Apollo Maykov. Biography. Maikov A.N. (Brief biography) Biography of Apollo Nikolaevich Maykov, briefly the most important thing
A. N. Maikov is one of the noble poets of conservative romanticism with an ethical and philosophical orientation.
Family education
Apollo Maykov was born in Moscow on May 23, 1821. This was an old noble family that preserved rich cultural traditions. In the Maykov family there were talented people who have done a lot in the development of Russian culture, in particular, his parents and brothers. His father, for example, was at one time a famous self-taught artist, who over the years was awarded the title of academician of painting. Mother gravitated toward literature and wrote very high-quality poetry and prose.
The brothers also left their noticeable mark on the development of national culture. His younger brother Valerian, for example, being a prominent representative of the progressive intelligentsia, together with Belinsky, was an opponent of “pure art” and a supporter of socio-historical principles in criticism. He wrote many works in which he opposed the Slavophiles, calling them adherents of national stagnation, and in general played a large role in the development of critical thought in Russia.
The Moscow house and the Maykovs' estate near Moscow were always full of people. Writers, artists, and musicians often visited here. The visits of I. A. Goncharov, I. I. Panaev, V. G. Benediktov, V. A. Solonitsyn, and F. M. Dostoevsky were a real holiday in the Maykovs’ house. The cult of art reigning in the family, the artistic atmosphere of the parental home - everything contributed to the formation of the spiritual interests of the future poet. It is therefore not surprising that Apollo early childhood was drawn to art, read a lot, drew well and wrote lyrical poetry.
The house published the handwritten magazine “Snowdrop” and the almanac “Moonlit Nights”, where the whole family, and sometimes guests, published their works. Apollo's children's poems first appeared in these family publications.
Education. First collection
In 1834, the family left Moscow and settled in St. Petersburg. From now on further fate The poet Apollo Maykov is associated with the northern capital, except for those years, of course, when he traveled. From 1837 to 1841 he studied at St. Petersburg University at the Faculty of Law. But he did not give up literary studies. After graduating from the university, Maikov entered the service of the State Treasury Department, and a year later he published his first collection of poems, which was praised by the famous literary critic V. G. Belinsky. He wrote that Maykov's poetry is always a picture that shines with the true features and colors of nature. The collection was also a success among readers.
Travel abroad
Emperor Nicholas the First gave Maikov an allowance, which allowed the poet to make a long trip abroad. First he went to Italy, where he visited many cities, visited museums and exhibitions, studied painting and, as before, poetry. Then there was Paris, where Maikov listened to a series of lectures on art and world literature. Traveling around Europe, the poet visited Dresden, Prague and other cities with the same goal - to become better acquainted with world culture.
Back home
In 1844 Apollo Maikov returned to Russia. He got a job at the Rumyantsev Museum as an assistant librarian. He wrote a lot and prepared for publication his second collection of poetry, “Essays on Rome,” dedicated to his impressions of a trip to Italy (1847). During these same years, Maikov became close to many famous writers: Belinsky, Turgenev, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky, Pleshcheev, and regularly attended “Fridays” in M. Petrashevsky’s circle. He did not fully share many of their ideas, but they still had a certain influence on his poetic work. This is evidenced by the appearance of the poems “Two Fates”, “Mashenka”, “The Young Lady” (1845 - 1846), which, unlike his previous poems, contained civic motives.
Ideological orientation
In 1852, Maikov became a censor on the staff of the Committee of Foreign Censorship and remained in this department position for more than forty years. During these years, the ideas of the Slavophiles became close to him. Disillusioned with liberals and radicals, he reconsidered his positions and as a result came to defend strong monarchical power, Orthodox faith. The fact that Maikov consistently occupied conservative positions is evidenced by his poem “Clermont Cathedral” (1853), as well as the cycles of poems “Neapolitan Album” and “Modern Greek Songs” (1858), written under the influence of a trip to Greece.
Peasant reform Maykov greeted the abolition of serfdom (1861) with enthusiastic, optimistic poems “Fields” and “Niva”. Gradually, the poet finally contrasted his position regarding art with the positions of revolutionary democrats and became an adherent of “pure art.” This transformation was sharply criticized by Saltykov-Shchedrin and Dobrolyubov in their satirical parodies.
Slavic theme
For a long time, Maikov was fascinated by antiquity, its harmonic art, and sought to express in his lyrics some imaginary world of beauty, far from the contradictions of the surrounding life. But over time, Slavophile views were added to this. Based on ancient motifs, the philosophical and lyrical drama “Two Worlds” was written, for which the Academy of Sciences awarded Maykov the Pushkin Prize (1882). The emerging interest in Christianity and Slavic folklore prompted the poet to work on a translation of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” His treatment of the great creation of the era Ancient Rus' is one of the best.
