The poem by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin "" is not an entirely original source. When Pushkin sat down to write it, he was familiar with the original - the poem "To Melpomene" by Horatio, free translations and transcriptions of foreign and Russian poets. In Russia, Batyushkov, Derzhavin (whose verse is often with Pushkin's), and Lomonosov wrote on this subject. Later - Lermontov, A. Fet, Kapnist.

And at the same time, an analysis of the poem “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands” shows that it is not a translation, like the works of Lomonosov, Fet, Kapnist. This is not even an imitation of an ancient Roman poet who lived in pre-Christian times. Although some motives of Horatio are present in Pushkin's work. The ancient Roman ode served as a form, a kind of wrapper for Pushkin's original poem, in which the poet put his own content - feelings and worldview.

The poem was written in 1836, shortly before his death. It was a time of creative flourishing, grandiose literary plans and personal mental crisis.

In this poem, Pushkin, summing up his work, says:

And for a long time I will be kind to the people,
That I aroused good feelings with lyre,
That in my cruel age I glorified Freedom,
And he called for mercy on the fallen.

And the proud grandson of the Slavs, and the Finn, and now wild
Tunguz, and a Kalmyk friend of the steppes.

Between the lines one can read the poet's belief that people will someday be free and educated, and Pushkin will be translated into other languages. Well, that prophecy came true.

The appeal to the Muse to be obedient to the command of God is a call to writers who will create after him.

Not afraid of resentment, not demanding a crown,
Praise and slander were accepted indifferently,

And don't argue with the fool.

The poem is close to the genre of ode, it is written in iambic six-foot. This rhythm, more than others, corresponds to ancient poetry, and fits the ode. But unlike the ancient literary works, Pushkin's poem is not read heavily. On the contrary, the rhythm of the verse is energetic, and the work itself sounds solemn. True, the last stanza is set out in iambic tetrameter, which makes it energetic.

The work consists of 5 stanzas, the rhyme is crossed, the feminine rhyme alternates with the masculine. It can be divided into 3 parts: in the first, the poet says that he erected a monument to himself. In the second part, he explains how, in his opinion, he will be "kind to the people." And the third part is a call to the poets who will create after him.

The poem is related to the ode by Old Slavonicisms - head, pillar, piit, existing; and polyunion.

The poem uses means artistic expressiveness helping to feel the mood of the poet. These are epithets - miraculous, rebellious, great, cherished, proud, kind, wild, cruel.

The poem itself is metaphorical in essence. Everyone knows that Pushkin is not an architect or a sculptor, and did not build anything. He applied the inversion. Monument means all literary creativity which will keep the memory of him among the people. He says that his soul lives in his works. "Soul in the cherished lyre". The lyre is an ancient Greek musical instrument that symbolizes poetic creativity. Annenkov confirms the same idea:

"Real, full life his [Pushkin's] lies in his very works, generated, so to speak, by its course. In them, the reader can study both the soul of the poet and the circumstances of his existence, moving from one artistic image to another. This is how Pushkin wrote his biography... The reader may have the pleasure of tracing this poetic story about himself, starting from the first imitations of our poet to the erotic writers of France, until, after a series of powerful creations, he could exclaim in just pride:

I erected a monument to myself not made by hands:
The folk trail will not overgrow to it.

“I erected a monument to myself not made by hands ...” A. Pushkin

Exegi monumentum.

I erected a monument to myself not made by hands,
The folk trail will not grow to it,
He ascended higher as the head of the rebellious
Pillar of Alexandria.

No, all of me will not die - the soul is in the cherished lyre
My ashes will survive and decay will run away -
And I will be glorious as long as in the sublunar world
At least one piit will live.

The rumor about me will spread throughout the great Rus',
And every language that is in it will call me,
And the proud grandson of the Slavs, and the Finn, and now wild
Tungus, and a Kalmyk friend of the steppes.

And for a long time I will be kind to the people,
That I aroused good feelings with lyre,
That in my cruel age I glorified freedom
And he called for mercy on the fallen.

By the command of God, O muse, be obedient,
Not afraid of resentment, not demanding a crown;
Praise and slander received with indifference
And don't argue with the fool.

After the tragic death of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin on January 29, 1837, a draft of the poem “I erected a monument not made by hands” dated August 21, 1836 was found among his papers. The original work was handed over to the poet Vasily Zhukovsky, who introduced into the poem literary editing. Subsequently, the poems were included in the posthumous collection of Pushkin's works, which was published in 1841.

