Ivan Andreevich Krylov- that figure in the Russian classics of the 19th century, which was bypassed by pop culture. His fables are inscribed in our cultural code, but the layman knows almost nothing about the personality of this Russian Diogenes.

Contemporaries called him the great mocker for his penchant for caustic irony.

From this article you will learn very Interesting Facts about Krylov Ivan Andreevich, which will help to better understand this genius.

Russian classics appear before the modern layman in the form of majestic and secular gentlemen who are alien to the entertainment and thoughts of the mob. But this idea is mythological, Krylov's youth confirms this.

Fact-1: Krylov loved to fight

Ivan Andreevich was a great lover of fighting, and great in the literal sense - his heroic physique for many was a call to join the fight. Back then, fisticuffs were an integral part of the life of the Russian provinces.

Krylov was interested not only in the fight, but also in the specific language that framed it. Therefore, he listened to the speech of others, climbed into the thick of the crowd, tried to gain a new bodily experience for himself.

Fact-2: Krylov I.A. was a gambling man

Krylov was generally not selective in entertainment. In addition to fisticuffs "wall to wall" he loved cockfights, gladly made bets.

Gambling was noticed by Pushkin, who called Krylov the "magician" of the card game. Cards were not only entertainment. At a difficult stage in his life, Krylov had to leave public service and he was left without a basic income. The skills of a virtuoso game allowed him not to become impoverished.

Fact-3: Krylov was known as an ignoramus and mediocrity

Some facts from the life of Krylov Ivan Andreevich may suggest that he was a genius from birth. But at the beginning of his creative way Krylov was known as an ignoramus and mediocrity.

Critics and publishers were merciless to his undertakings in literature. Perhaps for the cause, because even a friend and biographer of this writer Lobanov was skeptical about his early works. They were not funny, pretentious and secondary.

No criticism extinguished the writer's fuse in Krylov. He tried himself not only in plays, although this genre was fashionable during his youth due to the active development of the theater. He was engaged in the translation of French dramaturgy into Russian, among examples - L'Infante de Zamora.

Fact-4: Krylov loved to eat and lie on the couch

Even in Russian Empire church and condemned the sin of gluttony, every feast for Krylov was a holiday. Therefore, his physique was very large. This served as an occasion for constant ridicule. For us, this is a source of interesting facts about Krylov.

Given that Ivan Andreevich himself loved to play a joke on human vices, and he had a lot of enemies, fullness became both a curse and a blessing for him.

Gluttony was not just Krylov's sin, but also his way of life. Ancient Greek hedonists could only envy his Russian understanding of life in pleasures.

The writer's favorite pastime was lying on the couch. And it was only possible to pull him out somewhere with the promise of a grandiose performance, or a feast.

Funny facts about Krylov

For some, the desire to bring Krylov into the light turned into his caustic sarcastic reaction. Many funny facts about Krylov Ivan Andreevich are connected with this.

Fun fact-1: How Krylov taught merchants a lesson

One day the merchants invited the fabler to their place, promising to show him the best Siberian furs.

He did not agree for a long time, but when he was finally fed up with the requests of the merchants, he came to their market and began to inspect all the goods with excessive meticulousness. To each merchant, he weighed out a bunch of ironic remarks about his goods, as well as himself. He never bought the fur, but the merchants got a lesson for life.

Fun Fact 2: Mysterious Painting

Krylov was a great conservative in everyday life. He hardly agreed even to simple cleaning, having servants at home. The dwelling of Ivan Andreevich was always uncleaned, creative disorder reigned there. Above the sofa, where he liked to lie, hung a large picture in a heavy frame.

It was loosely attached to the wall and hung at a dangerous angle, constantly threatening to fall on the writer's head. Krylov's friends joked many times that this is what will cause him. However, the painting remained hanging after his death.

Fun Fact 3: Shaggy slob

The slovenliness also extended to his own appearance. Ivan Andreevich seemed to be constantly immersed in himself. He could go weeks without bathing or combing his hair.

Even while in St. Petersburg, where he needed to constantly appear at social events, he did not particularly follow his appearance. Surrounding more than once ironically noticed this feature of the writer.

