Many people, even knowing the circumstances of the death of the legendary poet, think that Pushkin died at the age of 45-50. In fact, this happened a little earlier. It is not surprising that such a fallacy arises, because it is incomprehensible to the mind how the author, in his short life, was able to create so many great works that strike with depth. And yet the fact remains: the poet left our world quite young, at the age of 37 years. Why did Pushkin die so early? We will talk about this in the article.
The man who cut short the hero’s life
A stranger with two names and three middle names, 22-year-old Cornet Dantes, burst into the measured, full of creative work, peaceful life of Alexander Sergeyevich more than two years before the tragedy. For those who do not know in what century Pushkin died, we emphasize that all events unfolded in the 19th century, in the 1830s. So, Dantes, who was a Frenchman by birth, arrived in Russia to pursue a career in the Cavalier Guard regiment. In our country, he became the adopted son of Baron Gekkeren - the Dutch envoy in St. Petersburg.
Dantes had beautiful and regular features, was above average growth. The cavalry-guard semi-royal uniform was very suitable for him. Unfortunately, not the best human qualities were added to the beautiful appearance of the cornet : complacency, boasting, idle talk ... And yet women were addicted to it.
The meeting of Dantes and Pushkin
They met in 1834. The stranger was disgusted with the poet with his cheeky manners, his restraint, although Alexander Sergeyevich sometimes was not averse to listening to his puns. Dantes liked Pushkin's wife - Natalya Nikolaevna. Since she was flirtatious and frivolous by nature, she was flattered by the courtship and exceptional attention of the brilliant cavalry guard. I must say that at first the poet was not even jealous of his wife, because he loved her and trusted her infinitely. Yes, and Natalya Nikolaevna herself thoughtlessly and innocently told her husband about Dantes's admirer and about her secular successes.
Challenging a Frenchman to a duel
Meanwhile, the stranger's courtship became more and more open. Whispers and malevolent grins intensified behind the poet's back. The position of Alexander Sergeyevich in society worsened every day. Although Pushkin saw how Natalya Nikolaevna Dantes’s hobby grew stronger, he did not suspect his wife for treason for a minute, because she herself told him the details of their meetings at parties and balls. However, the poet, of course, could not remain indifferent to this state of affairs, but, convinced of the purity of his wife, he postponed his intervention until a convenient moment.
Such a moment came on November 4, 1836. Looking ahead, we say that from this number there was already very little time until the date when Pushkin died. But first things first. So, on November 4, the poet received a letter from secular loafers sending out anonymous messages to cuckold husbands. After reading the slanderous insulting text and finding Dantes guilty of the offense, Alexander Sergeyevich sent him a letter on November 5 challenging him to a duel.
However, the circumstances were such that soon Pushkin had to abandon the fight. The Frenchman then decided that he could again be in the poet’s house and meet with Natalya Nikolaevna. But Alexander Sergeyevich said that this will never happen and there can be nothing in common between their houses.
Callback from Dantes
The cavalier guard, seeing Pushkin's wife at social events, continued to show her signs of attention, and she, in turn, continued to behave frivolously. The poet's indignation and irritation knew no bounds. He could no longer restrain himself and decided to act after Natalya Nikolaevna told him that one evening Gekkeren asked her about when she would finally leave her husband. Alexander Sergeevich sent a letter to the Baron, in which he poured out all his fury and spoke insultingly about Dantes. The Frenchman had no choice but to challenge the poet to a duel.
Mortal wound
So we got closer to the story directly about how Pushkin died. At about five o'clock in the evening on January 27, 1837, a fateful duel took place on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, on the Black River. Opponents took their places and began to converge. Alexander Sergeyevich came close to his barrier, and Dantes, not reaching the barrier of one step, fired. The bullet crushed the bone of the right leg at the junction with the pelvis and went deep into the abdomen. The poet fell, but when seconds rushed to him, he said that he had enough strength to retaliate. Dantes stood in his place sideways, with his right hand covering his chest. Pushkin shot reclining, a bullet pierced the Frenchman's hand, but did not even touch the bone.
Alexander Sergeyevich was tormented by burning pain, he was nauseous, and one after another fainting occurred. When the poet was brought home, he was examined by Dr. Arendt, then a well-known court physician. Pushkin asked me to frankly tell him about how dangerous the wound is and what its situation is. Arendt honestly admitted to him that there was practically no hope of recovery. Alexander Sergeyevich reacted to such information with equanimity, he only ordered not to say anything to his wife.
How did Pushkin die
Soviet and Russian surgeons were often asked whether it was possible to save the poet. Of course, at the time when Pushkin died, the possibilities of medicine were still quite limited. Today, even a mid-level surgeon could cure him. But history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood.
Petersburg, Moika embankment, house 12 - this is the place where Pushkin died. Two days before the death of Alexander Sergeyevich, people began to flock here. And the embankment itself, and all adjacent streets were filled with people. To maintain order, even had to call a military detachment.
Meanwhile, the poet’s pulse began to fall and was almost not felt, his hands went cold. Five minutes before he died, Pushkin asked to turn him on his right side, and then quietly said: “Life is over!” These were the last words spoken by the great man. The clock was 2:45 a.m. The poet's head bowed, and breathing was interrupted. His face was solemn and majestic. This is how Pushkin died. It happened on January 29, 1837.
On the last journey ...
A funeral service was held in the church on Konyushennaya Square, and the coffin with the body of the poet was sent to the Pskov province, accompanied by Alexander Ivanovich Turgenev. On February 6, a liturgy was held in the Svyatogorsky Assumption Monastery, and then the last memorial service at the body of Pushkin was performed by the monastery clergy led by Archimandrite Gennady. Alexander Sergeyevich was buried at the altar wall of the monastery cathedral.
Today, the work of the great poet is known to everyone not only in the CIS countries, but also in Europe, America and other parts of the world. They talk and write about him, read him. The death of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin marked the beginning of his immortal glory on earth.