Alexander Pushkin : Father of Russian Literature

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Пу́шкин, 6 June 1799 – 10 February 1837) was a Russian author of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature.

Pushkin was born into Russian nobility in Moscow. His great-grandfather from his mother’s side – Abram Gannibal – was brought over as a slave from Africa and had risen to become an aristocrat. Pushkin published his first poem at the age of fifteen, and was widely recognized by the literary establishment by the time of his graduation from the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Continue reading...