Once he asked a well-known society lady what he could do to improve his own image. She replied that simply by washing and combing, Krylov would already turn into another person.

Fun fact-4: Krylov had a daughter

However, Krylov himself was not bothered by ridicule addressed to him. The great denouncer of human vices treated himself calmly. He lived for one day and was not attached to anything. This partly explains why he died unmarried.

In his youth, he sought the heart of the daughter of a Bryansk priest. However, the lack of money did not allow him to marry his beloved. He would later have a romantic connection with his own maid, who would illegitimately have a daughter.

Fun fact-5: I.A. Krylova's audacity

Not only the lack of money, but also immoderate impudence were characteristic of the young writer.

Seeking the hand of a girl from another county, he committed impudence, unthinkable at that time. After all, he was poor compared to her. But even when the parents agreed to give the green light to the marriage, he telegraphed them to the county with a request to send money for travel. The girl's parents were offended by such impudence, the marriage did not take place.

Fun fact-6: Naked Krylov! Or Leshy?

Already at a more mature age, Krylov will become an enviable groom. But he will be so immersed in work, as well as in social life, that there will be neither time nor desire for a family.

His eccentricity added fuel to the fire. There is a known case when, having arrived at a country estate to his friend, Krylov walked around the site next to the house naked.

This is not so amazing, if you forget about the enormous size of the body of the fairy tale. At that time, it was still not customary to remove hair from the body. The hulk, overgrown with hair, was mistaken by the peasants for a goblin. The owner of the estate informed Krylov about this, but he did not care about the opinions of others.

Among interesting facts from the life of Krylov there is a particularly funny episode. Once receiving Prince Golitsyn, he did not dress. For him, it was some trifle, distracting from everyday affairs. Therefore, Krylov had breakfast that day with Golitsyn, also being naked. Golitsyn only laughed at this fact.

Fun fact-7: Krylov liked to look at the fires

Krylov was a great lover of fires. It was his peculiar hobby - to watch the huge estates in St. Petersburg burn.

The city was still then, and many buildings were wooden, so not a single fire could do without the observation of a Russian fable.

Some facts suggest that he was a great travel lover. However, not in Europe, but in his native Russia. In the Russian hinterland, he found something secret, and what he heard from ordinary people often appeared in his fables.

Interesting facts about the death of Ivan Andreevich Krylov

As for the cause of Krylov's death, there is no single point of view among historians and biographers. The writer's contemporaries attributed everything to his immoderation in eating. Gluttony added to his health problems, but judging by the data that we have now, he died of banal pneumonia.

Despite seeming laziness and slowness, he is the author of 236 fables. And the ancient Greeks were the main source of his inspiration. The works of Aesop and La Fontaine are known to us primarily thanks to the efforts of the Russian classic. Krylov had a high opinion of his creations.

Interesting facts from the life of Krylov in his biography can be extracted even from its end, that is, a classic. Before his death, in his will, he ordered everyone who came to the funeral to give out a free copy of his collection.

Ivan Andreevich Krylov (1769-1844)

Krylov and students
It is known that I.A. Krylov was a rather fat man.
Once, when he was walking along the Fontanka embankment to the Olenin House, three students overtook him.
They did not recognize the fabulist by sight, and one of them said loudly:
"Look, the cloud is coming."
Krylov melancholy replied:
"And the frogs are already croaking."

Fire
When a house caught fire next to the house where Ivan Andreevich Krylov lived, the servants informed him about the fire and began to take things out of the house. Krylov, on the other hand, was in no hurry to collect valuables and his papers, on the contrary, he ordered tea to be served to him, then he lit a cigar, and only after that he went out into the street.
Looking at the burning house, Krylov muttered:
- "There's nothing to move for."
After that Ivan Andreevich went to bed.