Landscape lyrics
But Maikov’s talent in landscape themes was especially evident. Nature native land always worried the poet. For him, each landscape painting is full of beauty, natural harmony, a feeling of kinship and special warmth. He saw incredible creative powers in nature. He was worried about very ordinary phenomena, familiar to everyone: the onset of spring, the withering of autumn, the flight of a swallow, summer rain. His poems about Russian nature have sincerity, watercolor subtlety of colors, melodiousness, and keen observation.
Among best poems Maykov’s landscape lyrics can be called “Haymaking”, “Swallows”, “Spring”, “Autumn”, “Summer Rain”. Many of Maykov's poems once inspired some great composers to create romances (Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and others). But unlike the landscape lyrics of A. Fet, Maykov’s poems are not distinguished by that sophisticated “psychologism” for which the outstanding lyricist Fet became famous.
In 1893, the sixth collected works of Maykov was published in three volumes, the last lifetime edition for sixty years of his literary activity. Apollo Maikov died on March 8, 1897 in St. Petersburg.
Brief biography of the poet, basic facts of life and work:
APOLLO NIKOLAEVICH MAYKOV (1821-1897)
Apollo Nikolaevich Maikov was born on May 23 (June 4, new style) 1821 in Moscow into an old noble family with rich cultural traditions. The ancestor of the Maykovs was the clerk of the Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich and Tsar Ivan the Terrible, Andrei Mayk. As many researchers assume and all the Maykovs were sure, the Russian saint and church writer Nil Sorsky (in the world Nil or Nikolai Maykov) belonged to their family. However, no documentary evidence of this has yet been found.
The father of the future poet, Nikolai Apollonovich (1796-1873), was a man of unusually interesting fate. As a youth, Mike's father "was sent to the second cadet corps at a time when only two careers were considered decent for a nobleman: either in the military or in the civil service. Right from school, without even having time to finish his course, he, like many then, was released as an officer, about 18 years old, into the active army, into Bagration’s corps.” In the Battle of Borodino, Nikolai Apollonovich was wounded in the leg and sent for treatment to an estate in the Yaroslavl province. There, out of boredom, the young man took up drawing, first copying a picture hanging above his bed. The copy was a success, and after returning to serve in the hussar regiment, Maikov continued to indulge in a new hobby. After the end of the war, Maikov, awarded the Order of Vladimir, retired with the rank of major, got married and, relieved to shift all everyday worries onto his wife’s shoulders, took up painting. The Maikov brothers were already in adolescence. 10 years.
The mother of the Maykov brothers, Evgenia Petrovna, nee Gusyatnikova (1803-1880), came from an old merchant family. A highly educated woman, she collaborated in literary magazines and acted as a poet and fiction writer.
The Maykovs had four sons. The older ones, Valerian and Apollo, and the younger ones, Vladimir and Leonid.
Apollo Nikolaevich's early childhood was spent on his father's estate in the village of Nikolskoye, near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and partly on his grandmother's estate in the village of Chepchikha, Klinsky district, Moscow province.
His constant companions were peasant children. Here he became addicted to fishing for the rest of his life, which was later reflected in his poem “Fishing.”
In 1834, the Maykovs moved to St. Petersburg, and the poet’s further fate was connected with the capital.
Evgenia Petrovna was a kind and sociable lady, she always welcomed young writers, fed the needy, everyone could find support and a kind word from her. Subsequently, Maikova was very loved and respected as dearest friend Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.
Numerous guests - artists and writers - always gathered in the friendly Moscow mansion of the Maykovs. In the end, the Maykov salon was formed, but it was not high-society, and famous writers were not attracted to it. Mostly young, aspiring writers, semi-professional writers, talented amateurs, students who worshiped poetry and art visited here. At that time, no one had yet become a frequent guest of the salon. famous Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov (1812-1891).
The initial education of Maykov's sons - Valerian and Apollo - was carried out at the home of Nikolai Apollonovich's friend by the writer Vladimir Andreevich Solonitsyn. The history of literature was taught to the brothers by I. A. Goncharov.
The resulting “home circle”, which also included friends of the house V. G. Benediktov, I. A. Goncharov and others, “released” the handwritten magazine “Snowdrop” and the anthology “Moonlit Nights”, which included the first poetic attempts of the young Maykov .
When Apollo was sixteen years old, he and Valerian entered St. Petersburg University. Apollo studied at the Faculty of Law.
