Dear friends, on January 16, the first literary salon dedicated to humorous stories from the late 19th and early 20th centuries took place. We took famous writers and humorists/satirists such as Arkady Averchenko, Sasha Cherny, Nadezhda Teffi, and Mikhail Zoshchenko as examples.
The early 20th century marked significant social and political changes. The literature of that period actively reflected everything happening with civil society: conflicts, morals, and cultural clashes.

In such conditions, satire became the most important tool for ridiculing the “distortions” in social phenomena and highlighting emerging problems. Periodicals began to specialize in publishing short stories and journalistic prose. Among them was the magazine “Satirikon.”
This period can be undoubtedly called the golden age of Russian literature. Humor became not just a form of entertainment but, more importantly, a way to perceive and criticize the surrounding reality.

Sasha Cherny: Master of Satirical Poetry

“Strange manner of hurrying while sitting in one place.” Sasha Cherny

Sasha Cherny (real name – Alexander Glickberg) was one of the brightest poets of the satirical movement in the early 20th century. He actively collaborated with magazines like “Satirikon” and “New Satirikon.”

In his work, the author often mocked human weaknesses, social flaws, and hypocrisy. He frequently addressed urban themes, criticizing bureaucracy and city life.

Besides writing for adults, he also wrote children’s stories, where he accurately captured the cleverness and resourcefulness of children. After moving from Russia to France, he became even more convinced that home, water, and bread tasted sweeter.

Nadezhda Teffi: Female Satire and Humor

“Happiness also doesn’t just fall into your hands. You need to know how to take it. And anyone would want it, but not everyone can.” N. Teffi

Nadezhda Teffi (real name – Nadezhda Lokhvitskaya) was one of the most popular female humorists of the Silver Age. Her stories were frequently published in the magazine “Satirikon.”

In her works, Nadezhda mocked household details and absurd life situations. Teffi had a knack for finding comedy in everyday moments, using soft but precise humor.

She also tackled the theme of childhood. Her story “Kishmish” showcases the “tragedy” of a misunderstood child’s soul. The girl dreamed of being “holy” and asked quite logical children’s questions (“Should one pray for a bandit when he is going to rob”), but the adults could only sigh and dream of sending her to the institute.

Arkady Averchenko: King of Laughter

“Human memory is a very strange machine, almost always working intermittently…” A. Averchenko

Arkady Averchenko was the main satirist of the “Satirikon” magazine and gained recognition for his sharp wit and excellent style. He was the uncrowned king of laughter.

In his works, Averchenko ridiculed human vices, bureaucracy, and various social issues. He masterfully depicted absurd situations and conflicts between people.

Mikhail Zoshchenko: Satire on Soviet Reality

“Recently, Yegorka Basov got married. He took a big, chunky woman, weighing about 5 puds. Really lucky guy.” Mikhail Zoshchenko

Mikhail Zoshchenko was one of the leading satirists of the Soviet era. In his stories about life in the 1920s-1930s, he criticized Soviet bureaucracy and the absurdities of the state system.

Zoshchenko mocked the absurdity of Soviet bureaucracy, daily nonsense, and the crisis of the human personality in the new social system.

Like Teffi and Sasha Cherny, Zoshchenko also wrote about children, attempting to be “educational” in his stories for young readers.

Our Readers’ Creativity.  Brigitte Merle: “You Have to Wait”

A plumber comes to me to fix the faucet.
He stops and says:
– I forgot my hammer. I’ll have to come back tomorrow.
The next day he comes again. He walks in and starts working, but suddenly stops and says:
– I don’t have the right-sized screw. I’ll come back tomorrow.
The next day, he forgot to change clothes, then called to “excite” me by saying he had a sick leave for the rest of the week. You have to wait.