The life of a young man from a secular society. Socialite Day

The day of the capital nobleman had some typical features. However, those signs that mark the day of an officer or department official are not marked in the novel, and it makes no sense to dwell on them in this essay.
Onegin leads the life of a young man, free from official obligations. It should be noted that quantitatively only a small group of the noble youth of St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 19th century. led a similar life. Apart from non-employed people, only rare young people from among the rich and noble relatives of sissies, whose service, most often in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was purely fictitious, could afford such a life. The type of such a young man, though at a somewhat later time, we find in the memoirs of M.D. Buturlin, who remembers "Prince Pyotr Alekseevich Golitsyn and his inseparable friend Sergei (I forgot his patronymic) Romanov." “Both of them were civilians, and both, it seems, were then serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I remember that Petrusha (as he was called in society) Golitsyn used to say, que servant au ministere des affaires etrangeres il etait tres etranger aux affaires (untranslatable pun: the French “etrangere” means both “foreign” and “alien” - “serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I am a stranger to all kinds of affairs.” - Yu.L.) "(Buturlin. S. 354).
Guards officer in 1819-1820 - in the midst of Arakcheevism, - if he was in junior ranks (and by the age of Onegin's age at that time, of course, he could not count on a high rank that gives certain relief in the order of everyday military drill - viewing a number of biographies gives fluctuation in ranks between the guards lieutenant and army lieutenant colonel), from early morning he had to be in his company, squadron or team. The soldier order established by Paul I, in which the emperor was in bed at ten o'clock in the evening and on his feet at five in the morning, was also maintained under Alexander I, who loved, flirtingly, to repeat that he was a "simple soldier". "The crowned soldier" he was called by P in a well-known epigram.
Meanwhile, the right to get up as late as possible was a kind of a sign of aristocracy, separating the non-serving nobleman not only from the common people or brothers pulling a string strap, but also from the village landowner-owner. The fashion to get up as late as possible dates back to the French aristocracy of the "old regime" and was brought to Russia by royalist emigrants. Parisian society ladies of the pre-revolutionary period were proud that they had never seen the sun: waking up at sunset, they went to bed before sunrise. The day began in the evening and ended in the morning twilight.
J. Soren in the comedy "Morals of Our Time" depicted a dialogue between a bourgeois and an aristocrat. The first one praises the charms of a sunny day and hears the answer: “Fie, monsieur, this is an ignoble pleasure: the sun is only for the mob!” (cf.: Ivanov Iv. The political role of the French theater in connection with the philosophy of the 18th century. // Uchen. Zap. Mosk. Univ. Department of History and Philology. 1895. Issue XXII. P. 430). Waking up later than other people of the world had the same meaning as arriving at the ball later than others. Hence the plot of a typical anecdote about how a serviceman-military finds his sybarite-subordinate in the morning dezability (quite natural for a secular person, but shameful for a military man) and in this form leads him around the camp or St. Petersburg for the amusement of the audience. Anecdotes of this kind were attached to Suvorov, and to Rumyantsev, and to Paul I, and to Grand Duke Konstantin. Their victims in these stories were aristocratic officers.
In the light of the foregoing, the strange whim of Princess Avdotya Golitsyna, nicknamed “Princesse Nocturne” (nocturne in French means “night” and, as a noun, “night butterfly”), is probably cleared up. The “night princess”, who lived in a mansion on Millionnaya, a beauty “charming like freedom” (Vyazemsky), the subject of P and Vyazemsky’s hobbies, never appeared in daylight and never saw the sun. Gathering a refined and liberal society in her mansion, she received only at night. Under Nicholas I, this even aroused the alarm of the Third Section: “Princess Golitsyna, who lives in her own house, in Bolshaya Millionnaya, who, as already known, has a habit of sleeping during the day and is engaged in companies at night - and such a use of time is highly suspect , because at this time there are special occupations with some secret deeds ... ”(Modzalevsky B.L. Pushkin under secret supervision. L., 1925. P. 79). A secret agent was assigned to Golitsyna's house. These fears, despite the clumsiness of police exaggerations, were not completely unfounded: in the atmosphere of Arakcheevism, under the rule of the “crowned soldier”, aristocratic particularity acquired a shade of independence, noticeable, although tolerable under Alexander I and turned almost into sedition under his successor.
Morning toilet and a cup of coffee or tea were replaced by two or three in the afternoon with a walk. Walking, on horseback or in a carriage took an hour or two. Favorite places for festivities of St. Petersburg dandies in the 1810-1820s. were Nevsky Prospekt and Angliskaya Embankment of the Neva. We also walked along Admiralteisky Boulevard, which was planted into three alleys at the beginning of the 19th century. on the site of the glacis of the Admiralty renovated under Paul (glacis - an embankment in front of the moat).
The daily walk of Alexander I influenced the fact that the fashionable daytime walk took place along a certain route. “At one o’clock in the afternoon he left the Winter Palace, followed the Palace Embankment, at the Pracheshnoy Bridge, turned along the Fontanka to the Anichkovsky Bridge<...>Then the sovereign returned to himself along Nevsky Prospekt. The walk was repeated every day and was called le tour imperial [imperial circle]. Whatever the weather, the sovereign walked in one frock coat ... ”(Sollogub V.A. Tale. Memoirs. L., 1988. P. 362). The emperor, as a rule, walked without accompanying persons, looking at the ladies in a lorgnette (he was short-sighted) and answering the bows of passers-by. The crowd during these hours consisted of officials whose service was fictitious or semi-fictitious. They, of course, could fill the Nevsky during office hours, along with the ladies walking around, visitors from the provinces and idle dandies. It was during these hours that Onegin walked along the "boulevard".
About four o'clock in the afternoon it was time for dinner. Such hours were clearly felt as late and "European": for many, the time was still remembered when dinner began at twelve.
The young man, leading a single life, rarely supported a cook - a serf or a hired foreigner - and preferred to dine in a restaurant. With the exception of a few first-class restaurants located on the Nevsky, dining in St. Petersburg taverns was of poorer quality than in Moscow. O.A. Przhetslavsky recalled:

