Yakov Petrovich Polonsky is a very short biography. Message on the topic of Yakov Petrovich Polonsky. Brief biography of Polonsky. Full biography - Polonsky Ya. P

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky could claim to be considered the most kind person in Russian literature, along with V.A. Zhukovsky.

One of the writers of the late 19th century, when asked why he went to visit Polonsky, answered: "For moral disinfection." Polonsky's personality attracted a variety of people.

Like many true poets, Polonsky expressed his path, his biography, his inner world in poetry. Distinctive feature- his books are collected not by topic and not by cycle, as, for example, with Fet, but by year, by period.

Biography of Yakov Polonsky

Polonsky was born in 1819 in Ryazan, into a poor noble family. He studied at the gymnasium. In 1837, the year of Pushkin's death, the future emperor (then Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich, heir to Russian throne). He was accompanied by the poet V.A. Zhukovsky. Polonsky, as a recognized gymnasium poet, was instructed to write a welcoming poem. From this episode, Polonsky himself began the countdown of his literary activity.

In 1838, at the age of 19, Yakov arrived in Moscow and entered the law faculty of Moscow University. He himself admitted that he would like to study at the Faculty of Philology, but did not have the ability for languages and therefore chose the law. Among his university friends were Apollon Grigoriev and. Then Polonsky was very shy and reluctant to read his poems in public. He had to be asked. It was a time of great doubts, painful reflections, passion for German classical philosophy.

Polonsky was simple-hearted, he never wore a mask, he never imagined himself different, other than he really is. Among Polonsky's Moscow acquaintances of this period are P.Ya. Chaadaev,. Friendship with the latter will last until the death of Turgenev. Polonsky will write touching memoirs about him.

Poetry of Yakov Polonsky

Polonsky writes poetry and publishes them in the student almanac "Underground Keys", as well as in the magazine "Moskvityanin". In 1844, the first collection of Polonsky - "Gammas" - was published. The title itself clearly indicates the student nature of this book. The author included only two dozen poems in it - an enviable even then demanding of himself. Polonsky felt himself in line with the classical tradition. He never tried to refute or update it. That is why, against the background of Tyutchev or Nekrasov, Polonsky is somewhat old-fashioned.

The motive of the road is one of the key ones in Polonsky's poetry. Polonsky is extremely varied rhythmically. Already in his early work, the genre of everyday petty-bourgeois romance (as defined by B.M. Eikhenbaum) was formed. A romance that has been influenced by the gypsy romance, in which there is an emphasis on inner world hero and heroine, artistic details, to household environment.

At the end of 1844, the poet leaves for Odessa, because. in Moscow, he has almost no chance of getting a job. In Odessa, he met Pushkin's brother, Lev Sergeevich, and the writer V. Sologub. In 1845, Polonsky's second collection was published, severely criticized by Belinsky. Then he leaves for Transcaucasia, collaborates in the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin". In 1849, the collection "Sazandar" ("Singer") was published in Tiflis. The poem "The Recluse" from this collection became a cautious song. Like the poem "Gypsy" ("My fire in the fog shines ..."), it broke away from the name of the author and went into folklore.

In 1851, Yakov Petrovich returned from the Caucasus to St. Petersburg. In the struggle between the Pushkin and Gogol trends in literature, Polonsky resolutely takes the side of the representatives of "pure art", along with Fet, A. Maikov, Shcherbina, A.K. Tolstoy. Polonsky was not a fighter, which he most fully expressed in the poem "For the Few". In 1855, one of his most significant collections was published. There is an image of the poet - the prophet, the chosen one. Polonsky is published in Nekrasov's Sovremennik, despite the complexity of their personal relationship.

Polonsky is in desperate need, he is not able to live by literary work. For some time he even served as a tutor for A.O. Smirnova-Rosset, a correspondent and friend. In 1858 he went abroad, painting in Italy. Marries in the same year. In 1860 the poet returned to Russia. His little son dies, and then his wife.

Polonsky's poetry received serious attention from Russian psychological prose in the middle of the 19th century. He himself tried his hand at prose. Radical criticism of Polonsky did not favor. In the 80-90s. a kind of poetic triumvirate is formed: Polonsky - Maykov - Fet. There is a renewed interest in poetry. Yakov Petrovich is extremely attentive to young writers. "Fridays at Polonsky's" are arranged. He remains a nobody, independent, standing “above the fray”.

It is known that Polonsky was one of the first writers whose voice was recorded on a phonograph. Is this record alive - there is no intelligible information to this day ...
A rare example of Polonsky's civil lyrics is the poem "A writer, if only he ..."

STROKE BIOGRAPHY

Born in Ryazan in a poor noble family. In 1838 he graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium. Yakov Polonsky considered the beginning of his literary activity in 1837, when he presented one of his poems to the Tsarevich, the future Tsar Alexander II, who traveled around Russia, accompanied by his tutor V.A. Zhukovsky.
In 1838, Yakov Polonsky entered the law faculty of Moscow University (graduating in 1844). IN student years became close to A. Grigoriev and A. Fet, who highly appreciated the talent of the young poet. He also met with P. Chaadaev, A. Khomyakov, T. Granovsky. In the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1840, Polonsky's poem "The Holy Blagovest resounds solemnly..." was first published. He was published in the magazine "Moskvityanin" and in the student almanac "Underground Keys".
In 1844, Polonsky's first poetry collection, Gamma, was published, in which the influence of M. Lermontov is noticeable. The collection already contained poems written in the genre of everyday romance (“Meeting”, “Winter Way”, etc.). In this genre, the masterpiece of lyrics by Yakov Polonsky “Song of a Gypsy” (“My fire in the fog shines ...”, 1853) was subsequently written. Literary critic B. Eikhenbaum later called the main feature of Polonsky's romances "the combination of lyrics with narration." They are characteristic a large number of portrait, household and other details reflecting psychological condition lyrical hero(“The shadows of the night came and became ...”, etc.).
After graduating from the university, Yakov Polonsky moved to Odessa, where he published his second collection of poetry, Poems of 1845 (1845). The book caused a negative assessment of V.G. Belinsky, who saw in the author "an unrelated, purely external talent." In Odessa, Polonsky became a prominent figure in the circle of writers who continued the Pushkin poetic tradition. The impressions of Odessa life subsequently formed the basis of the novel "Cheap City".
In 1851, Yakov Petrovich went to St. Petersburg. On the way to St. Petersburg, he stops by Ryazan to visit his sick father. The poet visited his grandmother's house, visited his aunts. In one of the albums of Yakov Petrovich, pencil drawings made during these days have been preserved. He draws his family members, his father, views of the Lgovsky Monastery and the Oka River in the place where the monastery stands - all that has been dear to him since childhood.
In St. Petersburg, Polonsky hopes for literary earnings, but his expectations did not materialize: the literature of the early 1850s was going through hard time. Once again, I had to earn a living by private lessons. However, during these years, the circle of literary acquaintances of Polonsky expanded: in addition to his old friend I. S. Turgenev, he met with D. V. Grigorovich, A. V. Druzhinin, A. N. Maikov. Among the few houses where Yakov Petrovich felt at ease was the house of the famous St. Petersburg architect A.I. Stackenschneider. Of the whole family, Elena Andreevna, the architect's daughter, was especially fond of him - their acquaintance grew into a long-term friendship, she left many memories of Polonsky.
In 1855 published the book "Poems", favorably received by critics. His works are beginning to be published in St. Petersburg magazines - Otechestvennye Zapiski and Sovremennik. However, fees for literary work could not provide for the life of the poet. And Yakov Petrovich becomes the home teacher of the son of the governor of St. Petersburg, Nikolai Smirnov. In 1857 The Smirnovs, and together with them Polonsky, go abroad, to Baden-Baden. Soon, Yakov Petrovich parted with the Smirnov family and traveled to European cities: in Geneva he took drawing lessons from the artist Didet, visited Rome, Naples, Paris, where he communicated with many Russian and foreign cultural figures. Alexandre Dumas père would later write that Polonsky was "dreamy like Byron and absent-minded like La Fontaine."
At this time, Yakov Petrovich receives an offer to become the editor of the magazine " Russian word”, the publication of which is planned by Count G. A. Kushelev. In the winter of 1857, Polonsky left for Rome, then for Paris. In Paris, the poet falls in love with a half-Russian, half-French woman - the daughter of a psalmist of the Orthodox Church in Paris, Elena Vasilievna Ustyugskaya. Having married in August 1858, the Polonskys returned to St. Petersburg. A few hours before the birth of their first child, son Andrei, Polonsky fell off the droshky and injured his leg, which left him crippled for the rest of his life.
Suffering haunted Polonsky: in 1860, his son died, and in the summer of that year, his devoted, loving wife also died. Tormented by the "great sorrow" of memories, Polonsky dedicates poems to the memory of his wife: "Madness of grief", "If only your love was my companion ...".
In 1860, Polonsky received the post of secretary of the foreign censorship committee, where he served until the end of his days. 1860s - the beginning of a time of civil anxiety and spiritual throwing of the poet: more and more lyrical-philosophical and journalistic poems appear in the press; speaking as a humanist and democrat, Polonsky sensitively responds to what is happening in the world, in Russia. Remaining equally far from official poetry and from those who openly and sharply express their protest, Polonsky strives for the utmost objectivity:

