Yakov Petrovich Polonsky (1819-1898)

One of the main Russian poets of the post-Pushkin era, was born on December 6, 1820 in Ryazan, the son of an official; studied at a local gymnasium, then at Moscow University, where his comrades were Fet and S.M. Solovyov. At the end of the course, Polonsky, as a home teacher, spent several years in the Caucasus (1846-52), where he was an assistant editor of the Transcaucasian Bulletin and abroad. In 1857 he married, but was soon widowed; for the second time in 1866 he married Josephine Antonovna Rulman (amateur sculptor, famous for the bust of Turgenev, set in Odessa).

In 1844, Polonsky's first collection of poems, Gamma, was published, attracting the attention of critics and readers.

After graduating from university, he lived in Odessa. There he published the second collection of Poems of 1845.

In 1846, Polonsky moved to Tiflis, joined the office and at the same time worked as an assistant editor of the newspaper Transcaucasian Bulletin. While in Georgia, Polonsky turned to prose (articles and essays on ethnography), publishing them in a newspaper.

Georgia inspired him to create in 1849 a book of poems "Sazandar" (Singer), in 1852 - the historical play "Darejana Imeretinskaya".

From 1851 Polonsky lived in St. Petersburg, traveling abroad from time to time. The poet's collections of poems (1855 and 1859) were well received by various critics.

In 1859 - 60 he was one of the editors of the journal "Russian Word".

In the social and literary struggle of the 1860s, Polonsky did not take part on the side of any of the camps. He defended the poetry of "love", opposing it to the poetry of "hate" ("For the Few", 1860; "To the Citizen Poet", 1864), although he recognized the impossibility of love "without pain" and life outside the problems of modernity ("One of the tired" , 1863). During these years, his poetry was sharply criticized by radical democrats. I. Turgenev and N. Strakhov defended Polonsky's original talent from attacks, emphasizing his "worship of everything beautiful and lofty, service to truth, goodness and beauty, love of freedom and hatred of violence."

In 1880 - 90 Polonsky was a very popular poet. During these years he returned to the themes of his early lyrics. A variety of writers, artists, and scientists unite around him. He is very attentive to the development of creativity Nadson and Fofanov.

In 1881, the collection "At Sunset" was published, in 1890 - "Evening Bells", imbued with motives of sadness and death, reflections on the transience of human happiness.

From 1860 to 1896 Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

In the totality of Polonsky's poems, there is not that complete harmony between inspiration and reflection and that conviction in living reality and the superiority of poetic truth in comparison with deadly reflection, which, for example, Goethe, Pushkin, Tyutchev differ. Polonsky was also very impressionable towards those movements of the latest thought that had an antipoetic character: in many of his poems, prosaic and rationality prevails; but where he gives himself up to pure inspiration, we find in him examples of strong and peculiar poetry.

Polonsky's typical poems have the distinguishing feature that the very process of inspiration - the transition or impulse from the ordinary material and everyday environment to the realm of poetic truth - remains tangible. Usually in poetic works the finished result of inspiration is given, and not its very rise, which remains hidden, while in Polonsky he sometimes feels in the very sound of his poems, for example:

It's not the wind - Aurora's sigh

The sea mist blew...

Polonsky's works are distinguished by "captivating disorder"; they also have "mourning" for worldly evil and grief, but the head of his muse shines with a reflection of heavenly light; her voice mixes the secret tears of grief experienced with the prophetic sweetness of the best hopes; sensitive - perhaps even too much - to the vanity and malice of life, she strives to get away from them beyond the "thorny peaks of love" "into golden clouds" and there she speaks freely and easily with the gullibility of a child.

Among the best works of Polonsky is "Cassandra" (with the exception of two extra explanatory stanzas - IV and V, which weaken the impression). In Polonsky's great poems from modern life (human and dog), generally speaking, the inner meaning does not correspond to the volume. Some places are excellent here too, for example: the description of the southern night (in the poem "Mimi"), especially the sound impression of the sea:

And on the sandbanks

Likely strews with pearls

erratic; and thinks

Someone walks and is afraid

To burst into tears, only sharpens

Tears, knocking on someone's door,

That rustle, drags back

On the sand your train, then again

Returns there...

In the later works of Polonsky, a religious motive clearly sounds, if not as a positive confidence, then as a desire and readiness for faith: "Blessed is he who has been given two hearings - whoever hears the ringing of the church and hears the eternal voice of the Spirit." The last collection of Polonsky's poems adequately ends with a true poetic story: "The Dreamer", the meaning of which is that the poetic dream of an early deceased hero turns out to be something very real. Regardless of the striving for a positive religion, Polonsky in his latest works looks into the most fundamental questions of being. Thus, the mystery of time becomes clear to his poetic consciousness - the truth that time is not the creation of a new content in essence, but only a rearrangement into different positions of the same essential meaning of life, which in itself is eternity (the poem "Allegory", more clearly - in the poem "Now into the dark abyss, then into the bright abyss" and most clearly and lively - in the poem "Tender, timid childhood").

In addition to large and small poems, Polonsky wrote several extensive novels in prose: "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin" (St. Petersburg, 1888), "Steep Hills" (St. Petersburg, 1888), "Cheap City" (St. Petersburg, 1888), "Unintentionally" (M., 1844). His humorous poem "Dogs" was published in 1892 (St. Petersburg). Collections of poems by Polonsky: "Gammas" (1844), "Poems of 1845" (1846), "Sazandar" (1849), "Several Poems" (1851), "Poems" (1855), "Reprints" (1860), "Grasshopper Musician" (1863), "Discord" (1866), " Sheaves" (1871), "Ozimi" (1876), "At Sunset" (1881), "Poems 1841-85" (1885), "Evening bells" (1890).

Born in Ryazan in a poor noble family. In 1838 he graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium. Yakov Polonsky considered the beginning of his literary activity in 1837, when he presented one of his poems to the Tsarevich, the future Tsar Alexander II, who traveled around Russia accompanied by his tutor.

In 1838, Yakov Polonsky entered the law faculty of Moscow University (graduating in 1844). In his student years, he became close with and who highly appreciated the talent of the young poet. He also met with P. Chaadaev, T. Granovsky. In the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1840, Polonsky's poem "The Holy Blagovesh solemnly sounds ..." was first published in the journal Moskvityanin and in the student almanac Underground Keys.

In 1844, Polonsky's first collection of poetry, Gamma, was published, in which his influence is noticeable. The collection already contained poems written in the genre of everyday romance (, etc.). In this genre, the masterpiece of lyrics by Yakov Polonsky was subsequently written (“My fire in the fog shines ...”, 1853). Literary critic B. Eikhenbaum later called the main feature of Polonsky's romances "the combination of lyrics with narration." They are characterized by a large number of portrait, everyday and other details that reflect the psychological state of the lyrical hero (and others).

After graduation Yakov Polonsky moved to Odessa, where he published the second poetry collection "Poems of 1845" (1845). The book caused a negative assessment of V.G. Belinsky, who saw in the author "an unrelated, purely external talent." In Odessa, Polonsky became a prominent figure in the circle of writers who continued the Pushkin poetic tradition. The impressions of Odessa life subsequently formed the basis of the novel "Cheap City" (1879).

In 1846, Yakov Polonsky was appointed to Tiflis, to the office of the governor M. Vorontsov. At the same time he became an assistant editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin", in which he published essays. In Tiflis in 1849 Polonsky's poetry collection Sazandar (The Singer) was published. It included ballads and poems, as well as poems in the spirit of the "natural school" - i.e. replete with everyday scenes (“Walk in Tiflis”) or written in the spirit of national folklore (“Georgian Song”).

In 1851 Polonsky moved to Petersburg. He wrote in his diary in 1856: “I don’t know why I involuntarily feel disgusted by any political poem; It seems to me that in the most sincere political poem there are as many lies and untruths as there are in politics itself. Soon, Yakov Polonsky definitely declared his creative credo: “God did not give me the scourge of satire ... / And for the few I am a poet” (“For the Few”, 1860). Contemporaries saw in him "a modest but honest figure of the Pushkin direction" (A. Druzhinin) and noted that "he never draws and does not play any role, but always is what he is" (E. Stackenschneider).

In St. Petersburg, Yakov Polonsky published two collections of poetry (1856 and 1859), as well as the first collection of prose "Stories" (1859), in which he noticed "the poet's sensitive susceptibility to the life of nature and the internal fusion of the phenomena of reality with the images of his imagination and with the impulses of his heart ". D. Pisarev, on the contrary, considered such features to be manifestations of a "narrow mental world" and classified Yakov Polonsky among the "microscopic poetics."

In 1857 Yakov Polonsky left for Italy, where he studied painting. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1860. He survived a personal tragedy - the death of his son and wife, reflected in the poems "The Seagull" (1860), "The Madness of Grief" (1860), etc. In the 1860s he wrote the novels "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin" (1867) and The Marriage of Atuev (1869), in which the influence is noticeable. Polonsky published in magazines of various directions, explaining this in one of his letters to A. Chekhov: "I have been a nobody all my life."

In 1858-1860, Yakov Polonsky edited the journal "Russian Word", in 1860-1896 he served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship. In general, the 1860s-1870s were marked for the poet by inattention of the reader and worldly disorder. Interest in Polonsky's poetry arose again in the 1880s, when, together with and, he was part of the "poetic triumvirate", which was respected by the reading public. Yakov Polonsky again became a landmark figure in the literary life of St. Petersburg, outstanding contemporaries gathered at Polonsky's Fridays. The poet was friends with Chekhov, closely followed the work of K. Fofanov and. In verses, "The Madman" (1859), (1862) and others predicted some of the motifs of 20th-century poetry.

In 1890, Polonsky wrote to A. Fet: "You can trace my whole life through my poems." In accordance with this principle of reflecting the inner biography, he built his final "Complete Works" in 5 vols, published in 1896.

Yakov Polonsky is a Russian poet and prose writer. Born December 6 (18), 1819 in Ryazan in a poor noble family. In 1838 he graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium. Polonsky considered 1837 to be the beginning of his literary activity, when he presented one of his poems to the Tsarevich, the future Tsar Alexander II, who traveled around Russia, accompanied by his tutor V.A. Zhukovsky.

In 1838 Polonsky entered the law faculty of Moscow University (graduating in 1844). In his student years, he became close to A. Grigoriev and A. Fet, who highly appreciated the talent of the young poet. I also met P. Chaadaev, A. Khomyakov, T. Granovsky. In the journal Otechestvennye zapiski in 1840, Polonsky's poem The Sacred Blagovesh sounds solemnly sounds for the first time ... It was published in the journal Moskvityanin and in the student almanac Underground Keys.

In 1844, the first poetry collection of Polonsky Gamma was published, in which the influence of M. Lermontov is noticeable. The collection already contained poems written in the genre of everyday romance (Meeting, Winter Road, etc.). In this genre, Polonsky's masterpiece of lyrics, The Gypsy Song ("My fire in the fog shines ...", 1853), was subsequently written. Literary critic B. Eikhenbaum subsequently called the main feature of Polonsky's romances "the combination of lyrics with narration." They are characterized by a large number of portrait, everyday and other details that reflect the psychological state of the lyrical hero ("The shadows of the night came and became ...", etc.).

After graduating from the university, Polonsky moved to Odessa, where he published his second collection of poetry Poems of 1845 (1845). The book caused a negative assessment of V. G. Belinsky, who saw in the author "an unrelated, purely external talent." In Odessa, Polonsky became a prominent figure in the circle of writers who continued the Pushkin poetic tradition. The impressions of Odessa life subsequently formed the basis of the novel Cheap City (1879).

In 1846 Polonsky was appointed to Tiflis, to the office of the governor M. Vorontsov. At the same time he became an assistant editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin", in which he published essays. In Tiflis in 1849 Polonsky's poetry collection Sazandar (Singer) was published. It included ballads and poems, as well as poems in the spirit of the "natural school" - i.e. replete with everyday scenes (Walk in Tiflis) or written in the spirit of national folklore (Georgian song).

In 1851 Polonsky moved to Petersburg. He wrote in his diary in 1856: “I don’t know why I involuntarily feel disgusted with any political poem; it seems to me that in the most sincere political poem there are as many lies and untruths as in politics itself.” Soon Polonsky definitely declared his creative credo: "God did not give me the scourge of satire ... / And for the few I am a poet" (For the few, 1860). Contemporaries saw in him "a modest but honest figure of the Pushkin direction" (A. Druzhinin) and noted that "he never draws and does not play any role, but always is what he is" (E. Shtakenshneider).