“The culinary part in public institutions was in some primitive state, at a very low level. It was almost impossible for a single man who did not have his own kitchen to dine in Russian taverns. At the same time, these establishments closed quite early in the evening. When leaving the theater, it was possible to dine in only one restaurant, somewhere on Nevsky Prospekt, underground; he was kept by Domenic"
(Landed Russia ... S. 68).

The "idle" atmosphere of a restaurant dinner is vividly depicted by P in the letters of the spring of 1834 to Natalya Nikolaevna, who left through Moscow for the Linen Factory:

“... I appeared to Dumas, where my appearance produced a general joy: single, single Pushkin! They started pumping me up with champagne and punch and asking if I would go to Sofya Astafyevna's? All this embarrassed me, so I no longer intend to come to Dumas and dine at home today, ordering botvinya and beaf-steaks to Stepan.
(XV, 128).

And later: "I dine with Dumas at 2 o'clock, so as not to meet with a single gang" (XV, 143).
A fairly complete overview of St. Petersburg restaurants in the 1820s. (albeit referring to a time somewhat later than the action of the first chapter of the novel) we find in one of the diaries of contemporaries:

"June 1, 1829. I dined at the Heide Hotel, on Vasilyevsky Island, in the Kadetskaya line - Russians are almost not visible here, all foreigners. Lunch is cheap, two rubles in banknotes, but they don’t serve any cake and for no money. Strange The custom is to put little oil and a lot of vinegar into the salad.
June 2nd. I dined at the German restaurant Clay, on Nevsky Prospekt. Old and smoky establishment. Most of all, the Germans drink little wine, but a lot of beer. Lunch is cheap; I was given a lafitte of 1 ruble; I had a stomachache for two days after that.
June 3rd Dinner at Dumas's. In terms of quality, this lunch is the cheapest and best of all the lunches in St. Petersburg restaurants. Dumas has the exclusive privilege of filling the stomachs of Petersburg lions and dandies.
June 4th. Lunch in Italian style at Alexander or Signor Ales, along the Moika at the Police Bridge. There are no Germans here, but more Italians and French. However, in general there are few visitors. He accepts only people he knows well, making more vacation meals at home. The pasta and stofato are excellent! He was served by a Russian girl, Marya, renamed Marianna; self-taught, she learned to speak excellent French and Italian.
5th. Dinner at Legrand's, formerly Fellet, at Bolshaya Morskaya. Lunch is good; last year you couldn't dine here twice in a row, because everything was the same. This year, lunch for three rubles in banknotes is excellent and varied here. Services and all accessories are lovely. Serve exclusively Tatars, in tailcoats.
June 6th. Excellent dinner at St. Georges, along the Moika (now Donon), almost against the Ales. The house in the yard is wooden, simply but tastefully decorated. Each visitor occupies a special room; a garden at the house; dining on the balcony is a delight; services are excellent, wine is excellent. Dinner in three and five rubles in banknotes.
On June 7, I didn’t have lunch anywhere, because I carelessly had breakfast and ruined my appetite. On the way to Ales, also on the Moika there is a small shop of Diamant, which serves Strasbourg pies, ham and so on. You can't eat here, but you can take it home. At the request of the owner allowed me to have breakfast. His meals are excellent, Mr. Diamant is a golden master. His shop reminds me of Parisian guinguettes (small taverns).
June 8th. I dined at Simon-Grand-Jean, along Bolshaya Konyushennaya. Dinner is good, but the smell from the kitchen is unbearable.
June 9th. Dined at Coulomb's. Dumas is better and cheaper. However, there are more dinners for those living in the hotel itself; the wine is fine.
June 10th. Dinner at Otto's; tasty, satisfying and cheap; you can hardly find better cheap lunches in St. Petersburg"
(quoted from: Pylyaev M.I. Old life: Essays and stories. St. Petersburg, 1892. P. 8-9).

