Genius and its censor. To the 220th anniversary of A. S. Pushkin and the 215th anniversary of A. V. Nikitenko

This year is the anniversary year of Pushkin's life. June 6 marked the 220th anniversary of the poet's birth. Probably, there is no such corner in the world where Pushkin would not be known, read it where there would be no memorable places devoted to him and heroes of his works which are translated into more than 210 languages of the world. Monuments to Pushkin exist in more than forty countries: in Mexico and Korea, Moldova and Bulgaria, in China and Cyprus, in Italy and Spain, and even in Ethiopia, where according to one version was born the famous ancestor of Alexander Sergeevich – Abram Petrovich Hannibal.

Not having visited the territory of modern Belgorod region, Pushkin, nevertheless, is connected with our region by many threads and paths, among which are related, friendly and creative lines. One of the «Belgorod paths to Pushkin» leads from a native of the village of Uderovka (now – Mukhouderovka Alexeyevsky district of Belgorod region) Alexander Nikitenko, 215th anniversary of which is also celebrated this year. By this date, the researcher of the life path of Nikitenko, a local historian of the Alekseevsky district and a member of the Union of writers of Russia Anatoly Nikolaevich Kryazhenkov published the book «his judgment. Life Of A. V. Nikitenko». The review of this book is published in the Federal «Literary Gazette» [2] , and its author, which is doubly pleasant, is also a native of Mukho-Uderovka. This is a member of the Unions of writers and journalists, laureate of literary prizes Nikolai Kartashev. He compares the fate of the former serf count D. N. Sheremetev Alexander Vasilyevich Nikitenko with the fate of Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, a commoner who became an academician, and emphasizes the obvious proximity of Nikitenko's life path to the "Мировая наука" №12(33) 2019                 science-j.com     480

sad fate of another of our countryman Mikhail Semyonovich Shchepkin. However, the designation of vital milestones of Alexander Nikitenko is not the task of this article. Its main purpose will be a story about the relationship of our countryman with the great A. S. Pushkin.

Pushkin and Nikitenko met in 1827 in one of the secular salons. For Alexander Vasilyevich this acquaintance was connected with cooling to it Anna Petrovna Kern, in feelings to which Nikitenko admitted in the diary. The arrival of an old friend of Alexander Pushkin in St. Petersburg was very pleased with Anna Petrovna, she spends a lot of time talking with the poet, forgetting about the young admirer Nikitenko. Having got acquainted with Pushkin personally, Alexander Vasilyevich so describes his appearance: «This is a man of small stature, at first glance does not represent anything special. If you look at his face, starting from the chin, you will look in vain in it to the eyes of the expression of poetic gift. But eyes unkind will stop you: in them you will see rays moreover ceasefire, which warmed his poems-excellent, as bouquet of fresh spring roses, sonorous, full forces and feelings» [1; 48] . In a few months Nikitenko will say this about Pushkin, the poet and the man: «None of the Russian poets has not comprehended so deeply the secrets of our language, no one can compare with him in vivacity, brilliance, freshness of colors in the paintings created by his fiery imagination. No one's poems delight the soul with such captivating harmony. And next to that, they say, he's a bad son, a questionable friend. I can't believe it!.. In any case, there are many exaggerations and incongruities in the talk about him, as always happens with people who, moving out of the crowd and attracting everyone's attention, excite surprise in some, and envy in others» [1;58] . More than once on the pages of the diary Nikitenko will honor the poetry and language of Pushkin in General, the highest praise.

Pushkin and Nikitenko repeatedly met in a friendly circle at Pyotr Alexandrovich Pletnev, as well as at the founding meeting of the first Russian universal encyclopedia – «The Encyclopedic lexicon» of the publisher Plushar. In the years 1834-1835, when he was censor A. V. Nikitenko was released in print a few books of A. S. Pushkin. These are «Poems and stories of A. S. Pushkin» (part 1 and part 2, 1835), «Poems of Alexander Pushkin» (part 4, 1835) and Pushkin's poems in the magazine «Library for reading» (1834,  1835). Censorship corrections made by Nikitenko in Pushkin's poem «Angelo» (at the request of the Minister of public education S. S. Uvarov) and the «Tale of the Golden Cockerel» caused a sharp discontent of Pushkin (entries in Pushkin's diary of February 1835. and in Nikitino's diary of April 11, 1834.). The mutual relations of Pushkin and Nikitenko then be restrained and unfriendly.

Nikitenko perceived the death of A. S. Pushkin as a great loss for Russian culture. «We have suffered a grievous irreparable loss» [1. 194] – writes Nikitenko. «It was really a people's funeral. Everything that reads and thinks in St. Petersburg-all flocked to the Church, where the funeral of the poet». «The people were deceived: they said that Pushkin would be buried in St. Isaac's Cathedral - so it was meant on the tickets, and meanwhile the body was taken out of the apartment at night, secretly, and put in the stable Church. The University has "Мировая наука" №12(33) 2019                 science-j.com     481

received strict instructions that professors are not absent from their departments and students would be present at lectures. I could not resist expressing to the Trustee my regret at this. The Russians cannot mourn their fellow-citizen, who has done them honour by his existence! Foreigners came to worship the poet in his coffin, and University professors and Russian youth are forbidden. They secretly, as thieves had to sneak up to him» [1; 196] .

Immediately after the funeral of Pushkin Nikitenko from the Church went to the University, where he had to give a lecture. «But instead of the next lecture, -he writes, - I read to students about Pushkin's merits. Come what may!» [1;196] .

«Three days after the funeral-writes Nikitenko-Pushkin was taken secretly to his village. My wife was returning from Mogilev, and at a station not far from St. Petersburg she saw a simple cart, straw on the cart, and a coffin wrapped in matting under the straw. Three gendarmes bustled about in the post-office yard, anxious to harness the courier horses and ride on with the coffin» [1;197] .

Nikitenko was the only censor who opposed the decision of the censorship Committee to subject the posthumous edition of Pushkin's works to the strictest censorship, excluding even those works that had been published before.

The name of Alexander Nikitenko often remains in the shadows when it comes to the great Russian literature. However, we should not forget that the censor-Nikitenko in «litigation of the political mechanism with art» [1;134] , did everything possible to remain on the side of the latter. Thanks to his liberal views and skillful interaction with the authorities, not only Pushkin's creations appeared in the Russian press, but also Gogol's «Dead souls», the story «Khor and Kalinich» by the young I. S. Turgenev and other works of domestic writers. A. V. Nikitenko belonged to that group of contemporaries of A. S. Pushkin, who were able to appreciate the talent of the great genius. Evidence of this is the diary of Alexander Vasilyevich, which not only keeps memories of many outstanding people and events of the nineteenth Century, but also is the most valuable source for studying of a life way, personal formation and attitude of our glorified countryman Alexander Vasilyevich Nikitenko.

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