In St. Petersburg, Polonsky published two poetry collections (1856 and 1859), as well as the first collection of prose Stories (1859), in which N. Dobrolyubov noticed "the poet's sensitive susceptibility to the life of nature and the internal fusion of the phenomena of reality with the images of his imagination and with the impulses of his heart ". D. Pisarev, on the contrary, considered such features to be manifestations of a "narrow mental world" and classified Polonsky among the "microscopic poetics."

In 1857 Polonsky left for Italy, where he studied painting. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1860. He survived a personal tragedy - the death of his son and wife, reflected in the poems Chaika (1860), Madness of grief (1860), etc. In the 1860s he wrote the novels Confessions of Sergei Chalygin (1867) and Atuev's Marriage (1869) , in which the influence of I. Turgenev is noticeable. Polonsky published in magazines of various directions, explaining this in one of his letters to A. Chekhov: "All my life I was a nobody."

In 1858-1860 Polonsky edited the magazine "Russian Word", in 1860-1896 he served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship. In general, the 1860s-1870s were marked for the poet by inattention of the reader and worldly disorder. Interest in Polonsky's poetry arose again in the 1880s, when, together with A. Fet and A. Maikov, he was part of the "poetic triumvirate", which enjoyed the respect of the reading public. Polonsky again became a landmark figure in the literary life of St. Petersburg, outstanding contemporaries gathered at Polonsky Fridays. The poet was friends with Chekhov, closely followed the work of K. Fofanov and S. Nadson. In verse, Crazy (1859), Double (1862), and others predicted some motifs in 20th-century poetry.

In 1890, Polonsky wrote to A. Fet: "You can trace my whole life through my poems." In accordance with this principle of reflecting the inner biography, he built his final Complete Works in 5 vols., which was published in 1896.

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819 - 1898), poet. Born on December 6 (18 n.s.) in Ryazan in a poor noble family. He studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, after which he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. In his student years, he began to write and publish his poems in

"Notes of the Fatherland" (1840), "Moskvityanin" and in the student almanac "Underground Keys" (1842). He is friends with A. Grigoriev, A. Fet, P. Chaadaev, T. Granovsky, I. Turgenev.

In 1844, Polonsky's first collection of poems, Gamma, was published, attracting the attention of critics and readers.

After graduating from university, he lived in Odessa. There he published the second collection of Poems of 1845.

In 1846, Polonsky moved to Tiflis, joined the office and at the same time worked as an assistant editor of the newspaper Transcaucasian Bulletin. While in Georgia, Polonsky turned to prose (articles and essays on ethnography), publishing them in a newspaper.

Georgia inspired him to create in 1849 a book of poems "Sazandar" (Singer), in 1852 - the historical play "Darejana Imeretinskaya".

From 1851 Polonsky lived in St. Petersburg, traveling abroad from time to time. The poet's collections of poems (1855 and 1859) were well received by various critics.

In 1859 - 60 he was one of the editors of the journal "Russian Word".

In the social and literary struggle of the 1860s, Polonsky did not take part on the side of any of the camps. He defended the poetry of "love", opposing it to the poetry of "hate" ("For the Few", 1860; "To the Citizen Poet", 1864), although he recognized the impossibility of love "without pain" and life outside the problems of modernity ("One of the tired" , 1863). During these years, his poetry was sharply criticized by radical democrats. I. Turgenev and N. Strakhov defended Polonsky's original talent from attacks, emphasizing his "worship of everything beautiful and lofty, service to truth, goodness and beauty, love of freedom and hatred of violence."

In 1880 - 90 Polonsky was a very popular poet. During these years he returned to the themes of his early lyrics. A variety of writers, artists, and scientists unite around him. He is very attentive to the development of creativity Nadson and Fofanov.

In 1881, the collection "At Sunset" was published, in 1890 - "Evening Bells", imbued with motives of sadness and death, reflections on the transience of human happiness.

From 1860 to 1896 Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (12/06/1820) - one of the main Russian poets of the post-Pushkin era, was born in Ryazan, the son of an official; studied at the local gymnasium, then at Moscow University., where his comrades were Fet and S. M. Solovyov. At the end of the course P.; as a home teacher, spent several years in the Caucasus (1846 - 52), where he was an assistant to the editor. "Transcaucasus Vestn." and abroad. In 1857 he married, but was soon widowed; for the second time in 1866, he married Josephine Antonovna Rulman (an amateur sculptor, known, among other things, for the bust of Turgenev, set in Odessa). Upon his return to Russia, he served for a long time as a censor in the foreign censorship committee; since 1896 he has been a member of the council of the main department for the press. - In the totality of P.'s poems, there is not that complete harmony between inspiration and reflection and that conviction in living reality and the superiority of poetic truth compared to deadly reflection, which differ, for example. Goethe, Pushkin, Tyutchev. P. was very impressionable and to those movements of the latest thought, which had an anti-poetic character: in many of his poems prose and rationality prevail; but where he gives himself up to pure inspiration, we find in him samples of strong and peculiar poetry. Typical poems by P. have the distinguishing feature that the very process of inspiration - the transition or impulse from the usual material and everyday environment to the realm of poetic truth - remains tangible. Usually in poetic works the finished result of inspiration is given, and not its very rise, which remains hidden, while in P. it is sometimes felt in the very sound of his poems, for example. It’s not the wind - the sigh of Aurora The sea fog stirred up ... In one of the first poems by P., the area and nature of his poetry seemed to be outlined in advance: Already above the spruce forest, from behind the peaks of the thorny, The gold of the evening clouds shone, When I tore a thick net with an oar floating Marsh grasses and water flowers From the idle slander and malice of the mob of the world That evening at last we were far away And boldly you could, with the credulity of a child, express Yourself freely and easily. And your prophetic voice was sweet, So many secret tears trembled in it, And the mess of mourning clothes and light blond braids seemed captivating to me. But my chest was involuntarily compressed with anguish, I looked into the depths, where thousands of roots of marsh grasses invisibly intertwined Like a thousand living green snakes. And another world flashed before me, Not that wonderful world in which you lived... And life seemed to me a harsh depth With a surface that is bright. "A captivating mess" distinguishes the works of P.; they also have "mourning" for worldly evil and grief, but the head of his muse shines with a reflection of heavenly light; in her voice, secret tears of grief experienced are mixed with the prophetic sweetness of the best hopes; sensitive - perhaps even too much - to the vanity and malice of life, she strives to get away from them "beyond the thorny peaks of the earth" "into golden clouds" and there "expresses herself freely and easily, with the gullibility of a child." Proceeding from the opposition between that beautiful and bright world where his muse lives, and that "harsh depth" of real life, where the swamp plants of evil intertwine with their own, it is written. in 1856). The poet does not separate hopes for the salvation of the "native ship" from faith in the common universal good. A broad spirit of all humanity, excluding national enmity, is characteristic more or less of all true poets; of all the Russians, after A. Tolstoy, he is expressed most decisively and consciously by P., especially in two poems dedicated to Schiller (1859) and Shakespeare (1864). Not adhering to the radical social movements of his time, P. treated them with cordial humanity, especially the victims of sincere passion (for example, verse. "That she is not my sister, not my lover"). In general, keeping the best precepts of Pushkin, P. "awakened good feelings with his lyre" and "called for mercy for the fallen." - In the early years, the poet's hopes for a better future for mankind were associated with his youthful unaccountable faith in omnipotence. Science: The realm of science knows no limits, Everywhere are traces of its eternal victories - Reason, word and deed, Power and light. The Light of Science shines on the world like a new sun, and only with it the Muse adorns the forehead with a Fresh wreath. But soon the poet abandoned the cult of science, which knows what happens, and does not create what should be; his muse inspired him that a world with powerful lies and impotent love" can only be reborn by "a different, inspiring power" - the power of moral labor, with faith "in God's judgment, or in the Messiah": From that time, manning heart, comprehend I have become, O Muse, That there is no legal union with you without this faith.At the same time, P. more resolutely than before expresses the conviction that the real source of poetry is objective beauty, in which "God shines" (verse "The Tsar Maiden"). and the most typical of P.'s small poems ("Winter Road", "Swinging in a Storm", "Bell". "Return from the Caucasus", "The shadows of the night came and became", "My fire in the fog shines", "At night in the cradle Baby" and others) are distinguished not so much by their ideological content as by the strength of direct sincere lyricism. The individual peculiarity of this lyricism cannot be defined in terms; only some general signs can be indicated, such as (apart from that mentioned at the beginning) the combination of elegant images and sounds with the most real ideas, then the bold simplicity of expressions, and finally the transmission of half-asleep, twilight, slightly delusional sensations. In the larger works of P. (with the exception of the Grasshopper Musician, impeccable in all respects), the architecture is very weak: some of his poems are not completed, others are cluttered with additions and add-ons. There is also relatively little plasticity in his works. properties of musicality and picturesqueness, the latter - especially in the pictures of Caucasian life (past and present), which are much brighter and more lively in P. than in Pushkin and Lermontov.In addition to historical and descriptive paintings, the actual lyric poems inspired by the Caucasus are saturated with real local colors (for example, "After the holiday"). The noble, but nameless Circassians of ancient romanticism pale in front of the less noble, but for that living natives of P., in the genus of the Tatar Agbar or the heroic robber Tamur Hassan. Oriental women in Pushkin and Lermontov colorless and speak a dead literary language; in P. their speeches breathe living artistic truth: He is at the stone Noah tower stood under the wall, And I remember: he was wearing an expensive caftan, And a blue shirt flashed under the red cloth. it... A golden grenade grows under the wall; All fruits cannot be obtained by any hand; Why should I bewitch all handsome men!... The mountains, the hills of Erivan separated us, ruined us! Eternally cold winter They are covered with eternal snow!... About me In that country, my dear, won't you forget? Although the poet’s personal confession also applies to Caucasian life: “You, with whom I lived so much suffering with a patient soul,” etc., but, as a result of youth, he endured a vigorous and clear sense of spiritual freedom: I am ready for the battles of life I carry the snowy pass... Everything that was deceit, betrayal, What lay on me like a chain, - Everything disappeared from my memory - with the foam of Mountain rivers running out into the steppe. gloomy character remained with P. for life and constitutes the predominant tone of his poetry. Very sensitive to the negative side of life, he did not, however, become a pessimist. In the most difficult moments of personal and general grief, "the cracks from darkness to light "Although I sometimes saw through them so few, few rays of love over the abyss of evil", but these rays never went out for him and, taking away the malice from his satire, allowed him to create his most original work: "Grasshopper Musician". In order to more vividly represent the essence of life, poets sometimes continue its lines in one direction or another. So, Dante exhausted all human evil in the nine grandiose circles of his hell; P., on the contrary, pulled together and squeezed the usual content of human existence into a small little world of insects. Dante had to erect two more huge worlds over the darkness of his hell - a purifying fire and a triumphant light; P. could accommodate purifying and enlightening moments in the same corner of the field and park. An empty existence, in which everything real is small, and everything high is an illusion - the world of anthropoid insects or insect-like people - is transformed and enlightened by the power of pure love and disinterested sorrow. This meaning is concentrated in the final scene (the funeral of the butterfly), which, despite the microscopic outline of the whole story, produces that soul-cleansing impression that Aristotle considered the purpose of tragedy. The best works of P. include "Cassandra" (with the exception of two extra explanatory stanzas - IV and V, weakening the impression). In the great poems of P. from modern life (human and dog), generally speaking, the internal meaning does not correspond to the volume. Separate places are excellent here, for example. description of the southern night (in the poem "Mimi"), especially the sound impression of the sea: And on the sandy shallows Likely strews with erratic pearls; and it seems, Someone walks and is afraid To burst into tears, only sharpens Tears, knocks on someone’s door, Now rustling, dragging his train back along the sand, then again Returning there ... In the later works of P., a religious motif is clearly heard, if not as a positive confidence, then as a striving and readiness for faith: "Blessed is he to whom two hearings have been given - whoever hears the ringing of the church and hears the prophetic voice of the Spirit." The last collection of poems by P. worthily ends with a true poetic story: "The Dreamer", the meaning of which is; that the poetic dream of an early deceased hero turns out to be something very real. Regardless of the desire for a positive religion, P. in his latest works looks into the most fundamental issues of being. Thus, the mystery of time becomes clear to his poetic consciousness - the truth that time is not the creation of an essentially new content, but only a rearrangement into different positions of one and the same essential meaning of life, which in itself is eternity (verse.

And life seemed to me a harsh depth.

With a surface that is light.

Yakov Polonsky

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich was born December 18, 1819in Ryazan in a poor noble family. He graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium (1831-38). In 1838-44 he studied at the law faculty of Moscow University.

