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

One of the most outstanding personalities in Russian culture at the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich. He was a bright figure, and as a statesman, and as a poet, the pen of which belonged to the most famous poems of his time, impregnated with the spirit of the Enlightenment. Few of the people could do so much to develop the culture of their country, as did Gabriel Derzhavin. The biography and work of this great man, undoubtedly, deserve a detailed study.

History

But before we start to study the facts from the life of Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich, let's glance at the history of his family.

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

Brahim had a son named Narbek, baptized by Dmitri, from the older son of whom the Narbakov family had originated, and from the younger son Alexei Narbekov, nicknamed Derzhava, the dynasty of the Derzhavins was formed.

The descendants of the founders of the clan completely Russified, which was largely fostered by numerous marriages with representatives of the Russian nobility, occupied significant posts under princes and tsars of the Russian state. In particular, they were voevods and stooges. That's just the descendant of this glorious family and was Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich.

Youth of Derzhavin

The life of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin began on July 3 (according to the old calendar) in 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.

Because of the specifics of the military service of Roman Nikolayevich, the family constantly had to move from place to place. However, Gabriel 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, because of the poverty that the family lost after the loss of the breadwinner, it was rather difficult to continue education. Nevertheless, in 1759 Gabriel Derzhavin entered Kazan in a gymnasium-type institution, which successfully graduated in three years, showing some of the best results in teaching. However, this is the end of his training. Such education was even considered superficial for those times.

Immediately after graduation, Gavriil Romanovich was enlisted as an ordinary soldier in the Preobrazhensky Guards. In the same place he begins to write the first verses. As part of this unit, he participated in the coup d'état of 1762 with the aim of overthrowing Emperor Peter III and elevating Catherine to the throne, later called the Great. This fact in no small measure affected his future career.

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

In the civil service

Having left military service in 1777, thanks to his personal request in a letter to Empress Catherine, Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich transferred to the state service. In addition, he received 300 more peasants in possession. In another six months, he becomes an ex-suit in the Senate. In 1780, he became an advisor for state revenues and expenses, which was quite a lucrative post.

He gained wide fame as a poet Derzhavin in 1782, thanks to the publication of his ode "Felitsa", dedicated to the glorification of Empress Catherine II. Undoubtedly, this work was full of 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 he won the favor of Empress Gabriel Derzhavin. His biography in the future consists of a series of promotions through the career ladder. In the same year he became a state councilor.

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

However, it can not be said that everything he had was absolutely smooth in the civil service. Because of the conflict with the high-ranking prince Vyazemsky, his former patron, Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin resigned. A brief biography does not provide an opportunity to dwell on all aspects of this case.

However, already in 1784 he was sent to manage the Olonets governorship in Karelia. There Gavriil Romanovich distinguished himself with great efforts in establishing public life and the economy of the region, thereby showing his high organizational talents. This period of life and the edge, ruled by the poet, is devoted to a significant array of poetic creativity Derzhavin.

In two years he was given a more profitable position of the Tambov governor, who promised more income and privileges.

Top of career

In the meantime, Derzhavin Gabriel is trying to get more and more new jobs. In short, in 1791 he became secretary of the Empress Catherine himself, and two years later he was promoted to the rank of senator and secret adviser. From this time, we can safely say that Derzhavin made his way to the elite of Russian society.

In 1795 Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich was awarded the title of president of the Commerce Board-a state body whose task was to manage and control trade. Of course, it was a very profitable position.

After the death of Catherine, under Emperor Paul I, Gabriel Romanovich became the state treasurer and the ruler of the Senate Chancellery. With the heir of Pavel I in 1802 Derzhavin received a ministerial portfolio, becoming the Minister of Justice. It was the height of his career.

Resignation

But already in 1803, at the age of sixty, the Minister of Justice resigned and never again returned to the civil service, having lived 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 Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin was forced to withdraw from his affairs. A brief biography allows only listing them, without specifying the details. This is an old age, fatigue from the state service Derzhavin himself, and most importantly - the desire to remove him by the new favorites of Alexander I.