At the university, the young poet was actively involved in creativity. Maikov’s gift was noticed especially by Professor Pyotr Aleksandrovich Pletnev, who then patronized the poet for many years and introduced major writers, in particular V. A. Zhukovsky and N. V. Gogol, to his works.
After graduating from the university, Apollon Nikolaevich was assigned to serve in the State Treasury Department, but soon, having received an allowance from Nicholas I for traveling abroad, he went to Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, and then to Paris, where he attended lectures on art and literature. Maikov visited both Dresden and Prague. He was especially interested in Prague, since by that time the poet had already become imbued with the ideas of Slavophilism and Pan-Slavism. In particular, he met and communicated a lot with Safarik.
In 1844, Maikov returned to Russia, where he worked for eight years as an assistant librarian at the Rumyantsev Museum.
The first collection of poetry by Apollon Nikolaevich, “Poems,” was published in 1842 and was highly appreciated by V. G. Belinsky.
During these years, Maikov became close to Belinsky and his entourage - I. S. Turgenev and N. A. Nekrasov. A special page in his life was the poet’s short-term participation in the activities of the Petrashevsky circle. On this basis, Maikov became especially friendly with F. M. Dostoevsky.
On August 3, 1849, three and a half months after the arrest of all the activists of the Petrashevites circle, Maikov was also arrested. They interrogated him, came to the conclusion that he was a random person in this case, and released him that same evening.
In 1852, Maikov married a Russian German of the Lutheran faith, Anna Ivanovna Stemmer (1830-1911). Over time, they had four children, but only three sons lived to adulthood.
And in October 1852, the poet joined the St. Petersburg Committee for Foreign Censorship, where he served as a junior censor. Despite the fact that the service was complex and difficult, the poet fell in love with it, especially when, on his advice, his friend and great Russian poet F. I. Tyutchev was appointed chairman of the committee, and in 1860 Ya. P. Polonsky became the secretary there. Since 1875, Maikov himself headed the committee.
“I don’t need anything else: I want to die, like Tyutchev, in a committee dear to my heart,” Apollon Nikolaevich once admitted. Maikov worked in this department for forty-five years, until his death.
As the head of the scientific committee of foreign censorship, Maikov was also a member of the scientific committee of the Ministry of Public Education. In 1853, the Academy of Sciences elected him a corresponding member in the department of Russian language and literature, and Kiev University - an honorary member.
The Crimean War of 1853-1856 stirred up Maykov's patriotic and monarchist feelings. At the very beginning of 1855, his small book of poems “The Year 1854” was published.
After Crimean War Apollon Nikolaevich became close to the young editors of Moskvityanin, late Slavophiles and “statists.” On the basis of the Slavophiles, but with a strong idea of the state, with the recognition of post-Petrine history, Maikov became a supporter of the ideas of M.P. Pogodin and M.N. Katkov. At the same time, he created a number of poems about Russian nature, which were memorized “almost with the first prayers,” which became textbook and quotable: “Spring! The first frame is being exhibited…”, “Summer Rain”, “Haymaking”, “Swallows” and others.
Fascinated by the era of Ancient Rus' and Slavic folklore, Maikov created the best translation into modern Russian of the epic “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” in the history of world literature (work was carried out in the period 1866-1870).
Based on history Ancient Rome the poet wrote the philosophical and lyrical drama “Two Worlds,” which was awarded the Pushkin Prize by the Academy of Sciences in 1882.
In everyday life, Maykov was characterized by subtle, carefree humor and kindness of heart. All his life he remained a sincere unmercenary.
On February 27, 1897, Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov went out into the street dressed too lightly, soon fell ill, and a month and a half later, on March 8 (20 New Style), 1897, he died.
* * *You read the biography (facts and years of life) in a biographical article dedicated to the life and work of the great poet.
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Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich (1821 - 1897), poet.
Born on May 23 (June 4 n.s.) in Moscow into an old noble family with rich cultural traditions. His father was a famous artist, academician of painting. His childhood years were spent in a Moscow house and estate near Moscow, which were often visited by artists and writers.
The artistic atmosphere of the house contributed to the formation of the spiritual interests of the future poet, who began to draw and write poetry early.
Since 1834, the family moved to St. Petersburg, and Maykov’s further fate is connected with the capital.
In 1837 - 1841 he studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, without leaving his literary studies. After graduating from university, he served in the State Treasury Department, but soon, having received an allowance from Nicholas I to travel abroad, he went to Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, then to Paris, where he attended lectures on art and literature. He visited both Dresden and Prague.
His first collection of poetry was published in 1842 and was highly praised by V. Belinsky, who noted his “genuine and remarkable talent.” The collection was a great success.
