Gabriel (Gavrila) Romanovich Derzhavin. Born on July 3 (14), 1743 in the village of Sokury, Kazan province - died on July 8 (20), 1816 on the Zvanka estate, Novgorod province. Russian poet, statesman of the Russian Empire, senator, active privy councilor.
Gabriel (Gavrila) Derzhavin was born on July 3 (14 according to the new style) July 1743 in the village of Sokury, Kazan province, into a family of small landed nobles.
Father - Roman Nikolaevich Derzhavin, second major.
Mother - Fyokla Andreevna Derzhavina (nee Kozlova).
According to family legend, the Derzhavins came from one of the Tatar families: Bagrim-Murza moved to Moscow from the Great Horde and after baptism entered the service of Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich.
He spent his childhood on the Sokury family estate near Kazan. I was left without a father early.
In 1762 he entered service as an ordinary guardsman in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. As part of the regiment, he took part in the coup d'état on June 28, 1762, as a result of which he ascended the throne, later being repeatedly sung by him in odes.
From 1772 he served in the regiment as an officer.
In 1773-1775, as part of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, he participated in the suppression of the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev.
In 1773 he wrote his first poems.
Gabriel Derzhavin gained wide fame in 1782 - after the publication of the ode "Felitsa", which was dedicated in enthusiastic tones by the author to Empress Catherine II. In the ode, he glorifies the enlightened monarchy, which is personified by the reign of Catherine II. The intelligent, fair empress is contrasted with the greedy and selfish court nobles.
Godlike Princess
Kirghiz-Kaisak horde!
Whose wisdom is incomparable
Discovered the right tracks
To Tsarevich young Chlorus
Climb that high mountain
Where does a thornless rose grow?
Where virtue lives, -
She captivates my spirit and mind,
Let me find her advice...
Since the founding of the Imperial Russian Academy Derzhavin was a member of the academy, took a direct part in the compilation and publication of the first explanatory dictionary Russian language.
In May 1784 he was appointed ruler of the Olonets governorate. Arriving in Petrozavodsk, he organized the formation of provincial administrative, financial and judicial institutions, and put into operation the first civilian medical institution in the province - the city hospital. The result of on-site inspections in the districts of the province was his “Daily note, made during the inspection of the province by the ruler of the Olonets governorship, Derzhavin,” in which Derzhavin showed the interdependence of natural and economic factors, noted the elements of the material and spiritual culture of the region. Later, images of Karelia entered his work: the poems “Storm”, “Swan”, “To the Second Neighbor”, “For Happiness”, “Waterfall”.
In 1786-1788 he served as ruler of the Tambov governorship. He proved himself to be an enlightened leader and left a significant mark on the history of the region. Under Derzhavin, several public schools, a theater and a printing house were opened, where in 1788 the first provincial newspaper in the Russian Empire, Tambov News, was published. Also, under him, a plan for Tambov was drawn up, order was put in place in office work, and the foundation was laid for an orphanage, an almshouse and a hospital.
In 1791-1793 - cabinet secretary of Catherine II.
In 1793 he was appointed senator and promoted to privy councilor.
From 1795 to 1796 - President of the Commerce Collegium.
In 1802-1803 - Minister of Justice of the Russian Empire.
All this time, Derzhavin did not leave the literary field, creating the odes “God” (1784), “Thunder of Victory, Ring Out!” (1791, unofficial Russian anthem), “Nobleman” (1794), “Waterfall” (1798) and many others.
The work of Gabriel Derzhavin represents the pinnacle of Russian classicism, the founders of which were A.P. Sumarokov.
The purpose of the poet, in the understanding of G. R. Derzhavin, is the glorification of great deeds and the censure of bad ones.
The main object of Derzhavin’s poetics is man as a unique individual in all the richness of personal tastes and preferences. Many of his odes are philosophical in nature, they discuss the place and purpose of man on earth, the problems of life and death.
Derzhavin created a number of examples of lyrical poems in which the philosophical tension of his odes is combined with an emotional attitude to the events described.
Derzhavin's poetry was called talking painting. He had an extraordinary gift for being imbued with the artist’s intentions and creating his own poetic images.
Awards of Gabriel Derzhavin:
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky;
Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree;
Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree;
Order of St. Anne, 1st class;
Order of St. John of Jerusalem Commander's Cross.
On October 7, 1803, he was dismissed and released from all government posts, as he himself wrote: “dismissed from all affairs.”
In retirement, he settled on his Zvanka estate in the Novgorod province. IN last years throughout his life he was engaged in literary activities.
Personal life of Gabriel Derzhavin:
Was married twice. Had no children.
First wife - Ekaterina Yakovlevna Bastidon, daughter of a former valet Peter III Portuguese Bastidon. They got married early in 1778. At the time of the wedding, the bride was 16 years old. Immortalized by the poet as Plenira.
In 1794, Ekaterina Yakovlevna died suddenly at the age of 33. She was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra of St. Petersburg.
Ekaterina Yakovlevna Bastidon - the first wife of Gabriel Derzhavin
The second wife is Daria Alekseevna Dyakova. He married her six months after the death of his first wife. The poet immortalized his second wife as Milena. Daria Alekseevna died in 1842.
Daria Alekseevna Dyakova - the second wife of Gabriel Derzhavin
Derzhavin did not have his own children. In 1800, after the death of his friend, Pyotr Gavrilovich Lazarev, he took into the care of his children, incl. and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, the future outstanding admiral, discoverer of Antarctica, governor of Sevastopol.
Also in Derzhavin's house, the orphaned nieces of Daria Dyakova were brought up - the children of her sister Maria and the poet Nikolai Lvov: Elizaveta, Vera and Praskovya. Praskovya's diary contains interesting details about Derzhavin's family.
Gabriel Romanovich was friends with Prince S. F. Golitsyn and visited the Golitsyn estate in Zubrilovka. In the famous poem “Autumn during the Siege of Ochakov” (1788), Derzhavin urged his friend to quickly take the Turkish fortress and return to his family.
Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin and his second wife Daria Alekseevna were buried in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Varlaamo-Khutyn Monastery near Veliky Novgorod. During the Great Patriotic War The monastery buildings were subjected to artillery shelling and were in ruins for more than forty years. In 1959, the remains of Derzhavin and his wife were reburied in the Novgorod Kremlin.
In 1993, after the completion of the restoration of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Varlaamo-Khutyn Monastery, timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the poet’s birth, the remains of Gabriel Romanovich and Daria Alekseevna Derzhavin were returned from the Novgorod Kremlin to the crypts of the monastery.
The name of Gabriel Derzhavin was given to Tambovsky state university. One of the streets in Tambov is called Derzhavinskaya. In 2003, the Tambov Regional Duma awarded Derzhavin the title of honorary citizen of the Tambov region.
