home Audience 4 Life and work of Fet. Interesting facts from Fet's life. What a mystery is the death of Afanasy Fet

Life and work of Fet. Interesting facts from Fet's life. What a mystery is the death of Afanasy Fet

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, child 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 a 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 at the 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 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 lyrical poems, his track record includes elegies, thoughts, ballads, and 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 depths of his soul, and Afanasy Afanasyevich found consolation from the sudden loss of a loved one in his 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:

1856 – “Two stickies”
1859 – “Sabina”
1856 – “Dream”
1884 – “Student”
1842 – “Talisman”

Born into the family of landowner Afanasy Neofitovich Shenshin and his mother, who left her husband Johann-Peter Fet for him. After fourteen years, the Oryol spiritual consistory returned the surname of his mother’s previous husband to Afanasy, which caused him to lose all the privileges of the nobility. Fet studied at first at home, then was sent to a German boarding school in Verro and graduated brilliantly in 1837.

In 1837 Afanasy Fet came to Moscow and studied at the boarding school of Professor M.P. Pogodin and in 1838 he entered first the Faculty of Law, then the Historical and Philological Department of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University.

In 1840, he published at his own expense a collection of poems, “A.F.’s Lyrical Pantheon,” which was praised in “Notes of the Fatherland” and scolded in “Library for Reading.”

In 1842 - 1843, his eighty-five poems were published in Otechestvennye zapiski.

In 1845, Afanasy Fet entered the cuirassier regiment stationed in the Kherson province as a non-commissioned officer, wishing to acquire hereditary Russian nobility. In 1846 he was awarded his first officer rank.

In 1847, censorship permission to publish the book was obtained and a book of poems was published in 1850. The poems received positive reviews in the magazines Sovremennik, Moskvityanin, and Otechestvennye zapiski.

In 1853, Afanasy Fet joined the Uhlan Guards regiment, stationed near Volkhov, and began to visit St. Petersburg more often. Here he began to communicate with the new editors of Sovremennik N. Nekrasov, I. Turgenev, V. Botkin, A. Druzhinin.

In 1854, his poems began to be published in Sovremennik.

In 1856, Afanasy Fet left military service with the rank of guards headquarters captain, having not achieved the nobility, and settled in Moscow. In 1857 he married M.P. Botkina.

In 1860, he bought an estate in Mtsensk district and, in the words of I. Turgenev, “became an agronomist-owner to the point of despair.”

From 1862, he began to regularly publish essays in the editorial “Russian Bulletin” that exposed the conditions in the countryside.

In 1867 - 1877 Afanasy Fet was elected justice of the peace.

In 1873, the surname Shenshin was recognized as his surname and hereditary nobility was granted. During this period, he was little involved in literary activities.

In 1881, Afanasy Fet bought a mansion in Moscow and in the same year his translation of “The World as Will and Representation” by A. Schopenhauer was published.

In 1882, he published his translation of the first part of “Faust” by I.V. Goethe.

In 1883, Afanasy Fet began publishing his poems again in the form of collections “Evening Lights”.

In 1888, the second part of “Faust” by I.V. was published. Goethe translated by Afanasy Fet and the third collection of poems “Evening Lights”.

Afanasy Fet died of a suspected heart attack on November 21 (December 3), 1892 in Moscow. He was buried in the village of Kleymenovo, the family estate of the Shenshins.

Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet(for the first 14 and last 19 years of his life he officially bore the surname Shenshin, November 23 (December 5), 1820, Novoselki estate, Mtsensk district, Oryol province - November 21 (December 3), 1892, Moscow) - Russian lyricist poet, translator, memoirist.

Surname Fet(more precisely, Fet, German Foeth), became for the poet, as he later recalled, “the name of all his sufferings and sorrows.” Son of an Oryol landowner Afanasy Ivanovich Shenshin and Caroline Charlotte Föth, brought by him from Germany, he was recorded at birth (probably for a bribe) as the legitimate son of his parents, although he was born a month after Charlotte arrived in Russia and a year before their marriage. When he was 14 years old, an “error” in the documents was discovered, and he was deprived of his surname, nobility and Russian citizenship and became “foreign subject Afanasy Fet” (thus, Charlotte’s first husband, the German Fet, began to be considered his father; who in reality was Afanasy's father is unknown). In 1873, he officially regained his surname Shenshin, but continued to sign his literary works and translations with the surname Fet (with an “e”).

Afanasy Afanasyevich was born on November 23, 1820 near the city of Mtsensk, Oryol province, in the village of Novoselki.

Until the age of 14, Fet lived and studied at home, and then in the city of Verro Livonia province (now Võru, Estonia), in the German private boarding school of Krümmer. In 1837, he was transported to Moscow, where Afanasy Afanasyevich studied at the boarding school of Professor Pogodin, a historian, writer, and journalist, where he entered to prepare for Moscow University. Soon Fet entered Moscow University, the Faculty of History and Philology. Almost all student time Afanasy Fet lived in the family of his university friend, the future literary critic Apollo Grigoriev, who had an influence on the development of his poetic gift.

1840 - the first collection of his poems, “Lyrical Pantheon,” is published.
Fet was given his blessing for serious literary work by Gogol, who said: “This is an undoubted talent.” Fet's first collection of poems, “Lyrical Pantheon,” was published in 1840 and received the approval of Belinsky, which inspired him to further work. Since 1842, Fet’s poems regularly appear on the pages of the magazines “Moskvityanin” and “Otechestvennye zapiski”. “Of the poets living in Moscow, Mr. Fet is the most gifted,” writes Belinsky in 1843.

