Mikhail Lermontov

• 1. A Scottish Lineage In Moscow

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  Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov entered the world on the 15th of October 1814 in Moscow. His paternal family traced its roots to a Scottish officer named Yuri Learmonth who settled in Russia during the middle of the 17th century. This ancestor had been captured by Russian troops in Poland while serving under Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov. Family legend claimed that George Learmonth descended from the famous 13th-century Scottish poet Thomas the Rhymer. The young boy grew up in the village of Tarkhany, now known as Lermontovo in Penza Oblast. His father Yuri Petrovich Lermontov held the rank of captain and followed a military career like his own father before him. He married Maria Mikhaylovna Arsenyeva when she was only sixteen years old. She came from a wealthy aristocratic Stolypin family. Their marriage proved ill-suited and the couple soon grew apart. Literary historian Alexander Skabichevsky noted there is no strong evidence regarding what precipitated their quarrels. Some reasons suggest Yuri had grown tired of his wife's nervousness and frail health alongside her mother-in-law's despotic ways. An earlier biographer Pavel Viskovatov suggested discord might have stemmed from Yuri's affair with Yulia, a lodger working in the house. Her husband's violent behavior and resulting stresses accounted for Maria's early demise. Her health deteriorated quickly and she developed tuberculosis. She died on the 27th of February 1817 at the age of just twenty-one.

• 2. Grandmother's Strict Control

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  Nine days after Maria's death a final row broke out in Tarkhany. Yuri rushed away to his Kropotovo estate in Tula Governorate where his five sisters resided. Yelizaveta Arsenyeva launched a formidable battle for her beloved grandson. She promised to disinherit him if his father took the boy away. Eventually both sides agreed that the child should stay with his grandmother until he reached the age of sixteen. Father and son separated and at three years old Lermontov began a spoilt and luxurious life with his doting grandmother and numerous relatives. This bitter family feud formed the plot of his early drama Menschen und Leidenschaften published in 1830. The protagonist Yuri bore strong resemblance to the young Mikhail. In June 1817 Yelizaveta Alekseyevna moved her grandson to Penza. They returned to Tarkhany in 1821 and spent the next six years there. The doting grandmother spared no expense providing the young Lermontov with the best schooling and lifestyle money could buy. He received an extensive home education becoming fluent in French and German. He learned to play several musical instruments and proved a gifted painter. While living with the grandmother Mikhail hardly met with his father. His health remained fragile as he suffered from scrofula and rickets. The latter condition accounted for his bow-leggedness. He was kept under close surveillance by a French doctor named Anselm Levis. Colonel Capet, a Napoleon army prisoner-of-war who settled in Russia after 1812, served as the boy's first and best-loved governor. A German pedagogue named Levy introduced Mikhail to Goethe and Schiller but did not stay long. Soon another Frenchman named Gendrot replaced him followed by Mr. Windson, a respectable English teacher recommended by the Uvarov family. Later Alexander Zinoviev arrived as a teacher of Russian literature.

• 3. The Caucasus And Early Poetry

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  Looking for better climate and treatment at mineral springs Arsenyeva twice took him to the Caucasus in 1819 and 1820. They stayed at her sister E.A. Khasatova's house during these visits. In summer 1825 the nine-year-old's health started deteriorating so the extended family traveled south for the third time. The Caucasus greatly impressed the boy inspiring a passion for its mountains and stirring beauty. He wrote later that Caucasian mountains were sacred to him. It was there that Lermontov experienced his first romantic passion falling for a nine-year-old girl. Returning from this third trip in August 1825 he began regular studies with tutors in French and Greek starting to read German French and English authors' original texts. In summer 1827 the twelve-year-old traveled for the first time to his father's estate in Tula Governorate. In autumn of that year he and Yelizaveta Arsenyeva moved to Moscow. After receiving a year of private tutoring in February 1829 the fourteen-year-old took exams joining the fifth form of Moscow University's boarding school for nobility children. His personal tutor was poet Alexey Merzlyakov alongside Zinoviev who taught Russian and Latin. Under their influence the boy started reading a lot making best use of his vast home library containing books by Mikhail Lomonosov Gavrila Derzhavin Ivan Dmitriev Vladislav Ozerov Konstantin Batyushkov Ivan Krylov Ivan Kozlov Vasily Zhukovsky and Alexander Pushkin. Soon he started editing an amateur student journal. One friend cousin Yekaterina Sushkova described the young man as married to a hefty volume of Byron.

