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Years of life of Afanasy Fet. Afanasy Fet: biography. The most fruitful period of creativity

The quantum physics
31.08.2020

Fet Afanasy Afanasyevich (November 23, 1820 – November 21, 1892), great Russian lyric poet, memoirist, translator.

Biography

Video about Fet



Childhood

Afanasy Fet was born in Novoselki, a small estate located in the Mtsensk district of the Oryol province. His father is Johann Peter Wilhelm Feth, assessor of the city court in Darmstadt, and his mother is Charlotte Elisabeth Becker. Being seven months pregnant, she left her husband and secretly left for Russia with 45-year-old Afanasy Shenshin. When the boy was born, he was baptized according to the Orthodox rite and named Athanasius. He was recorded as the son of Shenshin. In 1822, Charlotte Elizabeth Fet converted to Orthodoxy and married Afanasy Shenshin.

Education

Afanasy received an excellent education. The talented boy found it easy to study. In 1837, he graduated from a private German boarding school in the city of Verro, in Estonia. Even then, Fet began to write poetry and showed interest in literature and classical philology. After school, in order to prepare for entering the university, he studied at the boarding house of Professor Pogodin, a writer, historian and journalist. In 1838, Afanasy Fet entered the law department, and then the philosophy department of Moscow University, where he studied in the historical and philological (verbal) department.

At the university, Afanasy became close to one of the students, Apollon Grigoriev, who was also interested in poetry. Together they began to attend a circle of students who were intensively studying philosophy and literature. With the participation of Grigoriev, Fet released his first collection of poems, “Lyrical Pantheon.” Creation young student earned Belinsky's approval. And Gogol spoke of him as “an undoubted talent.” This became a kind of “blessing” and inspired Afanasy Fet to further work. In 1842, his poems were published in many publications, including the popular magazines Otechestvennye zapiski and Moskvityanin. In 1844, Fet graduated from the university.

Military service

In 1845, Fet left Moscow and joined a provincial cuirassier regiment in southern Russia. Afanasy believed that military service would help him regain his lost noble title. A year after the start of his service, Fet received the rank of officer. In 1853 he was transferred to guards regiment, which was stationed near St. Petersburg. He often visited the capital, met with Turgenev, Goncharov, Nekrasov, and became close to the editors of the popular magazine Sovremennik. In general, the poet’s military career was not very successful. In 1858, Fet retired, having risen to the rank of headquarters captain.

Love

During his years of service, the poet experienced a tragic love, which influenced all of his further work. The poet's beloved, Maria Lazic, was a good woman, but poor family, which served as an obstacle to their marriage. They broke up, and after some time the girl tragically died in a fire. The poet kept the memory of his unhappy love until his death.

Family life

At the age of 37, Afanasy Fet married Maria Botkina, the daughter of a wealthy tea merchant. His wife was not particularly young or beautiful. It was a marriage of convenience. Before the wedding, the poet revealed to the bride the truth about his origin, as well as about a certain “ family curse”, which could become a serious obstacle to their marriage. But Maria Botkina was not afraid of these confessions, and in 1857 they got married. A year later, Fet retired. He settled in Moscow and devoted himself to literary work. His family life was quite prosperous. Fet increased the fortune that Maria Botkina brought him. True, they did not have children. In 1867, Afanasy Fet was elected justice of the peace. He lived on his estate and led the lifestyle of a real landowner. Only after the return of his stepfather's surname and all the privileges that a hereditary nobleman could enjoy did the poet begin to work with new strength.

Creation

Afanasy Fet left a significant mark on Russian literature. He published his first collection of poems, “Lyrical Pantheon,” while he was studying at the university. Fet's first poems were an attempt to escape reality. He sang the beauty of nature and wrote a lot about love. Even then, his work showed characteristic– he spoke about important and eternal concepts with hints, was able to convey the subtlest shades of moods, awakening pure and bright emotions in readers.