This passage characterizes the situation in the late 1820s. and by the beginning of the decade can be applied only with some reservations. So, the gathering place for St. Petersburg dandies at that time was not the Dumais restaurant, but the Talona restaurant on Nevsky. However, the general picture was the same: there were few good restaurants, each visited by a certain, stable circle of people. To appear in one or another restaurant (especially in such as Talona or later Dumas) meant to appear at the assembly point of single youth - "lions" and "dandies". And this obligated to a certain style of behavior and for the rest of the time until the evening. It is no coincidence that in 1834 P had to dine earlier than usual in order to avoid meeting with the "bachelor gang".
In the afternoon, the young dandy sought to "kill" by filling the gap between the restaurant and the ball. Theater was one possibility. For the St. Petersburg dandy of that time, it was not only an artistic spectacle and a kind of club where secular meetings took place, but also a place of love affairs and accessible backstage hobbies. “The theater school was across the house from us, on the Catherine Canal. Those in love with the pupils every day walked countless times along the canal embankment past the windows of the school. Pupils were placed on the third floor ... ”(Panaeva A.Ya. Memoirs. M., 1972. P. 36).
During the second half of the XVIII and the first third of the XIX century. the daily routine shifted steadily. In the XVIII century. business day starts early

“The military came to the services at the sixth hour, the civil ranks at eight and without delay opened the Presence, and at one in the afternoon, following the regulations, they stopped their judgments. Thus, they very rarely returned to their homes later than two o'clock, while the military were in the apartments already at twelve o'clock.<...>Private evenings generally began at seven o'clock. Who came to them at nine or ten o'clock, the owner immediately asked: “Why so late?” The answer was: “The theater or concert was delayed, the carriage did not wait!”
(Makarov. About the time of lunches, dinners and congresses in Moscow from 1792 to 1844 // Shchukinsky collection [Issue] 2. P. 2).

V. V. Klyucharev wrote in the 1790s. I. A. Molchanov: “I can be with you until the seventh hour, and at seven o’clock the ball will begin in the club, then everyone knows.”
In 1799, a dinner party at the Commander-in-Chief in Moscow, Count I.P. Saltykov, began at three o'clock, and the evening at seven, and "ended with a light dinner at one o'clock after midnight, and sometimes even earlier" (Ibid., p. 4).
In 1807, the Moscow commander-in-chief T. I. Tutolmin began to gather for his evenings and balls from nine to ten o'clock.

“... Noteworthy dandies, according to the current lions, also appeared there at eleven, but this was sometimes noticed by him, the owner, with displeasure ...”
(Ibid., p. 5).

In the 1810s the daily routine shifted even more: in 1812, “Madame Stael, while in Moscow, usually had breakfast in the Gallery on Tverskoy Boulevard, it happened at two o’clock” (Ibid., p. 8).
By the beginning of the 1820s. dinner moved to four o'clock, evening meetings to ten, and the dandies did not come to the balls until midnight. Where dinner took place after the ball, it took place at two or three in the morning.

In 1830 A.S. Pushkin wrote one of the brightest works of his era - a novel in verse "Eugene Onegin". At the center of the story is the story of the life of a young man, after whom the novel takes its title.

In the first chapter, the author introduces the reader to the main character, a typical representative of the younger generation of aristocrats. Onegin was born in St. Petersburg, from infancy he was provided with nannies and tutors. He was educated at home, but not a single science really fascinated him. The Frenchman who taught the young man was not strict with his student and tried to please him. He knew French and a little Latin, danced well and knew how to keep up any conversation. But the greatest pleasure he received from communicating with women.

A handsome and educated young man fell in love with secular society, and eminent people invited him to visit every day. His father constantly borrowed money, but despite this, he arranged three balls every year. Father and son did not understand each other, each of them lived his own life.

Each new day in the life of the hero was similar to the previous one. He woke up in the afternoon and devoted a lot of time to his appearance. For three hours, Onegin in front of the mirror put his hair and clothes in order. He did not forget to take care of his nails, for which he had various scissors and nail files. After that, the hero went for a walk. Then a luxurious dinner awaited him: roast beef, truffles, wine. Everything is prepared to please the young man.

