Historical / Cultural Influences

For Russia, the 1800’s proved to be an active century for the country, but was rather dull for the countrymen.  After many centuries of wars, Russia was able to create a dense and wide area of land.  Although Russia’s land mass began to swell more and more, during the mid-1800’s, the country was no longer able to generate enough capital to compete with other countries commercially.  It was at this time that Russia began to westernize itself with the incorporation of the railway system.  More economic developments occurred during the late nineteenth century with increase in numbers in the coal mining, iron, textiles, and, steel industry.  However, despite the increase in technology, farming was still the major means of production for Russia at that time.  The social conditions of the Russian people during the nineteenth century were dull despite the dramatic economic changes in the country.  Russia maintained a rigid class system with the czar, other nobility, and clergy on top and everyone else on the bottom.  It is said that “the czar, through his bureaus, concerns himself with the empire and imperial affairs; the people manage their own concerns for themselves – and the division of labor is complete” (“Some Phases of Russian Life”).  With no constitution and no political system to check the czar’s power, the Russian people were literally in the hands of a small group of people who did not necessarily care what their countrymen had to say.  In turn, the countrymen felt as though they had no true identity in their own country.  However, they weren’t the only ones who felt that way.  With the massive land expansion, those from the conquered countries were forced to learn the Russian language and culture leaving them with no real identity as well.  The main occupation during the nineteenth century was farming, which proved to be uninteresting and left no means for self-advancement.  Even those who were fortunate enough to attend public school did not exactly get the greatest education since public education was regarded as being dangerous since the common people may gain the ability to learn how to revolt against the government.  And revolt they did.  In two instances, namely the Emancipation of the serfs in 1861 and the Revolution of 1905, the commoners of Russia reacted against the government as a way to finally gain the justice that had so long been denied to them.  Although the two political movements were very influential to nineteenth century Russia, developments in the arts (literature, art, theater) also played a significant role in the advancement of Russia (Wikipedia).  

 

  • The Emancipation of The Serfs - 1861

After given a petition from the Lithuanian provinces and other provinces all over Russia, Alexander II, the czar at the time was forced to realize that Russian’s maintenance of serfdom was holding the country back economically.  Therefore, after considering the options of the serfs remaining dependent on their landowners or if they should be transformed into their own class of independent proprietors, Alexander II decided to give them both.  However, they were given both freedom and land under a few conditions: there was a transitional period of nine months in which the former serfs still had to work for their landowners, the land owners themselves were given more land from the government, and the former serfs had to pay their former land owners for their share in the land.  Although this emancipation seemed like a good idea at the time, it still left some former serfs landless and poor, which was the problem to begin with.  Again, Russian life among the common people became dull and bleak with little hope of a better future (Wikipedia).

 

  • The Revolution of 1905

It took about half a century after the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861 for the country to see some real change.  Political discontent continued to grow during the last years of the nineteenth century.  Finally, the spark desperately needed to start the Revolution was seen on January 22, 1905, also known as “Bloody Sunday.”  In St. Petersburg, there was a protest that got out of hand and resulted with the killing of 200 people by the Russian armed forces.  Soon, the country seemed to be split into groups all making demands for a better life.  The peasants fought against the economic system, wanting fair wages, more land, and more opportunities for self-advancement.  The industry workers all went on strike in hopes of better wages and labor hours.  The Nationalist groups also joined together against the injustices they had to endure.  The Poles, Finns, and Baltic providences all fought for the freedom to once again speak their own languages and uphold their own cultures.  Finally, on February 4, 1906, the Russian government created what was called a State Duma, which was basically a consultative assembly of the lower house of the Russian Federation (parliament).  Also, in April of 1906, the Fundamental Law was put into affect confirming the czar as absolute leader with control over the executive powers, the armed forces, and the Church.  Also these two changes stopped the violence of the Revolution, the general outcome did not seem to change much for the country.  Instead, it left the countrymen confused about what exactly happened and what they were to do until WWI gave them something new to focus on (Wikipedia).

 

 

*       Russian Literature

 Around the mid-1800’s, Russian literature was at a low point in Russia and for other European countries as well.  Despite a handful of famous Russian authors such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, there was not a great demand for Russian works.  It was said that Russian literature at that time was “‘in a condition of decay and stagnation.  Having produced some great names which have gained a world-wide celebrity, Russian genius has for a time as it were exhausted itself’” (“A Year of Continental Literature”).  The stalemate in Russian literature was most likely to be caused by the political and social unrest of the country as a whole.

 Regardless of the time period, the typical Russian work seemed to evoke a generally gloominess of life.  The gothic themes seemed to cover the reader in a thick haze that made him or her question his own humanity.  This, in essence, was entirely the point.  Russian writers often wrote on the theme of Truth: to find Truth in every aspect of life and to never stop searching for it.  For it is only through Truth that one may find all that he or she is looking for in life.  Many Russian works also contain the idea that life is utterly hopeless with no hope for the future.  This can be seen in Chekhov’s own work “Sleepy.”  Also, another main theme in Russian literature was the emphasis on self reflection.  Like Truth, only through self reflection can one fine some sort of comfort in life.  These works argued that the only way to live is to let your own mind guide you regardless of the trouble it may get you into.  Along with self reflection, the writers encouraged the reader to have a stronger social consciousness and to actually see the world for what it is worth. 

