5 little-known facts about fabulist Ivan Krylov (PHOTOS)

The first Russian author to be translated into Chinese

Ivan Krylov's fables were the first works of Russian literature to be translated into Chinese. The first three – ‘A Dog's Friendship’, ‘The Fox and the Marmot’ and ‘The Pike’ – were published between December 1899 and May 1900 in Shanghai in the ‘International Review’ (万国公报) journal of the Christian Literary Society. However, the translation was not from Russian, but from English. The fables were also translated into prose, not verse, as in the original, so they read more like parables.

The iconic hero Oblomov was based on him

The inspiration for Ivan Goncharov's famous novel ‘Oblomov’ has a specific source: the public image of Ivan Krylov, established by the late 1840s. A passive sage immersed in the chaos of everyday life. An old robe and worn-out shoes serve as his "uniform" at home; A servant who only exacerbated the disorder by damaging his master's property – all these traits carried over into the world of Ilya Oblomov.

This is precisely how Krylov appeared in a critical article by Pyotr Pletnev, written for the posthumous edition of the poet's collected works. The critic harshly condemned the fabulist's "idle prudence" and "lifeless wisdom" and bitterly concluded that more than one talent could have been "buried" in this "motionless mind" that never crossed the threshold of his apartment.

He was a "grandfather" without grandchildren

The expression "Grandfather Krylov" became widely known, thanks to Pushkin's friend, poet Pyotr Vyazemsky. At Krylov's celebratory artistic anniversary in 1838, his couplets were performed with the constant refrain: "Hello, Grandfather Krylov!" Thus, this nickname was "officially" adopted among the literary and social elite. By this time, Krylov was already around 70 years old, with a corpulent figure and phlegmatic character, which matched the popular image of a good-natured grandfather. This was also facilitated by his popular affection. By the mid-19th century, Krylov was one of the most widely read authors in the country. Everyone knew him, from peasants to the imperial family.

He loved to eat

As a child, Krylov survived the Pugachev Rebellion. When he was about five years old, he and his mother found themselves in Orenburg, besieged by Pugachev's forces, where famine reigned. His father, Captain Andrei Krylov, heroically defended the Yaitskaya Fortress. The rebels sentenced the entire family to hanging and they were forced into hiding. These childhood traumas, according to biographers, led to his famous gluttony as an adult. Krylov later personally recounted these events to Pushkin and his recollections were included in ‘The History of Pugachev’, while the writer's father's features were reflected in the character of Captain Mironov in ‘The Captain's Daughter’.

He spent considerable money on pigeons

Krylov's love of pigeons was well known to his contemporaries and is often mentioned in his memoirs. He is known to have allowed the birds to fly freely into his windows, feeding them right in his apartment, and paying no attention to the droppings and feathers they generously left on furniture and carpets. He purchased large quantities of grain for them, spending considerable money on this. Among the fabulist's winged pets was a tame sparrow. He built special boxes, shelves and perches on the windowsills of his apartment where his pets lived and bred their young. If he saw a wounded or weakened pigeon on the street, he would always pick it up, take it home and nurse it back to health. This love was so well-known that it became part of his image. He was often depicted in caricatures and friendly cartoons surrounded by birds.