Different opinions
Once, at a dinner with Countess Sofia Vladimirovna Stroganova (1775-1845), a conversation turned on the foundation of St. Petersburg by Peter I. A heated debate broke out about whether Peter the Great did the right thing by building the capital in such a place. Only I.A. Krylov did not enter into an argument, but calmly absorbed the food served.
Wanting to involve Krylov in a general conversation, the countess turned to him with a question why this problem causes such a diversity of opinions.
Above the dining table hung a gorgeous crystal chandelier with pendants that shimmered in every color of the spectrum.
Krylov looked up from his plate and said:
- "There is nothing surprising in this, and in order to prove to you that I am telling the truth, I ask you, Countess, to tell me what color this line seems to you?"
At the same time, Krylov pointed to one pendant.
The Countess replied:
- "Orange".
Then Krylov turned to the guest, who was sitting to the left of the countess:
- "And you?"
He replied:
- "Green".
Then Krylov turned to the guest, who was sitting to the right of the countess:
- "And you?"
The answer followed:
- "Violet".
Krylov finished the survey and said:
- "And I'm blue."
The guests were surprised at first, and then burst out laughing.
Before returning to the roast, Krylov remarked:
“It all depends on the fact that we all, although we look at the same object, look from different angles.”

Revenge in Krylovsky
Count Dmitry Ivanovich Khvostov (1757-1835) was offended by Krylov for his review of his poems and wrote a rather angry epigram on him:
- "Unshaven, unkempt,
- Climbed on the sofa
- As if not hewn
- Some chump
- Lies quite scattered
- Why Krylov Ivan?
Was he overeating or drunk?
Krylov immediately figured out the author of the epigram:
- "In whatever skin you want, dress up, but you can't hide the ear."
Deciding to take revenge in his own way, Krylov asked for lunch at Count Khvostov's, ate and drank there for three, and when, after dinner, the count began to read his poems in his office, Krylov unceremoniously lay down on the sofa and slept until late in the evening.

Ancient Greek at 40
At the age of forty, Ivan Andreevich learned the ancient Greek language. The reason for this was given by Nikolai Ivanovich Gnedich (1784-1833), who came to Alexei Nikolayevich Olenin (1763-1843) to read his translation of the Iliad. During these readings, Krylov often expressed his remarks about the translation, but Gnedich usually cut him off:
- "After all, you do not know the Greek language. So shut up!"
Soon Krylov was offended and took up Greek grammar. When unexpected visitors came to him, Krylov covered the grammar with some kind of novel so that no one would know about his studies.
And so, during the next reading, Krylov entered into an argument, claiming that Gnedich had translated some verse incorrectly. Gnedich asked:
- "Yes, why do you know?"
Then Krylov took the Greek text, read the controversial verse and gave his own version of the translation. The astonished Gnedich asked:
"How did you say you didn't know Greek?"
Krylov modestly replied:
- "Yes, I learned only recently."

Praise to all
I.A. Krylov in oral conversations always praised the writings of his interlocutors. One of these authors, as a preface to his mediocre creation, published Krylov's oral review.
Gnedich condemned this manner of Krylov and at the meeting said to him:
- "Here's a candy for your careless statements."
Krylom only laughed, but did not change his manner.

distraction
Because of his absent-mindedness, Krylov could put a cap or stocking in his pockets instead of a handkerchief, and blow his nose into a similar object at dinner.
Krylov never wore gloves, even in winter. He explained it this way:
- "I always lose them, and my hands do not get cold."

Too much!
Once, a conversation started in society about the wealth of General Alexander Ivanovich Yakovlev (1784-1839), and someone said that he supposedly had more than six million rubles in annual income.
Krylov replied:
> "That's too much! It's all the same if I had a blanket for myself in 30 arshin".

The ear is waiting!
One evening, Krylov went to visit Senator Andrei Ivanovich Abakumov (1772-1827) and found there a whole campaign of acquaintances invited to dinner. Abakumov and his guests began to persuade Krylov to dine with them, but the writer refused, emphasizing that a sterlet's ear was waiting for him at home.
Finally, Krylov gave in to persuasion on the condition that dinner be served immediately. At dinner, Ivan Andreevich had a fair amount of refreshment, eating alone almost as much as all the other guests put together.
Having swallowed the last piece, Krylov began to get ready to go home. Abakumov was surprised:
- "Excuse me, Ivan Andreevich, but now where are you in a hurry? After all, you have already had dinner!"
Krylov answered angrily:
- "Yes, how many times do I have to tell you that a sterlet's ear is waiting for me at home. Even then I'm afraid that she won't catch a cold."

