Alexander Pushkin’s bicentennial birthday was celebrated on June 6, 1999. In honor of the great Russian poet many commemorative events were held.
Pushkin’s Anniversary in Crimea
Pushkin’s bicentennial was also celebrated in the Ukrainian Republic of Crimea. A monument was erected in Bakhchisarai and Kerch in his honor. These two towns are closely related to his life and works. In one of his writings Pushkin had expressed that the tour to Crimea was the happiest moment of his life. He dedicated a poem, The Fountain of Bakhchiarai to the city of Crimea.
Pushkin, the First Poet of Russia
In one of his poems, Pushkin prophesized that through his works he would earn fame and immortality. This forecast has been confirmed by a public opinion poll conducted by the ‘Mnenie’ opinion service. When the sample was inquired about Russia’s first poet, 75.6 percent of them responded in favor of Pushkin. The poll also throws light on the fact that almost every home in Russia keeps collections or separate editions of Pushkin’s works.
The Pushkin Theatre Festival in Pskov
Pskov is situated in the northwest of Russia. Pushkin spent most of his years on a family estate Mikhailouskoye, which was near Pskov. After his death he was buried at Mikhailouskoye, just next to his mother’s grave. In 1999 as part of the entertainment, music and drama companies were called from eight Russian cities. In addition, theatrical conference was held to study the Pushkin tradition and Russian culture. The conference was attended by prominent Russian and foreign Pushkinists which included the Director of a French Center of Art, Research and Culture, Fernan Garnier and Professor Woy Dutrich Kail, President of the German Pushkin Society.
The Soros Foundation International Project "The Pushkin Library"
The Open Society Institute of the Soros Foundation had undertaken "The Pushkin Library" project. As a consequence of this, various editions of Pushkin’s work would be distributed in more than 500 libraries of 17 countries.
The Franco-Russian Production "A Duet with Pushkin"
A Duet with Pushkin, which is a Franco-Russian play, was premiered in France and Russia. The play was produced by the Russian producer Nika Kosenkova. The young French actor Philip Saint Pierre starred as Pushkin in the stage production. The play was staged at Grenoble and Moscow. The stage production was intended to be a selection of his different works. The production also entails letter written by Pushkin to his wife Natalie and Anne Kern who was his friend.
A Competition for the Best Translations of Pushkin’s Lyrical Verse in Lithuania
The Baltic Republic of Lithuania had declared a competition for translating Pushkin’s lyrical verse in Lithuanian language. Major part of Pushkin’s work in Lithuanian is now available. But some poems still have to be translated. These remaining works are supposed to be translated by the contestants.
The Women in Pushkin’s Life
I loved you; and perhaps I love you still,
The flame, perhaps, is not extinguished; yet.
It burns so quietly within my soul,
No longer should you feel distressed by it.
Silently and hopelessly I loved you,
At times too jealous and at times too shy.
God grant you find another one who will love you.
As tenderly and truthfully.
Birth
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was born in Moscow on May 26, 1799. His father, Sergeevich belonged to an old noble family, which had lost most of its wealth and influence. Pushkin’s mother, Nadezhda Osipovna was the granddaughter of Abram Petrovich Gannibal. Abram was an African slave who was the godson and a favorite of Peter the Great, the ruler of Russia then. Alexander was the second child of Sergey and Nadezhda. He was preceded by sister Olga. After his birth two more children Nikolay (born 1801 – died 1807) and Lev (1805), were born to the couple.
Nikita Kozlov was his childhood friend who played an important part in every walk of his life. It was Nikita who taught him to read and write Russian, it was Nikita who remained with him throughout his life, and it was Kozlov who accompanied Pushkin's coffin to the graveyard. Kozlov was a serf, a literate one, unlike others. Actually, Alexander and Olga were mainly raised by serfs and governesses from very beginning, as their parents were normally kept busy with social life.
Education
Alexander was tutored by many French teachers during his childhood. From his early childhood days, his father encouraged him to read French and Latin extensively. As per his brother Lev, "Pushkin had a prodigious memory and at the age of eleven he knew the whole of French literature by heart." Somehow, he got access to his father's secret bookcase, containing popular pornographic and erotic literature of those days.