There are a number of assumptions related to the history of the creation of this poem. Researchers of Pushkin's work argue that the work "I erected a monument to myself not made by hands" is an imitation of the work of other poets, whom Pushkin simply paraphrased. For example, similar "Monuments" can be found in the works of Gavriil Derzhavin, Mikhail Lomonosov, Alexander Vostokov and Vasily Kapnist - brilliant writers of the 17th century. However, many Pushkinists are inclined to believe that the poet got the main ideas for this poem in Horace's ode called "Exegi monumentum".

What exactly prompted Pushkin to create this work? Today, this can only be guessed at. However, the poet's contemporaries reacted rather coolly to the poem, believing that it was at least incorrect to praise their literary talents. Admirers of Pushkin's work, on the contrary, saw in this work a hymn modern poetry and the victory of the spiritual over the material. However, among close friends of Pushkin, there was an opinion at all that the work was full of irony and was an epigram, which the poet addressed to himself. Thus, he seemed to want to emphasize that his work deserves a much more respectful attitude of fellow tribesmen, which should be supported not only by ephemeral admiration, but also by material benefits.

The “ironic” version of the appearance of this work is also supported by the notes of the memoirist Pyotr Vyazemsky, who maintained friendly relations with Pushkin and argued that the word “not made by hands” in the context of the work has a completely different meaning. In particular, Pyotr Vyazemsky repeatedly stated that the poem was not at all about the poet’s literary and spiritual heritage, since “he wrote his poems with nothing more than his hands,” but about his status in modern society. Indeed, in the highest circles of Pushkin, they did not like him, although they recognized his undoubted literary talent. But, at the same time, with his work, Pushkin, who managed to receive national recognition during his lifetime, could not earn a living and was forced to constantly mortgage property in order to somehow ensure a decent level of existence for his family. This is confirmed by the order of Tsar Nicholas I, which he gave after the death of Pushkin, obliging him to pay all the poet's debts from the treasury, as well as assign maintenance to his widow and children in the amount of 10 thousand rubles.

In addition, there is a “mystical” version of the creation of the poem “I have erected a monument to myself not made by hands”, the supporters of which are convinced that Pushkin foresaw his death. That is why, six months before his death, he wrote this work, which, if we discard the ironic context, can be regarded as the spiritual testament of the poet. Moreover, Pushkin knew that his work would become a role model not only in Russian, but also in foreign literature. There is a legend that a fortune-teller predicted Pushkin's death in a duel at the hands of a handsome blond, and the poet knew not only the exact date, but also the time of his death. Therefore, he took care to sum up his own life in poetic form.

What is a verse? Rhyming lines conveying some thought, nothing more. But if poems could be decomposed into molecules, consider the percentage of components, then everyone would understand that poetry is a much more complex structure. 10% text, 30% information and 60% feelings - that's what a verse is. Belinsky once said that in every feeling of Pushkin there is something noble, graceful and tender. It was these feelings that became the basis of his poetry. Was he able to transfer them in full? This can be said after the analysis “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands” - the last work of the great poet.

remember me

The poem "Monument" was written shortly before the death of the poet. Here lyrical hero Pushkin himself spoke. He reflected on his difficult fate and the role he played in history. Poets tend to think about their place in this world. And Pushkin wants to believe that his work was not in vain. Like every representative of creative professions, he wants to be remembered. And with the poem "Monument" he seems to sum up his creative activity as if to say, "Remember me."

The poet is eternal

“I have erected a monument to myself not made by hands”... This work reveals the theme of the poet and poetry, comprehends the problem of poetic fame, but most importantly, the poet believes that glory can conquer death. Pushkin is proud that his poetry is free, because he did not write for fame. As the lyricist himself once noted: "Poetry is a selfless service to humanity."

Reading a poem, you can enjoy its solemn atmosphere. Art will live forever, and its creator will certainly go down in history. Stories about him will be passed down from generation to generation, his words will be quoted and his ideas supported. The poet is eternal. He only person who is not afraid of death. As long as you are remembered, you exist.

But at the same time, solemn speeches are saturated with sadness. This verse is last words Pushkin, which put an end to his work. The poet seems to want to say goodbye, asking in the end for the smallest thing - to be remembered. This is the meaning of Pushkin's verse "Monument". His work is full of love for the reader. To the last, he believes in the power of the poetic word and hopes that he managed to fulfill the task entrusted to him.

