Zybareva S.A.
REFLECTION OF THE PANDEMIC AND EPIDEMIC OF THE XIX-EARLY XX CENTURIES IN THE WORKS OF FAMOUS RUSSIAN WRITERS *
Аннотация:
the paper presents the history of the fight against epidemics and pandemics in the Russian Empire of the XIX- early XX through the prism of Russian literature. The analysis of works in which there is a mention of an epidemic or pandemic of various diseases on the territory of the Russian Empire is given
Ключевые слова:
pandemic, literature, diseases, epidemic, quarantine
УДК 1
Zybareva S.A.
Belgorod National Research University
(Belgorod, Russia)
REFLECTION OF THE PANDEMIC AND EPIDEMIC
OF THE XIX- EARLY XX CENTURIES
IN THE WORKS OF FAMOUS RUSSIAN WRITERS
Abstract: the paper presents the history of the fight against epidemics and pandemics in the Russian Empire of the XIX- early XX through the prism of Russian literature. The analysis of works in which there is a mention of an epidemic or pandemic of various diseases on the territory of the Russian Empire is given.
Keywords: pandemic, literature, diseases, epidemic, quarantine.
Pandemics and epidemics cause a wide public response not only in history, but also through literature. Sometimes, in fiction, illness is used as a symbol, an occasion to talk about «important things»: about love, death, honor, injustice, fate, evil. Russian writers, along with foreign ones, also used symbolism in their works.
They were inspired to create literary works when they themselves were hostages of epidemics and pandemics, quarantine measures and experiencing the loss of loved ones who later became masterpieces of Russian classical literature. The fate of ordinary people, which writers observed during the time of diseases: cholera, plague, typhus, their experiences and personal dramas formed the basis of the plot of classical Russian literature.
The analysis of works of art, on the one hand, will not give accurate information, statistical data, since it is not an accurate reflection of reality, but on the other hand, it will provide a unique reflection of experiences, «immersion in the epoch»1. The writers also kept diaries and wrote memoirs in which they described their own experiences and events during any epidemic. These writings are a valuable source through which you can learn about the personal experiences of Russian writers.
If we analyze some works of Russian writers that were either written during epidemics and pandemics, or directly tell about them, we will make sure of the accuracy of thoughts. Let's start with an analysis of the comedy in verse by A. S. Griboyedov «Woe from Wit», written in 1824. The beginning of the creation of the play is due to the fact that Alexander Sergeyevich was quarantined in the fortress of Ananuri, which he recalls: «We crawl into a strange hut, where they really take it very strangely. Cold, we ask for firewood. There is no such thing, but there is a forest all around. <...> Finally, a little, silly doctor appears, with a whip, turns on one leg and says that we are in a political hospital». The doctor disappeared, and I was sick for 24 hours from the fumes. The commissar appeared like a snub-nosed death».
The author says that «Woe from Wit» was written during the epidemics, under their direct influence, the characters and images of the heroes are a reflection of what was happening around. During the creation of the play, from 1818 to 1824, the author himself had malaria, buried his faithful friend and servant Amlich and survived two quarantines. Some bibliographers agree that initially, the idea and the acting characters of the play «Woe from Wit» were different, but under the influence of epidemics and the experiences of Alexander Griboyedov were changed.
He worked during the pandemic, and worked as a doctor in the village of Nikolskoye, Smolensk province, the famous Russian writer Mikhail Afanasievich Bulgakov. He himself had typhus in Vladikavkaz, about which he wrote to his brother: «I fell ill with recurrent typhus in the spring, he chained me... Almost died, then in the summer he was ill again».
If we talk about the work of M.A. Bulgakov during pandemics and epidemics, it is impossible not to highlight such stories as: «Towel with a rooster», «Baptism by turning», «Steel Throat», «Blizzard», «Egyptian Darkness», «Missing Eye», «Stardust» from the cycle « A Young Doctor's Notebook», published in 1925-1926 in the journal «Medical worker». Each story differs in the accuracy of the description of the disease, understanding of the psychology of a sick or dependent person, due to the author's life and professional experience.
The works of M.A. Bulgakov are special in that they reflect both the position of doctors during pandemics and epidemics in the healthcare system as a whole, and the true feelings of terminally ill people. In the story «Blizzard», he describes the disease and medical practice as follows: «On my rounds, I walked with a rapid gait, followed by a paramedic, a paramedic and two nurses. Stopping by the bed where a man was sick, melting in the heat and breathing piteously, I squeezed out of my brain everything that was in it. My fingers groped over the dry, burning skin, I looked into the pupils, tapped on the ribs, listened to the mysterious beating of the heart in the depths, and carried one thought in myself: how to save him? <...> I wrote to Grachyov and politely reminded him that a second doctor is also required at the N-site. The letter on firewood left on a smooth snowy ocean for forty versts. Three days later, the answer came: they wrote that, of course, of course… Absolutely... but not now... no one is going yet… The letter concluded with some nice reviews about my work and wishes for further success».
To single out another outstanding Russian writer – Nikolai Semenovich Leskov. The specificity of his works is that the actors are the so–called «righteous» - disinterested, just people who are ready to help everyone and everyone. This is the main character of the story «Non-Deadly Golovan».
Against the background of famine in the Orel province in 1840, an epidemic broke out, the only one who was ready to help people was Golovan, nicknamed the «human doctor». The work vividly describes the conditions of the patients' detention (plague-ridden, dirty shacks, lack of hygiene and medicines), as well as measures of assistance (getting dry lips wet from a jar, fresh water, boiled milk). It is interesting to note that people trusted the «people's» healer, unlike hospital doctors, in the eyes of the people he was a hero fighting a serious illness, their intercessor, who treated in familiar and understandable ways».