Did it piss you off...
All this modernity is evil,
All this nonsense is alive
All this host of tyrants and flatterers,
Or this bunch of little fighters,
Selfish and in fits of anger
Ready to strike right and left...

INTERESTING FACTS OF LIFE

* Poems were written by all the students, but Yakov stood out for his poems, and this was known to the gymnasium authorities. That is why, when in August 1837 the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexander (the future reformer Tsar Alexander II with his tutor, the famous poet Vasily Zhukovsky), was going to visit the gymnasium, director N. Semyonov instructed the 6th grade student Y. Polonsky to write a poetic greeting . Although the reading did not take place, the poet was invited by the director to his apartment, where V. Zhukovsky met him, praised him for his poetry and said that the crown prince favors him with a gold watch.
The next day, in the assembly hall of the new gymnasium (the senior classes were in another building donated to the gymnasium by the merchant N.G. Ryumin, now there is an art museum), after a prayer service in the presence of all teachers and pupils, Yakov was handed a case with a gold watch.
Yakov Polonsky became the hero of the day in Ryazan.

* And here are the grades he received in the seventh (last) grade of the gymnasium:

Grammar - 3 (only four had this score, the rest had two and one);
composition - 3;
piitika - 5;
rhetoric - 4;
history of literature - 5;
Greek - 1;
Latin - 2;
French - 3;
history - 2;
geography - 3;
law of God - 4
Among the sixteen graduates, Polonsky took 10th place with an average score of "3".

* Yakov Petrovich was not only a poet, but also a talented artist. He spent two summers at Turgenev's estate, Spasskoe-Lutovinovo, where he mainly painted. His paintings still adorn the walls of the museum-estate. For some time he also lived with Fet, as evidenced by the following lines in a well-known poem: “Polonsky here, not without greetings, was met by Fet ...”.

LAST YEARS

Since the difficult year of 1860, when Elena Polonskaya died, the poet was tormented by loneliness, and the memory of his dead wife was tormented.

But I am a poor pedestrian
I walk alone, no one is waiting for me ...

And now, six years after the death of his wife, Polonsky meets with Josephine Antonovna Rulman. Her fate is not quite normal. In the late sixties, she lived in the house of the revolutionary populist P. L. Lavrov, where her brother, a student, studied with Lavrov's son. Josephine Rulman was an orphan, but a very gifted girl who was fond of sculpture. Nature endowed her with rare beauty, combined with a lively and sharp mind. In the Lavrov family, she was called the "ice beauty."
In 1866 Zh. Rulman became Polonsky's wife. “He married her because he fell in love with her beauty,” E.A. writes in his diary. Stackenschneider. “She married him because she had nowhere to lay her head. I vividly remember this first time after their marriage. This bewilderment on his part and this petrification of her ... The pigeon soul warmed the statue and the statue came to life ... "
Polonsky turned out to be a Pygmalion in relation to his wife, doing everything possible to develop her natural talent. A great friend of the Polonsky family was Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, who also strongly encouraged Josephine Antonovna's studies in sculpture. Polonsky's house was a union of arts - poetry, painting, sculpture. "Fridays" in the poet's house, where the artistic intelligentsia of St. Petersburg gathered, were very popular.
In 1890, Polonsky released his last collection, "Evening Bells", colored with moods of sadness and the nearness of the end.
Polonsky remained a knight of poetry until last day. His words addressed to Turgenev sound prophetic: “It seems to me that the year in which I do not write a single line, I do not concoct a single verse will be the last year in my life ..”.
Yakov Polonsky died in St. Petersburg on October 18 (30), 1898.

SONG OF THE GYPSY

My fire in the fog shines
Sparks go out on the fly ...
No one will meet us at night
We will say goodbye on the bridge.

The night will pass, and early in the morning
Far away in the steppe, my dear,
I'll leave with a crowd of gypsies
Behind the nomadic kibitka.

Goodbye shawl with a border
You pull a knot on me!
How the ends of it, with you
We got along these days.

Someone tell my fate?
Someone tomorrow, my falcon,
Will untie on my chest
The knot you pulled?

Remember, if another
Dear friend, loving
Will sing songs while playing
On your knees!

My fire in the fog shines
Sparks go out on the fly ...
No one will meet us at night
We will say goodbye on the bridge.

AFTERWORD

The memoirs of a contemporary left us a wonderful living portrait of the Russian poet Yakov Petrovich Polonsky. “I remember how in one of my parishes,” said P. Pertsev, “he began to read to me his new poem, which had just been published in Books of the Week… His face lit up and took on an inspired expression, his voice grew stronger and became sonorous, like that of a young man; excellent verses easily and freely flowed one after another from the lips of their happy creator. Before me was a real poet reciting real poetry.”
Such was Polonsky at the end of his creative way at the turn of the new century.

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky (December 6 (18), 1819 (18191218), Ryazan - October 18 (30), 1898, St. Petersburg) - Russian poet and prose writer.

Born into the family of a poor official. After graduating from the gymnasium in Ryazan (1838), he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. He became close to A. A. Grigoriev and A. A. Fet, also met P. Ya. Chaadaev, A. S. Khomyakov, T. N. Granovsky.

Writer, if only
There is a nerve of a great people,
Can't be amazed
When freedom is struck.
"To the album of K. Sh ..." (1864)

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich

In the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1840 he published his first poem. Participated in the student almanac "Underground Keys".

