Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky is an energetic person who has excelled in many matters. The main interesting facts from the life of Zhukovsky are that he became a famous poet, a worthy translator and court adviser. He managed to translate his creative ideas into ballads and songs, poems and translations. From childhood, a craving for beauty was noticeable in it, which Vasily Andreevich was not afraid to bring to life. Thanks to this, we now have the opportunity to read Zhukovsky’s poems.
The origin of Zhukovsky
V.A. Zhukovsky was not raised by his own father, because he refused his son. This happened because Vasily was born out of wedlock from Athanasius Ivanovich Bunin (great-great-grandfather of the Russian poet and writer Ivan Bunin) and the captured Turkish woman Salha. She was brought to Russia after the siege of the Turkish fortress of Bender. Salchus was baptized and given the Orthodox name Elizabeth. The girl liked the landowner. So, on February 9 (in the new style) in 1783 Vasily appeared, but the boy was given the name of the landowner Zhukovsky, who lived with the Bunins out of mercy. Bunin's son was brought up along with his legitimate children. It must be said that A. I. Bunin made sure that his son received the noble title, and from childhood he enrolled him in military service, though fictitiously. Thus, by the age of six, the boy became an ensign and was considered a nobleman. But Athanasius Bunin did not mention the illegitimate son in the will, leaving the entire inheritance to legitimate children.
What is interesting about the personality of the poet?
V. A. Zhukovsky can rightly be called a significant figure in the history of Russian poetry. Inspired by the ideas of Western poets and writers, Vasily Andreyevich created his own works, filled with faith in a brighter future, in the people, in that he can become enlightened and independent. In poetry, he used romantic images in which the idea of independence, the struggle for the bright ideals of goodness, beauty, and order is even more clearly manifested.
So the first poems of Zhukovsky appeared - “Village Cemetery”, “Singer in the camp of Russian soldiers”, “Emperor Alexander”. In each of them - a call to peace, harmony, appeal to nature, silence and peace. Zhukovsky loves to contemplate beauty and is inspired by it; he tries to introduce the reader to nature. The poet has always been interested in the inner side of human life. He is far from politics, wars and social struggle. That is how we see him in the poems “To Poetry”, “To Batyushkov”, “Slavyanka”, etc.
Few people know that Zhukovsky is the author of the lines "genius of pure beauty." After them, Pushkin repeated.
Characteristic of Zhukovsky
Being enrolled in the Noble boarding house, he led the literary community, was its chairman. Community activities were organized, all of its members were guided by the charter. This means that the poet’s personality is inherent in the ability to conduct a common cause, showing his talent and abilities. Probably these very qualities served to ensure that Zhukovsky (poet) became a teacher of Alexander II himself.
Numerous sources claim that Vasily Andreevich was not only a good teacher, but also an adviser to the court. He many times rescued exiled poets, in particular A.S. Pushkin, was able to influence the opinion of the current emperor, commute the sentence, that is, Zhukovsky also has a diplomatic gift.
For romance with the poet’s soul, rudeness is uncharacteristic. On the contrary, from childhood he was distinguished by sentimentality, was sensitive and sensitive. He had a fine mental organization, and any experience hurt him deeply. Poems and translations helped express the feelings and pain that the poet experienced, and readers were inspired by clear and capacious epithets, beautiful phrases that aroused the desire to live. Zhukovsky, the poet, completed his creative task.
The role of Zhukovsky in the royal court
Few poets and writers boast great influence at court. Usually they didn’t like poets, they exiled or executed them for poetry, but Zhukovsky managed to get to the imperial heart, and he helped out many exiled poets many times and helped A.S. Pushkin, the serf poet Shevchenko. Thanks to him, the Decembrists were not sent to the chopping block, but exiled to Siberia. Such influence requires talent, and Zhukovsky undoubtedly had it. Otherwise, the life of Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky would not go down in history. The facts show how seriously the opinion of the poet was taken by representatives of the royal dynasty.