The first poetic attempts of the schoolboy Polonsky were noted by the founder of Russian romanticism Vasily Zhukovsky.

He began to print in 1840. During his student years, he collaborated in the Moskvityanin, in the almanac Underground Keys (1842). The first collection of poems - "Gammas" (1844). After graduating from the university, Polonsky lived in Odessa, where he published "Poems of 1845", which received a negative review from Belinsky.

The night looks with thousands of eyes
And the day looks alone;
But there is no sun - and on the ground
Darkness creeps like smoke.

The mind looks with thousands of eyes,
Love looks alone;
But there is no love - and life goes out,
And the days go by like smoke.

In the forties, Polonsky became a prominent figure in the circle of writers who continued the Pushkin poetic tradition. Some lyrical poems by Yakov Petrovich were set to music by Tchaikovsky and other famous Russian composers. And the masterpiece of the poet's work - "The Song of the Gypsy" - became a folk song.

In 1846, Polonsky was in the service in Tiflis, where he became close to Shcherbina and Akhundov. According to Georgian impressions, a book of poems "Sazandar" (1849) was written. In Georgia, Polonsky began to write prose (articles and essays of ethnographic content, close to the natural school) and dramatic works (Darejana Imeretinskaya, 1852). From 1851 Polonsky lived in St. Petersburg, sometimes traveling abroad.

Hypothesis

From eternity music suddenly resounded,
And she poured into infinity,
And she captured chaos on the way, -
And in the abyss, like a whirlwind, the luminaries swirled:
With a melodious string, each ray of them trembles,
And the life awakened by this trembling,
The only thing that doesn't seem like a lie
Who sometimes hears this music of God,
Who is bright in mind, in whom the heart burns.

"You are a lyricist par excellence, with a genuine, more fabulous than fantastic streak."- Turgenev wrote to Polonsky. After listening to the poem "The Last Breath", shocked by the lyrical power of this little masterpiece of the poet, Afanasy Fet wrote to a friend: "Recently, one evening, I listened to the recitation by heart ... a long-familiar poem to me:

"Kiss Me,

My chest is on fire...

and suddenly it somehow dawned on me all the airy charm and boundless suffering of this poem. For the whole night it kept me awake, and everything tempted me ... to write you a scolding letter: "How dare you, an insignificant mortal, express with such certainty the feelings that arise at the boundary of life and death ... you ... a real, born poet, beating with the blood of the heart.

Walkway in the park. Sketch by Y.P. Polonsky (oil), 1881

The psychological short story "The Bell" did not leave indifferent any of his contemporaries, and F.M. Dostoevsky introduced lines from it into his novel The Humiliated and Insulted. In the words of the heroine Natasha Ikhmeneva, the feeling of the writer himself is expressed: "What painful verses these are ... and what a fantastic, resounding picture. There is only one canvas, and only a pattern is outlined - embroider what you want"

“You can trace my whole life through my poems”.

This is how the Russian poet Yakov Polonsky spoke about his work.

TO THE CITIZEN POET

O citizen with a naive soul!
I'm afraid your formidable verse will not shake fate.
The crowd is gloomy, your invocative voice
Without responding, he goes

Damn it - it won't turn around...
And believe, tired, in a leisurely hour soon
A love song will heartily respond,
Than your murmuring muse.

Even cry - she has her own task:
The worker crowd counts every penny;
Give her your hands, give your head - but crying
For her, you will not approach her.

Dull, strong, will not penetrate
In the words that you love to hit
And he will not get used to poetic suffering,
Getting used to suffering differently.

Leave vain appeals!
Don't whine! Let your voice pour from the chest
How music flows - rows of suffering into flowers,
Love - lead us to the truth!

There is no truth without love for nature,
There is no love for nature without a sense of beauty,
There is no way for us to know without a way to freedom,
Labor - without a creative dream ...

I. N. Kramskoy. Portrait of the poet Polonsky. 1875

Let them say that our youth
Poetry does not know - does not want to know -
And what will ever undermine it
Under the very root of a practical lie, -
Let them say that it prophesies to her
One fruitless path to infamy
Without creativity, like rye without warm, clear days
Do not mature...
I go out alone in an open field
And I feel - longing! and tremble involuntarily.
So damp, - siverko! ..

And what is this rye!
Green in places, sloping in places
Their spikelets to the loosened earth
And it’s like all crumpled; and in the pale gray haze
The wind drives the rags of clouds over it ...
When, finally, will I wait for clear days!
Will the nailed ear rise again with rain?
Or never among my native fields
The voice of a zealous reaper will not respond to me,
And a wreath of wild flowers will not flicker
Above the dusty gold of weighty sheaves?!.
1875

Repin I. E. Portrait of Polonsky. 1896

The nineteenth century is a rebellious, strict century -
He goes and says: “Poor man!
What are you thinking about? take a pen, write:
There is no creator in creations, there is no soul in nature...

The last period of Polonsky's work was marked by intensive searches in various prose genres. These are large novel forms "Cheap City" (1879), "Steep Hills", "Downhill" (1881), "Lost Youth" (1890), developing the traditional theme of the formation of a person's personality in difficult life circumstances for Polonsky, the story "Unintentionally" (1878) and "Vadim Goletaev" (1884), dedicated to exposing the psychology of the Russian layman, the stories "On the Heights of Spiritualism", "Dear Tree", "Hallucinate" (1883), affecting the problems of the subconscious in the human psyche, fairy tales "About how the frost was hosting in the hut”, “Three times a night a lit candle” (1885), memoir chronicles “I.S. Turgenev at home” (1884), “Old times and my childhood”, “School years” (1890), depicting the life of provincial Ryazan in the 30s of the 19th century, "My student memories" (1898), recreating the spiritual atmosphere of Moscow University in the forties.

"Glade in the Park". Sketch by Y.P. Polonsky (oil), 1881

From the cradle we are like children
Down to the deathbed
Waiting for love, freedom, glory,
Happiness, truth and kindness.
But in love we drink poison
But we sell freedom...
slandering glory,
We crown good with evil!
Happiness is always dissatisfied
Truth forever embarrassed
In silence we ask for storms
In the storm, we ask for silence.

Polonsky acted as a publicist, literary critic, arguing with L.N. Tolstoy in the article “Notes on a Foreign Edition and New Ideas of L.N. ”, “On the laws of creativity” (1877), analyzing the work of Fet, Grigoriev, Zhemchuzhnikov.

Portrait of I. S. Turgenev by Ya. P. Polonsky (oil), 1881

The memoir heritage of the outstanding Ryazan poet Yakov Polonsky is a bright page in the national culture. A special place in Polonsky's memoirs is occupied by memories of Turgenev. The essay "I.S. Turgenev in his last visit to his homeland" contains the most valuable material necessary for a more complete understanding of the personality of the great Russian novelist. The originality of Polonsky's memoirs is that the memoirist does not strive for pomp and monumentality in creating the image of Turgenev.
Polonsky's memoirs "I.S. Turgenev in his last visit to his homeland" became a well-deserved tribute of respect and love to the great Russian writer and closest friend.

TO YAKOV POLONSKY

Whatever the Lord sends
That's why the poet is happy
Deceased in obscurity for many years,
Gone into timelessness
And then, from there pointing a finger.
Polonsky, you really are a wonderful poet!
You would compose verses for many years,
You would live outside of time, space -
And to speak from the podium about Russian constancy...
How much time has passed, but the face does not change,
The face of sadness and sorrow
The face of Rus' - my country!

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich
Born: December 6 (18), 1819.
Died: October 18 (30), 1898.

Biography

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky (December 6, 1819, Ryazan - October 18, 1898, St. Petersburg) - Russian writer, known mainly as a poet.

Born in the family of a poor official in 1819. After graduating from the gymnasium in Ryazan (1838), he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. He became close to A. A. Grigoriev and A. A. Fet, also met P. Ya. Chadaev, A. S. Khomyakov, T. N. Granovsky.

In the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1840 he published his first poem. Participated in the student almanac "Underground Keys". At this time, he met I. S. Turgenev, whose friendship continued until the death of the latter.

After graduating from the university (1844) he lived in Odessa, then was assigned to Tiflis (1846), where he served until 1851; Caucasian impressions are inspired by his best poems, which brought the young official all-Russian fame.

Since 1851 he lived in St. Petersburg, edited the journal "Russian Word" in 1859-1860. He served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs (1860-96). Addresses Polonsky the following:

Polonsky died in St. Petersburg in 1898, was buried in the Olgov Monastery near Ryazan; in 1958 he was reburied on the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin (photo of the grave).

The first collection of poetry - "Gammas" (1844). Issued in Odessa. The second collection of "Poems of 1845" caused a negative assessment of V. G. Belinsky. In the collection "Sazandar" (1849) he recreated the spirit and life of the peoples of the Caucasus. A small part of Polonsky's poems belongs to the so-called civil lyrics ("To tell you the truth, I forgot, gentlemen", "Miasm" and others). He dedicated the poem "Prisoner" (1878) to Vera Zasulich. On the slope of his life, he turned to the themes of old age, death (collection "Evening Ringing", 1890). Among Polonsky's poems, the most significant is the fairy tale poem "The Grasshopper the Musician" (1859).

Polonsky's Georgian poems stand out for their rare musicality for their time. D. Mirsky calls him "the most romantic of the eclecticists of the middle of the century", although he did not stop fighting with his romanticism:

His poetic skill was purely romantic, but he was afraid to surrender to it entirely and considered it his duty to write well-intentioned poems about the beacon of progress, freedom of speech and other modern subjects. Polonsky also wrote prose. The first collection of prose "Stories" was published as a separate edition in 1859. In the novels "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin" (1867) and "The Marriage of Atuev" (1869) he followed I. S. Turgenev. The basis of the novel "Cheap City" (1879) was based on the impressions of Odessa life. Author of experiments in the genre of memoirs ("My uncle and some of his stories").

Many of Polonsky's poems were set to music by A. S. Dargomyzhsky, P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. V. Rakhmaninov, S. I. Taneyev, A. G. Rubinstein, M. M. Ivanov and became popular romances and songs. "Song of a Gypsy" ("My fire in the fog shines"), written in 1853, has become a folk song.

Publicism

From 1860 until the end of his life, scientists, cultural and art workers gathered at the poet’s apartment on Fridays at meetings called “Fridays” by Ya. P. Polonsky.

Polonsky wrote letters in defense of the Dukhobors to Pobedonostsev, and was also going to write memoirs about them.

A conservative and Orthodox, at the end of his life, Ya. P. Polonsky opposed the criticism of the church and state by Leo Tolstoy. In 1895, in connection with Tolstoy’s work “The Kingdom of God is within you” published abroad, Polonsky published in the Russian Review (No. 4-6) a polemical article “Notes on a Foreign Edition and New Ideas of Count L. N. Tolstoy”. After the appearance of Tolstoy's article "What is art?" Polonsky also wrote a scathing article. This caused a letter from Leo Tolstoy with a proposal for reconciliation: Tolstoy became aware of Polonsky's benevolent attitude towards the persecuted Doukhobors.

A family

The first wife since July 1858 is Elena Vasilievna Ustyuzhskaya (1840-1860), the daughter of the headman of the Russian church in Paris, Vasily Kuzmich Ustyugsky (Ukhtyuzhsky), and a Frenchwoman. The marriage was concluded for love, although the bride knew almost no Russian, and Polonsky did not know French. She died in St. Petersburg from the effects of typhus, combined with a miscarriage. Their six-month-old son Andrei died in January 1860.

The second wife since 1866 is Josephine Antonovna Ryulman (1844-1920), an amateur sculptor, sister of the famous doctor A. A. Ryulman. According to a contemporary, "Polonsky married her because he fell in love with her beauty, but she married him because she had nowhere to lay her head." They had two sons in marriage, Alexander (1868-1934) and Boris (1875-1923), and a daughter Natalia (1870-1929), married to N. A. Elachich.

Literature

Ya. P. Polonsky. His life and writings. Sat. historical and literary articles / Comp. V. Pokrovsky. - M, 1906.
Sobolev L. I. Polonsky Yakov Petrovich
Russian writers. XIX century. : Biobibliogr. words. At 2 pm / Editorial. B. F. Egorov and others; Ed. P. A. Nikolaev. - 2nd ed. dorab .. - M .: Education, 1996. - T. 2. M-Ya. - S. 165-168.

Among the Russian writers of the 19th century there are poets and prose writers whose work is not as important as the contribution to Russian literature of titans like Pushkin, Gogol or Nekrasov. But without them, our literature would have lost its multicoloredness and versatility, the breadth and depth of reflection of the Russian world, the thoroughness and completeness of the study of the complex soul of our people.