A square in Laishevo (Tatarstan) is named after him. In Laishevo, the local history museum is named after the poet, to whom most of the museum’s exhibition is dedicated. Laishevo annually hosts the Derzhavin Festival (since 2000), Derzhavin Readings with the presentation of the Derzhavin Republican Literary Prize (since 2002), and the All-Russian Derzhavin Literary Festival (since 2010). The Laishevsky district is often unofficially called the Derzhavinsky region.
In Veliky Novgorod at the Monument “1000th Anniversary of Russia” among 129 figures of the most outstanding personalities in Russian history(for 1862) there is a figure of G. R. Derzhavin.
A memorial stele was installed in the poet’s homeland in the village of Derzhavino (Sokury).
Monuments to the poet: in Kazan (existed in 1846-1932 and recreated in 2003); St. Petersburg; on Derzhavinskaya Square in Laishevo; in Tambov; in Petrozavodsk.
A memorial sign to the poet was installed in Zvanka (now on the territory of the Chudovsky district of the Novgorod region on the bank of the Volkhov river).
In St. Petersburg there is the poet's estate museum - the mansion of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin, on the Fontanka embankment, 118, next to Derzhavinsky Lane. Since 2003, a literary and memorial museum, a branch of the All-Russian Museum of A. S. Pushkin. The city estate consists of the poet's mansion, two paired outbuildings, a small guest building and a greenhouse. The mansion on the Fontanka and the circumstances of its construction are played out in the poet’s poems “To the First Neighbor” (1780) and “To the Second Neighbor” (1791), addressed to the tax farmer M. S. Golikov and Colonel M. A. Garnovsky, respectively. After 1811, in the large double-height hall, meetings of “Conversations of Lovers of the Russian Word” were held.
A crater on Mercury is named after Derzhavin.
In 2016, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill and President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov took part in the opening ceremony of the monument to the Russian poet and statesman Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin on his small homeland near Kazan (village of Kaipy), on the day of the 200th anniversary of the poet’s death.
Poems by Gabriel Derzhavin:
To the author who ridiculed poets in comedy and translated Anacreon
Albaum
Cupid and Psyche
Cupid and Psyche
Anacreon in the assembly
Anacreon at the stove
Anacreon's pleasure
Aristippian bath
Harp
Ataman and the Don Army
Ataman and the Don Army
To the Athenian Knight
Butterfly
Without a kind breast languishes
Conversation with Genius
Immortality of the soul
Gratitude
Thanks to Felitsa
Bliss of the Spouse
God
Wealth
Goddess of health
The battle
Boscanf, Laba and Dolski
Fraternal consent
Storm
Byvalshchina
On the day of irritated fate
In memory of Davydov and Khvostov
Varyusha
Introduction of Solomon to the Judgment Seat
Fan
Majesty of God
Nobleman
Venus court
Crown of Immortality
Lelya's wedding
Spring
View to the author of “Suvoroids”
Vision of Murza
Visha
To rulers and judges
Attention
Water cannon
Waterfall
Return of Spring
War Song
The reign of truth
Our enemies are our best friends
Multiplying the torment every day
Vsemile
Signboard
Signboard
Mr. Dietz
Hebe
Hercules
Hymn to God
Hymn to God
Safa's Hymn to Venus
Guitar
Dove
Burners
Gorki
Mountains
Combustible key
Guest
Hail, all the delights of birth
Countess Orlova
Thunder
Gift
Dasha's offering
Country life
Children for their comedy and masquerade
Dianine light shine, ethereal purity
Virtue
Proof of Creative Being
A terrible rumor has reached me
To a friend
To a friend of women
Evgeniy. Life Zvanskaya
Wish
Desire in the mountains
Winter's Wish
Village life
Zhukovsky and Rodzianka
Mystery
thoughtfulness
Happy eagle
Zephyr winds have arrived
Idyll
Idolatry
From the second song of Moses
From the poem "Pozharsky"
Felitsa's image
True
True Happiness
To Angelica Kaufman
To the bust of Admiral Vasily Yakovlevich Chichagov
To the Graces
To the virtuous beauty
To women
To the image of Emperor Paul I
To Calliope (Come, immortal, from heaven...)
To a handsome man
To the lyre (Sounding lyre)
To the lyre (Rumyantsov was getting ready to sing)
To a mother who raises her children herself
To the Patron
To the marble bust of Catherine II
To the Muse
To N. A. Lvov
To the first neighbor
To the portrait of Admiral Alexander Ivanovich Cruz
To the portrait of Admiral Spiridov
To the portrait of V.V. Kapnist
To the portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna
To the portrait of Ivan Ivanovich Dmitriev
To the portrait of Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova
To the portrait of Lomonosov
To the portrait of N. A. Dyakov
To the portrait of a beautiful and virtuous woman
To the portrait of His Eminence Innocent of Pskov
To the portrait of the Right Reverend Plato
To the portrait of Senator Prince Yakov Fedorovich Dolgorukov
To the portrait of a hard worker
To the portrait of one who achieved virtues and glory through atrocities
To myself
Towards the silhouette of Chemnitzer
To Skopikhin
To Sofia
To the statue of Catherine II
To F. M. Kolokoltsov
To Euterpe
How I met you
Cantata
Cantata for the day of the military order to Russian heroes
Kapnista
Key
To the second neighbor
You smolder with passion for me
Chariot
Kroesov Eros
Peasant holiday
Mug
Grasshopper
Cupid
Martin
Swan
Lion and wolf
Summer
Lisa. Praise to the Rose
For an art lover
Love's thoughts open
Lyubushka
Lucy
Mahiavel
Miller
Mercury
Dream
I know those torments
Fashionable wit
My graces
My idol
Prayer (God the Creator)
Prayer (Who can, Lord, know Your statutes?)
Prayer (Incomprehensible God, Creator of all creatures)
Prayer (O God, Creator of immortal souls)
Prayer (O God! I honor the luminosity of Your limits)
Monument to Peter the Great
Sailor
Courage
Vengeance
N. A. Lvov
To the ballet "Zephyr and Flora"
On the badger
On the atheists
To the chatterbox
For the marriage of Countess Litta
For the wedding of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich
For wedding celebrations
On the bust in the medallion of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna
On a cantankerous writer
To take Warsaw
For the capture of Ishmael
On the return of Count Zubov from Persia
For fortune telling
For the recovery of the Patron
On the Gatchina ponds during the reign of Emperor Paul I
Howitzers, Count Shuvalov, and horse artillery, introduced by Prince Zubov
On Dryagi's coffin
On the coffin of a nobleman and a hero
On the coffin of Count Pyotr Ivanovich Panin
On Dubyansky's coffin
On the coffin of Prince Pyotr Mikhailovich Golitsyn
On the coffin of Prince A. A. Vyazemsky
On the coffin of Prince Alexander Andreevich Bezborodko
On the coffin of Fortune's favorite
On the tomb of Peter the Great
On Pozharsky's coffin
On the coffin of N. N.
