Mikhail Yuryevich
Lermontov
1814-1841
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov was a Russian poet, novelist, playwright, artist, lieutenant of the Life Guards of the Hussar Regiment. He was born in Moscow on 15 October, 1814 in the family of the officer Yuri Petrovich and Maria Mikhailovna Lermontov. The future poet spent his childhood at his grandmother’s family estate in Tarkhany. His grandmother Elizaveta Alekseevna took care of little Mikhail. From childhood, M.Y. Lermontov was a dreamy child and loved everything heroic. At the age of 11, grandmother began to teach her grandson. At first Mikhail was taught by two foreign teachers, but he soon had to leave them. There was a large library in Tarkhany, and young M.Y. Lermontov immersed himself in books with great enthusiasm. At the same time, it turned out that self-education gave him more than lessons with teachers – the poet studied European culture, several foreign languages and much more. In addition, M.Y. Lermontov wrote music, played the piano, violin, flute, had a rare gift of a chess player and painter. At the age of 15, M.Y. Lermontov became acquainted with Russian folk tales. He regretted that he had not heard them as a child, because he saw more sincerity in folklore than in foreign literature. As a young man, Lermontov studied for several years at Moscow University Noble Boarding School, but then left and decided to enrol at St Petersburg University. There he was refused to count the two years of study he had already completed in Moscow, so the writer entered the school for guards and cavalry officers. M.Y. Lermontov was one of the best students in the course, but his studies weighed heavily on him. It was all due to excessive rigour and a ban on reading fiction books. After leaving school, Mikhail Yuryevich served in the Imperial Hussar Regiment. In 1837, because of a rude remark M. Yu. Lermontov was sent into exile in the Caucasus. There he served as an ensign in the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment. In the Caucasus, M.Y. Lermontov not only performed military service, but also wrote poetry. The poet took part in two duels. The first one ended well for both participants, the second one cost M.Y. Lermontov his life. Mikhail Yuryevich was interested in literature from childhood. A bust of the great writer has been erected in Moscow in Kedrova street. In M.Y. Lermontov the most significant character traits for a man found expression: straightforwardness and sincerity, courage and bravery, loyalty to friendship and devotion to the Motherland.
Address: Moscow, Trade Union street, 9
