Ivan Ivanovich Panaev (russian: link=no, Ива́н Ива́нович Пана́ев; March 27, 1812 – March 2, 1862) was a Russian writer, literary critic, journalist and magazine publisher.
Early life
Panaev was born into a gentry family in St Petersburg.
[Handbook of Russian Literature, Victor Terras, Yale University Press 1990.] He graduated from the Boarding School for the Nobility at
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...
in 1830. He began publishing his works in 1834. His first romantic novellas included ''The Bedroom of a Society Woman'' (1834, published 1835) and ''She Will Be Happy'' (1836).
[The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970–1979).] He married Avdotya Bryanskaya in 1837. Avdotya became a well-known writer and memoirist.
Career
Panaev became acquainted with
Vissarion Belinsky
Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky ( rus, Виссарион Григорьевич БелинскийIn Belinsky's day, his name was written ., Vissarión Grigórʹjevič Belínskij, vʲɪsərʲɪˈon ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʲɪˈlʲinskʲ ...
in 1839; their friendship significantly influenced Panaev's literary career. Between 1839 and 1846 his works were published in ''
Otechestvennye Zapiski
''Otechestvennye Zapiski'' ( rus, Отечественные записки, p=ɐˈtʲetɕɪstvʲɪnːɨjɪ zɐˈpʲiskʲɪ, variously translated as "Annals of the Fatherland", "Patriotic Notes", "Notes of the Fatherland", etc.) was a Russian lite ...
''. They included the novellas ''The Onager'' (1841) and ''Actaeon'' (1842), the novel ''Mama's Boy'' (1845), essays, satires, and short stories. Panaev's satire ''The Literary Aphid'' (1843) was highly praised by Belinsky.
He abandoned his civil service career in 1844, in order devote his full attention to literature.
Panaev was introduced to
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
by
Nikolay Nekrasov
Nikolay Alexeyevich Nekrasov ( rus, Никола́й Алексе́евич Некра́сов, p=nʲɪkɐˈlaj ɐlʲɪkˈsʲejɪvʲɪtɕ nʲɪˈkrasəf, a=Ru-Nikolay_Alexeyevich_Nekrasov.ogg, – ) was a Russian poet, writer, critic and publi ...
and
Dmitry Grigorovich
Dmitry Vasilyevich Grigorovich (russian: Дми́трий Васи́льевич Григоро́вич) ( – ) was a Russian writer, best known for his first two novels, '' The Village'' and '' Anton Goremyka'', and lauded as the first author ...
, and often met Dostoyevsky at meetings of the Belinsky circle. In 1845 Dostoyevsky read his first novel
Poor Folk
''Poor Folk'' (russian: Бедные люди, ''Bednye lyudi''), sometimes translated as ''Poor People'', is the first novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, written over the span of nine months between 1844 and 1845. Dostoevsky was in financial difficult ...
to a literary gathering organized by Panaev and his wife. Dostoyevsky was a frequent visitor to the important literary salon run by Avdotya Panaeva. Dostoyevsky stopped attending the salon after quarreling with
Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 ( Old Style da ...
, a fellow visitor.
[The Dostoevsky Encyclopedia, K. A. Lantz, Greenwood Press, 2004.]

In 1847, together with Nekrasov, Panaev took over ''
Sovremennik
''Sovremennik'' ( rus, «Современник», p=səvrʲɪˈmʲenʲːɪk, a=Ru-современник.ogg, "The Contemporary") was a Russian literary, social and political magazine, published in Saint Petersburg in 1836–1866. It came out f ...
'', making it into a popular literary magazine and a financial success.
Between 1851 and 1861, under the pseudonym "The New Poet", he published his monthly surveys of journalism and of life in St Petersburg in ''Sovremennik''. Other works by Panaev include the novel ''Lions in the Provinces'' (1852), the novella ''Relatives'' (1847), and the essay cycle ''Knowledge of Fops'' (1854–57).
In the 1850s Panaev was one of the leading supporters of the emancipation of women.
His ''Literary Reminiscences'', written during the last years of his life, were published in 1861. This work contains portraits of literary figures, artists, musicians, and actors of the period from the 1820ss to the 1850s. Panaev's literary parodies, some written in collaboration with Nekrasov, were widely read.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panaev, Ivan
1812 births
1862 deaths
Novelists from the Russian Empire
Literary critics from the Russian Empire
Journalists from the Russian Empire
Male writers from the Russian Empire
Publishers (people) from the Russian Empire
Writers from Saint Petersburg
19th-century journalists
Russian male journalists
19th-century novelists from the Russian Empire
Male novelists
19th-century short story writers from the Russian Empire
19th-century male writers from the Russian Empire