One of the most prominent personalities in Russian culture of the late XVIII - early XIX centuries was Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich. He was a bright figure, both as a statesman and as a poet, who wrote the most famous poems of his time, saturated with the spirit of the Enlightenment. Few people were able to do as much to develop the culture of their country as Gabriel Derzhavin did. The biography and work of this great man, no doubt, deserve a detailed study.
Genus history
But before starting to study the facts from the life of Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich, let's take a quick look at the history of his family.
The Derzhavins family has Tatar roots. The founder of the clan is the Horde Murza Bragim, who switched to the service of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II the Dark in the 15th century and was baptized under the name Ilya. Given that the Tatar convert was a noble family, the prince granted him a noble rank.
Bragim had a son, Narbek, who was baptized named Dmitry, from the oldest son of whom the Narbekov clan descended, and from the youngest, Alexei Narbekov, nicknamed Derzhava, the Derzhavins dynasty was formed.
The descendants of the founders of the clan completely Russified, which was largely favored by numerous marriages with representatives of the Russian nobility, held significant posts under the princes and kings of the Russian state. In particular, they were governors and stewards. That’s just a descendant of this glorious family and was Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich.
Youth Derzhavin
The life of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin began on July 3 (according to the old calendar) in 1743. It was then that he was born in the village of Sokury, Kazan province, in the family of military officer Roman Nikolayevich Derzhavin and Fekla Kozlova.
Due to the specifics of the military service of Roman Nikolayevich, the family constantly had to move from place to place. However, Gabriel Romanovich lost his father at 11 years old.
The future poet began to receive education at the age of seven, when he was sent to study in a boarding school. However, because of the poverty that the family had rolled into after losing the breadwinner, it was rather difficult to continue education. However, in 1759, Gabriel Derzhavin entered Kazan at a gymnasium-type educational institution, which successfully completed three years later, demonstrating some of the best learning outcomes. However, this is where his training ends. Such a formation, even at that time, was considered superficial.
Immediately after graduation, Gavriil Romanovich was enlisted as an ordinary soldier in the Preobrazhensky Guard. There he begins to write the first poems. As part of this unit, he participated in the coup d'etat of 1762 with the goal of overthrowing Emperor Peter III and enthroning Catherine, later nicknamed the Great. This fact to a large extent affected his future career.
A decade after the coup, Gabriel Derzhavin finally receives an officer rank, and a year later his poems were first published. Then he distinguished himself in the fight against the rebellion of Pugachev.
In public service
Having left military service in 1777, thanks to his personal request in a letter to Empress Catherine, Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich transferred to public service. In addition, he received another 300 peasants in possession. After another six months, he becomes an executor in the Senate. In 1780, he became an adviser on state revenues and expenditures, which was a rather profitable position.
Derzhavin gained wide fame in 1782, thanks to the publication of his ode "Felitsa" dedicated to the glorification of Empress Catherine II. Of course, this work was filled with flattery for the highest person, but at the same time it was highly artistic and directly contributed to the further career growth of the author. It was thanks to him that Gabriel Derzhavin won the favor of the Empress. His biography in the future consists of a series of promotions. In the same year he became a state adviser.
In 1783, the Academy was founded in St. Petersburg, and the poet since its opening became its full member.
However, it cannot be said that everything he had was absolutely smooth in the public service. Due to a conflict with a senior prince Vyazemsky, his former patron, Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin resigned. A brief biography does not make it possible to dwell on all aspects of this matter.
However, already in 1784 he was sent to control the Olonets governorship in Karelia. There, Gabriel Romanovich distinguished himself with great diligence in establishing public life and the economy of the region, thereby showing his high organizational talents. A significant array of Derzhavin's poetic work is devoted to this period of life and the region ruled by the poet.
Two years later, he was given a more advantageous position of the Tambov governor, promising more income and privileges.
Top career
Meanwhile, Derzhavin Gabriel is seeking more and more official heights. In short, in 1791 he became secretary of Empress Catherine herself, and two years later he was promoted to the rank of senator and secret adviser. From then on, one can safely say that Derzhavin made his way into the elite of Russian society.
In 1795, Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich was granted the title of President of the Commerce Collegium, a state body whose task was to manage and control trade. Of course, this was a very profitable position.
After the death of Catherine, under Emperor Paul I, Gabriel Romanovich became the state treasurer and ruler of the office of the Senate. Under the heir of Paul Alexander I in 1802, Derzhavin received a ministerial portfolio, becoming the Minister of Justice. This was the pinnacle of his career.
Resignation
But already in 1803 at the age of sixty, the Minister of Justice resigned and never returned to public service, having lived until his death in one of his estates in the village of Zvanka, Novgorod province. There are a number of reasons that led to the fact that Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin was forced to retire. A brief biography allows you to only list them, without specifying details. This is an advanced age, fatigue from the public service of Derzhavin himself, and most importantly - the desire to remove him with the new favorites of Alexander I.
However, there is a positive moment in this event: the resignation allowed Gabriel Romanovich to concentrate on literary activity.
Earlier creativity
The work of Gabriel Derzhavin is a landmark for his time. As mentioned earlier, he wrote his first poems, being ordinary in the Preobrazhensky Guard. True, Derzhavin wrote this poetry more for himself than for a general review.