Year of writing

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin died in 1837 (January 29). Some time later, among his notes, a draft version of the verse "Monument" was found. Pushkin indicated the year of writing 1836 (August 21). Soon the original work was handed over to the poet Vasily Zhukovsky, he made some literary corrections to it. But only four years later this poem saw the world. The verse "Monument" was included in the posthumous collection of the poet's works, published in 1841.

Disagreements

There are many versions of how this work was created. The history of the creation of Pushkin's "Monument" is really amazing. Creativity researchers still can't agree on one version, putting forward assumptions ranging from the extremely sarcastic to the completely mystical.

They say that the poem by A. S. Pushkin “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands” is nothing more than an imitation of the work of other poets. Works of this kind, the so-called "Monuments", can be traced in the works of G. Derzhavin, M. Lomonosov, A. Vostokov and other writers of the 17th century. In turn, adherents of Pushkin's work assure that he was inspired to create this poem by Horace's ode Exegi monumentum. The disagreements between Pushkinists did not end there, because researchers can only guess how the verse was created.

Irony and debt

In turn, Pushkin's contemporaries rather coolly accepted his "Monument". They saw in this poem nothing more than the praise of their poetic talents. And it was at least incorrect. However, admirers of his talent, on the contrary, considered the poem as a hymn to modern poetry.

Among the poet's friends there was an opinion that in this poem there is nothing but irony, and the work itself is a message that Pushkin left for himself. They believed that in this way the poet wanted to draw attention to the fact that his work deserves greater recognition and respect. And this respect should be backed up not only by exclamations of admiration, but also by some material incentives.

By the way, this assumption is somewhat confirmed by the notes of Pyotr Vyazemsky. With the poet he was good relations and could boldly assert that the word "not made by hands", used by the poet, had a slightly different meaning. Vyazemsky was sure he was right and repeatedly stated that the poem was about status in modern society, and not about cultural heritage poet. The highest circles of society recognized that Pushkin had a remarkable talent, but they did not like him. Although the poet's work was recognized by the people, he could not earn a living by this. To ensure a decent standard of living, he constantly mortgaged his property. This is evidenced by the fact that after the death of Pushkin, Tsar Nicholas I gave the order to pay all the debts of the poet from the state treasury and assigned maintenance to his widow and children.

Mystical version of the creation of the work

As you can see, when studying the poem “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands”, an analysis of the history of creation suggests the existence of a “mystical” version of the appearance of the work. Supporters of this idea are sure that Pushkin felt his imminent death. Six months before his death, he created a "non-hand-made monument" for himself. He put an end to his career as a poet by writing his last testament to poetry.

The poet seemed to know that his poems would become a role model, not only in Russian, but also in world literature. There is also a legend that once a fortuneteller predicted his death at the hands of a handsome blond. At the same time, Pushkin knew not only the date, but also the time of his death. And when the end was already near, he took care to sum up his work.

But be that as it may, the verse was written and published. We, his descendants, can only guess what caused the writing of the poem, and analyze it.

Genre

As for the genre, the poem "Monument" is an ode. However, this is a special kind of genre. An ode to oneself came to Russian literature as a pan-European tradition, originating from ancient times. It is not for nothing that Pushkin used lines from Horace's poem "To Melpomene" as an epigraph. IN literal translation Exegi monumentum means "I erected a monument." The poem "To Melpomene" he wrote at the end of his creative way. Melpomene is an ancient Greek muse, the patroness of tragedies and theatrics. Turning to her, Horace tries to evaluate his merits in poetry. Later, this kind of work became a kind of tradition in literature.

This tradition was introduced into Russian poetry by Lomonosov, who was the first to translate the work of Horace. Later, relying on ancient art, G. Derzhavin wrote his "Monument". It was he who determined the main genre features of such "monuments". This genre tradition received its final form in the work of Pushkin.

Composition

Speaking about the composition of Pushkin's verse "Monument", it should be noted that it is divided into five stanzas, where the original forms and poetic meters are used. Like Derzhavin, like Pushkin, “The Monument” is written in quatrains, which are somewhat modified.

Pushkin wrote the first three stanzas in traditional odic meter - iambic six-foot, but the last stanza was written in iambic four-foot. When analyzing “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands”, it is clear that it is on this last stanza that Pushkin makes the main semantic emphasis.

