In 1917, after graduating from high school, Ozhegov entered the Faculty of Linguistics of Material Culture of Petrograd University. At the end of 1918, he left the university and enlisted as a volunteer in the Red Army. He took part in battles near Narva, Pskov and Riga, on the Karelian Isthmus, then in Ukraine, on the Wrangel front.

After the end of hostilities in 1922, Ozhegov was offered a ticket to the military academy, but he refused, was demobilized and returned to Petrograd University.

While still at university, he began teaching Russian.

In 1926, Ozhegov completed his studies and, at the recommendation of his teachers Viktor Vinogradov, Lev Shcherba and Boris Lyapunov, was recommended for graduate school at the Institute of the History of Literatures and Languages ​​of the West and East at Leningrad State University.

Ozhegov was seriously engaged in researching the history of Russian literary language, historical grammar, lexicology, orthoepy (pronunciation norms) of the language of Russian writers, spelling and phraseology. Its main object scientific works became colloquial Russian speech in all its manifestations.

Except scientific work, he also taught at State Institute History of Art, Pedagogical Institute named after. A. I. Herzen.

Since the late 1920s. Sergei Ivanovich began work on the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language,” whose editor was Dmitry Ushakov.

In 1936, Ozhegov moved to Moscow, where he continued to work with the dictionary, which went down in the history of Russian culture as the “Ushakov Dictionary.” The first volume was published in 1935, and in 1940 the last 4th volume was published. This was a real event in scientific life.

In 1937-1941. Sergei Ivanovich taught at the Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature and Art.

Since 1939 he was research fellow Institute of Language and Writing.

During the Great Patriotic War Ozhegov remained in Moscow until the previous leadership returned from evacuation. He developed a course on Russian paleography and taught it to students at the Pedagogical Institute during the war years. Wanting to be in something useful to the country, together with other remaining colleagues, he organized a linguistic scientific society and studied the wartime language.

Even on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, Ozhegov began work on the “Dictionary of the Russian Language”. He planned to create short dictionary popular type. Professor Grigory Vinokur, as well as academician Sergei Obnorsky, both participated in the preparation of the first edition. Chief Editor. The first edition of the dictionary was published in 1949 and immediately attracted the attention of readers, scientists and critics. Since 1949, the dictionary has been reprinted 8 times. Ozhegov worked on the dictionary almost until the end of his life: he made improvements and improved its structure.

Currently, the "Dictionary of the Russian Language" occupies a special place among other explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language. This is the only relatively complete one-volume dictionary (80,000 words and expressions), which consistently, from edition to edition, reflects changes in Russian literary vocabulary.

In 1952, Sergei Ivanovich became the USSR Academy of Sciences, one of the central directions of which was the study and promotion of native speech. He and his employees spoke on the radio, advised announcers and theater workers, Sergei Ozhegov’s notes often appeared in periodicals, he was a regular participant in literary evenings at the House of Scientists, inviting such luminaries of writing as Korney Chukovsky, Lev Uspensky, Fyodor Gladkov, scientists, artists. At the same time, famous dictionaries of pronunciation norms began to be published under his editorship and co-authorship, which were listened to, known and studied even in distant foreign countries: “Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language” (1956, 1963), “Russian Literary Pronunciation and Stress” (1955) , “Correctness of Russian Speech” (1962), etc.

On the initiative of Ozhegov, in 1958, a Russian Language Help Service was created at the Institute of the Russian Language, responding to requests from organizations and individuals regarding the correctness of Russian speech.

Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov became the organizer and inspirer of the popular science series “Issues of the Culture of Speech” (1955-1965), in which the work of young colleagues and students of Sergei Ivanovich, who later became famous Russian normativeists: Yulia Belchikova, Lyudmila Graudina, Vitaly Kostomarov, Lev Skvortsov, Boris Schwarzkopf and many others.

Another work of Ozhegov’s life (along with the publication of the “Dictionary of the Russian Language”) was the preparation of a new scientific journal"Russian Speech" (the first issue was published after the death of the linguist in 1967), one of the largest circulation academic journals, enjoying success and well-deserved respect even now.

Being a deep academic specialist and carrying out extensive teaching activities (he worked at Moscow State University for many years), Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov was not an armchair scientist and eagerly responded with his characteristic kind irony to those changes in language that were beginning to enter the vocabulary of the average person in the space era.