In 1844 Afanasy Afanasyevich finishes his studies at Moscow University and in 1845, a budding poet, becomes a cavalryman in the cuirassier regiment of the Military Order, since the first officer rank gave the right to receive hereditary nobility. In 1853 Fet transferred to the Uhlan Guards Regiment; during the Crimean campaign he was part of the troops guarding the Estonian coast. In 1858 he retired, like his father, as a headquarters captain. Afanasy Afanasyevich, however, was not able to achieve noble rights at that time: the qualification required for this increased as Fet was promoted.

1850 - the second collection of the poet’s poems was published in Moscow. In 1856, the third book was published in St. Petersburg, attracting the attention of poetry connoisseurs and lovers.

Meanwhile, his poetic fame grew. The success of the third book, “Poems by A. Fet,” published in Moscow in 1850, gave him access to the Sovremennik circle in St. Petersburg, where he met Turgenev and V.P. Botkin. Later Afanasy Fet met L.N. Tolstoy, who returned from Sevastopol. The Sovremennik circle jointly selected, edited and beautifully published a new collection of “Poems by A.A. Feta” (St. Petersburg, 1856). In 1863, it was republished by Soldatenkov in two volumes, and the 2nd volume included translations of Horace and others.

In 1857, Afanasy Afanasyevich married Marya Petrovna Botkina, sister of the doctor S.P. Botkin, in Paris. Literary successes prompted Feta leave military service and in 1858 the poet resigns with the rank of guards captain and settles in Moscow.

In 1860, Afanasy Afanasyevich bought the Stepanovka farm with 200 acres of land, in Mtsensk district, and energetically began to manage it, living there all the time and only visiting Moscow briefly in winter. For more than ten years (1867 - 1877) Fet was a justice of the peace and at that time wrote magazine articles in “Russian Bulletin” about rural order (“From the Village”), where he showed himself to be such a convinced and tenacious Russian “agrarian” that he soon received the nickname “serf owner” from the populist press. Afanasy Fet turned out to be an excellent owner; in 1877 he left Stepanovka and bought the Vorobyovka estate in Shchigrovsky district, Kursk province, near Korennaya Pustyn for 105,000 rubles. At the end of his life, Fet's fortune reached a level that can be called wealth. In 1873, the surname Shenshin was approved for Fet with all the rights associated with it. I.S. immediately responded to this. Turgenev: “Like Fet you had a name, like Shenshin you only have a surname.”

In 1881 Shenshin bought a house in Moscow and began to come to Vorobyovka in the spring and summer as a summer resident, renting out the farm to the manager. At this time of contentment and honor, Afanasy Afanasyevich with new energy began to write original and translated poetry, and memoirs. He published in Moscow: four collections of lyrical poems “Evening Lights” (1883, 1885, 1888, 1891) and translations of Horace (1883), Juvenal (1885), Catullus (1886), Tibullus (1886), Ovid (1887), Virgil (1888), Propertius (1889), Persia (1889) and Martial (1891); translation of both parts of Goethe's Faust (1882 and 1888); wrote a memoir, “The Early Years of My Life, Before 1848.” (posthumous edition, 1893) and “My Memoirs, 1848 - 1889.” (in two volumes, 1890); translation of the works of A. Schopenhauer: “On the Fourth Root of the Law of Sufficient Reason” and “On the Will in Nature” (1886) and “The World as Will and Idea” (2nd edition - 1888).

On January 28 and 29, 1889, the anniversary of Fet’s 50-year literary activity was solemnly celebrated in Moscow; soon after that he was granted the title of chamberlain by the Highest. Afanasy Afanasyevich died on November 21, 1892 in Moscow, two days shy of 72 years old. He was buried in the Shenshin family estate, the village of Kleimenov, in Mtsensk district, 25 versts from Orel.

Creation Feta characterized by the desire to escape from everyday reality into the “bright kingdom of dreams.” The main content of his poetry is love and nature. His poems are distinguished by the subtlety of their poetic mood and great artistic skill.

Fet is expressive and accurate when depicting pictures of nature in different seasons, in each of which he finds a unique charm. Even in pictures of fading nature, the poet sees beauty that gives rise to bright, life-affirming feelings. This is felt in such poems as, “The leaves trembled, flying around...” and others. Fet’s nature is inhabited by living creatures, not only traditional for poetry (nightingale, eagle, swan), but also, perhaps, for the first time in the lyrical landscape (lapwing, sandpiper). The accuracy and concreteness of landscapes is largely due to the achievements of Russian realistic prose (Turgenev and L. Tolstoy, first of all). Poeticization of the beauties of nature is one of the merits of Feta the lyricist to Russian literature. Poetry Feta about nature have long become textbooks.

Another, no less significant merit Feta- an image of deep love feeling. His love lyrics are characterized by tragedy and deep psychologism. At the same time, Fet’s images of the hero and heroine lack social and everyday definition. It is not without reason that the style of his love poems is so characterized by the technique when a portrait or psychological detail appears as part of the whole. “The parting running to the left,” “children’s tears,” “features not made by hands,” “the curves of a close soul,” “the torment of a sinless soul,” “an instant image” are signs of the heroine.