Contemporaries
Denis Fonvizin
Literature · drama
Show on the timeline- Period of activity shown
- 1761–1792
A playwright, translator and essayist of Catherine II’s reign, Fonvizin used The Brigadier and The Minor to expose aristocratic ignorance, oppressive estate life and failures of education. As Nikita Panin’s secretary, he also contributed to arguments for legal restraints on arbitrary power. His comedies combined vivid theatrical characters with social criticism, leaving a lasting mark on Russian drama and everyday language. His literary career began with translation.
- Lifetime
- 1745–1792
- Period shown
- 1761–1792: from his first published translation of Holberg’s fables to the end of his life
- Major work
- The Minor: first staged in 1782 and first published in 1783