Pushkin turns 225: Why is he Russia’s most celebrated poet?

This year, Russia celebrated the 225th birthday of the poet and writer Alexander Pushkin, a figure whose influence on Russian culture is immeasurable. In 1859, literary critic Apollon Grigoryev famously declared, “Pushkin is our everything,” a sentiment that has remained true for over two centuries.

Pushkin was born on June 6, 1799, into a noble family and received his education at the Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum, where his talent was first recognised. Despite living only 37 years, he left a vast literary legacy, including 14 poems, six plays, 12 prose works, and the novel in verse, Eugene Onegin. His works are central to the Russian school curriculum, with over 40 included.

What sets Pushkin apart from other great Russian writers like Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov is his role as the 'founding father' of Russian literature. While others wrote before him, Pushkin's works marked the true beginning of Russian literature as an international phenomenon.

Pushkin's influence on the Russian language is profound. Although the language has evolved over 200 years, the roots of modern Russian can be traced to his works, which are still published in their original form. Before Pushkin, Russian literature was divided into 'high,' 'medium,' and 'low' styles, limiting its development. Pushkin broke down these barriers by incorporating vernacular speech into his writing, making literature more accessible and enriching the language.

While Pushkin borrowed words from foreign languages, particularly French, he was careful not to dilute the Russian language. His innovations in linguistic constructions, phrases, and traditions have left a lasting impact, making modern Russians feel as though they speak the language of Pushkin.

Throughout Russian history, Pushkin's works have remained uncensored and revered, even during the Soviet era. In the collective consciousness, he will always be the 'sun of Russian poetry' and a 'great people's writer,' because, indeed, "Pushkin is our everything.”