There are not so many examples in Russian literature, or even in world literature, when a literary hoax would be as “long-lasting” as in the case of Kozma Prutkov. I only remember the story of the mysterious Cherubina de Gabriac, invented by the poet M. Voloshin. Although there was still a real person there - Elizaveta Dmitrieva, which cannot be said about Kozma Prutkov.
Kozma Petrovich had predecessors and contemporaries: the beekeeper Rudy Panko, on whose behalf Gogol narrated in “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, the rustic Ivan Petrovich Belkin, behind whom Pushkin hid, and some others. But not each of them was endowed with their own biography, pedigree and ready-made character. Kozma Prutkov. The history of the creation of the image The Zhemchuzhnikov brothers (Alexey, Alexander and Vladimir), in company with the writer A.K. Tolstoy, did their best. The image of Kozma Prutkov turned out to be so viable and believable that it threatened to overshadow other real literary destinies.
Biography of Prutkov
So, according to the official obituary of 1863, Kozma Prutkov was born in 1803 in the village of Tenteleva, which was located in Solvychegodsky district. There is, of course, no such village on the map, but there is Kozmino - no less, renamed in honor of our hero. Almost the entire Prutkov family was engaged in literature. My grandfather managed to write memoirs, and so did my father. Kozma even published his grandfather’s notes; from his father’s writings, only the operetta “Skull Apostle, that is, Phrenologist.” The Prutkov family, although not rich, was noble. The child received an excellent home education. I started to stain the paper early.
He spent two years in the hussars, then resigned, got married, decided to serve in the Ministry of Finance and headed the so-called. Assay tent until his death (1863), which followed suddenly, right in his office (. His wife regularly gave birth to a baby, so that by the end of his life Prutkov had six sons and four daughters. Almost all of them inherited their father’s pleasant appearance and high literary talent .
Creativity of Kozma Prutkov
Prutkov wrote in a variety of genres: fables, epigrams, madrigals, ballads. He did not shy away from love lyrics. He tried his hand at the dramatic field: comedy, vaudeville, drama, mystery and such an unusual genre as “natural conversational performance”. By the nature of his activity, Prutkov had to draw up various projects and write polemical articles. Of course, Prutkov also gained fame for his numerous philosophical aphorisms, a simple listing of which would probably take more than one page.
Two people lived in Prutkov at the same time: a subtle, vulnerable and sensitive poet, and also an important state dignitary who did not have the right to give free rein to lyrical outpourings. That is why Prutkov’s work is so uneven and unequal. Prutkov did not always belong entirely to himself.
- The creators had certain differences in choosing a name for the character. The original literary version of “Kuzma” somehow imperceptibly transformed into “Kozma” and even “Kosma”.
- It is possible that the collection of the complete works of Kozma Prutkov includes works written not only by the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers and Alexei Tolstoy, but also by other authors, for example, the author of the famous “The Little Humpbacked Horse” P.P. Ershov.
A. M. Zhemchuzhnikov - “father” of Kozma Prutkov
Kozma Prutkov- literary pseudonym of Russian writers Count A.K. Tolstoy (1817-1875) and the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers: Alexei Mikhailovich (1821-1908), Vladimir Mikhailovich (1830-1884) with the participation of Alexander Mikhailovich (1826-1896). Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy was a cousin of all of them. Under the pseudonym “Kozma Prutkov,” his “friends” or “guardians,” as they called themselves, published fables, aphorisms, and plays in Russian newspapers and magazines of the mid-19th century.“The venerable Kosma Prutkov is you, Tolstoy and me. We were all young then, and the “mood of the circle” in which Prutkov’s creations arose was cheerful, but mixed with a satirical-critical attitude towards modern literary phenomena and phenomena modern life. Although each of us had his own special political character, we were all closely united by one common feature: the complete absence of “official” in ourselves and, as a result, great sensitivity to everything “official”. This trait helped us - at first, independently of our will and quite unintentionally - to create the type of Kuzma Prutkov, who is so official that neither his thoughts nor his feelings are accessible to any so-called topic of the day, if attention is not paid to it from the official point of view vision..." (from a letter from Alexei Zhemchuzhnikov to his brother Vladimir)
Poems and aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov parodied literary imitation, “officialdom,” retrogradeism (Wikipedia)
Biography of Kozma Prutkov
Born in the village of Tentelevaya near Solvychegorsk on April 11, 1803. He served in the hussar regiment for three years, and for 40 years until his death, in the Assay Tent (an institution for examining silver and gold items and putting a test mark on them). He was its director, had the rank of full state councilor, and was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav, first degree. Died in St. Petersburg on January 13, 1863
Kozma Prutkov is a parody of the writer-official. Prutkov's aphorisms - mostly official, commonplaces, his thoughts - have no relation to his era, stand outside of time and space. Being limited, he gives advice of wisdom; having no talent, he writes poetry, without education and understanding of affairs in Russia he writes “projects”. He is a product of that era when everyone, without the slightest preparation, took upon himself any responsibilities if his superiors imposed them. At the same time, Prutkov was good-natured and honest, which made him attractive to many.
