Russian novelist, poet and short story writer Aleksandr Pushkin is generally considered to be Russia's greatest poet and founder of modern Russian literature. Before him, Russian literature used formal style of language, then he introduced everyday speech through his poetry and new themes from Russian history and folklore. His most famous books made into operas by prominent composers are Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky), Ruslan and Lyudmila (Glinka) and Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky).
Early Life of Aleksandr Pushkin
Aleksandr Pushkin was born in Moscow on June 6, 1799, into a cultured but poor aristocratic family. He studied in the town of Tsarskoye Selo, now renamed Pushkin in his honour. After graduating in 1817 at the age of 18, he was appointed to a government position in St. Petersburg and lived a thrilling social life. He started writing poetry from an early age. His first published poem, "To a Poet Friend," was written when he was only 14 but his first major work, the known verse fairy tale Ruslan and Lyudmila, came out after seven years, when he was 21.
His Works and Social Reforms
In spite of his living a rich lifestyle, Pushkin was deeply committed to social reform as exhibited in his writings. His poem 'Ode to Liberty' angered the Russian emperor and he was banished from St. Petersburg for six years. It was during these years of exile that he wrote some of his finest works, including The Prisoner of the Caucasus and The Gypsies. He also began his masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, a novel in verse that satirized Russian society made into an opera by Piotr Tchaikovsky. Pushkin enjoyed writing about Russian heroes. In The Bronze Horseman he depicted the legendary Russian emperor Peter the Great.
Last Years
Pushkin was eventually pardoned by the emperor in 1826 and returned to St. Petersburg. Five years later, he married Natalia Goncharova, but he got into trouble from her social ambitions that drove him into debt. In defending her reputation he was forced to fight a duel and got killed. He died on February 10, 1837 at the young age of 37.
Works by Aleksandr Pushkin
- Ruslan and Lyudmila, 1820
- The Prisoner of the Caucasus, 1822
- Eugene Onegin, 1823-1831
- The Gypsies, 1827
- Boris Godunov, 1831
- The Queen of Spades, 1834
- The Bronze Horseman, 1837, published after his death
- The Captain's Daughter, 1843, published after his death
Sources:
Chambers Biographical Dictionary, New Edition, edited by Una McGovern, Chambers Harrap Publishers, 2002
Larousse Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse plc, 1994
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