The reader sees that Onegin does not have a clear daily routine, he obeys his whims and desires. If during dinner he receives news of a theatrical performance that has begun, he immediately rushes there. But it is not the love of art that drives his impulses. Eugene welcomes all his friends and looks for beautiful girls among the audience. The performance itself bores Onegin. He spends the whole night at the ball, returning home only in the morning. At a time when all people go to work, our hero only goes to bed to rest before the start of the day, full of social balls and evenings. Such is one day in the life of Eugene Onegin from the 1st chapter of Pushkin's novel. But then everything changed...

The hero is not happy, he is dissatisfied with his life, which brings him only boredom and blues. Deciding to change, he begins to read a lot, tries to write. But soon he is overcome by apathy. At this time, Eugene's father dies, whose debts force Onegin to give all the money to creditors. But this does not frighten the young dandy, he knows about the imminent death of his uncle and expects to receive a large fortune from him. His hopes come true and, soon, he becomes the owner of lands, factories and forests.

Introduction………………………………………………………… ……………1

Chapter 1. What is a "secular society"? …………………………………….3

Chapter 2 Etiquette …………………………………………………………………6

Chapter 3 Who are the "dandies"?……………………………………………...……9

Chapter 4 The novel "Eugene Onegin" - an encyclopedia of "secular" life ... .12

4.1 Entertainment………………………………………………… ....13

4.2 Ball……………………………………………………………... 16

4.3 Duel………………………………………………………….. 20

Conclusion…………………………………………………… …………….26

Bibliography…………………………………………………… …..28

Introduction

In the novel "Eugene Onegin" Pushkin created the image of a typical nobleman of his time. Throughout the first chapter of the novel, the author says more than once that Eugene overcame an illness, the name of which is - "English spleen" or "Russian melancholy". But what was the cause of this disease?

The answer to this question is nothing more than a detailed study of this topic. For a long time, Eugene lived according to the laws of high society, the entertainment and customs of which he was pretty tired of.

Also, knowing about the intricacies of secular life, the occupations and hobbies of the nobles, one can rethink many episodes of the novel. And also to understand the prerequisites for the emergence of motives for the behavior of many heroes, the reasons for their relationship to each other.

One should also not forget about those qualities of a person that could be dictated by high society and the norms of behavior in it. For example, the love affairs in which Eugene participated drowned out in his soul the ability to sincerely and strongly love. It was this that did not allow him to recognize his true love in Tatyana.

The same can be said about those places that a person of high society is obliged to visit. It does not matter whether a person is impressed by any theatrical production - if they talk about it, then he is obliged to attend it. And is it worth mentioning the constant visits to the houses of high-ranking persons. Receiving an invitation to such receptions emphasized a certain status of a person, his elitism. Here, not only the political life of the country, important news of an international scale, but also ordinary gossip or profitable parties for their own children were discussed. Isn't this what we see in the episode of the matchmaking for Tatyana?

The logic of the study determined the structure of this work, consisting of an introduction, four chapters, a conclusion and a bibliography. Chapter No. 1 is devoted to explaining the term "secular society" - the key to the topic under study. Chapter No. 2 examines etiquette and its features characteristic of the era described in the novel "Eugene Onegin".

Chapter number 3 - the transition from an analysis of the lifestyle of society as a whole to an analysis of the lifestyle of the protagonist of the novel. Chapter No. 4 is completely devoted to the novel by A.S. Pushkin. In conclusion, the results of the study are summarized.

This work will pursue several goals. One of them is an attempt to analyze the norms of secular life and consider how Pushkin embodied them in his novel. The other is to present the main characters of the novel as bright representatives of high society, to fully reveal the features of their everyday life.

Chapter 1. What is a "secular society"?

Before proceeding to consider the day of a secular person as a whole, it is necessary to understand in more detail the concepts: “secular society” and “light”. The movement from the general to the particular is the main principle of this work, which, of course, will create the most complete picture of its topic.

So, the word "light" means an intelligent, privileged and well-mannered society. "Light" consists of people distinguished by their intelligence, learning, some kind of talent, natural virtues or virtues acquired through civilization, and finally, politeness and decency.

To be called a "man of the world" is to receive praise. To know secular treatment means to be able to captivate with all sorts of beautiful qualities: politeness, courtesy, self-control, calmness, delicacy, friendliness, generosity, and the like.

