Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich: short biography, photos, creativity, facts from life

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

One of the most prominent personalities in Russian culture of the late 18th - early 19th centuries was Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich. He was a bright figure, both as a statesman and as a poet, who wrote the most famous poems of his time, imbued with the spirit of the Enlightenment. Few people were able to do as much for the development of the culture of their country as did Gabriel Derzhavin. The biography and work of this great man undoubtedly deserves a detailed study.

History of the family

But before we start studying the facts from the life of Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich, let's take a quick look at the history of his family.

The Derzhavin family has Tatar roots. The founder of the clan is considered to be the Horde Murza Bragim, who in the 15th century entered the service of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II the Dark and was baptized under the name Ilya. Considering that the newly converted Tatar was a noble family, the prince granted him a noble rank.

Brahim had a son, Narbek, inbaptized named Dmitry, from whose eldest son the Narbekov family descended, and from the youngest - Alexei Narbekov, nicknamed Derzhava, the Derzhavin dynasty was formed.

The descendants of the founders of the clan became completely Russified, which was largely facilitated by numerous marriages with representatives of the Russian nobility, and held significant posts under the princes and tsars of the Russian state. In particular, they were governors and stewards. Just the descendant of this glorious family was Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich.

Derzhavin's youth

The life of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin began on July 3 (according to the old calendar), 1743. It was then that he was born in the village of Sokury, Kazan province, in the family of a military officer Roman Nikolayevich Derzhavin and Fyokla Kozlova.

Due to the specifics of Roman Nikolayevich's military service, the family constantly had to move from place to place. However, Gavriil Romanovich lost his father at the age of 11.

The future poet began to receive education from the age of seven, when he was sent to study at a boarding school. However, due to the poverty into which the family had fallen after the loss of the breadwinner, it was rather difficult to continue education. Nevertheless, in 1759, Gavriil Derzhavin entered Kazan in an educational institution of the gymnasium type, which he graduated with success in three years, demonstrating some of the best results in education. However, this is where his education ends. Such education was considered superficial even at that time.

Immediately after graduation GabrielRomanovich was enrolled as an ordinary soldier in the Preobrazhensky Guard. There he begins to write the first poems. As part of this unit, he participated in the coup d'état of 1762 with the aim of overthrowing Emperor Peter III and enthroning Catherine, later nicknamed the Great. This fact to a large extent affected his future career.

A decade after the coup, Gavriil Derzhavin finally receives an officer's rank, and a year later his poems were published for the first time. Then he distinguished himself in the fight against the rebellion of Pugachev.

In public service

Departing from military service in 1777, thanks to his personal request in a letter to Empress Catherine, Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich transferred to the civil service. In addition, he received another 300 peasants in possession. Six months later, he becomes an executor in the Senate. In 1780, he became an adviser on state revenues and expenditures, which was a fairly lucrative position.

Derzhavin gained wide fame as a poet in 1782, thanks to the publication of his ode "Felitsa", dedicated to the glorification of Empress Catherine II. Of course, this work was overflowing with flattery to the highest person, but at the same time it was highly artistic and directly contributed to the further career growth of the author. It was thanks to him that Gabriel Derzhavin won the favor of the Empress. His biography in the future consists of a series of promotions through the ranks. In the same year, he becomes a State Councilor.

In 1783, the Academy was founded in St. Petersburg, andthe poet from the moment of opening became its full member.

However, it cannot be said that everything was absolutely smooth for him in the public service. Due to a conflict with the high-ranking Prince Vyazemsky, his former patron, Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin resigned. A brief biography does not allow to dwell on all the moments of this case.

However, already in 1784 he was sent to manage the Olonets governorship in Karelia. There, Gavriil Romanovich distinguished himself with great diligence in establishing the social life and economy of the region, thereby demonstrating his high organizational talents. A significant body of Derzhavin's poetic work is dedicated to this period of life and the region that the poet ruled.

Already two years later, he was given a more profitable post of Tambov governor, which promised more income and privileges.

Peak of service career

Meanwhile, Derzhavin Gavriil is achieving more and more official heights. In short, in 1791 he became the secretary of Empress Catherine herself, and two years later he was promoted to the rank of senator and privy councillor. Since then, we can safely say that Derzhavin has made his way into the elite of Russian society.

In 1795, Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich was granted the title of President of the College of Commerce - a state body whose task was to manage and control trade. Of course, it was a very lucrative position.

Already after the death of Catherine, under Emperor Paul I GabrielRomanovich became state treasurer and governor of the office of the Senate. Under the successor of Paul Alexander I in 1802, Derzhavin received a ministerial portfolio, becoming Minister of Justice. It was the pinnacle of his service career.

Resignation

But already in 1803, at the age of sixty, the Minister of Justice retired and never returned to public service, living until his death in one of his estates in the village of Zvanka, Novgorod province. There are a number of reasons that led to the fact that Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin was forced to retire. A brief biography allows only to list them, without giving details. This is advanced age, fatigue from the public service of Derzhavin himself, and most importantly, the desire to remove him from the new favorites of Alexander I.

However, there is a positive moment in this event: the resignation allowed Gavriil Romanovich to concentrate on literary activity.

Earlier creativity

Gavriil Derzhavin's work is significant for its time. As mentioned earlier, he wrote his first poems as a private in the Preobrazhensky Guard. True, Derzhavin wrote this poetry more for himself than for a general overview.

