Friends!

On this day 208 years ago Nikolai Gogol was born - the famous Ukrainian writer who created such immortal works as "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka", "Taras Bulba", "Vij" and others. Unfortunately, the figure of Nikolai Gogol is controversial. Russians find him as a classic of Russian literature, Ukrainians - condemn the fact that he wrote in Russian. And despite this, there are things that do not cross: how Gogol was able to depict the world through the eyes of Ukrainian, so that he saw around all the national characteristics and historical aspects, Ukrainian folklore and spirit. Judging now when the centuries have passed is extremely difficult, and in honor of the famous writer in the day of his birthday it’s worth remembering some interesting facts that prove that he loved his motherland.

Interest in theater and cultural life of Nikolai Gogol arose in childhood. All thanks to his father - Vasil Panasovych. He was a wonderful storyteller, and most importantly - he wrote plays for home theater in Ukrainian. Unfortunately, Gogol's father died when the boy was only 15 years old.

Nikolay’s grandmother Tatiana also endeavored to make guy grew up educated, studied language and loved it. Because of her he became interested in collecting Ukrainian folk songs, proverbs and sayings, preparing materials to Ukrainian-Russian dictionary.

Even while studying in high school Gogol became interested in Ukrainian history, studied the customs, rituals and folk art. He studied people's features directly from situations that were later described in his works.

Nikolai’s big dream seems had changed his fate. He wanted to be really useful to mankind, wanted to change the world with his literature. And he chose a path that someone does not understand, but at that time it was clear: Gogol moved to St. Petersburg with a clear goal of becoming famous and successful writer. He lived there in poverty working as official.

Nikolai Gogol was a friend with Professor Michael Maksmovychem, wanted to teach at Kiev’s University and wrote him the following letter: " I’m getting impressed when imagine how my works will boil in Kiev. There I may finish the history of Ukraine and southern Russia and write world history. And I’ll gather there lots of legends, believes and songs! What interesting could be made a university notes and how much of detailes could be put there, absolutely new anout the country itself!” In correspondence with Maksymovych, Gogol called the Ukrainian language “our language”.

After the premiere of the play "The Inspector" Nikolai went abroad. In Italy he wrote the first volume of "Dead Souls". The dissident Eugene Sverstyuk said: "In 1846, when he was in Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary), Gogol wrote in the guest book," Nicolas de Gogol, Ukrainien, etabli a Moscou "(Nikolai Gogol, Ukrainian, living in Moscow) ... These facts are little known, as the Russian literary critics and historians do not want to reveal them. "

In 1848, Nikolai Gogol returned to the Russian Empire. There he started working on the second volume of the "Dead Souls," which, by the famous Soviet version, was burned. The last Gogol’s years of life have more mysterious puzzles than answers. There are several versions of his death, from burial in a state of liturgical sleep to treatment to the death. The only thing where these versions coincide - before leaving this world, Nikolai was in a depression for a long time because he could not fulfill the main mission of his life. What it was - only he knew.

Yar Slavutich, poet, translator and professor at the University of Alberta said about Gogol as follows:

"A new mission forms for a writer – an envoy on behalf of defeated and enslaved homeland ... He fulfilled his mission by means of Russian language brilliantly ... a Ukrainian made a huge contribution to the neighboring literature, and got no thanks." Let us now look differently at the figure of Nikolai Gogol - a prominent Ukrainian who left hos mark in the history of literature forever!