Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky. 235 years since the birth of

In February we celebrate the 235th anniversary of the famous Russian poet Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky on which the great Pushkin wrote:

His poems captivating sweetness
Will pass centuries envious distant spot,
And heeding them will sigh about the glory of youth,
The silent sadness will be comforted
And think about joy...

Zhukovsky was born on February 9, 1783 and grew up in the village of Target, Tula region in the estate of the rich landowner Afanasiy Ivanovich Bunin, and was the illegitimate son of his captive turchanka Salkh. The boy received his patronymic and surname from his godfather Andrei Ivanovich Zhukovsky, a poor nobleman who lived in the house of Bunin, who adopted the boy. Bunin and his wife Maria Grigoryevna had four daughters, and the son, the heir, wasn't. So the boy Bob lived and was brought up in Bunin's family, along with their daughters. And Maria G. and her daughter loved the boy and surrounded him with attention and care. He always was among loving his women.
Studied the future poet first at home with a tutor, then the Board Kind in Tula, then in the Tula public school. There was a boy in Misenska, in Tula in the family of Barbara Yushkova (youngest daughter Bunin - his half-sister). At the age of 14 Zhukovsky was taken to Moscow noble boarding house at the University. There Vasily Andreevich studied foreign languages, literature, many read and wrote poems. Pupils of the pension organized a literary society. At the meetings they argued, made speeches, read and discussed various books and poems.
Already in 1797 was published the first children's poem Zhukovsky " may morning":

...Hardworking
Golden bee
Is racing, buzzing.
Everything that is infertile,
That leaves -
To the rose in a hurry...

In 1800 he graduated from the Zhukovsky Board and entered service at the Moscow office of the salt works. But soon retired, lived in Moscow for two years and studied only Russian and foreign literature and foreign languages. Here he met and became friends with N. M. Karamzin.

In 1802 Zhukovsky went to target, where he lived for several years, engaged in his self-education, literature and writing poems.
In 1805 in Belev ( 3 versts from Target) the younger daughter Bunin - the widowed Ekaterina Protasova settled with daughters. Vasily helped her to nurture and educate daughters.
But then came the year 1812, Russia was invaded by Napoleon...
"At this time everyone should be a soldier" - said Zhukovsky and went to the militia. In August he was at Borodino, and after some time all the Russians were enthusiastic about his poem about the heroes of Borodino. "The singer in the camp of Russian soldiers" - became his Patriotic anthem, and Zhukovsky became the most popular poet of Russia:

...Friends, farewell to this Cup!
And courageously in the bloody battle
Under a storm of arrows, several swords,
For death or for glory...
About you, which and in gave
Adore hearts,
You, you all good on land!
The shield of the fishery over you!..
Most high king, bless!
And you, my friends, kiss
Covenant: here is true love,
There's a sweet date!

Young poets tried to make friends with him, imitated him. And the young Pushkin learned a lot from Zhukovsky. At one time Pushkin and Zhukovsky even competed in writing fairy tales. But in 1820, Pushkin wrote the poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila". Then Vasili Andreevich gave him his portrait with the inscription : "Winner - pupil from the vanquished teacher."
So Zhukovsky, Pushkin lost the First place in Russian literature.
Zhukovsky-liked in poetry to portray nature, where "heavens and the waters are clear andsong birds sladkopojna". Before him, few people in Russia wrote such a poetic language.
Even with 1815 V. A. Zhukovsky was close to the Royal court, and from 1826 he became tutor of the future Emperor Alexander II. His closeness to the Tsar Vasily Andreevich used, helping to alleviate the plight of the poets -Decembrists, the release from serfdom, Taras Shevchenko, Pushkin salvation from deportation to distant places, to mitigate the fate of Lermontov, as well as helped the poet Baratynsky to escape from military service, helped Herzen to get rid of the Vyatka links and more.
V. A. Zhukovsky was one of the founders of romanticism in Russian literature. In his poems he vividly portrayed heartfelt the world people, their dreams, aspirations, hopes and fantasies. He created psychological lyrics, introduced new expressive and rhythmic features of the verse.He was the predecessor of Pushkin's poetry.
After the victory over Napoleon, in a common Patriotic impulse Zhukovsky wrote in 1815 a poem "Prayer of the Russian people", which Alexander liked The first and in 1816 it was approved by the anthem of the Russian Empire. Anthem did not have any of their music and were sung to the music of the English anthem. It lasted 17 years, but then the music was commissioned to write Alexei Lvov -
a talented violinist and composer. On December 18, 1833 the anthem was performed for the first time, and since 1834 it was officially approved:

This anthem existed until The February revolution of 1917.

V. A. Zhukovsky was one of our best translators. According to his translations, many Russian people got acquainted with the masterpieces of foreign literature.

On the last night of the life of Pushkin, Zhukovsky and Vyazemsky with Vielgorsky were in the next room and after the poet's death and the removal of the body, Vasily sealed his office's stamp. Pushkin's archive was transported to his home and he was engaged in analysis of all papers for almost a month.
By the beginning of 1838 he was achieved, began to print the complete works of Alexander.

Then Zhukovsky went with the Imperial heir across all Russia, and in 1838-1839 traveled with him to Western Europe.
In 1841, Zhukovsky retired and in düsseldorf he married twenty year old Elizabeth Evgrafovna, Reitern. In 1842, a daughter - Alexander, and in 1845, the son of Paul.

In 1842 Vasily Andreevich began to translate "* Odyssey* " and the first volume came out in 1848, and the second-in 1849.
Diseases overcame Zhukovsky. In 1851 he became blind to one eye and spent a lot of time in a dark room. Vasily Andreevich died on April 24 in Baden-Baden ( Germany). He was buried in a country cemetery, but in August his body was moved to St. Petersburg and buried next to his friend N. M. Karamzin in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Many poems of V. A. Zhukovsky set to music by Russian composers: M. Glinka, A. S. Dargomyzhsky, A. G. Rubinstein, P. I. Tchaikovsky, and others.

The Song "Memory". Oleg Pogudin.