Mikhail Bulgakov is a talented Russian writer. Most of us know him as the author of the novel “The Master and Margarita” and the novel “The Heart of a Dog”, but he has many other equally worthy works.
Bulgakov was not limited to writing, he was a playwright, director, and even an actor. The creative path of Mikhail Afanasevich was not easy. His first novel was severely criticized; censorship representatives called it anti-communist. And after 10 years, his works were completely banned from printing. Most of them “saw the light” after the death of the writer.
In the 30s, he asked the government to give him the opportunity to do his favorite thing or to emigrate from the country. At that time in the theaters of Moscow they staged performances based on the plays of Bulgakov, but soon they began to disappear from the repertoire ...
This article will discuss the most interesting facts from Bulgakov’s biography. With their help, you can make an idea of him as a person, and not just as a writer.
10. From childhood, he began to write and became interested in literature.
Mikhail Afanasevich was born in an intelligent family. His father was a professor at the Theological Academy, his mother taught at the gymnasium. Parents owned a good library, little Misha loved to read from childhood. This was facilitated by the atmosphere that prevailed in the Bulgakovs' house.
The head of the family was a very educated person, he also had a penchant for writing. True, Afanasy Ivanovich did not show his works to anyone, he wrote "to the table."
Michael inherited the ability to write from his father and at the age of 7 created his first work. It was called "Adventures of Svetlana." Unfortunately, it has not survived to our days, but it is known that his main theme was magic, fairies, princesses.
9. Was a doctor, surgeon
After graduating from high school, Mikhail Afanasevich entered the medical institute in Kiev. He made such a decision, looking at his mother’s brothers. They worked as doctors and made good money. For Bulgakov, who grew up in a poor family, this was a weighty argument.
While still a student, he began to practice. The First World War began, there was no way out. At first, Bulgakov worked as a nurse in a military hospital.
Soon the young doctor was sent to a hospital, which was located near the front line. His wife Tatyana Lappa said that it was a very difficult time for Mikhail Afanasevich. Had to operate a lot. A large number of patients with gangrene, seriously wounded, were admitted to the hospital.
After there was a zemstvo hospital and practice as a venereologist.
8. Dependence on morphine
When Bulgakov worked in the village, an incident occurred that nearly took his life. He saved a small child by removing diphtheria films with a tube. Bulgakov sucked them. To avoid infection, he introduced himself anti-diphtheria serum. A severe allergy began.
He managed to alleviate his condition with the help of morphine, but since then he has taken a certain place in the life of the writer. Soon he could not do without this substance. It got to the point that he chased his wife with a gun and demanded that she get him morphine. Tatyana did not leave him at a difficult moment, she and his stepfather helped Bulgakov cope with his addiction.
7. His apartment was constantly searched
It was already noted above that the government was dissatisfied with the writer's work. NKVD officers regularly searched his apartment. However, Bulgakov’s relationship with Stalin was rather strange.
It is known that they talked on the phone several times, Joseph Vissarionovich allowed Bulgakov to get a job at the Moscow Art Theater. He himself loved the performances staged according to the works of Mikhail Afanasevich, and he visited them more than once. During the years of mass repression, Bulgakov was not arrested, although he was credited with anti-Soviet sentiment.
6. His uncle was the prototype of Professor Preobrazhensky
In 1917, Mikhail Afanasevich moved to Moscow with his uncle. Nikolai Pokrovsky worked as a gynecologist and achieved some success in his career. It was he who became the prototype of Professor Preobrazhensky - the protagonist of the story "Dog Heart".
It is worth noting that the image was collective. Bulgakov saw in him the features of famous doctors: S. Voronov, A. Zamkov, as well as biologist I. Ivanov.
5. Pawned his wife's jewelry in a pawnshop
The writer did not know how to manage money at all. At 22, he married Tatyana Lapp. Lovers could not even have a wedding. There was no money, although the girl's parents regularly sent her large amounts.
Bulgakov loved to show off. When rubles appeared, he acted like a hereditary millionaire: he bought expensive things, rode a taxi, and visited restaurants. However, it was an ordinary student family, which did not think about the future.
When there was nothing to live for, Mikhail carried his wife's jewelry to a pawnshop. But they were happy, Tatyana Nikolaevna called these times "careless."
4. Collected concert and theater tickets
Bulgakov collected a collection of tickets, but only those that he personally attended. He loved the theater, tickets for him were something like souvenirs, a memory of pleasant emotions. This was not the only collection of Mikhail Afanasevich. He also collected newspaper clippings - reviews of his works from critics.
3. Focused on the work of Gogol
Gogol was Bulgakov's favorite writer. He not only read his works, but also focused on the work of Nikolai Vasilievich. You can find many parallels in their fates. Bulgakov, like Gogol, burned the manuscript of the novel, and also made his hero, the Master, do it.
Mikhail Afanasevich repeatedly staged performances based on the works of Nikolai Vasilievich. The first production of Dead Souls failed miserably. Bulgakov was dissatisfied with himself. Gogol came to him in a dream and demanded excuses for the failed performance.
For several years he was completely immersed in the work of the classic, this left a big imprint on the nature of his works. In the last days of his life, the writer remembered his idol. He asked to read to him about the death of Gogol, about his experiences and torment.
2. "The Master and Margarita" - an unfinished work
The most famous novel by Mikhail Afanasevich was not completed. He worked on it for quite some time. Started back in 1928, did not have time to finish. After the death of the writer, drafts and manuscripts remained.
He wrote a will, according to which the work on the novel was to be continued by his wife Elena Sergeevna. The woman spent 20 years of her life on this. She gathered together manuscripts and drafts, independently edited the work.
Critics say that in the novel there are flaws, minor discrepancies that are invisible to the average reader (for example, the color of Beret’s beret). Elena Sergeevna tried several times to print “Masters and Margarita”, but they answered her: “This is not the time”. Nobody wanted to endanger their lives and incur the wrath of the authorities.
The novel was published in 1966 (in abbreviated form). This was a publication in the journal Moscow.
1. Negative of the revolution
Bulgakov took part in the revolution. He served as a doctor with the White Guards, but over time, his attitude to this phenomenon became increasingly negative. He saw in the revolution not a deliverance from problems, but destruction, misfortune, death.
Bulgakov did not accept her; the writer reflected this in his works. Stalin himself called him “Turbin Days” “an anti-Soviet thing,” and said about Mikhail Afanasevich that he was “not ours.”