Impressions from a trip to Italy are expressed in the second poetry collection Maykov “Essays on Rome” (1847).
During these years, he became close to Belinsky and his entourage - Turgenev and Nekrasov, attended M. Petrashevsky’s “Fridays”, and maintained close acquaintance with F. Dostoevsky and A. Pleshcheev. Although Maikov did not fully share their ideas, they had a certain influence on his work. His works such as the poems “Two Fates” (1845), “Mashenka” and “The Young Lady” (1846) contain civic motives.
Since 1852, Maikov took the place of censor in the Committee of Foreign Censorship and since then, for more than forty years, he served in this department. At the same time, he became close to the Slavophiles, imbued with their ideas and gradually moved away from liberals and radicals, becoming a zealous defender of “firm” monarchical power and the Orthodox religion. He more consistently switched to conservative positions, as evidenced by the poem “Clermont Cathedral” published in 1853 and the cycles “Neapolitan Album” and “Modern Greek Songs” published in 1858 (after a trip to Greece). The peasant reform of 1861 was greeted with enthusiastic poems “Fields” and “Niva”. Finally contrasting his understanding of art with the ideas of revolutionary democrats, he became a supporter of “art for art’s sake,” which provoked sharp criticism from Saltykov-Shchedrin and satirical parodies by Dobrolyubov.
Fascinated by the era of Ancient Rus' and Slavic folklore, Maikov created one of best translations"Tales about Igor's Campaign."
Based on the history of Ancient Rome, he wrote the philosophical and lyrical drama “Two Worlds,” which was awarded the Pushkin Prize by the Academy of Sciences in 1882. If earlier the poet was attracted to antiquity, now his interest has shifted to Christianity as a new moral teaching opposed to the aestheticism of paganism.
Among the best creations of Maykov is his landscape lyrics: “Haymaking”, “In the Rain”, “Swallows”, etc., distinguished by their sincerity and melodiousness. Many of his poems inspired composers to write romances. In 1893, his three-volume collected works were published, the sixth in a row, completing his sixty-year literary career.
Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov was born May 23 (June 4 n.s.) 1821 in Moscow in a noble family. Son of academician of painting N.A. Maykova, brother V.N. and L.N. Maykovs.
Maikov was brought up in an atmosphere filled with interest in art. His childhood years were spent in a Moscow house and estate near Moscow, which were often visited by artists and writers. The artistic atmosphere of the house contributed to the formation of the spiritual interests of the future poet, who began to draw and write poetry early.
Since 1834 the family moved to St. Petersburg, and Maykov’s further fate is connected with the capital. IN 1837-1841 A.N. Maikov studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University. After graduating from university, he served in the State Treasury Department, but soon, having received an allowance from Nicholas I to travel abroad, he went to Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, then to Paris, where he attended lectures on art and literature. He visited both Dresden and Prague.
In 1844 Maikov returned to Russia. Since 1844– assistant librarian at the Rumyantsev Museum, since 1852 and until the end of his life he was a censor, then chairman of the foreign censorship committee. He traveled abroad several times, mainly to Greece and Italy.
His first poems appeared in the handwritten collections “Snowdrop” ( 1835-1838) and "Moonlit Nights" ( 1839 .), produced in the Maykov family. He appeared in print with the poem “Eagle” (“Library for Reading”, 1835., Vol. IX). In 1842 published a collection of “Poems”, in which Maykov’s characteristic interest in Ancient Greece and Rome. Maikov continued the traditions of the anthological poetry of K.N. Batyushkova and N.I. Gnedich. He is characterized by clarity and plasticity of images, a humanistic ideal of earthly life.
In the next collection “Essays on Rome” ( 1847 ) Maikov made an attempt in the background ancient world show nature and everyday scenes of modern Italy. The idealization of antiquity is combined with thoughts about the descendants of free peoples, sympathy for the national liberation movement led by G. Garibaldi (verse “Palazzo”). In the mid 40s A. Maikov becomes close to Belinsky and the Petrashevites. Some works of this period, for example the poem “Two Fates” ( 1845 ), "Mashenka" ( 1846 ), "The Young Lady" ( 1846 ), written in the spirit of the natural school, contain civic motives.
Beginning since the 50s, A. Maikov is increasingly joining the conservative camp. Patriotic feelings on the eve of the Crimean War were reflected in the poem “Clermont Cathedral” ( 1853 ) and in the collection “1854” ( 1855 ). In 1858 after a trip to Greece, the cycles “Neapolitan Album” and “Modern Greek Songs” appeared. A. Maikov greeted the peasant reform with enthusiastic poems “Picture”, “Fields”, “Niva”. Opposing himself to the revolutionary-democratic camp, he became a supporter of “art for art’s sake,” which caused sharp criticism from M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, parodies by N.A. Dobrolyubov, the poets of Iskra, Kozma Prutkov.