After graduating from the university (1844) he lived in Odessa, then was assigned to Tiflis (1846), where he served until 1851. From 1851 he lived in St. Petersburg, edited the Russian Word magazine (1859-1860). He served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs (1860-1896).

Died in St. Petersburg, buried in Ryazan.

The literary heritage of Polonsky is very large and unequal, it includes several collections of poems, numerous poems, novels, stories.

The first collection of poetry - "Gammas" (1844). The second collection "Poems of 1845" published in Odessa caused a negative assessment of V. G. Belinsky. In the collection "Sazandar" (1849) he recreated the spirit and life of the peoples of the Caucasus.

A small part of Polonsky's poems refers to the so-called civil lyrics(“I confess to say, I forgot, gentlemen”, “Miasm” and others). He dedicated the poem "Prisoner" (1878) to Vera Zasulich. On the slope of his life, he turned to the themes of old age, death (collection "Evening Ringing", 1890).

POLONSKY Yakov Petrovich was born into a noble family - a poet.

He graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium, then the law faculty of Moscow University. For four years he served in the office of the Caucasian governor in Tiflis.

In 1851 he moved to Petersburg. For some time he lives by odd jobs (literary fees, tutoring).

In 1858-59 he was the editor of the Russian Word magazine, later a junior censor of the foreign censorship committee and, finally, one of the members of the board of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs.

IN last years life organized in his apartment "Fridays", which gathered St. Petersburg writers, artists, scientists.

Despite the genre diversity of Yakov Petrovich Polonsky's work (poems, poems, novels), he entered the history of Russian literature as a lyric poet.

In 1844, the first collection of his poems "Gammas" was published, which still bears the stamp of imitation of the romantic poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov.

In 1849, the second collection was published - "Sazandar" (Georgian - singer), it was distinguished by great originality, written on the basis of vivid impressions of being in the Caucasus. The poet managed in this book to convey the features of the local color of Caucasian life in its daily, everyday manifestations:

"Walk in Tiflis"

"Elections of Usta-Bati",

"Tatar".

With the move to St. Petersburg, Yakov Petrovich becomes a permanent contributor to the magazines Sovremennik, Otechestvennye Zapiski, Russkoe Slovo. In the context of the intensified struggle between the supporters of "pure" and "civil" art, he did not openly join any of the warring camps. While not sharing the revolutionary views of the leaders of Sovremennik, at the same time he does not confine himself to the framework of "pure art", expressing in his poems a keen interest in social issues. This is evidenced, first of all, by Polonsky's recognition of the importance of civic poetry (the poem "To I. S. Aksakov", "The writer, if only he...").

In the 1950s and 1960s, under the influence of a heightened interest in the peasant question, the poet wrote poems about the lack of rights of the people, about their selfless labor. This theme was especially vividly reflected in his works such as "Fugitive", written in the form of a folk tale, "In the Steppe", "Miasm".

One of the most poetic works of this cycle is the ballad "Casimir the Great", created by the author under the influence of the famine epidemic of the late 60s. The complacency, callousness, greed of the aristocrats in the ballad is opposed with great force by the suffering of the people dying of hunger. The voice of the poet rises in her to a high, mournful civic pathos. Where Yakov Petrovich writes about a woman, he is again broader and more democratic than the poets of "pure art".

He is deeply concerned about the fate of a peasant woman, a girl taken into a manor house and deprived of joys. family life("Old Nanny").

In the city, his sympathy is riveted to women who are doomed by need to hard, and sometimes humiliating work ("The Model").

The poet was one of the first to respond to the desire of a Russian girl for light, for knowledge, for meaningful, inspired work (“In the Wilderness”).

Unlike the poets of the revolutionary camp, Polonsky does not rise in his work to the theme of revolutionary protest against social injustice. In his op-eds, he frankly sympathizes with what he calls "progressives" and "reformers." In poetry, these tendencies are reflected in the chanting of brotherly love, which should bind all of humanity together: "Schiller's Anniversary", "From Bourdillien", "Crazy".

The sermon of love and brotherhood never led the poet to peace and reconciliation with evil. The love sung by him wakes people up, makes them help everyone who needs protection and compassion. This is how it is born in the lyrics of Yakov Petrovich special kind heroics - the heroism of self-sacrifice, embodied by the poet in the image of Prometheus ("Prometheus"), in the feat of a young aristocrat who exchanged a quiet life in Petersburg society for the selfless work of a sister of mercy ( "Under the Red Cross"). This also includes one of the best poems of this cycle - “What is she to me?” dedicated to the famous revolutionary - populist Vera Zasulich.

With the poeticization of love as a feeling that unites people, Polonsky's narrow love lyrics are also closely connected. In the woman he loves, the poet sees, first of all, a friend, a sister, a person. It is not beauty that determines the strength of feeling in his poetry, but the need for protection, support, and at the same time the desire to provide this help to a loved one:

“When we worry about worries or the topic of the day”,

"Kiss"

"Finnish coast"

"N. A. Griboyedov ".

In intimate lyrics, Yakov Petrovich managed to create his own, unique and in his own way very poetic image of the author. This lyrical "I" has its own social and moral face. In social terms, this is a poor man, a commoner, always driven by need and life's failures:

"On Lake Geneva"

"In the cart of life",

"On the railway" .

At the same time, this is a person who is deeply responsive to someone else's grief, striving to soften someone else's pain with affection, attention, romantically believing in the life-giving power of selfless love. This feature of the poet's poetry was reflected in a peculiar way in the form of many of his poems. He does not close in a narrow circle of intimate experiences, but introduces us into the world of feelings of his poetic heroes, whose social status is often indicated in the title of poems:

"The Model",

"Old Nanny"

"Blind taper",

"Worker"

"Runaway".

At the same time, the poem turns into a lyrical confession of the hero, and the author himself, as it were, merges with the hero in a single, common feeling:

"Bulgarian",

"The Model",

"Runaway",

"In the backwoods" .

Polonsky's favorite stanza is a quatrain with a cross rhyme or with rhyming even verses. The lyricism of the content, the extreme simplicity of the form, the colloquial naturalness of intonations led to the transition of poems into songs and romances, the music for which was written by prominent composers of the 19th century. Notable among these poems are:

"Come to me, old lady"

"Flashing in the shadows outside the window",

"Steppe",

"Song of the Gypsy".

Yakov Petrovich's poems are less significant in their artistic merit than his lyrics. Of these, the most interesting are:

"Grasshopper Musician" (1859),

"Fresh Tradition" (1861-63).

In the first, bearing an allegorical character, the poet draws his relationship with the stiff St. Petersburg light. The finely drawn pictures of nature and its mild humor give the poem a special charm.

The unfinished poem "Fresh Tradition" is also associated with the author's biography. It is based on the poet's memoirs about his student years in Moscow, about Moscow manor houses, well known to the poet. The prototype of the protagonist of the poem, Kamkov, was a friend of the author - the poet I. P. Klyushnikov.

Approximately at the same artistic level as poems, and novels. In some of them, the same biographical basis is felt too much. So, in the novel "Cheap City" (1879), the events associated with the author's stay in Odessa were reflected. More significant novel "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin"(1876). In him in question about the uprising of the Decembrists, but this event itself is presented in the book extremely poorly and did not find a proper historical assessment on the part of the author.

