Gogol: Ukrainian, Russian Writer
Social commentator and master of the grotesque, Nikolai Gogoal was a Ukrainian contemporary of Pushkin.
Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was a Ukrainian who wrote stories and plays in the Russian language. Gogol was influenced by his observations of society and his own heritage.
Nikolai Gogol, ethnically Ruthenian (or Rusyn) and Ukrainian by nationality, is considered a member of the Russian literary cannon. However, he drew upon his Ukrainian heritage to create his memorable stories, plays, and novels – some which were brilliantly humorous and, at the same time, poignant social commentaries on Russian life during the 19th Century.
An acquaintance of Pushkin, Gogol sought out the so-called Father of Russian Literature in order to gain advice on how he might write “Russian” stories. Sources identify Pushkin as the originator of the idea behind Gogol’s famous unfinished novel, Dead Souls. Dead Souls was both a reference to religion (Gogol was a fervent follower of Orthodoxy) and to Russian peasants (basically slaves), who were called “souls” in the Russian language. Landowners kept count of their “souls” for tax purposes – and due to infrequent census counts, landowners often had to pay for peasants who had died . . . thus the double-meaning behind the title Dead Souls.
While Gogol was a master of the grotesque, he was also in the business of making readers (and theater audience members) laugh. The Inspector General is one of Gogol’s most memorable satires (lauded by Nabokov), as it pokes fun of rank and class in 19th century Russia. Diary of a Madman, a short story written in 1835, also exemplifies the reality of the Russian class system, recording the “notes” of a civil servant recording his slide into insanity. The Overcoat, of 1842, is one of Gogol’s best-known works also features a low-level civil servant who saves to buy a new overcoat after the one he has been wearing becomes so threadbare it cannot even be patched.
Works of Gogol inspired by Ukrainian culture and history include Viy and Taras Bulba. Viy is a supposed Ukrainian fairy tale recorded by Gogol. The interesting twist to Viy is that no such creature as Viy (a monster whose eyelids are so long they drag on the ground) exists in Ukrainian folklore. The story Taras Bulba takes on the history of the Ukrainian Cossacks, detailing battles, clashes with the Poles, and Cossack society.
Nikolai Gogol’s contribution to Russian literature and interest in his own Ukrainian heritage make him a unique historical persona. In addition, his short stories and plays are enjoyed by a worldwide audience even today; it doesn’t take vast knowledge of Eastern European history to find humor or recognize societal truisms in his writing.
