Alexander Ivanovich Gertsen
Alexander Ivanovich Gertsen (1812–1870), the outstanding figure of the emancipating movement in Russia, went down in history of Russian literature as the great writer, the publicist and the fiction writer. His art creativity became the next step in the development of critical realism after Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol. His person and creativity marked a complex and inconsistent epoch in the history of advanced Russian culture, having enriched the development of realistic literature.
The exhibition dedicated to Alexander Gertsen comprises about 100 editions: collected works, collections of fiction, articles and feuilletons, critical materials to the writer’s works and also literature about his life and career.
The exposition includes editions published in the author’s lifetime: the book “Letters from France and Italy” published in London in 1858 and the book “The Decade of Free Russian Press in London. The collection of its First Papers” with Gertsen’s foreword.
The Complete Works and Letters of A.I. Gertsen in 8 volumes published in Petrograd in 1915-1917 is also on display.
The exhibition presents as well an interesting book series “The Annals of A.I. Gertsen’s Life and Creativity”. This is a generalizing research and bibliographic work in which, on a strict documentary basis, including numerous archival materials, data on A.I. Gertsen’s life, creative way and revolutionary activity are given in chronological order.
The book by N.M. Pirumova is focused on the writer’s life and activities abroad. His tragic destiny is vividly described, and the portrait gallery of representatives of Gertsen’s circle is given.
The exposition also includes the writer’s biography written by head of The House-Museum of Alexander Gertsen, historian, translator and literary critic I.A. Zhelvakova. The book comprises documents, graphic materials and family reliquiae presented to the museum by foreign descendants of the writer.
The exhibition is designed for all readers interested in the life and creativity of well-known Russian writer, philosopher and publicist Alexander Ivanovich Gertsen.
