“Odnodum” Leskov in brief


Childhood and youth of Alexander Ryzhov

В царствование Екатерины II, в городке Солигалич, Костромской губернии в семье мелкого канцелярского служителя Рыжова родился сын Алексашка. Потеряв в малолетнем возрасте отца, воспитывался матерью, продававшей на рынке пироги собственного изготовления. Грамоте мальчик выучился у бедного дьяка. И тогда уже стал зарабатывать свои первые копейки тем, что писал старухам заупокойные воспоминания. Физически работать начал с четырнадцати лет. В шестнадцать определился в пешую почту и должен был раз в неделю ходить из

Солигалича в Чухлому и обратно. На этой изнурительной и скудно оплачиваемой работе зимой и летом “думал он свои сиротские думы, какие слагались в нем под живым впечатлением всего, что встречал, что видел и слышал. При таких условиях из него мог бы выйти поэт вроде Бернса или Кольцова, но у Рыжова была другая складка, не поэтическая, а философская Почтовая сума до такой степени была нипочем его могучей спине, что он, кроме этой, всегда носил с собою другую сумку, в которой лежала толстая книга, имевшая на него неодолимое влияние. Книга эта была Библия”.

Ryzhov knew by heart the writings of many prophets and especially loved Isaiah. The young man decided to be

honest with both God and people, and live life in harmony with his conscience.

Device on service

He passed Ryzhov about twelve years, until the pedestrian post was replaced by a horse. Soligalich died in the old quarter, and Ryzhov decided to ask for his place. This position, although not very high, was of the greatest importance for the inhabitants of such uyezd townships in the 4th place. “The place is quite advantageous if the person who occupies it is well able to pull a log of firewood, a couple of beetroots or cabbages from each cart, but if he did not know how, he would be unwell.” Ryzhov from the very first day of service “turned out to be repulsive and correct”. Order in the bazaar and in the whole city, he brought up pretty quickly. He defended the weak, punished the insolent, and idlers and tramps determined to work. And that it was the strangest not to take bribes, answering thus: “God forbid to take money from God.” The governor, not receiving from the new quarterly offerings, “

Ryzhov did not care what they thought of him: he honestly served everyone and did not please anyone; in his own thoughts he reported to God. For which he was respected, although they said mockingly that they had a quarterly “such-and-such”. After thirty years of impeccable service, he was appointed a governor.

Diary of Ryzhov under the name “Odnodum”.

Alexander Ryzhov had one hobby. He led a kind of diary, in which he wrote biblical quotes and his arguments about life. If an important natural disaster happened, the coronation of the sovereign, the emergence of a new law of Ryzhov, wrote it down in a large notebook, accompanied by his own comments. The notebooks, as they were filled, were sewn in one cover, on which stood the significant inscription “Odnodum”. Nobody knew what lay in this book, and from this it seemed to others not only mysterious, but also seditious. With the advent of the book, he received the moniker Ododum, which stuck to him for the rest of his life.

The new Kostroma governor S. S. Lanskoy visited with the inspector Soligalich and was very surprised that such an “enticing” post is an unusually honest and disinterested official. The governor was also interested in Odnodum, since he was obligingly informed about a suspicious book. He examined her, Lanskoy was surprised that Ryzhov’s previous prophecies had been fulfilled.

After a lapse of two years, the first Vladimir Cross was granted to the quarterly Ryzhov, who granted the Noble Prize to the Vladimir Cross. “Both the cross and the letter were handed to Alexander Afanasievich with the announcement that he had been awarded the honor and this award on Lansky’s suggestion.” Ryzhov accepted the order, looked at him and said aloud: “An eccentric!”

Alexander Afanasyevich lived until ninety years, carefully marking everything in his Odnodume. And for many years after his death, people remembered the amazing philosopher.


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“Odnodum” Leskov in brief