Other people who left an ineradicable impression on his mind were his grandmother Maria Hannibal and her serf, who later became Pushkin's, Arina Rodionovna. The stories they told him in his young days always remained as a part of his memory. It was his mother, who showed her dislike towards him openly for the strange reason that his face resembled too much with her father, whom she hated. Alexander found happy escape from this almost hostile atmosphere at home to his grandmother's place, Zakharovo, in summer. He was very much attached to the place and always mentioned it as 'my Zakharovo', the land of his freedom and happiness. He used to enjoy the peasant activities and the peasant stories in the village. And it was here that he met the first love of his life, Sofia Sushkov. She was a year younger to him and was his classmate at the dancing school. Perhaps, the feelings were on his part only, and he admired her throughout their adolescence.
His parents often hosted soirees and the children were permitted to attend them. Sometimes he would hide behind an armchair in his father's library when some prominent guests were invited. At one of their evening parties, Alexander happened to meet the leading literary figures of those times – Karamzin, who was a historian, and Zhukovsky and Batyushkov, the poets.
At Lycee
At the age of 11, his parents decided to put him into Jesuit boarding school. But then they decided upon Lycee (the secondary school mainly teaching French), which was recently founded by Alexander I at Tsarkoe Selo near St Petersburg and he entered the Lycee. The Lycee was a government funded school, founded for children hailing from the noble families. He attended the Lycee from 1811 to 1817. There he was provided with the best education that was available during those days.
Alexander established lifelong friendships with many children at the Lycee, the one especially with Ivan Puschin and Anton Delvig. He came to be known among the boarders as 'the Frenchman', for his extraordinary command over French. He earned other two nicknames too, 'monkey' for his agility to jump over the chairs and tables, and 'a cross between a monkey and a tiger', a phrase popularly used in those days for Frenchman. His acute observations and biting remarks made him rather an unpopular student among his teachers and fellow students.
Young Alexander was not different from any normal, intelligent child. He was tempted to experiment and experience the forbidden. In 1814, Pushkin, Pushchin and another friend decided to taste a special punch called 'gogel-mogel', made of rum, eggs and sugar. They were caught when the three friends were relishing over the drink. The matter was taken very seriously and the Minister of Education was also informed of the incident and indescipline.Those three so-called outlaws were punished severely. They had to kneel at the prayer for two weeks, they would get the last places in dining hall, and worst of all, their names were entered into the 'black book'. Once a student's name is entered into the dreaded 'black book', he might be deprived of his graduation certificate. Alexander was least affected with the aftermath of their experiment, later he also wrote a poem called The Feasting Students, in remembrance of the incident. He wrote in Recollection, 'every year in my leisure hours I shall celebrate at my table...this sweet conspiracy of Bacchus.'
Later on the rules and regulations at Lycee were softened as the new headmaster Yegor Engelhardt found it unnecessary for the students to take official permission to go out. He also mingled with the students well and sometimes organized parties and theatrical shows at his home for them. Yegor Engelhardt played a significant role in his difficult times. It was Engelhardt who saved Alexander when he was not allowed to appear for final examination as his name was entered in the 'black book'. It was Engelhardt, again, who interceded with Alexander-I, when Pushkin was threatened with exile to Siberia.
Year 1815 saw the appearance of Alexander's first poem, Recollections at Tsarskoye Selo. It was his teacher Galich who encouraged him to write a poem for lower school final examination. Alexander recited the poem in the presence of many scholars and officials, as well as poet Derzhavin, whom he held in high regards and from whose writings he was inspired.
Pushkin started writing poetry when he was still at the Lycee and at the tender age of eight, wrote a six-canto parody of Voltaire’s epic Henriade. His early verses were quite impressive. They were about his friends and the revolutionary intentions that were common among the young Russians, who belonged to the upper class of 1818.
The Prime Years
A few years after the victory of Russia over Napoleon, Tsar Alexander’s popularity was on the decline. At that time his parents were not in a good financial position. In addition they did not show any inclination in furthering his future prospects. He went to the theatre quite often and also met the ladies of the Petersburg demi-monde. Those days witnessed a Pushkin who belonged to a class of dashing and dissolute young men. These young men would often participate in duels. Alexander’s friends included liberals who were involved in hatching conspiracies against the government, which led to the Decembrist rebellion in St Petersburg, in 1825. After the insurrection some conspirators were executed, while others were exiled for life in Siberia. Pushkin’s absence at St Petersburg during the rebellion saved him from being executed or exiled. He was not informed about the clandestine plans of his friends. In fact they never trusted him with any secret information. Pushkin and his friends belonged to a revolutionary society called the ‘Green Lamp’. But his friends were clearly aware of the fact that he did not have any political inclinations. They admired his revolutionary writings as they reflected the spirit of the revolution, but they felt that he was not serious enough to shoulder the responsibilities of a conspirator.
