When Bulgakov died. Mikhail Bulgakov: death and disease

02.07.2020

The mystery of the death of Mikhail Bulgakov

On March 10, 1940, the famous writer, playwright and theater director Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov, whose novel The Master and Margarita brought posthumous fame, died of a serious illness in his Moscow apartment.

Mikhail Bulgakov was born on May 15, 1891 in Kiev in the family of a professor at the Kiev Theological Academy.

Until the autumn of 1900, he studied at home, then entered the first class of the Alexander Gymnasium, where the best teachers in Kiev were concentrated. Already in the gymnasium, Bulgakov showed his various abilities: he wrote poetry, drew caricatures, played the piano, sang, composed oral stories and told them beautifully.
After graduating from the gymnasium in 1909, Bulgakov became a student at the medical faculty of the Kiev Imperial University of St. Vladimir. In 1913, Bulgakov enters into his first marriage - marriage to Tatyana Lappa.
With the outbreak of the First World War, together with his wife, Bulgakov worked in a hospital. There he became addicted to morphine, but thanks to his wife, he was able to get rid of the addiction. Subsequently, the tragic fate of a morphine doctor will become the basis of the plot of Bulgakov's story "Morphine", which was published in the journal " medical worker in 1927.

In 1915, Bulgakov volunteered for the front, worked in a front-line hospital, gaining medical experience under the guidance of military surgeons. In 1916, after graduating from the university, he received a diploma with honors and went to the Smolensk province as a zemstvo doctor, which was subsequently reflected in the Notes of a Young Doctor.
Civil War found Bulgakov in Kiev. He saw the decline of the "white movement", witnessed the German occupation of Ukraine in 1918, the atrocities of the Petliura gangs. In 1919-1921 he lived in Vladikavkaz, worked in the newspaper "Kavkaz" and began to write for the theater. In 1921 Bulgakov moved to Moscow.
During the NEP, literary life in Russia began to revive, private publishing houses were created, and new magazines were opened. In 1922, Bulgakov published the stories The Extraordinary Adventures of the Doctor and The Seance. Many of his works saw the light of day: Notes on the Cuffs, The Adventures of Chichikov, Forty Magpies, Travel Notes, Crimson Island.

In 1924, he worked in the railway workers' newspaper Gudok, which at that time united such talented writers as Olesha and Kataev, Ilf and Petrov, Paustovsky and others. On the initiative of the Moscow Art Theater, he created a play based on the novel The White Guard, which was staged under the title Days of the Turbins. In 1927 he completed the drama "Running", which was banned shortly before the premiere.
In 1925, the story "Fatal Eggs" was published in the almanac "Nedra", which caused dissatisfaction with the authorities. The story "Heart of a Dog", already prepared for publication, was not allowed for publication (it was first published in 1987).

From 1928, Bulgakov began to write the novel The Master and Margarita and worked on it for twelve years, that is, until the end of his life, not hoping to publish it. In 1965, the Theatrical Novel, written in 1936-1937, was published in the Novy Mir magazine.
In 1929-1930, not a single play by Bulgakov was staged, not a single line of his appeared in print. He wrote a letter to Stalin with a request to allow him to leave the country or give him the opportunity to earn a living. After that, he worked at the Moscow Art Theater and the Bolshoi Theater.
In 1939, M. Bulgakov worked on the libretto "Rachel", as well as on a play about Stalin ("Batum"). The play was approved by Stalin, but, contrary to the writer's expectations, it was banned from publication and staging. The state of health of M. Bulgakov is deteriorating sharply. Doctors diagnose him with hypertensive nephrosclerosis. Bulgakov continues to use morphine, prescribed to him in 1924, in order to relieve pain symptoms. In the same period, the writer begins to dictate to his wife (this is already his third wife - Elena Sergeevna Nuremberg-Shilovskaya, for whom this marriage will also be the third) last options novel The Master and Margarita. He made the last edits on February 13th.
Since February 1940, friends and relatives have been constantly on duty at the bedside of M. Bulgakov, and on March 10, 1940, Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov died. Rumors spread around the capital that the writer's illness was caused by his occult pursuits - being carried away by all sorts of devilry, Bulgakov paid for this with his health, and his early death was the result of Bulgakov's relations with representatives of evil spirits. Another version said that in the last years of his life, Bulgakov again became addicted to drugs, and they brought him to the grave. The official cause of the writer's death was called hypertensive nephrosclerosis.