If we could know the whole ins and outs of the “light”, if we could enter into all the details of the intimate family life of people belonging to the light, find out all their domestic secrets, worries and gloomy anxiety; if we could penetrate this lustrous, polished shell, which in appearance is only pleasure, fun, brilliance and splendor, what a difference would appear to us between what it really is and what it seems to be.

« The father is at odds with the children, the husband is at enmity with his wife, but these family secrets are carefully hidden from the eyes of the world: antipathy, and envy, and grumbling, and eternal discord. There friendship is marred by suspicion, self-interest and whim; tender oaths and assurances of eternal love and devotion end in hatred and betrayal; huge fortunes lose all their value through the addiction to which they are subjected" one .

Look into any secular house, and you will see people of various states and the most diverse positions in the world. Among them are the military, and doctors, and lawyers, and theologians - in a word, people of all professions, representatives of various specialties, sciences and arts. They all gathered in one circle of good friends, but no matter how closely they were connected, they still remain alien to each other, there can never be complete solidarity between them in opinions and views, but from the outside it will always seem that between them all complete unanimity and solidarity prevails in everything. This is required by etiquette, prescribing self-control, complete courtesy and respect for the opinion of another, even if one could not internally agree with this opinion. Etiquette does not allow for disputes or intolerance for other people's opinions. One, wanting to strike up a conversation, boldly raises a question about some subject, the other interlocutor, more shy and waiting only for an opportunity to be spoken to, politely answers the question, not daring to object, although internally he does not agree with the opinion of his more daring interlocutor. The third, also possessing courage, but not possessing knowledge of the subject that was spoken about, begins to speak without understanding himself. However, no one interrupts him with the remark that he is talking about something he does not understand. The fourth, whose opinion on the same subject is quite just, either keeps silent, or interjects his remark so modestly, politely, and softly that he does not offend anyone with his intellectual superiority, and the conversation proceeds peacefully, without disputes, without disturbances. " Here no one is forgotten, everyone knows their place and position in the world.» 2 .

The world, not without reason, makes its opinion of your worth according to the opinion it has of your friends. The proverb says: "Tell me who you are friends with, and I will tell you who you are." Indeed, each person becomes to a certain extent such as those in whose circle he revolves. He accepts their views, their mannerisms, and even their way of thinking. Therefore, it is very important that a young man who wants to learn the habits, posture and manners of a man of the world, attend only good companies. All these external qualities he will acquire imperceptibly by moving in decent society and carefully applying the qualities and manners of the persons that make up this society. Let him only look at them as carefully as possible, and soon he will be equal to them. In a secular society there is nothing that could not be acquired with diligence and attentiveness.

Chapter 2. Etiquette

Mentioning in the previous chapter about etiquette, a kind of "code of laws" for a secular person, it would be logical to talk about it in more detail. Not having even the most minimal idea of ​​what the word “etiquette” meant for the nobles means not understanding the prerequisites for many of the actions of the heroes of the novel “Eugene Onegin”.

It is known that over time, the old Russian customs gradually disappeared, giving way to the dominant French influence. As for manners, civility and fashion, they were a blind imitation of the French. Knowledge of the French language at that time was considered the main sign of a good upbringing. Therefore, the nobles began to entrust their children to the French, who, along with teaching the language, instilled French customs and customs in their pets.

In the 19th century, LEE's book was very popular in Russia. Sokolov "A secular person, or a guide to the knowledge of secular decorum and the rules of a hostel accepted by a good society." It was repeatedly reprinted in 1847-1855.

What rules did Russian society adhere to in the 19th century?

Much attention in the manuals on etiquette of that time was given to the art of pleasing and winning over people. It assumed mutual helpfulness, attentiveness, readiness to sacrifice some comforts for the sake of others, tact. Tact was one of the most important conditions for being in the light. A tactful person could become loved and respected by everyone, without possessing a great mind, since tact and prudence in many cases were able to replace education and even a heart for light. On the other hand, " a person in whom the highest virtues are combined with unpleasant personal traits: knowledge with pride, courage with audacity, morality with excessive severity, was hardly liked in society. Those who did not possess a subtle nature, a sense of tact, common sense and sensitivity, were advised to follow the established rules. 3 .

The young man's first trip to society was also strictly regulated. He could appear at the ball for the first time in a tailcoat or uniform. At the ball, he had to be attentive to the owners of the scrap and the ladies, regardless of their age, attractiveness and wealth. All this testified to the excellent education of the young man and his belonging to the chosen society.

Before marriage, the lifestyle of a girl and a young man was radically different. The young man did not submit to any control and was completely free in his acquaintances and entertainment. A young girl, on the contrary, had no right to live and go out into the world alone; She was obliged to live with her parents and obey their will.

