The deepest cordial affection of the great Russian poet Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov - Varvar Lopukhin, the younger sister of his friend Alexei. In the spring, before Easter of 1832, a company of secular young ladies and young people went to the Vigil to the Simon Monastery.
Love
Six horses slowly moved along Moscow streets - from Povarskaya to Molchanovka, then to another Molchanovka, and then to where Avtozavodskaya metro station is now located . Young people enjoyed the spring evening and a fun company, so they were in no hurry. Was it by chance that young Varvara Lopukhina ended up in the lineup next to an equally young poet who was in love with her peer? This question can hardly be answered reliably. But one thing is known for certain: Varvara Lopukhina remained in the role of a muse almost until the poet's death.
She only turned one winter in the light, taken out of the village to the "brides' fair", was innocent, natural, did not lose her rural blush and could not yet count every gesture, pose and word, like seasoned young ladies from Moscow.
Varvara Lopukhina had a passionate, enthusiastic, and poetic nature: far from the capitals, solitude and reading novels greatly affect the development of girlish daydreaming, without diminishing natural liveliness, cheerfulness, and sociability.
Through the eyes of contemporaries and the poet
Varvara Aleksandrovna Lopukhina was extraordinary in appearance: she was a blonde, which, of course, was not uncommon, but with moving and absolutely black eyes, eyebrows and eyelashes. This gave her a special charm - all mood changes were reflected on her face instantly and clearly. It was impossible to make a portrait of Varvara Lopukhina once and for all, so differently people saw her in changing circumstances.
Sometimes an uncontrolled facial expression made her almost a fool, and sometimes - almost a beauty. This was noticed even by Mikhail Lermontov, who was in love, and Varvara Lopukhina appeared before the reader in the image of Vera from the novel “Hero of Our Time” - the same whole, deep, charming and simple, with an affectionate and bright smile, and even with the same mole on her face. Contemporaries call this girl "in the full sense of delightful," young, cute and smart. Many people mention that close friends and girlfriends made fun of this mole, and Varvara Aleksandrovna Lopukhina laughed with them.
Love is defense
Both vanity and proud thoughts left the poet when this love appeared to his soul. Although from the very beginning it was clear that Varvara Lopukhina and Lermontov were not a couple, since they are of the same age. At her sixteen years, one could be a full member of society, even get married (it was for this purpose that she appeared in the capital), but the poet ...
In his very sixteen he was still a child in the eyes of all. Youthful maximalism forced him to exaggerate his physical disabilities: short stature, stoop, and ugliness. The youth story "Vadim" was never finished, but it was in Vadim that he saw himself, and in the beautiful Olga, her, Varvara.
Parting
The poet’s love feeling was far from mutual, when circumstances forced him to leave Moscow in 1832 in order to enter the cadet school in St. Petersburg. And there both secular hobbies, and the service itself was new, requiring special immersion, and for some time beloved Varvara Lopukhina in Lermontov’s life was overshadowed by pressing problems. However, he did not cease to be interested in her, as evidenced by the letters of both the poet and his contemporaries. But the poet could not correspond directly with her - this did not fit in with the strictness of secular rules.
Three years later, Varvara Lopukhin, whose biography is closely connected with the life and work of the great Russian poet, was pressured by her parents to marry the landowner of the Tambov province Nikolai Fyodorovich Bakhmetev, whom Lermontov instantly hated, and this feeling was never erased. However, it was absolutely mutual, otherwise the husband would not have forced Barbara to destroy all the letters of the poet, and in general everything that was given to them and dedicated to her. Bakhmetev was much older than Varvara Alexandrovna and Mikhail Yuryevich, who never recognized the new name of his beloved woman, and this was especially offensive. In all initiations, Barbara Lermontov designated her maiden name with initials.
Last meeting
The last time they saw each other in 1838 was fleeting when Varvara Lopukhin and Lermontov, it would seem, were supposed to completely forget about each other. Varvara Alexandrovna and her husband went abroad and drove to Petersburg along the way. The poet at that time served in Tsarskoye Selo. “They loved each other for so long and dearly ...” is a poem, like a mirror of feelings experienced by Lermontov and Varvara Lopukhin. The love story with the last meeting could not end in any way.
For short moments, all their acquaintance certainly flashed before their eyes, from a tender age, when attachments seem eternal, strong and irreplaceable, when there was no understanding of either love or life itself, and to the present moment. Despite the rare and short meetings, everything managed to be in their relationship: friendships, crazy love, hot passions, and killing jealousy, even hostility. All this has ripened, has grown into true love, but they still have not been able to admit to each other.
Soul of the singer
“We are accidentally reduced by fate ...” - Lermontov’s poems dedicated to Barbara Lopukhina can be discovered by these enlightened youthful lines of 1832. The image of the beloved is perfect here, she is the only joy for the poet’s soul, however, hopes are unrealistic, happiness cannot be found here, since there is no common path. And between the lines the prophetic is read: the poet knows what fate has prepared for him.