The years of Zhukovsky’s life were imbued with the idea of enlightenment, according to which both a foreigner and a Russian become equal. But Russian, according to the poet’s deep conviction, is of great benefit to the Fatherland than a foreigner. The latter will act on the basis of personal interests, and not for the sake of love for Russia, his own person will seek to help the homeland to the end. This is the strength and power of the Fatherland, where the tsar’s policy plays a decisive role.
The personal life of the poet
Vasily Afanasevich was not a womanizer. He met his first love at the age of 22 in the house of his paternal sister, Ekaterina Protasova. Her daughter Mashenka was then 12 years old, she was a student of Zhukovsky. After 7 years, Vasily got involved with Mashenka Protasova. But he received a hard refusal, as mother Catherine claimed that Masha was Vasily’s niece.
Zhukovsky’s personal life began at age 58, when he left for Germany and married the daughter of his friend, the artist Reiter, on April 21, 1841. The poet dedicated the poem “Elizabeth Reuter” to her, which was published in 1840 in the journal “Musical and Theater Bulletin” ". Elizabeth was 19 years old at that time. From the marriage was born a son Paul and daughter Alexander. For several years, Zhukovsky hatched the idea of returning to his homeland, but his wife’s illness prevented him.
Together they lived for 15 years.
In April 1852, in the German city of Baden-Baden, the poet's life ended.
In 1856, Elizabeth Zhukovskaya died.
Zhukovsky in memories
Interesting facts from the life of Zhukovsky give memories of contemporaries. The characterization of the poet in their memoirs is ambiguous. Some see him as a silent and mysterious person, others claim that Zhukovsky is the soul of the company. It’s hard for us to judge, so we will trust the quotes.
In the memoirs of Maria Fedorovna’s cell-pages, Zhukovsky “kept himself silent,” never once uttered a word in Russian. But he loved long contemplative conversations on abstract topics, which resulted in poems full of romantic images, for example, "A detailed account of the moon." It is no coincidence that many memoirists paint the image of Zhukovsky precisely through poetry. In them, he appears as a "sorcerer", "storyteller", "singer of Russian soldiers", "Christian". That is what the poet, friends, close and little-known people call the poet.
Even in ordinary life, the people who communicated with him saw in Vasily Andreevich primarily a poet. A. D. Bludova said briefly about Zhukovsky: "The conversation with him is as sublime ... dressed in a slightly noticeable mystical fleur, like his romantic images." However, from other people we learn completely different characteristics. In the memoirs of close friends of F.F. Vigel, A.S. Pushkin, P.A. Vyazemsky, life and work of Zhukovsky look different. Before us is the image of a joker, a joker, "a funny and ingenious liar."
Thus, in our hero two contrasting looks are combined. He manifests himself differently in everyday life and in creativity, but this is what allows you to create the most reliable portrait. Seriousness coexists with a parody, humor - with a call for a harmonious and righteous life.
Another look
Interesting facts from Zhukovsky’s life appear when we read the memoirs of AO Smirnova-Rosset, an educated, literary gifted woman. She focuses her eyes on the everyday Zhukovsky, and therefore her characterization of the poet takes on a completely different meaning. Vasily Andreevich becomes resourceful, slightly in love, childishly simple-minded, kind, witty, loyal, loving jokes and jokes.
In literary salons they cannot do without V. A. Zhukovsky, because they see him as a person confident in their own ideals, who is an innovator in literary art. Hot debates always flare up around his works, which means that they find a response among readers and anger the enemies. But Zhukovsky himself seemed to shy away from lively discussions and debates. He watched them from the side, keeping silent. At such moments, as the author himself said, he found shelter in poetry, "which is independent of the shortsighted judges and content with itself."
In the memoirs of his closest friend A.S. Pushkin, Zhukovsky emerges as a reliable comrade, loyal, patient and adamant: "An extraordinary strongman is struggling with difficulties."
Characteristic case
Some interesting facts from Zhukovsky’s life characterize him as a generous, kind person. Many memoirists note his modesty, but one case will help to better understand his image. In 1840, Zhukovsky’s friends decided to arrange a dinner for him, which an elderly professor wanted to come to. The poet refused to see him on the guest list, because he read him laudatory odes and thereby infuriated Vasily Andreevich. Complete indifference to fame and flattery characterizes the author as a spiritual, established personality.
