Pisarev D. I. (1840-1868), publicist, critic

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PISAREV Dmitry Ivanovich (1840-1868), critic, publicist. From 1851 lived in St. Petersburg. Graduated from the History and Philosophy Department of the Petersburg University (1861; the article Our University Science is written in the form of ironic memoirs about the University). In 1859 took on literary activities, from 1860 contributed to Russkoe Slovo journal, shortly afterwards became its leading critic and publicist. In 1862 was arrested for an anti-government proclamation in one of his articles, and was held in detention in a solitary cell in the Peter and Paul Fortress for over four years. Nonetheless, he continued his literary activities. In the articles written during this period he propagated the naturalness of scientific knowledge, persistently advocating the real critic, which recognises only practically useful and socially crucial art (The Destruction of Aesthetics; Pushkin and Belinsky). In his articles Bazarov (protagonist of Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, nihilist, rejecting the old order and values), Realists, The Thinking Proletariat and others advanced a thesis about the leading role of intelligentsia in the historical process, arguing that the natural sciences are the principal driving force of progress. Pisarev's articles were very popular among the radical youth. From 1866-67 Pisarev contributed for the Delo journal, following a conflict between Pisarev and his publisher G. E. Blagosvetlov, in 1868 he changed to the Otechestvennye Zapiski. Until 1862 Pisarev lived on Bolshoy Avenue of the Vasilievsky Island, Twenty-Second and Second Lines of Vasilievsky Island, after his release from the fortress — at 23 Tavricheskaya Street, in 1867–68 at 68/40 Nevsky Prospect. He drowned while swimming in the Sea of Riga. F. F. Pavlenkov, who published Pisarev's first collective works organised the funeral. Buried at Literatorskie Mostki. In 1923 a street was named after Pisarev (see Pisareva Street).

References: Розенберг Э. И. Д. И. Писарев в Петербурге // Вопросы творчества и языка русских писателей. Новосибирск, 1960. Вып. 1. С. 125-139. (Тр. каф. рус. яз. и лит. / Новосиб. гос. пед. ин-т); Коротков Ю. Н. Писарев. М., 1976.

A. B. Muratov. Blagosvetlov Grigory Evlampievich
Pavlenkov Florenty Fedorovich
Pisarev Dmitry Ivanovich
2nd Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 21
Bolshoy Ave of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 22
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city, house 68/40
Pisareva St./Saint Petersburg, city
Tavricheskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 23
Коротков Ю. Н. Писарев. М., 1976 Russkoe slovo (The Russian Word), journal, 1859-1866
St. Peter and Paul fortress
St. Peter and Paul fortress
Delo (Affair), journal, 1866-1888
Otechestvennye Zapiski (Notes of the Fatherland), journal
Literatorskie (Literary) Mostki, the museum-necropolis
1862