Publicism brought Anton Delvig closer to those who fought for democratic ideas. He knew many Decembrists and even for some time took part in the release of "Polar Star". However, Anton Antonovich still preferred to stay away from the revolutionary storms.
Childhood of Anton Delvig
Anton Antonovich Delvig was born on August 6, 1798 in Moscow. He belonged to a very old noble family. His ancestors were Russianized Baltic barons. Alas, apart from a high noble title, the family had nothing: the family became impoverished. Anton's father served as an assistant to the commandant of the Kremlin. His salary was barely enough to provide a decent living for his family.
At first, Delvig received his education in a private boarding house. He also had a personal teacher, A. Borodkov. He instilled in the boy a respect for Russian history and literature, as well as a rather cool attitude towards the exact sciences. It was Borodkov who insisted that in 1811 Anton be sent to the newly created Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum
Delvig at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum
In the newly formed lyceum, Delvig found himself in the same class as Kuchelbecker and Pushkin. For several years spent at the educational institution, the guys became friends. They maintained a warm relationship throughout their lives.
At fourteen years old, Delvig was slightly overweight, clumsy and awkward. He was always distinguished by a blush on his cheeks. Anton studied mediocre. The diligence of the lyceum student was not the best either. Anton has a well-established reputation as a lazy bummer. Delvig had nothing against it, he even tried to maintain such an opinion about himself. Anton's character traits became the reason for friendly epigrams and teasing.
However, the sluggishness and sluggishness of the young man immediately disappeared when he took up a business in which he had a genuine interest. Delvig read a lot, prepared diligently for classes in literature. Without knowing the German language, Anton easily quoted Goethe and Schiller from memory.
In the Lyceum years, Delvig's creative talent was first manifested. His early poems were a tribute to the work of Horace. For the first time, Delvig's work (the poem "On the Conquest of Paris") was published in 1814 in the "Bulletin of Europe".
In 1817, at the request of the director of the Lyceum, Anton wrote the poem "Six Years". It was set to music and performed by lyceum students for many years.
Public service of Delvig
After graduating from the Lyceum, Anton Delvig was assigned to responsible service in the Department of Mining and Solar Affairs. After that, he served for some time in the office of the Ministry of Finance. At the service, Delvig did not show much zeal and zeal. The career of an employee did not appeal to him. He performed his duties unhurriedly and not exactly. By this he more than once deserved reproaches from the authorities.
In 1820 Delvig began work in the Public Library of St. Petersburg. Here he read more than worked on drawing up card files. The last place of service of Delvig was the Ministry of the Interior.
Delvig as publisher and writer
Delvig had a noticeable trait: in everything that had to do with literature, but he showed purposefulness and special zeal. In 1825 he began to publish the anthology "Northern Flowers". Delvig showed a rare gift: he was able to recognize the emerging talent. To this were added remarkable organizational skills. These qualities allowed Delvig to attract many Petersburg and Moscow authors to cooperation.
Soon, the main business of Anton Antonovich was "Literaturnaya gazeta". He began publishing it with Vyazemsky and Pushkin in 1830. This edition published critical articles by Delvig, who actively opposed commercialization in literature and against poorly educated readers. Without looking back at the authorities, Delvig published Kuchelbecker and Pushkin, who were in disgrace. Already in 1831 the newspaper was closed: the publishing house had problems with the tsarist censorship.
The poetic heritage of Anton Delvig is not too great. He was strong in lyric genres. Delvig was good at messages, romances, elegies. Many considered Delvig to be a master of an exquisite literary form: sonnets, anthological poems. In the idyllic genre, he became a true innovator. In his writings, Delvig recreates a harmonious world where there is no hypocrisy and the clash of human passions. Peru Delvig also belongs to "Russian songs", which are based on oral folk art.
The last years of Delvig's life
In 1825 Delvig married Sophia Saltykova. An affable and intelligent nineteen-year-old girl, she was well versed in literature. Musicians, publishers and writers often gathered in the house of the Delvig couple. Gradually the house of Anton Antonovich turned into a fashionable salon.
Sofya Mikhailovna was not deprived of the attention of fans and reciprocated. Delvig knew about this, but did not arrange scandals. He was distracted from family affairs by accusations that began to pour on him from ill-wishers: some claimed that most of Delvig's poems were written by Pushkin and Baratynsky.
Delvig began to get sick often. To the ill health and personal troubles was added a summons for interrogation to the gendarme department. The poet was accused of disobeying the authorities and threatened with deportation to Siberia.
The visit to the authorities was followed by an attack of fever, which was complicated by pneumonia. Delvig spent more than a month in bed. On January 14, 1831, Anton Antonovich Delvig passed away. In the same year, in memory of his deceased friend, Pushkin published a special volume of the anthology "Northern Flowers".