He was loyal to the “verbal pranks” of young people, listened to them, knew well and could appreciate the literary used in special cases, jargon. An example of this is the card file of Russian obscenities compiled by him together with another famous scientist, Alexander Reformatsky - not a collection of obscene expressions in “dictionaries”, but a scientifically based and artistically designed study of the sociology of linguistic use of the urban population - something that is so popular and relevant in real days.

Ozhegov was a member of the Moscow City Council Commission on the naming of institutions and streets of Moscow, the Subject Commission on the Russian Language of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, deputy chairman of the Academy of Sciences Commission on streamlining the writing and pronunciation of foreign proper and geographical names, scientific consultant of the All-Russian Theater Society, State Television and Radio Broadcasting; member of the Spelling Commission of the Academy of Sciences, which prepared the “Rules of Russian Spelling and Punctuation”, 1956, etc.).

Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov died in Moscow on December 15, 1964. The urn with his ashes is kept in the wall of the Novodevichy cemetery necropolis.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

In 1917, after graduating from high school, Ozhegov entered the Faculty of Linguistics of Material Culture of Petrograd University. At the end of 1918, he left the university and enlisted as a volunteer in the Red Army. He took part in battles near Narva, Pskov and Riga, on the Karelian Isthmus, then in Ukraine, on the Wrangel front.

After the end of hostilities in 1922, Ozhegov was offered a ticket to the military academy, but he refused, was demobilized and returned to Petrograd University.

While still at university, he began teaching Russian.

In 1926, Ozhegov completed his studies and, at the recommendation of his teachers Viktor Vinogradov, Lev Shcherba and Boris Lyapunov, was recommended for graduate school at the Institute of the History of Literatures and Languages ​​of the West and East at Leningrad State University.

Ozhegov was seriously engaged in research into the history of the Russian literary language, historical grammar, lexicology, orthoepy (pronunciation norms) of the language of Russian writers, spelling and phraseology. The main object of his scientific works was colloquial Russian speech in all its manifestations.

In addition to scientific work, he also taught at the State Institute of Art History, Pedagogical Institute named after. A. I. Herzen.

Since the late 1920s. Sergei Ivanovich began work on the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language,” whose editor was Dmitry Ushakov.

In 1936, Ozhegov moved to Moscow, where he continued to work with the dictionary, which went down in the history of Russian culture as the “Ushakov Dictionary.” The first volume was published in 1935, and in 1940 the last 4th volume was published. This was a real event in scientific life.

In 1937-1941. Sergei Ivanovich taught at the Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature and Art.

Since 1939 he was a research fellow at the Institute of Language and Writing.

During the Great Patriotic War, Ozhegov remained in Moscow until the previous leadership returned from evacuation. He developed a course on Russian paleography and taught it to students at the Pedagogical Institute during the war years. Wanting to be useful to the country in at least some way, together with his other remaining colleagues, he organized a linguistic scientific society and studied the wartime language.

Even on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, Ozhegov began work on the “Dictionary of the Russian Language”. He decided to create a short dictionary of a popular type. Professor Grigory Vinokur, as well as academician Sergei Obnorsky as editor-in-chief, participated in the preparation of the first edition. The first edition of the dictionary was published in 1949 and immediately attracted the attention of readers, scientists and critics. Since 1949, the dictionary has been reprinted 8 times. Ozhegov worked on the dictionary almost until the end of his life: he made improvements and improved its structure.

Currently, the "Dictionary of the Russian Language" occupies a special place among other explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language. This is the only relatively complete one-volume dictionary (80,000 words and expressions), which consistently, from edition to edition, reflects changes in Russian literary vocabulary.

In 1952, Sergei Ivanovich became the USSR Academy of Sciences, one of the central directions of which was the study and promotion of native speech. He and his employees spoke on the radio, advised announcers and theater workers, Sergei Ozhegov’s notes often appeared in periodicals, he was a regular participant in literary evenings at the House of Scientists, inviting such luminaries of writing as Korney Chukovsky, Lev Uspensky, Fyodor Gladkov, scientists, artists. At the same time, famous dictionaries of pronunciation norms began to be published under his editorship and co-authorship, which were listened to, known and studied even in distant foreign countries: “Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language” (1956, 1963), “Russian Literary Pronunciation and Stress” (1955) , “Correctness of Russian Speech” (1962), etc.

On the initiative of Ozhegov, in 1958, a Russian Language Help Service was created at the Institute of the Russian Language, responding to requests from organizations and individuals regarding the correctness of Russian speech.

Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov became the organizer and inspirer of the popular science series “Issues of the Culture of Speech” (1955-1965), in which the work of young colleagues and students of Sergei Ivanovich, who later became famous Russian normativeists: Yulia Belchikova, Lyudmila Graudina, Vitaly Kostomarov, Lev Skvortsov, Boris Schwarzkopf and many others.

Another work of Ozhegov’s life (along with the publication of the “Dictionary of the Russian Language”) was the preparation of a new scientific journal “Russian Speech” (the first issue was published after the death of the linguist in 1967), one of the most widespread academic journals, enjoying success and well-deserved respect and Now.

Being a deep academic specialist and carrying out extensive teaching activities (he worked at Moscow State University for many years), Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov was not an armchair scientist and eagerly responded with his characteristic kind irony to those changes in language that were beginning to enter the vocabulary of the average person in the space era.

He was loyal to the “verbal pranks” of young people, listened to them, knew well and could appreciate the literary jargon used in special cases. An example of this is the card file of Russian obscenities compiled by him together with another famous scientist, Alexander Reformatsky - not a collection of obscene expressions in “dictionaries”, but a scientifically based and artistically designed study of the sociology of linguistic use of the urban population - something that is so popular and relevant in real days.

Ozhegov was a member of the Moscow City Council Commission on the naming of institutions and streets of Moscow, the Subject Commission on the Russian Language of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, deputy chairman of the Academy of Sciences Commission on streamlining the writing and pronunciation of foreign proper and geographical names, scientific consultant of the All-Russian Theater Society, State Television and Radio Broadcasting; member of the Spelling Commission of the Academy of Sciences, which prepared the “Rules of Russian Spelling and Punctuation”, 1956, etc.).

Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov died in Moscow on December 15, 1964. The urn with his ashes is kept in the wall of the Novodevichy cemetery necropolis.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

It's hard to find a house that doesn't have explanatory dictionary Russian language. A thick, brown volume has always been a sign good taste owners and fit well into any library, standing out favorably on a bookshelf.

Childhood and youth

Sergei Ivanovich originates on September 22, 1900. He was born in the village of Kamenoye, Tver province. To date locality grew and received the status of a city, whose name is Kuvshinovo. Creative path Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov began in the family of a cardboard factory technologist. The linguist's ancestors were craftsmen and representatives of the clergy. Mother worked as a midwife at a local hospital.

The house in which the scientist was born and raised has survived to this day. A memorial plaque reminds us of who lived in the building several decades ago.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the family moved to St. Petersburg. The boy entered the gymnasium. By the way, one of the best graduates of the course was the future linguist Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov. short biography will tell you a lot of interesting facts about future fate famous scientist. Soon the philological faculty of Petrograd University was replenished with promising applicants.

War

The First World War broke the plans that Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov had so actively nurtured. Brief biography for children (for school teaching aids) says that he was called to the front. As part of his formation, the linguist took part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine and Russia.

Ozhegov Sergei Ivanovich: brief biography of the scientist in the post-war period

Later, the headquarters of the Kharkov Military District received an applicant whose name was Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov. The future linguist graduated from his studies in 1922. Immediately after this, the name Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov appeared on the lists of reinstated students at Petrograd University. A brief biography of the scientist introduces us to the fact that the next fruitful four years passed within the walls of this educational institution. In 1926, the future linguist graduated and entered graduate school at the Institute of Comparative History of Literatures and Languages ​​of the West and East.

Studying here was completed in 1929, this is exactly what Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov indicated in his documents. The short biography also contains the art historian’s memories of life in St. Petersburg - it was a time of extreme creative growth!

Moscow

Seven years later, Sergei Ivanovich moved to Moscow, where he became a teacher at the local Institute of Philosophy and Literature named after. Chernyshevsky and Pedagogical named after. Potemkin.

How I survived the Second World War Ozhegov Sergey Ivanovich? A short biography and memoirs of the scientist indicate that he did not leave the capital, doing what a linguist did best - teaching students.

Career growth and inspiration

The scientist’s works could not go unnoticed, and already in 1952 Sergei Ivanovich became the head of the speech culture sector at the Institute of the Russian Language.

The following years turned out to be incredibly fruitful. The works of Russian writers were studied in detail, the most successful of which are considered to be studies about P.A. Plavilshchikov, D.I. Krylov, A.N. Ostrovsky.