Secular relations were called acquaintances made in salons with mutual consent, with mutual sympathy and equality of the parties. When they met, they exchanged cards, visits and all sorts of courtesies, following the laws of social decency.

“If, after a mutual introduction, an invitation followed from either side, it was answered with a visit, it was indecent to refuse. If there was no invitation, but I wanted to make an acquaintance, through laziness after the acquaintance (representation), they sent a business card and waited for an invitation. 4 .

In general, visits were a necessary element of secular communication. People visited each other either to strike up an acquaintance or to maintain an old one.

It was customary to pay short visits upon departure. It was contrary to the rules of good manners to leave without paying a visit to acquaintances and not informing them of their departure. Returning after a long absence, it was also necessary to visit friends.

The guest had to make sure not to "sit out" for more than 20 minutes. The courtesy invitation of the hosts to stay longer was not taken seriously. No food was served during the first visit. At the beginning of the conversation, the visitor thanked for the honor done to him.

After the first visit, it was customary to send a return invitation within a week, otherwise it was believed that the acquaintance would not continue. If the return visit was postponed indefinitely, this meant that the acquaintance was undesirable.

Chapter 3

Literally in the first lines of the novel, the author calls his hero "dandy". Who was meant by this name in Pushkin's time? That is, before proceeding directly to Pushkin's novel, one should learn more about the lifestyle that Onegin adhered to.

Dandy - a socio-cultural type of the 19th century: a man who emphasized the "gloss" of appearance and behavior. Unlike a dandy, he does not blindly follow fashion, but creates it himself, having a delicate taste, extraordinary thinking, irony in relation to existing models of behavior.

Famous dandies include Byron, George Brummel, Huysmans, Robert de Montesquiou, Oscar Wilde, James Whistler, Baudelaire, Max Beerbohm. Most often, dandies belonged to the middle class, although they led an aristocratic lifestyle.

Dandies were distinguished by a pleasant style of speech and impeccable language. Many of them were highly gifted and excelled in everything they did; less talented ones, if they failed at something, were able to stop in time, without any special illusions or enthusiasm. They showed gentlemanly skills - generosity and magnanimity. Ephemeral as youth and spirits, they still had one constant feature - fidelity in friendship, despite the later rivalry.

Dandies paid much attention to their appearance. Dandy professed the principle of minimalism and the principle of “noticeable invisibility” associated with it, which formed the basis of the modern aesthetics of the men's suit. Instead of pompous, pretentious luxury, the dandy allows himself one elegant, expressive detail in his suit. The next important principle is thoughtful (made) negligence. You can spend a lot of time on the toilet, but then you need to behave as if everything in the costume happened by itself, in the order of random improvisation. "Pedantic thoroughness" is vulgar, because it does not hide the preliminary tension and, therefore, betrays a beginner who, sweating, comprehends the science of dressing decently. That is why the ability to tie an elegantly careless knot on a neckerchief began to be highly quoted in this era.

« Ideally, a real dandy should have been distinguished by a slender complexion." 5 . " Dandies were rare cleanliness even by modern standards. A true dandy was recognized by clean gloves - he changed them several times a day; boots were polished to a shine» 6 . The dandy costume is characterized by another remarkable detail. Dandies walked with monocles, glasses, lorgnettes, binoculars - these were fashionable disguise items.

Dandies, possessing impeccable taste and a role model in men's fashion, acted as merciless critics, making brief, witty, caustic remarks about inaccuracies in costume or vulgar manners of their contemporaries.

« The principle of minimalism was also manifested in the manner of speech. Aphorisms are characteristic of the dandy. The dandy's speech cannot be monotonous and tiring: he aptly omits his "bonmots" (words), which are immediately picked up and quoted everywhere. Besides, a true dandy will never repeat the same thing twice.» 7 .

Three famous dandy rules:

• Nothing to be surprised.
• Keeping dispassion, strike surprise.
• Leave as soon as the impression is achieved.

Newcomers to secular society tried to strictly observe the rules of etiquette, went out of their way to look like a secular person. Hence - tightness and uncertainty, as well as pretentiousness of manners (exaggerated facial expressions and gestures, forced expression of surprise, horror or delight). The paradox of a dandy, and indeed of a truly secular person, is that, with full observance of secular conventions, he seems as natural as possible. What is the secret of this effect? Thanks to the fidelity of taste - not in the field of beauty, but in the field of behavior - a secular person in the most unforeseen circumstances instantly catches, like a musician who is asked to play an unfamiliar piece, what feelings need to be expressed now, with what movements, and unmistakably selects and applies technical tricks.

« In the culture of dandyism, a special concept has developed - flanking (from the French fleneur), or a slow walk around the city - mainly to show off. Smoothness plays a special role in the subtle art of dandy flanking, since slow movement, as it was believed at that time, is inherently majestic." eight .

