Timofeev, Alexey Vasilievich (writer, 1812)

Alexey Vasilievich Timofeev (1812-1883) - Russian writer and poet.

He studied at the Kazan gymnasium (1823-1827), then - at the moral and political department of Kazan University . After graduating in 1830 with the title of candidate of jurisprudence, Timofeev joined the service in St. Petersburg as an assistant to the head of the department of destinies .

In 1832, he published a prose five-act drama “Disappointed” in a frantically romantic taste, and the following year, three small collections. In the anonymous article "Literary Additions to the" Russian Disabled "" Timofeev was ridiculed; nevertheless, after in 1833 he published “A Message to Baron Brambeus,” that is, Osip Ivanovich Senkovsky ), the latter unexpectedly invited him as an employee to the journal “ Library for Reading, ” where Timofeev posted his poems during 1835-1839 and prose: here his novels Valery and Amalia, Conrad von Teifelsberg, Giulio, the Mysteries Life and Death, The Last Destruction of the World and The Last Day, articles Russian Artists in Rome and "Utrecht incidents of 1834." In addition, separate editions came out: “Poet” (1834) and “Elizabeth Kulman” (1835), the novel “The Artist”, plays “The Lucky One” (1834), “Rome and Carthage” (1837).

Acquainted with him in 1834, A. V. Nikitenko believed that this was a man gifted

fiery imagination, energy and talent of the writer. The proof of this is his “Poet” and “Artist”, two plays full of thoughts and feelings. He is completely deepened in himself, breathes and lives in his inner world with passions that serve as a source of torment and pleasure for him ... I could not allow his plays to print without exceptions and changes: they have many new and bold ideas. Everywhere a noble indignation erupts against slavery, to which most of our poor peasants have been condemned. However, he is only a poet: he has no political intentions. (entry in the diary of June 11, 1834)

- A.V. Nikitenko , Diary, T. I. - M., 1955. - P. 145-146.

Returning in 1835 from a six-month trip to Western Europe, Timofeev entered the service of the Ministry of Education as a member of the editorial board of his official journal, in which, apparently, he did not take a particularly active part, since he had only posted two articles for a long time: “Comparative State of Russian Universities for 1834” (1835, part IX) and “Review of Russian newspapers and magazines” (1836, part XIII). More often his works appeared in the same “Library for Reading” - his poems were printed: “Raven” (1835, vol. XII), “Thought” (vol. XIII), “Song for the New Year” and “The Horseman” ( 1836, vol. XIV), “Wind and Rose” (vol. XVII), “Far and Near” (vol. XVII), “Awakening in a Dream” (vol. XVIII), “Moon” (1837, vol. XX) , “Kurgan” (t. XXI), “Recognition and rebirth” (t. XXII), “Time” and “Comet” (t. XXIV), “Sea and volcano”, “Choice” and “Patience” (1837, v. XXV), “Tosca” (1838, v. XXVI), “Gatherings” (ballad, v. XXVIII), “Poverty and wealth” (1839, v. XXXII) and the major novel “Giulio” (1836), written as stated in the preface , In collaboration with the «A. Belkin, ”- a pseudonym that gave many reason to think that A.S. Pushkin was hiding under it, but in reality it was O. I. Senkovsky.

In 1837, a three-volume collected works of A. V. Timofeev was published under the title "Experiments." In the same year, Timofeev, on the occasion of the publication of the German translation of "Elisabeth Kulman" (Elisabeth Kulmann, Phantasie von A. Timofeew), was proclaimed Sienkovsky worthy successor of Pushkin and the second Byron ("Library for reading", - 1837. - No. 4).

In fact, Timofeev did not stand out from a number of mediocre poets of that time. Penetrated by a shallow thought, smooth, sometimes beautiful and figurative verses were greatly damaged by their arrogance, desire to produce an effect, a complete lack of simplicity, and sometimes even sweetness. However, Timofeev’s songs in the folk spirit stood out for their integrity, spontaneity and sincerity. Put to music by the best composers, they have become a national treasure (“Don’t marry a smart girl”, “Saddle a horse”, “My beard, my beard”, etc.).

Having placed several poems in The Mayak in 1843, A. V. Timofeev disappeared from the literary horizon. In 1843, he joined the office of the Odessa Governor General M. S. Vorontsov , two years later he returned to St. Petersburg, where he received the post of captain in the department of the Ministry of Justice; in 1846-1850 he was a provincial prosecutor in Ufa; then he retired and settled near Ufa on the estate of his wife, the marriage of which made him a wealthy man. In 1856, Timofeev settled in Moscow and entered the service again: for fourteen consecutive years, he served as secretary to the Moscow governor-general. In 1870, Timofeev, with the rank of acting state councilor, retired to retire.

All these years of service A. V. Timofeev did not stop composing.

Recently met T., who was once a writer, but has not appeared in print for a long time ... I could recognize violence. His face, once quite pleasant, was now swollen and swollen with fat. He got married, got rich, took a huge estate for his wife, does not serve, eats up and drinks, now in his villages, then in Moscow. It was a big scribbler! His scriptures were a kind of animal process, as if carried out without his knowledge and will. He studied little and thought little, but how under the millstone in his brain everything turned into poetry, and the verses came out smooth, sometimes there was a thought in them ... now he came up with his family, with money and with his belly - already without poetry. However, to blame, there are poems. Over time, he developed a strange direction, he wrote and hid everything written. He has full boxes of scribbled paper that he showed me. (entry March 28, 1856)

- A.V. Nikitenko , Diary, T. I. - M., 1955. - S. 434-435.

In 1874, his collection of poems “Squire” appeared. Two years later, he published a huge - in several thousand lines - poem: “Mikula Selyaninovich, the representative of the land”, a successful attempt to present the whole history of Russia in pictorial paintings and to give a sketch of the origin of the Slavs in relief images.