Works of Kozma Petrovich Prutkov
- “Leisure and fluff and feathers,” humorous supplement “Literary Jumble” to the Sovremennik magazine, 1854 and Whistle magazine, 1860
- “Epigrams”, “Contemporary”, 1854
- “The fruits of thought. Thoughts and aphorisms,” Sovremennik, 1854, Iskra magazine, 1860
- “Extracts from the notes of my grandfather,” Sovremennik, 1854
- “Historical materials of Fyodor Kuzmich Prutkov (grandfather)”, “Contemporary”, “Iskra”, 1860
- “Project: on the introduction of unanimity in Russia,” Sovremennik, 1864
- “Fantasy” is a play first staged at the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in January 1851
- “Blondes”, comedy, “Contemporary”, 1854
- “The Dispute of Ancient Greek Philosophers about the Elegant”, comedy, Sovremennik, 1854
- “Chereposlov, or Phrenologist” drama, “Contemporary”, 1860
- “Reckless Turk. or: Is it pleasant to be a grandson? dramatic work, "Contemporary", 1863
- “Love and Silin”, play, “Entertainment” magazine 1861
- “The Triumph of Virtue,” a comedy, accepted by Sovremennik magazine in 1864, but banned by censorship
- The first complete works of Kozma Prutkov, 1884
The first works of Kozma Prutkov - three fables - appeared in Sovremennik in 1851. They were called “Forget-me-nots and commas”, “The conductor and the tarantula”, “Heron and racing droshky”, Prutkov’s name was not mentioned then
Aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov
- The wedding ring is the first link in the chain of married life
- No one will embrace the immensity
- Better say little, but well
- Science sharpens the mind, learning sharpens the memory
- It is more useful to walk the path of life than the entire universe
- A married rake is like a sparrow
- If you want to be beautiful, join the hussars
- If you have a fountain, shut it up; give the fountain a rest
- Genius is like a hill rising out of a plain
- Death is placed at the end of life so that it is more convenient to prepare for it
- When you get down to business, gather your courage
- There's sediment at the bottom of every heart
- A chatterbox is like a pendulum: both need to be stopped.
- We don’t keep what we have, we cry after sweating
Kozma Prutkov is a unique phenomenon not only for Russian, but also for world literature. There are fictional heroes to whom monuments are erected, museums are opened in the houses where they “lived,” but none of them had their own biography, collection of works, critics of their work and adherents.
Kozma Prutkov’s aphorisms were published in such well-known publications in the 19th century as Sovremennik, Iskra and Entertainment. Many famous writers of the time believed that this was a real person.
"Guardians" of the hero
Kozma Prutkov appeared thanks to the joint prank of the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers, Alexei, Vladimir and Alexander, and Count Alexei Tolstoy. The Zhemchuzhnikov brothers came from an old Russian family, which included governors, captains and senators. and Vladimir were poets, and their brother Lev was a famous artist and engraver.
Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy is a famous Russian writer, playwright and poet. Kozma Prutkov, whose quotes and aphorisms were loved by many of their contemporaries, arose from the failure of a play co-written by Tolstoy and Alexei Zhemchuzhnikov. Nicholas I, who was present at the performance, was dissatisfied, the play was removed from the repertoire, and in revenge, the brothers began to write parodies of poets pleasing to the tsar under the name of Kozma Prutkov.
Gradually, there were so many works published in various publications on behalf of Prutkov that the creators had to give him not only a biography, but also an appearance. Thus, they become patrons and advisers of the graphomaniac they created.
Biography of Kozma Prutkov
The aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov, which became famous in literary circles, became the main reason for their author to find his own face. Introduced in 1854 by the brothers Zhemchuzhnikov and Tolstoy, Prutkov, according to them, was born on April 11, 1803 in the village of Tenteleva. He even had his own small estate Pustynka, not far from Sablino station.