During those days Pushkin gambled a lot. His friends and his gambling formed the backdrop of one of his most exciting and melodramatic tales, Pikovaya Dama and The Queen of Spades which he later wrote. He started his career as a narrator by writing a glamorous fairy-tale Ruslan and Lyudmila, in verse. The poem starts with the green oak tree by the seashore, it leaned a lot on its golden chain, the 30 knights taking lessons from their ‘sea-tutor’ in underwater adventures. These were the Russian folktales, which Pushkin had heard from his nurse in childhood. In his poems, Pushkin has dedicated a very affectionate and famous lyric to her. In his recollection of the stories, he blended a lively unselfconscious charm along with a unique innocence. This was instrumental in placing him at the highest pedestal in the realm of Russian literature.
Apart from lyrics and folktales in verse Pushkin also wrote epigrams and verses displaying political inclination. His political poems favored liberty and were against the atrocities of the Tsar’s evil advisers. When these poems were brought to the attention of Alexander I, he pronounced to exile the talented but misguided poet. He was sent to serve a term in South Russia, on the ‘board of Protection of Foreign Colonists’. But lady luck favored him. In South Russia, he encountered some old and resourceful friends, the Raevskys. The Raevskys took care of him during this phase of life. He migrated with them to the Caucasus where he obtained the raw material for his Oriental tales, which were inspired by Byron’s writings. While living with the Raevskys he fell in love with their youthful daughter. He dedicated a verse of Eugene Onegin at her petite feet.
Amalia
He was friendly with Amalia Riznich too, who was the young wife of a Dalmatian merchant. She was also his mistress and through this relationship he learnt of the extremes which jealousy can reach. Traces of his reflections on jealousy are perceptible in his first serious and long poem, The Gypsies. He has addressed two beautiful love lyrics to the memory of Amalia, who returned to her native land with her husband where she died of consumption.
In The Whirlpool
By nature Pushkin was loyal, affectionate, childish and impulsive. Often he landed in trouble due to these qualities. In South Russia, he met Count Vorontsov, the viceroy of the Caucasus and a sophisticated Anglophile. He loved propriety and power. The viceroy resented Alexander’s honest and cheerful friendship with everyone. Vorontsov sent a few reports to the authorities, which were against Pushkin. The authorities also came across a letter in which Pushkin had lightly stated that he was ‘taking lessons in atheism’. The authorities expelled him to his estate at Mikhailovskoye, which was quite near to Petersburg. At the estate, he wrote and read with his old nurse. He carried on writing Eugene Onegin and started writing the historical play Boris Godunov.
When the Decembrist revolution failed, Pushkin was summoned to Moscow by the new Tsar, Nicholas I. He arrived in Moscow and was prepared for the worst. But the new Tsar welcomed him because he felt that Pushkin would be of much value to the regime. The Tsar pampered the poet and succeeded in making him a loyal supporter of the court. The Tsar lured him by his generosity and patronage. The Tsar was partial to the extent that he offered him an opportunity to work in the historical archives, and on an educational reforms project.
Natalie w
Thus, Pushkin was involved with the centre of power of imperial Russia. He was also impressed by Peter the Great. In one of his poems he has compared the reign of Tsar Nicholas with that of Peter the Great. (I hope of all the good and glory, I look ahead devoid of fear.)
His friends who were occupied with the revolution disapproved and resented Pushkin’s favors to the nobility. No one ever knew that Pushkin would meet his death one day, because of his association with the Tsar. He visited the Caucasus with his brother Lev who worked in the army. There he renewed his courtship with Natalie Gencharov. Natalie was a 17-year-old girl, renowned for her beauty. She had rejected Pushkin’s proposal six months ago. She belonged to the same socio-economic strata, of Pushkin’s. But Natalie and her mother were waiting to seek an alliance from the imperial court. After courting her for two years, Pushkin finally won the object of his affection. Natalie accepted his proposal. After their marriage she became dependent on him. She gave birth to four children : Maria in 1832, Alexander in 1833, Grigory in 1835, and Natalya in 1836.
anted to be a good wife, but also wanted to enjoy the glamorous life of the high society. On seeing her, the Tsar was enthralled by her beauty. He insisted that Pushkin take the position of a page at his court. Considering Pushkin’s age and status, the position he was offered by the Tsar was irresistible. The Tsar calculated that if Pushkin worked with the court then his beautiful wife could be invited to the balls held at the palace.
