Gogoliada 2009

By Natalia Rudnichenko, PANORAMA
The first of April 2009 is the day when the world celebrates two centuries of literature by Nikolai Gogol, author of the famous The Inspector-General, Taras Bulba, Dead Souls, and Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka. He was an ingenious yet enigmatic figure. Gogol was a constant resident of a mystical world, deprived of peace of mind. His characters – blacksmith Vakula, Cossack Taras Bulba, landowner Chichikov and petty clerk Hlestakov, have all become incarnations of human flaws and virtues, immortalising their creators

Nikolai Gogol was born on March 20^th (old calendar, now April 1^st). Perhaps his zodiac sign, Pisces, defines the nature of the writer: melancholic and cold, mysterious, unstable, unpredictable, yet talented.

When a baby’s cry was heard in their small clay house, the mother and father worried about only one thing: will he survive? Hardly surprising, given the fact that all their previous newborns had died. When Gogol’s mother was pregnant with the future genius, she travelled to neighbouring Dikanka to pray to the icon of St. Nicholas. She named her surviving son after the Saint.

Genius and Eccentricity

The mysteries, prophetic dreams, omens, that so infatuated Gogol, were perhaps inherited from his parents. His father, Vasily, saw his bride-to-be in a dream at thirteen, when she was only a one-year-old child. When returning home from a pilgrimage with his parents, he stopped in a village where there happened to be a neighbours’ daughter. Vasily recognised his bride in this girl, named Maria. He faithfully waited for her and married her when she was fifteen. From his mother, Nikolai Gogol inherited an amazing gift of foreseeing what would happen to him later, as well as an incredibly vivid imagination.

Interestingly, while studying at a college in Poltava and at the school of higher arts in Nizhyn, Gogol was never noted for anything remarkable. His performances at the student theatre, however, were successful. Another one of his special “features” was his attitude towards women: he never married, regarding relationships with the opposite sex as a “sinful passion.” He once proposed to Anna Veligorska, but this lady, who belonged to aristocratic circles, was simply beyond his reach. He was also close to Lermontov’s muse, Aleksandra Smirnova-Rosset, but her femininity discouraged him.

Many books have been written on Gogol’s literary journey. However, what is really striking is that a completely unknown young man who came to St. Petersburg from a remote part of Ukraine very quickly managed to transform himself into one of the idols of the northern capital of the Russian Empire and, a few years later, an acclaimed guest in Moscow. Gogol spent twelve years of his life living abroad, eight of which in Rome. The writer used to enjoy taking his friends to the Coliseum, then only partly unearthed and covered in grass. He would make them lie on their backs looking upwards and say: “Right now you see the sky exactly the way it was seen by the people in ancient times.”

Gogol is known to the world as one of Russia’s classic writers. However, the settings of most of his novels, written in Russian, are near his dear Poltava in the heart of Ukraine. This alone qualifies him for the honour of being a Ukrainian classic as well. Therefore, we invite you to take a trip to these sites to see with your own eyes where the author drew his inspiration.

Visiting Gogol

We begin our journey with a visit to the town of Mirgorod, which gave its name to a well-known collection of stories by Gogol. It seems that everything around here is permeated with the magic of the writer’s works. Nikolai himself “greats” people arriving to the town’s railway station, from the height of his pedestal. Another tribute is Gogol restaurant (18, Vusyka Str, tel.: +38050 305 5131; www.gogol.com.ua), where you can sample delicious vareniky and zavivantsy made according to old recipes from Gogol’s times.

Even “the famous puddle”, that, a long time ago, provided the setting for the meeting of the characters from The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarrelled with Ivan Nikiforovich, can still be seen, right in the middle of the town. Nowadays, Mirgorod is a health resort with numerous spas. It was founded by doctor Zubkovskiy, who discovered the medicinal properties of the water coming out of the local mineral springs. He also solved the mystery of the famous puddle: it does not dry up in summer nor freezes in winter because it is fed by underground hot springs.