The lack of clarity, clarity in the political views of the poet determined the attitude towards him from the side of revolutionary-democratic criticism.

Belinsky, without denying the poet talent (“possesses to some extent a pure element of poetry”), blamed him for the lack of “direction and ideas” (“Russian Literature in 1844”).

Dobrolyubov, noting the ability of Yakov Petrovich "to be sad about the domination of evil", at the same time pointed out the poet's inability to be imbued with the spirit of "indignation and vengeance" in relation to this evil ("Poems of Ya. P. Polonsky. 1859. Grasshopper-musician. 1859. Stories by Ya. P. Polonsky, 1859).

The sharpest critical review of the literary activity of Ya. P. Polonsky belongs to Saltykov-Shchedrin: “the writer is secondary and not independent” (“Works of Ya. P. Polonsky. Two volumes, St. Petersburg, 1869”). Saltykov-Shchedrin's article provoked a sharp objection from Turgenev, who in his "Letter to the Editor of St. Petersburg Vedomosti", without exaggerating the power of the poet's poetic talent, reserved for him the right to originality and originality ("it pours even from a small, but from his glass ".

Died -, Petersburg, buried in Ryazan.

Born December 18, 1819 in Ryazan. He studied at the Ryazan gymnasium. In 1838 he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. In the early 1840s, his first poetic experiments appeared in Notes of the Fatherland and Moskvityanin. He participated in the student almanac "Underground Keys" (1842), and in 1844 his first author's collection "Gamma" was published, met with an encouraging review by P.N. Kudryavtsev in "Notes of the Fatherland".

In the spring of 1844, Polonsky graduated from the university. He had to determine the future path of life. Difficult financial circumstances forced me to think about the service. Friends advised him to go to Odessa, promised to help him get settled, and Polonsky decided to go south. In the autumn of the same year he was already in Odessa. However, he failed to enter the service, and he began to give private lessons.

In Odessa, Polonsky met many sympathetic and curious people. His first refuge was the apartment of Associate Professor of the Richelieu Lyceum A.A. Bakunin, sibling Russian anarchist theorist Mikhail Bakunin.

The young poet was also cordially received by Pushkin's brother, Lev Sergeevich, "he took him to dinner and made him drink champagne." From Levushka Pushkin, Polonsky learned the details of the tragic circumstances life path his brother, who were not yet widely known in those years. “Leo Pushkin more than once prophesied glory to me in the poetic field - he even gave me the briefcase of his late brother,” Polonsky wrote in his diary in August 1866.

Polonsky developed good relations in Odessa with the local Austrian consul L.L. Gutmansthal and his wife, the daughter of the children's writer A.P. Sontag, who was the niece of V.A. Zhukovsky.

With greedy curiosity, the writer peered into the motley hustle and bustle of Odessa. In his poem of this period, “Ride on Horseback,” there are lively sketches of a many-voiced southern city, where “all the windows are wide open.”

Polonsky lived in Odessa from the autumn of 1844 to June 1846, where he published his second collection of poetry, Poems of 1845. Subsequently, he often came to Odessa. The impressions of the Odessa life of the poet formed the basis of the autobiographical novel "Cheap City". In the life of Polonsky, Odessa became a link between the past and the present, between the “golden age” of Russian poetry and the transitional era of the forties. The chronicle-novel in three parts "Cheap City" was first published in the journal "Vestnik Evropy" in 1879.

Portrait of Yakov Polonsky
works by Ivan Kramskoy, 1875

In 1845, the Odessa Governor-General M.S. Vorontsov received a new appointment - he became the governor of the Caucasus, and many officials who wished to serve in Tiflis went after Vorontsov, including Polonsky. In Tiflis, he entered the service in the office of the governor and in the editorial office of the journal Transcaucasian Bulletin.

In June 1851 Polonsky left the Caucasus. He visited his homeland in Russia, stayed in Moscow, moved to St. Petersburg, where he lived on occasional magazine earnings. In 1855, he became an educator and teacher in the family of the St. Petersburg civil governor N.M. Smirnov, husband A.O. Rosset. In the spring of 1857, the poet leaves with the Smirnov family abroad to Baden-Baden. In August of the same year, Polonsky parted with the Smirnov family and left for Geneva to study painting, from there he went to Italy, then to Paris.

In Paris, the poet falls in love with a half-Russian, half-French woman - the daughter of a psalmist of the Orthodox Church in Paris, Elena Vasilievna Ustyugskaya. Having married in August 1858, the Polonskys returned to St. Petersburg. A few hours before the birth of their first child, son Andrei, Polonsky fell off the droshky and injured his leg, which left him crippled for the rest of his life. Suffering haunts Polonsky: in 1860, his son dies, and in the summer of that year, his devoted, loving wife also died. Polonsky dedicates poems to the memory of his wife: “The Madness of Grief”, “If only your love was my companion ...”.

If your love were my companion,

Oh maybe in the fire of your embrace

I would not curse even evil,

I wouldn't have heard anyone curse! -

But I'm alone - alone - I'm destined to listen

The rattling shackles - the cry of generations -

Alone - I can't bless myself,

No blessings! -

Now cliques of triumph ... now death knells, -

Everything from doubt leads me to doubt...

Ile, brother alien brother, I will be condemned

Pass between them like an inaudible shadow!

Or, an alien brother to brothers, without songs, without hopes

With great sorrow of my memories,

I will be the suffering tool of the ignorant

A prop of rotten legends!

In 1859-1660. Polonsky edited the Russian Word magazine. In 1860 he entered the service of the foreign censorship committee. Lived in St. Petersburg, sometimes traveling abroad. He published poems and prose in Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski.

Six years after the death of his wife, Polonsky met Josephine Rulman, a woman of rare beauty and a talented sculptor. She becomes his wife. Polonsky did everything possible to develop her natural talent.

From 1860 until 1896, Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

Ya.P. Polonsky in his office,
in an apartment on the corner of Basseinaya and Znamenskaya streets in St. Petersburg.

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky died in St. Petersburg on October 30, 1898. He was buried at home in Ryazan.

Galina Zakipnaya, employee
Odessa Literary Museum

Photo: www.liveinternet.ru, www.rznodb.ru and www.svpressa.ru

Yakov Polonsky was born December 6 (18), 1819 in the city of Ryazan in the family of an official quartermaster. The poet's mother, Natalya Yakovlevna, was an educated woman - she read a lot, wrote down poems, songs, romances in her notebooks.

First, Polonsky received home education, and then he was sent to the Ryazan gymnasium. At this time, Polonsky read the works of Pushkin and V. Benediktov and began to write poetry himself. The gymnasium authorities instructed Polonsky to write congratulatory poems on the occasion of the arrival in Ryazan of the heir to the throne Alexander with the poet Zhukovsky. The venerable poet liked the poems of the young schoolboy, and he gave him a gold watch. It was in 1837, and the following year Polonsky graduated from the gymnasium and entered the Moscow University at the Faculty of Law.

At the University of Polonsky, like many other students, the lectures of Professor T.N. Granovsky. The young man met N.M. Orlov, son of a famous general, hero Patriotic War M.F. Orlov. In the house of the Orlovs, I.S. Turgenev, P.Ya. Chaadaev, A.S. Khomyakov, F.N. Glinka and others. At these evenings, Polonsky read his poems.