In 1956, the writer was offered to become an editor Spelling dictionary. Of course, Ozhegov gladly accepted the offer. In addition, he was one of the creators of the dictionary “Correctness of Russian Speech”, as well as the collection “Questions of Culture”.

IN further Sergey Ivanovich directly or indirectly took part in the renaming of streets, participated in the commission for the correct use of foreign words, was a consultant to the theater community, as well as co-author of the work “Rules of Russian Spelling and Punctuation.”

Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

For this enormous work, on the occasion of the ninetieth anniversary of the scientist’s birth, a special award was established by A.S. Pushkin.

And it all started with the fact that in 1935 whole line linguists began to create a unified dictionary that would simplify the use of the Russian language. As it turned out later, the scientist moved to Moscow, including in order to participate in the creation of a huge volume.

Very quickly Ozhegov became an assistant and right hand project manager - Dmitry Nikolaevich Ushakov. In addition to the fact that the writers were colleagues, they also became good friends.

The result of enormous work was four volumes of an explanatory dictionary. More than thirty percent of the articles from the total mass belong to Sergei Ivanovich. Later, he himself headed the project.

Main work

All his life Ozhegov worked to improve the explanatory dictionary. During his life, the scientist published six publications.

In this difficult task, he was actively helped by his student, later Dr. Natalya Yulievna Shvedova, who continued work on the dictionary after the scientist’s death in 1964.

Conclusion

Ozhegov Sergey Ivanovich - one of the most outstanding personalities twentieth century, whose name will forever go down in history.

You can always pay tribute to a great linguist, just picked it up huge volume, which is in almost every family, and appreciate the titanic work that Sergei Ivanovich gave to his descendants.

In 1900, Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov was born - an outstanding Russian linguist, lexicographer and lexicologist, literary language historian, professor, author of the world famous “Dictionary of the Russian Language”.

The first edition of the “Dictionary of the Russian Language” by S.I. Ozhegova was published in 1949. From that time to 1991, the Ozhegov dictionary went through 23 editions, with a total circulation of over 7 million copies. It has truly become a reference book for “correct Russian speech” for everyone who cherishes and urgently needs the Russian language. Teachers, journalists, writers, actors and directors, radio and television announcers, students and schoolchildren turn to him. Scientific reliability and high information content combined with compactness are the main advantages that determined the extraordinary durability of this book, which has long outlived its creator and compiler.

Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov was a born and tireless lexicographer who had a special taste for this painstaking, labor-intensive and very difficult work. He was endowed with a special gift for a dictionary, possessing a subtle sense of words. Possessing a phenomenal memory, he knew many everyday, historical, regional and even purely special realities behind the vocabulary of the Russian language. He remembered many facts from the history of science and technology, folk arts and crafts, military life, from urban and rural folklore, from the texts of classics and modern authors. According to the recollections of contemporaries, the very appearance of this charming man, an interesting interlocutor, a witty storyteller, an attentive and interested listener, was unforgettable.

The history of the creation of the “Dictionary of the Russian Language” by S.I. Ozhegova began long before the publication of the first edition. It was preceded by Ozhegov’s work as a member of the editorial board of the famous four-volume Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language. The dictionary, edited by Professor Dmitry Nikolaevich Ushakov (“Ushakovsky Dictionary”), was published in 1935-1940 and, embodying the best traditions of Russian lexicographic science, was the first explanatory dictionary of the Soviet era. Such luminaries of Russian science as V.V. Vinogradov, G.O. Vinokur, B.A. Larin, B.V. Tomashevsky took part in its compilation. Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov was one of the most active associates of D.N. Ushakova: out of a total dictionary volume of 435 printed sheets he trained more than 150.

In the process of working on the Ushakov Dictionary, Ozhegov came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a short explanatory dictionary for the widest use. At the very end of the 30s, an initiative group arose to create the “Small Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language”, and in June 1940 an editorial board was formed, which included D. N. Ushakov (editor-in-chief), S. I. Ozhegov (deputy). editor-in-chief), G. O. Vinokur and N. L. Meshcheryakov. Drawing up a plan for the publication, determining the volume and structure of the dictionary were entrusted to Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov.