To the tomb of P. V. Neklyudov
To the home church of Prince A. N. Golitsyn
On Vacation home Senator Nikolai Ivanovich Chicherin
To a famous poet
On the image of Catherine II (Majesty, love, generosity, beauty)
On the image of Catherine II (He breathes love for Russia)
On the image of Peter the Great (God rarely works miracles)
On the image of Peter the Great (Whom I see shining among the rays)
On the image of Suvorov upon his resignation
On the image of Feofan
On Cantemir
To the deceit of French indignation and in honor of Prince Pozharsky
On the death of a benefactor
On the death of Grand Duchess Olga Pavlovna
On the death of Count Orlov
On the death of Catherine II
On the death of Empress Catherine II
To a self-seeker
To Beauty
For the baptism of Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich
On Losenkova
To the Order of Malta
At the masquerade that took place before the Empress in Kazan
On the medallion of Countess Alexandra Vasilievna Branitskaya
On the medallion of Catherine II at Musina-Pushkina
On the medallion of Catherine II from Protasova
On the medallion depicting Suvorov in lion skin
To the monument erected by Countess Branicka
On the marble image of Metropolitan Gabriel
On a marble column in the Red Manor of the Naryshkins
On an inflated, unjust and lame historian
For the New Year 1797
For the New Year 1798
For the New Year
For the consecration of the Kamennoostrovsky nursing home
For the consecration of the temple in the office of Her Majesty Catherine II
For the consecration of the Church of the Kazan Mother of God in St. Petersburg
For the opening of governorships
To reflect the Swedes by Greig
During Her Majesty's absence in Belarus
On the fall of the new Phaeton
At the funeral service of Louis XVI
To transfer the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky
On the crossing of the Alpine mountains
To Peterhof
For the victory won by Archduke Charles
For victories in Italy
On the victory of Catherine II over the Turks
For the presentation by deputies of the title of Catherine the Great to Her Majesty
To conquer Derbent
To conquer Paris
For a commander who wanted to get a haircut
On Popovsky
To visit the printing house in Tambov by Bishop Theophilus
To overcome the enemy
For the acquisition of Crimea
For a walk in the Georgian Garden
On the prophecies of Simeon of Polotsk and Demetrius of Rostov
Birdie
For separation
To the rhymer
For the birth of a porphyritic youth in the North
On the birth of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich
For the birth of Grand Duchess Olga Pavlovna
On the birth of Queen Gremislava
On the Rondo to Peter the Great
On Skrypleva
In case the Moscow Kremlin breaks down
On the death of Bibikov
On the death of Bibikov
On the death of Countess Rumyantsova
On the death of Katerina Yakovlevna
On the death of Prince Alexander Andreevich Bezborodko
On the death of Prince Meshchersky
On the death of Naryshkin
On the death of Peter the Great
To the death of the dog Milushka
On the death of Suvorov
On the Magpie in defense of the Cuckoos
On the one who composed an ode without ers
On the statue of Peter the Great
For Happiness
On the tragedy "False Dmitry" of Prince Beloselsky
To the vanity of earthly glory
To the pleasure garden called Caprice
For moderation
On the character of Emperor Paul
On Khmelnina
To the cold poet
On Chemesova
To the Swedish world
At the procession of the Empress to Kazan
Above the doors of the chambers where the sick lie
Tombstone for Shelekhov
Tombstone of Empress Catherine II
Hope in God
Inscription to the portrait of Catherine II
Inscription to the portrait of Princess E. N. Orlova
Opposite you with you
For the bride
Forget-me-not
Already inevitable fate
Nina
Housewarming for young people
About pleasure
Monastery of Dobrada
Defense from a thief
Declaration of love
Ode to Catherine II
Ode to Mouterpy
Ode to Greatness
Ode for Her Majesty's Birthday
Ode to Nobility
Ode to Endearment
Ode to Censure
Ode to Constancy
Ode to the death of Chief General Bibikov
Fetter
Description of the celebration in the house of Prince Potemkin
Eagle
Autumn
Autumn during the siege of Ochakov
Opening
Excerpt (He triumphed and grinned)
Excerpt (Don't give yourself up to sadness)
Excerpt (Having washed the Kostroma sole of the solid walls)
Hunter
Peacock
Monument
Monument to the hero
Parashe
Penalty
Warbler
The first canto of Pindar is Pythic
Bayard's Song
The wedding song of the porphyritic couple
Song to Catherine the Great
Peter the Great
Picnics
Pyramid
Letter to my husband on New Year's Day 1780
Plamide
Prisoner
Victory of beauty
To the winner
Imitation of a Psalm
Repentance
Polyhymnia
Wake
God's help
Portrait of Varyusha
Sending fruits
Sinking
Praise for Justice
Praise for rural life
Poems of praise to Gavrila Andreevich Surovtsov
Righteous Judge
Rule to live
Justice
Celebration of the pupils of the nunnery
Foreshadowing
Obstacle to meeting your spouse
At the entrance to the Grigorievskaya Hospital
When reading the description of winter in Rossiyad
Invitation to dinner
Confession
Invocation and appearance of the Plenira
Offering to the beauties
Offering to the Monarchine
Coming of Phoebus
Glimpse
Providence
Walk
Walk in Sarskoe village
Sermon
Bird catcher
May it be tomorrow, may it be me today
Bee
Joy for Justice
Ruins
Parting
Various wines
Repentance
Blooming Rose
Resolution
The river of times in its aspiration
Reshemysl
The birth of beauty
Birth of Love
Rock needs to break up
Russian girls
To Russian graces
Sappho
Liberty
lamentation
Titmouse
Modesty
Snigir
With power in the heart, opening the way
Advice
Advice to the author
Nightingale
Nightingale in a dream
Solomon and Shulamite
Sonnet
Compassion
Reference
Sleeping Eros
Stanzas for Clarice
Old man
Shooter
Suvorov for his stay in the Tauride Palace
Suvorov-Rymniksky to Rochensalm from Tsarskoe Selo
Scholastic
Happy family
Your legacy, Zhukovskaya!
Silence
Tonchiyu
Longing of the soul
When would you know this
Evidence
Tenderness
Trust in God's protection
One who trusts in his own strength
Urn
Calm disbelief
Consolation to the kind
Morning
Felitsa
Philosophers drunk and sober
Fleet
Flashlight
Charites
Hop
Choir at the Swedish World
Khrapovitsky (Old comrade)
Khrapovitsky (Khrapovitsky! signs of friendship)
Christ
Tsar Maiden
Healing of Saul
Chains
Chain
Gypsy dance
Petition for the completion of the house
Scabies
Procession along the Volkhov of the Russian Amphitrite
Comic desire
Epigram
Epistle to I. I. Shuvalov
Epistle to General Mikhelson for the defense of Kazan
Epitaph to Catherine II
Epitaph to the sage of this century
Echo
I see me in passion
I, deprived by fate of a dear
Appearance of Apollo and Daphne on the Neva Bank
Fragmentum
Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin occupies a significant place in Russian literature along with D.I. Fonvizin and M.V. Lomonosov. Together with these titans of Russian literature, he is included in the brilliant galaxy of founders of Russian classical literature of the Enlightenment era, dating back to the second half of the 18th century. At this time, largely thanks to the personal participation of Catherine the Second, science and art were rapidly developing in Russia.