On March 11, a civil memorial service was held in the building of the Union of Soviet Writers. Before the memorial service, the Moscow sculptor S. D. Merkurov removes the death mask from the face of M. Bulgakov.M. Bulgakov is buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery. On his grave, at the request of his wife E. S. Bulgakova, a stone was installed, nicknamed "calvary", which previously lay on the grave of N. V. Gogol.

In the footsteps of ancestors

The Bulgakov family was large: seven children, of which Mikhail was the eldest. After the gymnasium in Kiev, he entered the medical school. The desire to be a doctor was conscious, as close relatives were successful doctors. Bulgakov later displayed his medical adventures in the Notes of a Young Doctor. Bulgakov wanted to be a doctor in the Navy, but he was constantly refused. He was not taken to the service due to a kidney disease, which after many years would take his life.

During the First World War, Bulgakov was a front-line doctor. After he was sent to different villages and villages. He also healed during the Brusilov breakthrough. He was also a Red Cross volunteer.

Bulgakov and morphine

Bulgakov performed operations of varying degrees of complexity. Fearing for his health, since 1917 resorted to the use of morphine. At first, Mikhail Bulgakov injected himself with morphine so as not to catch diphtheria. Soon, drug use becomes habitual. Bulgakov described some aspects of the action of this drug in the story "Morphine". A young doctor in the wilderness begins to take morphine, realizing what lies ahead for him. The hero of the story dies in a fit of fever, telling about the harmful effects of morphine.

Manuscripts do not burn

Bulgakov wrote essays and short stories for Moscow newspapers, and in 1923 he joined the Writers' Union. Bulgakov's plays were staged at the Moscow Art Theater. Influential critics and literary critics did not deny themselves devastating articles about Bulgakov's work. According to his calculations, over 10 years has accumulated about 300 negative reviews.

By the 1930s, Bulgakov's literary, theatrical, and, accordingly, financial situation was deteriorating sharply. His works do not pass censorship, plays and performances in the theater are prohibited. Bulgakov wanted to go abroad, but he was refused. After a letter to Stalin, Mikhail Afanasyevich was allowed to work at the Moscow Art Theater.

Bulgakov often looked for images of his heroes in real life. Many of his friends and relatives became the prototypes of the characters in his novels and theatrical plays.

Mikhail Bulgakov: illness and death

In 1939 Bulgakov and his wife left for Georgia to stage a play about Joseph Stalin. However, the show was cancelled. According to his wife, since that time Bulgakov's health has been deteriorating.

Mikhail Afanasyevich resorted to morphine to relieve pain. The doctors said he had kidney failure, and morphine had been prescribed years earlier. Mikhail Bulgakov began to lose his sight, but still continued to create. Mikhail Afanasyevich suffered from a disease of barrels, but he felt the long-awaited peace, like the heroes of the final chapters of The Master and Margarita. He dictated to his wife the final version of the novel.

February 1940 Mikhail Bulgakov's relatives did not leave him for a minute. On March 10, Bulgakov died. The next day, a memorial service was held in the building of the Writers' Union. A death mask of the writer was also made, and the body of Mikhail Afanasyevich was set on fire.

Where is Mikhail Bulgakov buried? The burial of the ashes took place at the Novodevichy cemetery. Elena Sergeevna Bulgakova (maiden name Shilovskaya) found a tombstone from the grave of Nikolai Gogol and installed it at the burial place of her husband. During his lifetime, Bulgakov was impressed by the works and images of Gogol, considered him his teacher and creative mentor.