After the tragic death of Maria Lazic, Fet's work took on a new direction. He dedicated the poem “Talisman” to his beloved. It is assumed that all subsequent poems by Fet about love are dedicated to it. In 1850, a second collection of his poems was published. It aroused the interest of critics, who did not skimp on positive reviews. At the same time, Fet was recognized as one of the best modern poets.

Afanasy Fet was a representative of “pure art”; he did not touch upon pressing social issues in his works and remained a convinced conservative and monarchist until the end of his life. In 1856, Fet published his third collection of poems. He praised beauty, considering this the only goal of his creativity.

The heavy blows of fate did not pass without a trace for the poet. He became bitter, broke off relations with friends, and almost stopped writing. In 1863, the poet published a two-volume collection of his poems, and then there was a twenty-year break in his work.

Only after the poet’s stepfather’s surname and the privileges of a hereditary nobleman were returned to him, he took up creativity with renewed vigor. Towards the end of his life, Afanasy Fet's poems became more and more philosophical; they contained metaphysical idealism. The poet wrote about the unity of man and the Universe, about the highest reality, about eternity. Between 1883 and 1891, Fet wrote more than three hundred poems, which were included in the collection “Evening Lights.” The poet published four editions of the collection, and the fifth was published after his death.

Death

Afanasy Fet died of a heart attack. Researchers of the poet's life and work are convinced that before his death he tried to commit suicide.

Main achievements

  • Afanasy Fet left behind a great creative legacy. Fet was recognized by his contemporaries, his poems were admired by Gogol, Belinsky, Turgenev, Nekrasov. In the fifties of his century, he was the most significant representative of poets who promoted “pure art” and praised “ Eternal values" and "absolute beauty." The work of Afanasy Fet marked the completion of the poetry of new classicism. Fet is still considered one of the most brilliant poets of his time.
  • The translations of Afanasy Fet are also of great importance for Russian literature. He translated Goethe's entire Faust, as well as the works of a number of Latin poets: Horace, Juvenal, Catullus, Ovid, Virgil, Persius and others.

Important dates in life

  • 1820, November 23 - born in the Novoselki estate, Oryol province
  • 1834 - was deprived of all privileges of a hereditary nobleman, the Shenshin surname and Russian citizenship
  • 1835-1837 – studied at a private German boarding school in the city of Verro
  • 1838-1844 – studied at the university
  • 1840 – the first collection of poems “Lyrical Pantheon” was published
  • 1845 - entered the provincial cuirassier regiment in southern Russia
  • 1846 - received the rank of officer
  • 1850 - the second collection of poems “Poems” was published
  • 1853 - joined the guards regiment
  • 1856 - the third collection of poems was published
  • 1857 - married Maria Botkina
  • 1858 - retired
  • 1863 - a two-volume collection of poems was published
  • 1867 - elected justice of the peace
  • 1873 - returned noble privileges and the surname Shenshin
  • 1883 – 1891 – worked on the five-volume “Evening Lights”
  • 1892, November 21 - died in Moscow from a heart attack
  • In 1834, when the boy was 14 years old, it turned out that legally he was not the son of the Russian landowner Shenshin, and the recording was made illegally. The reason for the proceedings was an anonymous denunciation, the author of which remained unknown. The decision of the spiritual consistory sounded like a sentence: from now on Afanasy had to bear his mother’s surname and was deprived of all the privileges of a hereditary nobleman and Russian citizenship. From a wealthy heir, he suddenly became a “man with no name,” an illegitimate child of dubious origin. Fet perceived this event as a shame, and regaining his lost position became his goal, an obsession that largely determined his future life. life path poet. Only in 1873, when Afanasy Fet was 53 years old, his lifelong dream came true. By decree of the tsar, the noble privileges and the surname Shenshin were returned to the poet. Nevertheless, he continued to sign his literary works with the surname Fet.
  • In 1847, during his military service, on the small estate of Fedorovka, the poet met Maria Lazic. This relationship began with light, non-binding flirting, which gradually grew into a deep feeling. But Maria, a beautiful, well-educated girl from a good family, still could not become a good match for a man who hoped to regain his noble title. Realizing that he truly loved this girl, Fet, however, decided that he would never marry her. Maria took this calmly, but after some time she decided to break off relations with Afanasy. And after some time, Fet was informed about the tragedy that occurred in Fedorovka. A fire broke out in Maria's room and her clothes caught fire. Trying to escape, the girl ran out onto the balcony, then into the garden. But the wind only fanned the flames. Maria Lazic died for several days. Her last words were about Athanasius. The poet suffered this loss hard. Until the end of his life, he regretted that he did not marry the girl, because there was no more true love in his life. His soul was empty.
  • The poet carried a heavy burden. The fact is that there were crazy people in his family. His two brothers, already adults, lost their minds. At the end of her life, Afanasy Fet’s mother also suffered from madness and begged to take her life. Shortly before Fet's marriage to Maria Botkina, his sister Nadya also ended up in a psychiatric clinic. Her brother visited her there, but she did not recognize him. The poet often noticed attacks of severe melancholy. Fet was always afraid that in the end he would suffer the same fate.