Marital Life
His marital life was heading towards utter chaos and disharmony. Pushkin was volatile and easily offended by the coquettish mannerisms of his wife. But he intended to have a happy family and see his children grow up, while he was aging. Natalie’s worldliness and flirtatious behavior, which increased with the passage of time, often infuriated Pushkin. His sole consolation was the fact that as Natalie grew older her fondness and dependence on him had increased considerably.
Pushkin wanted to concentrate on his writings, but was overburdened with the responsibilities of family (especially the extravagant life led by his wife), business losses and the debt incurred by his brother. Those gloomy days had a ray of hope in the form of permission to launch and edit a new journal – The Contemporary (Sovremennik). Pushkin was confident that his journal would be a success. He harbored the intention of eclipsing the other Russian journals. In addition he also hoped that the success of the journal would help off his dire financial straits.
Failed Venture
The readers felt that the journal (The Contemporary) was not keeping pace with the changing times so it did not fetch him much success. Pushkin had to bear some loss. So, instead of clearing his debts, the journal became one more of his botherations that he was saddled with.
Rival Arrived
Baron D’ Anthes, a young French royalist émigré was admitted to the Tsar’s Chevalier Guard in 1834. The Dutch ambassador who had adopted him as a son used his powerful influence to admit him to the Chevalier Guard. Natalie and D’ Anthes moved in the same social circle. By the time the officer met her, she was the uncrowned queen of the upper social class. Impressed by her beauty, he started courting her. Natalie did not fall in love with him but was flattered by the attention he lavished on her and also enjoyed his company. It seemed as if she was already in love with the social world of glamour and royalty. Natalie was candid with her husband about the affair she had with D’ Anthes. This aggravated his irritations and vexations.
Pushkin wanted to have a beautiful wife and a family. But he was not illusioned about his marriage with Natalie. In a letter to a friend he quoted the last sentence of Chateaubriand’s Rene, It n’est de bonheur que dans les voies communes, (Trials and tribulations will not astonish me. They are included in my family budget. Any joy will be something I did not expect).
The Rivalry
Pushkin’s financial condition further aggravated when two elder sisters of Natalie joined the Pushkin household. They had come to the capital to find a suitable match for themselves. D’ Anthes reciprocated to Ekaterina Goncharov who fell in love with him. D’ Anthes used his affair with Ekaterina as a pretext to visit the Pushkin household. Thus he was able to meet Natalie more frequently. At that time Pushkin was sent an anonymous note telling him of his election to ‘The Serene Order of Cuckolds’. The note hinted that Natalie was the Tsar’s mistress. But this was far from the truth that Pushkin was seriously upset on receiving the note. He doubted that the Dutch Ambassador had dispatched him the note and so he challenged him to a duel. The Ambassador denied all the charges made by Pushkin. Meanwhile, d’ Anthes and Ekaterina were betrothed. After some time they were married. Thus the question of the duel did not arise at all.
Natalie had a soft corner for D’ Anthes. She was upset when Ekaterina and D’ Anthes got married. So she returned to her husband to seek relief from her discomfort. The Countess Fiquelmont in her diary has written that Natalie wanted to disclose to Pushkin that D’ Anthes still loved and admired her. Pushkin consoled and advised Natalie to behave in a dignified manner. Pushkin felt that after his marriage, D’ Anthes’ flirtations and advances towards Natalie would cease. But destiny had decided otherwise. D’ Anthes pursued her unabashedly in
public.
Fatal Blow
Pushkin’s ability to tolerate such a situation had reached its saturation point, especially as he had become a laughing stock in the society. He wrote an insulting note to the Dutch Ambassador and expected that the latter challenge him to a duel. Pushkin felt that if he was not killed in the duel, at least he would be exited to his estate. This would end such an embarrassing situation. The next day the duel was fought in a quiet suburb. D’ Anthes fired first and Pushkin was mortally wounded, but managed to fire and wound his opponent slightly. Pushkin died after two days and was buried at the monastery near Mikhailovskoye. A crowd comprising people from all classes of society attended the funeral.
When Pushkin was on his deathbed, the Tsar wrote to him, advising him to die as a Christian. He further promised to take care of the family after his death. The Tsar paid off his debts and gave his widow a pension. After some time Natalie married an officer who belonged to the same socio-economic strata.