This is the time of the first appearance Russian universities, libraries, theaters, public museums and a relatively independent press, however, very relative and for a short period, which ended with the appearance of “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” by A.P. Radishcheva. The most fruitful period of the poet’s activity dates back to this time, as Famusov Griboyedov called it, “the golden age of Catherine.”
Life
The future poet was born on July 14, 1743 in the family estate of Sokury near Kazan.
Even in early childhood, he lost his father, an officer in the Russian army, and was raised by his mother Fyokla Andreevna Kozlova. Derzhavin's life was bright and eventful, largely thanks to his intelligence, energy and character. There have been incredible ups and downs. Based on his biography, one could write an adventure novel based on real events. But, more about everything.
In 1762, as befits children of the nobility, he was accepted into the Preobrazhensky Regiment as an ordinary guardsman. In 1772 he became an officer and from 1773 to 1775. took part in the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion. At this time, two completely opposite in significance and improbability events happen to him. During the Pugachev rebellion, he completely lost his fortune, but soon card game won 40,000 rubles.
It was only in 1773 that his first poems were published. Some people date back to this period of life. Interesting Facts his life. Like many officers, he did not shy away from carousing and gambling, which almost deprived Russia of a great poet. Cards drove him to cheating; all sorts of unseemly tricks were committed for the sake of money. Fortunately, he was able to realize in time the harmfulness of this path and change his lifestyle.
In 1777 he left with military service resign. Enters to serve as a state councilor in the Senate. It is worth noting that he was an incorrigible truth-teller, and, moreover, did not particularly worship his superiors, for which he never enjoyed the love of the latter. From May 1784 to 1802 was on public service, including from 1791-1793. cabinet secretary of Catherine II, but his inability to openly flatter and promptly suppress reports unpleasant to the royal ears contributed to the fact that he did not stay here for long. During his service, he rose in his career to become the Minister of Justice of the Russian Empire.
Thanks to his truth-loving and irreconcilable character, Gabriel Romanovich did not stay in each position for more than two years due to constant conflicts with thieving officials, as can be seen from the chronology of his service. All attempts to achieve justice only irritated his high patrons.
During all this time he was engaged in creative activities. The odes “God” (1784), “Thunder of Victory, Ring Out!” were created. (1791, the unofficial anthem of Russia), well known to us from Pushkin’s story “Dubrovsky”, “The Nobleman” (1794), “Waterfall” (1798) and many others.
After retirement, he lived on his family estate Zvanka in the Novgorod province, where he devoted all his time to creativity. He passed away on July 8, 1816.
Literary creativity
Derzhavin became widely known in 1782 with the publication of the ode “Felitsa,” dedicated to the Empress. Early works - an ode to the wedding of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, published in 1773. In general, the ode occupies one of the dominant places in the poet’s work. His odes have reached us: “On the death of Bibikov”, “On the nobles”, “On Her Majesty’s Birthday”, etc. In his first compositions one can feel an open imitation of Lomonosov. Over time, he moved away from this and adopted the works of Horace as a model for his odes. He published his works mainly in the St. Petersburg Bulletin. These are: “Songs to Peter the Great” (1778), an epistole to Shuvalov, “On the death of Prince Meshchersky”, “The Key”, “On the birth of a porphyry-born youth” (1779), “On the absence of the empress in Belarus”, “To the first neighbor”, “ To rulers and judges" (1780).
The sublime tone and vivid pictures of these works attracted the attention of writers. The poet attracted the attention of society with his “Ode to Felitsa,” dedicated to the queen. A snuff box studded with diamonds and 50 chervonets were the reward for the ode, thanks to which he was noticed by the queen and the public. His odes “To the Capture of Ishmael” and “Waterfall” brought him no less success. The meeting and close acquaintance with Karamzin led to cooperation in Karamzin’s Moscow Journal. His “Monument to a Hero”, “On the Death of Countess Rumyantseva”, “The Majesty of God” were published here.
Shortly before the departure of Catherine the Second, Derzhavin presented her with his handwritten collection of works. This is remarkable. After all, the poet’s talent flourished precisely during her reign. In fact, his work became a living monument to the reign of Catherine II. In the last years of his life he tried to experiment with tragedies, epigrams and fables, but they do not have the same height as his poetry.
Criticism was mixed. From awe to almost complete denial of his work. Only the works of D. Grog, dedicated to Derzhavin, which appeared after the revolution, and his efforts to publish the works and biography of the poet made it possible to evaluate his work.
For us, Derzhavin is the first poet of that era whose poems can be read without additional comments and explanations.
In the first decade of the 19th century, Borovikovsky’s portrait concept underwent a significant metamorphosis: his brush leaned toward the classicist ideal. The silhouette becomes simple and clear, local color replaces light-shading, and the pictorial texture becomes denser. As a rule, the artist prefers to portrait persons of mature age, whose proud posture is filled with “noble simplicity and calm grandeur.” In line with this trend, the image of G.R. found its place. Derzhavin, the great poet of Russian classicism.
Derzhavin Gavrila Romanovich (1743-1816) - poet, statesman, privy councilor. From the small landed nobility. In 1762 he began serving as a soldier in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Together with the regiment, he takes part in the palace coup, as a result of which Catherine II ascends the throne. In 1772 Derzhavin is promoted to officer. His first appearances in print date back to the same period. In 1773 Derzhavin participated in the suppression of the Pugachev uprising. During the suppression of the rebellion, Derzhavin proves himself to be a brave and energetic officer, but his inability to please his superiors leads to him being bypassed for awards. Derzhavin’s attempts to achieve a well-deserved reward ended with his dismissal from the civil service with the rank of collegiate adviser and the receipt of 300 peasants in Belarus. In 1777, having found patronage from Prince Vyazemsky, Derzhavin entered service in the Senate. In 1778 he married a 16-year-old girl, Ekaterina Bastidon. In 1780 he received the rank of state councilor. In 1784, after a conflict with Vyazemsky, who hid state revenues, he retired and became governor of Tambov. His energy very soon led to a clash with his superiors here too. The Senate did not support Derzhavin - not only removed him from office, but opened a case against him. The Empress closed the case, but did not confirm his innocence. His odes, however, pleased Catherine and her favorites. Derzhavin was appointed Secretary of State of the Empress. But the service here was unsuccessful for Derzhavin. He failed to please the empress, because she demanded new poems, and he brought piles of papers to Catherine, demanding her attention to complicated matters related to the corruption of courtiers and senior officials. Catherine II appoints Derzhavin as her cabinet secretary. But even in this post, his character remains the same: not pleasing the empress, Derzhavin was dismissed from office and in 1793. - appointed senator. Given the small role played by the Senate, this was a sign of disfavor. He was awarded the Order of Vladimir, II degree, and received the rank of Privy Councilor. After the accession of Paul I, Derzhavin was first persecuted, but then, with an ode to the emperor’s accession to the throne, he returned his favor. The poet receives honorary commissions, becomes a Knight of the Order of Malta, and (1794) is appointed president of the Commerce College. Derzhavin's wife dies. On her death in 1793, he writes a heartfelt poem “Swallow”. Soon (1795) Derzhavin married Daria Alekseevna Dyakova. He himself explained his quick second marriage not by love, but “so that, remaining a widower, he would not become dissolute.” There were no children from either the first or second marriage. In 1802–1803, in connection with the transformation of the state apparatus, Alexander I appointed Derzhavin as the first Minister of Justice in Russian history, simultaneously performing the functions of Prosecutor General. He lasted only a year in office and was sent into full retirement. When asked directly why he was being fired, the emperor answered frankly: “You serve very zealously.”