Apollo Maikov showed constant interest in historical topics. His passion for the era of Ancient Rus' and Slavic folklore helped him create one of the best poetic translations of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” ( 1866-1870 ). Like the Slavophiles, Maikov contrasted the traditions of Russian antiquity and the strong Russian statehood with the new bourgeois relations. With sympathy he drew images of Alexander Nevsky, Ivan IV, Peter I (“Who is he?”, 1868 ; “In Gorodets in 1263”, 1875 ; “The Streletsky legend about Princess Sofya Alekseevna”, 1867 ; "At the tomb of Ivan the Terrible" 1887 ).
A. Maykov was attracted dramatic episodes world history. In the poems "Savonarola" ( 1851 ) and "Verdict" ( 1860 ) religious fanaticism and dogma are contrasted with a humanistic worldview. Based on the history of Ancient Rome, dramatic poems “Three Deaths” were written ( 1851 , publ. 1857 ), "The Death of Lucius" ( 1863 ), "Two worlds" ( 1871, 1881 , awarded the Pushkin Prize in 1882), closely related to each other. The first of them, depicting the despotism of Nero, provided rich material for parallels with the despotic regime of Nicholas I. In “The Death of Lucius,” Christianity is contrasted with paganism, winning new supporters. The same antithesis is in the lyrical drama “Two Worlds”.
Last period ( since the 70s) marked by decline creative activity A. Maykov, the strengthening of religious sentiments that replaced artistic epicureanism. Religious and philosophical themes come first, contrasted with modernity with the offensive of capital hated by A. Maikov (cycle of poems “ Eternal questions", "From Apollodorus the Gnostic"). Among the best creations of Apollo Maykov are his landscape lyrics (“Spring! The first frame is being exhibited,” “Haymaking,” “In the rain,” “Swallows,” etc.). Unlike Italian landscapes, where the poet strived for external decorativeness, poems dedicated to Russian nature are distinguished by their sincerity, watercolor subtlety of colors, melodiousness, and some contemplation. Many of his poems inspired composers (P.I. Tchaikovsky, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, etc.). Apollon Maikov performed translations from V. Goethe, G. Heine, A. Mickiewicz, G. Longfellow and others.
Dear friends, today I invite you to plunge into the unique world of poetry of the remarkable Russian poet, translator and... historian. Yes, yes - a historian! In this capacity, he struck me most of all... I invite you to discover him in a new way.
Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich - Russian poet, translator, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1853).
The son of nobleman Nikolai Apollonovich Maykov, painter and academician, and mother-writer E. P. Maykova; the elder brother of literary critic and publicist Valerian Maykov, prose writer and translator Vladimir Maykov and literary historian, bibliographer and ethnographer Leonid Maykov.
Born on May 23 (June 4), 1821, in Moscow, to the family of academician of painting N. A. Maikov, who came from ancient noble family. His father was a famous artist. His childhood years were spent in a Moscow house and an estate near Moscow, not far from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which was often visited by artists and writers. Apollo Maykov began writing poetry at the age of fifteen, but in choosing his vocation he hesitated for a long time between painting and poetry.
Since 1834, the family moved to St. Petersburg, and Maykov’s further fate was connected with the capital.
In 1837 - 41 he studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, without leaving his literary studies. After graduating from university, he served in the Ministry of Finance, but soon, having received an allowance from Nicholas I to travel abroad, he left for Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, then to Paris, where he attended lectures on art and literature. He visited both Dresden and Prague.
In 1844 Apollon Maikov returned to Russia. First he works as an assistant librarian at the Rumyantsev Museum, then moves to the St. Petersburg Committee for Foreign Censorship.
His first collection of poetry was published in 1842 and was highly praised by V. Belinsky, who noted his “genuine and remarkable talent.” The collection was a great success.
Confession
So, I’m flighty, friends! I'm studying in vain
Restrain yourself: everything is in vain! Of heavy bonds
My spirit is alienated... When my languid gaze
I see a smile on the lips of a modest maiden -
I am not myself! Sorry Seneca, Locke and Kant,
And an old tome of dusty codes,
The brilliant lyceum and the majestic portico,
And a famous row of names crowned with glory!
A playful dream will come to me again,
And pale faces, and a name on the lips,
And languid gazes, and awe of sweet bliss,
And a mysterious verse of thoughtful elegies.
Impressions from a trip to Italy are expressed in Maykov’s second collection of poetry, “Essays on Rome” (1847).