Subject

The work "Monument" by Pushkin is a hymn to lyrics. Its main theme is the glorification of true poetry and the affirmation of the poet's place of honor in the life of society. Even though Pushkin continued the traditions of Lomonosov and Derzhavin, he largely rethought the problems of the ode and put forward his own ideas regarding the evaluation of creativity and its true purpose.

Pushkin tries to reveal the theme of the relationship between the writer and the reader. He says that his poems are intended for the masses. This is felt already from the first lines: "The folk path will not overgrow to it."

“I erected a monument to myself not made by hands”: analysis

In the first stanza of the verse, the poet affirms the significance of such a poetic monument in comparison with other merits and monuments. Pushkin also introduces here the theme of freedom, which is often heard in his work.

The second stanza, in fact, is no different from that of other poets that the "monuments" wrote. Here Pushkin exalts the immortal spirit of poetry, which allows poets to live forever: "No, all of me will not die - the soul is in the cherished lyre." The poet also focuses on the fact that in the future his work will be recognized in wider circles. IN last years he was not understood and accepted in his life, so Pushkin had hopes that in the future there would be people who were close to him in spiritual disposition.

In the third stanza, the poet reveals the theme of the development of interest in poetry among the common people, who were unfamiliar with it. But most attention should be paid to the last stanza. It was in it that Pushkin told what his work consists of and what will ensure his immortality: “Praise and slander were accepted indifferently and do not challenge the creator.” 10% of the text, 30% of information and 60% of feelings - this is how Pushkin turned out to be an ode, a miraculous monument that he erected to himself.

Buyan Island: Pushkin and Geography Trube Lev Ludwigovich

"And a Kalmyk friend of the steppes"

"And a Kalmyk friend of the steppes"

Every nation is unique. A. S. Pushkin tried to explain this by the influence of climate, the form of government, faith, which gives "each people a special physiognomy, which is more or less reflected in the mirror of poetry." “There is a way of thinking and feeling, there is a darkness of customs, beliefs and habits that belong exclusively to some people,” he wrote in the article “On Nationality in Literature”.

In Pushkin's works there are names of many peoples, both well-known and little-known; some of these peoples appear under the names that are still preserved, and others under the old ones that existed in former times. And above all, these are the names of the peoples, captured in his far-sighted "Monument":

The rumor about me will spread throughout the great Rus',

And every language that is in it will call me,

And the proud grandson of the Slavs, and the Finn, and now wild

Tungus, and a Kalmyk friend of the steppes.

The choice by the poet of the names of the peoples given in the "Monument" is not accidental, as happens with other poets for rhyme, but is deeply thought out. In the four names of peoples, in essence, the entire vast territory of Russia is covered. "Proud grandson of the Slavs" represents Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians; Finn - a representative of the peoples living in the vast territory of the north of the country; Tungus - the peoples of Siberia and Kalmyks - the south and southeast, the Mongol-Turkic peoples. True, while working on this poem, the poet did not immediately identify the four indicated peoples. As the draft shows, only two names that appear in all versions of the poem were indisputable for him - these are “Russian” and “Finn”. "Tungus" and "Kalmyk", included in the initial version, were then replaced and such options were outlined: "and a Finn, a Georgian, a Kirghiz", and "a Finn, a Georgian and now a wild Circassian". As can be seen, the poet settled on the names of the most representative peoples, more precisely, on the names of the peoples who inhabited the vast territory of the country - from the shores of the Baltic to the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk, from the North Arctic Ocean to the Caspian. This only emphasizes the awareness of A. S. Pushkin in matters of ethnology, his knowledge of history different peoples, and he knew the history of the Kalmyks well from the manuscript of N. Ya. Bichurin, about which he wrote in the notes to the "History of Pugachev": L. T.) an excerpt from his still unpublished book on the Kalmyks. At the same time, Pushkin, according to the researcher A. I. Surzhok, “adheres to his own, completely independent concept about the tragic departure of the Kalmyks from Russia” 1: “worn out of patience, they decided to leave Russia…” due to harassment. She went to her original homeland, to Dzungaria, only a part of the Kalmyks. Having lost many fellow tribesmen on the way, they reached Dzungaria. “But the frontier chain of Chinese guards menacingly blocked their entrance to their former fatherland, and the Kalmyks could only penetrate into it with the loss of their independence” (notes to Pugachev’s History).

