The death mask of Bulgakov, the cause of the death of the writer

Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov became one of the most widely read, discussed and remembered authors of the 20th century. His work, personal life and even death are supplemented with secrets and legends, and the novel "Master and Margarita" entered the name of his creator in gold letters in the annals of Russian and world literature. But secrets always enveloped his person, and the question: "Why did Bulgakov make his own posthumous mask?" Was never fully disclosed.

Hard way

Now Bulgakov's name is on hearing, but there was a time when his works were not published, and he himself was under the close supervision of the authorities and frantic supporters of the party. This both irritated and frustrated the writer, because you had to constantly be on the alert so as not to give cause for idle talk and claims. Bulgakov's life has never been simple - neither during his time as a doctor, nor as an author of theater plays, nor as a novelist. But the last imprint - Bulgakov's death mask - says that the high society, and first of all the government, appreciated his talent.

Personal life

Mikhail Afanasyevich was born on May 3, 1891, in a large family. He was the oldest child, besides him, his parents had two brothers and four sisters. When the boy was seven, his father went off with nephrosclerosis and soon died.

Mikhail received a secondary education in the best Kiev gymnasium, but was not particularly diligent. This did not prevent the young man from enrolling in the medical faculty of the Imperial University. Just at that moment, the war of 1914-1918 began, and education was held in the military field conditions. At the same time, he meets his future wife Tatyana Lappa, a fifteen-year-old girl, who hopes very much. They did not put it off, and when Bulgakov was in his sophomore year, they got married.

World War I

This historic event did not split the measured life of the young couple. They did everything together. Tatyana traveled with her husband to front-line hospitals, organized sorting and assistance to victims, actively participated in the work as a nurse and assistant. The diploma of the doctor Bulgakov received, being at the front. In March 1916, the future writer was recalled to the rear and sent to the Smolensk province, to manage a medical point. There he began his official medical practice. About it you can read in the stories "Notes of a young doctor" and "Morphine".

Disastrous addiction

In the summer of 1917, making tracheotomy for a child suffering from diphtheria, Mikhail Afanasyevich decided that he could get infected, and as a preventive measure he prescribed morphine to himself to relieve itching and pain. Knowing that the medicine is highly addictive, he continued to take it and eventually turned into a permanent "patient." His wife, Tatyana Lappa, did not accept this state of affairs, and together with I. P. Voskresensky she was able to save the writer from this habit. But with the medical career was over, as morphine was considered an incurable disease. Later, already recrossing the habit, he was able to start a private practice. It was by the way, as in Kiev and the suburbs there were fighting, the power was constantly changing, and qualified medical care was required. This time is reflected in the novel "The White Guard". There appear not only fictional characters, but also members of his family: sisters, brother, son-in-law.

North Caucasus

In the winter of 1919, Bulgakov was again mobilized as a military man and sent to Vladikavkaz. There he settles down, calls his wife a telegram and continues to heal. Participates in military operations, helps the local population, writes stories. He basically describes his "adventures", life in an unusual environment for himself. In the 1920s, with medicine, it was finished forever. And a new milestone of life began - journalism and the so-called small genres (stories, stories), which were printed in local North Caucasian newspapers. Bulgakov wanted to be famous, but his wife did not share his aspirations. Then they began a mutual break. But when a writer gets sick with typhus, his wife takes care of him, and sitting by the bed day and night. After recovery, I had to get used to the new order, as Soviet power came to Vladikavkaz.

Heavy period

The twenties of the last century were difficult for the Bulgakov family. It was necessary to earn a living by persistent daily work. This greatly exhausted the writer, did not let him breathe peacefully. During this period, he begins to write "commercial" literature, mostly plays that he himself did not like and considered unworthy to be called art. Later he ordered them to be burned.

The power of the Soviets increasingly toughened the regime, criticized not only the works, but also random scattered phrases collected by ill-wishers. Naturally, under such conditions it became difficult to live, and the spouses left first for Batum and then for Moscow.