A special place among these masters of the word is occupied by the poet and novelist Petrovich became a symbol of the relationship of the great Russian writers who lived at the beginning and at the end of the nineteenth century.

A native of Ryazan

My fire in the fog shines

Sparks go out on the fly ...

The author of these lines from a song that has long been considered a folk song was born in the very center of Russia, in the provincial Ryazan. The mother of the future poet - Natalya Yakovlevna - came from an old Kaftyrev family, and her father was an impoverished nobleman who served in the office of the Ryazan Governor-General Pyotr Grigoryevich Polonsky. Yakov Petrovich, born in early December 1819, was the eldest of their seven children.

When Yakov was 13 years old, his mother died, and his father, having received an appointment to a state position, left for Erivan, leaving the children in the care of his wife's relatives. By that time, Yakov Petrovich Polonsky had already been accepted into the First Men's Gymnasium of Ryazan, which was one of the centers of the cultural life of the provincial city.

Meeting with Zhukovsky

Rhyming in the years when the genius of Pushkin was at the zenith of fame was commonplace. Among those who were distinguished by a clear penchant for poetic creativity, while showing extraordinary abilities, was the young high school student Polonsky. Yakov Petrovich, whose biography is full of significant meetings and acquaintances with the best writers of Russia in the 19th century, often recalled the meeting, which had a great influence on his choice of writing career.

In 1837, the future Emperor Alexander II visited Ryazan. By the meeting of the Tsarevich within the walls of the gymnasium, Polonsky, on behalf of the director, wrote a poetic greeting in two verses, one of which was to be performed by the choir to the melody “God Save the Tsar!”, Which became the official anthem of the Russian Empire just 4 years before. In the evening, after a successful event with the participation of the heir to the throne, the director of the gymnasium arranged a reception at which the young poet met the author of the text of the new anthem, Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky.

The famous poet, mentor and close friend of the great Pushkin highly appreciated Polonsky's poems. Yakov Petrovich, the day after Alexander's departure, was even awarded a gold watch on behalf of the future tsar. Zhukovsky's praise strengthened Polonsky's desire to devote his life to literature.

University of Moscow

In 1838 he became a student at the law faculty of Moscow University. Contemporaries have always noted the amazing sociability, internal and external attractiveness that distinguished Polonsky. Yakov Petrovich quickly made acquaintances among the most advanced figures in science, culture and art. Many Moscow acquaintances of the university time became real friends for him for life. Among them are poets Afanasy Fet and historians and Konstantin Kavelin, writers Alexei Pisemsky and Mikhail Pogodin, Decembrist Nikolai Orlov, philosopher and publicist great actor Mikhail Shchepkin.

In those years, a close friendship was born between Polonsky and Ivan Turgenev, who highly valued each other's talent for many years. With the help of friends, Polonsky's first publications took place - in the journal Domestic Notes (1840) and in the form of the poetry collection Gamma (1844).

Despite the fact that the first experiments of the young poet were positively received by critics, in particular Belinsky, his hopes to live through literary work turned out to be naive dreams. Polonsky's student years passed in poverty and need, he was forced to constantly earn extra money with private lessons and tutoring. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to get a place in the office of the Caucasian governor, Polonsky left Moscow, barely finishing his university course.

On my way

From 1844 he lived first in Odessa, then moved to Tiflis. At this time, he met his brother and collaborated in the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin". His poetry collections are published - "Sazandar" (1849) and "Several Poems" (1851). In the poems of that time, there is a special flavor, inspired by the poet's acquaintance with the customs of the highlanders, with the history of Russia's struggle for assertion on the southern borders.

The real extraordinary abilities of Polonsky for fine arts were noticed even when he was studying at the Ryazan gymnasium, therefore, inspired by the unique landscapes of the Caucasus and its environs, he does a lot of drawing and painting. This passion accompanies the poet throughout his life.

In 1851, Yakov Petrovich traveled to the capital, St. Petersburg, where he expanded the circle of his literary acquaintances and worked hard on new poems. In 1855, another collection was published, his poems are willingly published by the best literary magazines - Sovremennik and Domestic Notes, but the fees cannot provide even a modest existence. He becomes the home teacher of the son of the St. Petersburg governor Smirnov. In 1857, the family of a high-ranking official traveled to Baden-Baden, and Polonsky went abroad with them. Yakov Petrovich travels a lot around Europe, takes drawing lessons and gets acquainted with many Russian and foreign writers and artists - in particular, with the famous Alexander Dumas.

Personal life

In 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg with his young wife, Elena Vasilievna Ustyugskaya, whom he met in Paris. The next two years turned out to be one of the most tragic in life for Yakov Petrovich. First, he receives a serious injury, from the consequences of which he will not be able to get rid of for the rest of his life, moving only with the help of crutches. Then Polonsky's wife falls ill with typhus and dies, and a few months later their newborn son also dies.

Despite personal dramas, the writer works surprisingly hard and fruitfully, in all genres - from small lyrical poems, opera librettos to large prose books of artistic content - his most interesting experiments in memoirs and journalism remain.

By the second marriage in 1866, Polonsky combined with Josephine Antonovna Rulman, who became the mother of their three children. She discovered in herself the abilities of a sculptor and actively participated in the artistic life of the Russian capital. Literary and creative evenings began to be held in the Polonskys' house, in which the most artists of that time took part. These evenings continued for some time after the death of the poet, which followed on October 30, 1898.

Heritage

The legacy of Yakov Petrovich is great and is assessed as unequal. The main property of Polonsky's poetry is considered to be its subtle lyricism, originating in romanticism, enriched by the genius of Pushkin. It is no coincidence that he was considered a faithful successor to the traditions of the great poet; it was not for nothing that the most famous composers - Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov and many others - often used the poems of Yakov Petrovich in their romances. At the same time, even true connoisseurs of Polonsky's poetic gift believed that there were not so many top achievements in his work.

In the last third of the 19th century, Russian thinkers were divided into two camps - "Westerners" and "Slavophiles". One of those who did not seek to express a clear commitment to one of the parties was Polonsky. Yakov Petrovich (interesting facts about his theoretical disputes with Tolstoy can be found in the memoirs of his contemporaries) expressed more conservative ideas about Russia's growing into European culture, while largely agreeing with his friend, the obvious "Westernizer" Ivan Turgenev.

The message about Yakov Polonsky will briefly tell you a lot of useful information about the life and work of the Russian poet.

Yakov Polonsky short biography

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich was born on December 6 (18), 1819 in the city of Ryazan into a large family of impoverished nobles. His father was in the service of the city governor-general. The boy received his primary education at home. At the age of 13, he lost his mother, and his father was transferred to another city for a government position. Relatives of the mother, left to look after the children, sent Yakov to the First Ryazan Men's Gymnasium. As a teenager, the young man read the poems of Pushkin and Benediktov. Under the influence of what he read, he tries to write on his own. Fateful was Polonsky's meeting with Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky, the founder of romanticism in Russian poetry, who had a decisive influence on his further literary path.

In 1837, Alexander II visited Ryazan and Yakov was instructed to compose verses of greetings for the future emperor. The reception was successful. The director of the gymnasium presented Polonsky from the guests present (including Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky) with a gold watch as a gift for a poetic creation. So Polonsky decided to associate himself with literature.

In 1838, the poet entered the Moscow University at the Faculty of Law. At the same time, the burden did not stop writing poetry and was published in the almanac "Underground Keys". During his studies, he became friends with actor Mikhail Shchepkin, philosopher Pyotr Chaadaev, poets Afanasy Fet and Apollon Grigoriev, writers Alexei Pisemsky and Mikhail Pogodin, historians Sergei Solovyov and Konstantin Kavelin. With the help of his friends, he managed to get his poems published in the 1840 edition of Domestic Notes.

After graduating from the university, the financial situation "forced" Yakov Polonsky to leave Moscow in 1844. He got a job in the Odessa customs department. However, the salary he received was not enough to live on, and in the spring of 1846, Jacob left for Tiflis. He was offered the position of clerk at the vicegerent Count Vorontsov. He served until 1851. Local customs and traditions formed the basis of the written poems, which brought him all-Russian recognition.

During his stay in Tiflis, he actively collaborated with the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin". He also published 2 collections of poetry: "Several Poems" and "Sazandar", published essays, short stories, journalistic and scientific articles. In parallel, Polonsky became interested in painting, sketching local landscapes and surroundings.

In 1851, the literary figure moved to the capital - St. Petersburg, continuing to work on his works. After 4 years, the next collection was published, which was published on the pages of Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski, popular in Russia. The fees received were barely enough for a modest life, and the poet got a job as a teacher at home to the children of the St. Petersburg governor Smirnov.

In 1858 he met a literary patron, Count Kushelev-Bezborodko. He invited Yakov Polonsky to take the position of editor of his new journal, Russian Word. After 2 years, he was taken as a secretary to the Foreign Censorship Committee. In 1863, he took the position of censor there, having worked in one place until 1896. In 1897, the poet was appointed a member of the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs. In his work, he began to turn more and more to the theme of religious mysticism. The last collection of Yakov Petrovich was published in 1890. The poet died on October 18 (30), 1898.

• Yakov Polonsky instead of 4 years of study at the university studied for 5 years, as he could not pass the exam in Roman law to Nikita Ivanovich Krylov, dean of the Faculty of Law.
• In 1857 he traveled around Europe with the family of the governor of St. Petersburg, where he worked as a home teacher. At this time, he met the famous writer Alexandre Dumas.
• Was married twice. The first wife of the poet was Elena Ustyugskaya, the daughter of the headman of the Russian church in Paris and a Frenchwoman. Elena did not know the Russian language, like Jacob did French. In 1858 he brought his young wife to Petersburg. Born in marriage, who died in 6 months of retribution from typhus. Two months earlier, Elena also died of this disease. The second time he married in 1866 Rulman Josephine Antonovna. In marriage, 3 children were born - Boris, Alexander and Natalya.
• After an injury resulting from a fall, the poet moved on crutches until the end of his days.

We hope that the report on the topic "Yakov Polonsky" helped to learn a lot about the great Russian poet. And you can add a short story about Yakov Polonsky through the comment form below.

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819-1898) - Russian poet-novelist, publicist. His works do not have such a large-scale significance as or, but without Polonsky's poetry, Russian literature would not have been so multi-colored and multifaceted. His poems deeply reflect the world of Russia, the depth and complexity of the soul of the Russian people.

Brief biography - Polonsky Ya.P.

Option 1

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819–1898) Russian poet

Born in Ryazan, in the family of an official. He graduated from the local gymnasium and entered the Moscow University at the Faculty of Law. Here he became friends with Fet and Solovyov. He lived on the money that he was paid for lessons.

Polonsky's first poetry collection "Gamma" was published in 1844 and was favorably received by critics and readers. However, due to the constant lack of money, he had to look for work. From Moscow, Polonsky went to Odessa, and then to Tiflis, where he got a place in the office of the governor of Georgia, Count Vorontsov. The motley exotic of the Caucasus, local color, picturesque nature - all this was reflected in the new collection of poems of the poet "Sazandar".

Polonsky was forced to act as a home teacher in the family of A.O. Smirnova-Rosset. This situation weighed heavily on Polonsky, and, having gone abroad with the Smirnovs, he parted with them, intending to take up painting, for which he had great abilities.

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg, where he managed to take the post of secretary of the foreign censorship committee, which guaranteed him relative material well-being.

In 1857 he married, but was soon widowed. For the second time, he married the then-famous sculptor Josephine Antonovna Rulman.

From 1896 he was a member of the council of the main administration for the press. Not adhering to the radical social movements of his time, Polonsky treated them with cordial humanity.

Option 2

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819 - 1898), poet. Born on December 6 (18 n.s.) in Ryazan in a poor noble family. He studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, after which he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. In his student years, he began to write and publish his poems in

“Notes of the Fatherland” (1840), “Moskvityanin” and in the student almanac “Underground Keys” (1842). He is friends with A. Grigoriev, A. Fet, P. Chaadaev, T. Granovsky, I. Turgenev.

In 1844, Polonsky's first collection of poems, Gamma, was published, attracting the attention of critics and readers.

After graduating from university, he lived in Odessa. There he published the second collection of Poems of 1845.

In 1846, Polonsky moved to Tiflis, joined the office and at the same time worked as an assistant editor of the newspaper Transcaucasian Bulletin. While in Georgia, Polonsky turned to prose (articles and essays on ethnography), publishing them in a newspaper.

Georgia inspired him to create in 1849 a book of poems "Sazandar" (Singer), in 1852 - a historical play "Darejana Imeretinskaya".

