The great Russian lyric poet A. Fet was born on December 5, 1820. But biographers doubt not only the exact date of his birth. The mysterious facts of its true origin tormented Fet for the rest of his life. In addition to the absence of the father as such, the situation with the real surname was not clear. All this envelops Fet's life and work with a certain mystery.
Parents Feta
According to the official version, the Russian nobleman Afanasy Neofitovich Shenshin, being treated in the German city of Darmstadt, settled in the house of Oberkrigskomissar Karl Becker. After some time, a retired army officer is carried away by the daughter of the owner of the house, 22-year-old Charlotte. However, Charlotte at that time was already not free and was married to a small German official Karl Fet, who also lived in Becker's house.
Despite these circumstances, and even if Charlotte had a daughter from Fet, a stormy romance ensues. The feelings of the lovers were so strong that Charlotte decides to escape with Shenshin to Russia. In the fall of 1820, Charlotte, leaving her husband and daughter, leaves Germany.
Mother’s protracted divorce
A sketch of Fet's life and work is impossible without a story about the relationship of his parents. Already in Russia, Charlotte dreams of an official divorce from Karl Fet. But divorce in those days was a rather lengthy process. Some biographers claim that because of this, the wedding ceremony between Shenshin and Charlotte occurred two years after the birth of little Athanasius, their common son. According to one version, Shenshin allegedly bribed a priest in order to give the boy his last name.
Probably, it was this fact that influenced the life of the poet. Violations of this kind in the Russian Empire were treated quite strictly. However, all sources confirm the fact of the wedding of Shenshin and Charlotte, who subsequently took the name of Elizabeth Petrovna Shenshina.
From nobles to beggars
Getting acquainted with the biography of the lyrics, one involuntarily asks the question of what influenced the life and work of Fet. It’s difficult to find out all the details. But the main milestones are quite accessible to us. Little Athanasius until the age of 14 considered himself a hereditary Russian nobleman. But then, thanks to the hard work of the judicial officials, the secret of the child’s origin was revealed. In 1834, an investigation was instituted on this case, as a result of which, by a resolution of the Oryol provincial government, the future poet was deprived of the right to be called Shenshin.
It is clear that the ridicule of recent comrades, which the boy experienced quite painfully, immediately began. In part, this was what served the development of Fet's mental illness, which haunted him to death. However, it was much more important that in this situation he did not have not only the right to inheritance, but, in general, judging by the documents submitted from the archives of that time, he was a person without confirmed nationality. At one point, a hereditary Russian nobleman with a rich inheritance turned into a beggar, nobody except his mother, an unnecessary person, without a surname and Russian citizenship. The loss was so great that Fet himself considered this event to disfigure his life to death.
Alien fet
One can imagine what the poet’s mother went through, begging for at least some kind of certificate about the origin of her son from the judge’s crochet hooks. But everything was in vain. The woman went the other way.
Remembering her German roots, she appealed to the pity of her former German husband. History is silent about how Elena Petrovna achieved the desired result. But he was. Relatives sent official confirmation that Athanasius is the son of Fetu.
So the poet had at least a surname, the life and work of Fet received a new impetus in development. However, in all circulars, he still continued to be called the “foreigner Fet.” The natural conclusion from this was the complete deprivation of inheritance. Indeed, now the foreigner had nothing to do with the nobleman Shenshin. It was at this moment that the idea took hold of him by any means to regain the lost Russian name and title.
First steps in poetry
Athanasius enters the Faculty of Literature at Moscow University and is still referred to in university forms as “foreigner Fet.” There he meets the future poet and critic Apollon Grigoriev. Historians believe that the life and work of Fet changed at this very moment: it is believed that Grigoriev discovered the poetic gift of Athanasius.
Soon, Fet's first book , The Lyric Pantheon, is coming out. The poet wrote it while still a university student. Readers praised the young man’s gift - they didn’t care what class the author belonged to. And even the stern critic Belinsky repeatedly emphasized in his articles the poetic gift of young poetry. Reviews Belinsky, in fact, served as a kind of fetus pass to the world of Russian poetry.
Athanasius began to be published in various publications and a few years later he prepared a new lyric collection.
Military service
However, the joy of creativity could not cure the sick soul of Fet. The thought of his true origin haunted the young man. He was ready to do anything to prove it. In the name of a great goal, Fet immediately after graduation enters military service, hoping in the army to earn the nobility. He enters service in one of the provincial regiments located in the Kherson province. And immediately the first success - Fet officially receives Russian citizenship.
But the poetic activity does not end, he still continues to write and publish a lot. After some time, the army life of the provincial unit makes itself felt: the life and work of Fet (he writes poems less and less) are becoming darker and uninteresting. Craving for poetry is weakening.
Fet in personal correspondence begins to complain to friends about the hardships of his current existence. In addition, judging by some letters, he is experiencing financial difficulties. The poet is even ready for a marriage of convenience, if only to get rid of the current oppressive physically and morally deplorable situation.
Transfer to Petersburg
Fet's life and work were rather gloomy. Summarizing the main events, we note that the poet pulled the soldier’s strap for eight long years. And just before receiving the first officer’s rank in his life, Fet learns about a special decree that raised the length of service and the level of the army rank to receive the noble rank. In other words, the nobility was now granted only to a person who received a higher officer rank than Fet had. This news completely demoralized the poet. He understood that he was unlikely to reach this rank. Fet's life and work were redrawn again by the grace of others.