Next, we make our way to the village of Velyki Sorochyntsi, where the literary genius was born 200 years ago. The short story The Fair at Sorochyntsi, published in 1829, made this village world-famous. From the monument honouring the writer at the entrance to the village, we move to the house where he was born, a museum bearing his name. If you wish to see Gogol’s characters “live”, come to Velyki Sorochyntsi in August to attend the Sorochyntsi Fair, famous since the second part of the 17^th century! Nowadays, this is the place where one can not only make good deals, or buy souvenirs, but also take part in theatrical performances based on the writings of Gogol.

After visiting the fair, we head for Gogol’s Dikanka, another village he immortalised with his “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka” stories. Surrounded by a forest, Dikanka is nestled comfortably on the bank of the Vorskla River, and is still known for its patriarchal and deferential attitude to old times. St. Nicholas Church, where Gogol’s mother used to pray for the survival of her unborn child, is visible on the southern outskirts of the village. The melodious chimes of its bells can be heard as far away as Poltava!

If you are planning to spend a few unforgettable evenings visiting Gogol’s places, then make your way to the nearby village of Proni, to the historical and cultural centre named “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka” (tel.: +38050 305 5216). Here, you can even order a theatrical performance with your favourite Gogol characters! This is also the right place to sample the food described in the story: real borsch with lard and pampushky, vareniky and Cossack potatoes.

While travelling around Gogol’s places, you cannot skip a trip to the region’s capital, Poltava. Poltava took its place in world history because of the battle between the Russian army led by Tsar Peter the First and the Swedish army of Charles XII that took place near the city in 1709. One of the main streets of Poltava is Gogolivska, with a bronze monument to Gogol standing on it. The Poltava regional music and drama theatre, also named after Gogol, is the place where you can see performances based on Gogol’s works.

We leave Poltava and travel further to the village of Gogolevo, where the writer grew up. There is now a park-museum named after him. The rooms of his parents’ house as well as the annex are home to an exhibition that sheds light on Gogol’s times, and tells stories from the life of the great writer. There is also a beautiful garden located on the territory of the park. Follow the paths leading to the crystal-clear water of the pond and walk the alley that Gogol himself once trod. On the hilltop you can see the wooden summerhouse “Dream”, and further away there is a cave. A large stone lying at its entrance is where Gogol often sat, lost in thoughts. You are bound to find this place rather lyrical, perhaps a bit mystical, just like a Gogol story.

Nikolai Gogol: mini-file

April 1^st (March 20^th) 1809: Born in the village of Velyki Sorochyntsi, Mirgorod district, Poltava region.

1828: Gogol moves to St. Petersburg.

1829: Gogol’s first book “Hans Kuhelgarten” is published.

1831-1832: The short story collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, is published, making him famous overnight.

1935:Taras Bulba and Viy are published in one volume titled Mirgorod.

1936:The Inspector General is staged by the Alexandrinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg.

1842: The first volume of Dead Souls is published.

1845: Gogol, deeply depressed, burns the manuscript of the second volume of Dead Souls.

February 21^st, 1852: He dies, or, according to other sources, falls into a lethal stupor. He is buried in Moscow.

FESTIVITIES MARKING THE BICENTENNIAL OF GOGOL

International exhibition-competition of illustrations “The World of Gogol” (April 1^st to May 1^st, 2009): Poltava Art Museum: Poltava, 5, Frunze Str, tel.: +38 053 256 3540.
Theatrical Festival “Visiting Gogol” (March 31^st to April 6^th 2009): Ukraine-wide. Poltava region, Mirgorod: Palace of Culture, 1, Kyivska Str., tel.: +38 053 555 4728.
Sorochyntsi Fair (August 19^th to 23^rd, 2009): theatrical festival featuring Gogol’s characters and folk performers from Ukraine: Poltava region, Velyki Sorochyntsi village, tel.: +38 053 250 8211; www.yarmarok.poltava.ua
Gogolfest’ 2009 Festival (September 5^th to 27^th, 2009):Culture and art museum complex “Artistic Arsenal”: Kyiv, 30, Mazepy Str.; www.gogolfest.org.ua

GETTING THERE

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