From 1851 Polonsky lived in St. Petersburg, traveling abroad from time to time. The poet's collections of poems (1855 and 1859) were well received by various critics.

In 1859 - 60 he was one of the editors of the journal "Russian Word".

In the social and literary struggle of the 1860s, Polonsky did not take part on the side of any of the camps. He defended the poetry of “love”, opposing it to the poetry of “hate” (“For the Few”, 1860; “To the Citizen Poet”, 1864), although he recognized the impossibility of love “without pain” and life outside the problems of modernity (“To One of the Weary” , 1863). During these years, his poetry was sharply criticized by radical democrats. I. Turgenev and N. Strakhov defended Polonsky's original talent from attacks, emphasizing his "worship of everything beautiful and lofty, serving truth, goodness and beauty, love of freedom and hatred of violence."

In 1880 - 90 Polonsky was a very popular poet. During these years he returned to the themes of his early lyrics. A variety of writers, artists, and scientists unite around him. He is very attentive to the development of creativity Nadson and Fofanov.

In 1881, the collection "At Sunset" was published, in 1890 - "Evening Bells", imbued with motives of sadness and death, reflections on the transience of human happiness.

From 1860 to 1896 Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

Option 3

Born December 18, 1819. Polonsky's parents were poor noblemen. From 1831 he studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1838. He began writing poetry while still in high school.

From 1838 to 1844 he studied at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University. The first published poem by Polonsky - “The sacred evangelism solemnly sounds ...” The first collection of poems by the poet was published in 1844 and was called “Gammas”.

In 1844 Polonsky moved to Odessa, and then in 1846 to Tiflis. In Tiflis, he enters the service in the office and becomes the editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin". At the same time, he actively writes poetry, his favorite genre is ballads and poems.

In the 1950s, collections of Polonsky's poems were published in the Sovremennik magazine. Even then, the poet formed a rejection of political themes in poetry, his lyrics are personal and subjective. Since 1855, Polonsky was a home teacher. In 1857, Yakov Petrovich went abroad with his family, where he taught. He visits Italy, and since 1858 lives in Paris. In France, Polonsky marries E. V. Ustyugskaya.

In 1860 Polonsky returned to Russia and lived in St. Petersburg. Here he experiences a personal tragedy: the death of a child and the death of his wife. Since 1858, Polonsky has been working as the editor of the Russian Word magazine, and in 1860 he enters the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he works until 1896.

Criticism was ambiguous about Polonsky's work. In Russia, there were strong tendencies to involve writers in public life, and Polonsky believed that the poet should not and does not have the right to engage in politics. This served as a pretext for Pisarev's and Saltykov-Shchedrin's sharp condemnation of Olon's creativity, but the poet remained true to his principles.

The second wife of Polonsky was Josephine Rulman, who became a faithful companion and friend of the poet.
Polonsky died on October 30, 1898 in St. Petersburg, and was buried at home in Ryazan.

Full biography - Polonsky Ya.P.

Option 1

Russian prose writer and poet Yakov Polonsky was born in Ryazan on December 6 (according to the new style - 18) December 1819 in a noble family. He studied at the Ryazan Gymnasium, graduated from it in 1838 and began his literary activity quite early. In 1837, he presented his poem to the future Emperor Alexander II.

The biography of Y. Polonsky is a biography of the author, whose life had its own difficulties, but there were no sharp ups and downs. He chose the path of a lawyer and entered Moscow University, from which he successfully graduated in 1844. During his studies, he became close to A. Fet and A. Grigoriev, who highly appreciated his literary talent. He also met T. Granovsky, A. Khomyakov and. In 1840, in Otechestvennye zapiski, his poem was first published under the title “The sacred Annunciation solemnly sounds ...” Polonsky also began work in a student almanac called “Underground Keys” and in the Moskvityanin magazine.

Polonsky's first collection of poetry, Scales, was published in 1844. It clearly shows the influence of creativity. This already included poems in the genre of everyday romance (such as "Winter Way" or "Meeting"), which Polonsky developed in the future. In it was written a masterpiece by Polonsky called "The Song of a Gypsy" in 1853. Subsequently, B. Eikhenbaum, a literary critic, noted the combination of narration with lyrics as the main feature of Polonsky's romances. A huge number of everyday, portrait and other details made it possible to reflect the inner state of the lyrical hero.

After graduating from Moscow University, Polonsky moved to Odessa, where in 1845 his second collection, Poems, was published. V. G. Belinsky assessed the book negatively, not seeing deep content behind the “external talent”. Polonsky became a prominent figure in Odessa among local writers who were faithful to Pushkin's poetic tradition. Subsequently, he wrote the novel "Cheap City" (1879), based on his memories of his stay in Odessa.

In 1846, Polonsky was assigned to Tiflis, where he was appointed to the office of the governor M. Vorontsov. There he began work on the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" as an assistant editor and began to publish his essays in it. In 1849, in Tiflis, he published the next collection of poems - "Sazandar", where he included his poems, ballads, as well as poems written in the spirit of the "natural school". They abounded with everyday scenes and elements of national folklore.

In 1851, Polonsky moved to St. Petersburg. In 1856, he wrote in his diary that he felt "disgusted" by politically tinged poems, which, even being the most sincere, are, according to the poet, full of "lies and untruths" just like politics itself. Assessing his own gift, Polonsky noted that he was not endowed with the "scourge of satire", and few consider him a poet (1860 poem "For the Few"). Contemporaries evaluated him as figures of the Pushkin direction and noted in him honesty, sincerity and unwillingness to seem like someone else (A. Druzhinin and E. Stackenschneider).

In St. Petersburg in 1856 and 1859, two collections of Polonsky's poetry were published, as well as the first collection of prose works, Stories, in 1859. In Polonsky's prose, N. Dobrolyubov noted the poet's sensitivity to life and the close interweaving of the phenomena of reality with the perception of the author, his feelings. D. Pisarev took the opposite position and assessed these features of Polonsky's work as features of a "narrow mental world."

In 1857, Polonsky made a trip to Italy, where he studied painting. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1860, and at the same time experienced a tragedy - the death of his wife and son - about which he wrote in his poems "The Madness of Grief" and "The Seagull" (both 1860). In the 1860s, he wrote the novels "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin" (1867) and "Marrying Atuev" (1869), where the influence of I. Turgenev is noticeable. Polonsky continued to publish in various magazines, which corresponded to his self-awareness - all his life he considered himself a "nobody's", about which he wrote in letters to A. Chekhov.

In 1858-1860, he acted as editor in the journal Russkoye Slovo, and in 1860-1896 he worked in the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he earned his livelihood. In the 1860s and 1870s, the poet experienced the hardships of worldly disorder and inattention from readers. His interest in poetry reawakened only in the 1880s, when he, together with A. Maikov and A. Fet, became part of the "poetic triumvirate", which was revered by the reading public.

Once again becoming a landmark figure in the literary life of St. Petersburg, he gathered his prominent contemporaries at the so-called “Polonsky Fridays”. Polonsky maintained a friendship with Chekhov, followed the work of S. Nadson and K. Fofanov. In his poems "Crazy" (1859) and "Double" (1862), he predicted the motives of the poetry of the 20th century.

In letters to A. Fet, Polonsky noted that one could trace “my whole life” through poetry, and, guided by this feature of his own work, he built his “Complete Works” in 5 volumes, which was published in 1896.

Option 2

Yakov was born on December 6 (18), 1819 in the central part of Russia - the city of Ryazan. In a large family, he was the firstborn.

His father, Polonsky Petr Grigoryevich, came from an impoverished noble family, was an official quartermaster, was in the clerical service of the city governor-general.

Mom, Natalya Yakovlevna, belonged to the ancient Russian noble family of the Kaftyrevs, was engaged in housekeeping and raising seven children. She was a very educated woman, she loved to read and write romances, songs and poems in notebooks.

Gymnasium

At first, the boy was educated at home. But when he was thirteen, his mother died. The father was appointed to a public position in another city. He moved, and the children remained in the care of Natalya Yakovlevna's relatives. They identified Yakov to study at the First Ryazan Men's Gymnasium. In a provincial town, this educational institution was considered at that time the center of cultural life.

At that time, Russian poets Alexander Pushkin and Vladimir Benediktov were at the peak of their fame. The teenager Polonsky read their poems and began to compose a little himself, especially since it became fashionable to engage in rhyming then. The teachers noted that the young schoolboy had a clear poetic talent and showed excellent abilities in this.

Acquaintance with Zhukovsky

The decisive influence for the choice of Polonsky's further literary life was the meeting with the poet, one of the founders of romanticism in Russian poetry Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich.

In 1837, Tsarevich Alexander II arrived in Ryazan, the future emperor was admitted to the men's gymnasium. The head of the educational institution instructed Yakov to compose two verses of greeting verses. The gymnasium choir performed one verse to the melody “God Save the Tsar!”, which became the anthem of Russia four years earlier.

The reception of the heir to the throne was successful, and in the evening the head of the gymnasium arranged a celebration on this occasion. At the event, Yakov met with the author of the words of the anthem, Zhukovsky, who accompanied the crown prince on a trip. The venerable poet spoke well of Polonsky's poetic creation. And when the guests left, the director of the gymnasium handed Yakov a gold watch from them. Such a gift and the praise of Vasily Andreevich secured Polonsky's dream to connect his life with literature.

Years of study at the university

In 1838 Yakov entered Moscow University. He became a law student, but still wrote poetry, took part in the university almanac "Underground Keys". Polonsky was greatly admired by the lectures of the Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, Timofey Nikolaevich Granovsky, who significantly influenced the formation of the student's worldview.

During his studies, sociable and attractive Yakov quickly found a common language with fellow students. He became especially close to Nikolai Orlov, the son of Major General Mikhail Fedorovich Orlov, a participant in the Napoleonic Wars. The most famous representatives of science, art and culture of Russia gathered in their house in the evenings. With some of them, Polonsky made a real long friendship - actor Mikhail Shchepkin, poets Apollon Grigoriev and philosopher Pyotr Chaadaev, historians Konstantin Kavelin and Sergei Solovyov, writers Mikhail Pogodin and Alexei Pisemsky.

Yakov read his works at the evenings, and new friends helped him with their publication. So, with the help of acquaintances in 1840, his poems were published in the publication Domestic Notes. Literary critics (including Belinsky) highly appreciated the first poetic works of the young poet, but it was impossible to live only at the expense of writing. Polonsky's student years were spent in constant need and poverty. He had to earn extra money by giving private lessons and tutoring.

Instead of the prescribed four years, Yakov studied at the university for a year longer, since in the third year he could not pass the exam in Roman law to the dean of the law faculty Nikita Ivanovich Krylov.

During the period of university studies, especially close friendly relations arose between Yakov and Ivan Turgenev. For many years they highly appreciated each other's literary talent.

Caucasian period

The plight was the main reason that, after graduating from the university in the fall of 1844, Yakov left Moscow. Although the first collection of his poems, Gamma, was published in Fatherland Notes, there was still no money. Polonsky had a chance to get a job in the customs department in Odessa, and he took advantage of it. There, Yakov lived with his brother, the famous anarchist theorist Bakunin, and often visited the house of the governor Vorontsov. The salary was not enough, again I had to give private lessons.

In the spring of 1846, he was offered a clerical position with the Caucasian governor, Count Vorontsov, and Yakov left for Tiflis. Here he served until 1851. The impressions received in the Caucasus, the history of Russia's struggle to strengthen the southern borders, acquaintance with the customs and traditions of the highlanders inspired the poet with his best poems, which brought him all-Russian fame.

In Tiflis, Polonsky collaborated with the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" and published collections of poetry "Sazandar" (1849) and "Several Poems" (1851). Here he published stories, essays, scientific and journalistic articles.

During his stay in the Caucasus, Yakov became interested in painting. The ability for this type of art was noticed in him while still studying at the Ryazan gymnasium. But it was the Caucasian surroundings and landscapes that inspired Polonsky, he painted a lot and retained this passion until the end of his days.

Europe

In 1851 the poet moved to the capital. In St. Petersburg, he expanded the circle of his acquaintances in the literary community and worked hard on new works.

In 1855, he published the next collection of poetry, which was published with great willingness by the most popular literary publications in Russia - “Notes of the Fatherland” and “Contemporary”. But the poet could not lead even the most modest existence on the fees received. Polonsky got a job as a teacher at home to the children of the St. Petersburg governor N. M. Smirnov.

In 1857, the governor's family went to Baden-Baden, and Yakov also left with them. He traveled to European countries, studied drawing with French painters, made acquaintances with representatives of foreign and Russian literature (the famous one was also among his new acquaintances).

