The tragic duel and the death of Pushkin

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

The story of the death of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin should begin with a description of the main culprit in the untimely death of the classic of Russian literature - Georges Charles Dantes. After all, the tragic death of Pushkin was the result of the defiant behavior of the Frenchman, which served as a pretext for a duel that claimed the life of the famous Russian poet.

Cornet of the Cavalry Regiment Dantes came to Russia and broke into Pushkin's peaceful life some time after the revolution in France in order to make a successful career. There he was adopted by the Dutch ambassador in St. Petersburg Gekkeren and gave him his last name. In the city itself, Dantes received a very warm welcome, and Emperor Nicholas I himself introduced him to the officers of the regiment, who expressed the hope that he would justify the trust placed in him and excel in his service from the best side. However, Georges did not show any zeal and often neglected his duties in the regiment, for which he was subjected to various pen alties 44 times.

Dantes was handsome enough and had the right features. His height was above average, and the cavalry guard uniform suited him very well. In addition to the irresistible appearance, we should also mention the character of Georges, who was full of boasting and complacency. But this is exactly whatattracted frivolous girls in him, ready to laugh at any French phrase.

Alexander Pushkin met Dantes in 1834. The poet immediately disliked the pompous cornet for his arrogant disposition and cheeky conversations with the ladies. And Dantes, in turn, really liked Natalya Nikolaevna, who was the wife of Alexander Sergeevich. And he began to pay special attention to her, but she was not against it, on the contrary, such an interest on the part of the charming cavalry guard even flattered the companion of the great poet. At first, Pushkin did not react to this in any way and did not take such courtship seriously. He loved his wife and trusted her immensely. Meanwhile, Dantes was already openly seeking Natalya Nikolaevna, which caused whispers and chuckles behind Alexander's back.

Supported Dantes in courtship and his adoptive father Gekkeren, who was considered a cheeky and voluptuous old man, interfering in all the affairs of his son. All this could not go on like this, and the last straw was a letter received by Pushkin from a group of loafers who were mailing letters to husbands whose wives cheated on them.

The next day, Alexander Sergeevich challenged Georges to a duel, intending to avenge his wrong, but Baron Gekkeren told Pushkin that Dantes was going to marry Natalia Goncharova's sister, Ekaterina. This circumstance did not force the poet to abandon his intention, since he did not believe that the Frenchman was really in love with his bride. Alexander believed that in this way Dantes is tryingavoid a duel.

However, in the future, such circumstances developed that Pushkin was forced to abandon the duel. He wrote a letter to Dantes' second, where he explained in detail the reasons for the refusal, and both sides agreed not to fight, thus postponing Pushkin's death.

But the duel still took place after some time. The reason was the words of Heckeren, said by Natalya Goncharova. The baron asked her when she would leave her husband and go to Dantes. Alexander Sergeevich did not tolerate this and sent an angry letter to Heckeren. Then at night, Dantes' second delivered a message to Pushkin, which spoke of the poet's challenge to a duel. Naturally, he did not refuse and accepted the challenge.

During the historical duel, Pushkin was mortally wounded in the stomach, and Dantes escaped with a slight wound to his hand. After that, the poet was immediately taken home, where the doctor Arendt arrived to him, who informed Alexander Sergeevich of his imminent death. Pushkin's death date is February 10, 1837. At that time, medicine was at a fairly low level, and therefore Pushkin's death was inevitable. However, in 1937, Soviet surgeons, headed by academician Burdenko, reported that today even a doctor of average qualification would cure Alexander Sergeevich.

Pushkin's death greatly excited the public. The Moika embankment was full of people, and people kept coming and coming to say goodbye to the genius of Russian literature. They took the news of the poet's death as a personal tragedy, and the upper class, on the contrary, was completely on edge.side of Dantes and supported him in every possible way. It can be said with confidence that the duel and Pushkin's death left an indelible mark on the history of Russian and world literature.