Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is one of the most eminent Russian writers of the 19th century, who glorified his name as a prose writer, playwright, poet and publicist. Gogol left behind a rich literary heritage. The special attention of the writers biographers has always been riveted to the final period of his life. It is still not entirely clear what exactly was the real cause of the death of the writer.
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1
At the end of 1851, Gogol settled in Moscow and lived on Nikitsky Boulevard in the house of Count Alexander Tolstoy, with whom he was on friendly terms. In January of the following year, the writer more than once spoke with Archpriest Matthew Konstantinovsky, having previously been acquainted with him by correspondence. The conversations were quite harsh, the priest reproached Gogol for insufficient piety and humility.
2
It was to Matthew Konstantinovsky that the writer entrusted the reading of the almost finished manuscript of the second part of the poem Dead Souls, hoping to get his approval. However, after reading the text of the poem, the priest critically evaluated the work and even spoke out against its full publication, calling Gogol’s book harmful.
3
A negative assessment of the work and other personal reasons, apparently, forced Gogol to abandon further creativity. A week before Lent, which began in February 1852, the writer began to complain of malaise and stopped eating. Gloomy thoughts increasingly visited Gogol, as eyewitnesses testify.
4
A few days before his death, the writer, obviously in a state of confusion, burned a bunch of notebooks in the fireplace, containing not only the second volume of Dead Souls, but also sketches for other works. Despite the convictions of friends, Gogol still did not eat anything, observing strict fasting. In the second half of February, he finally went to bed, refusing help and medical care. All signs indicated that Gogol was already internally preparing for an imminent death.
5
The medical council that had gathered at the invitation of the owner of the house did not come to a consensus, evaluating the condition of the sick writer and the reasons for his illness. Some believed that the patient was suffering from inflammation of the intestines, while others believed that he had typhoid or even nervous fever. Some were convinced that the cause of the disease lies in mental illness.
6
The efforts of the doctors were unsuccessful. February 20, 1852 the writer fell into unconsciousness, and died the next morning. Gogol was buried in the cemetery of the Danilov Monastery. In Soviet times, the monastery was closed. The grave of the great writer was opened, and his remains were moved to the Novodevichy cemetery.
7
There is a legend that did not find complete confirmation that during the reburial it was discovered that the remains of the writer were in an unnatural position. This gave rise to allegations that Gogol at the time of the burial was in a state of lethargic sleep and was almost buried alive. However, it is likely that this is just speculation based on fears of being buried alive that the writer expressed during his lifetime.