Chapter 4. The novel "Eugene Onegin" - an encyclopedia of "secular" life

Onegin was born into the family of a wealthy nobleman. His father "gave three balls every year and finally squandered." Like all the aristocratic youth of that time, Onegin was brought up at home and educated under the guidance of a French tutor.

He leads an idle life typical of the "golden youth": balls every day, walks along Nevsky Prospekt. But Onegin, by his nature, stands out from the general mass of young people. Pushkin notes in it " dreams of involuntary devotion, inimitable strangeness and a sharp, chilled mind”, a sense of honor, nobility of the soul. And Onegin could not but be disappointed in secular life.

A different path, along which some part of the noble youth of the 1920s went, is revealed on the example of the life of Lensky.

He was educated and raised in foggy germany". From there he brought freedom-loving dreams ... and shoulder-length black curls". Pushkin points to Lensky's inherent " noble aspiration and feelings and thoughts of the young, tall, tender, daring". Lensky perceives people and life as a romantic dreamer. Misunderstanding of people, enthusiastic daydreaming lead Lensky to a tragic end at the first encounter with reality. He sees the purpose of life in love for Olga, considers her perfection, although she is an ordinary girl. " Always humble, always obedient”, She does not think deeply about anything, but follows the accepted rules of life. Her feelings do not differ in depth and stability. She is " didn't cry for long about Lensky and soon got married.

Olga's sister, Tatyana, was distinguished by her stability and depth of feelings. Tatyana Larina was brought up on French novels, so she was just as romantic as Lensky. But Tatyana is close to the people. Tatyana dreams of such a person who would be similar to the heroes of her favorite novels. Such a person, as it seems to her, she found in Onegin. But he rejects Tatyana's love. Her fate is tragic, but her character has not changed.

An analysis of the characters of the main characters showed that only on the example of Onegin, his way of life, described at the beginning of the novel, can one consider the life of a typical nobleman, his entertainment and activities, and also suggest what the day of a secular person could be like.

4.1 Entertainment

“The day of the capital nobleman had some typical features. However, those signs that mark the day of an officer or department official are not marked in the novel, and it makes no sense to dwell on them” 9 - this is how Yu. Lotman begins his commentary on Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin”.

Onegin leads the life of a young man, free from official obligations. Apart from non-employed people, only rare young people from among the rich and having noble relatives, "mama's sons, whose service, most often in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was purely fictitious" 10, could afford such a life.

A secular person, not burdened by the service, got up very late. This was considered a sign of aristocracy: after all, only those who had to earn their daily bread with their labor - artisans, merchants, employees, had to wake up early. This habit was adopted by Russian aristocrats from the French. Parisian ladies of high society were proud of the fact that they never see the sun, going to bed before dawn and waking up at sunset.

Getting out of bed and making a morning toilet, it was supposed to drink a cup of tea or coffee. At two three o'clock in the afternoon it was time for a walk - on foot, on horseback or in a carriage, during which it was possible to pay visits to relatives and friends, of which everyone had a lot.

Walking, on horseback or in a carriage took an hour or two. Favorite places for festivities of St. Petersburg dandies in the 1810-1820s. were Nevsky Prospekt and Angliskaya Embankment of the Neva.

The daily walk of Alexander I influenced the fact that the fashionable daytime walk took place along a certain route. At one o'clock in the afternoon he left the Winter Palace, followed the Palace Embankment, at the Pracheshny Bridge, turned along the Fontanka to the Anichkovsky Bridge. Then the sovereign returned to himself along Nevsky Prospekt. It was during these hours that Onegin walked along the "boulevard":

While in the morning dress,

Wearing a wide bolivar,

Onegin goes to the boulevard

And there he walks in the open,

Until the dormant breguet

Lunch will not ring for him.(1, XV, 9-14)

About four o'clock in the afternoon it was time for dinner. Such hours were clearly felt as late and "European": for many, the time was still remembered when dinner began at twelve.

The young man, leading a single life, rarely supported a cook - a serf or a hired foreigner - and preferred to dine in a restaurant. With the exception of a few first-class restaurants located on the Nevsky, dining in St. Petersburg taverns was of poorer quality than in Moscow.

The gathering place for St. Petersburg dandies at that time was the Talona restaurant on Nevsky:

He rushed to Talon: he is sure

What is Kaverin waiting for him there.

<…>

Before him roast-beef bloodied,

And truffles, the luxury of youth,

French cuisine is the best color.(1, XVI, 5-14)

To appear in this or that restaurant meant to appear at the assembly point of single youth - “lions” and “dandies”. And this obligated to a certain style of behavior and for the rest of the time until the evening.

