Lermontov - RU LIT

Mikhail Lermontov was born on October 3 (Old Style: October 15, New Style), 1814, in Moscow. His father, Yuri Petrovich Lermontov, was a retired army captain from a minor noble family. His mother, Maria Mikhailovna Arsenyeva (née Stolypina), died when Mikhail was only three years old. This led to a bitter custody conflict between his father and his formidable maternal grandmother, Elizaveta Alekseevna Arsenyeva. Arsenyeva, a wealthy landowner, ultimately won, essentially cutting off the young Lermontov from his father to provide him with a privileged upbringing and inheritance. Consequently, Lermontov's relationship with his grandmother was complex; he was devoted to her for her love and the opportunities she provided, yet he also felt controlled by her. His relationship with his father, whom he saw infrequently, was one of affection and pity, resenting his grandmother for their separation. His closest familial bond in his youth was with his cousin, Alexandra "Sasha" Vereshchagina, who was a confidante and recipient of many intimate letters. In 1835, at the age of 21, Lermontov's appearance was distinctive and memorable. He was of short to average height, with a sturdy, athletic, and well-proportioned build. His face was not conventionally handsome; he had a large head, a high, intelligent forehead, and large, expressive, dark hazel eyes that were considered his most captivating feature. Observers noted that his eyes could radiate profound thought or flash with sarcastic mockery. His demeanor was characterized by a certain sullenness and a penetrating, unsmiling gaze that could be unsettling. His character at this time was profoundly complex and contradictory. He was intensely passionate, proud, and prone to deep melancholy and boredom (a state akin to the "spleen" or Russian "toska"). He possessed a sharp, merciless wit and a talent for caustic sarcasm, which he often deployed in social situations, earning him a reputation for being difficult and arrogant. This exterior of a cynical dandy, however, masked a vulnerable, deeply sensitive, and romantic soul, which he revealed only in his poetry and to his closest friends. A key distinguishing trait was his duality: the outward-facing, mocking socialite versus the inward-facing, tormented poet By the end of 1835, Lermontov's professional work was at a crossroads. Having graduated from the Nikolayevsky Cavalry School, he was a commissioned cornet in the Life Guard Hussar Regiment, stationed at Tsarskoye Selo. This was his official military service. However, his true vocation was literature. While he had been writing poetry for years, 1835 was significant because he wrote his first major prose work, the unfinished novel "Princess Ligovskaya," and actively worked on his poetic masterpiece, the long narrative poem "The Demon," which he had begun earlier and would continue to revise for years. He also penned numerous lyrical poems. His education was extensive and typical for a young Russian nobleman of his standing. He received an excellent private education at home, overseen by his grandmother, which included languages (French, German, and English), music, and painting. From 1828 to 1830, he studied at the Moscow University Noble Pension. In 1830, he enrolled at Moscow University but left in 1832 due to conflicts with professors, without obtaining a degree. He then entered the School of Junkers and Ensigns of the Guard in St. Petersburg, graduating in 1834 as a cornet in the Hussar regiment, which marked the completion of his formal education and the start of his military career. Mikhail Lermontov's character was a complex and contradictory blend of intense passion and cynical detachment. He was prone to profound melancholy, romantic yearning, and what he himself termed "spleen" – a deep-seated boredom with high society. This internal turmoil was often masked by an exterior of arrogant pride, a sharp, merciless wit, and a talent for caustic sarcasm. He was highly intelligent, perceptive, and possessed a rebellious spirit that chafed against authority and social hypocrisy. In his relations with comrades and friends, Lermontov was dualistic. With a very small, intimate circle of trusted friends, like his cousin Sasha Vereshchagina or the philosopher Alexander Herzen, he could be loyal, open, and reveal his vulnerable, poetic soul. However, in his broader social circle, particularly in the glamorous salons of St. Petersburg, he was often a difficult and provocative companion. He was known to compose and recite epigrams that mocked his acquaintances, creating many enemies with his biting humor. He seemed to derive a perverse pleasure from exposing the flaws and vanities of those around him. His attitude towards duels was consistent with his rebellious and proud nature: he saw them as a necessary, if dangerous, means of defending his honor and personal dignity. He was not a bloodthirsty duelist but was absolutely prepared to issue and accept challenges when he felt insulted, viewing compliance with the dueling code as a point of personal principle. This mindset would, of course, lead directly to his own death. Regarding travel, he had a deep love for it, particularly for the Caucasus. The majestic mountains and wild landscapes of the Caucasus stood in stark contrast to the "painted" high society of the capitals and became a fundamental source of inspiration for his poetry, representing freedom, natural beauty, and spiritual grandeur. His