"Ah, wonderful sky..."
Ah, a wonderful sky, by God, above this classical Rome!
Under such a sky you will involuntarily become an artist.
Nature and people here seem different, like paintings
From the bright poems of the anthology of ancient Hellas.
Well, look: it has grown along the white stone fence
The wandering ivy is like a hanging cloak or a curtain;
In the middle, between two cypress trees, there is a deep dark niche,
Where does the head with the ugly face look from?
Triton. Cold moisture falls from the mouth, ringing.
I pass through a narrow field,
Overgrown with porridge and tenacious quinoa.
Everywhere I look, thick rye is everywhere!
I go - with difficulty taking it apart with my hands.
The ears of corn flash and buzz in front of me,
And they prick my face... I walk, bending down,
As if fighting off anxious bees,
When, having jumped over the willow fence,
You walk among the apple trees in the bee yard on a clear day.
Oh, God's grace!.. Oh, how gratifying it is to lie down
In the shade of tall rye, where it’s damp and cool!
Full of worries, ears of corn above me
They are having an important conversation among themselves.
Listening to them, I see - all over the open fields
And reapers and reapers, diving as if into the sea,
They are already knitting heavy sheaves merrily;
Over there at dawn the nimble flails are knocking;
In the barns the air is full of roses and honey;
Carts are creaking everywhere; among noisy people
Coolies are lying on the piers; along the river
Barge haulers pass in single file, like cranes,
Heads bent, shoulders leaning
And hitting the moisture with a long whip...
Oh my God! You give for my homeland
Warmth and harvest, the holy gifts of heaven,
But, gilding the expanse of her fields with bread,
Also, Lord, give her spiritual bread!
Already above the field, where thoughts are seeds
Planted by you, spring has begun to blow,
And grains not destroyed by bad weather
They quickly sprouted their fresh shoots.
Oh, give us sunshine! send us buckets
May their shoots ripen along the rich furrows!
So that we, at least leaning on our grandchildren, as old people
Come to their fat fields to breathe,
And, forgetting that we watered them with tears,
Say: “Lord! what grace!”
In the 1860s, he turned to history and created a number of works on historical topics (“In Gorodets in 1263”, “At the Tomb of Grozny”, “Emshan”, “Who is he?”, etc.).
A bunch of dry steppe grass,
It even smells dry!
And at once the steppes above me
All the charm is resurrected...
When in the steppes, behind the camp,
Nomadic hordes roamed,
There was Khan Otrok and Khan Syrchan,
Two brothers, dashing warriors.
And since they had a huge feast -
Velik is full was taken from Rus'!
The singer sang their praises like a river
Kumis was flowing throughout the ulus.
Suddenly there was noise and screaming and the clashing of swords,
And blood, and death, and no mercy!
Everything runs apart like swans
The herd frightened by the hunters.
Then with the Russian power Monomakh
The All-Crusher has appeared;
Syrchan in the Don shoals,
The boy disappeared into the Caucasian mountains.
And the years went by... I walked in the steppes
Only a wild wind in the open space...
But then Monomakh died,
And in Rus' there is hardship and grief.
Calls the singer Syrchan
And he sends him to his brother with instructions:
"He is rich there, he is the king of those countries,
Ruler over the entire Caucasus, -
Tell him to give it all up
That the enemy died, that the chains fell off,
To go on to your inheritance,
To the fragrant steppes!
Sing our songs to him, -
When he doesn’t respond to the song,
Tie the emshan steppe into a bun
And give it to him and he will return."
The youth sits in a golden tent,
All around is a swarm of beautiful Abkhaz women;
On gold and silver
He honors princes and his subjects.
The singer is introduced. He says,
So that the Youth would walk in the steppe without fear,
That the path to Rus' is open all around,
That Monomakh no longer exists!
The boy is silent, answering his brother’s call
He answers with one smile, -
And the feast goes on, and the choir of slaves
The sun calls him.
The singer gets up and sings
Sings about Polovtsian epics,
About the glory of grandfather's times
And their brave raids, -
The sullen youth took on the appearance
And, without looking at the singer, I know
To take him away, he orders
To my obedient kunaks.
And he took a bunch of steppe grass
Then the singer gave it to the khan -
And the Khan looks - and, not himself,
As if sensing a wound in my heart,
He grabbed his chest... Everyone looked:
He is a formidable khan, what does that mean?
He, before whom everyone trembles, -
Kissing a bunch of grass, crying!
And suddenly, waving his fist:
“I’m no longer your king from now on!”
He exclaimed: “Death in the native land.”
Sweeter than fame in a foreign land!
