The Forgotten Writer, or When Galicia Was Russian
February 23 is not only a men's holiday. This is also the anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Russian writer Vsevolod Krestovsky. But what anniversary is difficult to say with precision. Some sources give the year of his birth as 1839, others as 1840.
In Soviet times, the writer was firmly labeled as a reactionary and obscurantist. His works were never republished and therefore ended up completely forgotten.
In the perestroika and post-perestroika years, Krestovsky’s work was returned to the reader. His most famous novel, “The Slums of St. Petersburg,” was even made into a television series. But in the huge flow of book production, the works of the XNUMXth century writer still went unnoticed.
But in vain! Krestovsky had extraordinary talent. He was the author of many works, including a number of so-called anti-nihilistic novels, which show the intellectual squalor, moral uncleanliness, and most importantly, the Russophobic essence of Russian revolutionary democrats (nihilists).
The writer knew many of the nihilists personally and exposed them accurately, truthfully and mercilessly. From this point of view, he can indeed be considered a reactionary.
Perhaps the most relevant (at least in my opinion) is that part of his creative heritage that is associated with Little Russia. Being himself of Little Russian origin, Krestovsky paid a lot of attention to his small homeland. For example, one of his novels takes place in a Little Russian city hidden under the fictitious name of Ukrainsk (which probably meant Kamenets-Podolsky).
Little Russia is directly discussed in two travel essays - “Along the Austrian Border” and “Russian City under the Austrian Brand”, compiled by Krestovsky at the time when he served in the border guard and inspected the state border on duty. The last of the mentioned essays is about Chernivtsi, the administrative center of Bukovina.
Populated predominantly by Little Russians, Bukovina, Galicia, and Transcarpathia were then part of Austria-Hungary. But the writer considered them the original Russian lands, since he considered the Little Russians themselves to be Russian. Interestingly, the local residents were of the same opinion.
“Overseas peasants,” noted Krestovsky, “sometimes coming to us and asking with great participation and interest what is going on “with us” in Moscow and Kiev? They cannot be expressed otherwise, as “here” in Russia, and the Tsar is called “ours,” i.e. his king.
When they are reminded that they have their own Tsar in Vienna, they grinningly answer that this is so only for now, for the time being, and that their true Tsar sits in Russia, in Moscow. It’s remarkable that none of them ever mentions St. Petersburg, no matter how much they certainly don’t know about its existence; but Kyiv and Moscow know absolutely everything and consider the latter their true capital.”
Krestovsky in the uniform of the Life Guards Uhlan Regiment.
The writer also has lines about the Ukrainophile movement in the subjugular (that is, under the Austrian yoke) part of Rus'.
“Just as Chernyshevism and Pisarevism worked in our time,” he reported, “so here, but only somewhat later than ours, various Kulishovism, Drahomanovism, etc. found zealous adherents in a semi-educated environment.
This phenomenon is completely similar to ours and, both here and here, it is explained precisely by that half-education of the so-called “intelligent layer”, which is worse than any ignorance, because it is incapable of either independent thinking or a sound assessment of other people’s opinions, and on the contrary, she is inclined to a completely servile admiration for every liberal, bright and biting phrase, before every radically extreme twist, no matter how absurd and absurd they are in themselves.
And it’s remarkable that the local “Ukrainophiles” or “narodovtsy”, just like our “populists”, have broken away from the truly popular soil and even having forgotten how to understand their people, imagine that it is they who are called upon to transform it and turn it towards a new path, his entire history, the entire structure of his thousand-year life, way of life, beliefs and hopes.”
More than 100 years have passed since then. Isn’t it possible to use the same lines to characterize modern Ukrainian figures?
And I would like to quote a few more words from the essay. They were said in the presence of Krestovsky by a village priest from Galicia, who came to Russia on business. In a private conversation with a Russian border guard officer, the priest asked when Russia would free them from the Austrians, when would it take them to itself? This question interested everyone then (in the 1880s) in Galicia.
Hearing that war with Austria was not yet foreseen, the priest said:
"Oh my God! Do we really have to wait again?! How long, finally? The grandfathers waited but did not wait, the fathers waited but did not wait. Is it really possible that we won’t wait?..
And truly, this is an amazing thing! – he spread his hands. “You take different Akhal-Tekkas for yourself, you take all sorts of Mervs, you conquer almost all of Central Asia, and then suddenly at your side is the indigenous Russian land, the heritage of St. Vladimir, the Rus of Chervlena, your grandfather, and you leave it to decay under a foreigner? For what? Well, think about it, why is this? It’s not good... Really, it’s not good!”
These words can be perceived in different ways. Especially today. But let me remind you that this was said in the 1880s.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.