« However, Pushkin himself, in the absence of his wife in St. Petersburg, often dined at a restaurant. In 1834, in his letters to Natalya Nikolaevna, who was in Moscow at that time, the phrase is often found: “I am dining at Dumas’s” - a well-known metropolitan restaurant was meant" eleven .

In the afternoon, the young dandy sought to "kill" by filling the gap between the restaurant and the ball. Theater was one possibility. For the St. Petersburg dandy of that time, it was not only an artistic spectacle and a kind of club where secular meetings took place, but also a place of love affairs and accessible backstage hobbies.

Many in secular society were reputed to be theatrical regulars. After all, the theater in the early nineteenth century. was not just a temple of art, but something like a permanent meeting place. Here you could chat with friends, find out the latest, far from theatrical, news, start a love affair. Cavaliers patronized actresses, were friends with actors, participated in theatrical intrigues, like Onegin:

The theater is an evil legislator,

fickle admirer

charming actresses,

Honorary citizen backstage,

Onegin flew to the theater

Where everyone, breathing freely,

Ready to slam enterchat,

Sheath Phaedra, Cleopatra,

call Moina (in order

just to hear it).(1, XVII, 5-9)

4.2 Ball

Dances occupy a significant place in the novel "Eugene Onegin": the author's digressions are devoted to them, they play a large plot role.

Dancing was an important structural element of noble life.

In the era of Pushkin, the ball opened with a polonaise, which replaced the mannered minuet of the 18th century. Usually it was started by the mistress of the house, paired with one of the eminent guests. If the august family was present at the ball, then the emperor himself walked in the first pair with the hostess, in the second - the owner of the house with the empress. The second dance at the ball at the beginning of the nineteenth century. waltz became:

Monotonous and insane

Like a whirlwind of young life,

The waltz whirlwinds noisy;

The couple flashes by the couple.(5, XLI, 1-4)

It is interesting how the word “waltz” is interpreted in the “Onegin Encyclopedia”: “The waltz in “Eugene Onegin” is mentioned three times: twice in the scene of Tatyana’s name day and once in the seventh chapter (a ball in the Nobility Assembly).

In the 1820s, when the fashion for the waltz spread in Russia, it was considered too free. “This dance, in which, as is known, persons of both sexes turn and approach each other, requires due care<...>so that they do not dance too close to each other, which would offend decency ”(Rules for Noble Public Dancing, published by<...>Ludovik Petrovsky. Kharkov, 1825, p. 72.). Pushkin calls the waltz “crazy”, “frisky” and connects it with love game, windiness.

The epithet "insane" is connected with the characterization of the dance, which we gave above" 12 .

slide 2

First chapter

In the first chapter of the novel "Eugene Onegin" A.S. Pushkin describes in detail the ordinary day of Eugene Onegin, the ordinary day of a young nobleman of the 20s of the XIX century, who leads the life of a young man, free from official duties. This day, like the other, is perceived by Onegin as a necessary secular ritual: “Tomorrow is the same as yesterday”: balls, French restaurants, ballet and opera performances at the Mariinsky Theater, walks along Nevsky Prospekt

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Life in Petersburg

Only a small group of noble youth of St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 19th century. led a similar life. Such a life could only be afforded by young people from among the rich and noble relatives, sissies, whose service, most often in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was purely fictitious.

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Morning Onegin

Onegin got up late, not earlier than at 12 o'clock. This was a sign of aristocracy. The fashion for late awakening came from France: the Parisian society ladies were proud that they had never seen the sun: waking up at sunset, they went to bed before sunrise. The morning toilet and a cup of coffee or tea were replaced by two or three in the afternoon with a walk.

Slide 5

Onegin Day

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Emperor Alexander I went out for a walk. His daily walk influenced the fact that the fashionable daytime walk "along the boulevard" took place along a certain route. A walk, on horseback or in a carriage took Onegin an hour or two. His favorite places for festivities were Nevsky Prospekt and the Angliskaya Embankment of the Neva.

slide 6

Onegin's lifestyle

About four o'clock in the afternoon it was time for dinner. Onegin led a bachelor life, therefore he did not support a cook and preferred to dine in a restaurant. Only French restaurants in St. Petersburg could offer decent food. The quality of the food in the taverns was poor, especially since they closed early.

Slide 7

Onegin's free time

The French and Italian restaurants were the best value for money. Mostly foreigners ate there. The food was varied, the average cost of a meal was three rubles. Afternoon Onegin sought to "kill", filling the gap between the restaurant and the ball. Theater was one possibility. The theater was not only an artistic spectacle and a club where social meetings took place, but also a place of love affairs.