Envy
In 1827, Nikolai Ivanovich Gnedich (1794-1833) retired for health reasons, and on the personal instructions of the Emperor, he was granted a pension of 6,000 rubles a year.
After that, a close friend of Gnedich, I.A. Krylov suddenly stopped going to him, and at meetings he did not greet and did not speak with him.
Everyone was perplexed about the reasons for such a change in Krylov's behavior. This went on for some time, until Krylov came to Gnedich and said:
- "Nikolai Ivanovich! Forgive me!"
Gnedich was surprised:
- "What, Ivan Andreevich? I see only coldness and do not comprehend the reasons for it."
Krylov confessed:
- "So take pity on me, respected friend! I envied your pension and envied your happiness, which you are completely worthy. A feeling that I abhor is burst into my soul."
Gnedich threw himself on his neck, and all past grievances were immediately forgotten.

Masquerade costume
When Krylov was invited to the court masquerade, he could not decide what costume to come up with, and decided to consult with Elizaveta Markovna Olenina (Poltoratskaya, 1768-1838).
The lady jokingly advised:
- "Yes, Ivan Andreevich, you better wash yourself and comb your hair, no one will recognize you."

Krylov's distraction
Being an old bachelor I.A. Krylov paid little attention to his toilet. When he arrived at the palace to be presented to Empress Maria Feodorovna, Alexander Nikolayevich Olenin (1763-1843), who was supposed to introduce him to the Empress, decided to inspect Krylov's clothes to make sure they were in good condition and neat. Krylov expressed his displeasure, declaring that he was wearing a new uniform. Olenin was surprised:
"But what are those buttons on it?"
Krylov was a little embarrassed:
"Oh! They're still in papers! And I don't know how to dissolve them!"

Krylov away
Here is another illustration of Krylov's distraction. One day he came to visit a friend of his. The servant told him that the master was sleeping. Krylov went into the living room, lay down on the sofa there, and fell asleep too. The owner woke up, went into the living room and saw a stranger sleeping on the sofa. Naturally, the owner was a little surprised. He was even more surprised by the question of the awakened Krylov:

"What do you want?"
But he quickly came to his senses:
"Let me ask this question better. This is my apartment."
Krylov was surprised:
"How? Does N live here?"
The owner replied:
"No! Now I live here. N lived before me. And how should you be called?"
Krylov answered. The owner was very glad to have such a celebrity in his house, and asked him the honor to stay and dine with him.
But Krylov refused:
"I'm ashamed to look at you now."

Used illustrations by Evgeny Rachev for the book "Fables" by I.A. Krylov.

Source http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/3341029/post387720946/

Briefly studied at school in the lessons of Russian literature. But rarely does a teacher have the ability and desire to go beyond the program and give students a new, Additional information about one writer or another.

There are no exceptions and lessons devoted to the study of biography and creativity

Interesting facts from the life of Ivan Krylov Andreevich: the thicker the skin, the stronger the nerves

So says the ancient Chinese treatise on physiognomy. And Krylov fully confirmed the observation of this people. He was big, tall, thick-cheeked and thick-lipped. The writer did not care too much about himself, and he did not grieve about his loved ones. Krylov was not particularly friendly with anyone, did not love anyone, did not feel hatred, anger or pity for anyone. So, for example, on the evening when his mother died, the son went to the theater, at her funeral he did not mourn, but smiled. On the day of the death of his maid, who bore him an illegitimate daughter, the writer went to play cards in an English club. Even when his only child was dying, he left the old woman with him, and he went to the masquerade ball.

Interesting facts from the life of Krylov Ivan Andreevich: the main joy

Despite the fact that the heart of this man was covered with a considerable layer of fat, he still had some preferences. And Krylov's main joy was, of course, food. To put it bluntly, he was a real glutton. And he chose his friends according to the principle of who feeds him best. But often, no matter how much he was treated, he returned home hungry and "finished himself." If there was nothing tasty in the kitchen at that moment, Krylov managed with a saucepan of sauerkraut and a jug of kvass. And one day, when this wasn’t even there, he found a saucepan with six moldy pies under the table, forgotten by the cook, and ate them all without the slightest consequences for his health!