relationship with his grandmother, Elizaveta Arsenyeva, was the most profound and complex of his life. He was deeply devoted to her, acknowledging her immense love for him and the privileged life and education she provided. He regularly wrote to her with affection and concern. However, he also resented her domineering nature, particularly for her role in estranging him from his father, a source of lifelong pain. His feelings were a mixture of genuine love, a sense of duty, and a feeling of being controlled. Food and Drink: as an officer and aristocrat, he partook in the rich cuisine and wines of his social circle. He was known to enjoy social gatherings and champagne suppers. Clothing: He was a noted dandy. He took great care with his appearance, adhering to the latest fashions. His military uniforms were impeccably tailored, and his civilian clothes were stylish and elegant, reflecting his desire to stand out and his awareness of social standing. Music and Art: Lermontov was musically gifted; he played the violin, piano, and sang, often composing his own romances. He was also a highly talented painter, particularly in watercolors and drawings. His artistic subjects often mirrored his literary ones: landscapes of the Caucasus, military scenes, and romantic, fantastical sketches. Nature and Weather: He had a romantic's passion for nature, but not idyllic, pastoral scenes. He was drawn to the sublime and the powerful: the stormy, turbulent skies and the majestic, untamed landscapes of the Caucasus mountains. This preference for wild nature over tranquil gardens reflected his own inner turmoil. Surroundings/Social Environment: He despised the artificial, gossip-ridden, and hypocritical environment of high society salons, which he famously called "a masquerade" and "a gathering of painted puppets." He felt intellectually and spiritually superior to this crowd and viewed it with contempt. What he hated and despised above all was hypocrisy, social conformity, and the stifling atmosphere of Nikolai I's Russia. He held in contempt the "haughty and foolish" high society, the careerist bureaucrats, and the lack of genuine freedom. He despised blind obedience to authority and the suppression of independent thought. His poetry and prose are filled with a scornful, almost vengeful, critique of the spiritual emptiness of his generation and the society that shaped it. Mikhail Lermontov's literary tastes were profoundly shaped by Romanticism. He had an exceptional knowledge of both Russian and Western European literature. His favorite books and greatest influences were the works of Lord Byron, to the extent that he was often called the "Russian Byron," both for his poetic themes and his rebellious, disillusioned persona. He also deeply admired the works of Alexander Pushkin, whom he regarded as a literary idol, along with the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, particularly his The Sorrows of Young Werther, and the novels of Sir Walter Scott. He was well-versed in French literature, including the works of Rousseau and Benjamin Constant. In terms of philosophy, the ideas of Schelling and Hegel were significant influences on his worldview. Regarding plants and nature, Lermontov had a particular romantic attachment to the flora of the Caucasus, which symbolized for him a wild, pristine beauty and freedom absent from high society life. The oak and the pine were recurring poetic symbols in his work, representing loneliness, strength, and resilience. In his early poem "The Oak Leaf" (1841), he uses a leaf as a central metaphor for loneliness and searching. While specific garden flowers are less documented, his poetry is filled with general, idealized natural imagery of the "East," such as the "slender and beautiful" plane trees and the fragrant roses of Georgia, which he used to create an atmosphere of exotic, passionate romance. His manner of communication was highly dependent on his audience. In his small circle of close friends, he could be a charming, witty, and passionate conversationalist, often playing the piano and singing his own romantic ballads. However, in the larger, fashionable salons of St. Petersburg, he was infamous for his caustic wit, sarcastic epigrams, and mocking remarks. He would often purposefully provoke and insult acquaintances, creating an aura of a brilliant but dangerous and disagreeable man. His communication style was a direct reflection of his character: deeply sensitive underneath, but protected by a sharp, defensive, and often cruel intellect. Identifying his single closest friend is complex, as his relationships were intense but often tumultuous. However, throughout his youth and up to 1835, his cousin, Alexandra "Sasha" Vereshchagina, was arguably his most intimate and trusted confidante. Their extensive correspondence reveals he shared with her his deepest literary plans, personal frustrations, and emotional secrets, trusting her judgment more than anyone else's. By the end of 1835, Lermontov had already written a significant body of work, though national fame would only come in 1837 with his poem "The Death of a Poet." His key works written before and up to 1835 include: Poetry: A vast number of lyrical poems such as "The Sail" (1832), "The Angel" (1831), and "Borodino" (1837 was a later revision, but the theme was developed earlier). His major narrative poems The Demon (started in 1829 and undergoing constant revision) and The Novice (started in 1833) were in progress. Drama: The verse drama A Strange Man (1831). Prose: He began his first significant prose work, the unfinished novel Princess Ligovskaya (1836). His primary sources of inspiration were: Lord Byron: His style, rebellious heroes, and themes of disillusionment. The Caucasus: The majestic mountains and wild nature were a constant source of poetic and personal inspiration, representing freedom and pure beauty. Personal Emotion: His own inner world—the torment of loneliness, unrequited love (for Varvara Lopukhina), philosophical searching, and burning resentment towards high society. Alexander Pushkin: Pushkin's work was a literary ideal and a point of creative rivalry for Lermontov. His idols and heroes were, first and foremost, Lord Byron and Napoleon Bonaparte. He shared the Romantic generation's fascination with the figure of Napoleon as a world-changing, titanic, and tragic individual. In the Russian literary sphere, Alexander Pushkin was his undisputed idol, the standard by which he measured his own and others' poetry. The estate in Tarkhany (now known as Lermontovo) was the primary and most beloved home of Mikhail Lermontov's childhood and youth, belonging to his grandmother, Elizaveta Arsenyeva. It was not a simple country house but a large, typical Russian noble estate, a self-contained world. Its appearance was characterized by a classical manorial ensemble. The central feature was the manor house itself, a spacious wooden structure with a mezzanine and a grand colonnaded portico, painted in a yellow-and-white color scheme common for the era. The interior was furnished with elegant, often foreign-made furniture, grand pianos, and contained extensive libraries with books in Russian, French, and German, reflecting the cultured environment his grandmother provided. The house was surrounded by a vast and picturesque landscaped park, which was an essential part of the estate. It featured elements of an English-style park, designed to imitate natural beauty, with linden alleys for leisurely strolls, orchards, and ponds. A key emotional landmark for the young Lermontov was the "oak grove", a place where he often sought solitude. Beyond the manicured park lay the wider estate lands, including villages with serf households, fields, and forests. The entire complex also included a family chapel and the Arsenyev family vault in the local church, where his mother was buried—a place of profound significance and melancholy reflection for him. For Lermontov, Tarkhany was the embodiment of childhood, his first connection to Russian nature, and a sanctuary from the outside world. Beyond Tarkhany, Lermontov frequently stayed in several key locations due to his education, military service, and social life up to the mid-1830s: Moscow: This was his birthplace and a city of his formative years. He lived in various rented houses with his grandmother. Key periods were during his studies at the Moscow University Noble Pension (1828-1830) and later at Moscow University itself (1830-1832). The city exposed him to intellectual life and theatrical productions. St. Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo: After leaving Moscow University, he moved here with his grandmother. He studied at the School of Junkers and Ensigns (1832-1834). Upon graduation in 1834, he was commissioned as a cornet in the Life Guard Hussar Regiment, which was stationed in Tsarskoye Selo, the tsar's summer residence near St. Petersburg. He lived in official quarters there but was a frequent visitor to the bustling social life of St. Petersburg itself, where his grandmother maintained a residence. He became an active and often disruptive figure in the city's aristocratic salons and balls. Serednikovo Estate: This was a significant location near Moscow. It belonged to his grandmother's brother, and Lermontov spent several summers there between 1829 and 1832. The estate, with its classical manor and park, was a place for socializing with relatives and neighbors and was an important setting for his youthful romantic experiences and early literary endeavors.

The name Mikhail, following Russian naming conventions, has several forms used in different social contexts. The full, formal name is Mikhail. The standard, neutral diminutive used by friends and family is Misha. A more affectionate or intimate diminutive is Mishenka. His grandmother, Elizaveta Arsenyeva, most commonly used these affectionate forms like "Mishenka" in her letters. Among his male friends and fellow officers, he was often addressed by his last name, Lermontov, or by the familiar diminutive Misha. Due to his complex personality and reputation, he also acquired nicknames. In the cynical and witty society of St. Petersburg salons, where his sharp epigrams and mocking behavior created many enemies, he was sometimes called "Le diable au corps" (The Devil in the Flesh), a French phrase capturing his provocative and almost demonic nature. Later, after the publication of his incendiary poem "The Death of a Poet" in 1837, which led to his first exile, the literary critic Vissarion Belinsky famously referred to him as "the stranger of our time," a direct link to his novel "A Hero of Our Time," cementing his image as the embodiment of his generation's disillusionment. Furthermore, his recognized poetic genius and the thematic parallels in his work led to him being widely known as "the Russian Byron," acknowledging the profound influence of the English poet Lord Byron on his life and work.