There is no need to talk much about the “proud grandson of the Slavs”: the poet devoted many lines to him in his works.

A. S. Pushkin was proud of his people, the Russian man, primarily the peasant, who formed the basis of the Russian people. “Look at the Russian peasant,” he wrote, “is there even a shadow of slavish humiliation in his steps and speech? There is nothing to say about his courage and intelligence. His receptivity is known. Agility and dexterity are amazing. The traveler travels from region to region in Russia, not knowing a single word of Russian, and everywhere he is understood, his requirements are fulfilled, and conditions are concluded with him. You will never meet in our people what the French call un badaud; you will never notice in him either rude surprise or ignorant contempt for someone else ”(“ Journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg ”).

Finn A. S. Pushkin has a clearly collective name, that is, it refers not only to the Finns proper (Suomi, as they call themselves), who make up the main population of Finland, but also to their relatives Karelians, Estonians and other peoples of the Finnish language group. Earlier, in pre-revolutionary times, they were also called Chukhons (Finnish population surrounded by St. Petersburg):

Your chukhonochka, she-she,

Byron's Greek women are dearer,

And your Zoil is a straight Chukhonets.

"To Baratynsky"

In our country, the peoples of the Finnish group (Karels, Estonians, Maris, Mordvins, Udmurts, Komi) make up more than 4 million people, and the area of ​​the republics formed by these peoples is 1375 thousand square meters. kilometers, that is, over 1/4 of the European territory of the USSR.

Tungus , or, as they are now called by the self-name of the people, the Evenks, although they represent a small people (only 28 thousand people), forming an autonomous district as part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, they are settled not only on the territory of the district, but also far beyond its borders - on most of Siberia, from the Ob to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The widespread settlement of the Evenks since ancient times is evidenced, in particular, by numerous Evenk geographical names, primarily a number of large rivers - the Yenisei, Lena, Yana, which are based on the Evenki word ene meaning "big river". The Evenk is indeed a representative of the peoples of all Siberia, and has long been no longer a “wild” representative of it, but no less enlightened than other peoples.

But in the pre-revolutionary past, the Evenks, like many other small peoples, did not have their own written language and were, one might say frankly, completely illiterate, led a nomadic lifestyle, conical plagues in the camps served as their dwellings.

WITH Kalmyks the poet communicated directly, was a guest of the Kalmyk family in a steppe wagon, tasted the national dish, however, he, who was accustomed to Russian cuisine, did not like it. Here is how A. S. Pushkin describes his visit to a Kalmyk family on his way to the Caucasus in 1829: “The other day I visited a Kalmyk tent (a checkered wattle fence covered with white felt). The whole family was going to have breakfast; the cauldron was boiled in the middle, and the smoke came out through a hole made in the top of the wagon. A young Kalmyk woman, very good-looking, was sewing, smoking tobacco. I sat down next to her. "What is your name?" "***" - "How old are you?" - "Ten and eight." - "What are you sewing?" - Porta. - "To whom?" - "Myself". She handed me her pipe and began to have breakfast. Tea was brewed in a cauldron with mutton fat and salt. She offered me her ladle. I did not want to refuse and took a sip, trying not to take a breath ... I asked for something to eat it. They gave me a piece of dried mare; I was glad for that too. Kalmyk coquetry frightened me; I quickly got out of the wagon and drove from the steppe Circe ”(“ Journey to Arzrum ”).

Judging by the draft entry, the end of this visit to the Kalmyk wagon looked somewhat different. According to the original version of the entry, the poet swallowed the piece of dried mare with great pleasure. “After this feat, I thought I was entitled to some reward. But my proud beauty hit me on the head with a Musiki instrument similar to our balalaika. Here is a message for her that will probably never reach her…”

Farewell, dear Kalmyk!

Just a little, to spite my ploys,

me a laudable habit

Not carried away among the steppes

Following your wagon.

Your eyes are, of course, narrow

And the nose is flat, and the forehead is wide,

You don't babble in French

You do not squeeze your legs with silk,

In English before the samovar

Do not crumble bread with a pattern.

Don't admire Saint-Mar

You don't appreciate Shakespeare a little,

Don't fall into a dream

When there is no thought in the head,

Do not sing: Madov'?,

You don’t gallop in the assembly ...

What needs? - Exactly half an hour,

While the horses were harnessed to me,

My mind and heart occupied

Your gaze and wild beauty.

