On this date in 1841 Lermontov was killed in a duel

[Larry1]

Many of you probably know that the great Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin was killed in a duel. But another Russian poet was also killed in a duel a few years later. Mikhail Lermontov was a noted 19th century Russian poet, novelist, and painter. After the government learned of his unflattering writing about the court aristocracy  he was sent to the Caucasus to join a regiment of the Russian Army.

The Caucasus and its people held a special attraction for Lermontov. He had been sent to mineral springs there as a youth and after he spent some years there in the army some of his writing was about the area and its people. He also painted landscapes there.

He was killed in a duel in the city of Pyatigorsk when he was only 26 years old. If you would like to read a bit more about him you can click on this link:

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Mikhail-Yuryevich-Lermontov

If you would like to see an online collection of his paintings you can take a look at this site:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paintings_by_Mikhail_Lermontov

[Anotherkiwi]

...Mikhail Lermontov was a noted 19th century Russian poet, novelist, and painter. ...

He was killed in a duel in the city of Pyatigorsk when he was only 26 years old.

He is better known in New Zealand than other Russians (by name, at least, if not by his deeds) simply because the cruise liner bearing his name was wrecked in the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island after the local pilot elected to take the liner through a narrow passage that was too shallow.  It struck rocks, and sank about five hours later, with the only death being one Russian engineer whose remains were never found.

It has been one of our premier diving sites for many years now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Mikhail_Lermontov

[Slumba]

He is famous for his poetry, such as "The Cliff" (YTEC):

By a cliff a golden cloud once lingered;
On his breast it slept, but, riseing early,
Off it gently rushed across the pearly
Blue of sky, a tiny thing and winged.

Still, a trace it left upon the stony
Giant's heart, and plunged in thought and weeping
Slow and tortured tears, he stands there, keeping
Vigil o'er the gloomy waste and lonely.

====

I am told that The Cliff is well-known to school children. 

A much longer poem, The Novice (Mtsyri) is a perennial favorite, as is the even longer Demon.

Also, Lermontov wrote the book , "A Hero of Our Time" which I haven't got around to reading yet.

[2tallbill]

If you would like to read a collection of his poetry here is a site that translated
several of his poems to English.

http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/lermontov/lermontov_ind.html


Here is an Example:



I want to live; I crave for sadness -
Against my bliss and love, in truth;
They sank my mind in idle gladness
And made my brow very smooth.

It's time for high life's derogation
To blow away the hazy peace;
What is bard's life, void of desolation?
And what are void of tempests seas?

He wants a life that burns and wounds,
The life in which it's hard to be.
He buys the Holly Heaven's sounds,
He doesn't take his fame for free.


Translated by Yevgeny Bonver, October, 2000