The period of active work on the “Dictionary of the Russian Language” occurred at the height of the Great Patriotic War. In 1942, D.N. died during evacuation in Tashkent. Ushakov, N.L. passed away in the same year. Meshcheryakov. Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov, remaining in Moscow, worked on a dictionary: “The room is clean and cold. No smoking, I'm getting used to it. In mid-December, the sewage system broke down. Then, successively, the water supply system failed, then the electricity began to go out and the heating pipes burst...” However, all these hardships of everyday life faded into the background; the main thing was work, rapturous “immersion in the dictionary.”

The first edition of the “Dictionary of the Russian Language”, compiled by S. I. Ozhegov (with the participation of G. O. Vinokur and V. A. Petrosyan), under the general editorship of Academician. S.P. Obnorsky was published four years after the end of the war. While working on the creation of a one-volume dictionary, Ozhegov pursued certain goals. Within the framework of one volume, it was necessary to reflect with sufficient completeness the main composition of the vocabulary of the modern Russian language; include the most important neologisms in it, develop a compact structure of the dictionary entry and principles for the economical presentation of illustrative material. It was also necessary to take into account new scientific achievements in the field of lexicology, lexicography, spelling, grammar and stylistics. Therefore, Ozhegov’s dictionary was by no means an “abbreviated Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language,” brief Ushakov“, as Ozhegov’s ill-wishers often said later.

The popularity of Ozhegov’s dictionary began to grow rapidly immediately after its publication. The Dictionary of the Russian Language went through six lifetime editions. The first and last lifetime editions are, in essence, completely different books. Behind them stand not only the achievements of linguistic science and lexicographic practice, but also years of truly titanic work by the compiler. From edition to edition, Ozhegov revised his dictionary, trying to improve it as a universal guide to speech culture.

The Dictionary of the Russian Language has been reprinted several times in foreign countries. A reprint edition was published in China in 1952, followed shortly by an edition in Japan. It has become a reference book for many thousands of people in all corners globe studying Russian. The latest tribute to his gratitude was the “New Russian-Chinese Dictionary”, published in Beijing in 1992. Its author, Li Sha (Russian by birth), made an unusual book: she meticulously, word for word, translated into Chinese the entire “Dictionary of the Russian Language” by S. I. Ozhegov.

Before last days Throughout his life, the scientist worked tirelessly to improve his brainchild. In March 1964, already seriously ill, he prepared an official appeal to the publishing house " Soviet encyclopedia", in which he wrote: “In 1964, a new, stereotypical edition of my one-volume “Dictionary of the Russian Language” was published... I find it inappropriate to further publish the Dictionary in a stereotypical way. I consider it necessary to prepare a new, revised edition. I propose to make a number of improvements to the Dictionary, include new vocabulary included in last years into the Russian language, expand phraseology, revise the definitions of words that have received new shades of meaning, strengthen the normative side of the Dictionary.” Sergei Ivanovich did not have time to implement this plan: on December 15, 1964, he passed away.

In 1968 and 1970, the 7th and 8th stereotypical editions of Ozhegov’s Dictionary were published, and starting from the 9th edition (1972), it was published under the editorship of N.Yu. Shvedova. Today the famous dictionary is published under two names - Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov and Natalya Yulievna Shvedova. It is called “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language” (the latest edition, corrected and expanded, was published in 1997).

Natalya Yulievna Shvedova was an editor-lexicographer during Sergei Ivanovich’s life, and after his death she continued to work on the dictionary. Over the years of many years of work, N. Yu. Shvedova increased the number of dictionary entries from 50 to 70 thousand. In 1990, the dictionary was awarded the prestigious academic prize named after A. S. Pushkin. There were two laureates - S.I. Ozhegov (posthumously) and N.Yu. Shvedova. In 1992, at a special meeting of the academic council of the Institute of Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences, it was decided to again place the stamp of the Academy of Sciences on the title of the dictionary. This academic “quality mark” emphasized the scientific value of the publication. At the same time, on the recommendation of the Scientific Council on Lexicology and Lexicography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, it was decided to officially consider the publication a dictionary of two authors - Ozhegov and Shvedova.

Unfortunately, the copyright of the heirs of S.I. Ozhegova was not observed with all these modifications and renamings. This provoked long history debate between the scientist's heirs and the publishing house. As a result, the publication of the Ozhegov-Shvedova dictionary was suspended until completion. trial; it was also decided to conduct an independent linguistic examination of the text of this dictionary. And finally, on the initiative of the heirs, an alternative edition of S.I.’s dictionary was released. Ozhegov, edited by the vice-rector of the Literary Institute L.I. Skvortsova. Although the publication bears a two-digit serial number, it, as stated in the preface, represents a “return to the original source” and reproduces the last lifetime edition of the dictionary with minimal opportunistic editing. Both publications have their supporters and opponents. According to L.I. Skvortsov, the new century should apparently be marked by the appearance of a new one-volume dictionary reflecting the “linguistic spirit new era, new - external and internal - state of the people, native speakers."