Friends! not everything is the same:

Forget yourself with an idle soul

In a brilliant hall, in a fashionable box,

Or in a nomadic kibitka?

It is interesting to note that A. Blok “started” from this poem, creating a portrait of an Egyptian woman: “All the features of an Egyptian woman are far from any kind of “canon” of beauty. The forehead seems to be too large, it was not for nothing that she covered it with her hair. There is something Mongolian in the oval of the cheeks, almost what made Pushkin "forget himself with a passionate dream" in a "nomadic wagon" and dreamily cross out the manuscripts of poems with profiles.

A nomadic people in the past, the Kalmyks are now forming their own autonomous republic as part of Russian Federation, within which lives 4/5 of more than 170 thousand of them in the country. Now the Kalmyks, who have reached the same heights in education as other peoples of our multinational country, are not alien to all the achievements of human culture. In the capital of the republic, Elista, a monument was erected to A. S. Pushkin, the great internationalist poet, whose poems every Kalmyk turns to.

Many peoples appear in his works.

The poet dedicated a whole poem gypsies who "... roam around Bessarabia in a noisy crowd." He spent two weeks in a gypsy camp.

“While living in Bessarabia,” writes V. A. Manuilov, “Pushkin learned the gypsy language, got acquainted with gypsy songs, wrote down old Moldavian legends and songs… “Black Shawl” is an artistic reworking of a Moldavian song…” 3 .

The unusual fate of the gypsies prompted A. S. Pushkin to give notes to the poem, in which he writes: “For a long time in Europe they did not know the origin of the gypsies; considered them to come from Egypt - until now in some lands and call them Egyptians. English travelers finally resolved all perplexities - it is proved that the gypsies belong to an outcast caste of Indians called bet. Language and what can be called their faith - even facial features and way of life - are true evidence of this. Their attachment to the wild liberty secured by poverty has everywhere weary measures, adopted by the government to transform the idle life of these vagabonds - they roam in Russia, as in England; men are engaged in crafts necessary for the first needs, trade in horses, drive bears, deceive and steal, women hunt divination, singing and dancing.

In Moldova, the gypsies make up the majority of the population ... "

The last statement of the poet, who did not have statistical data, is incorrect (gypsies did not make up the majority of the population of Moldova). It is no coincidence that he made an addition to his note about Bessarabia: “Bessarabia, known from the deepest antiquity, should be especially interesting for us.

She is sung by Derzhavin

And full of Russian glory.

But until now this area is known to us from the erroneous descriptions of two or three travelers.

As of 1833, Bessarabia had a population of 465,000 people 6 . Over the next half century, it increased to 1.6 million people, of which in 1889 about half were Moldovans and 18.8 thousand were gypsies.

Currently, in Moldova, out of 4 million people, Moldovans make up about 2/3 of its population, and there are a little more than ten thousand people, and they are in eighth place among other nationalities of this multinational republic (after Moldovans, Ukrainians, Russians, Gagauzes). , Bulgarians, Jews, Belarusians). Only 1/20 of all Roma in the USSR live in Moldova (according to the 1979 census, there were 209,000 of them in the country).

And here is the apt remark of the poet about the numerous old Chisinau bazaar:

The money-loving Jew crowds among the crowd,

Under the cloak, a Cossack, the ruler of the Caucasus,

A talkative Greek and a silent Turk,

And an important Persian, and a cunning Armenian.

"Squeezing among the crowd..."

The peoples of the Caucasus are not bypassed by the attention of the poet. Having visited Georgia, he spoke about Georgians : “Georgians are a warlike people. They have proven their courage under our banners. Their mental faculties expect more education. They are generally cheerful and sociable” (“Journey to Arzrum”). In four concise phrases, a capacious description of the people with its potentialities is given, which were fully revealed only a century later - in Soviet times.

Passing through the land of ancient Armenia, A. S. Pushkin stopped for the night with people completely unfamiliar to him, who received him very kindly, to which he draws his attention: “The rain poured down on me. Finally, a young man came out of a nearby house Armenian and, after talking with my Turk, he called me to his place, speaking in fairly pure Russian. He led me up a narrow staircase to the second quarter of his house. In the room, furnished with low sofas and shabby carpets, sat an old woman, his mother. She came up to me and kissed my hand. Her son told her to build a fire and cook dinner for me. I undressed and sat down in front of the fire... Soon the old woman cooked me mutton with onions, which seemed to me the height of culinary art. We all went to bed in the same room; I lay down against the fading fireplace and fell asleep ... ". This is a small ethnographic sketch showing the life ordinary people Armenia.

