Alexey Plescheev was a radical Russian poet. He is widely known for his many translations from English and French, as well as wonderful poems for children. Many works of this author were put to the music of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov and became quite popular. But when was Plescheev born and died? What interesting events took place in his life? And how did he achieve his popularity?
Children's years and training
In Kostroma on November 22, 1825 little Alexei was born, who later became not only a Russian writer and poet, but also a famous translator. He was born into a noble family, unfortunately impoverished, and belonged to a very ancient family. Among the ancestors of Alexei Nikolaevich was even St. Alexei of Moscow. Due to the fact that there were several writers in the family, these traditions were always especially revered.
The boy early lost his father, and his mother was mainly engaged in his upbringing, Elena Alexandrovna. Alexei Nikolaevich received an excellent home education, and only then, at the insistence of his mother, he began training at the school of guards ensigns in St. Petersburg. Alexey Pleshcheyev very quickly lost interest in military service and in 1843 he left school in order to begin studying Oriental languages at the University of St. Petersburg.
New acquaintances and first steps in creativity
What did Aleksey Nikolayevich Plescheev do during his years of study ? The biography of the poet from this moment is associated with very interesting personalities. These are Andrey Alexandrovich Kraevsky, Petr Alexandrovich Pletnev, Maykovs, Fedor Dostoevsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, etc.
And Alexei Nikolaevich sends his very first poems for reading to Pletnev, who was not only the rector of the university, but also the publisher of Sovremennik. And Peter Alexandrovich spoke very warmly about the work of the beginning poet.
Interest in political circles
In 1845, Alexey Plescheev became interested in the ideas of the socialists and met with members of the circle, who were called Petrashevists. They were engaged in poetry and questions of its development in Russia. Alexei Nikolaevich not only participated in such meetings, but also began to write propaganda verses, and also often brought prohibited manuscripts.
Then he begins to translate the book of the ideologist Felicite-Robert de Lamenne, which the members of the circle planned to subsequently print in their underground printing house. So Pleshcheyev Alexey Nikolaevich, whose biography became very closely connected with the activities of this political circle, spent his years of study at the university.
First Collected Works, or Poet Wrestler
Unfortunately, in 1845, Alexei Nikolaevich was forced to interrupt his education due to insufficient material security. And the learning process itself did not suit him. But he decided to prepare and pass exams externally in order to complete his studies at the university. Despite the fact that he left the university, he did not lose ties with members of the circle, or Petrashevists. Often they even gathered at his house.
The first collection of poems by Pleshcheyev was published in 1846. There were such works as “Call of Friends”, “Forward! Without Fear and Doubt ...” and “You and I Are Feeling Brothers”. They were very popular, and the last two verses even became anthems of youth. Many contemporaries began to relate to Alexei as a poet-fighter. And this is one of the main interesting facts about which his biography tells. Aleksey Plescheev was actually the first poet to react to events in France. It was precisely for this that the Petrashevists respected him, who tried to realize revolutionary ideas in Russia.
The consequences of participating in the Petrashevsky circle
Of course, most readers are interested in when Plescheev was born and died, but how many know other facts from his biography? For example, the fact that this wonderful poet and prose writer, like many of his contemporaries, also went to exile. For a long time, Alexei Nikolaevich arranged meetings of Petrashevists at his home. And in 1849 the police intercepted a copy of Belinsky's letter, which Pleshcheyev sent to Fedor Dostoevsky.
And already on April 8, Alexei Nikolayevich was arrested on a denunciation of a provocateur. Under escort he was sent to Petersburg and put in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he spent eight months. At this time, 21 of the convicts were sentenced to death. Among them was Alesei Nikolaevich. But this does not end his biography. Aleksey Plescheev and other convicts were taken to the place of execution, Semenovsky Platz. Here they read out the decree of Nicholas I, in which the execution was replaced by various terms of exile.
Years of reference, or curriculum vitae. Poems by Alexei Pleshcheev during this period
Pleshcheyev was enlisted as an ordinary in a prison company, and in 1850 he arrived in Uralsk. Here he spent a long eight years, seven of them served. At first, Aleksey Nikolaevich endured his tenure very hard. First of all, due to the negative attitude of the officers. He was not given vacations, and his creative activity could be temporarily forgotten altogether.
Much has changed after Alexei Nikolaevich met a longtime acquaintance of his mother, Count Perovsky, who was governor general. He began to patronize Pleshcheyev. Alexei Nikolaevich not only gained access to literature, but also met interesting people - the family of Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Deziderievich Dandevil, with some exiles from Poland, Taras Shevchenko and the poet Mikhail Mikhailov.
Did Aleksey Pleshcheyev write any works at this time? A brief biography telling about the period of exile contains information about some verses that he dedicated to Dandeville and his wife. Stories were also written. When Alexei Ivanovich transferred to the civil service, he sent many of his works to St. Petersburg, where they were published in the Russian Herald.
Renewal of creativity and collaboration with publications
In 1857, Alexey marries Yelikonid Rudneva, and in May of the following year she leaves with her for Petersburg on a four-month vacation. Then they briefly return to Orenburg. And here you can answer the question of many readers when Alexander Alekseevich Plescheev was born. The boy was born in 1858. Subsequently, he will become a famous journalist and theater critic.
In August 1859, the Plescheevs family finally settled in Moscow. Here, Alexei Nikolaevich is fully committed to creativity. Now he writes not only poetry, but also short stories, as well as several short stories. These are “Inheritance”, “Father and Daughter”, “Budnev” and others.
Alexey Nikolaevich actively collaborates not only with Sovremennik, he also becomes an equity holder in the well-known newspaper Moskovsky Vestnik. In his Moscow house, he often arranges musical and literary evenings. They could see Anton Grigorievich Rubinstein, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, actors of the Maly Theater, as well as Turgenev, Tolstoy and Nekrasov.
Continuing Political Activities
Pleshcheyev Alexey Nikolaevich, whose biography is still associated with political activity, continues to devote his works to civil and social problems. One of the main motives in his poems is a revolutionary feat. He was very excited about the event that occurred in 1861 (then mass arrests of students were made). He even raised money in favor of the victims.
The secret police continued their surveillance of Alexei Nikolayevich Plescheev. He was still suspected of spreading political ideas that contradicted the views of the government. Despite the fact that there were grounds for these suspicions, no explicit charges were brought.
A period of disappointment, or meager writing income
Since the writing career brings very little income, which is almost impossible to feed the family, Alexei Nikolaevich goes to the service and becomes an auditor. Which, of course, depresses him infinitely. In the late 1960s. in his works the bad mood became especially noticeable. The reason for this was not only the numerous arrests of friends of Alexei Nikolaevich, but also the death of some. And one more difficult blow for the poet during this period is the death of his wife, who died on December 3, 1864.
In 1868, Nekrasov became the head of the "Domestic Notes" and invited Alexei Nikolayevich to the post of secretary of the editorial office. Plescheev moved to Petersburg and immediately fell into the circle of like-minded people. In "Domestic Notes" the poet continues to work until 1884, and after the death of Nekrasov becomes the leader. During this period, Alexei Nikolaevich helps many beginner writers, and even Ivan Surikov saves from suicide by arranging his first publication.
The last days of Alexei Nikolaevich and his poems
Of course, many readers are only interested in the question of when Plescheev was born and died, but to know the creative path and biography of any Russian writer is as important as his dates of death and birth. As for the creative activity of Alexei Nikolaevich, after moving to Petersburg he wrote, not stopping almost until his death. He mainly translated poetry from French and English. It was here that his main skill of the poet was manifested.
It should be noted that a separate place in the last period of Plescheev's life began to be occupied by children's poetry. And many critics noted that it was these works that were filled with a special desire for life. Some poems even fell into textbook collections and became popular with young readers who not only love this poet, but also know his biography, as well as when Plescheev was born and died.
Over a hundred romances and songs
More than a hundred songs and wonderful romances were written on the poems of Alexei Nikolaevich by contemporaries and composers of other generations. Pleshcheyev’s work was of great interest to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, whom Alexei Nikolaevich had met for a long time and had kept very warm relations all his life. It doesn’t matter what year Pleshcheyev was born and died, the main thing is that his work became a huge contribution to Russian literature.
And when this wonderful poet and prose writer passed away in 1893, September 26, many contemporaries felt an irreplaceable loss. On October 6, when Plescheyev’s funeral took place, a huge number of people gathered at the ceremony. Among them were young writers who more than once turned to this wonderful man for help.