As for the one-volume “Dictionary of the Russian Language” by Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov, there is no doubt that this book will forever remain a reliable keeper of the language of the Soviet era, a source for many interesting studies.

The creator of the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language”, was born on September 23, 1900 in the Tver province, in the village of Kamenoye, Novotorzhsky district.

A short biography of Ozhegov for children primarily tells about the family in which the future creator of the Russian Dictionary was born and raised. Sergei's father, Ozhegov Ivan Ivanovich, worked at a local cardboard and paper factory as a process engineer. Mother, Alexandra Fedorovna, worked as a weaver and was the great-niece of the famous teacher and philologist, professor at St. Petersburg University Gerasim Petrovich Pavsky, whose “Philological Observations on the Composition of the Russian Language” was published twice during the author’s lifetime and awarded the Demidov Prize. Perhaps Ozhegov’s fate was predetermined by knowledge of such a famous relative, the pride of being related to him, and the desire to continue the work of a man who understood the structure of language more widely than his talented contemporaries.

Ozhegov: biography for children

In his youth, Sergei Ozhegov was fond of football, which was just gaining popularity, and was a member of sports section, had high growth, good tempering and attractive appearance. After moving with his family to Petrograd before the outbreak of the First World War and graduating from high school, he became a student at Petrograd University in 1918, making a conscious, definite choice towards philology. Moreover, in those terrible and hungry years, one had to have great courage to devote one’s future to scientific activity.

First steps in the scientific field

Soon the classes that began were interrupted because Sergei was called to the front. Thus, fate presented him with a real manly test, which he withstood with dignity, participating in battles on the territory of Russia and Ukraine. At the end military service, in 1922, Sergei Ozhegov immediately began studying at the university at the faculty of linguistics and material culture. Ozhegov’s biography is short if we consider it from the point of view of the activities of Sergei Ivanovich, because he devoted his entire life to the study and promotion of the Russian word. All these years he has been intensively studying the history of his native literature, listening to lectures by Sergei Petrovich Obnorsky, a Russian linguist and Russian specialist, studying at the Leningrad Institute of the History of Literatures and Languages ​​of the West and East, and participating in the seminar of Nikolai Yakovlevich Marr, a Russian orientalist. Creative development The scientist was encouraged by the scientific atmosphere that reigned in Leningrad in the 20s. Colleagues and senior colleagues taught there - V.V. Vinogradov, B.A. Larin, L.P. Yakubinsky, B.V. Tomashevsky. The first steps in science of a young and talented scientist were supported by experienced academic professors who signed Ozhegov’s application to graduate school, where he entered in 1926.

The Russian word is the work of a lifetime

Since the end of 1920, Sergei Ozhegov, whose biography is familiar to all admirers of his work, which made a huge contribution to Russian literature, worked on the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language” - a large project that was later called the Ushakov Dictionary. It was an exceptionally fruitful time for the talented philologist, who was in love with dictionary work, which eminent colleagues helped him to conduct.

Ozhegov’s biography describes his close friendship with Dmitry Ushakov - the legendary Russian scientist, original artist, exceptional teacher, lover and collector of folk antiquities, courageous wise man. The idea of ​​publishing the first explanatory dictionary of the Soviet period, in which there was no “Sovietness,” was subject to enormous criticism for evasion of the tasks of the time and the philistinism present, and the unfolding campaign of 1935, in which all kinds of methods were used, had as its goal the expulsion of competent and established scientists.

Work in the capital of Russian cities

Ozhegov’s biography is closely connected with the capital of Russian cities - Moscow, where he moved in 1936, very soon entered the pace of Moscow life and began teaching in higher education. educational institutions. He was fascinated not only theoretical courses, but also language fiction with its pronunciation standards. Ozhegov merged with Moscow, but even years later he loved to visit the city of his youth and stay with his trusted friend, the talented Leningrad philologist Boris Aleksandrovich Larin. All this time great place Sergei's life was occupied by his friendship with the brilliant Dmitry Ushakov, who was now nearby.

