Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin is the greatest poet, representative of Russian classicism, a public figure who has completely devoted his life and his work to serving the motherland and the empress. He became the founder of solemn poetry, which became an integral part of the era of the reign of Catherine II. An extraordinary person, truth-seeker and champion of honor, he wrote his name in the history of our country for centuries.
The way from a soldier to a minister
The future poet was born July 14, 1743 in the small village of Karmachi, near Kazan. His parents were small noblemen: his mother, Fekla Andreevna Kozlova, and his father, whom he lost in early childhood, was Major-second Roman Nikolaevich.
Gavriil Romanovich, having studied for several years at the Kazan gymnasium, left it and entered the ranks of an ordinary soldier in the Preobrazhensky regiment, which included in the overthrow of Peter III and the enthronement of Catherine II. Already in 1772 Derzhavin became an officer and took part in the suppression of the Pugachev uprising.
Having exchanged military service for civilian service, the great poet served in the Senate for some time. But this path was thorny. Being a great champion of honor and justice, Gavriil Romanovich never got along with silver-loving and greedy officials, and therefore constantly changed jobs. In 1782, Derzhavin wrote an enthusiastic ode "Felitsa" dedicated to the great empress Catherine, for which he was appointed governor of Olonetsky, and then Tambovsky.
The prominent poet managed not to please the empress herself, for which he was dismissed from the position of her personal cabinet secretary. In 1802-1803 he was in the honorary post of Minister of Justice, but he did not find moral satisfaction here either, so he retired at age 60.
Creativity in the name of the Fatherland
While in the service of the empress, Derzhavin did not leave poetry. She was his world, its integral part. The great poet began to be published since 1773. True to the ideas of the enlightened monarchy, Derzhavin tried to be a follower of Lomonosov and Sumarokov.
Since 1779, Gabriel Romanovich began to adhere to his own style in creativity - philosophical lyrics. Thus, the odes “On the Death of the Prince of Meshchersky”, “God”, “Waterfall”, etc. were created. Gabriel Romanovich was a multifaceted poet. Before his death, in 1816, he began to play in the genre of dramaturgy and created several tragedies: Dobrynya, Herod and Mariamna, Pozharsky, etc. Being at the origins of the literary circle Conversation of Lovers of the Russian Word, Derzhavin favored Zhukovsky, as well as one of the first to see the talent of young Pushkin. In 1816, the poet died on the estate of Zvanka in the Novgorod province.
The image of Derzhavin in portraits
Undoubtedly, the perception of the historical person is inextricably linked with her portraits, which have come down to us from the depths of time. Gabriel Derzhavin was no exception. During his lifetime, several wonderful portraits were painted, thanks to which we can get a complete picture of this outstanding person.
Brushes of the artist V. L. Borovikovsky belong to two portraits of Gabriel Derzhavin, dating back to 1795 and 1811. The poet is depicted on them at various periods of his life. The artist A. A. Vasilievsky and N. Tonchi also immortalized the image of the poet in his canvases. The history and fate of these portraits is different, but there is one thing in common: a man with lively, intelligent eyes, a man of brilliant mind and rare dignity looks at us from canvases.
Derzhavin in the portraits of V. L. Borovikovsky
Borovikovsky is a famous portraitist of the 18th century, an academician of painting, thanks to whom we today know what outstanding personalities of that time looked like. His brushes belong to the portraits of Paul I, Catherine II, Prince Kurakin and many others. He also created two well-known portraits of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin.
In the portrait dating back to 1795, the poet and public figure appears before us in his ceremonial vestments with high awards. Looking at him, we understand that this is an energetic, hardworking and unusually insightful person. Derzhavin looks proudly, but at the same time good-naturedly, with some half-smile. It seems that the artist found Derzhavin at work: the poet sits on the background of a rich bookcase covered with a curtain, and his hand is laid on documents and manuscripts. You can contemplate this canvas in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
In another portrait of Derzhavin in 1811, we already see a somewhat elderly man, in whose wise eyes the fire of life and the thirst for activity still burn. The poet is also in ceremonial vestment, but there are already many more awards on him, which speaks of high achievements over the years of his life. The portrait was not painted in the interior, but in a more serious way, on a dark background, which is uncharacteristic for the artist.
Noble old age
The portrait of Derzhavin Vasilievsky dates back to 1815. It depicts the poet a year before his death. Vasilievsky sees him as an elderly, wise-experienced person who once held a high rank and was in good standing at court. Despite his advanced age, the same liveliness and an inquiring mind are visible in his eyes.
Gavriil Romanovich appears before us in home vestments, with a night cap on his head. One gets the feeling that when he was preparing for bed, he had not yet had time to put out the candle in his hands, and she illuminated with her calm light a face in noble wrinkles and a dark room.
Irkutsk Derzhavin
The background to the creation of Derzhavin's portraits by Italian N. Tonchi is interesting. The fact is that the Irkutsk merchant and a big fan of the poet’s creativity Sibiryakov sent a rich hat and a fur coat from sable to his idol. It is in this vestment that the poet appears in two identical portraits of huge sizes, created by the Italian. Derzhavin is depicted sitting on the snow at the foot of a rock.
One of the portraits found its place in the dining room of the St. Petersburg house of the great poet. On it, the author left a signature in Latin, saying: "Justice is in the rock, the prophetic spirit is in the rosy sunrise, and heart and honesty are in the whiteness of snow."
The second painting went to Sibiryakov, to his great joy and pride. The portrait of G.R.Derzhavin was placed in a special Derzhavin living room. After the merchant's ruin, the picture was kept in a warehouse for a long time, being exposed to dampness and cold. The second life was given to her by the exiled artist Vronsky, who not only skillfully repaired the damage to the portrait, but also became a co-author of the great Tonchi, writing in the background a view of old Irkutsk.
On this ordeal of the canvas did not end. In 1917, during the battle of the Red Guards with the Junkers, it was badly damaged by bullets and, it seemed, could no longer be restored. But in 1948-1952. with the great efforts of the restorers, this work of art regained a new life. The portrait, once owned by the poet himself, is stored today in the Tretyakov Gallery, his second version can be seen in the art gallery of the city of Irkutsk.