Being in the Baltic states, the hero of the work unfinished by the poet (“In 179* I was returning ...”) notes: “From a distance a sad song of a young Estonians ».

Of course, A. S. Pushkin was familiar with Boldino neighbors - Mordovians , as well as our other neighbors - Chuvash And cheremis (now Mari). In the "History of Pugachev" he writes: "Mordovians, Chuvashs, Cheremis ceased to obey the Russian authorities." In Pugachev's army there were "... up to ten thousand Kalmyks, Bashkirs, yasak Tatars ...". The above was about kyrgyz-kaisakakh (Kazakhs).

More than two dozen names of the peoples of our country are found in the works of the poet.

Various peoples of foreign countries are also mentioned in the works of A. S. Pushkin: Arvanites, Bosniaks, Dalmatians, Vlachs, Ottomans, Adekhi, Saracens (Sarachins) and others, which indicates the wide geographical knowledge of the poet.

Arvanites - the Turkish name of the Albanians, under which they appear in the story "Kirdzhali": "... Arnauts in their tattered and picturesque outfit, slender Moldavian women with black-faced guys in their arms surrounded the karutsa" (karutsa - a wicker cart).

Bosniaks (Bosniaks) - residents of Bosnia, in the past a Turkish province, and now a republic within Yugoslavia: “Beglerbey with his Bosniaks came against us ...” (“The Battle of Zenica the Great” - from “Songs of the Western Slavs”).

Dalmatia - residents of Dalmatia, formerly an Austrian province near the Adriatic Sea, and now a region in Yugoslavia: “And the Dalmatians, seeing our army, twisted their long mustaches, put on their hats on one side and said:“ Take us with you: We want to fight the Busurmans "" (“The Battle of Zenitsa the Great” - from “Songs of the Western Slavs”).

Wallachians - residents of the principality of Wallachia, which was under Turkish rule; then, after liberation, they became part of the Romanian nation, and Wallachia became part of Romania. The hero of the story "Kirdzhali", after whom it is named, says: "For the Turks, for the Moldavians, for the Vlachs, of course, I am a robber, but for the Russians I am a guest." And the origin of Kirdzhali "was the Bulgars."

Ottomans - the ancient name of the Turks (after the Turkish Sultan of the XVI century Osman I - the founder of the Ottoman Empire).

I was among the Dons,

I also drove a gang of Ottomans;

In memory of battle and tents

I brought a whip home -

this is how the poet recalls his participation in the battle near Arzrum, which he is silent about in Journey to Arzrum, placing only a drawing on which he depicted himself on a horse with a pike. This is the testimony of an eyewitness N. A. Ushakov: “The shootout on June 14, 1829 is remarkable because our glorious poet A. S. Pushkin participated in it ... Grabbing the pike of one of the killed Cossacks, he rushed against the enemy riders. One can believe that our Don people were extremely astonished when they saw in front of them an unfamiliar hero in a round hat and cloak. It was the first and last debut of the favorite of the muses in the Caucasus” 7 . By the way, having received from the author a book in which this episode is described, A. S. Pushkin answered him in June 1836: “I saw with amazement that you gave me immortality - with one line of your pen.”

This episode inspired Pushkin's poem "Delibash". Here is its beginning:

Skirmish behind the hills;

Looks at their camp and ours;

On the hill before the Cossacks

A red delibash winds.

Adehi - from the self-name "Adyge" of three kindred peoples - Kabardians, Circassians, Adyghes, who were also called Circassians earlier.

Not for conversations and jubilations,

Not for bloody meetings

Not for questions kunak,

Not for robbery fun

So early adekhi gathered

To the yard of Gasub the old man.

Sarachins (for the poet in the form of a magpie), or Saracens, originally (for ancient historians) the name of the nomadic tribes of Arabia, and then in general of all Arabs, and sometimes Muslims. The Sarachins proper are western Cumans.

Brothers in a friendly crowd

Going out for a walk

Shoot gray ducks

Amuse the right hand

Sorochina hurry in the field ...