At the age of 17, the future graphomaniac entered the military service to the hussar regiment, in which he served for a little more than 2 years. After he resigned, Kozma joined the Assay Office, where he made a successful career.
Prutkov died on January 13, 1863 due to a nervous attack that overtook him while serving in the director’s office.
Prutkov in military service
Kozma Prutkov’s military aphorisms arose against the background of his memories of military service, which ended very hastily. The reason for leaving the regiment in 1823 was a dream that the young hussar had on the night of his birthday, April 11.
Kozma dreamed of a naked brigadier general who ordered him to get up and follow him. After wandering around, the general led the young hussar to a crypt on the top of the mountain, from which he began to take out expensive materials and show them to him. After the brigadier general passed one of the materials over Prutkov’s body, he was struck by an electric shock and woke up.
Despite the fact that the dream happened after a heavy drinking session, it made such an indelible impression on Kozma that he resigned.
Thanks to this short service, readers were able to get acquainted with his “outstanding” thoughts about the army:
- “When building new greatcoats for soldiers, remember what they drank and ate.”
- “Let the precise fitting of ammunition be the goal of a soldier’s ambition.”
- “If you want to be beautiful, join the hussars” and many others.
Civil Service Career
Kozma Prutkov, whose quotes and aphorisms were an undoubted success with the public, made a brilliant career not only in the literary field.
The management treated the young employee of the Assay Office very favorably, as they noticed his zeal for work, for which they encouraged and rewarded him. Kozma's talents allowed him to go from a simple employee to the highest civil rank of state councilor and receiving not only the position of director of the Assay Office, but also the Order of St. Stanislav 1st degree.
Kozma Prutkov’s aphorisms about public service are no less profound than about the military path. “Only in public service can you learn the truth,” he sincerely believes. “If there were no tailors, how would you distinguish between official departments?” - this is a question of vital importance for every official.
The would-be author's friends and literary guardians, Tolstoy and the Zhemchuzhnikovs, encouraged their ward to publish his works. Thus, the book “Thoughts and Aphorisms” by Kozma Prutkov was born, which contains his statements about life, love and much more.
Literary career
The first literary experience of the new graphomaniac was his play “Fantasy,” the production of which failed in the presence of the august person. Discouraged by this, Prutkov wanted to quit his literary studies, but his friends persuaded him to continue writing and they were right.
The philosophical aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov (“No one will embrace the immensity,” for example) earned him the reputation of a wise man who deeply sees the essence of things. It is interesting that many readers of Sovremennik perceived the author of aphorisms, fables and satirical poems as a real person. Prutkov even had his critics and admirers. Thus, Dostoevsky for a long time perceived him as a would-be creator of bad poetry.
Not only Kozma Prutkov’s aphorisms, but also his fables, poems, romances and prose formed the basis for the author’s collected works. The books were not only published and were a success among readers living in his time, but also after his death they were republished, and his statements were used to be considered smart and educated people.
About love
Kozma Prutkov’s aphorisms about love showed his true attitude towards women, love and marriage:
- “The wedding ring is the first link in the chain of married life.”
- “Girls are like checkers: not every one succeeds, but every one wants to get into the queens.”
- “We don’t keep what we have, and when we lose it, we cry.”
In fact, many of Kozma Prutkov’s statements, despite his limited mind, are worthy of attention. Having no family of his own, he devoted all his time to service, writing poetry and his friends.
His colleagues appreciated him, his fellow writers and relatives loved him, his superiors treated him with sympathy, this was quite enough to live up to his aphorism: “If you want to be happy, be happy.”
Other expressions of his began to be used in everyday life as allegorical vernacular. The phrase “If you have a fountain, shut it up” began to be pronounced as “Shut up the fountain,” which meant “shut up.”
The aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov and their meaning caused laughter among readers, since they were an indicator of the stupidity and self-confidence of a pompous graphomaniac, who considered his statements worthy of the wisdom of ancient philosophers: “Many people are like sausages: what they are stuffed with, they carry in themselves.”
Portrait of Prutkov
Thanks to the efforts of the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers and Alexei Tolstoy, their fictional hero gained not only the fame of a graphomaniac and a biography, but also a personality. Lev Zhemchuzhnikov and his fellow painters were invited by Prutkov to paint a portrait of the “great” writer, who wished to publish with him a collection of his works.
This is how the famous image appeared, conveyed so realistically that the customer spoke flatteringly about the artists. They depicted his graying curls, warts, and even a band-aid on his neck where there was a razor cut.