It is impossible not to turn to the work of another Russian writer, part–time doctor - Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. The theme of pandemics and epidemics in his work is most vividly reflected in the travel notes «Sakhalin Island», written in 1895. They tell about the cholera epidemic that overtook the author on a journey from Moscow to Sakhalin. On September 11, 1890, A.P. Chekhov wrote to Alexey Suvorin: «Hello! I am sailing along the Tatar Strait from Northern Sakhalin to Southern Sakhalin. I'm writing and I don't know when this letter will reach you. I am healthy, although cholera looks at me from all sides with green eyes, which has set a trap for me. In Vladivostok, Japan, Shanghai, Chifu, Suez and, it seems, even on the Moon, cholera is everywhere, quarantine and fear are everywhere. Cholera is expected on Sakhalin and ships are being quarantined. In a word, it's tobacco. Europeans are dying in Vladivostok, by the way, one general's wife died».
Returning home, Chekhov bought an estate near Moscow and organized an anti-cholera site there, where he received cholera patients, which earned the respect of the peasants. Along the way, he was engaged in creative work, working at this difficult time on the «Chamber No. 6» and «Hopalong» published in 1842. Among the biographers of A.P. Chekhov, there is an opinion that it is in the great life experience and rich medical practice that the secret of the popularity of the famous writer's work is.
Russian writer Alexander Kuprin, who can be called a symbolist in the context of the reflection of pandemics and epidemics in Russian literature, should be noted. The story «Olesya», written in 1898 on the basis of real events, is a love story of a city dweller and a village witch against the background of «swamp fever», that is, malaria, which the main character falls ill with. It is important to emphasize that the illness in the story is an allegory of the relationship of the main characters, who, despite their love, cannot be together.
In the story «The Swamp», written by A. I. Kuprin later, in 1902, the swamp is a symbol of illness and hard life. It has been scientifically proven that swamp fumes can cause malaria infection, hence the vernacular name of malaria «swamp vampire». «Who needs this miserable, inhuman vegetating? What is the point in the illness and death of sweet, innocent children, whose blood is being sucked by an ugly swamp vampire?» – the author writes. In the story, two travelers stay overnight at the forester's house in the swamp, where they meet his whole family and learn about their illness. The guests are frightened by the submissiveness of the inhabitants of the house and their inaction in the fight against the disease, just like their sullenness and sickly appearance. In our opinion, the forester's family is the personification of the ordinary Russian people in the face of the epidemic: resigned to the inevitable, oppressed and depressed.
Based on all of the above, it is worth noting that fiction, like history, is an instructive element in a person's life, teaches lessons and helps to draw conclusions. The coronavirus pandemic that broke out in 2019 is a new lesson for the world community. Thanks to Russian writers, we have access to the lessons of past epidemics and pandemics. On the example of the work of famous Russian writers, such as A.P. Chekhov and M.A. Bulgakov we can see the reflection in the literature of the pandemic and the epidemic at the same time from the point of view of both patients and practitioners, thus the authors have clarified both sides of the issue.
Using the example of A.S. Griboyedov, who, under the influence of his own illness and society during the pandemic, created one of the most famous comedies, reflecting his experiences in it, taking as a basis people with whom he was close during the quarantine period. As well as N.S. Leskov, who in his work «Non- Deadly Golovan» showed how the disease proceeded in the peasant environment without embellishment, such as it really was.
In turn, A. I. Kuprin drew artistic parallels, let's compare the epidemic with a swamp and lovers doomed to separation. In our opinion, this is a vivid example of how literature fills historical events with symbolism and weaves them into the destinies of people.
I would like to note that by the beginning of the XX century, a multi-departmental medical system with different levels of interaction had been formed in the Russian Empire. The effectiveness of its functioning, as well as the financing of medical institutions, varied depending on the location of the zemstvo and the development of charity in a particular region.
Speaking about the healthcare system in the Russian Empire during the period of epidemics and pandemics in general, it is worth noting that, firstly, it was formed and developed by the mechanism of functioning in the future; secondly, financing was carried out partly from the state budget, charitable donations and parish fees; thirdly, the attitude of society to the nascent system was skeptical, because society, due to low literacy and distrust of treatment methods, did not understand the importance of proper treatment.
In general, we can say that the healthcare system in the Russian Empire in the XIX – early XX century was a very tragic sight, in dire need of improvement and financing. It has been possible to talk about any noticeable positive and effective changes only since the second half of the XIX century. Against the background of the disorder of the health care system of the population, its direct employees had to endure skeptical, sometimes even cruel attitude from the population, which was reinforced by oppressive working conditions and low wages. Through the literature of that time, we learn how our ancestors experienced a difficult period of epidemics and pandemics, we can compare with our own experiences and draw certain conclusions.
REFERENCE:
Номер журнала Вестник науки №12 (57) том 4
Ссылка для цитирования:
Zybareva S.A. REFLECTION OF THE PANDEMIC AND EPIDEMIC OF THE XIX-EARLY XX CENTURIES IN THE WORKS OF FAMOUS RUSSIAN WRITERS // Вестник науки №12 (57) том 4. С. 293 - 299. 2022 г. ISSN 2712-8849 // Электронный ресурс: https://www.вестник-науки.рф/article/6874 (дата обращения: 19.04.2024 г.)
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