"The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Bogatyrs"

Noteworthy is the explanation of A. S. Pushkin about the “Arabs” and “Araps” in a letter to P. A. Vyazemsky (second half of 1835-1836): “Arab ( female does not have) a resident or native of Arabia, an Arabian. The caravan was plundered by the steppe Arabs.

arap, female arapki, so commonly called Negroes and mulattoes. Palace araps, Negroes serving in the palace. He leaves with three smart blacks».

The names of different peoples in A. S. Pushkin are organically woven into the fabric of works, in which apt characteristics and definitions are given, in one or two words creating their visible images: “Moldovan in a mustache and a ram's hat”.

A. S. Pushkin was an ardent champion of the equality of peoples, their friendship, and, naturally, did not consider it shameful for a person to belong to one or another people, if only he was decent.

It's not that you're a Pole:

Kosciuszko Lyakh, Mitskevich Lyakh!

Perhaps, be yourself a Tatar, -

And here I see no shame;

Be a Jew - and it does not matter;

The trouble is that you are Vidok Figlyarin.

"That's not the problem..."

The poet was proud of his ancestor (on the maternal side) - Hannibal, a native of Africa, the "Arap" of Peter the Great:

Decided Figlyarin, sitting at home,

That black grandfather is my Hannibal

Was bought for a bottle of rum

And fell into the hands of the skipper.

This skipper was that glorious skipper,

By whom our earth moved,

Who gave a mighty sovereign run

Rudder of the native ship.

This skipper was available to my grandfather.

And similarly bought arap

Has grown diligent, incorruptible,

The king is a confidante, not a slave.

And he was the father of Hannibal,

Before whom among the depths of Chesme

The mass of ships flared up

And Navarin fell for the first time...

"My Pedigree"

A. S. Pushkin, as a thinker, thought about the fate of not only the peoples of his country, but also the world. And this immense breadth of interests, the depth of penetration of his genius into all aspects of the life of the contemporary world was appreciated by the great Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz: “... Nobody can replace Pushkin. Only once is it given to a country to reproduce a person who to such a high degree combines such different and apparently mutually exclusive qualities. Pushkin, whose poetic talent surprised readers, captivated, amazed listeners with his liveliness, subtlety and clarity of mind, was gifted with an extraordinary memory, a correct judgment, refined and excellent taste. When he spoke about foreign and domestic policy, one could think that you were listening to a man who had become seasoned in state affairs and was saturated with daily reading of parliamentary debates. He made many enemies for himself with epigrams and biting ridicule. They took revenge on him with slander. I knew the Russian poet quite closely and for quite a long time; I found in him a character too impressionable, and sometimes frivolous, but always sincere, noble and capable of cordial outpourings. His errors seemed to be the fruit of the circumstances in which he lived; everything that was good in him flowed from the heart.

And the poet's heart beat restlessly in anxieties for the fate of large and small nations, for the future of mankind.

The friendship of free peoples is peace on Earth, which A. S. Pushkin passionately desired, foreseeing it in the future. In a note about the "Project eternal peace» Abbot Saint-Pierre, referring to the time of his stay in Chisinau, he wrote:

"1. It is impossible that in time the ridiculous cruelty of war would not become clear to people, just as slavery became clear to them, royalty etc... They will make sure that our destiny is to eat, drink and be free.

2. Since constitutions - which are a great step forward of human thought, a step that will not be the only one - necessarily tend to reduce the number of troops, since the principle of armed force is directly opposed to every constitutional idea, it is possible that in less than 100 years not there will be a standing army.

3. As for the great passions and great military talents, the guillotine will remain for this, because society is not at all inclined to admire the great plans of the victorious general: people have enough other concerns, and only for this they put themselves under the protection of the laws "(" On Eternal Peace " ).

The development of the poet's freedom-loving views on the issue of "eternal peace" can be assumed to have been influenced by our countryman A. D. Ulybyshev. Academician M.P. Alekseev writes about this: “Back in St. Petersburg, among the members of the Green Lamp, at the end of 1819, he could hear the reading of a short work by his friend A.D. Ulybyshev called “Dream”, this early Decembrist “utopia ", which refers to future Russia liberated after the revolutionary upheaval from the oppression of the feudal-absolute regime” 9 . It was a document of advanced political thought in Russia.

A. S. Pushkin, together with the great Polish poet A. Mickiewicz, was convinced that the time would come

When peoples, forgetting strife,

Join a great family.

"He lived between us..."

“Let's hope that Pushkin was right this time too,” MP Alekseev concludes his study “Pushkin and the Problem of Eternal Peace.”