city for many idealistic middle-low-class citizens dreaming of a sanctuary where social mobility was taken seriously, and achieving aristocracy was not a laughable goal. It was not uncommon for middle class graduates to move to St. Petersburg in their quest for acclaim, many through literature and art .
Since Russia was becoming exceedingly multicultural and multireligious, it was also not uncommon for those who can afford it, especially artists and authors, to live abroad. This openness to the prosperity of other European countries magnified the faults of the Czar, which slowly snowballed towards the end of the 19th century. Some other notable points of the society are the presence of serf exploitation and privileges and corruption of the aristocratic, which were coming to the attention of the public through new works of literature.
Cultural Context
The early 19th century fine arts world was rich and powerful, not only providing a means of repeated consumption of entertainment but setting precedent for discussions of ideas: socially and politically in poetry before 1830's and in the form of prose after. Authors of literature were greatly admired as the forefathers and leaders of modern thinking, almost similar to celebrities we know today, viewed as pioneers of thought and reformers of an evolving Russia. It was not uncommon for many to dream of becoming a renowned author back then.
The likes of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Vasily Narezhny, and Alexander Pushkin also came into recognition around this time, feeding controversial yet empowering messages into the public, regarding the unjust exploitation of serfs at the time, the struggles of those stuck in poverty, the shallowness of the aristocracy, corruption in the government, and even illegitimacy of the Russian Czar. Titles that are now engrained into the culture include Dead Souls, Crime and Punishment, and The Captain's Daughter.
This culture kickstarted the popularity of theater which followed not long after, and roped in names like Anton Chekov, and his notable works The Seagull, The Lady with the Dog, and many more, bringing the macabre tone of literature into the light of the stage for all audiences to see.
Political Context
Gogol was born into a century where industrial growth had never been faster and disproval for the great Russia had never been greater and more explicitly spoken about by the public. The bout of enlightened thinking drove many to begin questioning the authority of the Czar, the state of Russia, and whether the people were treated fairly. Distaste for the serf system was brought up, and so was the corruption of the police force, and the abandonment of the poor.
Throughout the 1800’s, works like Gogol, Dostyevsky, and Pushkin’s all, time and time again, raised their disappointments and anguish about the home they were supposed to be proud of. The idyllic illusion of St. Petersburg as a sanctuary was shattered, and tolerance for the Czar took a sharp turn for the worse. With the advent of Russia’s industrial revolution, the capital St. Petersberg’s population swelled, setting precedent for a growing group of harsh labor forces that are becoming increasingly politically alert. Czar Nicholas the I attempted to suppress expression of art and literature by putting the making publishing part of state-control, but it was sloppily done and only amplified the public’s recognition of his fear. Distaste and scapegoating of the Czar family grew, and by the beginning of the 20th century Czar Nicholas the II and his family were kidnapped and executed by Russian revolutionary radicals the Bolsheviks.