In the same year, the poem "Leave in vain worries." Here Lermontov’s mood is optimistic, it seems to the lyrical hero that the feeling is reciprocal, he is even sure of it. The poet’s hot heart beats in every line, he scourges his unbelieving and precious soul and does not see harmony even in reciprocity. In 1841, one of the most famous poems was written, dedicated not to Barbara Lopukhina. This "No, I do not love you so passionately ..." - full of memories of past and most powerful love.
Life is short but roomy
Varvara Lopukhin was always present in Lermontov’s work, sometimes invisibly, as if dissolving in the motley of his life, but never leaving her. She was calm in character, soft and responsive, that is, the exact opposite of the poet's impetuosity and ardor. At first, Lermontov was sure that he had no chance, but gradually his heart told him that Varenka did not treat him as indifferently as he thought: a blush flashes from his eyes, his black eyes become bottomless when he meets his eyes.
Meanwhile, grooms took care of her seriously, and her peer - sixteen-year-old Michelle, this tomboy-boy who only runs around with a child, gets angry and torments himself and everyone around with groundless jealousy, like an adult. Varenka calmly accepted the courtship of outsiders, because she continued to have tender feelings for the poet. Lermontov, even guessing about the true state of affairs, suffered. In constant doubts, he experienced spiritual ups and downs, short minutes of happiness and long days and nights of jealousy. What did Varvara Lopukhin feel when looking at all this?
Misery
Barbara was not sure of anything, especially the feelings of Lermontov. He didn’t just baffle her with his behavior, sometimes it seemed to her that he was simply mocking her. So suddenly it overwhelms with icy coldness and is immediately nice, friendly and friendly, and then reproached for her lack of reciprocity and true passion. His coldness was intended to be her punishment for some mythical betrayals. It was hard for her from such constant changeability, unsteadiness of relations. She doubted not herself - in him. And, in principle, fair. However, from these doubts, love grew stronger, and did not disappear.
Lermontov initially darted from one feeling to another, from one lady to another, but time proved that love for Varvara Lopukhina outlived everything and everyone. He devoted poetry to Sushkova, who answered his feelings so late when they became feigned, and to Natalya Ivanova (N. F. I., whose initials remained a mystery for a long time), the poet was amorous and did not differ in constancy.
Love
The only feeling that accompanied him all his life was his love for Varenka Lopukhina. But there was no understanding between them. The shy woman could not give vent to feelings when the poet positioned her as a girlfriend or as a sister, and then suddenly as a lover. She did not guess his mood, was lost. And he played - both with her and her feelings. And he himself truly understood his feelings only at that black moment when he received news of her marriage.
Lermontov’s life was swift and short. Many hobbies settled there - fleeting and strong. The basis of his behavior was ostentatious coldness and purely secular courtship. His character was like a volcano - quiet and silent, he suddenly erupted in fiery passion. And only love for Barbara Lopukhina never ceased in his heart ever. What was she to do? She was not sure that the poet’s coldness was ostentatious, because Lermontov never once said a word about his love to her, all his feelings, and her, too, were only implied ...
Bakhmetev
Nikolai Bakhmetev turned thirty-seven when he decided to marry (Lermontov had already died at twenty-seven - for comparison). He liked some of the young ladies, and he weighed the pros and cons, not rushing to make a choice. And then, to the trouble, Varenka Lopukhina accidentally hooked the fringe of the ball stole to the button of his frock coat. He decided that this was a sign from above, and, as a man of wealth and well-disposed, he seized himself. He was not refused. Varenka was only twenty. Rather, at that time, already twenty - time, time ...
In marriage, she was not happy. The husband was no less jealous than Lermontov, and even forbade talking about the poet. Several meetings at balls and holidays with her husband still took place, and everyone got from Lermontov. These dates were bitter for Barbara: the sharp-tongued poet openly scoffed not only at her husband, she also got taunts. In many works, the poet described this story - all of his heroines, externally and internally similar to Barbara, are deeply unhappy, and their husbands are complete worthless. Lermontov hated Bakhmetev and did not consider it worthy of happiness as a man of near and mediocre.
Varvara Lopukhina
Photos at that time had not yet been taken, but the poet described his beloved so colorfully that the reader sees even a mole above his eyebrow with his own eyes. Varvara Alexandrovna barely survived the death of Lermontov and, I must say, not for long. Having received this tragic news, she fell ill, and for several weeks she refused medicine and doctors. Barbara did not want to see anyone and did not want anything, only to die. Its extinction lasted ten difficult years.
From childhood, a healthy body did not want to die, but she made him. Not daring to express her feelings, she simply did not want to be treated. Her nerves became upset with the mere presence of her husband, who, even to the memory of Lermontov, was jealous. And sadness about unfulfilled gradually killed her. In 1851, Varvara Lopukhina remained only in poetry, but forever.