In 1844 Polonsky graduated from the university and soon graduated first a collection of his poems - "Gammas", greeted favorably in the journal "Domestic Notes".

Autumn 1844 Polonsky moved to Odessa to serve in the customs department. There he lives with his brother, the later famous anarchist Bakunin, and visits the house of the governor Vorontsov. The salary was not enough, and Polonsky gave private lessons. Spring 1846. the poet moved to the Caucasus, where he was transferred by the governor M.S. Vorontsov. Polonsky serves in his office. Soon he also becomes the editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin".

In the newspaper, he publishes works of various genres - from journalistic and scientific articles to essays and stories.

Caucasian impressions determined the content of many of his poetic works. In 1849 Polonsky published collection "Sazandar"(singer (gr.)). Service in the Caucasus lasted 4 years.

In 1857 Polonsky went abroad as a teacher-tutor in the family of the governor N.M. Smirnova. However, the poet soon abandoned the role of teacher, since the absurd nature and religious fanaticism of A.O. Smirnova-Rosset hated Polonsky. He is trying to paint in Geneva ( 1858 ), but soon met with the well-known literary patron Count Kushelev-Bezborodko, who offered him the post of editor in the journal Russkoye Slovo organized by him. Polonsky accepted this offer. Before 1860 the poet edited the Russian Word, later became a secretary in the Foreign Censorship Committee, and three years later - a junior censor in the same committee. He held this position until 1896, after which he was appointed a member of the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press.

Polonsky was in good relations with Nekrasov, I. Turgenev, P. Tchaikovsky, for whom he wrote the libretto (“Blacksmith Vakula”, later “Cherevichki”), with A.P. Chekhov - he dedicated the poem "At the Door" to him.

In 1887 The 50th anniversary of Polonsky's creative work was solemnly celebrated.

Y. Polonsky died October 18 (30), 1898 Petersburg, buried in the Lgovsky Monastery. In 1958, the ashes of the poet were transported to Ryazan (the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin).

Polonsky wrote poems, poems, newspaper satirical feuilletons, published stories, novels and novels, acted as a playwright and publicist. But from the vast creative heritage its value is represented only by poetic works, lyrics.

Keywords: Yakov Polonsky

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819-1898) - Russian poet-novelist, publicist. His works do not have such a large-scale significance as or, but without Polonsky's poetry, Russian literature would not have been so multi-colored and multifaceted. His poems deeply reflect the world of Russia, the depth and complexity of the soul of the Russian people.

Brief biography - Polonsky Ya.P.

Option 1

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819–1898) Russian poet

Born in Ryazan, in the family of an official. He graduated from the local gymnasium and entered the Moscow University at the Faculty of Law. Here he became friends with Fet and Solovyov. He lived on the money that he was paid for lessons.

Polonsky's first poetry collection "Gamma" was published in 1844 and was favorably received by critics and readers. However, due to the constant lack of money, he had to look for work. From Moscow, Polonsky went to Odessa, and then to Tiflis, where he got a place in the office of the governor of Georgia, Count Vorontsov. The motley exotic of the Caucasus, local color, picturesque nature - all this was reflected in the new collection of poems of the poet "Sazandar".

Polonsky was forced to act as a home teacher in the family of A.O. Smirnova-Rosset. This situation weighed heavily on Polonsky, and, having gone abroad with the Smirnovs, he parted with them, intending to take up painting, for which he had great abilities.

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg, where he managed to take the post of secretary of the foreign censorship committee, which guaranteed him relative material well-being.

In 1857 he married, but was soon widowed. For the second time, he married the then-famous sculptor Josephine Antonovna Rulman.

From 1896 he was a member of the council of the main administration for the press. Not adhering to the radical social movements of his time, Polonsky treated them with cordial humanity.

Option 2

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819 - 1898), poet. Born on December 6 (18 n.s.) in Ryazan in a poor noble family. He studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, after which he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. In his student years, he began to write and publish his poems in

“Notes of the Fatherland” (1840), “Moskvityanin” and in the student almanac “Underground Keys” (1842). He is friends with A. Grigoriev, A. Fet, P. Chaadaev, T. Granovsky, I. Turgenev.

In 1844, Polonsky's first collection of poems, Gamma, was published, attracting the attention of critics and readers.

After graduating from university, he lived in Odessa. There he published the second collection of Poems of 1845.

In 1846, Polonsky moved to Tiflis, joined the office and at the same time worked as an assistant editor of the newspaper Transcaucasian Bulletin. While in Georgia, Polonsky turned to prose (articles and essays on ethnography), publishing them in a newspaper.

Georgia inspired him to create in 1849 a book of poems "Sazandar" (Singer), in 1852 - a historical play "Darejana Imeretinskaya".

From 1851 Polonsky lived in St. Petersburg, traveling abroad from time to time. The poet's collections of poems (1855 and 1859) were well received by various critics.

In 1859 - 60 he was one of the editors of the journal "Russian Word".

In the social and literary struggle of the 1860s, Polonsky did not take part on the side of any of the camps. He defended the poetry of “love”, opposing it to the poetry of “hate” (“For the Few”, 1860; “To the Citizen Poet”, 1864), although he recognized the impossibility of love “without pain” and life outside the problems of modernity (“To One of the Weary” , 1863). During these years, his poetry was sharply criticized by radical democrats. I. Turgenev and N. Strakhov defended Polonsky's original talent from attacks, emphasizing his "worship of everything beautiful and lofty, serving truth, goodness and beauty, love of freedom and hatred of violence."

In 1880 - 90 Polonsky was a very popular poet. During these years he returned to the themes of his early lyrics. A variety of writers, artists, and scientists unite around him. He is very attentive to the development of creativity Nadson and Fofanov.

In 1881, the collection "At Sunset" was published, in 1890 - "Evening Bells", imbued with motives of sadness and death, reflections on the transience of human happiness.

From 1860 to 1896 Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

Option 3

Born December 18, 1819. Polonsky's parents were poor noblemen. From 1831 he studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1838. He began writing poetry while still in high school.

From 1838 to 1844 he studied at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University. The first published poem by Polonsky - “The sacred evangelism solemnly sounds ...” The first collection of poems by the poet was published in 1844 and was called “Gammas”.

In 1844 Polonsky moved to Odessa, and then in 1846 to Tiflis. In Tiflis, he enters the service in the office and becomes the editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin". At the same time, he actively writes poetry, his favorite genre is ballads and poems.

In the 1950s, collections of Polonsky's poems were published in the Sovremennik magazine. Even then, the poet formed a rejection of political themes in poetry, his lyrics are personal and subjective. Since 1855, Polonsky was a home teacher. In 1857, Yakov Petrovich went abroad with his family, where he taught. He visits Italy, and since 1858 lives in Paris. In France, Polonsky marries E. V. Ustyugskaya.

In 1860 Polonsky returned to Russia and lived in St. Petersburg. Here he experiences a personal tragedy: the death of a child and the death of his wife. Since 1858, Polonsky has been working as the editor of the Russian Word magazine, and in 1860 he enters the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he works until 1896.

Criticism was ambiguous about Polonsky's work. In Russia, there were strong tendencies to involve writers in public life, and Polonsky believed that the poet should not and does not have the right to engage in politics. This served as a pretext for Pisarev's and Saltykov-Shchedrin's sharp condemnation of Olon's creativity, but the poet remained true to his principles.