D’ Anthes, after being expelled from Russia, returned to France where he embarked upon his political career. He died in 1895.
ALEXANDER PUSHKIN
Ink flowed from his pen and metamorphosed into impressive works of art. The Moscow born poet, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is considered to be the greatest poet of Russia. In 1817 he joined the government service but unfortunately, was exiled and sent to South Russia. His works entail lyrical poems, novels, tales and essays. The romantic poem Ruslan and Lyudmila (1820) was his first success, followed by Evgeny Onegin (1828), which is a novel in verse.
Throughout his life, he had affairs with different women. He fell in love with Natalie Goncharov and proposed her. She accepted the proposal and after two years of courtship, they got married. The unhappy marriage came to an abrupt end in 1837 when he was mortally wounded in a duel, fighting for his wife’s honor at the age of 37. Thus ended the life of a great poet but the saga continues.
May 26, 1799
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was born in Moscow to Sergey L’vovich and Nadeyhda Osipovna.
1805
Alexander was educated by his French tutors.
1811
Entered the Lycee founded by Alexander I at Tsarskoe Sela, near St Petersburg, for children of the noble class.
1814
Pushkin’s poem appeared in Messenger of Europe which was the most influential magazine of his time.
1815
Elected to the Literary Arzamas Society.
1817-19
Founded ‘The Society of the Green Lamp’. (a literary club).
Composed poems that criticized the autocratic government. These poems attracted the attention of the police.
1820
Owing to his rebellious writings the Tsar exiled Pushkin to Ekaterina to serve on the Board for Protection of Foreign Colonists.
1821
Wrote To Oviel and The Dagger. Finished The Prisoner of the Carecus and started writing The Robber Brothers and The Gabrieliad.
Defamed himself in Kishinev by engaging in wild behavior and duels.
1822
Wrote Tsar Nikita and His Forty Daughters and The Fountain of Bakhchisaray.
1823
Started writing his masterpiece Eugene Onegin.
Transferred to Odessa.
1824
He was dismissed from the government service because he wrote a letter in which he criticized religion.
1825
Pushkin escaped from direct involvement in the Decembrist uprising because of his absence from St Petersburg.
1826
Two friends of Pushkin, Pavel Pestel and Ryleev were executed in the Decembrist uprising. Some others among them were exiled.
The daughter of the Mikhailonskoye estate steward gave birth to Pushkin’s illegitimate son.
Was summoned to Moscow to appear before Nicholas I.
Released from exile.
The Tsar censored a few of his writings.
1828
Pushkin returned to Moscow.
1829
First encountered the 16-year-old beauty Natalie Goncharov, whom he resolved to marry.
His first proposal to Natalie was rejected.
Spent four months travelling in the Caucasus accompanied by his brother Lev.
1830
The proposal was accepted by Natalie and her family.
1831
Married Natalie Goncharov on February 18.
Mortgaged his estate to pay for the wedding expenses.
Left Moscow to live at Tsarkoe Selo.
Pushkin was employed in the imperial archives by the Tsar.
1832
Maria, the first child of Pushkin and Natalie was born.
Visited Moscow to sort out his financial condition.
1833
Their second child, Alexander was born.
1834
The Tsar permitted Pushkin to publish the History of Pugachev and granted him a loan of 20,000 roubles.
Appointed a Junior Gentleman of the Chamber.
Natalie’s sisters came to live with them.
1835
Their 3rd child Grigory was born.
Was permitted to start his own journal The Contemporary.
Baron Georges Charles D’ Anthes courted Natalie.
1836
The affair of D’ Anthes and Natalie became the subject of gossip.
Pushkin’s mother died.
Their fourth child Natalya was born.
Challenged D’ Anthes to a duel.
The fight was postponed when he received news of D’ Anthes engagement to Natalie’s sister Ekaterina.
1837
On January 27, a duel finally took place between Pushkin and D’ Anthes.
After being mortally wounded, Pushkin died two days later.
Buried at Mikhailovskoye.
Pushkin was the germinal phase of literature in Russia. He was a very original and a versatile writer. To an extent he was inspired and fascinated by Mozart. Traces of his music like variety, gaiety and depth can be found in Pushkin’s writings.
Pushkin has written many poems, novels, and essays. In one of his tragedies, he has portrayed the stark contrast between Mozart’s nature and the nature of Salieri who was talented and dedicated but uninspired. In this tragedy Pushkin had suggested that genius dwells in a simple, natural and unpretentious person. Keats had remarked about Shakespeare – that he was very egoistic and had ‘negative’ capability. Even Pushkin possessed this negative capability which contributed to his literary genius.
