A large writing desk is part of the furnishings of Nikolay Chernyshevsky’s study in his last apartment in the house of widow Esaulova in Bolshaya Moskovskaya street in Saint Petersburg. The writer and his family lived here from the second half of 1861 until July 7, 1862, when he was arrested and confined in the Alekseevsky Ravelin of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The interior designs referred to the period of Tsar Alexander II reforms used to be eclectic; and Chernyshevsky’s’ apartment was no exception. His study consisted of items of different styles, and almost all of them were expensive and comfortable.
Its centerpiece was a classic writing desk, lacquered and veneered with walnut. It consisted of two pedestals, an underframe and a hefty tabletop. There were three drawers in the underframe: two on each side and one large drawer in the middle. Pedestals also consisted of drawers hidden behind the doors on the facades. The underframe was separated from the pedestals by a wood molding. The tabletop with an oval molding was covered with cloth.
It was this desk that Nikolay Chernyshevsky used to write the last article, “Have you learned?”, before his arrest. It was published in The Contemporary issue for April 1862 and was dedicated to students’ unrest. His secretary Alexey Studensky, who came from the same town as Chernyshevsky, was one of those who took part in this unrest. His last publication triggered a series of tragic events in Chernyshevsky’s life.
In May, The Contemporary was closed for 8 months “for a detrimental line, ” and on July 7, a colonel and a bailiff rang at Chernyshevsky”s door. After the apartment was searched, the officer turned to the writer and said: “In pursuance of the order of the Third Division Director, Major General Potapov, I am compelled to invite you, dear sir, to come with me.”
After the writer’s confinement, the writing desk was in the possession of Alexander Pypin, a cousin and close friend of Nikolay Chernyshevsky.
The interior designs referred to the period of Tsar Alexander II reforms used to be eclectic; and Chernyshevsky’s’ apartment was no exception. His study consisted of items of different styles, and almost all of them were expensive and comfortable.
Its centerpiece was a classic writing desk, lacquered and veneered with walnut. It consisted of two pedestals, an underframe and a hefty tabletop. There were three drawers in the underframe: two on each side and one large drawer in the middle. Pedestals also consisted of drawers hidden behind the doors on the facades. The underframe was separated from the pedestals by a wood molding. The tabletop with an oval molding was covered with cloth.
It was this desk that Nikolay Chernyshevsky used to write the last article, “Have you learned?”, before his arrest. It was published in The Contemporary issue for April 1862 and was dedicated to students’ unrest. His secretary Alexey Studensky, who came from the same town as Chernyshevsky, was one of those who took part in this unrest. His last publication triggered a series of tragic events in Chernyshevsky’s life.
In May, The Contemporary was closed for 8 months “for a detrimental line, ” and on July 7, a colonel and a bailiff rang at Chernyshevsky”s door. After the apartment was searched, the officer turned to the writer and said: “In pursuance of the order of the Third Division Director, Major General Potapov, I am compelled to invite you, dear sir, to come with me.”
After the writer’s confinement, the writing desk was in the possession of Alexander Pypin, a cousin and close friend of Nikolay Chernyshevsky.
After Alexander Pypin died, the desk was contributed to A.N. Radishchev Saratov State Museum of Fine Arts, as he wished in his will. In 1920, it was transferred to the Memorial Estate of N.G. Chernyshevsky. This item is listed under No. 1 in the museum’s books of acquisitions. In 1978, the table was refurbished, and since 1988, it has been displayed in the Chernyshevsky at “The Contemporary” section of the literary exposition titled “A Worthy Son of the Motherland”.
