September 22: Ivan Gorbunov's birthday – writer, actor, and master of oral storytelling
Ivan Gorbunov was born on September 22, 1831, in the Moscow province. A writer, memoirist, actor, and master of oral history, he made both peasants and the last three emperors laugh. Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote of him:
His scenes contain many extremely subtle and profound observations of the Russian soul and the Russian people.
The son of a serf from the Moscow province
Ivan Gorbunov's mother was a serf. His father was freed by his landowner and worked as a clerk in a textile factory.
From his youth, Vanya worked as a copyist and tutor. He studied at the School of Sculpture and Architecture and attended lectures at Moscow University. He was well-read, with an excellent knowledge of history, literature, and folk music. He was fluent in Old Russian and Church Slavonic and was a corresponding member of the Society of Lovers of Ancient Literature.
Scenes from Everyday Life
From the late 1850s, Gorbunov wrote and performed his own short stories, "Scenes from Everyday Life." He portrayed peasants, merchants, artisans, factory workers and clerks, police officers, district police officers, and ordinary citizens in various situations.
He wrote his first story back in 1853, at the age of 22, and read it to the "young editors" of the magazine "Moskvityanin." He published it in "Otechestvennye Zapiski," "Sovremennik," and "Obschezanimatelny Vestnik."
Merchant: I come to you, father, with a most humble request.
Quartermaster: For example?
Merchant: I have a strange matter to discuss with you, father.
Quartermaster: Unusual? What kind?
Merchant: Don't be too harsh, your honor, allow me three rubles for household expenses...
Warden: Please sit down.
One of Gorbunov’s popular characters is “retired general Dityatin,” a Nikolaev servant:
Now, gentlemen, I stand aside, letting the disorganized stream of ideas and opinions constantly tumble past me, but I say to everyone, "Very well!" But no one, as they used to, answers, "We're happy to oblige, Your Excellency." Only the platoon commanders nod their heads with a grin.
Actor of the Maly and Alexandrinsky Theatres
Gorbunov was also renowned as an actor. In 1854, he made his debut at Moscow's Maly Theater, and two years later, at the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, where he performed until the end of his life. In total, over 40 years on stage, he played 54 roles—mostly in Ostrovsky's plays and his own.
From the story "The Aeronaut":
— They led him by the arms... He's a poor man: the merchants hired him to fly into a balloon right now. In the air. And the police officer took offense at this. That's why there was chaos.
And how is it possible to fly without a boss?!
From the story "A Merry Life":
Merchant: I was also just at a lawyer’s, he gave me three blue [five-ruble bills].
Lawyer: For what?
Merchant: "For the conversation." "I'll listen to your case," he says, "but I'll give you fifteen rubles and the money right now." Well, he gave it to me and told me everything properly...
Lawyer: What about him?
Merchant: He took the money: “Trust in God,” he says.
Lawyer: And nothing more?
Merchant: Nothing! "Trust in God," he says, and that's it!
Theatre historian and folklore hero
Ivan Gorbunov was a historian of Russian theater and the organizer of Russia's first theater museum, located in the foyer of the Alexandrinsky Theater. He also wrote biographies of prominent actors.
His humor formed the basis of folklore, including opera. Mussorgsky "Khovanshchina" (Marfa's song). According to Alexander Pleshcheyev, Gorbunov
It was scattered throughout Russia and became part of proverbs and sayings.
Gorbunov is depicted as a jester in the painting. Konstantin Makovsky "The Death of Ivan the Terrible", although he himself did not like such comparisons.
In front of a small group of people, he staged unique interactive “performances”: he portrayed famous people, many of whom he knew personally, Ostrovsky, Pisemsky, Herzen, Turgenev, Nekrasov.
"Laugh, clown!"
Gorbunov was widely popular: his work was beloved by both peasants and the last three emperors. But during the years of reaction, he avoided controversial topics, and his sketches and stories became increasingly innocuous. Anatoly Koni recalled:
Ivan Fyodorovich was a welcome guest everywhere. People invited him, bragged about his presence... The "Zabavnik" always told stories beautifully, but when, amidst the laughter and applause, at the end of lunch or dinner, the guests, in high spirits, bombarded "General Dityatin" with absurd questions... his eyes would take on a sad look, and a fleeting, bitter line would appear on his lips. Perhaps, in the noisy approval of those around him, he heard at those moments a merciless, "Laugh, you clown!"
Ivan Gorbunov died in 1895 PetersburgHe was 64.