In 1858, Yakov resigned as a teacher of the governor's children, as he could no longer get along with their mother, the absurd and fanatically religious Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova-Rosset. He tried to stay in Geneva and take up painting. But soon he met the well-known literary patron Count Kushelev-Bezborodko, who was just about to organize a new magazine, Russian Word, in St. Petersburg. The count invited Yakov Petrovich to take the post of editor.

Life and work in St. Petersburg

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg and began work in the Russian Word.

In 1860, he entered the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee as secretary. Since 1863, he took the post of junior censor in the same committee, worked in one place until 1896.

In 1897, Yakov Petrovich was appointed a member of the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs.

At the end of his life, in his work, the poet increasingly turned to religious and mystical themes (old age, death, fleeting human happiness). In 1890, his last collection of poems, Eternal Ringing, was published. The most significant work of Polonsky is considered to be a comic fairy tale poem "The Grasshopper-Musician".

Personal life

The poet met his first wife Elena Ustyugskaya (born in 1840) while traveling in Europe. She was the daughter of a Frenchwoman and headman of the Russian church in Paris, Vasily Kuzmich Ustyugsky. Elena did not know Russian at all, and Yakov did not know French, but the marriage was concluded out of great love. In 1858, Polonsky brought his young wife to St. Petersburg.

But the next two years were the most difficult in the life of the poet. He fell and received a serious injury, he could not get rid of its consequences until the end of his days and moved only with the help of crutches. Soon after, his wife fell ill with typhus and died. A few months later, their six-month-old son Andrei died.

For many years he could not recover from grief, only creativity saved him. In 1866, Yakov married a second time to Josephine Antonovna Rulman (born in 1844). Three children were born in this marriage - sons Alexander (1868) and Boris (1875) and daughter Natalya (1870). Josephine had the talent of a sculptor and actively participated in the artistic life of St. Petersburg. Creativity evenings were often held in their house, where famous writers and artists in Russia came.

Death

Yakov Petrovich died on October 18 (30), 1898. He was buried in the village of Lgovo, Ryazan province, in the Dormition Olgov Monastery. In 1958, the remains of the poet were reburied on the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin.

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky (1819 - 1898) - Russian writer. Known mainly as a poet.

1. Polonsky learned to read early. As Yakov Petrovich wrote in his memoirs of childhood, “When I was seven years old, I already knew how to read and write and read everything that came to my hand.”
2. In the gymnasium, Jacob studied unevenly. Although he always had an A in literature (as literature was then called), in other subjects he had twos and ones.
3. Even in his gymnasium years, Yakov wrote poetry so well that in August 1837 the director of the gymnasium N. Semyonov instructed him, a 6th grade student, to write a poetic greeting to the heir to the throne. Then the Ryazan gymnasium, where Polonsky studied, was going to visit Tsarevich Alexander (future Tsar Alexander II) with the famous poet Vasily Zhukovsky, who was his tutor. The greeting was written but not read. The director invited Yakov Polonsky to his apartment, where he was met by V. Zhukovsky. The famous poet praised the novice poet and said that the Tsarevich favors him for hours. The case with the gold watch was solemnly presented to Yakov the next day in the assembly hall of the gymnasium, in the presence of all the teachers and students.
4. After graduating from high school, Polonsky went to Moscow on a Yamsk cart and entered the law faculty of Moscow University.
5. During his student years, Polonsky lived very poorly. He even had to sell the gold watch presented to him by the Tsarevich in order to buy clothes.
6. Polonsky drew very well. In Spassky-Lutovinovo, the estate, which was his friend, Polonsky stayed for two summers. Basically, Jacob painted pictures. They still adorn the walls of the museum-estate of Turgenev.
7. In the house of Polonsky in St. Petersburg, on Fridays, the color of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia gathered. Many talented writers, musicians and artists were glad to receive an invitation to his literary “Fridays”.

Yakov Polonsky is a Russian poet and prose writer. Born December 6 (18), 1819 in Ryazan in a poor noble family. In 1838 he graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium. Polonsky considered 1837 to be the beginning of his literary activity, when he presented one of his poems to the Tsarevich, the future Tsar Alexander II, who traveled around Russia, accompanied by his tutor V.A. Zhukovsky.

In 1838 Polonsky entered the law faculty of Moscow University (graduating in 1844). In his student years, he became close to A. Grigoriev and A. Fet, who highly appreciated the talent of the young poet. I also met P. Chaadaev, A. Khomyakov, T. Granovsky. In the journal Otechestvennye zapiski in 1840, Polonsky's poem The Sacred Blagovesh sounds solemnly sounds for the first time ... It was published in the journal Moskvityanin and in the student almanac Underground Keys.

In 1844, the first poetry collection of Polonsky Gamma was published, in which the influence of M. Lermontov is noticeable. The collection already contained poems written in the genre of everyday romance (Meeting, Winter Road, etc.). In this genre, Polonsky's masterpiece of lyrics, The Gypsy Song ("My fire in the fog shines ...", 1853), was subsequently written. Literary critic B. Eikhenbaum subsequently called the main feature of Polonsky's romances "the combination of lyrics with narration." They are characterized by a large number of portrait, everyday and other details that reflect the psychological state of the lyrical hero ("The shadows of the night came and became ...", etc.).

After graduating from the university, Polonsky moved to Odessa, where he published his second collection of poetry Poems of 1845 (1845). The book caused a negative assessment of V. G. Belinsky, who saw in the author "an unrelated, purely external talent." In Odessa, Polonsky became a prominent figure in the circle of writers who continued the Pushkin poetic tradition. The impressions of Odessa life subsequently formed the basis of the novel Cheap City (1879).

In 1846 Polonsky was appointed to Tiflis, to the office of the governor M. Vorontsov. At the same time he became an assistant editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin", in which he published essays. In Tiflis in 1849 Polonsky's poetry collection Sazandar (Singer) was published. It included ballads and poems, as well as poems in the spirit of the "natural school" - i.e. replete with everyday scenes (Walk in Tiflis) or written in the spirit of national folklore (Georgian song).

In 1851 Polonsky moved to Petersburg. He wrote in his diary in 1856: “I don’t know why I involuntarily feel disgusted with any political poem; it seems to me that in the most sincere political poem there are as many lies and untruths as in politics itself.” Soon Polonsky definitely declared his creative credo: "God did not give me the scourge of satire ... / And for the few I am a poet" (For the few, 1860). Contemporaries saw in him "a modest but honest figure of the Pushkin direction" (A. Druzhinin) and noted that "he never draws and does not play any role, but always is what he is" (E. Shtakenshneider).

In St. Petersburg, Polonsky published two poetry collections (1856 and 1859), as well as the first collection of prose Stories (1859), in which N. Dobrolyubov noticed "the poet's sensitive susceptibility to the life of nature and the internal fusion of the phenomena of reality with the images of his imagination and with the impulses of his heart ". D. Pisarev, on the contrary, considered such features to be manifestations of a "narrow mental world" and classified Polonsky among the "microscopic poetics."

In 1857 Polonsky left for Italy, where he studied painting. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1860. He survived a personal tragedy - the death of his son and wife, reflected in the poems Chaika (1860), Madness of grief (1860), etc. In the 1860s he wrote the novels Confessions of Sergei Chalygin (1867) and Atuev's Marriage (1869) , in which the influence of I. Turgenev is noticeable. Polonsky published in magazines of various directions, explaining this in one of his letters to A. Chekhov: "All my life I was a nobody."

In 1858-1860 Polonsky edited the magazine "Russian Word", in 1860-1896 he served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship. In general, the 1860s-1870s were marked for the poet by inattention of the reader and worldly disorder. Interest in Polonsky's poetry arose again in the 1880s, when, together with A. Fet and A. Maikov, he was part of the "poetic triumvirate", which enjoyed the respect of the reading public. Polonsky again became a landmark figure in the literary life of St. Petersburg, outstanding contemporaries gathered at Polonsky Fridays. The poet was friends with Chekhov, closely followed the work of K. Fofanov and S. Nadson. In verse, Crazy (1859), Double (1862), and others predicted some motifs in 20th-century poetry.

In 1890, Polonsky wrote to A. Fet: "You can trace my whole life through my poems." In accordance with this principle of reflecting the inner biography, he built his final Complete Works in 5 vols., which was published in 1896.

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819 - 1898), poet. Born on December 6 (18 n.s.) in Ryazan in a poor noble family. He studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, after which he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. In his student years, he began to write and publish his poems in

"Notes of the Fatherland" (1840), "Moskvityanin" and in the student almanac "Underground Keys" (1842). He is friends with A. Grigoriev, A. Fet, P. Chaadaev, T. Granovsky, I. Turgenev.

In 1844, Polonsky's first collection of poems, Gamma, was published, attracting the attention of critics and readers.

After graduating from university, he lived in Odessa. There he published the second collection of Poems of 1845.

In 1846, Polonsky moved to Tiflis, joined the office and at the same time worked as an assistant editor of the newspaper Transcaucasian Bulletin. While in Georgia, Polonsky turned to prose (articles and essays on ethnography), publishing them in a newspaper.

Georgia inspired him to create in 1849 a book of poems "Sazandar" (Singer), in 1852 - the historical play "Darejana Imeretinskaya".

From 1851 Polonsky lived in St. Petersburg, traveling abroad from time to time. The poet's collections of poems (1855 and 1859) were well received by various critics.

In 1859 - 60 he was one of the editors of the journal "Russian Word".

In the social and literary struggle of the 1860s, Polonsky did not take part on the side of any of the camps. He defended the poetry of "love", opposing it to the poetry of "hate" ("For the Few", 1860; "To the Citizen Poet", 1864), although he recognized the impossibility of love "without pain" and life outside the problems of modernity ("One of the tired" , 1863). During these years, his poetry was sharply criticized by radical democrats. I. Turgenev and N. Strakhov defended Polonsky's original talent from attacks, emphasizing his "worship of everything beautiful and lofty, service to truth, goodness and beauty, love of freedom and hatred of violence."

In 1880 - 90 Polonsky was a very popular poet. During these years he returned to the themes of his early lyrics. A variety of writers, artists, and scientists unite around him. He is very attentive to the development of creativity Nadson and Fofanov.

In 1881, the collection "At Sunset" was published, in 1890 - "Evening Bells", imbued with motives of sadness and death, reflections on the transience of human happiness.