 Overall, the Russian authors did not feel the need to cloud anyone’s judgment and understanding of the world with frills and lace.  Instead, they took a more upfront approach and basically told it like it is.  They left any kind of Romantic idea aside and completely lost any use of the aesthetic.  To these Russian writers, the world itself did not contain these Romantic and aesthetic ideals, so it was pointless to incorporate those themes into their works.  Instead, they wanted to show the world as it really was: dull, pathetic, mysterious, but above all, hopeless.  The Russian writers “embarked on the search for final meanings.  With rare intuition they knew that the light to illuminate the way could come only from the comprehension of the nature of man, – not man disguised by romantic pretensions or aesthetic renunciation, – but man as he really is, in his true self and his naked essence” (“Russian Literature: The Quest for Life’s Meanings”).

 

 

*       Russian art

 In complete contrast with Russian literature, Russian art was considered to be colorful with “raw color and harsh treatments” (“An Art Tour”).  Many painters depicted happier scenes than those captured in literature at that time.  Many paintings were nostalgic and centered on family life.  Although Russian art was even less popular than Russian literature during that time, many art schools were constructed as a way to teach its people to appreciate and study art.  Inspired to create a more art-friendly city, Count Strogonov established the first art school called the School of Design.  This art school was warmly embraced by the city of Moscow and eventually had over 500 hundred pupils, which was quite a feat.  Due to the success of this school, Moscow was soon considered to be the art center of Russia.  The School of Design still exists today, but is now called the Moscow School of Industrial and Applied Art.

 

 

*       Russian Theater

 Like Russian art and literature, the Russian theater was not favorably regarded during the 1800’s.  Although there were many inspiring playwrights during that time, there just did not seem to be a high demand for theater.  In all actuality, the Russian theaters were namely built as a way to keep up with the rest of Europe.  Under the orders of Alexander II, five theater houses were built throughout Russia with little intention to use such facilities.  The outside of these houses were just as elaborate, if not more so, than any theater in Europe.  With extravagant furnishings and pillars and stages, the theaters would appear to evoke a sense of pride and curiosity among the Russian.  However, that was far from the case.

 To the Russian at that time, literature seemed more influential and more relatable than theater ever could.  It is said that the theaters had not “grown up naturally from a poetic want in the people, and [found] in the country little or nothing in the way of poetic basis” (“The Theater in Russia and Poland”).

 When the Russians did attend the theater, it was mainly to keep up appearances.  Theater was considered more of a social event and a symbol of high fashion, rather than a symbol of art.  It was said that the people would show up, socialize, and before the show was even over, the house would be empty.  They merely went to be entertained, not appreciate theater as an art form.

 Aside from the lack of enthusiasm among the Russian audience, the Russian actors were also not very keen on acting.  In fact, they were horrible.  The Russian acting was so bad, that they created acting schools in hopes to improve the actors’ performances.  However, this did not seem to catch on with the actors because they still remained to be horrible actors.  Therefore, the Russian theater houses hired actors from other countries and completely disregarded any Russian actors.

 

Annotated Bibliography

n    “A Year of Continental Literature.” The Dial; a Semi-monthly Journal of Literary Criticism, Discussion, and Inf 15.292 (Aug 1898): 002. APS Online.

       This source generally discusses the gothic influence and other influences on Russian literature during the 1800s.  Although there is a lot of information in this article, not a whole lot has to do specifically with Chekhov.  However, it does give a couple good quotes on how Russian literature was not in high demand during that time period.    

 

n    “An Art Tour.” The Literary World; a Monthly Review of Current Literature (1870-1904). 4.8. (Jan 1874): 118. APS Online.

       This source discusses Russian art and the creation of Russia’s main art school during the 1800s.  Although it is a short article, it does provide a lot of insight on the elements of Russian art during the time.  The one downfall was that it did not allow for good quotes and just merely provided facts.    

 

n    “Russian Literature: The Quest of Life’s Meaning.” The Dial; A Semi-monthly Journal of Literary Criticism, Discussion… (July 1917). 1. APS Online.

       This article discusses the characteristics of Russian literature during the 1800’s with small mention of Chekhov.  This was one of the best articles since it was very specific when explaining exactly what the Russian writers intended to write about.  This was also a great article to quote from.

 

n    “Some Phases of Russian Life.” Appletons’ Journal: a Monthly Miscellany of Popular Literature (1876-1878). 2.19 (1877): 369. APS Online.

       This article discusses the general mood of Russia during the 1800’s with emphasis on politics during that time.  It is a great source to use as a means to have a more intimate look on Russia during the nineteenth century.  This article also covered every aspect of Russian life from politics, to religion, to family life.

 

n    “The Theater in Russia and Poland.” The International Monthly Magazine of Literature, Science and Art (1850-1852). 1.8 (1850): 1. APS Online.

       This article discusses the early theaters in Russia and how the country responded to them.  While this article was very actuate and informative, it was also enjoyable to read because there were small touches of humor throughout.  This article also gave an intimate view on Russian theaters that not many scholarly sources would provide.

 

n    Wikipedia. History of Russia. 12 Nov 2005. 14 Nov 2005. <http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Russia>

       This website was very informative and gave a great overview of Russia during the nineteenth century.  It was very easy to navigate and very helpful by giving definitions to ambiguous terms, such as “serf.”  This was a good site to use when trying to get an overview, but seemed too general to get really specific quotes.