Old Portraits

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev was born in 1818 into a noble Russian family and grew up on their estate, Spasskoye-Lutovinovo. He studied literature and philosophy at Moscow and Saint Petersburg universities before continuing his education in Berlin. His exposure to Western European ideas deeply influenced his views on Russian society and reform. Turgenev gained recognition with A Sportsman's Sketches (1852), which criticized serfdom and fueled discussions on its abolition. His novel Fathers and Sons (1862) introduced the nihilist Bazarov, sparking intense debate about generational conflict and ideological change. Though controversial, his works played a key role in shaping Russian literary and social thought. Spending much of his life in France and Germany, Turgenev formed lasting friendships with writers like Gustave Flaubert. His love for opera singer Pauline Viardot influenced his travels and personal life. He died in 1883 in Bougival, France, leaving behind a literary legacy of social critique and psychological depth.