Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov (1814–1841) is a recognized classic of Russian literature. He lived a short but very eventful life. Here are some facts from his biography that are not told about in school.
Instructions
Step 1
They say that when Mikhail Lermontov was born, the midwife who delivered the baby said that this boy would not die a natural death.
Step 2
Little Misha was raised by his grandmother, Elizaveta Alexandrovna, a representative of a wealthy family. She paid for the expensive education of her grandson and until the age of 16 Misha lived with her.
Step 3
In addition to literature, Lermontov was well versed in mathematics and was good at drawing.
Step 4
According to the memoirs of the poet's contemporaries, Lermontov had a rather unpleasant appearance. He was short, with a slight limp and stooped shoulders. His face was unpleasant, he began to go bald early. Not everyone could withstand the poet's gaze, and his laughter was always somehow unkind.
Step 5
Lermontov was famous for his audacity and jokes, which often crossed all permissible boundaries. For such a difficult character, Lermontov was very disliked in society. The Petersburg public perceived the death of the poet with the words: "Serves him right …", "There he is dear."
Step 6
During his short life (only 26 years old), the classic of Russian literature took part in three duels. Several more fights were miraculously avoided - they were canceled at the very last moment.
Step 7
Lermontov was also known for his promiscuity in food. The poet's friends often made fun of Mikhail and made jokes about his gluttony. There is one curious case when the poet's friends asked the cook to bake buns with sawdust. After a long walk, Lermontov got hungry and started eating buns, not noticing anything. Until his friends stopped him. After this incident, the poet always took food only at home.
Step 8
Lermontov was a fatalist. He saw signs of fate everywhere. His whole life was full of tragic coincidences. His grandfather committed suicide right at the New Year's table, the poet's father was once kicked out of the house, and his mother died unexpectedly at a young age.
Step 9
Mikhail Yurievich often turned to fortune-tellers and fortune-tellers. He was predicted to die soon. Perhaps faith in the prophecies played a cruel joke with him: often the poet deliberately brought his death closer, constantly testing fate.
Step 10
In 1830, Lermontov became interested in Ekaterina Sushkova. They were introduced by the poet's cousin. Young Mikhail simply lost his head, and the girl began to openly scoff at the poet's feelings. Four years later, Lermontov managed to take revenge on her. He deliberately renews relations with Ekaterina Sushkova and upsets her wedding with Alexei Lopukhin, and then leaves the gullible girl.
Step 11
In 1840, Lermontov's first duel with the son of the French ambassador, Ernest de Brunt, took place. The reason for the fight was a poem, which the Frenchman took as a personal insult. The duel took place, but Ernest missed, and Lermontov deliberately shot in the other direction, after which the rivals made up.
Step 12
When Lermontov was faced with a choice: to stay in Pyatigorsk or to go to the service, he entrusted his future to a coin. It fell to him to stay in Pyatigorsk, where after a while his fatal duel with Martynov took place.
Step 13
Martynov shot very badly and everyone thought that he would miss this time too, but this did not happen. The shot hit Lermontov directly in the chest. The reason for this deadly duel was the caustic jokes that Lermontov let go of in the direction of Martynov.