Pushkin was equally comfortable at creating prose as well as verse. He had learnt a lot from the writings of Shakespeare. He loved to adapt work of a mediocre quality and to transform it into a unique work of art. John Wilson, an English author and journalist had written an unsavory romantic play in 1816. Inspired by this play he penned down a work of art. Pushkin wasn’t well versed with the English language, but had read the French version of the play. The poet filtered the original writing and wrote a touching dramatic poem. The characteristics and methods of the Romantic age are perceptible in Pushkin’s writings, which chiefly include tales and sketches. His writings comprised a wide range of emotional stories of young women to the serious historical novels of Sir Walter Scott.
Later, he started writing prose where he has experimented with fiction and narrative form of writing. He tried to develop different styles of writing. Till that time no one had attempted to experiment with the different styles of writing. In fact, Russia did not have essayists whose standards met those of the English essayists, like Steele, Addison, Dr Johnson. The English essayists had formed a foundation for generation of writers to follow from Scott and Jane Austen to Macaulay. Pushkin’s writing style was inspired by the 18th century French writers and he, in fact identified himself with those writers. At the age of 23, in 1822, he wrote an incomplete essay on Prose. In the essay he has remarked, "Voltaire may be regarded as an excellent example of prose style," and "Precision and tidiness are the prime methods of prose… poetry is another matter. Whose prose is the best in our literature ? Karamzin’s. This is no great praise."
Pushkin greatly revered Karamzin for his writings and in his short life span, contributed a lot to Russian historical writings. His historical writings include the Pugachev rebellion, the Cossack leader who was the contemporary of Catherine the Great, and a volume on her predecessor, Peter the Great. Pushkin’s drama, Boris Godunov throws light on the fact that he was always fascinated by Russian history. Pushkin was specifically interested in the political career of the Tsar who was the founder of modern Russia and the Cossack rebel who tried to topple the regime. The character of the Cossack rebel inspired Pushkin to write the historical novel The Captain’s Daughter. In The Blackmoor of Peter the Great, which is an unfinished account of the political scenario of Russia, Pushkin has made use of the Tsar and his entourage as the theme.
Throughout his life he gambled a lot, especially at later phase of his life he was almost obsessed with gambling. In the exciting and melodramatic stories Pkovaya Dama and The Queen of Spades gambling provides him the background for writing these classics. Pushkin’s first successful writing was Ruslan and Lyudmila. This was his first attempt at writing in narrative style. Ruslan and Lyudmila owes its importance to the fact that the narrative was chiefly instrumental in making Pushkin almost synonymous with Russian literature.
Pushkin had written a few verses and epigrams, which favored the liberal ideas. This invited expulsion to his estate at Mikailoskoye. There, he continued writing Eugene Onegin, a novel in verse. He also started writing Boris Godunov, a historical play.
Pushkin was called to Moscow by Tsar Nicholas I, where he had an opportunity to work in the historical archives and also on an educational reforms project. Thus Pushkin came in direct contact with the imperial power of Russia. Holding such a significant position he became the epicenter of Russian literature. Surrounded by royals, Pushkin perceived authority the same way as Shakespeare did. Pushkin who was well acquainted with the royalty, admired it and was also fascinated by it. Traces of these features are evident in the generation of writers who came after Pushkin. These writers include Gogol, Dostoevsky, Turgenev and Tolstoy.
The Bronze Horseman was a beautiful poem dedicated to Peter the Great. The statue of the Bronze Horseman represents the Tsar who founded a city on the banks of the Neva river. The poem is a cry of protest from the common man who wants to live a peaceful life after marrying his beloved. Pushkin had written this poem when he had reached the zenith of his poetic maturity. This poem was published after Pushkin’s death. The poet and the Tsar were not on good terms when this poem was written. Pushkin knew that the poem would earn him an expulsion from the royal court. Alexander Pushkin was obsessed with the character of Peter the Great. In one of his poems there is an allusion to Peter the Great. On the occasion of Pushkin’s 50th death anniversary, Dostoevsky quoted him in praise,
‘In hope of all the good and glory,
I look ahead devoid of fear.’