What was said about the death of the creator of "The Master and Margarita"

After the death of the writer, contemporaries wondered What did Mikhail Bulgakov die from? One of the versions was his connection with the other world. Passion for the occult sciences and "devilish games" while working on the book "The Master and Margarita" called for illness and early death.

Another version of the cause of death of Mikhail Bulgakov is more prosaic - a passion for drugs. Bulgakov was prescribed morphine to dull his pain. The work "Morphine" clearly describes the torment of a morphine doctor. In many ways, these notes are autobiographical. But life without drugs was even worse than without them.

Memory of Bulgakov

The works of Mikhail Afanasyevich were also filmed by foreign directors. Museums and cultural centers have been created in Russia and Ukraine, streets named after Bulgakov, monuments and memorial plaques have been erected. The planet, which was discovered 79 years ago, was named after the great writer.

The end of the 19th century is a complex and contradictory time. There is nothing surprising in the fact that it was in 1891 that one of the most mysterious Russian writers was born. We are talking about Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov - director, playwright, mystic, scriptwriter and libretto of operas. Bulgakov's story is no less fascinating than his work, and the Literaguru team takes the liberty of proving it.

Birthday of M.A. Bulgakov - 3 (15) May. The father of the future writer, Afanasy Ivanovich, was a professor at the Theological Academy in Kiev. Mother, Varvara Mikhailovna Bulgakova (Pokrovskaya), raised seven children: Mikhail, Vera, Nadezhda, Varvara, Nikolai, Ivan, Elena. The family often staged performances for which Mikhail composed plays. Since childhood, he loved performances, vaudeville, space scenes.

Bulgakov's house was a favorite meeting place for the creative intelligentsia. His parents often invited eminent friends who had a certain influence on the gifted boy Misha. He was very fond of listening to adult conversations and willingly participated in them.

Youth: education and early career

Bulgakov studied at the gymnasium No. 1 in the city of Kiev. After graduating from it in 1901, he became a student at the medical faculty of Kiev University. The choice of profession was influenced by the financial condition of the future writer: after the death of his father, Bulgakov took responsibility for a large family. His mother remarried. All children, except Mikhail, remained on good terms with their stepfather. The eldest son wanted to be financially independent. He graduated from the university in 1916 and received a medical degree with honors.

During the First World War, Mikhail Bulgakov served as a field doctor for several months, then got a job in the village of Nikolsky (Smolensk province). Then some stories were written, later included in the cycle "Notes of a Young Doctor". Due to the routine of a boring provincial life, Bulgakov began to use drugs that were available to many representatives of his profession by occupation. He asked to be transferred to a new place so that drug addiction would be implicit for others: in any other case, the doctor could be deprived of his diploma. A devoted wife helped to get rid of the misfortune, who secretly diluted the narcotic substance. She in every possible way forced her husband to leave a bad habit.

In 1917, Mikhail Bulgakov received the position of head of the departments of the Vyazemsky city zemstvo hospital. A year later, Bulgakov and his wife returned to Kiev, where the writer was engaged in private medical practice. Morphine addiction was defeated, but instead of drugs, Mikhail Bulgakov often drank alcohol.

Creation

At the end of 1918, Mikhail Bulgakov joined the officer detachment. It is not established whether he was called up as a military doctor, or whether he himself expressed a desire to become a member of the detachment. F. Keller, the second-in-command, disbanded the detachments, so that he did not participate in the fighting at that time. But already in 1919 he was mobilized into the army of the UNR. Bulgakov escaped. Versions regarding the future fate of the writer differ: some witnesses claimed that he served in the Red Army, some that he did not leave Kiev before the arrival of the Whites. It is authentically known that the writer was mobilized in volunteer army(1919). At the same time he published the feuilleton "Future Prospects". The Kiev events were reflected in the works The Extraordinary Adventures of the Doctor (1922), The White Guard (1924). It is worth noting that the writer chose literature as his main occupation in 1920: after completing his service in the hospital of Vladikavkaz, he began to write for the newspaper Kavkaz. Bulgakov's creative path was thorny: during the period of the struggle for power, an unfriendly statement addressed to one of the parties could end in death.

