In the summer of 1841, a tragedy occurred at the foot of Mount Mashuk, which would then stir up all of Russia. This is the place of the duel of Lermontov. He was only twenty-six and a half years old. Life has just begun. There is so much beautiful ahead.
After the first verses, contemporaries called him the second Alexander Sergeyevich. And how similar were the fate and duel of Pushkin and Lermontov! Both had a tragic end, not only for their contemporaries, but for all subsequent generations. How many plans of Mikhail Yurievich were never destined to come true because of that fatal shot ... Until now, the real reasons for this tragedy have not been named. And all the participants in that fight took the secret of Lermontov’s duel to the grave with them.
A lot of questions about the strange fight
This is the most mysterious duel. In history it very often happens that subsequent generations do not know the whole truth. There are many different versions, but the fact that this murder is obvious. Why did the special conditions of the Lermontov duel, in which the opponents did not leave each other a chance to survive, be hidden from the investigation?
Could the fight be a cover for a planned kill? Who could interfere with the personality of Mikhail Yurievich? Or, as contemporaries wrote, was the true reason for Lermontov’s duel too intimate to make it public?
On the way to the place of service or water in Pyatigorsk
After a fatal shot, the body of Mikhail Lermontov for several hours lies on the site of the duel in the pouring rain. Only closer to midnight did the servants load him in a cart and bring him home. There, they will immediately burn the bloodied uniform, as if trying to hide evidence. From birth to death, this outstanding personality is full of mystical mysteries.
Mikhail Yuryevich came to the waters in Pyatigorsk in May 1841, on the way to the duty station in the Tenginsky Infantry Regiment. He wants to visit his old friend Nikolai Martynov. Together with their relative, Captain Stolypin, they rent a small house.
The most hospitable host and his three beautiful daughters
It all started very romantic. Friends were waited by pleasant rest and simple provincial entertainments. No one could have imagined that in two months the poet would be killed. All versions of the duel between Lermontov and Martynov are built around the events that took place in the house where the family of Lieutenant General Verzilin lived.
The owner of the house is famous throughout Pyatigorsk for rare hospitality and three unmarried beautiful daughters. Therefore, young people come here often, provincial events are fun and pleasure.
The reason for the duel Lermontov. Briefly about the events on the eve
On July 13, 1841, the next youth party does not portend trouble. Young ladies are asking for music and dancing. Prince Trubetskoy sits at the piano and plays a cheerful tune. Martynov is standing next to him, as usual, in Circassian style and with a large dagger behind his belt. At a distance on the sofa, Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov and Pushkin’s brother Lev Sergeyevich are talking .
For loud music no one hears what they are talking about. But suddenly the music abruptly breaks off and in the silence Lermontov’s fatal remark: “Highlander with a big dagger” suddenly sounds loudly. Martynov fatally turned pale and said: "I asked not to use your jokes in my address with the ladies."
People of the same circle and descendants of nobles
From this point on, the versions of the causes of the duel begin to diverge. More often than others, the opinion is that the whole thing is the transcendent resentment and envy of Martynov. But he is a long-time neighbor and friend of Mikhail Yuryevich. They were people of the same circle, descendants of ancient noble families. Both received an excellent education.
And when Lermontov came to the waters, he was clearly delighted to meet a friend of his youth. Therefore, Mikhail had no malicious attitude towards Martynov - this is evident. But why does the poet choose it for his evil jokes? On the part of their relationship in Pyatigorsk seem implacable hostility.
The first meeting of the future killer and victim
Judging by many evidence, Martynov was a stupid man and this madly annoyed Mikhail Yuryevich. And the fact that he wore Caucasian clothes and a huge dagger was a profanity. And, of course, it caused a laugh. And Lermontov was sharp on the tongue, and if he considered something ridiculous or vulgar, he constantly paid attention to it.
But in fact, young people are long-time comrades. And it is quite possible that the poet read his first poems to the future killer in Serednikovo, the Moscow region, the estate of his uncle, where young people met ten years before the duel. Lermontov loved to come to this house in the summer on vacation.
And the Martynovs estate was a few kilometers away, and he was a frequent guest at Mikhail's house with his sisters. Moreover, they were connected by very warm relations between families. What subsequently caused such a hostile attitude towards the poet? The reason for the duel between Lermontov and Martynov is still mysterious.