There was no woman on the horizon with whom she could associate her life of convenience. Fet continued to serve, more and more depressed.
However, luck finally smiled at the poet: he managed to transfer to the Guards Life-Ulan Regiment, which was stationed near St. Petersburg. This event happened in 1853 and surprisingly coincided with a change in the attitude of society towards poetry. Some decline in interest in literature, which emerged in the mid-1840s, passed.
Now, when Nekrasov became the editor-in-chief of the Sovremennik magazine and gathered the elite of Russian literature under his wing, times clearly contributed to the development of any creative thought. Finally, the second long collection of poetry by Fet, which the poet himself forgot, was published.
Poetic recognition
The verses printed in the collection impressed connoisseurs of poetry. And soon such famous literary critics of the time as V.P. Botkin and A.V. Druzhinin left rather flattering reviews about the works. Moreover, under the pressure of Turgenev, they helped Fet release a new book.
In essence, these were all the same previously written verses of 1850. In 1856, after the release of the new collection, Fet's life and work changed again. Briefly, Nekrasov himself drew attention to the poet. Many flattering words addressed to Athanasius Fet were written precisely by the master of Russian literature. Inspired by such high praises, the poet develops a vibrant activity. It is published in almost all literary magazines, which undoubtedly contributed to some improvement in the financial situation.
Romantic hobby
Fet's life and work gradually filled with light. His most important desire - to obtain a noble title - was soon to be realized. But the next imperial decree again raised the bar for receiving hereditary nobility. Now, in order to gain the coveted rank, one had already to rise to the rank of colonel. The poet realized that to continue to continue to pull the strap of the military service he hated was simply useless.
But how often this happens, a person cannot fail to be absolutely lucky in everything. While still in Ukraine, Fet was invited to a meeting with his friends Brzhevsky and met a girl in a nearby estate, who then did not go out of his head for a long time. It was the gifted musician Elena Lazich, whose talent astounded even the famous composer Ferenc Liszt, who was touring then in Ukraine.
As it turned out, Elena was a passionate fan of Fet's poetry, and he, in turn, was struck by the girl’s musical abilities. Of course, without romance it is impossible to imagine the life and work of Fet. The summary of his novel with Lazic fits into one phrase: young people had tender feelings for each other. However, Fet is very burdened by his poor financial situation and does not dare to seriously develop events. The poet tries to explain his problems to Lazic, but she, like all the girls in such a situation, does not understand his torment. Fet plainly tells Elena that there will be no wedding.
The tragic death of a beloved
After that, he tries not to see the girl. Leaving for St. Petersburg, Athanasius realizes that he is doomed to eternal spiritual loneliness. According to some historians studying his life and work, Athanasius Fet too pragmatically wrote to friends about marriage, about love and about Elena Lazich. Most likely, the romantic Fet was simply carried away by Elena, not going to burden himself with a more serious relationship.
In 1850, while visiting the same Brzhevskys, he hesitated to go to a neighboring estate to dot all the “i's”. Later, Fet really regretted it. The fact is that Elena soon died tragically. History is silent whether her terrible death was suicide or not. But the fact remains: the girl burned alive in the estate.
Fet himself found out about this when he once again visited his friends. This shocked him so much that until the end of his life the poet blamed himself for the death of Elena. He was tormented by the fact that he could not find the right words to calm the girl and explain her his behavior. After the death of Lazic, there were many rumors, but no one ever proved Fet's involvement in this sad event.
Marriage of convenience
Having rightly reasoned that in the military service he was unlikely to achieve his goal - the noble title, Fet takes a long vacation. Taking with him all the accumulated fees, the poet flies on a trip to Europe. In 1857, in Paris, he unexpectedly marries Maria Petrovna Botkina, the daughter of a wealthy tea merchant, who, among other things, was the sister of the literary critic V.P. Botkin. Apparently, this was the same marriage of convenience that the poet had been dreaming of for so long. Contemporaries very often asked Fet about the reasons for marriage, to which he answered with eloquent silence.
In 1858, Fet came to Moscow. He was once again overwhelmed by the scarcity of finances. Apparently, the wife’s dowry does not fully satisfy his requirements. The poet writes a lot, published a lot. Often the number of works does not match their quality. This is noticed by close friends and literary critics. Seriously cooled to the work of Fet and the public.
Landowner
Around the same time, Leo Tolstoy leaves the bustle of the capital. Having settled in Yasnaya Polyana, he is trying to regain inspiration. Probably Fet decided to follow his example and settle in his estate in Stepanovka. It is sometimes said that the life and work of Fet ended here. Interesting facts, however, were found in this period. In contrast to Tolstoy, who really gained a second wind in the province, Fet casts more and more literature. He is now passionate about the estate and the household.
It should be noted that as a landowner he really found himself. After some time, Fet multiplies his possessions by buying several more neighboring estates.
Athanasius Shenshin
In 1863, the poet publishes a small lyric collection. Despite the small circulation, he remained unsold. But the neighbors-landowners rated Fet in a completely different quality. For about 11 years, he served in the elected position of Justice of the Peace.
The life and work of Afanasy Afanasevich Fet were subordinated to the only goal to which he pursued with startling tenacity - the restoration of his noble rights. In 1873, a royal decree was issued, which puts an end to the poet’s forty-year ordeal. He is fully restored in his rights and legalized as a nobleman with the surname Shenshin. Afanasy Afanasevich admits to his wife that he doesn’t even want to pronounce aloud the name Fet hated by him.