Genres, themes and issues

In the early twenties, Bulgakov wrote mainly works about the revolution, mostly plays, which were subsequently staged on the stage of the Vladikavkaz Revolutionary Committee. Since 1921, the writer lived in Moscow and worked in various newspapers and magazines. In addition to feuilletons, he published individual chapters of stories. For example, "Notes on Cuffs" saw the light on the pages of the Berlin newspaper "On the Eve". Especially many essays and reports - 120 - were published in the newspaper Gudok (1922-1926). Bulgakov was a member of the Russian Association of Proletarian Writers, but at the same time his artistic world was not dependent on the ideology of the union: he wrote with great sympathy about the white movement, about the tragic fate of the intelligentsia. His problematic was much broader and richer than allowed. For example, the social responsibility of scientists for their inventions, a satire on the new way of life in the country, etc.

In 1925, the play "Days of the Turbins" was written. She was a resounding success on the stage of the Moscow Art Academic Theatre. Even Joseph Stalin appreciated the work, but nevertheless, in each thematic speech, he focused on the anti-Soviet nature of Bulgakov's plays. Soon the writer's work was criticized. Over the next ten years, hundreds of scathing reviews were published. The play "Running" about the Civil War was forbidden to be staged: Bulgakov refused to make the text "ideologically correct". In 1928-29 the performances of Zoya's Apartment, Days of the Turbins, and Crimson Island were excluded from the theater repertoire.

But the emigrants studied Bulgakov's key works with interest. He wrote about the role of science in human life, about the importance of the right attitude towards each other. In 1929, the writer was thinking about the future novel The Master and Margarita. A year later, the first edition of the manuscript appeared. Religious themes, criticism of Soviet realities - all this made the appearance of Bulgakov's works on the pages of newspapers impossible. It is not surprising that the writer seriously considered moving abroad. He even wrote a letter to the Government, in which he asked either to be allowed to leave, or to be given the opportunity to work in peace. For the next six years, Mikhail Bulgakov was an assistant director at the Moscow Art Theater.

Philosophy

An idea of the philosophy of the master of the printed word is given by the most famous works. For example, in the story "Diaboliad" (1922), the problem of "little people" is described, which is so often addressed by the classics. According to Bulgakov, bureaucracy and indifference is a real diabolical force, and it is difficult to resist it. The already mentioned novel "The White Guard" is largely autobiographical in nature. This is the life story of one family in a difficult situation: Civil war, enemies, the need to choose. Someone thought that Bulgakov was too loyal to the White Guards, someone reproached the author for being loyal to the Soviet government.

The story "Fatal Eggs" (1924) tells a truly fantastic story of a scientist who inadvertently deduced the new kind reptiles. These creatures multiply incessantly and soon fill the entire city. Some philologists argue that the figures of the biologist Alexander Gurvich and the leader of the proletariat V.I. were reflected in the image of Professor Persikov. Lenin. Another famous story is Heart of a Dog (1925). Interestingly, in the USSR it was officially published only in 1987. At first glance, the plot is satirical character: the professor transplants the human pituitary gland into the dog, and the dog Sharik becomes a man. But is it a man?.. Someone sees in this plot a prediction of future repressions.

Originality of style

The main trump card of the author was mysticism, which he wove into realistic works. Thanks to this, critics could not directly accuse him of insulting the feelings of the proletariat. The writer skillfully combined frank fiction and real social and political problems. However, its fantastic elements are always an allegory for similar phenomena that actually occur.

For example, the novel "The Master and Margarita" combines a variety of genres: from parable to farce. Satan, who chose the name Woland for himself, one day arrives in Moscow. He meets people who are being punished for their sins. Alas, the only power of justice in Soviet Moscow is the devil, because officials and their henchmen are stupid, greedy and cruel to their fellow citizens. They are the real evil. Against this background, the love story of the talented Master (and after all, Maxim Gorky was called the master in the 1930s) and the brave Margarita unfolds. Only mystical intervention saved the creators from certain death in crazy house. The novel, for obvious reasons, was published after Bulgakov's death. The same fate awaited the unfinished "Theatrical Novel" about the world of writers and theatergoers (1936-37) and, for example, the play "Ivan Vasilievich" (1936), a film based on which is watched to this day.