Pushkin held the same place in Russian literature as Shakespeare in English literature. Pushkin, through his writings has provided the new generation of writers with the raw material to write prose and verse which would find a place in Russian literature. Pushkin’s poems reflect his feelings for Russia. The Bronze Horseman features the expansions of an atrocious empire. It merely serves to reflect the contemporary Russian empire.
At the time Russia was under the dictatorship of Stalin. The Russians, terrorized by the tyrannical authority, sought solace in Pushkin’s poems. His poems and prose works are full of spontaneity and versatility. Pushkin’s poems Arion and To The Slanderers of Russia give an insight into the political scenario of Russia in those days. Pushkin had observed the Russian administration minutely and his display of mercy for the common man and other such factors is evident in writings like The Bronze Horseman, The Captain’s Daughter and A History Of Rugachev. When he was exiled to Mikhailovskoye he had asked for permission to migrate abroad. Had the authorities given him permission to do so, he would probably never have been in a position to create works of such historical significance.
In the later phase of his writing career Pushkin switched on to writing prose. He carried out most of his writing work at the country estate of Boldino during October and November. Boldino Autumn is the name which was assigned to that span of time as he was amazingly productive. He composed literary artifacts of incredible versatility and phenomenal genius. It seemed as if Pushkin’s mind and mood was perfectly set to write prose. When he was in the right mood, he would write for 12 to 15 hours everyday and would revise the manuscript later. In the autumn of 1830 when Pushkin was at Boldino, he penned down three Little Tragedies – The Stone Guest, Mozart and Salieri and The Tales of Belkin. The Little Tragedies were his first attempt at prose writing. The following year these three tragedies were published anonymously.
Pushkin has also written Ocen (Autumn) which was included in the Penguin Book of Russian Verse edited by Dimitri Obolensky. The Ocen is a lyrical and humorous poem that reflects Pushkin’s writing style. On the other hand a few parts of his psychological novels, The Guests Were Arriving At The Dacha and In The Corner Of A Small Square reveal a very different aspect of Pushkin’s writing style.
Shakespeare, during his days created unique literature and so was the case with Pushkin. He wrote keeping in mind the taste of the people. Writing poetry came spontaneously to Pushkin as he was young, but he switched on to writing prose as it was in demand. For instance The Tales of Belkin does not have the poetic rhythm. This tale is marked with transparency, effectiveness and economy of words. With respect to this aspect, Pushkin must have been reminded of a remark made by a contemporary novelist, Bestuzhev, "A child is attracted to a rattle before it is attracted to a compass. We have ceased to listen to poetry since everyone became able to write it. So there is a general outcry, ‘Give us prose. Water, plain Water’ !"
For Pushkin, poetry and prose were divorced from each other. One of his critics has remarked, "No writer of both prose and verse, in Russia or even in the West, has made such a severe and firm boundary between the two kinds of utterance." Pushkin’s literary career witnessed the metamorphosis of Russian literature from poetry to prose. Initially, verse was the accepted medium of writing but gradually importance shifted towards prose. But this information took place in a very short period. In English literature, the Literary Renaissance spanned over a period of three centuries. But Russian literature witnessed the same change within a single generation. The two great writers of Russian literature, Pushkin and Lermontov have exemplified and vindicated this historically significant fact. They both embarked upon their literary careers by writing poetry and later transgressed to writing novel.
Many of Pushkin’s predecessors wrote poems and novels on famous historical subjects. The writings of Sir Walter Scott inspired Pushkin to a great extent. He borrowed the denouement of The Captain’s Daughter from The Heart Of Midtolhian which was written by Scott but Pushkin was not inspired by Scott’s style and treatment of the theme. The writers who were contemporary to Pushkin and those who succeeded him, used imperfections in the flow of language and descriptive language which was an evolving form of prose. But Pushkin never tried to write in such a manner. His writings were prosaic but not trite and insipid. The writings of Pushkin were elegant, but his form of writing seemed to be outdated. His writing style was that of the 18th century and not of the 19th century. This is evident from the public response to his poems as compared to his novels. For instance, The Tales of Belkin did not receive the enthusiasm and fame that welcomed the release of his maiden venture into literature through verse.