Biography and episodes of life Afanasia Fet. When born and died Afanasy Fet, memorable places and dates important events his life. Poet Quotes, Photo and video.

Years of life of Afanasy Fet:

born December 5, 1820, died November 21, 1892

Epitaph

"Quiet waves are whispering,
The shore whispers to another,
The full moon is swaying
Heed the kisses of the night.
In the sky, in the grass and in the water
I can hear the night whispering,
Silently rushing everywhere:
“Honey, come on a date...”
Poem by Alexander Blok dedicated to the memory of Afanasy Fet

Biography

The famous Russian poet Afanasy Fet became a prominent representative of pure poetry, making love and nature the main themes of his work. Almost his entire life, Fet tried to regain his title of nobleman and the right to inheritance. It all started with the fact that the mother of the future poet, Charlotte-Elizabeth Becker, while pregnant with him, began a stormy affair with the landowner Afanasy Shenshin when he was on vacation in Darmstadt. Pregnancy did not stop the lovers; they secretly moved to Russia. Here, on the estate of her beloved, Charlotte gives birth, and the child is recorded as the son of Afanasy Neofitovich Shenshin. But Charlotte Becker’s wedding to Shenshin took place only two years later - after she converted to Orthodoxy.

At the age of fourteen, Afanasy receives the first blow of fate when it is discovered that he was born out of wedlock. As a result, he is deprived of nobility, Russian citizenship, surname and, at the same time, position in society. Wanting to restore justice and win his right to inheritance, Fet decides to join the cuirassier regiment. According to the laws existing at that time, after just six months of service one could receive an officer rank, and with it, return the much-desired nobility. However, failures continue to haunt young Fet: in Russia a decree is issued according to which noble title Only senior officers who have served for at least 15 years can.


Fet made his first attempts at poetry in at a young age, when he was in Krümmer's German boarding house. When the poet was about 20 years old, “Lyrical Pantheon”, the first collection of poems by Afanasy Fet, was published. This is followed by publications in such magazines as Otechestvennye zapiski, Moskvityanin. In 1846, the writer received his first officer rank. Fet's second collection of works received praise from critics, but the joy of success was overshadowed by the death of his beloved Maria Lazic. The Russian poet dedicates a number of poems and the poem “Talisman” to his deceased beloved.

Together with his regiment, Fet was stationed near St. Petersburg, where he met Goncharov, Nekrasov, and Turgenev. It was under the editorship of the latter that Fet’s third collection was published. Tired of trying to regain his nobility, the poet resigns. Together with his wife Maria Petrovna, the sister of the then famous critic Botkin, he moved to Moscow.