The nature of the writer

Friends and acquaintances considered Bulgakov both charming and very modest. The writer was always polite and knew how to step into the shadows in time. He had the talent of a storyteller: when he managed to overcome his shyness, everyone present listened only to him. The character of the author was based on best qualities Russian intelligentsia: education, humanity, compassion and delicacy.

Bulgakov loved to joke, never envied anyone and never looked for a better life. He was distinguished by sociability and secrecy, fearlessness and incorruptibility, strength of character and gullibility. Before his death, the writer said only one thing about the novel "The Master and Margarita": "To know." Such is his mean characteristic of his brilliant creation.

Personal life

While still a student, Mikhail Bulgakov married Tatyana Nikolaevna Lappa. The family had to face a shortage Money. The first wife of the writer is the prototype of Anna Kirillovna (the story "Morphine"): disinterested, wise, ready to support. It was she who pulled him out of the narcotic nightmare, together with her he went through the years of devastation and bloody strife of the Russian people. But a full-fledged family did not work out with her, because in those hungry years it was difficult to think about children. The wife suffered greatly from the need to have abortions, because of this, Bulgakov's relationship cracked.
So time would have passed if not for one evening: in 1924, Bulgakov was introduced Lyubov Evgenievna Belozerskaya. She had connections in the world of literature, and it was not without her help that The White Guard was published. Love has become not just a friend and comrade, like Tatyana, but also the muse of the writer. This is the second wife of the writer, the affair with which was bright and passionate.
In 1929 he met Elena Shilovskaya. Subsequently, he admitted that he only loved this woman. By the time of the meeting, both were married, but the feelings were very strong. Elena Sergeevna was next to Bulgakov until his death. Bulgakov had no children. The first wife had two abortions from him. Perhaps that is why he always felt guilty before Tatyana Lappa. The adopted son of the writer was Yevgeny Shilovsky.

Bulgakov's first work is The Adventures of Svetlana. The story was written when the future writer was seven years old.
The play "Days of the Turbins" was loved by Joseph Stalin. When the author asked to be released abroad, Stalin himself called Bulgakov with the question: “What, are you very tired of us?” Stalin watched Zoya's apartment at least eight times. It is believed that he patronized the writer. In 1934, Bulgakov asked for a trip abroad so that he could improve his health. He was refused: Stalin understood that if the writer remained in another country, then The Days of the Turbins would have to be removed from the repertoire. These are the features of the relationship between the author and the authorities
In 1938, Bulgakov wrote a play about Stalin at the request of representatives of the Moscow Art Theater. The leader read the script of "Batum" and was not too pleased: he did not want the general public to find out about his past.
"Morphine", which tells about the drug addiction of a doctor, is an autobiographical work that helped Bulgakov overcome his addiction. Confessing to paper, he received strength to fight the disease.
The author was very self-critical, so he liked to collect criticism of strangers. He cut out all the reviews of his creations from newspapers. Of the 298, they were negative, and only three people praised Bulgakov's work in his entire life. Thus, the writer knew firsthand the fate of his hunted hero - the Master.
The relationship between the writer and his colleagues was very difficult. Someone supported him, for example, director Stanislavsky threatened to close his legendary theater if it banned the showing of The White Guard. And someone, for example, Vladimir Mayakovsky, offered to boo the screening of the play. He publicly criticized his colleague, very impartially assessing his achievements.
The Behemoth cat was, it turns out, not at all an invention of the author. Its prototype was Bulgakov's phenomenally smart black dog with the same nickname.

Death

Why did Bulgakov die? In the late thirties, he often spoke of imminent death. Friends considered it a joke: the writer loved practical jokes. Actually Bulgakov, former doctor, noticed the first signs of nephrosclerosis - a severe hereditary disease. In 1939, the diagnosis was made.