The next morning, the fog settled a little
And the mountain tops turned golden,
IN the mountains are coming already a caravan -
A youth with a small squad.
Passing mountain after mountain,
He waits for everything - soon will the native steppe,
And he looks into the distance, the grass of the steppe
Without letting go of the bundle.
* This story is taken from the Volyn Chronicle. Emshan is the name of a fragrant herb growing in our steppes, probably wormwood.
Note by A.N. Maykov.
Based on the history of Ancient Rome, he wrote the poem “Two Worlds,” which was awarded the Pushkin Prize in 1882. If earlier the poet was attracted to antiquity, now his interest has shifted to Christianity as a new moral teaching opposed to the aestheticism of paganism. Fascinated by the era of Ancient Rus' and Slavic folklore, Apollon Maikov in 1889 completed one of the best translations of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” which has not lost its scientific and artistic value to this day.
A WORD ABOUT IGOR'S REGIMENT
(excerpt, introduction)
Shall we begin our song, oh brothers,
From legends about ancient battles, -
Song about Igor's brave army
And about him, about his son Svyatoslav!
And sing them as they are sung today,
Without chasing Boyan with your thoughts!
When composing a song, he used to be prophetic,
He rushed quickly through the forest,
Like a gray wolf he prowled in an open field,
How the eagle flew under the clouds!
How he will remember the battles of old,
Yes, he will let a flock of swans
Ten fast falcons to catch up;
And which one will overtake first,
For him, that swan sing a song, -
Sing a song about old Yaroslav,
About Mstislav, who killed him in battle,
Extortion, Kasozhsky Rededyu,
Al about the glorious Roman the Red...
But it wasn’t ten falcons;
He put ten fingers on the strings,
And to the princes, under prophetic fingers,
The strings themselves rumbled gloriously!..
Let us tell, brothers, a story
From the time of the ancient Vladimir,
Let's bring it to Igor's battle,
How he conceived a strong thought,
Sharpened the brave heart with courage,
Inflamed with glorious military spirit
And for the Russian land the squad
He led him into the steppe against the Polovtsian khans.
Maykov's poetry is contemplative, idyllic and distinguished by a touch of rationality, but at the same time it reflects Pushkin's poetic principles: accuracy and specificity of descriptions, logical clarity in the development of the theme, simplicity of images and comparisons. Maikov's artistic method is characterized by the allegorical application of landscapes, anthological paintings, and subjects to the poet's thoughts and feelings. This feature makes him similar to the classic poets.
The themes of Maykov's poetry are correlated with the world of culture. The poet’s horizons include art (the cycle of poems “In an Anthological Kind”), European and Russian history (the cycles of poems “Centuries and Nations”, “Reviews of History”), the work of poets of the West and East, whose works Maikov translates and stylizes (the cycle “Imitations” ancient"). Maykov’s poems contain many mythological symbols, historical and cultural names, but often the flavor of other centuries and peoples is decorative in nature. Ancient culture was especially close to Maykov, in which he saw a treasury of ideal forms of beauty.
From the vast heritage of Apollo Maykov, the poems about Russian nature “Spring! The first frame”, “In the rain”, “Haymaking”, “Fishing”, “Swallows” and others, distinguished by their sincerity and melodiousness, are exhibited.
"Spring! The first frame is being exhibited..."
Spring! the first frame is exposed -
And noise burst into the room,
And the good news of the nearby temple,
And the talk of the people, and the sound of the wheel.
Life and will breathed into my soul:
There you can see the blue distance...
And I want to go to the field, to the wide field,
Where spring is walking and showering flowers!
Remember: we didn't expect rain or thunder,
Suddenly a downpour caught us far from home,
We were in a hurry to hide under the shaggy spruce
There was no end to the fear and fun here!
The rain poured through the sun, and under the mossy spruce
We stood as if in a golden cage,
It was as if pearls were jumping on the ground around us.
Raindrops rolling off the needles
They fell, shining, on your head,
Or they rolled off the shoulders right under the lacing.
Do you remember how our laughter became quieter and quieter?
Suddenly thunder rolled right over us -
You clung to me, squinting your eyes in fear.
Blessed rain! golden storm!
The smell of hay over the meadows...
The song cheers the soul,
Women with rakes in rows
They walk, stirring the hay.
There, the dry stuff is removed;
The guys are all around him
They throw pitchforks at the cart...
The cart is growing, growing like a house.
Waiting for the horse to be poor
Stands rooted to the spot...
Ears apart, legs arched
And it’s as if he’s sleeping standing up...
Only a daring bug
In loose hay, like in waves,
Now taking off, now diving,
Jumps around, barking in a hurry.