Interesting facts from the life of Krylov Ivan Andreevich: the famous "Murzilka"

It is known that the writer never held a comb in his hands, he was reluctant to change clothes, and washed even less often. And this despite the fact that even in winter he sweated a lot. You can imagine what kind of smell emanated from him, and how he influenced those around him, in particular the ladies. In addition, Krylov not only smoked tobacco, but sniffed it and even chewed it. Once he asked a friend what costume to choose for a masquerade. She advised him to simply wash and comb his hair, that would be enough to remain unrecognized.

Interesting facts from the life of Krylov Ivan Andreevich: no extra words and gestures

The writer tried to make a minimum of movements. It was another joy of Krylov. After working for almost 30 years at the Public Library, he managed to get two hours of sleep at work every day. At first, people were angry, and then they got used to the fact that after dinner he was resting, and they stopped addressing him at this time. The authorities did not pay attention to Krylov's freedom, since he was a friend of the royal family and a favorite of society. Acquaintances, with whom he often visited, had a separate armchair for him, on which he slept after a hearty dinner.

Interesting facts from the life of Krylov: a strange desire

Clearly, it cannot be mentioned in the official biographies of the writer. Periodically, he wanted to demonstrate his naked body to others. And he himself, without spectators, he often walked naked. Once he completely undressed, went to the window, waiting for the reaction of passers-by. But no one looked up and did not notice the writer. Then he, in order to attract the attention of people, began to play the violin. That helped. Five minutes later, a policeman ran up to him and demanded to stop the “performance”.

The fabulist Ivan Krylov became famous as the first Russian author who successfully worked in this field. He had an amazing talent to subtly ridicule the vices of his contemporary society, dressing them in the images of his characters, which made his works very topical. And this, by the way, did not prevent Krylov from establishing himself as a poet and publicist, although these areas of literary creativity almost do not intersect.

Facts from the biography of Ivan Krylov

• The future fabulist learned to read early, as he inherited a huge chest of books from his father who died early.
• Ivan Krylov learned French as a child thanks to wealthy neighbors who allowed him to study with their children.
• He first started working when he was only 10 years old to help his mother support the family.
• According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, Krylov had a cold attitude towards the sciences, and in general did not like to study, but he read books avidly.
• In his youth, Ivan Krylov's favorite pastime, along with reading, was visiting folk gatherings of various kinds. In the crowd, he felt like a fish in water, he noticed and remembered everything.
• Another entertainment for young Krylov was fisticuffs. Being a strong and strong man, he usually came out victorious.
• When Ivan Krylov was only 15 years old, he wrote an opera libretto. For the book, he helped out 60 rubles - a lot of money, but the buyer in the end never published it. This libretto was published only after almost a hundred years and was not highly appreciated by critics.
• Before becoming a fabulist, Krylov wrote several comedies, plays and tragedies.
• After the death of his mother, the writer had to take care of his younger brother. Throughout his life, he took care of him, like a father to a son.
• The poet Vasily Zhukovsky, without hesitation, criticized his work, however, recognizing Krylov as the "king of fabulists" ().
• The satirical magazine of Ivan Krylov "Mail of Spirits" caused displeasure of the Empress. Not strong enough to arrest the author, but strong enough to invite him to travel abroad for 5 years at public expense. Krylov, however, refused.
• In total, during his lifetime, Krylov wrote 236 fables. Most of them were invented by him, but some of the plots have something in common with the plots of the fables of Aesop and La Fontaine.

