Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet. Biography of the poet

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

A. A. Fet is a poet whose work is characterized by a departure from everyday bustle into the “kingdom of dreams”. Nature and love are the main content of his poems. They subtly convey the mood of the poet, prove his artistic skill.

Birth Story

To this day, no one knows for sure what kind Fet Afanasy Afanasyevich belongs to. A brief biography can be stated using the following authentically known facts. His mother, German Charlotte Becker, married Johann Vöth in 1818.

A little over a year later, their daughter was born. And after another 6 months, Afanasy Neofitovich Shenshin, an impoverished Russian landowner, arrived in Darmstadt for treatment. He fell in love with Charlotte and secretly took her to his country. At the time of the escape, she was pregnant. Some biographers claim that from her husband, as she gave birth shortly after arriving in Russia. Others believe that it is still from Shenshin. I. Fet himself did not recognize this child as his own in his will. Boywas born in 1820. He was baptized as Orthodox and recorded in the metric as the son of Shenshin. Only a year later, Fet gave his wife a divorce, and she was able, having accepted a new faith, to marry a new husband. Athanasius Jr., until the age of 14, grew up and was brought up as an ordinary barchuk.

Years of study and pen trials

From the age of 14, the life of the future poet has changed dramatically. His father took him first to Moscow, then to St. Petersburg, and then, on the advice of friends, assigned him to study at a pedagogical institution of some Krummer in the remote Livonian town of Verro. The fact is that back in 1835, the spiritual consistory decided to consider I. Fet as the boy's father.

Shenshin had enemies who sought to use the presence of an illegitimate child to his detriment. He tried in this way to ensure the further well-being of the family. From now on, the boy was obliged to sign as Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet. At the same time, his biography did not change, however, he did not like the bewilderment and dumb questions of those around him and embarrassed him. In 1837, the young man became a student at the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University. He studied for 6 years as a foreigner. At this time, his poetic gift awakened. The first collection of his poems was published in 1840. In 1842-1843 he continued to publish in Moskvitianin and Otechestvennye Zapiski. In 1844, the poet's mother passed away. His uncle, Pyotr Shenshin, promised to sign off his estate to his nephew, but since he died in Pyatigorsk, and not at home, his legacy was ruined and money was stolen from the bank. To get somefunds and return the title of nobility, Athanasius was forced to join the army. A year later, he received only the first officer rank.

Useful acquaintances

In 1848, the regiment with which the poet arrived stopped in the village of Krasnoselye. There, Athanasius met Brzhesky, the leader of the local nobility, and through him, the Lazich sisters, one of whom he fell in love with. But Fet decided that it was not good for a beggar to marry a poor woman. Soon Elena Lazich died in a fire. The regiment was moved closer to the capital. In many respects, the acquaintances that Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet made in St. Petersburg turned out to be decisive. His creative biography only benefited from his friendship with Turgenev, and through him with many other writers.

Family life

The world saw a new collection of poems by the poet. He was a huge success. In 1858, Alexander II issued a decree, according to which the title of nobleman could only be obtained with the rank of colonel. Fet realized that he would only rise to a ripe old age and immediately retired. He moved to Moscow and there in the same year made an offer to M. Botkina. The woman, who had an illegitimate child, immediately agreed. They lived well.

Father, a tea merchant, gave her a decent dowry. Having received the money, Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet showed himself from a completely different side. His biography, with the advent of finance, has changed for the better. In 1860, the writer bought an abandoned farm and transformed it into a rich estate. The poet did not support the reform of 1861. Fet was furiousdefender of the old order. Now he thought only about increasing we alth and bought one estate after another. In 1863, a two-volume collection of poems by A. Fet was published. The new generation did not accept it. The poet had a creative crisis, for many years he did not write a line.

A long awaited respect

Neighbors-landlords elected Fet as a justice of the peace. The position was quite honorable. For the next 17 years, Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet stayed on it. The biography of the creative poet, however, was in crisis. Fet ceased to cooperate with the Sovremennik magazine, since the Chernyshevsky-Dobrolyubov line was established there. And the poet did not want to take either the side of the Democrats or the views of the Liberals. In 1873, the Senate issued a decree classifying Afanasy Afanasyevich to the Shenshin family. The Fetov couple even managed to buy a rich house in Moscow on Plyushchikha.

Last years of life and work

Only in 1881 did the poet return to literature. At first he was engaged in translations, then he began to write poetry again, and even later - memoirs. In 1889, Grand Duke K. K. Romanov, a friend and admirer of the poet, granted him the title of chamberlain. The last poem known to posterity was written in October 1892. The final edition of Fet's works was published only in 1894. The poet died in November 1892 from complications after bronchitis. So says the official biography of his last days. Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet, in fact, according to the testimony of relatives, asked for champagne before his death, tried to kill himself with a stiletto, and only then he had a stroke.