Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin Passes Away

Today in Masonic History Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin Passes Away in 1837.

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was a Russian Poet.

Pushkin was born in Moscow on June 6th, 1799. He was born into a family of Russian nobility who traced it's lineage back to the 12th century. Pushkin's paternal grandmother was of German and Scandinavian nobility.

Pushkin published his first poem at the age of fifteen. Pushkin was educated at the Imperial Lyceum or Imperial Alexander Lyceum in St. Petersburg. The school was setup by Tsar Alexander I to teach Russian youth of noble birth the lessons they needed to one day take on official posts in the Russian Government.

In 1820 Pushkin published his first long poem. The poem was controversial due to it's subject matter, a fairy tale like tale involving a kidnapped princess, and the style in which the poem was written.

Also in 1820, Pushkin had begun to dedicate himself to social reform. This angered the government and Pushkin was sent out of St. Petersburg. He traveled through the Caucasus, Crimea and then to Chișinău. He wrote two romantic poems while in Chișinău.

On leaving Chișinău in 1823, Pushkin went to Odessa. There he clashed with government officials again. This time he was put into exile on his mother's estate. Eventually he was given permission to meet with Tsar Nicolas I and secured his release from exile.

Around 1828, Pushkin met Natalya Goncharova, the woman who became his wife. At the time they met, Goncharova was 16 and admired by many in Russia's upper classes, including the Tsar. They married in 1831. For their wedding the Tsar gave Pushkin the lowest court title. This greatly angered Pushkin, convinced it was given merely so Natalya was able to attend court functions.

In 1837, Pushkin had fallen on hard times. He was heavily in debt and rumors swirled Natalya was having an affair. Pushkin, who was always concerned with his honor, challenged Natalya's alleged lover to a duel. Pushkin was shot in the spleen and died two days later on February 10th. Fearing a political demonstration at his funeral, the government moved the funeral to a smaller venue and only allowed family and close friends to attend. At midnight Pushkin's body was taken to his mother's estate for burial.

Pushkin was a member Lodge Ovid. He became a mason in 1820 while in Chișinău.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.