Bashkirtseff
Orig | CZ

Alexander Pushkin

Basic Aktualizováno: 2025-12-07

Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-12-07 Diary Coverage: Book 00 (1884 preface)

Identity

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799-1837) was Russia's greatest poet and the founder of modern Russian literature. Marie mentions him as a contemporary of her maternal grandfather.

Biography

Life and Career:

  • Born 1799 in Moscow to noble family
  • Considered the father of Russian literary language
  • Master of poetry, prose, drama, and historical writing
  • Major works include "Eugene Onegin," "The Bronze Horseman," "Boris Godunov"
  • Combined Romantic sensibility with emerging Realism

Death:

  • Killed in a duel in 1837 at age 37
  • Defending his wife's honor against Georges d'Anthès
  • His death shocked Russian society
  • Lermontov's poem denouncing the court for Pushkin's death made Lermontov famous

Cultural Significance

Pushkin's importance to Russian culture cannot be overstated:

  • Created the foundation of modern Russian literary language
  • Influenced every Russian writer who followed
  • Symbol of Russian cultural identity
  • His works are memorized by Russian schoolchildren
  • June 6 (his birthday) is celebrated as Russian Language Day

Pushkin's Generation

The generation of the 1820s-1830s:

  • Influenced by the Napoleonic Wars (1812 invasion of Russia)
  • Witnessed the Decembrist Revolt (1825)
  • Embraced European Romanticism while developing Russian themes
  • Combined aristocratic privilege with liberal sympathies
  • Often faced censorship and exile for political views

Connection to Bashkirtseff Family

Marie's maternal grandfather was "le contemporain de Lermontoff, Pouchkine etc." This identifies him as:

  • Member of educated Russian nobility (1820s-1840s)
  • Cultured and literary ("militaire lettré")
  • Part of the Romantic generation
  • Likely familiar with Pushkin's poetry
  • Representative of Russia's "Golden Age" of literature

This cultural context was important to Marie's understanding of her family heritage.

Related Entries

%% 2025-12-07T12:15:00 RSR: Created entry for cultural context of Marie's grandfather's generation %%