The second wife of Polonsky was Josephine Rulman, who became a faithful companion and friend of the poet.
Polonsky died on October 30, 1898 in St. Petersburg, and was buried at home in Ryazan.

Full biography - Polonsky Ya.P.

Option 1

Russian prose writer and poet Yakov Polonsky was born in Ryazan on December 6 (according to the new style - 18) December 1819 in a noble family. He studied at the Ryazan Gymnasium, graduated from it in 1838 and began his literary activity quite early. In 1837, he presented his poem to the future Emperor Alexander II.

The biography of Y. Polonsky is a biography of the author, whose life had its own difficulties, but there were no sharp ups and downs. He chose the path of a lawyer and entered Moscow University, from which he successfully graduated in 1844. During his studies, he became close to A. Fet and A. Grigoriev, who highly appreciated his literary talent. He also met T. Granovsky, A. Khomyakov and. In 1840, in Otechestvennye zapiski, his poem was first published under the title “The sacred Annunciation solemnly sounds ...” Polonsky also began work in a student almanac called “Underground Keys” and in the Moskvityanin magazine.

Polonsky's first collection of poetry, Scales, was published in 1844. It clearly shows the influence of creativity. This already included poems in the genre of everyday romance (such as "Winter Way" or "Meeting"), which Polonsky developed in the future. In it was written a masterpiece by Polonsky called "The Song of a Gypsy" in 1853. Subsequently, B. Eikhenbaum, a literary critic, noted how main feature Polonsky's romances combine narration with lyrics. Great amount household, portrait and other details made it possible to reflect internal state lyrical hero.

After graduating from Moscow University, Polonsky moved to Odessa, where in 1845 his second collection, Poems, was published. V. G. Belinsky assessed the book negatively, not seeing deep content behind the “external talent”. Polonsky became a prominent figure in Odessa among local writers who were faithful to Pushkin's poetic tradition. Subsequently, he wrote the novel "Cheap City" (1879), based on his memories of his stay in Odessa.

In 1846, Polonsky was assigned to Tiflis, where he was appointed to the office of the governor M. Vorontsov. There he began work on the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" as an assistant editor and began to publish his essays in it. In 1849, in Tiflis, he published the next collection of poems - "Sazandar", where he included his poems, ballads, as well as poems written in the spirit of the "natural school". They abounded with everyday scenes and elements of national folklore.

In 1851, Polonsky moved to St. Petersburg. In 1856, he wrote in his diary that he felt "disgusted" by politically tinged poems, which, even being the most sincere, are, according to the poet, full of "lies and untruths" just like politics itself. Assessing his own gift, Polonsky noted that he was not endowed with the "scourge of satire", and few consider him a poet (1860 poem "For the Few"). Contemporaries evaluated him as figures of the Pushkin direction and noted in him honesty, sincerity and unwillingness to seem like someone else (A. Druzhinin and E. Stackenschneider).

In St. Petersburg in 1856 and 1859, two collections of Polonsky's poetry were published, as well as the first collection of prose works, Stories, in 1859. In Polonsky's prose, N. Dobrolyubov noted the poet's sensitivity to life and the close interweaving of the phenomena of reality with the perception of the author, his feelings. D. Pisarev took the opposite position and assessed these features of Polonsky's work as features of a "narrow mental world."

In 1857, Polonsky made a trip to Italy, where he studied painting. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1860, and at the same time experienced a tragedy - the death of his wife and son - about which he wrote in his poems "The Madness of Grief" and "The Seagull" (both 1860). In the 1860s, he wrote the novels "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin" (1867) and "Marrying Atuev" (1869), where the influence of I. Turgenev is noticeable. Polonsky continued to publish in various magazines, which corresponded to his self-awareness - all his life he considered himself a "nobody's", about which he wrote in letters to A. Chekhov.

In 1858-1860, he acted as editor in the journal Russkoye Slovo, and in 1860-1896 he worked in the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he earned his livelihood. In the 1860s and 1870s, the poet experienced the hardships of worldly disorder and inattention from readers. His interest in poetry reawakened only in the 1880s, when he, together with A. Maikov and A. Fet, became part of the "poetic triumvirate", which was revered by the reading public.

Once again becoming a landmark figure in the literary life of St. Petersburg, he gathered his prominent contemporaries at the so-called “Polonsky Fridays”. Polonsky maintained a friendship with Chekhov, followed the work of S. Nadson and K. Fofanov. In his poems "Crazy" (1859) and "Double" (1862), he predicted the motives of the poetry of the 20th century.

In letters to A. Fet, Polonsky noted that one can trace “my whole life” through poetry, and, guided by this feature of his own work, he built his “ complete collection works" in 5 volumes, which was published in 1896.

Option 2

Yakov was born on December 6 (18), 1819 in the central part of Russia - the city of Ryazan. In a large family, he was the firstborn.

His father, Polonsky Petr Grigoryevich, came from an impoverished noble family, was an official quartermaster, was in the clerical service of the city governor-general.

Mom, Natalya Yakovlevna, belonged to the ancient Russian noble family of the Kaftyrevs, was engaged in housekeeping and raising seven children. She was a very educated woman, she loved to read and write romances, songs and poems in notebooks.

Gymnasium

At first, the boy was educated at home. But when he was thirteen, his mother died. The father was appointed to a public position in another city. He moved, and the children remained in the care of Natalya Yakovlevna's relatives. They identified Yakov to study at the First Ryazan Men's Gymnasium. In a provincial town, this educational institution was considered at that time the center of cultural life.

At that time, Russian poets Alexander Pushkin and Vladimir Benediktov were at the peak of their fame. The teenager Polonsky read their poems and began to compose a little himself, especially since it became fashionable to engage in rhyming then. The teachers noted that the young schoolboy had a clear poetic talent and showed excellent abilities in this.

Acquaintance with Zhukovsky

The decisive influence for the choice of Polonsky's further literary life was the meeting with the poet, one of the founders of romanticism in Russian poetry Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich.

In 1837, Tsarevich Alexander II arrived in Ryazan, the future emperor was admitted to the men's gymnasium. Supervisor educational institution instructed Yakov to compose two verses of greeting verses. The gymnasium choir performed one verse to the melody “God Save the Tsar!”, which became the anthem of Russia four years earlier.

The reception of the heir to the throne was successful, and in the evening the head of the gymnasium arranged a celebration on this occasion. At the event, Yakov met with the author of the words of the anthem, Zhukovsky, who accompanied the crown prince on a trip. The venerable poet spoke well of Polonsky's poetic creation. And when the guests left, the director of the gymnasium handed Yakov a gold watch from them. Such a gift and the praise of Vasily Andreevich secured Polonsky's dream to connect his life with literature.

Years of study at the university

In 1838 Yakov entered Moscow University. He became a law student, but still wrote poetry, took part in the university almanac "Underground Keys". Polonsky was greatly admired by the lectures of the Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, Timofey Nikolaevich Granovsky, who significantly influenced the formation of the student's worldview.

During his studies, the sociable and attractive Yakov quickly found mutual language with fellow students. He became especially close to Nikolai Orlov, the son of a major general, a participant Napoleonic Wars Mikhail Fedorovich Orlov. The most famous representatives of science, art and culture of Russia gathered in their house in the evenings. With some of them, Polonsky made a real long friendship - actor Mikhail Shchepkin, poets Apollon Grigoriev and philosopher Pyotr Chaadaev, historians Konstantin Kavelin and Sergei Solovyov, writers Mikhail Pogodin and Alexei Pisemsky.

