Excerpt from The Masterpieces and the History of Literature, Vol. 10 of 10: Analysis, Criticism, Character and Incident
Imitation of French models was the basis of Russian literature until the excesses of the opening of the French Revolution startled the Czarina Catherine II. Then she prohibited the publication of French books in her dominions. But even aside from politics, the French artificial style had begun to pall on the Russians. Von Visin in his comedy, "The Brigadier," had derided those whose only reading was French romances; and Kropotof, in his "Funeral Oration of Balabas, My Dog," congratulated that animal on never having read Voltaire! With the Napoleonic invasion the national spirit burst forth in the most bitter and violent odes and writings of a "patriot war." In tragedy, Ozerof wrote "Dmitri Donskoi," recalling the struggles of Russia against the Tartars. Krioukovski wrote the tragedy of "Pojarski," the hero of 1612. The poet Zhukovski sang the exploits of the Russians against Napoleon and stirred all anti-Napoleonic Europe with his "Bard in the Camp of the Russian Warriors." Even the childlike Kriloff satirized the French fashions of the Russian court in "The School for Young Ladies" and "The Milliner"s Shop."
The great literary event of the reign (1801-25) of Alexander I. was, however, the "History of Russia" by Nikolai Mikhailovitch Karamsin. Before Karamsin there was no inspiring picture of Russia"s past.
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