Chemnitzer, Ivan Ivanovich

Ivan Ivanovich Chemnitz ( 5 [16] January 1745 , Enotaev Fortress , Astrakhan Province - March 19 [30] 1784 , Burnav , near Smyrna ) - Russian poet and translator, member of the Russian Academy ( 1784 ).

Born in the family of a doctor - a native of the Saxon city Chemnitz , who arrived in Russia under Peter I. He served in the army, participated in the Seven Years War . Later he served in the mining department. He translated works on mining, initiating the development of special Russian terminology in this field. In 1782 he was appointed Consul General in Smyrna, where he died a year and a half later.

His fables (both the translations of La Fontaine and Gellert , as well as the original ones) were very popular among his contemporaries and at the beginning of the 19th century. It is considered the most significant Russian fabulist before Krylov , whose work had a definite impact. Among his best fables are “Metaphysicist”, “Tree”, “The Rich Man and the Poor”.

Until 1855, I. I. Chemnitzer's fables were published thirty-six times - a record among writers of the 18th century and eloquent testimony to his popularity. V. G. Belinsky , comparing Chemnitzer's work with Kapnist and Bogdanovich , wrote: “Chemnitz is more important than the other two in the history of Russian literature: he is the first Russian fabulist (for Sumarokov’s parables are hardly worthy of mention), and between his fables there are several truly beautiful and language, and by verse, and naive wit. "

The fables of Chemnitzier are distinguished by the absence of direct moral studies addressed to the reader, characteristic of other fabulist writers; morality in his writings, as a rule, derives from the action itself. The works of this author are invariably included in children's almanacs and anthologies.