Yakov read his works at the evenings, and new friends helped him with their publication. So, with the help of acquaintances in 1840, his poems were published in the publication Domestic Notes. Literary critics(including Belinsky) highly appreciated the first poetic works of the young poet, but it was impossible to live only at the expense of writing. Polonsky's student years were spent in constant need and poverty. He had to earn extra money by giving private lessons and tutoring.

Instead of the prescribed four years, Yakov studied at the university for a year longer, since in the third year he could not pass the exam in Roman law to the dean of the law faculty Nikita Ivanovich Krylov.

During the period of university studies, especially close friendly relations arose between Yakov and Ivan Turgenev. For many years they highly appreciated each other's literary talent.

Caucasian period

The plight has become main reason the fact that after graduating from the university in the fall of 1844, Yakov left Moscow. Although the first collection of his poems, Gamma, was published in Fatherland Notes, there was still no money. Polonsky had a chance to get a job in the customs department in Odessa, and he took advantage of it. There, Yakov lived with his brother, the famous anarchist theorist Bakunin, and often visited the house of the governor Vorontsov. The salary was not enough, again I had to give private lessons.

In the spring of 1846, he was offered a clerical position with the Caucasian governor, Count Vorontsov, and Yakov left for Tiflis. Here he served until 1851. The impressions received in the Caucasus, the history of Russia's struggle to strengthen the southern borders, acquaintance with the customs and traditions of the highlanders inspired the poet with his best poems, which brought him all-Russian fame.

In Tiflis, Polonsky collaborated with the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" and published collections of poetry "Sazandar" (1849) and "Several Poems" (1851). Here he published stories, essays, scientific and journalistic articles.

During his stay in the Caucasus, Yakov became interested in painting. The ability for this type of art was noticed in him while still studying at the Ryazan gymnasium. But it was the Caucasian surroundings and landscapes that inspired Polonsky, he painted a lot and retained this passion until the end of his days.

Europe

In 1851 the poet moved to the capital. In St. Petersburg, he expanded the circle of his acquaintances in the literary community and worked hard on new works.

In 1855, he published the next collection of poetry, which was published with great willingness by the most popular literary publications in Russia - “Notes of the Fatherland” and “Contemporary”. But the poet could not lead even the most modest existence on the fees received. Polonsky got a job as a teacher at home to the children of the St. Petersburg governor N. M. Smirnov.

In 1857, the governor's family went to Baden-Baden, and Yakov also left with them. He traveled to European countries, studied drawing with French painters, made acquaintances with representatives of foreign and Russian literature (the famous one was also among his new acquaintances).

In 1858, Yakov resigned as a teacher of the governor's children, as he could no longer get along with their mother - absurd and fanatical. religious Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova-Rosset. He tried to stay in Geneva and take up painting. But soon he met the well-known literary patron Count Kushelev-Bezborodko, who was just about to organize a new magazine, Russian Word, in St. Petersburg. The count invited Yakov Petrovich to take the post of editor.

Life and work in St. Petersburg

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg and began work in the Russian Word.

In 1860 he entered the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee as a secretary. Since 1863, he took the post of junior censor in the same committee, worked in one place until 1896.

In 1897, Yakov Petrovich was appointed a member of the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs.

At the end of his life, in his work, the poet increasingly turned to religious and mystical themes (old age, death, fleeting human happiness). In 1890, his last collection of poems, Eternal Ringing, was published. The most significant work of Polonsky is considered to be a comic fairy tale poem "The Grasshopper-Musician".

Personal life

The poet met his first wife Elena Ustyugskaya (born in 1840) while traveling in Europe. She was the daughter of a Frenchwoman and headman of the Russian church in Paris, Vasily Kuzmich Ustyugsky. Elena did not know Russian at all, and Yakov did not know French, but the marriage was concluded out of great love. In 1858, Polonsky brought his young wife to St. Petersburg.

But the next two years were the most difficult in the life of the poet. He fell and received a serious injury, he could not get rid of its consequences until the end of his days and moved only with the help of crutches. Soon after, his wife fell ill with typhus and died. A few months later, their six-month-old son Andrei died.

For many years he could not recover from grief, only creativity saved him. In 1866, Yakov married a second time to Josephine Antonovna Rulman (born in 1844). Three children were born in this marriage - sons Alexander (1868) and Boris (1875) and daughter Natalia (1870). Josephine had the talent of a sculptor and actively participated in the artistic life of St. Petersburg. Creativity evenings were often held in their house, where famous writers and artists in Russia came.

Death

Yakov Petrovich died on October 18 (30), 1898. He was buried in the village of Lgovo, Ryazan province, in the Dormition Olgov Monastery. In 1958, the remains of the poet were reburied on the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin.

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky (1819 - 1898) - Russian writer. Known mainly as a poet.

Polonsky learned to read early. As Yakov Petrovich wrote in his memoirs of childhood, “When I was seven years old, I already knew how to read and write and read everything that came to my hand.”
In the gymnasium, Jacob studied unevenly. Although he always had an A in literature (as literature was then called), in other subjects he had twos and ones.
Even in his gymnasium years, Yakov wrote poetry so well that in August 1837 the director of the gymnasium N. Semyonov instructed him, a 6th grade student, to write a poetic greeting to the heir to the throne. Then the Ryazan gymnasium, where Polonsky studied, was going to visit Tsarevich Alexander (future Tsar Alexander II) with the famous poet Vasily Zhukovsky, who was his tutor. The greeting was written but not read. The director invited Yakov Polonsky to his apartment, where he was met by V. Zhukovsky. The famous poet praised the novice poet and said that the Tsarevich favors him for hours. The case with the gold watch was solemnly presented to Yakov the next day in the assembly hall of the gymnasium, in the presence of all the teachers and students.
After graduating from high school, Polonsky went to Moscow on a Yamsk cart and entered the law faculty of Moscow University.
During his student years, Polonsky lived very poorly. He even had to sell the gold watch presented to him by the Tsarevich in order to buy clothes.
Polonsky drew very well. In Spassky-Lutovinovo, the estate, which was his friend, Polonsky stayed for two summers. Basically, Jacob painted pictures. They still adorn the walls of the museum-estate of Turgenev.
In the house of Polonsky in St. Petersburg, on Fridays, the color of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia gathered. Many talented writers, musicians and artists were glad to receive an invitation to his literary “Fridays”.

Not often remembered poet Ya.P. Polonsky (1819-1898) created many works not only in verse, but also in prose. However, romance became the main thing in his romantic work. The poet is alien to everything loud, but not indifferent to the fate of the motherland. He himself valued the "Bell" most of all.