• 4. The Death Of The Poet

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  The death of Alexander Pushkin ignited Russian high society though it was generally suspected he had fallen victim to intrigue. Lermontov himself never belonged to the Pushkin circle yet became especially vexed with Saint Petersburg dames sympathizing with D'Anthès. He even considered challenging him to a duel. Outraged and agitated the young man found himself on the verge of nervous breakdown. Arsenyeva sent for Arendt the famous doctor who spent Pushkin's last hours. This doctor related exact circumstances to Lermontov. The poem Death of the Poet its final part written impromptu in several minutes spread around by Rayevsky caused uproar. The last sixteen lines explicitly addressed inner circles at court accusing powerful pillars of Russian high society of complicity in Pushkin's death. The poem portrayed that society as a cabal of self-interested venomous wretches huddling about the throne in greedy throng. It depicted hangmen killing liberty genius and glory about to suffer apocalyptic judgment from God. The poem propelled Lermontov to unprecedented fame. Zhukovsky hailed the new powerful talent while popular opinion greeted him as Pushkin's heir. D'Anthes felt so piqued he prepared to challenge the upstart to a duel. Alexander von Benckendorff founding head of Tsar's Gendarmes reported incident to Nicholas I who already received copy subtitled Call for Revolution from anonymous sender. Authorities arrested Lermontov on the 21st of January placing him in Petropavlovskaya fortress. On the 25th of February he got banished as cornet to Nizhegorodsky dragoons regiment bound for Caucasus.

• 5. Exile And A Hero Of Our Time

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  In the Caucasus Lermontov found himself quite at home. Stern gritty virtues of mountain tribesmen against whom he fought no less than scenery rocks and mountains themselves were close to his heart. Place of exile also land loved as child attracted nature folklore prompting study local languages like Kumyk writing splendid poems painting extensively. Good people aplenty especially in Tiflis where people very honest according to letter written to Rayevsky. Mountain air acted like balsam making spleen go to hell causing heart beat faster chest heave. By end year traveled all along Caucasian line from Kizlyar Bay to Taman Peninsula visiting central Georgia. First Caucasian exile short due intercession General Benckendorff transferring poet to Grodno cavalry regiment based at Nizhny Novgorod. Voyage back prolonged staying wherever welcome. In Shelkozavodskaya met A.A. Khastatov man famous bravery whose stories later incorporated into A Hero of Our Time. In Pyatigorsk had talks with poet translator Nikolai Satin member Herzen Ogaryov circle and Decembrists notably Alexander Odoyevsky becoming quite close judging by In Memoriam 1839. In Stavropol became friends with Dr Mayer serving prototype Doctor Werner character Pechorin meets town S. In Tiflis drifted towards group Georgian intellectuals led Alexander Chavchavadze Nina Griboyedova father.

• 6. The Fatal Duel And Death

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  After visiting Moscow producing no fewer than eight poetic pieces invective aimed Benckendorff on the 9th of May 1841 Lermontov arrived in Stavropol introducing himself general Grabbe asking permission stay town. Then whim changed course finding himself in Pyatigorsk sending seniors letter informing having fallen ill. Regiment special commission recommended treatment Mineralnye Vody region. Instead embarked several weeks spree mornings writing more worked felt need unwind evenings Skabichevsky wrote. In Pyatigorsk enjoyed feeding notoriety social misfit fame poet second only Pushkin success A Hero Of Our Time. Meanwhile same salons Cadet school friend Nikolai Martynov dressed native Circassian wearing long sword affecting manners romantic hero like Grushnitsky character. Lermontov teased Martynov mercilessly until latter couldn't stand anymore. On the 25th of July 1841 Martynov challenged tormentor duel fight took place two days later foot Mashuk mountain. Lermontov allegedly made known going shoot air. Martynov first shot hitting heart killing opponent spot. On the 30th of July buried without military honors thousands people attended ceremony. January 1842 Tsar issued order allowing coffin transported Tarkhany laid rest family cemetery. Upon receiving news grandmother Elizaveta Arsenyeva suffered minor stroke died 1845.