My garden is withering every day;
It is dented, broken and empty,
Although it is still blooming magnificently
The nasturtium in it is a fire bush...
I'm upset! annoys me
And the autumn sunshine,
And the leaf that falls from the birch tree,
And the late grasshoppers crackle.
Out of habit, I’ll look under the roof -
Empty nest above the window;
I don’t hear swallows speaking in it;
The straw has become weathered in it...
And I remember how they fussed
Two swallows building it!
How twigs were held together with clay
And they carried the fluff into it!
How joyful and clever their work was!
How they loved it when
Five small, fast heads
They began to peek out from the nest!
And talking all day long,
We were talking like children...
Then they flew, flyers!
I haven't seen much of them since!
And now - their nest is lonely!
They're on the other side -
Far, far, far...
Oh, if only I had wings!
Alexey Adamov, "Before the Storm" (oil on canvas
There was life and joy all around,
And the wind carried the rye fields
Fragrance and sweetness
With its soft wave.
But now, as if in fright, the shadows
They run on the golden loaves:
A whirlwind rushed by - five or six moments,
And, to meet the sun's rays,
Stand up with a silver cornice
Cutting across half the sky gates,
And there, behind the gray curtain,
There is both shine and darkness.
Suddenly it’s like a brocade tablecloth
Someone hastily pulled it from the fields,
And the darkness follows her in an evil pursuit,
And everything gets fiercer and faster.
The columns have long since faded away,
The silver cornice has disappeared,
And the roar began to grow restless,
And fire and water poured...
Where is the kingdom of sun and azure!
Where is the sparkle of the fields, where is the peace of the valleys!
But there is beauty in the noise of the storm,
And in the dance of ice hailstones!
It takes courage to grab them!
And look how the children are in daring
She's being honored! like the whole gang
Squeals and jumps on the porch!
1887
Maikov owns translations from G. Heine, Goethe, Longfellow, Mickiewicz.
From Petrarch
When she entered the heavenly villages,
On all sides there is a cathedral of heavenly powers,
In awe and quiet amazement,
Having flown down from the depths of heaven, he surrounded.
"Who is this? - they asked each other in a whisper.
Long since gone from the land of vice and sorrow
It did not rise to us, in the radiance of purity,
Such strictly virgin and bright beauty.”
And, quietly rejoicing, she joins their host,
But, slowing down, your gaze from time to time
With tender care he turns to the earth
And waits to see if I follow in her footsteps...
I know honey! I'm on guard day and night!
I pray to the Lord! I pray and wait - when?
From Goethe
Whom do you love - completely
And all, oh Lydia, he is yours,
Yours with all my soul and without division!
Now my life is in front of me
It makes noise, and rushes, and sparkles,
The curtain seems transparent gold,
Through which only your image shines
One - in all its rays,
In all its charm,
Like through the trembling aurora
A fixed star in the deep skies...
He is a young demigod, and he is at your feet!..
You - with a lyre at your knees - sing your verse to him,
He froze, listening - only with greedy eyes
Follows the light fingers
On golden strings...
And me?.. I'm right there! here! I look, I follow you -
The blood has rushed to the heart - there is no strength,
No breathing! I feel like I'm losing
Consciousness, voice... The darkness overshadowed my eyes -
It's dark!.. I'm falling... I'm dying...
His poems inspired composers to write romances.
Many of Maykov's poems were set to music (Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and others).
Lullaby
Music by P.I. Tchaikovsky
Words by A.N. Maykov
Tamara Sinyavskaya sings
Sleep, my child, sleep!
Sweet dream to yourself:
I took you as a nanny
Wind, sun and eagle.
The eagle flew home;
The sun disappeared under the water;
The wind, after three nights,
He rushes to his mother.
Vetra asks her mother:
"Where did you disappear?
Did the stars fight?
Are you still making waves?"
"I did not drive the waves of the sea,
I didn’t touch the golden stars;
I protected the child
Rocked the cradle!"
"What about in the quiet of the night..."
Music by N. Rimsky-Korsakov
Words by A.N. Maykov
What I mysteriously dream about in the silence of the night..."
What I mysteriously dream about in the silence of the night,
What I think about all the time in the light of day,
It will be a secret to everyone, and even you, my verse,
You, my windy friend, are the delight of my days,
I will not convey to you the soul of my dreams,
Otherwise you will tell me whose voice is in the silence of the night
I hear whose face I find everywhere,
Whose eyes shine for me, whose name I repeat.
On February 27, 1897, Maikov went out into the street dressed too lightly and fell ill. He died on March 8 (20), 1897 in St. Petersburg. He was buried in the cemetery of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent.