Some consider Alexander Pushkin to be the founder of modern Russian literature. Pushkin was born in Moscow in 1799. Like most members of the Russian aristocracy at the time, he grew up speaking French. Raised primarily by his grandmother and a Russian speaking peasant nanny, he was fascinated by Russian folktales. The stories of his youth played an influential role in his later literary work.
When he was twelve, he entered the Imperial Lyceum where he wrote for the school magazine. His first poems were published in French. Upon graduation from the Lyceum, he accepted a post in St. Petersburg. He continued to write, but some of his work took a political turn. As a result, he was exiled to what is now Ukraine. Despite his exile, Pushkin’s poetry grew famous. By 1826 he was allowed to return to Moscow under the condition that his work be censored. He turned his attention to prose and established himself as a great Russian novelist.
Pushkin died at the age of 37 of a mortal wound received in a duel. Today he is remembered as the Shakespeare of Russia.
Learn more in the James K. Warner papers at UW’s American Heritage Center