• The surviving original manuscripts show that the fabulist sometimes wrote with spelling errors.
• Ivan Krylov began publishing his first magazine, the aforementioned Spirit Mail, when he was only 20 years old. The magazine only had 80 subscribers.
• He had a habit of sleeping after dinner. This afternoon nap usually lasted several hours.
• Translation of Krylov's fables into French and Italian language and was published at the beginning of the 19th century in France ().
• Krylov did not look after himself too much, and often appeared in public uncombed, in crumpled and stale clothes, but he never reacted to comments on this matter.
• Krylov, who became obese in age, had an exorbitant appetite. At dinner, he could easily eat the amount of food designed for two or three guests.
• For almost 30 years of his life, Ivan Krylov worked in the library.
• One of Krylov's strange hobbies was observing fires. If a house was on fire somewhere in the city, he would go there and look at what was happening.
• The fabulist preferred to create, lying on the sofa. According to some sources, Ivan Goncharov wrote his famous "Oblomov" precisely from Krylov ().
• All Krylov's fables were collected in 9 collections and published during his lifetime.
• At one time he was a teacher of literature and Russian literature for the children of Prince Golitsyn, despite the fact that he himself could only read and write. The prince was pleased with the results.
• For several years of his life, Ivan Krylov indulged in revelry and gambling. His behavior led to the fact that he was temporarily banned from entering Moscow and St. Petersburg.
• During his lifetime, Krylov was never married, but most historians agree that the girl he adopted was his illegitimate daughter from his own maid.
• The fabulist became one of the compilers of the Russian-Slavic dictionary.
• In the 19th century, the fables of Ivan Krylov were translated into Armenian, Georgian and Azerbaijani.
• There are monuments to Krylov in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and more than three dozen streets in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union bear his name.

Most of which have original plots, while the rest go back to the work of La Fontaine and Aesop.

Readers from the school bench know his works, but real life the author seems ordinary and uninteresting. We decided to dispel this myth and collected 5 interesting facts about Ivan Krylov.

Studied the morals of the people in fistfights

“The most important science for kings: / Know the property of your people / And the benefits of your land”

In his youth, Ivan Andreevich was fond of fisticuffs, from which, thanks to his strength, he often emerged victorious. This hobby developed not only his physical abilities, it is likely that it was then that he first paid attention to the people's way of life and customs.

“He attended with particular pleasure folk gatherings, shopping areas, swings and fistfights, where he pushed between a motley crowd, listening eagerly to the speeches of commoners”- recalled a contemporary.

Wrote with errors and taught literature

"Being strong is good, being smart is twice as good"

Ivan Krylov's education cannot be called consistent: he learned to read and write at home (his father was a passionate reader), and French rich neighbors. Until the end of his days, he wrote with errors and mastered the rest of the sciences already in adulthood. The writer also knew Italian, and also played the violin.

Despite gaps in education and difficulties with spelling, he proved to be an excellent teacher of literature.

Not afraid to criticize the powers that be

“In breed and in ranks, loftiness is good, / But what was gained in it when the soul is low?”

Young Krylov was an unusually prolific author. Largely due to this, he entered into close relations with the theater committee, received a free ticket and an assignment to translate the libretto of the French opera L’Infante de Zamora. However, the future fabulist could not resist a sharp satire against the leading playwright of that time, Yakov Knyazhin, and his wife, the daughter of Alexander Sumarokov himself. Krylov brought them under the names Rifmokrada and Taratori in the comedy "Pranksters". This episode quarreled between Krylov and Knyazhin and closed the first path to dramaturgy.

Active in publishing

“Envious people look at everything, / They will always bark; / And you go on your way: / They sing, let them fall behind ”

After dramaturgy, the writer became interested in publishing. He published his first magazine at the age of 20, it was called "Mail of Spirits" and looked like a correspondence between gnomes and the wizard Malikulmulk. In it, Ivan Andreevich continued his satirical exercises, including on Rifmokrada and Taratora. The magazine ran from January to August and closed due to a lack of subscribers. A few years later, Krylov created the Spectator magazine, but later renamed it St. Petersburg Mercury.

Was a terrible slob

“And I’ll say: it’s better for me to drink. / Yes, understand the matter "

Despite his active work, Krylov was an extremely phlegmatic and slow person. After dinner, he was in the habit of sleeping for at least two hours. Friends knew this oddity of the fabulist and always left him a free chair.

Moreover, often being in public, Ivan Andreevich still paid very little attention to his appearance, did not like to change clothes and comb his hair. There is a well-known anecdote: going to a masquerade, Krylov asked a lady friend how he should dress better in order to remain unrecognized. The answer was simple and elegant: "And you wash yourself, comb your hair - no one will recognize you."