To understand what connects the Black River and Mount Mashuk, you need to get acquainted with the biographies of two great Russian writers of the XIX century - Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov. It is their tragic fate that is associated with these distant places.
The last duel of Pushkin
January 8, 1837 on the Black River, near St. Petersburg, a duel took place between Alexander Pushkin and Georges Dantes. The enemy shot the famous poet, after which he died, having first lain for several days at home in agony.
At that time, the tradition of dueling was especially popular. But even by then standards, Pushkin was a noticeable squabbler. Before Dantes, he had already fought in four duels. About fifteen other challenges did not turn into bloodshed, mainly due to the efforts of the poet’s friends who tried to resolve his conflicts with others. The place of the duel is exactly what connects the Black River and Mount Mashuk.
Conflict with Dantes
The reason for the quarrel between Dantes and Pushkin was the wife of the latter - Natalia Pushkina (nee Goncharova). The Frenchman met a woman in 1835 and quickly became an annoying misunderstanding in the poet's life. Pushkin was jealous. In addition, he did not like the public light, which was the source of various rumors about his personal life.
The first conflict between men occurred in November 1836, when Pushkin received an anonymous libel in French by mail. In this stinging note, an unnamed author made fun of the writer in every possible way, calling him a cuckold, etc. Literary scholars are still debating who could write this libel. This is not exactly known. But Pushkin decided that it was Dantes who was the author. He challenged the Frenchman to a duel. The quarrel was settled by mutual acquaintances. Even Emperor Nicholas I, who gave the poet an audience, drew attention to her.
The death of the poet
What connects the Black River and Mount Mashuk happened a year after the first challenge to a duel. Petersburg public continued to exaggerate rumors about the connections of Goncharova and Dantes. Finally, Pushkin could not stand it and in January 1837 sent an ultimatum to the officer.
A few days later, everything was prepared for the inevitable duel. It took place on the Black River, on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. The match was specifically agreed in such a way that did not leave a chance to survive the loser. The arrows stood twenty paces apart. Pushkin's second was his fellow student at Tsarkoselsky Lyceum, Konstantin Danzas.
The first shot was made by Dantes. He wounded Pushkin in the stomach. The writer first decided that the damage was not serious and tried to retaliate. The barrel of his pistol was clogged with snow, but a second helped him change weapons. Pushkin's shot wounded Dantes seriously - he remained alive and well. And the affairs of her husband Goncharova were very bad. He, seriously wounded, was taken home. This is the answer to the question with what event the name Black River is associated.
The wounded Pushkin lived for two more days. He died on January 29, 1837. About his duel was reported to Emperor Nicholas I. The wounded poet received a team of the best doctors in the capital. Their attempts to save the life of the writer were in vain.
Lermontov - the heir to Pushkin
The event with which the name Chernaya Rechka is associated is very similar to the history of another place - Mount Mashuk. It is located in the Caucasian Mineral Waters - a popular holiday destination. On July 15, 1841, a duel took place here between writer Mikhail Lermontov and retired officer Nikolai Martynov.
Five years have not passed since the death of Pushkin. The entire reading Russian public was deeply shocked by what happened. The shot writer became an innovator of the Russian language; in fact, he created modern Russian literature. His comprehensive role was also understood by contemporaries.
Many of them began to consider Lermontov the direct heir to Pushkin. He was also talented, wrote both prose and poetry, and he also had a similar story with reference to the Caucasus. This is what connects the Black River and Mount Mashuk.
Quarrel with Martynov
The young 27-year-old Lermontov quarreled with Martynov over literature. Nikolai was an aspiring writer. Lermontov, known for his complex character, openly scoffed at the work of his opponent, considering him a graphomaniac. Martynov did not tolerate mockery for long. At a public event in the Verzlins' house, in the heat of another quarrel, an officer challenged Lermontov to a duel.
Opponents realized that mutual skirmishes were prohibited by law. Those who nevertheless fell into a duel were tried by a military court. Therefore, the upcoming confrontation between two young people was prepared in secret. All the details were known only to themselves and their seconds. Due to the fact that later Martynov and his assistants were tried, they deliberately distorted many facts. This complicated the studies of descendants who were interested in the history of the last days of Lermontov.
One way or another, but a duel was scheduled next to Mount Mashuk. Opponents decided to shoot pistols. Already at the preparation stage, it became clear that someone was destined to die. This is what connects the Black River and Mashuk.
Duel near Mount Mashuk
On July 15, 1841, at about 7 o’clock in the evening, not far from the road from the Nikolaev colony to Pyatigorsk, a duel appointed by the opponents took place. The tract, which was nearby, passed near the northern slope of the high mountain Mashuk. Later, it will be she who will become a symbol of the tragic fate of the author of the “Hero of Our Time”. This is what connects the Black River and the mountain.
When investigators discovered Lermontov’s corpse, his gun was discharged, although Martynov remained intact. There are several theories about what actually happened in a duel. Because of the confused testimony of Martynov, it is no longer possible to determine the truth. Most likely, at the last moment Lermontov shot into the air, thus showing that he did not want to kill the enemy.
Lermontov died a few minutes after Martynov’s bullet hit his chest. The orderlies who arrived could not help him. Two of the greatest Russian writers of the 19th century died in duels. They became the personification of the golden age of Russian literature. The Black River and Mount Mashuk today attract thousands of tourists and admirers of the work of two unsurpassed writers.