For the first time, his poems were published only a dozen years later in 1773, when Derzhavin already held an officer post. But the glory of the poet at the national level brought him the ode "Felitsa", dedicated to Empress Catherine II of Russia. This work was replete with compliments and praises of the royal lady, but at the same time, his composition of the ball was quite harmonious, and the metaphors used put the ode on one level with the greatest creations of modern poetry.
It was after the publication of "Felitsa" Derzhavin became one of the most famous poets of Russia of his time.
Further creative way
Gabriel Derzhavin had a difficult fate. The facts from his life testify to the fact that even holding the highest public posts, he did not forget about poetry. It is precisely to this period of activity that the writing of such iconic works as “Thunder of Victory Come Out”, “Swan”, “God”, “Nobleman”, “Waterfall” and many others. Each of them had its own conceptual features and relevance of the subject. For example, “Thunder of Victory Come Out” was put to music and until the mid-19th century was considered an unofficial Russian anthem. Another creation of the poet “Autumn during the siege of Ochakov” was a kind of poem, a call for active action against the Ottoman army. And such works as “Swan” and “Waterfall” were written under the impression that Derzhavin was in Karelia.
Derzhavin wrote both lyric poems and epic, aimed at raising morale and exaltation of the Empress and the Russian Empire. Each of his works had its own unique zest.
It is noteworthy that most of the most famous works of Gabriel Romanovich chronologically fall precisely at the time of his highest career advancement in the public service.
Post-retirement literary activities
As mentioned above, the resignation from the civil service allowed Derzhavin to devote more time to poetry and literary activity in general.
In 1808, a new collection of his works was published in five parts.
In 1811, together with another significant figure in Russian culture, Alexander Semenovich Shishkov, a retired minister created a literary society. The creation of this organization is, of course, one of many acts that Gabriel Derzhavin could be proud of. A short biography, unfortunately, narrows the scope of the narrative and does not give a detailed account of the activities of this society.
Of particular note is Derzhavin’s renowned meeting with the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. True, then Pushkin was still a student and did not have fame, but Gabriel Romanovich, taking the exam, already at that time noticed the makings of a genius in him. This significant meeting took place a year before Derzhavin’s death in 1815.
A family
Gabriel Derzhavin was married twice. The first time he married at the age of 35, the sixteen-year-old Ekaterina Yakovlevna Bastidon, who was the daughter of the valet of the deposed emperor Peter III, the former Portuguese. Hence, such a strange surname for Russia. The wedding took place in 1778. The newlyweds had rather quivering feelings, which is not surprising, given the personal qualities of Gabriel Romanovich and the beauty of Ekaterina Yakovlevna. No wonder Derzhavin considered his wife a muse, which inspires him to work.
But happiness does not last forever, and Gabriel Derzhavin befalls great grief. His young wife, being only 34 years old, dies in 1794. She is repose at the Lazarevsky cemetery in St. Petersburg.
Although the grief of Gabriel Romanovich knew no bounds, six months after the death of his wife, he married a second time. The daughter of the chief public prosecutor and state adviser Daria Alekseevna Dyakova became his bride. At the time of their marriage, the bride was only 28 years old, while Derzhavin was 51 years old. It must be said that, unlike the poet’s first marriage, this union was built not on love, but on friendship and mutual respect. Darya Alekseevna survived her husband for the whole 26 years, but nevertheless she did not get married for the second time.
Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin had no children, but he took care of the children of his deceased friend Pyotr Lazarev, whose names were Andrei, Aleksey and Mikhail. The last of them in the future became the discoverer of Antarctica.
Poets death
Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin died in his estate Zvanka, in which he lived all the last years after his resignation from the ministerial post. It happened in the seventy-third year of the poet's life on July 8 (old style) in 1816. At the time of his death, his faithful wife Daria Alekseevna was next to him.
But, apart from his wife, the loss of such a powerful cultural light of his time, of course, grieve a significant part of the Russian intelligentsia and enlightened personalities, as well as people who simply knew Gabriel Romanovich and knew him as a sympathetic and noble person.
Gabriel Derzhavin was buried in the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, which is located not far from Novgorod.
Life Summary and Heritage
Derzhavin Gavriil Romanovich lived a rather complex, eventful and interesting life. The facts from his biography testify to the significant role of this person both in the cultural life of the country and in social activities. Of particular note is his service for the benefit of the Russian Empire at various government posts. But the main legacy that Gabriel Derzhavin left was, of course, his brilliant poetry, highly valued by both contemporaries of the poet and his descendants.
And now in Russia they remember the contribution that Gabriel Romanovich made to the development of national culture. Numerous monuments, steles and memorial plaques erected by Derzhavin in various cities of Russia, in particular in Petrozavodsk, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Tambov, and, of course, on the territory of his estate Zvanka, located in the Novgorod region, testify to the memory of the great poet. where a genius spent the last years of his life. In addition, in many places, streets, squares, educational institutions, etc. are named in honor of Gabriel Derzhavin.
A special mention should be made of the Museum-Estate of the Great Poet. It was in this mansion that Gabriel Derzhavin lived during his service in St. Petersburg. A photo of the estate from the side of the Polish Garden is presented below.
Now this building is considered the main museum dedicated to the life and work of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin. The former estate acquired its status today only in 2003, although the decision to create a museum was made five years before. In previous years, there was a communal apartment. Now, the interior of Derzhavin’s lifetime has been recreated in the building.
Of course, the memory of such an outstanding personality as Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin does not deserve oblivion and will never be forgotten in Russia.