Pushkin used many technical writing skills in Tales of Belkin. He employed multiple narrators throughout the novel in a very subtle manner. He was inspired by Scott who manipulated the narrators in the famed Waverly novel. Later many writers including Emily Bronte (Wuthering Heights) made use of this writing technique. Initially, the Russian readers were surprised when this form of writing appeared. They seemed to be confused and were unable to evaluate the technical intricacies of the novel. They were accustomed to and preferred to read simple stories, which were sentimental, romantic and melodramatic in nature. When the Russian readers learned that, it was Alexander Pushkin who had applied the technique of multiple narrators in The Tales of Belkin, they were taken aback. Prosper Merimee was the first reader to laud The Tales of Belkin. A French writer himself, had traveled a lot in eastern Europe and Russia and was well versed in European languages. Though four years younger to Pushkin, he had made his mark in the field of literature. He mostly wrote short and wonderful tales and dramas. These writings were very similar to Pushkin’s own form of writing Little Tragedies. This writing style was in vogue then.
Pushkin’s poetic genius was first recognized by Merimee. The western writer tried to persuade his friend Flaubert to translate Pushkin’s poems. But Flaubert replied :
"It est plat, votre poete" meaning in English, "It is impossible to acknowledge the richness of Pushkin’s verses in translation."
The virtues of Pushkin’s verse lie in its impact of sound when they are recited in the Russian language. Later Merimee translated The Tales of Belkin and gave it a touch of excitement and understatement. Though Pushkin did not receive the kind of international acclaim that was accorded to Merimee, his writings were graceful and charming in their own ways.
The Tales of Belkin is a parody with an element of reserved mischievousness, human warmth and comedy. The funniest tale is The Stationmaster. This story is the most parodic and touching of all the tales. Though parodic, Pushkin’s stories do not jeer at the original source. Like in Shakespearean plays, he gave a deep insight into human nature in these tales. This insight is casual and expressive. For example, the aged stationmaster finds it difficult to understand that individual lives do not follow the set patterns of the scriptures. Another of his tales, The Shot portrays the character of Silvio who is obsessed with himself. Inspired by Silvio’s character, Lermontov wrote a novel, A Hero of Our Time. Lermontov learned from Pushkin about using the odd combination of familiarity and indirect narration in his novels. This trait is characteristic of Tales of Belkin. Later novelists like Gogol and Dostoevsky were inclined towards using Pushkin’s style.
The character of Belkin was created after the tales were written. Thereafter, he wrote A History of the Village of Goruikhino. In this, Belkin is used as a narrator. A History of the Village of Goruikhino is a funny novel, which does not use the writing style used in The Tales of Belkin. Here the chief character, Ivan Petrovich decides to pursue writing as a career, after a short and uneventful life in the military. In this, Pushkin tried to experiment with other forms of writing like ballads, tragedies, stories and history. Ivan Petrovich’s perception of the real world is similar to that of Silvio and the stationmaster. These three characters use history as escape from reality. For instance, Silvio is obsessed with the idea of revenge, akin to the stationmaster’s belief in the parable of the prodigal son. Pushkin did not perceive history from a scholar’s viewpoint. He perceived it like Shakespeare whose imagination and creativity enabled him to understand history. A few sources suggest that during those days the Russian peasants evaded reality by remembering their happy past. Thus the tales have a true, comic, and miserable element to their enrichment.
Pushkin was equally comfortable when he wrote about the life in high society. A few disconnected parts of the novel are available. The novel began with The guests were arriving at the Dacha. Tolstoy used this very sentence at the outset of his novel, Anna Karenina. In this novel Tolstoy borrowed the sketch of a woman, portrayed in Pushkin’s unfinished novel. The chief character was a social woman who could not adjust to her environment. It is quite probable that Pushkin was well acquainted with such a woman and felt pity for her hapless condition. Pushkin could have written the novel from the standpoint of a narrator who is detached and at the same time understands and sympathizes with the character. But the Russian writer preferred to carry on his experiment on the style of narration, which would be a unique and original blend of humor, fantasy and realism. The most successful and famous tale, The Queen of Spades comprises the above elements of Pushkin’s venture of a narrative form. The Egyptian Nights written in 1835 in a novel manner uses the combination of prose and verse. The novel Eugene Onegin as well as The Queen of Spades and European Nights are marked by typical Pushkinian characteristics like heart touching emotion, comedy, sobriety and extravagance. These works are a reflection of Pushkin’s life and thoughts.
• Inspiration is needed in geometry, just as much as in poetry.
• The illusion which exalts us is dearer to us than ten-thousand truths.
• Ecstasy is a glassful of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth.
• Fairy Tales, though often untrue, teach good lads a thing or two.
• Not all of me is dust. Within my song, safe from the worm, my spirit will survive.
• The lie that exalts us is dearer than a thousand sober truths.