Moscow life

Bulgakov's image was associated with the heroes of his works, which was proved by life itself. Having replaced several apartments, the couple stopped at the house at ul. Big Garden 10, apartment number 50, immortalized in the author's most famous novel "The Master and Margarita." Work began again with problems, in the shops, products were given out on cards, and it was extremely difficult to get these treasured pieces of paper.

February 1, 1922, Bulgakov's mother dies. This event becomes a terrible blow to him, especially offensive to the writer is that even at a funeral he can not go. Two years later, the final break with Lappa. By the time of their divorce, Mikhail Afanasyevich already had a stormy affair with Lyubov Belozerskaya, who became his second wife. She was a ballerina, a woman of the highest world. It was this Bulgakov dreamed of the writer's wife, but their marriage was short-lived.

Perechistenskoye time

It is time to flourish Bulgakov's career as a writer and playwright. His plays are staged, the audience meets them favorably, life is getting better. But at the same time the writer begins to be interested in the NKVD and tries to incriminate him with disrespect for the current government or worse. As the horn of plenty fell bans: on performances, on the press, on public appearances. Then again came penniless. In 1926, the writer even called for interrogation. On April 18 of the same year, a famous telephone conversation with Stalin took place, which again changed the life of Bulgakov for the better. He was taken as a director at the Moscow Art Theater.

Nuremberg-Shilovskaya-Bulgakova

It was there, in the Moscow Art Theater, that the writer met his third wife, Elena Sergeevna. At first they were just friends, but later they realized that they could not live without each other, and decided not to torment anyone. It was very long and unpleasant for the Shilovskaya rupture with her first husband. She had two children, whom the couple divided among themselves, and immediately after Belozerskaya gave Bulgakov a divorce, the lovers got married. This woman became a real support and support for him in the most difficult years of life. While working on the most famous novel and in the period of illness.

"Master and Margarita" and recent years

Work on the central novel completely captured the writer, he devoted much attention and strength to her. In 1928, only the idea of the book appeared, in 1930 there was a draft version, which went through significant changes necessary for the light to see the text that everyone remembers, probably by heart. Some pages were copied dozens of times, and the last years of Bulgakov's life were occupied with editing already finished fragments and dictating a "clean" version to Elena Sergeevna.

But the dramatic activity is not idle in the last years of Bulgakov's life. He puts plays on the works of his favorite authors - Gogol and Pushkin, he himself writes "on the table." Alexander Sergeevich was the only poet whom the writer loved. And one of those figures from whom the posthumous mask was removed . Bulgakov attends the idea of a theatrical work about Stalin, but the secretary-general has stopped these attempts.

On the verge of death

September 10, 1939, the writer suddenly lost his sight. Bulgakov (the cause of his father's death - nephrosclerosis) remembers all the symptoms of this ailment and comes to the conclusion that he has the same disease. Due to the efforts of his wife and sanatorium treatment, the manifestations of sclerosis recede. This allows even to return to the job left, but not for long.

The date of Bulgakov's death is 10 March 1940, at twenty-five in the afternoon. He went to another world, stoically suffering all the suffering and pain. Leaving behind a rich artistic heritage. The mystery of the death of Mikhail Bulgakov was not a secret at all: the complications of nephrosclerosis killed him as much as his father. He knew how it would end. Of course, no one could say when exactly this sad event will happen, when Bulgakov dies. The cause of death was obvious, but how much he still can hold on to life - no.

The funeral and funeral were very solemn. By tradition, the face mask was taken from the writer's face. Bulgakov was decided to cremate, according to his will. Comrades of Mikhail Afanasyevich on pen, colleagues from the Moscow Art Theater, members of the Writers' Union came to the memorial service. Even the secretary of Stalin called, and after that a large epitaph appeared in Literaturnaya Gazeta. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery, not far from the grave of Chekhov.

If you are concerned with the question: "Where is Bulgakov's death mask stored?", The answer to it is simple: she has recovered to the same posthumous casts, to the museum. Then such sculptures were made only in exceptional cases, which speaks of respect and veneration of Bulgakov as a talented writer, despite all the difficulties of his life's path. There is no writer in the will, and there could not have been an item in which the posthumous mask would fit. Bulgakov never took idle fuss, especially this kind. It was this moment that his colleagues decided to capture.