His father hated him for writing poetry. For a long time he tried to "save" his son from a bad habit of rhyming, and when nothing helped, he disowned him and accelerated his death.
Contemporaries did not like this man. They did not understand how to break with their surroundings for the sake of literary creativity. Even enlightened and virtuous gentlemen, having met with him, took the position of a patriarchal ethic, which ordered everyone to keep their circle. He did not pay attention to those who condemned him, composed his magical world in which he found salvation.
Childhood
The Koltsov family lived in Voronezh. Its head, Vasily, was a merchant. He started as a cattle reseller, but, having become rich, he began to rent land, where farm laborers grew bread, and started building. His wife Praskovya did not know the letter, but was a good woman and delighted her husband with the kids. In 1809, she gave birth to a son, who was named Alexei.
Vasily and Praskovya Koltsov - Alexei's parents
The father saw his son as a continuation of his work and set his biography as an example to him. He believed that Alyosha had enough elementary education. When the boy was 9 years old, the parent began to teach him to read and write. The child quickly studied, because it was decided to send him to the county school. The heir to the rich man did not have to need something, because he was often indulged in pocket money. Alex spent them on the purchase of books. In 1821, Vasily Koltsov took his son from school, saying that great knowledge for successful trading is not necessary.
Youth
Instead of attending school, the boy and his father attended fairs and households of those who were ready to sell livestock. Among the merchants there were those who noticed a smart teenager and appreciated his interest in literature. Senior comrades allowed Alexei to visit their home libraries. Book seller Dmitry Kashkin was known as the most enlightened person in the city. He often invited the young man to visit him and read to him verses of his own composition.
Voronezh - the hometown of Alexei Koltsov
In 1825, our hero wrote his first poetry. He clearly imitated his beloved authors, therefore, having introduced the work of his close friends, the young man burned the manuscript. Again, he took up his pen made a romantic passion. Alexei fell in love with the maid Dunya. He dedicated poetry to her and was ready to marry her. Daddy found out about this and immediately ordered his son to go to another city on business. When the guy returned, he found out that the girl was hastily issued to marry a Cossack. The search for a beloved ended tragically - our hero found out that a servant shortly after the wedding beat his wife to death.
Contrary to fate
Alexei Koltsov did not take his work seriously until the moment he met the seminarist Andrei Srebryansky in 1827. He organized a literary and philosophical circle in his school and invited a new friend to attend the meeting. The poet spoke to his peers and met with approval of his work and bewilderment due to the fact that everything written was never published anywhere.
Alexei Koltsov reads his poems in the living room at Pletnev
A nugget from Voronezh sent his poetry to several popular publications, however, asked to be published anonymously, and also entered into correspondence with the famous literary critics of Moscow and St. Petersburg. In addition to his own works, Koltsov began to collect folklore. Visiting farms where he also sold livestock, he recorded folk songs and jokes. Rumors about the hobby of his son reached the stern father. He was angry - the young man needed to make a career in trade, and he prefers a society of dubious persons, like Srebryansky, who was expelled from seminary for freethinking.
Provincial Orpheus
Our hero did not heed the words of the parent. If he sent him on an assignment to the capital, Alexei did not miss a chance to look at famous literary critics and poets. They accepted a strange young man, but doubted that he would make at least some contribution to Russian literature. Some fell to comments on the modest formation of the writer, its origin and a tendency to borrow revolutions from folklore. The most grateful reader of the works of Alexei Koltsov was Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. He noted the lyric poetry of the young poet and welcomed interest in them from composers and vocalists.
Alexey Vasilievich Koltsov (1838). Artist Kirill Gorbunov
After the debut in 1831, 4 years had to pass before the collection of poems by Alexei Koltsov saw the light of day. Now his formidable parent could only grumble. The minister of muses did not pay attention to this, he believed that, having abandoned the beaten path, he would find his happiness. Voronezh ladies began to stare at the unusual young man.