V. Borovikovsky "G.R. Derzhavin (fragment)
I didn't know how to pretend
Look like a saint
To inflate yourself with an important dignity
And take the philosopher's view;
I loved sincerity
I thought only they would like me,
The human mind and heart
They were my genius. (G.R. Derzhavin)
Gabriel (Gavrila) Romanovich Derzhavin(July 3, 1743 - July 8, 1816) - Russian poet of the Enlightenment, who in various years of his life held the highest government positions: ruler of the Olonets governorship (1784-1785), governor Tambov province(1786-1788), cabinet secretary of Catherine II (1791-1793), president of the Commerce College (from 1794), minister of justice (1802-1803). Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences since its founding.
Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin was born on a family estate in the village of Karmachi near Kazan in 1743, and spent his childhood there. He lost his father, Major Roman Nikolaevich, early. Mother - Fyokla Andreevna (nee Kozlova). Derzhavin is a descendant of the Tatar Murza Bagrim, who moved out of the Great Horde in the 15th century.
In 1757, Derzhavin entered the Kazan gymnasium.
He studied well, but he did not manage to finish the gymnasium: in February 1762 he was called to St. Petersburg and assigned to the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. He began his service as a simple soldier and served for ten years, and from 1772 in an officer's position. In 1773−1774 he participated in the suppression of the Pugachev uprising.
Together with the regiment, he took part in the palace coup that brought Catherine II to the throne. Literary and public fame came to Derzhavin in 1782, after writing the ode “Felitsa”, which praises Empress Catherine II.
I. Smirnovsky "Portrait of G.R. Derzhavin
Hot by nature, Derzhavin always had difficulties in life because of his lack of restraint, impatience, and even because of his zeal for work, which was not always welcomed.
G.R. Derzhavin in Olonets province
In 1773, by decree of Catherine II, the Olonets province was created (consisting of two counties and one district).
The complex system of local administrative and judicial bodies that existed under Peter I was destroyed after his death. By the beginning of the 60s of the 18th century, essentially only governors and governors remained in place. Therefore, from the first years of her reign, Catherine II had to not so much reform as create a new system of local government and courts, initially trying to correct their shortcomings with separate private decrees. Until 1775, she issued about a hundred such laws, although the vast majority were on private and minor issues. Peasants' War under the leadership of E. Pugachev forced Catherine to act more decisively. Also V.O. Klyuchevsky noted that the local administration was unable to either prevent the uprising or resist it.
In 1776, in accordance with the “Institutions”, the Novgorod governorate was formed, consisting of two regions - Novgorod and Olonets.
The first Olonets governor was G.R. Derzhavin. In accordance with the law, the governor was entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities: to monitor the actions of all other officials and the implementation of laws. This was obvious to Derzhavin; he believed that establishing order in local government and the courts depended solely on a conscientious attitude to business and strict compliance with the law by officials. The lines of G.R.’s own poem eloquently speak about this. Derzhavina:
I know what my position is:
All that is stingy, and vile, and vicious,
And I won’t tolerate anyone this way or that.
And I will only glorify those with praise,
Who will surprise with good morals,
It will be useful to yourself and society -
Be a master, be a servant, but he will be kind to me.
V. Borovikovsky "Portrait of Derzhavin"
Already a month after the formation of the province, subordinate institutions were informed that all persons in the public service who violated the law would be punished, according to the importance of their omissions, by deprivation of their place or rank.
When forming the bureaucracy G.R. Derzhavin was faced with a problem such as a chronic lack of competent officials.
Simultaneously with the creation of the governorship, new provincial judicial bodies were established.
Derzhavin tried to restore order in the province and fought corruption, but this only led to conflicts with the local elite.
G.R. Derzhavin - governor of the Tambov province
In December 1785, by decree of Catherine II, he was appointed to the post of ruler of the Tambov governorship, where he arrived on March 4, 1786.
Arriving in Tambov, Derzhavin found the province in extreme disorder. During the six years of the existence of the province, four governors were replaced, affairs were in disarray, the borders of the province were not defined, arrears reached enormous proportions, and the provincial center was buried in the mud. There was a sense of lack of education throughout society, and especially among the nobility, which, according to Derzhavin, “... was so rude and needy that they could neither dress, nor enter, nor address themselves as a noble person should...”
Grammar, arithmetic, geometry, vocal music, and dance classes were opened for youth. The garrison school and theological seminary provided a low level of knowledge, so a public school was opened in the house of the merchant Jonah Borodin. Theatrical performances were given in the governor's house, and soon the construction of a theater began. Derzhavin can be credited with writing the topography of the province and drawing up a plan for Tambov, putting things in order in office work, opening a printing house, taking measures to improve navigation along the Tsna River, and purchasing flour for St. Petersburg that was profitable for the treasury. Under the new governor, compliance with laws improved and the prison was put in order. The foundation was laid for an orphanage, an almshouse, and a hospital. Under him, public schools were opened in Kozlov, Lebedyan, and Morshansk. In the first provincial printing house, one of the few provincial newspapers, “Gubernskie Vedomosti,” began printing. Derzhavin’s activities laid a strong foundation for the further development of the Tambov region.
Senators Vorontsov and Naryshkin came to audit affairs in the province. The improvement was so obvious that in September 1787 Derzhavin was awarded the Order of Vladimir, 3rd degree. Having no special training, Derzhavin showed administrative talent and proved that the reason for his inaction in his previous post as Olonets governor was someone else’s opposition.
But Derzhavin’s progressive activities in the Tambov region came into conflict with the interests of local landowners and nobles. In addition, Governor General I.V. Gudovich took the side of his entourage in all conflicts. They, in turn, covered up local thieves and scammers.
