The cadet monastery

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Nikolai Leskov in 1872

The Kadettenkloster ( Russian Кадетский монастырь , Kadetski monastyr ) is a short story by the Russian writer Nikolai Leskow , which appeared in issue 1 of the magazine Historischer Bote in 1880 .

Four righteous people who headed the First Petersburg Cadet Institute on Isaac's Square around 1825 are the protagonists of this painting from the time of the Decembrist uprising . Leskow called righteous personalities who selflessly stood up for their wards and sometimes even fearlessly opposed the rulers in times of need.

overview

In the 18th century, the staff of the First Petersburg Cadet Institute consisted primarily of French, German and English educators. In January 1797, Paul I ordered these civilians to leave. The tsar had their posts filled by officers. The first-person narrator, son of a landowner from the Cherson Governorate , was brought to the institution by his father in 1822 together with his older brother - both were still children. At that time, 1,300 cadets, 250 of them four to eight year olds, were educated with the aim of ensign .

content

The four righteous came neither from the nobility nor from the "lower people". In his report, the narrator contrasts the four righteous men with two harassing instructors - the company commander Oreus, a whipping teacher, and the infantry general Nikolai Ivanovich Demidov, director of all cadet institutions.

Director Major General Mikhail Stepanovich Persky

The cadet had to reckon with Perski's appearance at any time, because the bachelor was in his institution around the clock. Perkski, who lived like a monk, did not go to any cultural events or receptions. The major general left the execution of the corporal punishment after military exercises to other instructors. Perski punished in a more effective way - he left it with the verdict: "You are a bad cadet!"

After the cadets had spontaneously taken care of wounded Decembrists who were lying in the vicinity of the institution on Isaaksplatz in mid-December 1825 , an unexpected visitor came to the institution. An angry Nicholas I rumbled: “There is a bad spirit here! ... Ryleev and Bestuzhev emerged from this institution ! ”The tsar accused the cadets of having fed the rebels. Perski replied boldly: "You are brought up like that, Your Majesty, ..."

Brigadier General Andrei Petrovich Bobrov

Bobrov exemplified charity and self-sacrifice for the Cadets . He had a compassionate heart. He read the riot act to cadets who were sitting in the dungeon with bread and water, but only for pretense, and under a pretext gave them nibbles.

The economist Bobrov, also a bachelor, who was a close friend of Perski, administered the institute's annual budget - around 24 million rubles . Bobrov acknowledged receipt of his 3,000 ruble pay, but usually did not take it. If so, he would occasionally enable a penniless ensign to start his career as an officer. As I said - Bobrov had no money. When he died after 39 years of service, the state had to pay the funeral expenses.

Dr. Selensky

The prison doctor, the biological brother of the economist Bobrov, also unmarried, - like Perski - almost never left the cadets. And when the pediatrician in question was called to the sick child of a wealthy, worried St. Petersburg mother, he seldom and reluctantly followed the call. The hygienist only prescribed medication as an exception.

Father Archimandrite

The adult narrator, who remembers his time as a cadet, forgot the name of the chaplain. Everyone called this man, who taught in the cadet classes and preached in the Church, Father Archimandrite . This clergyman listened to the Cadets' grief. He courageously put the aforementioned bad cadet tormentor General Demidow in his place.

Self-testimony

Leskow writes: “The sketches I ... started ... gave an honorable elderly man the idea to share his school memories with me. They are of interest for a characteristic of the period in question ... The narrator wishes to remain anonymous. However, he shared his story with me in the presence of well-known and deserving personalities. I didn't add anything, just wrote it down and organized it. "

reception

According to Rudolf Marx , the above-mentioned protagonists set an example for their students “work for a future community through the fulfillment of duty as a voluntary service”.

In his search for the innocent in his Russia, Leskov leaned on the biblical story of the ten righteous ( Genesis 18:32  EU ).

German-language editions

  • The cadet monastery. German by Ena von Baer . P. 261-308 in Nikolai S. Leskow: At the end of the world and other master stories. 391 pages. Dieterich'sche Verlagbuchhandlung, Leipzig 1968 (2nd edition)
  • The cadet monastery. German by Hartmut Herboth. P. 21–64 in Eberhard Reissner (Ed.): Nikolai Leskow: Collected works in individual volumes. The juggler pamphalon. 616 pages. Rütten & Loening, Berlin 1971 (1st edition)
  • The cadet monastery. Translated from the Russian by Hartmut Herboth. P. 61–102 in: Nikolai Leskow: Das Schreckgespenst. Stories. With book decorations by Heinrich Vogeler . 272 pages. Gustav Kiepenheuer Verlag, Leipzig and Weimar 1982 (1st edition, series: Die Bücherkiepe )

Output used:

  • The cadet monastery. German by Hartmut Herboth . P. 441–482 in Eberhard Dieckmann (Ed.): Nikolai Leskow: Collected works in individual volumes. 4. The unbaptized priest. Stories. With a comment from the editor. 728 pages. Rütten & Loening, Berlin 1984 (1st edition)

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ The first-person narrator calls his text report several times; see for example the edition used, p. 458, 5th Zvu
  2. ↑ Perski headed the institute from 1820–1832 (Russian First Petersburg Cadet Institute ).
  3. ↑ The narrator is GD Pochitonow (1810–1882) (Russian Г. Д. Похитонов ).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Russian Исторический вестник
  2. ↑ Russian Первый кадетский корпус (Санкт-Петербург)
  3. ↑ Russian Сенатская площадь , today: Senate Square
  4. ↑ Edition used, p. 441, 10. Zvo
  5. ↑ Russian Демидов, Николай Иванович
  6. ↑ Edition used, p. 445, 11. Zvu
  7. ↑ Edition used, p. 451, 12. Zvo
  8. ↑ Edition used, p. 451, 12. Zvu
  9. ↑ Quoted by Reissner in the follow-up to the 1971 edition, p. 596, 4th Zvu
  10. ^ Rudolf Marx in the afterword of the 1968 edition, p. 376, 1st line before
  11. ↑ Rudolf Marx, ibid, p. 373, 9th line from above