Soul of Russian Culture: Pushkin

Author: Wu Xiaodu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Readers who have entered the new century may still remember a cultural highlight of the last year of the 20th century in the world of literature. In early summer of that year, an outstanding classical poet, once again drawing attention from the not-so-distant realm of poetry, stepped onto the forefront of world literary remembrance, awakening the innate poetic spirit within readers. This poet was none other than Alexander Pushkin, the founder of modern Russian literature, whom we are all very familiar with and love. In 1999, exactly 200 years after Pushkin's birth, literary enthusiasts around the world paid him a grand tribute. Among the many foreign poets, Pushkin is not just familiar to Chinese readers but also like a trusted friend. His passionate works of positive romanticism once moved countless progressive young people in China. He sympathized with the hardworking masses, wrote in the language of the people, and reflected the spirit of realism in his art, which shared a similar historical and artistic context with the literary creation direction we advocate. Therefore, Chinese readers have a special fondness for Pushkin's works. The immortal works left behind by Pushkin during his short yet brilliant life have won the admiration of readers of all ages, from teenagers to adults. Looking back through the thousands of years of world literary history, it is rare to find a writer with such a vast creative field and artistic achievements, as well as such a broad readership. This book, written in concise prose, records the life of this master from various perspectives. Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was born on June 6, 1799, into a declining noble family in Moscow. His parents paid little attention to his education, leaving him in the care of tutors. From a young age, Pushkin was exposed to the works of authors like Rabelais, Corneille, Racine, Molière, Boileau, Voltaire, and Shakespeare, and he thoroughly read the works of Russian writers such as Lomonosov, Derzhavin, Karamzin, and Dmitriev. From 1811 to 1818, Pushkin studied at the Imperial Lyceum in St. Petersburg. At the age of 15, in 1814, he published his first poem, "To a Poet Friend." The patriotic fervor that arose from the 1812 war against Napoleon inspired the poet. Under the influence of the Decembrists, he wrote a series of poems that criticized tyranny, celebrated freedom, satirized the nobility, sympathized with the peasants, and exposed the cruelty of the serf owners, including "Ode to Freedom," "To Chaadaev," and "The Village." As a result, he offended the great noble and Tsar, and in 1820, he was exiled to the south. During his exile in the south, he wrote romantic narrative poems such as "The Captive of the Caucasus," "The Brothers in Law," "The Gipsies," "To the Sea," "To the Prisoners of Siberia," "Ruslan and Ludmilla," "Count Nulin," and "The Bronze Horseman." In 1825, he wrote the historical play "Boris Godunov," and in 1831, he completed the poetic novel "Evgeny Onegin." In 1834, he finished the prose novellas "The Tales of Belkin," "The Queen of Spades," and "The Daughter of the Officer." Due to increasing conflicts with the authorities, Pushkin drew the displeasure of the Tsar and the government. The authorities incited a French émigré, Dantes, to pursue Pushkin's wife relentlessly, leading to widespread rumors in St. Petersburg society. The poet often received anonymous letters from St. Petersburg that insulted his reputation. In the face of unbearable provocation, Pushkin challenged Dantes to a duel. On January 27, 1837, he fought the duel, and on January 29, he passed away in sorrow at the age of 39.