For the first time his poems were published only ten years later in 1773, when Derzhavin was already an officer. But the fame of a poet of a national level was brought to him by the ode "Felitsa", dedicated to the Empress of All Russia Catherine II. This work aboundedcompliments and praises to the royal person, but at the same time, his composition of the ball is quite harmonious, and the metaphors used put the ode on the same level with the greatest creations of contemporary poetry.

It was after the publication of Felitsa that Derzhavin became one of the most famous Russian poets of his time.

Further creative path

Gabriel Derzhavin had a difficult fate. Facts from his life testify that even while holding the highest government posts, he did not forget about poetry. It is to this period of activity that the writing of such iconic works as “The thunder of victory resounds”, “Swan”, “God”, “Nobleman”, “Waterfall” and many others. Each of them had its own conceptual features and topical relevance. For example, “The Thunder of Victory Resounds” was set to music and until the middle of the 19th century was considered an unofficial Russian anthem. Another creation of the poet "Autumn during the siege of Ochakov" was a kind of poem-a call for active action against the Ottoman army. And such works as "The Swan" and "Waterfall" were written under the impression of Derzhavin's stay in Karelia.

Derzhavin wrote both lyrical and epic poems aimed at raising morale and glorifying the Empress and the Russian Empire. Each of his works had its own unique flavor.

It is noteworthy that most of the most famous creations of Gavriil Romanovich chronologically fall exactly on the period of his highest advancement incareer ladder in the public service.

Literary activity after retirement

As mentioned above, the resignation from the civil service allowed Derzhavin to devote more time to poetry and literary activity in general.

In 1808 a new collection of his works was published in five parts.

In 1811, together with another significant figure in Russian culture, Alexander Semenovich Shishkov, the retired minister creates a literary society. The creation of this organization is, of course, one of the many deeds that Gabriel Derzhavin could be proud of. A short biography, unfortunately, narrows the scope of the narrative and does not provide a detailed account of the activities of this society.

Derzhavin's meeting with the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, which became famous in the future, should be especially noted. True, at that time Pushkin was still a student and did not have fame, but Gavriil Romanovich, taking the exam, already at that time noticed in him the makings of a genius. This significant meeting took place a year before Derzhavin's death in 1815.

Family

Gavriil Derzhavin was married twice. For the first time, at the age of 35, he married sixteen-year-old Ekaterina Yakovlevna Bastidon, who was the daughter of the valet of the deposed Emperor Peter III, who was a Portuguese. Hence such a strange surname for Russia. The wedding took place in 1778. There were rather reverent feelings between the newlyweds, which is not surprising, given the personal qualities of Gavriil Romanovich and the beauty of Ekaterina Yakovlevna. No wonder Derzhavin considered his wife a muse,which inspires him to create.

But happiness does not last forever, and Gabriel Derzhavin suffers great grief. His young wife, being only 34 years old, dies in 1794. She was laid to rest at the Lazarevsky cemetery in St. Petersburg.

Although the grief of Gavriil Romanovich knew no bounds, six months after the death of his wife, he married a second time. His betrothed was the daughter of the Chief Prosecutor and State Councilor Daria Alekseevna Dyakova. At the time of their marriage, the bride was only 28 years old, while Derzhavin was 51 years old. It must be said that, unlike the poet's first marriage, this union was not built on love, but on friendship and mutual respect. Daria Alekseevna survived her husband for 26 years, but nevertheless did not marry a second time.

Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin had no children, but he took over the care of the children of his deceased friend Pyotr Lazarev, whose names were Andrei, Alexei and Mikhail. The last of them became the discoverer of Antarctica in the future.

Death of a poet

Died Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin in his estate Zvanka, where he lived all the last years after his resignation from the ministerial post. It happened in the seventy-third year of the poet's life on July 8 (according to the old style), 1816. At the time of his death, his faithful wife Daria Alekseevna was next to him.

But, apart from his wife, a significant part of the Russian intelligentsia and enlightened personalities, as well as people who simply werefamiliar with Gavriil Romanovich and knew him as a sympathetic and noble person.

Gavriil Derzhavin was buried in the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, which is located not far from Novgorod.

Life outcomes and legacy

Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich lived a rather complicated, eventful and interesting life. Facts from his biography testify to the significant role of this person both in the cultural life of the country and in social activities. Of particular note is his service for the benefit of the Russian Empire in various government posts. But the main legacy left by Gavriil Derzhavin is, of course, his brilliant poetry, highly valued by both the poet's contemporaries and descendants.

And now in Russia they remember the contribution that Gavriil Romanovich made to the development of national culture. Numerous monuments, stelae and memorial plaques erected to Derzhavin in various cities of Russia, in particular, in Petrozavodsk, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Tambov, and, of course, on the territory of his estate Zvanka, located in the Novgorod region where the genius spent the last years of his life. In addition, streets, squares, educational institutions, etc. are named after Gabriel Derzhavin in many settlements.

The museum-estate of the great poet should be highlighted. It was in this mansion that Gavriil Derzhavin lived during his service in St. Petersburg. A photo of the estate from the side of the Polish Garden is presented below.

Now this building is considered the main museum dedicated to the life and work of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin. The former estate acquired its current status only in 2003, although the decision to create a museum was made five years earlier. In previous years, there was a communal apartment here. Now the interior of Derzhavin's life has been recreated in the building.

Of course, the memory of such an outstanding personality as Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin does not deserve to be forgotten and will never be forgotten in Russia.