Zhukovsky’s life and work show that he experienced ups and downs, but remained faithful to his ideals until the end of his days. He was not vindictive, therefore he presented A.S. Pushkin with a portrait with the words "To the winner of the student from the defeated teacher."
Once, on a frosty day, Zhukovsky saw a beggar with frostbitten legs on the side of the road. He gives him 110 rubles (a lot of money at the time; for comparison: a good lunch in a restaurant cost 10 kopecks). The next day, a cripple, as directed by Zhukovsky, is taken to the hospital and treated for free.
What did the poet achieve?
- It was he who developed Russian romanticism, contributed to his appearance with his work. Translating European works, the poet was inspired by Western ideas and tried to bring them to the life of the Russian people, but he did it diplomatically, avoiding harsh phrases addressed to the state, which earned the love of the imperial nobility. Subsequently, the ideas of romanticism developed in the works of other Russian poets. In particular, A.S. Pushkin relied on Zhukovsky’s work, honoring him and praising his talent.
- Thanks to the help of Zhukovsky as an inspirer, we get acquainted with many works of A. S. Pushkin, in particular with the poem Ruslan and Lyudmila. Alexander Sergeyevich, a genius of 19th-century literature, could not write further without first reading the passages to a friend of Zhukovsky, and only after evaluation he continued to create.
- As a teacher of Emperor Alexander II, Zhukovsky taught him to think on a large scale, relying on the ideas of Westerners, instilling in the little Tsar a love of will and enlightenment. Thanks to this decree of Alexander II, serfdom was abolished in 1861.
- The work of Vasily Andreyevich is recognized by many generations of readers and remains in demand until now. His memory is immortalized.
Bibliography of Zhukovsky
The years of life of Zhukovsky did not pass without a trace. The descendants were given many poems, translations, literary articles that shed light on past events, are historical documents, are published to this day, which means that the work of Vasily Andreevich is of interest to you and me.
Zhukovsky is the author of 6 elegy: "Rural Cemetery", "Slavyanka", "Sea", "Evening", "To the End ...", "Singer in the camp of Russian soldiers."
He wrote the romances The Ring of the Soul Maiden and Turgenev, in response to his letter, songs, idylls and odes. He composed the first Russian anthem, “Prayer of the Russians.”
From his pen came the tales of The Sleeping Princess, The Tale of Tsar Berendey, The Tale of Ivan the Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf, and Puss in Boots.
The author of 12 ballads is Svetlana, Forest Tsar, Knight of Togenburg and others. His work in prose is the novel “Maryina Grove”. He wrote articles, poems in poems, poems. He made free translations of Goethe, Schiller, Byron, Scott.
Zhukovsky was a good draftsman and left many interesting sketches in pencil.
Short biography of the poet
02/09/1783 - the birth of Vasily Zhukovsky.
1789 - receipt of the nobility.
1797-1801 - training at the Noble guesthouse, which operated at Moscow University.
1802 - debut as a poet-translator. The Herald of Europe published the poem Rural Cemetery, a free translation of the work of the English poet Gray. Zhukovsky’s creative life continued until his last breath.
1808-1809 - Editor of the Bulletin of Europe.
1812 - Vasily Zhukovsky went to the militia. He proved that without being present at the scene, poetry and chanting of patriotic feelings cannot be written. You need to experience the feelings of the people. Otherwise, they will not believe in poetry.
1815 - invited to the court service. Among other duties, served as a reader under the Empress Maria Fedorovna.
1817 - appointed to teach the Russian language to Princess Charlotte.
1825 - appointed as tutor of Alexander II.
1841 - Zhukovsky’s resignation with a life-long board of 4,000 rubles a year. The marriage of the poet. Moving to Germany.
04.24.1852 - the death of the poet. The grave of V. A. Zhukovsky is located in St. Petersburg at the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. It is located next to the grave of N. M. Karamzin, the poet’s teacher.