The fate of two younger brothers Sergei. The youngest, Evgeniy, died of tuberculosis before the war, and the middle brother, Boris, died of hunger in besieged Leningrad.

War years

Ozhegov finished work on the dictionary before the war; in 1940, the 4th (last) volume of what became key event V scientific field. Ozhegov, who accomplished such grandiose project, was already living with new ideas, one of which was the compilation of a one-volume explanatory dictionary. But implementation of this project pushed back by years. The reason for this was the start of the war.

Ozhegov did not evacuate with the scientific teams sent to Siberia and other Russian hinterlands. He remained in Moscow, where he continued to do what he loved, while at the same time being on night patrols, trying to help in some way hometown in such difficult times. During this period, Sergei Ozhegov developed a course of Russian paleography, which was taught to students pedagogical institute. Organization of language scientific society, who studied the wartime language, a task to which Ozhegov devoted himself during the war years. An interesting thing to remember from the biography is this: Russian philologist all war time tried to help and helped many of his colleagues return to Moscow from evacuation; The only one who did not return to the city was Dmitry Ushakov, who could not bear the climate of Uzbekistan. His heart stopped on April 17, 1942, and the cause of death was asthma.

Personal character traits of Ozhegov

In 1947, Ozhegov enthusiastically took up his new brainchild - “The Dictionary of the Russian Language”, the first edition of which was published in 1949 and immediately attracted the attention of critics, readers and scientists. Ozhegov’s biography includes 8 reprints of the Dictionary during the scientist’s lifetime, and Sergei Ivanovich carefully reviewed each of them for errors and omissions. And today the “brainchild” of the famous Russian philologist is popular and is a kind of lexicographic standard. Ozhegov’s biography tells of this great philologist as a responsive person and always ready to help, be it any person who turned to him for clarification of a particular word, or a young aspiring specialist inspired by the ideas of Sergei Ivanovich.

Well-deserved praise and highly appreciated Sergei Ozhegov received for such painstaking and responsible work. Interesting Facts biographies say that the author of the Russian dictionary was awarded very impartial criticism, published by a certain N. Rodionov in the newspaper “Culture and Life”. The review was called “About one unsuccessful dictionary”, and its content corresponded to the title. Ozhegov could not tolerate such an unfair article and wrote a response to the editor-in-chief of this publication with a copy to the Pravda newspaper, presenting the would-be reviewer with a tough argument based solely on philological principles. And he defended his point of view.

Promoting his native language is Ozhegov’s life’s work

The 40s were one of the most fruitful years for Ozhegov. He worked very hard, the projects conceived at that time were successfully implemented ten years later. One of them is the Center for the Study of Speech Culture, which Ozhegov led until the end of his days. One of his key areas was the study of native speech and its propaganda. Together with his employees, Sergei Ivanovich performed on the radio, advised announcers and theater workers; the notes of the famous philologist often appeared in print, and the author himself constantly took part in literary evenings at the House of Scientists and invited such writers as K. I. Chukovsky, F. V. Gladkov, Lev Uspensky to collaborate. At the same time, under his editorship, dictionaries of pronunciation norms began to be published, which became popular and were studied even in foreign countries.

In the 1950s, the popular science series “Issues of Speech Culture” appeared in the system of the Russian Language Institute - a periodical publication inspired and organized by S. I. Ozhegov.

Biography of Ozhegov, brief and informative

Sergey Ivanovich, conducting extensive teaching activities and being a specialist high level, was not an armchair scientist and responded with alacrity to the changes taking place in the language that were included in the vocabulary of the average person. He was condescending towards the “verbal mischief” of young people, listened to their jargon, always respected talented beginning researchers, provided them with all kinds of help and moral support, which attracted people to him. Sergei Ivanovich knew how to discern individuality and personality in a person, so the young generation that rallied around him (which Chukovsky called a “mighty handful”) opened up during Sergei Ozhegov’s lifetime, proving and showing commitment to his ideas and plans.

The last years of Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov’s life were marked by a hostile attitude on the part of some “bright minds” and proud attacks in his direction. Colleagues who were especially successful in the field of weaving intrigues called him a “non-scientist,” kept silent about his enormous contribution to science, and tried in every possible way to humiliate him. But this did not stop Sergei Ivanovich; Most importantly, he was honest with himself.

Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov passed away on December 15, 1964. The scientist was buried in the wall of the Novodevichy necropolis, despite his desire to rest in the Vagankovsky cemetery.