Leontiev, Ivan L. (Shcheglov)

(1856 - 1911), better known under the pseudonym Shcheglov. At the end of the Pavlovsk Military School he served in the artillery in the Caucasus theater of war 1877 - 1878 period. Retired Captain. In 1881, Mr.. attracted the attention of a superb story of military life: "First Battle" ( "New View"). The following stories Leontiev, appeared in "Notes of the Fatherland" and "Herald of Europe" ( "The Lieutenant Pospelov," "Poor Hero", "Idyll", "Cordelia," "Mignon") placed him in the ranks of many promising writers. In the mid 80-ies had great success in New Times essays Leonteva "Summer's husband, made the phrase a household word. Caused an uproar, but rather unfavorable for Leontiev, and another story of him: "Rest in peace". Full discrepancy Leontiev with circles, . cheered his debut, . occurred on the printing of its two stories "The loss of the soul" ( "Russian Review", . 92) and "Some Truth" ( "Russian Messenger, . 92), . where he attacked Tolstoyism and the activities of "Facilitator",
. Since that time, Leontiev specializes in humorous stories and drama. Journals and separate them printed novels: "Million torment" and "Gordian knot", . stories: "Summer's husband, . his adventures, . Monitoring and frustration ", . "Through the haze of laughter", . "Military essays", . "Laughter Life, . the play: "In the mountains of the Caucasus", . "Mamaeva invasion", . "Women's nonsense", . "Gentlemen theater", . "Theater sparrow", . "Eccentric", . "Turusov on wheels", . "Gastrolersha", . "Lost sage" and others,
. Not free from historical and literary frivolity books Leontiev: "New on Pushkin" and "ascetic words" (Gogol). Its capital, while a unique study: "People's Theater, in its complete form appeared only in the year of his death. Humor Leontief was rather constant jocularity, slipping on the surface of phenomena. His plays, with his life does not leave the scene now shifted to the repertoire of amateur. The lack of ideological principles and elements of satire in his humorous stories, most of them come down to the level of "light" reading, the best in his legacy remains his first war stories, full of observation, knowledge of life and warmth. Appreciation of the first things Leontief found in Chekhov (cm. his "Correspondence"). - See. K. Arseniev "Critical Studies", t. II, and the introductory article A. Izmailov to the book "The People's Theater". A. Izmailov.