Derzhavin's attempt to punish the landowner Dulov, who ordered the shepherd boy to be brutally beaten for a minor offense, failed. But the hostility of the provincial landowners towards the governor, who limited their arbitrariness, grew stronger. Also in vain were actions to suppress the theft of the merchant Matvey Borodin, who deceived the treasury when supplying bricks for construction, and then received a wine payoff on conditions unfavorable to the treasury. The matter of purchasing provisions for the army turned out extremely unsuccessfully for Derzhavin.
The flow of reports, complaints, and slander against Derzhavin increased, and in January 1789 he was removed from the post of governor. Derzhavin's short governorship brought great benefits to the Tambov region and left a noticeable mark on the history of the region.
In 1789, Derzhavin returned to the capital, where he occupied various high administrative positions. All this time he continues to engage in literary creativity, creating the odes “God” (1784), “Thunder of Victory, Ring Out!” (1791, unofficial Russian anthem), “Nobleman” (1794), “Waterfall” (1798) and other works.
- 1791-1793 - Cabinet Secretary of Catherine II
- from 1793 - Senator
Under Emperor Paul I, the poet was appointed state treasurer, but he did not get along with Paul, since, due to his developed habit, he was often rude and swore during his reports. “Go back to the Senate,” the emperor once shouted at him, “and sit there quietly with me, otherwise I’ll teach you a lesson!” Struck by the anger of Paul I, Derzhavin only said: “Wait, this tsar will be of some use.” Alexander I, who replaced Paul, also did not leave Derzhavin unattended - he appointed him Minister of Justice. But a year later he released him: “he serves too zealously.”
In 1809, he was finally removed from all government posts (“dismissed from all affairs”).
Derzhavin and Pushkin
I. Repin "Derzhavin at the exam at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum"
In 1815, during an exam at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, Derzhavin and Pushkin met for the first time. Pushkin’s memories of this meeting have been preserved: “I saw Derzhavin only once in my life, but I will never forget it. It was in 1815, at a public examination at the Lyceum. When we found out that Derzhavin would be visiting us, we all became excited. Delvig went out onto the stairs to wait for him and kiss his hand, the hand that wrote “Waterfall.” Derzhavin has arrived. He entered the hallway, and Delvig heard him ask the doorman: where, brother, is the outhouse here? This prosaic question disappointed Delvig, who canceled his intention and returned to the hall. Delvig told me this with amazing simplicity and gaiety. Derzhavin was very old. He was in a uniform and velvet boots. Our exam tired him very much. He sat with his head on his hand. His face was meaningless, his eyes were dull, his lips were hanging: his portrait (where he is shown in a cap and robe) is very similar. He dozed off until the exam in Russian literature began. Here he perked up, his eyes sparkled; he was completely transformed. Of course, his poems were read, his poems were analyzed, his poems were praised every minute. He listened with extraordinary liveliness. Finally they called me. I read my “Memoirs in Tsarskoe Selo” while standing two steps from Derzhavin. I am unable to describe the state of my soul: when I reached the verse where I mention Derzhavin’s name, my adolescent voice rang and my heart began to beat with rapturous delight...
I don’t remember how I finished my reading, I don’t remember where I ran away to. Derzhavin was delighted; he demanded me, wanted to hug me... They looked for me, but didn’t find me..."
Creativity G.R. Derzhavina
Before Derzhavin, Russian poetry still remained rather conventional. He boldly and unusually expanded its themes - from a solemn ode to the simplest song. For the first time in Russian poetry, the image of the author, the personality of the poet himself, appeared. Art is based on a high truth, Derzhavin believed, which only a poet can explain. Art must imitate nature, only then can one get closer to a true comprehension of the world, to a true study of people, to the correction of their morals.
Derzhavin develops the traditions of Russian classicism, being a successor to the traditions of Lomonosov and Sumarokov.
For him, the purpose of a poet is to glorify great deeds and censure bad ones. In the ode “Felitsa” he glorifies the enlightened monarchy, which is personified by the reign of Catherine II. The intelligent, fair empress is contrasted with the greedy and selfish court nobles:
You just won’t offend the only one,
Don't insult anyone
You see the foolishness through your fingers,
The only thing you can’t tolerate is evil...
Derzhavin looked at poetry, at his talent, first of all, as a kind of weapon given to him from above for political battles. He even compiled a special “key” to his works - a detailed commentary indicating exactly what events led to the creation of a particular work.
"To Rulers and Judges"
The Almighty God has risen and judges
Earthly gods in their host;
How long, rivers, how long will you be
Spare the unrighteous and evil?
Your duty is: to preserve the laws,
Don't look at the faces of the strong,
No help, no defense
Do not leave orphans and widows.
Your duty: to save the innocent from harm,
Give cover to the unlucky;
To protect the powerless from the strong,
Free the poor from their shackles.
They won't listen! - they see and don’t know!
Covered with bribes of tow:
Atrocities shake the earth,
Untruth shakes the skies.
Kings! - I thought you gods were powerful,
No one is the judge over you, -
But you, like me, are equally passionate
And they are just as mortal as I am.
And you will fall like this,
Like a withered leaf falling from the tree!
And you will die like this,
How your last slave will die!
Resurrect, God! God of the right!
And they heeded their prayer:
Come, judge, punish the evil ones
And be one king of the earth!
In 1797, Derzhavin acquired the Zvanka estate, where he spent several months every year. The following year, the first volume of his works was published, which included such poems that immortalized his name, such as “On the Birth of a Porphyry Youth”, “On the Death of Prince. Meshchersky”, “Key”, odes “God”, “On the Capture of Ishmael”, “Nobleman”, “Waterfall”, “Bullfinch”.
After retiring, Derzhavin devoted himself almost entirely to drama - he composed several librettos for operas, tragedies “Herod and Mariamne”, “Eupraxia”, “Dark”. From 1807, he actively participated in meetings of the literary circle, which later formed the famous society “Conversation of Lovers of the Russian Word.” He worked on “Discourse on Lyric Poetry or Ode,” in which he summarized his own literary experience.
Gabriel Romanovich and his wife Daria Alekseevna were buried in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Varlaamo-Khutyn Monastery near Veliky Novgorod. Derzhavin died in 1816 in his house on the Zvanka estate. The coffin with the body of the deceased on a barge along the Volkhov went to its final resting place. During the Great Patriotic War, the monastery was destroyed. Derzhavin’s grave was also damaged. In 1959, the remains of the poet and his wife were reburied in Novgorod Detinets. In 1993, in connection with the 250th anniversary of the poet, his remains were returned to the monastery.
"Monument"
I erected a wonderful, eternal monument to myself,
It is harder than metals and higher than the pyramids;
Neither a whirlwind nor a fleeting thunder will break it,
And time's flight will not crush it.