From 1860 to 1896 Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (12/06/1820) - one of the main Russian poets of the post-Pushkin era, was born in Ryazan, the son of an official; studied at the local gymnasium, then at Moscow University., where his comrades were Fet and S. M. Solovyov. At the end of the course P.; as a home teacher, spent several years in the Caucasus (1846 - 52), where he was an assistant to the editor. "Transcaucasus Vestn." and abroad. In 1857 he married, but was soon widowed; for the second time in 1866, he married Josephine Antonovna Rulman (an amateur sculptor, known, among other things, for the bust of Turgenev, set in Odessa). Upon his return to Russia, he served for a long time as a censor in the foreign censorship committee; since 1896 he has been a member of the council of the main department for the press. - In the totality of P.'s poems, there is not that complete harmony between inspiration and reflection and that conviction in living reality and the superiority of poetic truth compared to deadly reflection, which differ, for example. Goethe, Pushkin, Tyutchev. P. was very impressionable and to those movements of the latest thought, which had an anti-poetic character: in many of his poems prose and rationality prevail; but where he gives himself up to pure inspiration, we find in him samples of strong and peculiar poetry. Typical poems by P. have the distinguishing feature that the very process of inspiration - the transition or impulse from the usual material and everyday environment to the realm of poetic truth - remains tangible. Usually in poetic works the finished result of inspiration is given, and not its very rise, which remains hidden, while in P. it is sometimes felt in the very sound of his poems, for example. It’s not the wind - the sigh of Aurora The sea fog stirred up ... In one of the first poems by P., the area and nature of his poetry seemed to be outlined in advance: Already above the spruce forest, from behind the peaks of the thorny, The gold of the evening clouds shone, When I tore a thick net with an oar floating Marsh grasses and water flowers From the idle slander and malice of the mob of the world That evening at last we were far away And boldly you could, with the credulity of a child, express Yourself freely and easily. And your prophetic voice was sweet, So many secret tears trembled in it, And the mess of mourning clothes and light blond braids seemed captivating to me. But my chest was involuntarily compressed with anguish, I looked into the depths, where thousands of roots of marsh grasses invisibly intertwined Like a thousand living green snakes. And another world flashed before me, Not that wonderful world in which you lived... And life seemed to me a harsh depth With a surface that is bright. "A captivating mess" distinguishes the works of P.; they also have "mourning" for worldly evil and grief, but the head of his muse shines with a reflection of heavenly light; in her voice, secret tears of grief experienced are mixed with the prophetic sweetness of the best hopes; sensitive - perhaps even too much - to the vanity and malice of life, she strives to get away from them "beyond the thorny peaks of the earth" "into golden clouds" and there "expresses herself freely and easily, with the gullibility of a child." Proceeding from the opposition between that beautiful and bright world where his muse lives, and that "harsh depth" of real life, where the swamp plants of evil intertwine with their own, it is written. in 1856). The poet does not separate hopes for the salvation of the "native ship" from faith in the common universal good. A broad spirit of all humanity, excluding national enmity, is characteristic more or less of all true poets; of all the Russians, after A. Tolstoy, he is expressed most decisively and consciously by P., especially in two poems dedicated to Schiller (1859) and Shakespeare (1864). Not adhering to the radical social movements of his time, P. treated them with cordial humanity, especially the victims of sincere passion (for example, verse. "That she is not my sister, not my lover"). In general, keeping the best precepts of Pushkin, P. "awakened good feelings with his lyre" and "called for mercy for the fallen." - In the early years, the poet's hopes for a better future for mankind were associated with his youthful unaccountable faith in omnipotence. Science: The realm of science knows no limits, Everywhere are traces of its eternal victories - Reason, word and deed, Power and light. The Light of Science shines on the world like a new sun, and only with it the Muse adorns the forehead with a Fresh wreath. But soon the poet abandoned the cult of science, which knows what happens, and does not create what should be; his muse inspired him that a world with powerful lies and impotent love" can only be reborn by "a different, inspiring power" - the power of moral labor, with faith "in God's judgment, or in the Messiah": From that time, manning heart, comprehend I have become, O Muse, That there is no legal union with you without this faith.At the same time, P. more resolutely than before expresses the conviction that the real source of poetry is objective beauty, in which "God shines" (verse "The Tsar Maiden"). and the most typical of P.'s small poems ("Winter Road", "Swinging in a Storm", "Bell". "Return from the Caucasus", "The shadows of the night came and became", "My fire in the fog shines", "At night in the cradle Baby" and others) are distinguished not so much by their ideological content as by the strength of direct sincere lyricism. The individual peculiarity of this lyricism cannot be defined in terms; only some general signs can be indicated, such as (apart from that mentioned at the beginning) the combination of elegant images and sounds with the most real ideas, then the bold simplicity of expressions, and finally the transmission of half-asleep, twilight, slightly delusional sensations. In the larger works of P. (with the exception of the Grasshopper Musician, impeccable in all respects), the architecture is very weak: some of his poems are not completed, others are cluttered with additions and add-ons. There is also relatively little plasticity in his works. properties of musicality and picturesqueness, the latter - especially in the pictures of Caucasian life (past and present), which are much brighter and more lively in P. than in Pushkin and Lermontov.In addition to historical and descriptive paintings, the actual lyric poems inspired by the Caucasus are saturated with real local colors (for example, "After the holiday"). The noble, but nameless Circassians of ancient romanticism pale in front of the less noble, but for that living natives of P., in the genus of the Tatar Agbar or the heroic robber Tamur Hassan. Oriental women in Pushkin and Lermontov colorless and speak a dead literary language; in P. their speeches breathe living artistic truth: He is at the stone Noah tower stood under the wall, And I remember: he was wearing an expensive caftan, And a blue shirt flashed under the red cloth. it... A golden grenade grows under the wall; All fruits cannot be obtained by any hand; Why should I bewitch all handsome men!... The mountains, the hills of Erivan separated us, ruined us! Eternally cold winter They are covered with eternal snow!... About me In that country, my dear, won't you forget? Although the poet’s personal confession also applies to Caucasian life: “You, with whom I lived so much suffering with a patient soul,” etc., but, as a result of youth, he endured a vigorous and clear sense of spiritual freedom: I am ready for the battles of life I carry the snowy pass... Everything that was deceit, betrayal, What lay on me like a chain, - Everything disappeared from my memory - with the foam of Mountain rivers running out into the steppe. gloomy character remained with P. for life and constitutes the predominant tone of his poetry. Very sensitive to the negative side of life, he did not, however, become a pessimist. In the most difficult moments of personal and general grief, "the cracks from darkness to light "Although I sometimes saw through them so few, few rays of love over the abyss of evil", but these rays never went out for him and, taking away the malice from his satire, allowed him to create his most original work: "Grasshopper Musician". In order to more vividly represent the essence of life, poets sometimes continue its lines in one direction or another. So, Dante exhausted all human evil in the nine grandiose circles of his hell; P., on the contrary, pulled together and squeezed the usual content of human existence into a small little world of insects. Dante had to erect two more huge worlds over the darkness of his hell - a purifying fire and a triumphant light; P. could accommodate purifying and enlightening moments in the same corner of the field and park. An empty existence, in which everything real is small, and everything high is an illusion - the world of anthropoid insects or insect-like people - is transformed and enlightened by the power of pure love and disinterested sorrow. This meaning is concentrated in the final scene (the funeral of the butterfly), which, despite the microscopic outline of the whole story, produces that soul-cleansing impression that Aristotle considered the purpose of tragedy. The best works of P. include "Cassandra" (with the exception of two extra explanatory stanzas - IV and V, weakening the impression). In the great poems of P. from modern life (human and dog), generally speaking, the internal meaning does not correspond to the volume. Separate places are excellent here, for example. description of the southern night (in the poem "Mimi"), especially the sound impression of the sea: And on the sandy shallows Likely strews with erratic pearls; and it seems, Someone walks and is afraid To burst into tears, only sharpens Tears, knocks on someone’s door, Now rustling, dragging his train back along the sand, then again Returning there ... In the later works of P., a religious motif is clearly heard, if not as a positive confidence, then as a striving and readiness for faith: "Blessed is he to whom two hearings have been given - whoever hears the ringing of the church and hears the prophetic voice of the Spirit." The last collection of poems by P. worthily ends with a true poetic story: "The Dreamer", the meaning of which is; that the poetic dream of an early deceased hero turns out to be something very real. Regardless of the desire for a positive religion, P. in his latest works looks into the most fundamental issues of being. Thus, the mystery of time becomes clear to his poetic consciousness - the truth that time is not the creation of an essentially new content, but only a rearrangement into different positions of one and the same essential meaning of life, which in itself is eternity (verse.

Born December 18, 1819 in Ryazan. He studied at the Ryazan gymnasium. In 1838 he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. In the early 1840s, his first poetic experiments appeared in Notes of the Fatherland and Moskvityanin. He participated in the student almanac "Underground Keys" (1842), and in 1844 his first author's collection "Gamma" was published, met with an encouraging review by P.N. Kudryavtsev in "Notes of the Fatherland".

In the spring of 1844, Polonsky graduated from the university. He had to determine the future path of life. Difficult financial circumstances forced me to think about the service. Friends advised him to go to Odessa, promised to help him get settled, and Polonsky decided to go south. In the autumn of the same year he was already in Odessa. However, he failed to enter the service, and he began to give private lessons.

In Odessa, Polonsky met many sympathetic and curious people. His first refuge was the apartment of Associate Professor of the Richelieu Lyceum A.A. Bakunin, brother of Russian anarchist theorist Mikhail Bakunin.

The young poet was also cordially received by Pushkin's brother, Lev Sergeevich, "he took him to dinner and made him drink champagne." From Levushka Pushkin, Polonsky learned the details of the tragic circumstances of his brother's life, which were not yet widely known in those years. “Leo Pushkin more than once prophesied glory to me in the poetic field - he even gave me the briefcase of his late brother,” Polonsky wrote in his diary in August 1866.

Polonsky developed good relations in Odessa with the local Austrian consul L.L. Gutmansthal and his wife, the daughter of the children's writer A.P. Sontag, who was the niece of V.A. Zhukovsky.

With greedy curiosity, the writer peered into the motley hustle and bustle of Odessa. In his poem of this period, “Ride on Horseback,” there are lively sketches of a many-voiced southern city, where “all the windows are wide open.”

Polonsky lived in Odessa from the autumn of 1844 to June 1846, where he published his second collection of poetry, Poems of 1845. Subsequently, he often came to Odessa. The impressions of the Odessa life of the poet formed the basis of the autobiographical novel "Cheap City". In the life of Polonsky, Odessa became a link between the past and the present, between the “golden age” of Russian poetry and the transitional era of the forties. The chronicle-novel in three parts "Cheap City" was first published in the journal "Vestnik Evropy" in 1879.

Portrait of Yakov Polonsky
works by Ivan Kramskoy, 1875

In 1845, the Odessa Governor-General M.S. Vorontsov received a new appointment - he became the governor of the Caucasus, and many officials who wished to serve in Tiflis went after Vorontsov, including Polonsky. In Tiflis, he entered the service in the office of the governor and in the editorial office of the journal Transcaucasian Bulletin.

In June 1851 Polonsky left the Caucasus. He visited his homeland in Russia, stayed in Moscow, moved to St. Petersburg, where he lived on occasional magazine earnings. In 1855, he became an educator and teacher in the family of the St. Petersburg civil governor N.M. Smirnov, husband A.O. Rosset. In the spring of 1857, the poet leaves with the Smirnov family abroad to Baden-Baden. In August of the same year, Polonsky parted with the Smirnov family and left for Geneva to study painting, from there he went to Italy, then to Paris.

In Paris, the poet falls in love with a half-Russian, half-French woman - the daughter of a psalmist of the Orthodox Church in Paris, Elena Vasilievna Ustyugskaya. Having married in August 1858, the Polonskys returned to St. Petersburg. A few hours before the birth of their first child, son Andrei, Polonsky fell off the droshky and injured his leg, which left him crippled for the rest of his life. Suffering haunts Polonsky: in 1860, his son dies, and in the summer of that year, his devoted, loving wife also died. Polonsky dedicates poems to the memory of his wife: “The Madness of Grief”, “If only your love was my companion ...”.

If your love were my companion,

Oh maybe in the fire of your embrace

I would not curse even evil,

I wouldn't have heard anyone curse! -

But I'm alone - alone - I'm destined to listen

The rattling shackles - the cry of generations -

Alone - I can't bless myself,

No blessings! -

Now cliques of triumph ... now death knells, -

Everything from doubt leads me to doubt...

Ile, brother alien brother, I will be condemned

Pass between them like an inaudible shadow!

Or, an alien brother to brothers, without songs, without hopes

With great sorrow of my memories,

I will be the suffering tool of the ignorant

A prop of rotten legends!

In 1859-1660. Polonsky edited the Russian Word magazine. In 1860 he entered the service of the foreign censorship committee. Lived in St. Petersburg, sometimes traveling abroad. He published poems and prose in Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski.

Six years after the death of his wife, Polonsky met Josephine Rulman, a woman of rare beauty and a talented sculptor. She becomes his wife. Polonsky did everything possible to develop her natural talent.

From 1860 until 1896, Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

Ya.P. Polonsky in his office,
in an apartment on the corner of Basseinaya and Znamenskaya streets in St. Petersburg.

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky died in St. Petersburg on October 30, 1898. He was buried at home in Ryazan.

Galina Zakipnaya, employee
Odessa Literary Museum

Photo: www.liveinternet.ru, www.rznodb.ru and www.svpressa.ru

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky (December 6 (18), 1819 (18191218), Ryazan - October 18 (30), 1898, St. Petersburg) - Russian poet and prose writer.

Born into the family of a poor official. After graduating from the gymnasium in Ryazan (1838), he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. He became close to A. A. Grigoriev and A. A. Fet, also met P. Ya. Chaadaev, A. S. Khomyakov, T. N. Granovsky.

Writer, if only
There is a nerve of a great people,
Can't be amazed
When freedom is struck.
"To the album of K. Sh ..." (1864)

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich

In the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1840 he published his first poem. Participated in the student almanac "Underground Keys".

After graduating from the university (1844) he lived in Odessa, then was assigned to Tiflis (1846), where he served until 1851. From 1851 he lived in St. Petersburg, edited the Russian Word magazine (1859-1860). He served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs (1860-1896).

Died in St. Petersburg, buried in Ryazan.

The literary heritage of Polonsky is very large and unequal, it includes several collections of poems, numerous poems, novels, stories.

The first collection of poetry - "Gammas" (1844). The second collection "Poems of 1845" published in Odessa caused a negative assessment of V. G. Belinsky. In the collection "Sazandar" (1849) he recreated the spirit and life of the peoples of the Caucasus.