At the request of Kozma Prutkov, the painters placed a lyre with rays emanating from it under the portrait. Although the literary activity of this hero lasted only 5 years, he left a noticeable mark on Russian literature, and his famous “Thoughts and Aphorisms” were published and quoted many years after his death.
Prutkov's creativity today
Today, the most famous are 10 aphorisms of Kozma Prutkov, which have become common phrases in everyday life. Among them, the most popular are “Bdi!” and “Look at the root!” Often people, when pronouncing them, do not even know who their author is.
The phenomenon of Kozma Prutkov remains unsurpassed, since a hero with his own collected works and life has never appeared in world literature.
Brothers, and Zhemchuzhnikovs(their collective pseudonym).
This is a fictional “portrait” of Prutkov, created by Lev Mikhailovich Zhemchuzhnikov, Alexander Egorovich Beideman and.
Literary career Kozma Prutkova began in 1851 with the production of the comedy "Fantasia". The play was signed with the letters Y and Z. The Emperor himself was present at the premiere. The Tsar did not understand the story of the missing pug Fantasia, and left with the words: “I have seen a lot of stupid things in my time, but I have never seen one like this”...
Despite the failure of "Fantasy", Kozma Prutkov continued to publish his works: his fables and aphorisms were published in the magazine "Sovremennik" in 1851 - 1853. incognito, and were loved by the public. And in February 1854 finally a famous pseudonym appeared.
This image ironically played out some typical features of a high-ranking official: self-confidence, false pathos, claims to knowledge of human character.
In our time, the genre of parody is quite widespread, but even in the 19th century people were no strangers to humor, and the works of Kozma Prutkov were one of the first signs in the genre of literary parody and humorous aphorisms.
A little about the authors
Collective portrait: A. Tolstoy, Alexey Zhemchuzhnikov, Alexander Zhemchuzhnikov, Vladimir Zhemchuzhnikov, Kozma Prutkov. 
Alexey Konstantinovich TOLSTOY, count, poet, prose writer, playwright, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1873).
His parents separated, and instead of his father, Alexei was raised by his maternal uncle A. A. Perovsky, a famous writer who published under the pseudonym Antony Pogorelsky.
It was for him that Pogorelsky wrote the famous fairy tale “The Black Hen”.
The fate of A. Tolstoy himself was no less fantastic than the biographies of his characters. His elegance was combined with the strength of a hero who bent horseshoes and forks with a screw, but these valiant amusements did not interfere with civic actions.
A. Tolstoy in his youth, portrait of A. Bryullov 
He organized a militia in Crimean War and joined a rifle regiment, where he almost died from typhus. His intercession saved his friend Turgenev from exile, thanks to his long-standing closeness with the royal family: from the age of eight he was a childhood playmate of the heir to the throne, Alexander II.
And at nine, sitting on Goethe’s lap in Weimar, he apparently received a blessing from the creator Faust.
Author of poems, ballads(“In the midst of a noisy ball, by chance...”, “That was in early spring”), the satirical “Essay on Russian history from Gostomysl to Timashev” (1878), published posthumously.
For more information about the “Essay...” see here:
History of the Russian State
Also the author of the historical novel " Prince Silver”, and the dramatic trilogy “The Death of Ivan the Terrible” (1866), “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich” (1868) and “Tsar Boris” (1870).
In collaboration with Alexei Zhemchuzhnikov in 1850. wrote the play “Fantasy” - Prutkov’s first creation. For Prutkov he wrote “Epigram No. 1”, “Junker Schmidt”, “Letter from Corinth”, “Ancient Plastic Greek”, “Memory of the Past”, “My Portrait” and others.
Vladimir Mikhailovich ZHEMCHUZHNIKOV .
The key role in creating the image of Kozma Prutkov belongs to Vladimir Zhemchuzhnikov, who proposed writing together under an assumed name, wrote a biography of the pseudonym, and became the author or co-author of almost half of the works.
Alexey Mikhailovich ZHEMCHUZHNIKOV
Russian poet of the Nekrasov school, honorary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1900), who received this title among the first four Russian writers, along with Leo Tolstoy, Chekhov and Korolenko.
In 1850, in collaboration with A.K. Tolstoy, he wrote the play “Fantasy,” which was banned from showing after the premiere - the first creation of Kozma Prutkov even before the appearance of this pseudonym.
Alexander Mikhailovich ZHEMCHUZHNIKOV }