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

Previously, creativity

Creativity Gabriel Derzhavin has a landmark character for his time. As mentioned earlier, he wrote his first poems, being an ordinary in the Transfiguration Guard. True, Derzhavin wrote this poetry for himself rather than for a general review.

For the first time his poems were published only a decade later in 1773, when Derzhavin was already an officer. But the glory of the nation-wide poet was brought to him by the ode "Felitsa", dedicated to the Empress of All-Russian Catherine II. This work abounded with compliments and praises of the monarch, but at the same time his composition of the ball is quite slender, and the metaphors used put the ode on one level with the greatest creations of contemporary poetry.

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

Further creative path

Gabriel Derzhavin had a difficult destiny. The facts from his life testify that even taking the highest state posts, he did not forget about poetry. It is to this period of activity that the writing of such iconic works as "Thunder of victory is heard", "Swan", "God", "The Grandee", "Waterfall" and many others belong. Each of them had its own conceptual features and topicality of the subject. For example, "The Thunder of Victory", was put on 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 "Swan" and "Waterfall" were written under the impression of Derzhavin's stay in Karelia.

Derzhavin wrote both lyric poems and epic poems aimed at raising morale and exalting the Empress and the Russian Empire. In each of his works had its own unique zest.

It is noteworthy that most of the most famous creations of Gabriel Romanovich chronologically fall just for the period of his highest promotion on the career ladder in the civil service.

Literary activity after the resignation

As already mentioned above, 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 certainly one of many acts that Gabriel Derzhavin could have been proud of. A brief biography, unfortunately, narrows the scope of the narrative and does not give details about the activities of this society.

Particularly noteworthy was Derzhavin's famous meeting with the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. However, then Pushkin was still a student and did not have fame, but Gabriel Romanovich, taking the exam, already at that time noticed in it the makings of genius. This landmark meeting occurred a year before Derzhavin's death in 1815.

A family

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

But happiness is not eternal, and Gabriel Derzhavin comprehends a great grief. His young wife, only 34 years old, dies in 1794. She is worried at the Lazarevsky cemetery of St. Petersburg.

Although the grief of Gabriel Romanovich had no boundaries, only six months after the death of his wife he married a second time. His wife was the daughter of the chief prosecutor and State Counselor Darya 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 first marriage of the poet, this union was built not on love, but on friendship and mutual respect. Darya Alekseevna survived her husband for 26 years, but nevertheless the second time she did not marry.

Children Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin was not, but he took care of the children of his deceased friend Peter Lazarev, whose name was Andrew, Alex and Michael. The last of them in the future became the discoverer of Antarctica.

Death of poet

Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin died in his estate Zvanka, in which 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 (old style) in 1816. During his death, his faithful wife, Daria Alekseevna, was with him.

But, except for his wife, the loss of such a powerful cultural torch of his time was certainly grieved by a significant part of the Russian intelligentsia and enlightened personalities, as well as people who were simply familiar with Gabriel Romanovich and knew him as a sympathetic and noble person.

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

Results of life and heritage

Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich lived a rather complicated, saturated and interesting life. The facts from his biography testify to the significant role of this personality both in the cultural life of the country and in public activity. Special mention should be made of his service for the benefit of the Russian Empire at various state posts. But the main legacy left by Gabriel Derzhavin is, of course, his brilliant poetry, highly valued by both the poet's contemporaries and descendants.

And now in Russia they remember about the contribution that Gabriel Romanovich made to the development of Russian culture. Numerous monuments, stelae and memorial plaques established by 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, testify to the commemoration of the memory of the great poet. , Where the genius spent the last years of his life. In addition, in honor of Gabriel Derzhavin in many towns are called streets, squares, educational institutions, etc.

The museum-estate of the great poet should be distinguished. It was in this mansion during the service in St. Petersburg that Gabriel Derzhavin lived. Photo of the estate from the Polish Garden is presented below.

Now this building is considered the main museum dedicated to the life and work of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin. Today's former estate was acquired only in 2003, although the decision to create the museum was made five years before. In previous years, there was a communal apartment. Now the interior recreates the interior of the times of Derzhavin's life.

Certainly, the memory of such an outstanding personality as Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin, does not deserve oblivion and will never be forgotten in Russia.