A small part of Polonsky's poems belongs to the so-called civil lyrics ("To tell you the truth, I forgot, gentlemen", "Miasm" and others). He dedicated the poem "Prisoner" (1878) to Vera Zasulich. On the slope of his life, he turned to the themes of old age, death (collection "Evening Ringing", 1890).

Born in Ryazan in a poor noble family. In 1838 he graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium. Yakov Polonsky considered the beginning of his literary activity in 1837, when he presented one of his poems to the Tsarevich, the future Tsar Alexander II, who traveled around Russia, accompanied by his tutor V. A. Zhukovsky.

In 1838, Yakov Polonsky entered the law faculty of Moscow University (graduating in 1844). In his student years, he became close to A. Grigoriev and A. Fet, who highly appreciated the talent of the young poet. He also met with P. Chaadaev, A. Khomyakov, T. Granovsky. In the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1840, Polonsky's poem "The sacred Annunciation solemnly sounds ..." was first published in the journal Moskvityanin and in the student almanac Underground Keys.

In 1844, Polonsky's first poetry collection, Gamma, was published, in which the influence of M. Lermontov is noticeable. In the collection there were already poems written in the genre of everyday romance (“Meeting”, “Winter Way”, etc.). In this genre, the masterpiece of lyrics by Yakov Polonsky “Song of a Gypsy” (“My fire in the fog shines ...”, 1853) was subsequently written. Literary critic B. Eikhenbaum later called the main feature of Polonsky's romances "the combination of lyrics with narration." They are characterized by a large number of portrait, everyday and other details that reflect the psychological state of the lyrical hero (“The shadows of the night came and became ...”, etc.).

After graduating from the university, Yakov Polonsky moved to Odessa, where he published his second collection of poetry, Poems of 1845 (1845). The book caused a negative assessment of V. G. Belinsky, who saw in the author "an unrelated, purely external talent." In Odessa, Polonsky became a prominent figure in the circle of writers who continued the Pushkin poetic tradition. The impressions of Odessa life subsequently formed the basis of the novel "Cheap City" (1879).

In 1846, Yakov Polonsky was appointed to Tiflis, to the office of the governor M. Vorontsov. At the same time he became an assistant editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin", in which he published essays. In Tiflis in 1849 Polonsky's poetry collection Sazandar (The Singer) was published. It included ballads and poems, as well as poems in the spirit of the "natural school" - that is, abounding in everyday scenes ("Walk in Tiflis") or written in the spirit of national folklore ("Georgian song").

In 1851 Polonsky moved to Petersburg. He wrote in his diary in 1856: “I don’t know why I involuntarily feel disgusted by any political poem; It seems to me that in the most sincere political poem there are as many lies and untruths as there are in politics itself. Soon, Yakov Polonsky definitely declared his creative credo: “God did not give me the scourge of satire ... / And for the few I am a poet” (“For the Few”, 1860). Contemporaries saw in him “a modest but honest figure of the Pushkin direction” (A. Druzhinin) and noted that “he never draws and does not play any role, but always is what he is” (E. Stackenschneider).

In St. Petersburg, Yakov Polonsky published two collections of poetry (1856 and 1859), as well as the first collection of prose “Stories” (1859), in which N. Dobrolyubov noted “the poet’s sensitive susceptibility to the life of nature and the internal fusion of the phenomena of reality with the images of his imagination and with the impulses of his heart." D. Pisarev, on the contrary, considered such features to be manifestations of a “narrow mental world” and classified Yakov Polonsky among “microscopic poetics”.

In 1857 Yakov Polonsky left for Italy, where he studied painting. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1860. He survived a personal tragedy - the death of his son and wife, reflected in the poems "The Seagull" (1860), "Madness of Grief" (1860), etc. In the 1860s he wrote the novels "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin" (1867) and “The Marriage of Atuev” (1869), in which the influence of I. Turgenev is noticeable. Polonsky published in magazines of various directions, explaining this in one of his letters to A. Chekhov: “All my life I was a nobody.”

In 1858-1860, Yakov Polonsky edited the journal "Russian Word", in 1860-1896 he served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship. In general, the 1860s-1870s were marked for the poet by inattention of the reader and worldly disorder. Interest in Polonsky's poetry arose again in the 1880s, when, together with A. Fet and A. Maikov, he was part of the "poetic triumvirate", which enjoyed the respect of the reading public. Yakov Polonsky again became a landmark figure in the literary life of St. Petersburg, outstanding contemporaries gathered at Polonsky's Fridays. The poet was friends with Chekhov, closely followed the work of K. Fofanov and S. Nadson. In the poems "Crazy" (1859), "Double" (1862), etc., he predicted some motifs of poetry of the 20th century.

In 1890, Polonsky wrote to A. Fet: “You can trace my whole life through my poems.” In accordance with this principle of reflecting the inner biography, he built his final “Complete Works” in 5 vols., which was published in 1896.

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Polonsky Yakov Petrovich

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819-1898) - Russian poet-novelist, publicist. His works do not have such a large-scale significance as Nekrasov or Pushkin, but without Polonsky's poetry, Russian literature would not be so multicolored and multifaceted. His poems deeply reflect the world of Russia, the depth and complexity of the soul of the Russian people.

A family

Yakov was born on December 6 (18), 1819 in the central part of Russia - the city of Ryazan. In a large family, he was the firstborn.

His father, Polonsky Petr Grigoryevich, came from an impoverished noble family, was an official quartermaster, was in the clerical service of the city governor-general.

Mom, Natalya Yakovlevna, belonged to the ancient Russian noble family of the Kaftyrevs, was engaged in housekeeping and raising seven children. She was a very educated woman, she loved to read and write romances, songs and poems in notebooks.

Gymnasium

At first, the boy was educated at home. But when he was thirteen, his mother died. The father was appointed to a public position in another city. He moved, and the children remained in the care of Natalya Yakovlevna's relatives. They identified Yakov to study at the First Ryazan Men's Gymnasium. In a provincial town, this educational institution was considered at that time the center of cultural life.

The building of the 1st male gymnasium in Ryazan, where Yakov Polonsky studied

At that time, Russian poets Alexander Pushkin and Vladimir Benediktov were at the peak of their fame. The teenager Polonsky read their poems and began to compose a little himself, especially since it became fashionable to engage in rhyming then. The teachers noted that the young schoolboy had a clear poetic talent and showed excellent abilities in this.

Acquaintance with Zhukovsky

The decisive influence for the choice of Polonsky's further literary life was the meeting with the poet, one of the founders of romanticism in Russian poetry Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich.

In 1837, Tsarevich Alexander II arrived in Ryazan, the future emperor was admitted to the men's gymnasium. The head of the educational institution instructed Yakov to compose two verses of greeting verses. The gymnasium choir performed one verse to the melody “God Save the Tsar!”, which became the anthem of Russia four years earlier.

The reception of the heir to the throne was successful, and in the evening the head of the gymnasium arranged a celebration on this occasion. At the event, Yakov met with the author of the words of the anthem, Zhukovsky, who accompanied the crown prince on a trip. The venerable poet spoke well of Polonsky's poetic creation. And when the guests left, the director of the gymnasium handed Yakov a gold watch from them. Such a gift and the praise of Vasily Andreevich secured Polonsky's dream to connect his life with literature.

Years of study at the university

In 1838 Yakov entered Moscow University. He became a law student, but still wrote poetry, took part in the university almanac "Underground Keys". Polonsky was greatly admired by the lectures of the Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, Timofey Nikolaevich Granovsky, who significantly influenced the formation of the student's worldview.

During his studies, sociable and attractive Yakov quickly found a common language with fellow students. He became especially close to Nikolai Orlov, the son of Major General Mikhail Fedorovich Orlov, a participant in the Napoleonic Wars. The most famous representatives of science, art and culture of Russia gathered in their house in the evenings. With some of them, Polonsky made a real long friendship - actor Mikhail Shchepkin, poets Apollon Grigoriev and Afanasy Fet, philosopher Pyotr Chaadaev, historians Konstantin Kavelin and Sergei Solovyov, writers Mikhail Pogodin and Alexei Pisemsky.

Yakov read his works at the evenings, and new friends helped him with their publication. So, with the help of acquaintances in 1840, his poems were published in the publication Domestic Notes. Literary critics (including Belinsky) highly appreciated the first poetic works of the young poet, but it was impossible to live only at the expense of writing. Polonsky's student years were spent in constant need and poverty. He had to earn extra money by giving private lessons and tutoring.

Instead of the prescribed four years, Yakov studied at the university for a year longer, since in the third year he could not pass the exam in Roman law to the dean of the law faculty Nikita Ivanovich Krylov.

During the period of university studies, especially close friendly relations arose between Yakov and Ivan Turgenev. For many years they highly appreciated each other's literary talent.

Caucasian period

The plight was the main reason that, after graduating from the university in the fall of 1844, Yakov left Moscow. Although the first collection of his poems, Gamma, was published in Fatherland Notes, there was still no money. Polonsky had a chance to get a job in the customs department in Odessa, and he took advantage of it. There, Yakov lived with his brother, the famous anarchist theorist Bakunin, and often visited the house of the governor Vorontsov. The salary was not enough, again I had to give private lessons.

In the spring of 1846, he was offered a clerical position with the Caucasian governor, Count Vorontsov, and Yakov left for Tiflis. Here he served until 1851. The impressions received in the Caucasus, the history of Russia's struggle to strengthen the southern borders, acquaintance with the customs and traditions of the highlanders inspired the poet with his best poems, which brought him all-Russian fame.

In Tiflis, Polonsky collaborated with the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" and published collections of poetry "Sazandar" (1849) and "Several Poems" (1851). Here he published stories, essays, scientific and journalistic articles.

During his stay in the Caucasus, Yakov became interested in painting. The ability for this type of art was noticed in him while still studying at the Ryazan gymnasium. But it was the Caucasian surroundings and landscapes that inspired Polonsky, he painted a lot and retained this passion until the end of his days.

Europe

In 1851 the poet moved to the capital. In St. Petersburg, he expanded the circle of his acquaintances in the literary community and worked hard on new works.

In 1855, he published the next collection of poetry, which was published with great willingness by the most popular literary publications in Russia - “Notes of the Fatherland” and “Contemporary”. But the poet could not lead even the most modest existence on the fees received. Polonsky got a job as a teacher at home to the children of the St. Petersburg governor N. M. Smirnov.

Landscape of the Caucasus, painted by Yakov Polonsky

In 1857, the governor's family went to Baden-Baden, and Yakov also left with them. He traveled around European countries, studied drawing with French painters, made acquaintances with representatives of foreign and Russian literature (the famous Alexandre Dumas was also among his new acquaintances).

In 1858, Yakov resigned as a teacher of the governor's children, as he could no longer get along with their mother, the absurd and fanatically religious Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova-Rosset. He tried to stay in Geneva and take up painting. But soon he met the well-known literary patron Count Kushelev-Bezborodko, who was just about to organize a new magazine, Russian Word, in St. Petersburg. The count invited Yakov Petrovich to take the post of editor.

Life and work in St. Petersburg

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg and began work in the Russian Word.

In 1860, he entered the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee as secretary. Since 1863, he took the post of junior censor in the same committee, worked in one place until 1896.

In 1897, Yakov Petrovich was appointed a member of the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs.

At the end of his life, in his work, the poet increasingly turned to religious and mystical themes (old age, death, fleeting human happiness). In 1890, his last collection of poems, Eternal Ringing, was published. The most significant work of Polonsky is considered to be a comic fairy tale poem "The Grasshopper-Musician".

Personal life

The poet met his first wife Elena Ustyugskaya (born in 1840) while traveling in Europe. She was the daughter of a Frenchwoman and headman of the Russian church in Paris, Vasily Kuzmich Ustyugsky. Elena did not know Russian at all, and Yakov did not know French, but the marriage was concluded out of great love. In 1858, Polonsky brought his young wife to St. Petersburg.

But the next two years were the most difficult in the life of the poet. He fell and received a serious injury, he could not get rid of its consequences until the end of his days and moved only with the help of crutches. Soon after, his wife fell ill with typhus and died. A few months later, their six-month-old son Andrei died.

For many years he could not recover from grief, only creativity saved him. In 1866, Yakov married a second time to Josephine Antonovna Rulman (born in 1844). Three children were born in this marriage - sons Alexander (1868) and Boris (1875) and daughter Natalya (1870). Josephine had the talent of a sculptor and actively participated in the artistic life of St. Petersburg. Creativity evenings were often held in their house, where famous writers and artists in Russia came.

Death

Yakov Petrovich died on October 18 (30), 1898. He was buried in the village of Lgovo, Ryazan province, in the Dormition Olgov Monastery. In 1958, the remains of the poet were reburied on the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin.