 rubles.
Society paid benefits to needy writers. For example, 300 rubles were given to the novelist V. T. Narezhny , 150 rubles to fabulist A. K. Mozdorf, and so on. Such expenses were recorded: “10 rubles were paid to the local Pokrovsky school for the two sons of the local tradesman Pavlov.” .
The collapse of society
According to V. Bazanov , the society had 82 full members, 24 competing members, 39 corresponding members and 96 honorary members. Some members of the society belonged to the " Union of Welfare "; Among those involved in the investigation of the Decembrist uprising were, in addition to Ryleyev, Bestuzhevs, Kuchelbecker and F.N. Glinka: A.O. Kornilovich and K.P. Thorson ; and P. I. Koloshin , A. S. Griboedov and O. M. Somov were suspected of involvement in a secret society and were arrested, but then released.
In November 1825, the last (31st) issue of the journal “Competitor of enlightenment and beneficence. Proceedings of the free society of lovers of Russian literature ”was the last.
In the address calendar for 1826 there was no longer a list of the composition of society.
Notes
- ↑ In 1811-1816, the literary society “ Conversation of Russian Word Lovers ” existed in St. Petersburg, headed by G.R. Derzhavin and A.S. Shishkov, who said: “Why open a new society when there is an old society that lacks members valid. Let them come to us and work. ” Shishkov believed that the new society would compete with the Russian Academy he heads and therefore poses a danger to it. The creation of society was favored by Alexander I and Shishkov was forced to yield; the addition of the word “free” in the name emphasized the private nature of society, in contrast to the Russian Academy, which had official status
Literature
- Free society of lovers of Russian literature // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.