Ivan Sergeyevich Rukavishnikov (1877–1930) was a poet and prose writer, a representative of Russian Decadence at the turn of the twentieth century, a native of Nizhny Novgorod, and a scion of the prominent Rukavishnikov merchant dynasty.[1]
Origins and Education
Ivan Rukavishnikov was born and raised in Nizhny Novgorod; his family's estate stood on the Nizhny Novgorod Otkos. He studied at the Nobility Institute, then at a technical school, and passed his secondary-school examinations as an external candidate. Alongside his studies, he took painting classes at Karelin and initially regarded the visual arts as his true vocation, even as he was writing poetry and Nizhegorodsky Listok and other newspapers.[1]
In 1896 Maxim Gorky, an encounter the writer later described in his memoirs: Gorky was critical of Rukavishnikov's verse but spoke favorably of his prose.[1] Critics generally classed Rukavishnikov among the Decadents and were often skeptical of his poetry.
By the late 1890s Rukavishnikov had moved to St. Petersburg, where he enrolled in the Archaeological Institute, threw himself into literary life, and became acquainted with many poets and writers.[1]
Involvement in Cultural Life after 1917
The October Revolution of 1917 found Rukavishnikov in Nizhny Novgorod. In the spring of 1918 he and his brother Mitrofan Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum in their former home on the Otkos, serving on the organizing arts commission. The brothers cherished the idea of founding a Palace of Arts in Nizhny Novgorod, but the plan was deemed premature.[1]
In Moscow, however, Ivan Rukavishnikov did go on to found and head a Palace of Arts, which he directed until its closure in 1921. From 1921 to 1924 he taught prosody at the All-Russian Literary and Arts Institute named after V. Ya. Bryusov (VLKHI), and later at the Higher State Literary Courses.[1]
Literary Legacy
Rukavishnikov's best-known work is the novel The Accursed Kin, which is partly autobiographical: many members of the Rukavishnikov family are recognizable in its characters. Reactions to the novel were mixed: some saw it as a vivid portrait of contemporary life, while others faulted the author for excessive length and ornate style. During the Soviet period the novel was removed from libraries, yet interest in it never waned. In 1999 it was published by the Nizhny Novgorod Fair publishing house in the Nizhegorodskiye Byli series. In 2024 the work was reissued by the Moscow publisher Veche in the Volzhsky Roman series.[2][1]
Ivan Sergeyevich Rukavishnikov died in 1930. Information about his life and the Rukavishnikov family derived primarily from the recollections of long-time Nizhny Novgorod residents.[1]
Sources
- ngounb.ru — Literary Map of Nizhny Novgorod Region
- labirint.ru — Book: The Accursed Kin — Ivan Rukavishnikov. Buy the book, read reviews — Labirint — The novel The Accursed Kin is a trilogy spanning the history of three generations…