So! - all of me will not die; but there is a big part of me.
Having escaped from decay, he will live after death,
And my glory will increase without fading,
How long will the universe honor the Slavic race?
Rumors will spread about me from the White Waters to the Black Waters,
Where the Volga, Don, Neva, the Urals flow from Riphean;
Everyone will remember this among countless nations,
How from obscurity I became known,
That I was the first to dare in a funny Russian syllable
To proclaim Felitsa’s virtues,
Talk about God in simplicity of heart
And speak the truth to kings with a smile.
O Muse! be proud of your just merit,
And whoever despises you, despise them yourself;
With a relaxed hand, leisurely,
Crown your brow with the dawn of immortality.
Memories of Derzhavin S.T. Aksakova
Derzhavin’s noble and direct character was so open, so defined, so well known that no one was mistaken about him; everyone who wrote about him wrote very correctly. One can imagine that in his youth his ardor and temper were even stronger and that his liveliness often involved him in rash speeches and careless actions. As far as I could notice, he had not yet learned, despite seventy-three years of experience, to control his feelings and hide the excitement of his heart from others. Impatience, it seems to me, was the main quality of his character; and I think that she caused him a lot of unpleasant troubles in everyday life and even prevented him from developing smoothness and correctness of language in poetry. As soon as inspiration left him, he became impatient and handled the language without any respect: he bent the syntax, the word stress and the very use of words to his knees. He showed me how he corrected unsmooth, rough expressions in his previous works, which he was preparing for a future publication. I can say positively that what was corrected was incomparably worse than what was not corrected, and the irregularities were replaced by even greater irregularities. I attribute this failure in amendments solely to Derzhavin’s impatient disposition. I dared to give him a little opinion, and he agreed very complacently.
The river of times in its rush
Takes away all people's affairs
And drowns in the abyss of oblivion
Nations, kingdoms and kings.
And if anything remains
Through the sounds of the lyre and trumpet,
Then it will be devoured by the mouth of eternity
And the common fate will not go away.
(unfinished ode to Derzhavin)
The great Russian poet Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin was born in the Kazan province in 1743. After initial home learning to read and write, numbers and German language, under the leadership of the clergy, the exiled German Rose, Lebedev and Poletaev, Derzhavin was sent to the Kazan gymnasium that opened in 1759. Here Derzhavin became especially fond of drawing and fell in love with the art of engineering. When the director of the gymnasium, M.I. Verevkin, presented the works of the best students, including Gavriil Derzhavin, to the curator Shuvalov, Derzhavin was announced as the conductor of the engineering corps. At the beginning of 1762, a demand came that Derzhavin report for service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Shuvalov apparently forgot that he himself appointed Derzhavin to the engineering corps. Subsequently, Gabriel Romanovich did not have to supplement his education, and its absence is reflected in all his poetry. He himself understood this; later he wrote: “I confess my shortcoming is that I was brought up at a time and within the boundaries of the empire, when and where the enlightenment of science had not yet fully penetrated not only the minds of the people, but also the state to which I belong.” "
Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin
12 years of military service are the darkest and most bleak period in the biography of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin. At first, he had to live in the barracks with the soldiers. There was nothing to think about literary creativity and science: only at night it was possible to read something and write poetry. Since Derzhavin did not have “protectors,” he advanced extremely slowly in his career. After the accession to the throne of Catherine II, Derzhavin asked Alexei Orlov himself in a letter for a promotion and only thanks to this he received the rank of corporal. After a year's leave, Gabriel Romanovich returned to St. Petersburg and from that time began to live in the barracks with the nobles. If material conditions improved somewhat, new inconveniences appeared. Derzhavin began to indulge in carousing and cards. After a second vacation to Kazan (1767), Derzhavin stopped in Moscow and spent about 2 years here. Here, a wild life almost led Derzhavin to death: he became a sharper and indulged in all sorts of tricks for money. Finally, in 1770 he decided to leave Moscow and change his lifestyle.
In 1772, Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin received his first officer rank. From that time on, he begins to withdraw from bad society, and if he plays cards, then “out of necessity for a living.” In 1773 A. I. Bibikova was tasked with pacifying the Pugachev rebellion. To conduct investigative cases, Bibikov took Derzhavin with him, by the way, at his personal request. Gabriel Romanovich developed the most energetic activities during the Pugachev era. At first, he attracted Bibikov’s attention with his investigation into the case of the surrender of Samara. While in Kazan, Derzhavin, on behalf of the nobles, composed a speech in response to the rescript of Catherine II, which was then published in St. Petersburg Vedomosti. In his actions, Derzhavin was always distinguished by a certain independence, which placed him high in the eyes of some of his superiors, but at the same time made him enemies among the local authorities. Derzhavin had little regard for the position and connections of the people with whom he dealt. In the end, the war with Pugachev did not bring any external differences to Gavriil Romanovich and he was almost subjected to a military court.
Portrait of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin. Artist V. Borovikovsky, 1811
In 1776 through A. A. Bezborodko he submitted a letter to the empress calculating his merits and asking for a reward. By decree of February 15, 1777, Gabriel Romanovich was granted the status of collegiate adviser and at the same time received 300 souls in Belarus. On this occasion, Derzhavin wrote “Outpouring of a Grateful Heart to Empress Catherine II.” Six months after his resignation, Derzhavin, thanks to his acquaintance with Prosecutor General A. A. Vyazemsky, received the position of executor in the Senate. In 1778 Derzhavin married Katerina Yakovlevna Bastidon. The marriage was successful; His wife’s aesthetic sense did not remain without influence on the work of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin. In 1780 Derzhavin was transferred to the position of adviser to the newly established expedition of state revenues and expenses. By order of Vyazemsky, Derzhavin wrote a code for this institution, published in full Assembly Zap. (XXI, 15 – 120). Disagreements with Vyazemsky forced Derzhavin to leave his service in the Senate and retire (1784) with the rank of full state councilor.
By this time Derzhavin had already acquired a reputation in society literary name. Gavriil Romanovich peed while still in the gymnasium; in the barracks he read Kleist, Gagedorn, Klopstock, Haller, Gellert and translated “Messiad” in verse. The first original work, which appeared in print in 1773, was an ode to the first marriage of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. Upon returning from the Volga region, Derzhavin published “Odes translated and composed at Mount Chitalagai.” In addition to translations, there were odes to the death of Bibikov, to the nobles, to the birthday of Her Majesty, etc. Derzhavin’s first works were an imitation of Lomonosov. But Derzhavin in his work completely failed to achieve the soaring and unnatural manner that distinguishes Lomonosov’s poetry. Thanks for the advice P. A. Lvova, V.V. Kapnist and I.I. Khemnitser, Gavriil Romanovich abandoned imitation of Lomonosov and took Horace’s ode as a model. “Since 1779,” writes Derzhavin, “I have chosen a completely special path, guided by the instructions and advice of my friends.” Derzhavin placed his odes mainly in the “St. Petersburg Bulletin” without a signature: “Songs to Peter the Great” (1778), epistole to Shuvalov, “On the death of Prince Meshchersky”, “The Key”, “On the birth of a porphyry-born youth” (1779), “On absence of the empress to Belarus”, “To the first neighbor”, “To rulers and judges” (1780).