Many years later, when a two-volume collection of Fet’s poetic works was released, the title of nobleman was returned to him, and at the same time the surname Shenshin. But the poet decides not to change his literary pseudonym and signs his poems with the surname Fet until his death.

The official date of Fet's death is November 21, 1892. Although the cause of Afanasy Fet's death was given as a heart attack, biographers suggest that he could have committed suicide. Fet's funeral took place in the village of Kleimenov. The ashes of the famous Russian poet still rest here, on the Shenshin family estate.

Life line

December 5, 1820 Date of birth of Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet (Shenshin).
1835 Admission to the German private boarding school Krümmer in Verro (Estonia).
1837 Admission to Moscow University.
1840 Publication of Fet’s collection of poems “Lyrical Pantheon”.
1845 Enlistment in the cuirassier regiment of the Military Order.
1850 Release of the second collection of poetry by Afanasy Fet.
1853 Moving to St. Petersburg for work.
1857 Marriage to Maria Botkina.
1857 Resignation with the rank of guards captain and move to Moscow.
1867 Appointment to the position of magistrate judge.
November 21, 1892 Date of death of Fet.

Memorable places

1. The village of Novoselki in the Oryol region, where Afanasy Fet was born.
2. The city of Võru in Estonia, where the young poet studied.
3. Moscow State University, where Fet studied.
4. Baltic port, where Fet served.
5. The village of Kleymenovo, where Afanasy Fet is buried.
6. Fet's estate-museum in 1st Vorobyovka, Kursk region.
7. Monument to Fet in Orel (near the writer’s house on Saltykov-Shchedrin Street).

Episodes of life

For his original style of presentation, Afanasy Fet was nicknamed the representative of pure poetry and, of course, one of best poets lyrical genre. It is interesting that in one of his most revealing poems - “Whisper, timid breathing ...” - not a single verb is used. At the same time, such a seemingly static description perfectly reflects the movement of time.

Afanasy Fet's first love is associated with the name of the young, well-educated aristocrat Maria Lazich. For some time, the lovers maintained a relationship that did not go beyond light flirting, but Fet, despite obvious sentiments towards Maria, decided never to marry her. Soon their union broke up, and shortly after that, Lazic tragically died due to a fire. Her last words were addressed to Afanasy. The poet himself experienced the loss for a long time and painfully. Until the end of his life, he regretted that their marriage never took place.

Covenant

“The soul is trembling, ready to flare up purer,
Although the spring day has long faded
And under the moon in life's cemetery
Both the night and one’s own shadow are scary.”

Documentary about Afanasy Fet

Condolences

“...This painful illness dragged on with almost no improvement. Ostroumov said that at 72 years old it is difficult to expect recovery, but Marya Petrovna and I kept hoping. I remember that P.P. Botkin, visiting the patient several times, told Marya Petrovna that it would be necessary to give communion to Afanasy Afanasyevich. But Marya Petrovna said resolutely every time: “For God’s sake, don’t tell him this; he will get angry and feel worse; he does not believe in rituals; I already take this sin upon myself and will pray about it myself.”
Ekaterina Kudryavtseva, secretary of Afanasy Fet

“...It was heartbreaking to see how every hour my dear Afanasy Afanasyevich was moving further and further away from us. “I’m going out like a lamp,” he said.”
Maria Shenshin, wife

Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet - Russian lyric poet and translator German origin. Fet was born on November 23, 1820 in the village of Novoselki in the Oryol province, and died on November 21, 1892 in Moscow. Contemporaries were always amazed by the writer's literary lyricism, successfully combined with the enterprise of a successful landowner.

Biography

The poet was born into the family of Oryol landowner Afanasy Shenshin and Charlotte-Elizabeth Becker, who left her native Germany. The young writer gained knowledge in the German private boarding house Krummer, where his love for poetry and philology first manifested itself. Fet's further education was carried out by Moscow University.