Bulgakov was 48 years old - the same age as his father, who died of nephrosclerosis. At the end of his life, he again began to use morphine to dull the pain. When he went blind, his wife wrote the chapters of The Master and Margarita for him from dictation. Editing stopped at the words of Margarita: “So, this, therefore, is the writers following the coffin?” On March 10, 1940, Bulgakov died. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Bulgakov's house

In 2004, the opening of the Bulgakov House, a museum-theater and a cultural and educational center, took place in Moscow. Visitors can ride a tram, see an electronic exhibition dedicated to the life and work of the writer, sign up for a night tour of the "bad apartment" and meet a real Behemoth cat. The function of the museum is to preserve Bulgakov's legacy. The concept is connected with the mystical theme that the great writer loved so much.

There is also an outstanding Bulgakov Museum in Kiev. The apartment is riddled with secret passages and manholes. For example, from the closet you can get into the secret room, where there is something like an office. There you can also see many exhibits talking about the writer's childhood.

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

Mikhail Bulgakov is a Russian writer, playwright, director and actor. His works have become classics of Russian literature.

World fame brought him the novel "The Master and Margarita", which was repeatedly filmed in many countries.

When Bulgakov was at the peak of his popularity, Soviet authority forbade his plays to be staged in theaters, as well as the publication of his works.

Brief biography of Bulgakov

Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov was born on May 3, 1891 in. In addition to him, the Bulgakov family had six more children: 2 boys and 4 girls.

His father, Afanasy Ivanovich, was a professor at the Kiev Theological Academy.

Mother, Varvara Mikhailovna, for some time worked as a teacher in a women's gymnasium.

Childhood and youth

When children began to be born one after another in the Bulgakov family, the mother had to leave work and take up their upbringing.

Since Mikhail was the oldest child, he often had to nurse his brothers and sisters. This, undoubtedly, was reflected in the formation of the personality of the future writer.

Education

When Bulgakov was 18 years old, he graduated from the First Kiev Gymnasium. Next educational institution in his biography was Kiev University, where he studied at the medical faculty.

He wanted to become a doctor in many respects because this profession was well paid.

By the way, in Russian literature before Bulgakov there was an example of an outstanding writer who, being a doctor by education, was engaged in medicine with pleasure all his life: this is.

Bulgakov in his youth

After receiving his diploma, Bulgakov filed a petition to pass military service in the Navy, as a doctor.

However, he failed to pass the medical examination. As a result, he asked to be sent to the Red Cross to work in a hospital.

At the height of the First World War (1914-1918), he treated soldiers near the frontline.

After a couple of years, he returned to Kiev, where he began working as a venereologist.

Interestingly, during this period of his biography, he began to use morphine, which helped him get rid of the pain caused by taking the anti-diphtheria drug.

As a result, throughout his subsequent life, Bulgakov will be painfully dependent on this drug.

Creative activity

In the early 20s, Mikhail Afanasevich arrived in. There he begins to write various feuilletons, and soon takes on plays.

Later, he becomes a theater director of the Moscow Art Theater and the Central Theater of Working Youth.

Bulgakov's first work was the poem "The Adventures of Chichikov", which he wrote at the age of 31. Then several more stories came out from under his pen.

After that, he writes the fantastic story "Fatal Eggs", which was positively received by critics and aroused great interest among readers.

dog's heart

In 1925, Bulgakov published the book "Heart of a Dog", in which the ideas of the "Russian revolution" and the "awakening" of the social consciousness of the proletariat are masterfully intertwined.

According to literary critics, Bulgakov's story is a political satire, where each character is the prototype of one or another political figure.

Master and Margarita

Having received recognition and popularity in society, Bulgakov set about writing the main novel in his biography - The Master and Margarita.

He wrote it for 12 years, until his death. An interesting fact is that the book was published only in the 60s, and even then not completely.

In its final form, it was published in 1990, a year before.

It is worth noting that many of Bulgakov's works were published only after his death, since they were not censored.

Bullying Bulgakov

By 1930, the writer began to be subjected to increasing persecution by Soviet officials.

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