All these works, with their sublime tone and brilliant, lively pictures, attracted the attention of literature lovers, but not society, to Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin. In the latter, Derzhavin’s fame was created by the famous “Ode to Felice” (see full text, summary and analysis), published in the first book of the “Interlocutor of Lovers of the Russian Word” (1783). Derzhavin received for it a snuff-box, studded with diamonds, containing 50 chervonets. “Felitsa” placed Derzhavin high in the opinion of Catherine II, the court and the public. In “Interlocutor” Derzhavin published “Gratitude to Felitsa”, “Vision of Murza”, “Reshemysl” and, finally, “God” (see summary and full text). With his last poem, Derzhavin reached the apogee of his fame. At the very establishment of the Russian Academy, Derzhavin was elected its member and took part in the dictionary of the Russian language.
In 1784, Derzhavin was appointed ruler of the Olonets governorship, but Derzhavin immediately began to have troubles with the governor Tutolmin, and after a year and a half the poet was transferred to the same position in the Tambov governorship. Gavriil Romanovich occupied the place of Tambov governor for about 3 years. With his energetic activities, Derzhavin brought benefits to the province, introduced more regularity in the administration of conscription, improved the structure of prisons, and fixed roads and bridges. But even here, Derzhavin’s independent course of action, his temper, caused arguments with the governor. In 1788, Derzhavin was put on trial and was obliged to sign a written undertaking not to leave Moscow, where the case was to be carried out. In 1789, the Moscow Senate, having examined Derzhavin’s case, found that he was not guilty of any abuse of office. Seeing the merciful attitude of the Empress, who approved the decision of the Senate, Derzhavin wrote the ode “Image of Felitsa”, and, turning to the patronage of the new favorite Platon Zubov, dedicated the odes “On Moderation” and “To the Lyre” to him. The ode “To the Capture of Ishmael,” written at the same time, was a great success. Gabriel Romanovich received a snuff box worth 200 rubles. When Potemkin arrived in St. Petersburg, Derzhavin had to maneuver between two favorites. The death of Potemkin on the banks of the Prut gave rise to one of the most original and majestic poems in Derzhavin’s work - “Waterfall”. Derzhavin's rapprochement with Dmitriev and Karamzin dates back to this time; the latter invited him to participate in his Moscow Journal. Here Derzhavin placed “Song to a House That Loves Science” (Count Stroganov), “On the Death of Countess Rumyantseva”, “The Majesty of God”, “Monument to a Hero”.
In 1796 Derzhavin was ordered to be with the empress when accepting petitions. Gabriel Romanovich failed to please her: in life he could not flatter as subtly as in his poetic work, he was irritable and did not know how to stop reports that were unpleasant to Catherine II in time. In 1793, Derzhavin was appointed senator for the land survey department, and a few months later he was also given the post of president of the commercial board. In his senatorial activities, Derzhavin was distinguished by his extreme intransigence to those opinions that he considered incorrect. And since his love of truth was always expressed in a sharp and rude form, here too Derzhavin had many official disappointments. In 1794, Gabriel Romanovich's wife died; He dedicated the elegiac poem “Swallows” to her memory. Six months later, Derzhavin entered into a new marriage with D. A. Dyakova. In 1794, Derzhavin wrote the ode “On Nobility,” dedicated to the praise of Rumyantsev, and “On the Capture of Izmail.” His last odes during the life of Catherine II were: “On the birth of Queen Gremislava” (message to Naryshkin), “To the Knight of Athens” (Alexey Orlov), “Ode on the conquest of Derbent” (in honor of Valerian Zubov), “On the death of a benefactor” ( I. I. Betsky). Finally, Derzhavin presented Catherine II with a handwritten collection of his works, prefacing it with “An Offering to the Monarch.” Even before the death of the Empress, Derzhavin wrote “Monument” (see summary and full text), in which he summarized the meaning of his poetic work. The era of Catherine II marks the heyday of Derzhavin’s talent and its main significance in the poems of this era. Derzhavin's poetry is a monument to the reign of Catherine II. “In this heroic age of Russian history, events and people, with their gigantic dimensions, precisely corresponded to the courage of this original fantasy, the scope of this broad and capricious brush.” A whole epic of the era lives in the works of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin.
Derzhavin's creative activity diminished. In addition to epigrams and fables, Gabriel Romanovich began to write tragedies. He himself was confident in their merit, but in fact, Derzhavin’s dramatic works are below criticism. (Dobrynya, Pozharsky, Herod and Mariamne, Atabalibo, etc.). The Discourse on Lyric Poetry read in “Conversation” dates back to 1815. Derzhavin already considered it necessary to comment on his works and himself made “explanations” for them. Feeling the need to find out the real nature of his biography and career, so rich in vicissitudes, Derzhavin wrote Notes in 1812, published in Russian Conversation; they caused an unfavorable impression with their subjective assessment of persons and events. In this last period of his life, following the spirit of his time, Derzhavin tried to give a place to the folk language in his work. The awakening of the study of Russian nationality gave rise to Derzhavin's imaginary folk ballads and romances (Tsar Maiden, Novgorod Wolf Zlogor). The most successful of these poems was “To the Ataman and the Don Army.” Even in retirement, Derzhavin did not cease to respond to the events taking place around him (On the World of 1807, Lamentation, Lyroepic Hymn to Drive Out the French, etc.). Being retired, Derzhavin lived in St. Petersburg in the winters and in the summers on his estate in Novgorod province. "Zvanke". Gabriel Romanovich described his village life in a poetic message to Evgeny Bolkhovitinov. Derzhavin died in Zvanka on July 8, 1816.
In the 19th century, Derzhavin’s creative style seemed already outdated. Aesthetically, Gabriel Romanovich’s poems amaze with their amazing chaotic nature: amid the rhetorical pathos, we also discover the brilliance of real poetic talent. In the same way, Derzhavin’s language, rich in folk speech, achieves extraordinary smoothness and lightness in some poems, but in others it becomes unrecognizable in its heaviness. From a historical and literary point of view, the ode of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin is important because it introduced elements of simplicity, humor and vitality into the strained and far-from-life Lomonosov ode. His work reflected his clear satirical mind, his ardent disposition, common sense, alien to any morbid sentimentality and cold abstraction.
Critics' views on Derzhavin changed. After the reverence with which his name was surrounded, came a period of denial of any meaning behind it. Only the works of D. Grot, written before the revolution, on the publication of the works and biography of the poet, made it possible to impartially evaluate his work.