In 1845, when Afanasy graduated from the university, military service awaited him. 12 months later, the hardworking lyricist received his first military rank. In 1853, on duty, he arrived in St. Petersburg, after being transferred to the local guards regiment. A year later, the young man served in the Baltic port; memories of this period formed the basis for his further memoirs, “My Memories.” Fet retired in 1858, settling in Moscow after completing his military service. But also about northern capital he did not forget - he often visited St. Petersburg, looking for inspiration and meeting friends from his youth.

In 1857, Afanasy Afanasyevich proposed to Maria Botkina, who was the sister of the famous literary critic. Subsequently, Fet acquired an estate in Mtsensk district, where he and his wife were engaged in the development Agriculture: They grew grain crops, maintained a small horse farm, kept cattle, and raised bees and birds. The profit received from the family farm was the main source of family income.

In 1867, Fet was elected to the position of justice of the peace. The writer's judicial practice lasted 11 years and ended in 1878.

The poet died of a heart attack; according to unverified information, before this he tried to take his own life by committing an unsuccessful suicide. The lyricist was buried in the village of Kleymenovo on the family estate.

Creative path

Fet's works were published in newspapers and magazines even while he was studying at the university. The first full-fledged work of the young lyricist was published in 1840 - it was a collection of poems “Lyrical Pantheon”, written in collaboration with his university friend Apollo Grigoriev. In 1842, publications were published in the magazines “Otechestvennye zapiski” and “Moskvityanin”.

During his service, Afanasy Afanasyevich does not forget about the creative component of his life. The second collection appeared in 1850, and in 1856 the third was ready. These works receive positive reviews from critics and experienced journalists. A little later, Fet will meet the editors of Sovremennik and even begin friendly relations with local writers. Good reviews of his works allow the poet to gain recognition from the common population.

From 1862 to 1871, short stories, stories and essays were published, including the cycle of works “From the Village”, “Notes on Freelance Labor” and a two-volume collection of poems. Fet clearly distinguishes literary activity, considering poetry a tool for expressing romantic feelings, and prose a reflection of the real state of affairs.

Later, issues of “Evening Lights” are published. In the 90s, the book “My Memories” appeared, describing Fet’s entire life’s journey, and after his death, a second book with memoirs was published - “ early years of my life".

Besides creating own works, Fet has been translating all his life foreign literature. It is he who owns the translation of “Faust”, which came from the pen of Goethe. The poet also translated Schopenhauer and wanted to take on the works of Kant.

Name: Afanasy Fet

Age: 71 years old

Activity: lyric poet, translator, memoirist, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1886)

Family status: was married

Afanasy Fet: biography

Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet is a recognized genius of literature, whose work is cited both in Russia and in foreign countries. His poems, such as “I won’t tell you anything”, “Whisper, timid breathing”, “Evening”, “This morning, this joy”, “Don’t wake her up at dawn”, “I came”, “The Nightingale and the Rose” "and others are now mandatory for study in schools and higher educational institutions.

The biography of Afanasy Fet contains many mysteries and secrets that still excite the minds of scientists and historians. For example, the circumstances of the birth of a great genius who glorified the beauty of nature and human feelings are like the riddle of the Sphinx.


When Shenshin (the poet’s surname, which he bore for the first 14 and last 19 years of his life) was born is not known for certain. They call it November 10 or December 11, 1820, but Afanasy Afanasyevich himself celebrated his birthday on the 5th of the twelfth month.

His mother Charlotte-Elisabeth Becker was the daughter of a German burgher and for some time was the wife of a certain Johann Fet, assessor of the local court in Darmstadt. Soon Charlotte met Afanasy Neofitovich Shenshin, an Oryol landowner and part-time retired captain.

The fact is that Shenshin, having arrived in Germany, was unable to book a place in a hotel, because there were simply none there. Therefore, the Russian settles in the house of Ober-Krieg Commissioner Karl Becker, a widower who lived with his 22-year-old daughter, pregnant with her second child, son-in-law and granddaughter.