Small homeland

In the quietest Ryazan, in a small provincial town, on the night of December 6-7, 1819, a baby was born, who two weeks later was named Yakov at baptism. His aunts were at the ball with the governor-general, but, having learned that their sister was safely resolved in childbirth, they left the ball to offer their congratulations. The Polonsky family was ancient, having left Poland to enter the service of Ivan the Terrible. The Polonskys had a coat of arms, against an azure background of which a star with six horns, a helmet with peacock feathers and a young month were depicted. Father of the future poet good education I could not get it, but I learned to read and write, and my handwriting was beautiful. He was a petty official, and a large family demanded exorbitant expenses for him. Jacob was the eldest child, and besides him there were six more children. In the last birth, his mother, Natalya Yakovlevna, died. The child grieved over her death, and it seemed to him that his mother had been buried alive. As a child, Yakov Polonsky often had terrible dreams. He was afraid. Imagination began to work, appeared poetic images. The older brother told the tales he invented to the younger ones and began to secretly write poetry from everyone.

After high school

Yakov Polonsky graduated from the Ryazan gymnasium in 1838. By this time, the father was completely broken by the death of his beloved wife and, having served three years in the Caucasus, returned to native city. He did not interfere in the affairs of children. But Jacob had an event that he himself considered an important milestone in his life. In 1837, Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich visited Ryazan, accompanied by V.A. Zhukovsky. Young Yakov Polonsky presented one of his creations to the court of the future emperor. This meeting connected all thoughts young man with literary activity. From 1838 to 1844, Yakov Polonsky studied at Moscow University. He is terribly poor, because the family is completely ruined, and you can only rely on your own strength. They had to rent housing in the slums, earn a living by tutoring and private lessons. There were days when there was nothing to eat. I had to make do with tea and loaves.

During this period, he became closely acquainted with A. Grigoriev and A. Fet, who appreciated the talent of the young poet. Inspired, in 1840 he published the poem “The Holy Blagovesh solemnly sounds” in “Notes of the Fatherland” in 1840. His circle of Moscow acquaintances is expanding. In the house of a descendant of the Decembrist, Yakov Polonsky meets Professor T. Granovsky, philosopher P. Chaadaev. There, in 1942, he would make friends with Ivan Turgenev for life, with whom he would maintain correspondence.

Collection "Gamma"

In 1844, Pyotr Yakovlevich Chaadaev actively collected money by subscription for the publication of the first book of the young poet. The lyrics of M. Lermontov left an imprint on her. But overall it gives a favorable review. The critic noticed in the verses "a pure element of poetry." N. Gogol rewrites one of the poems for himself. V.A. Zhukovsky gave the aspiring poet a watch, showing that he appreciated his talent. gave him truly priceless gift- a briefcase that belonged to his brilliant brother.

Odessa

After graduating from the university and moving to the south, the life and biography of Yakov Polonsky are filled with acquaintances with people of Pushkin's circle. Harmony and clarity characterize the poet's second collection, Poems of 1845. However, V. Belinsky did not find a single successful work in it.

Caucasus

The desire to get new impressions brought Yakov Petrovich to Tiflis in 1846. He serves in the office of the viceroy M.S. Vorontsova and at the same time works in the newspaper "Transcaucasian Vestnik" as an assistant editor. It is also printed in it. On exotic Caucasian material, he tries to work in the traditional genre of ballads and poems. At the same time, he uses less common sizes of different sizes. In 1849, the poet published the collection "Sandazar". But in 1851 he comes to Russia, because he learns about his father's serious illness.

Petersburg

So, the biography of Yakov Polonsky tells about his return to Russia, where he is warmly received by readers and writers. But he has no material well-being. In 1857 he was forced to become a repeater. In this capacity, he accompanies a family of extremely unstable and difficult character to Switzerland. But 38 years old is no longer the age when you can endure the whims of employers. A few months later he leaves this position and visits Geneva, Rome, Paris.

Poet in love

In the capital of France there was a "fatal meeting", as the poet called it, with his future wife. This girl, Elena Ustyugskaya, was young, and the lovers had to wait about a year for the wedding. In 1858 they got married and went to St. Petersburg. His chosen one considered inner nobility in her future husband. Alas, the marriage was short-lived.

Their happiness lasted only two years. At first, he was overshadowed by the fall of Yakov Petrovich from the droshky. He badly injured his leg, which did not give him rest for the rest of his life, and he was forced to use crutches. Then the six-month-old son dies, and a few months later, his wife. Here is a brief biography of Yakov Polonsky related to his first marriage. The yearning poet will splash out from the depths of his soul the poems "The Seagull", "Madness of grief", "If only your love ...".

Second marriage

It is impossible to exist on literary fees, and Yakov Petrovich starts working in the committee of foreign censorship. 6 years after the collapse of his first marriage, he falls in love with the beautiful Josephine Rulman.

This romance ends with a marriage that produces two sons and a daughter. A literary and musical salon is being created at his house, in which on Fridays the color of the intelligentsia of St. Petersburg gathers: poets, prose writers, composers, painters, critics. The cultural life of the capital is seething here. On this, a brief biography of Yakov Polonsky in our presentation is already coming to an end. In honor of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of his literary activity, Polonsky was solemnly presented with a silver wreath, and Romanov dedicated a poem to him.

Romances based on Polonsky's words

A romantic who tried to respond to socio-political topics, nevertheless, in our minds, is associated with romance. Yakov Polonsky, whose poems were loved by many Russian composers, is familiar to many, first of all, according to the words "My fire shines in the fog." Here is a list of romances in his words, far, far from complete:

Composer E.F. Guide:

Birdie: “The air smells like a field”;

Waltz "Ray of Hope";

Prayer: Our Father! Heed the son's prayer ... ".

S.V. Rachmaninov:

Meeting: “Yesterday we met…”;

Music: “And these wonderful sounds float and grow…”;

Dissonance: "Let by the will of fate ...".

A.G. Rubinstein:

Thought: "The sacred Annunciation solemnly resounds...";

Loss: "When a premonition of separation ...".

P.I. Tchaikovsky:

"Flashing in the shadows outside the window."

By the way, for P. Tchaikovsky, Polonsky wrote the libretto of the opera Cherevichki. In addition to such a small number of romances indicated in this article, one can turn to creativity, which put a line from a poem by Y. Polonsky as the title of one of his stories, namely “In a familiar street”.

Polonsky died at the age of 78, was buried near Ryazan. And now he is reburied in the Ryazan Kremlin. All the poems of Polonsky Yakov Petrovich found a lively response from his contemporaries and the next generation of symbolists, especially from A. Blok.

IN Soviet time not a single (!) work devoted to his life and work was published. Now in Ryazan, local historians are correcting this situation by releasing monographs, articles and books that return to us the undeservedly forgotten poet who left a great creative heritage.

From 1831 he studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1838. He began writing poetry while still in high school.

From 1838 to 1844 he studied at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University. The first published poem by Polonsky - "The sacred Annunciation sounds solemnly ..."

The first collection of poems of the poet was published in 1844 and was called "Gammas".

In the 1950s, collections of Polonsky's poems were published in the Sovremennik magazine. Even then, the poet formed a rejection of political themes in poetry, his lyrics are personal and subjective.

Since 1855, Polonsky was a home teacher.

In 1857, Yakov Petrovich went abroad with his family, where he taught. He visits Italy, and since 1858 lives in Paris. In France, Polonsky marries E. V. Ustyugskaya.

In 1860 Polonsky returned to Russia and lived in St. Petersburg. Here he experiences a personal tragedy: the death of a child and the death of his wife. From 1858, Polonsky worked as the editor of the Russian Word magazine, and in 1860 he entered the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he worked until 1896.

The second wife of Polonsky was Josephine Rulman, who became a faithful companion and friend of the poet.