Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin

Early Years

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was born on June 6, 1799 (May 26, Old Style) in Moscow into a noble family. His father, Sergei Lvovich Pushkin, was a retired major, and his mother, Nadezhda Osipovna Gannibal, was the granddaughter of Abram Petrovich Gannibal - Peter the Great's African protege.

In 1811, Pushkin entered the newly opened Imperial Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo, where his poetic talent emerged. At just 15 years old, his poem "To a Poet Friend" was published in the journal "The Messenger of Europe" in 1814.

Literary Career

Pushkin is considered the founder of modern Russian literature. His major works include:

• "Eugene Onegin" (novel in verse)
• "Boris Godunov" (drama)
• "The Bronze Horseman" (poem)
• "The Captain's Daughter" (novel)
• Numerous lyric poems and fairy tales

Later Life and Death

Pushkin married Natalia Goncharova in 1831. His later years were marked by financial difficulties and government surveillance. He died on February 10, 1837 from wounds sustained in a duel with Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthès, a French officer serving with the Chevalier Guard Regiment.