Why the young girl fell in love with 45-year-old Afanasy, who, moreover, according to the recollections of his contemporaries, was unpretentious in appearance - history is silent. But, according to rumors, before meeting the Russian landowner, the relationship between Charlotte and Fet gradually reached a dead end: despite the birth of their daughter Caroline, husband and wife often clashed, and Johann got into numerous debts, poisoning the existence of his young wife.

What is known is that from the “City of Sciences” (as Darmstadt is called), the girl fled with Shenshin to a snowy country, the severe frosts of which the Germans had never even dreamed of.

Karl Becker could not explain such an eccentric and unprecedented act of his daughter at that time. After all, she, being a married woman, abandoned her husband and beloved child to the mercy of fate and went in search of adventure in an unfamiliar country. Grandfather Afanasy used to say that “means of seduction” (most likely, Karl meant alcohol) deprived her of her mind. But in fact, Charlotte was later diagnosed with a mental disorder.


Already on the territory of Russia, two months after the move, a boy was born. The baby was baptized according to Orthodox custom and named Athanasius. Thus, the parents predetermined the future of the child, because Athanasius translated from Greek means “immortal.” In fact, Fet became a famous writer, whose memory has not died for many years.

Charlotte, who converted to Orthodoxy and became Elizaveta Petrovna, recalled that Shenshin treated his adopted son as a blood relative and showered the boy with care and attention.

Later, the Shenshins had three more children, but two died at a young age, which is not surprising, because due to progressive diseases in those troubled times infant mortality was considered far from uncommon. Afanasy Afanasyevich recalled in his autobiography “The Early Years of My Life” how his sister Anyuta, who was a year younger, went to bed. Relatives and friends stood by the girl’s bed day and night, and doctors visited her room in the morning. Fet remembered how he approached the girl and saw her ruddy face and blue eyes, motionless looking at the ceiling. When Anyuta died, Afanasy Shenshin, initially guessing such a tragic outcome, fainted.


In 1824, Johann proposed marriage to the governess who raised his daughter Caroline. The woman agreed, and Fet, either out of resentment at life, or to annoy his ex-wife, crossed Afanasy out of the will. “I am very surprised that Fet forgot and did not recognize his son in his will. A person can make mistakes, but denying the laws of nature is very big mistake“,” Elizaveta Petrovna recalled in letters to her brother.

When the young man turned 14 years old, the spiritual consistory canceled the baptismal registration of Athanasius as the legitimate son of Shenshin, so the boy was given his last name - Fet, since he was born out of wedlock. Because of this, Afanasy lost all privileges, so in the eyes of the public he appeared not as a descendant of a noble family, but as a “Hessendarmstadt subject,” a foreigner of dubious origin. Such changes became a blow to the heart for the future poet, who considered himself originally Russian. For many years, the writer tried to return the surname of the man who raised him as his own son, but his attempts were in vain. And only in 1873 Afanasy won and became Shenshin.


Afanasy spent his childhood in the village of Novoselki, in the Oryol province, on his father’s estate, in a house with a mezzanine and two outbuildings. The boy's gaze revealed picturesque meadows covered with green grass, crowns of mighty trees illuminated by the sun, houses with smoking chimneys and a church with ringing bells. Also, young Fet got up at five in the morning and ran to the maids in his pajamas so that they could tell him a fairy tale. Although the spinning maids tried to ignore the annoying Afanasy, the boy eventually got his way.

All these childhood memories that inspired Fet were reflected in his subsequent work.

From 1835 to 1837, Afanasy attended the German private boarding school Krummer, where he showed himself to be a diligent student. The young man pored over literature textbooks and even then tried to come up with poetic lines.

Literature

At the end of 1837, the young man set out to conquer the heart of Russia. Afanasy diligently studied for six months under the supervision of the famous journalist, writer and publisher Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin. After preparation, Fet easily entered Moscow University for Faculty of Law. But the poet soon realized that the subject patronized by Saint Ivo of Brittany was not his path.


Therefore, the young man, without any hesitation, switched to Russian literature. As a first-year student, Afanasy Fet took up poetry seriously and showed his attempt at writing to Pogodin. Having familiarized himself with the student’s works, Mikhail Petrovich gave the manuscripts, who stated: “Fet is an undoubted talent.” Encouraged by the praise of the author of the book “Viy,” Afanasy Afanasyevich released his debut collection “Lyrical Pantheon” (1840) and began publishing in the literary magazines “Otechestvennye zapiski”, “Moskvityanin”, etc. "Lyrical Pantheon" did not bring recognition to the author. Unfortunately, Fet's talent was not appreciated by his contemporaries.

But at one point Afanasy Afanasyevich had to give up literary activity and forget about the pen and inkwell. A dark streak came in the life of the gifted poet. At the end of 1844, his beloved mother died, as well as his uncle, with whom Fet had developed a warm and friendly relationship. Afanasy Afanasyevich was counting on a relative's inheritance, but his uncle's money unexpectedly disappeared. Therefore, the young poet was left literally without a livelihood and, in the hope of acquiring a fortune, entered the military service and became a cavalryman. He achieved the rank of officer.


In 1850, the writer returned to poetry and published a second collection, which received rave reviews from Russian critics. After a fairly long period of time, the third collection of the gifted poet was published under the editorship, and in 1863 a two-volume collection of Fet’s works was published.

If we consider the work of the author of “May Night” and “Spring Rain,” he was a sophisticated lyricist and seemed to identify nature and human feelings. In addition to lyric poems, in his track record there are elegies, thoughts, ballads, messages. Also, many literary scholars agree that Afanasy Afanasyevich came up with his own, original and multifaceted genre of “melodies”; responses to musical works are often found in his works.


Among other things, Afanasy Afanasyevich is familiar to modern readers as a translator. He translated a number of poems by Latin poets into Russian, and also introduced readers to the mystical Faust.

Personal life

During his lifetime, Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet was a paradoxical figure: before his contemporaries he appeared as a brooding and gloomy man, whose biography was surrounded by mystical halos. Therefore, dissonance arose in the minds of poetry lovers; some could not understand how this person, burdened with everyday worries, could sing so exaltedly of nature, love, feelings and human relationships.


In the summer of 1848, Afanasy Fet, serving in the cuirassier regiment, was invited to a ball at the hospitable home of the former officer of the Order Regiment M.I. Petkovich.

Among the young ladies fluttering around the hall, Afanasy Afanasyevich saw a black-haired beauty, the daughter of a retired cavalry general of Serbian origin, Maria Lazich. From that very meeting, Fet began to perceive this girl as or as -. It is noteworthy that Maria knew Fet for a long time, although she became acquainted with him through his poems, which she read in her youth. Lazic was educated beyond her years, knew how to play music and was well versed in literature. It is not surprising that Fet recognized a kindred spirit in this girl. They exchanged numerous fiery letters and often leafed through albums. Maria became the lyrical heroine of many Fetov’s poems.


But the acquaintance of Fet and Lazic was not happy. The lovers could have become spouses and raised children in the future, but the prudent and practical Fet refused an alliance with Maria, because she was as poor as he was. In his last letter, Lazich Afanasy Afanasyevich initiated the separation.

Soon Maria died: due to a carelessly thrown match, her dress caught fire. The girl could not be saved from numerous burns. It is possible that this death was a suicide. The tragic event struck Fet to the core, and comfort from the sudden loss loved one Afanasy Afanasyevich found in creativity. His subsequent poems were received with a bang by the reading public, so Fet managed to acquire a fortune; the poet’s fees allowed him to travel around Europe.


While abroad, the master of trochee and iambic became involved with a rich woman from a famous Russian dynasty- Maria Botkina. Fet's second wife was not pretty, but she was distinguished by her good nature and easy disposition. Although Afanasy Afanasyevich proposed not out of love, but out of convenience, the couple lived happily. After a modest wedding, the couple left for Moscow, Fet resigned and devoted his life to creativity.

Death

On November 21, 1892, Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet died of a heart attack. Many biographers suggest that before his death the poet attempted suicide. But there is currently no reliable evidence for this version.


The grave of the creator is located in the village of Kleymenovo.

Bibliography

Collections:

  • 2010 – “Poems”
  • 1970 – “Poems”
  • 2006 – “Afanasy Fet. Lyrics"
  • 2005 – “Poems. Poems"
  • 1988 – “Poems. Prose. Letters"
  • 2001 – “The Poet’s Prose”
  • 2007 – “Spiritual Poetry”
  • 1856 – “Two stickies”
  • 1859 – “Sabina”
  • 1856 – “Dream”
  • 1884 – “Student”
  • 1842 – “Talisman”

Russian poet ( real name Shenshin), corresponding member St. Petersburg Academy Sciences (1886). The lyrics of nature, saturated with specific signs, the fleeting moods of the human soul, musicality: “Evening Lights” (collections 1 4, 1883 91). Many poems are set to music.

Biography

Born in October or November in the village of Novoselki, Oryol province. His father was a wealthy landowner A. Shenshin, his mother was Caroline Charlotte Föth, who came from Germany. The parents were not married. The boy was registered as the son of Shenshin, but when he was 14 years old, the legal illegality of this recording was discovered, which deprived him of the privileges given to hereditary nobles. From now on he had to bear the surname Fet, the rich heir suddenly turned into a “man without a name,” the son of an unknown foreigner of dubious origin. Fet took this as a shame. Regaining his lost position became an obsession that determined his entire life path.

He studied at a German boarding school in the city of Verro (now Võru, Estonia), then at the boarding school of Professor Pogodin, a historian, writer, and journalist, where he entered to prepare for Moscow University. In 1844 he graduated from the literature department of the university's Faculty of Philosophy, where he became friends with Grigoriev, his peer and fellow poet. "Blessing" on a serious literary work Fetu was given by Gogol, who said: “This is an undoubted talent.” Fet's first collection of poems, "Lyrical Pantheon", was published in 1840 and received Belinsky's approval, which inspired him to further work. His poems have appeared in many publications.

In order to achieve his goal of regaining the title of nobility, in 1845 he left Moscow and entered military service in one of the provincial regiments in the south. He continued to write poetry.

Only eight years later, while serving in the Life Uhlan Guards Regiment, he got the opportunity to live near St. Petersburg.

In 1850, the magazine Sovremennik, owned by Nekrasov, published Fet's poems, which aroused the admiration of critics of all directions. He was accepted among the most famous writers (Nekrasov and Turgenev, Botkin and Druzhinin, etc.), thanks to literary earnings, he improved his financial situation, which gave him the opportunity to travel around Europe. In 1857 in Paris, he married the daughter of a rich tea merchant and the sister of his admirer V. Botkin M. Botkina.

In 1858, Fet retired, settled in Moscow and energetically engaged in literary work, demanding from publishers an “unheard-of price” for his works.

A difficult life path developed in him a gloomy outlook on life and society. His heart was hardened by the blows of fate, and his desire to compensate for his social attacks made him a difficult person to communicate with. Fet almost stopped writing and became a real landowner, working on his estate; he is elected magistrate in Vorobyovka. This went on for almost 20 years.

At the end of the 1870s, Fet began to write poetry with renewed vigor. The sixty-three-year-old poet gave the collection of poems the title “Evening Lights.” (More than three hundred poems are included in five issues, four of which were published in 1883, 1885, 1888, 1891. The poet prepared the fifth issue, but did not manage to publish it.)

In 1888, in connection with the “fiftieth anniversary of his muse,” Fet managed to achieve the court rank of chamberlain; He considered the day on which this happened, the day when the surname “Shenshin” was returned to him, “one of the happiest days of his life.”