Later, the paths of Lermontov and Martynov intersect in the cadet school. In the fashion of that time, both wrote poetry, but pretty soon it became clear where the real poetry, and where simple youthful fun. Mikhail Yuryevich felt his genius early. But Martynov saw it more and more. Perhaps if Nikolai did not understand this, then there would be no duel ...
The doctor’s opinion on the causes of death
An autopsy was not performed then. There was only a superficial inspection of the body. And here is what the local doctor wrote in conclusion: "A pistol bullet, hitting the right side, pierced the right and left lungs and hit the soft parts of the left shoulder when exiting."
It turns out that the bullet went upward at an angle of about thirty-five degrees. But how is this possible if the opponents are facing each other. So another version appears that a fatal shot could have been fired not at all from Martynov’s pistol. Then who killed Lermontov in a duel? Who was interested in the death of the poet? Whose order was voluntarily or involuntarily executed by Nikolai?
Jealousy and sovereignty of the sovereign
At the court of a freedom-loving poet they endure with difficulty. Especially after the verse "To the death of Pushkin." He, of course, is not printed, but he goes on the lists and is known to all high society. And Nicholas I also had a personal reason for hostility. This was due to jealousy for his wife, who was madly in love with Mikhail Yuryevich. And there was a reason. The easy syllable of his poems and a sad look simply bewitched.
But could the emperor’s jealousy cause the death of the wayward poet? Why not? In this case, Nikolai Martynov - the one who killed Lermontov in a duel, carried out an order for political murder. Then it is easy to explain why all the participants in the duel received a completely symbolic punishment.
Third Person Presence
In general, Martynov was a bad shooter, and he admitted this more than once. But his first shot led to the mortal wound of the enemy. Maybe it was not he who shot, but someone else from the secret shelter? There was a theory that it was a government conspiracy, a planned and disguised murder. He shot Mikhail Yuryevich from a gun with a hidden hired killer-Cossack.
Why out of a gun? Because the wound was very scary. She was not like those usually received in fights. So, under what circumstances can you get a wound at such an unusual angle of thirty-five degrees? During the shot, the poet raised his hand and shot up, and the recoil from the weapon could deflect him back. At this moment he receives a mortal wound. This refutes the version that another person was sent to the place of the duel of Lermontov.
That's what Martynov was waiting for. A shot in the air when the body is not protected, otherwise it could fall into the hand or gun. It is obvious that he wanted to kill. And the very next day the whole of Pyatigorsk talked about the fact that Nikolai was aiming unarmed. Yesterday, he was considered the victim of a daring joker, and in the morning he was already a killer.
Testimony of witnesses of the duel
In fact, if Mikhail Yuryevich shot into the air, then this did not change the course of the match. The stain on all participants was what happened next. In their testimony, the seconds deliberately increased the distance between the opponents to fifteen steps. In addition, they hid from the investigation the fact that even before Lermontov’s duel began, his intention not to shoot at the enemy was obvious. He himself spoke about this.
And, as promised, he shot first in the air. So he stood with his hand raised up when a bullet overtook him. And most importantly, they did not say that Martynov pulled the trigger after counting three. Which meant the end of the duel. They also concealed special conditions, which were very cruel for a trifling quarrel. Shoot from three attempts, and in case of a miss the enemy can be called to the barrier again. All this will become known much later. As well as the fact that there were not two seconds, but four.
The reasons for this deadly duel are very similar to how Lermontov’s first duel took place. The summary of the quarrel between Mikhail Yuryevich and Ernest Barant, who became the opponent of the poet, is very similar to the dialogue with Martynov in Pyatigorsk. Ernest presented to Lermontov that he had heard rumors about the poet’s unpleasant remarks about him and, despite Mikhail Yuryevich's denial of this fact, on February 16, 1840, the duel still took place and, fortunately, ended without bloodshed.
It doesn’t matter for whom the duels of Pushkin and Lermontov were beneficial, and what were the reasons for these fights. The main thing is their consequences. The tragic losses for the Russian culture of brilliant poets, talented personalities who could write delightful works for a long time and delight readers with their creations.