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Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819-1898) Russian poet

Born in Ryazan, in the family of an official. He graduated from the local gymnasium and entered the Moscow University at the Faculty of Law. Here he became friends with Fet and Solovyov. He lived on the money that he was paid for lessons.

Polonsky's first poetry collection "Gamma" was published in 1844 and was favorably received by critics and readers. However, due to the constant lack of money, he had to look for work. From Moscow, Polonsky went to Odessa, and then to Tiflis, where he got a place in the office of the governor of Georgia, Count Vorontsov. The motley exotic of the Caucasus, local color, picturesque nature - all this was reflected in the new collection of poems of the poet "Sazandar".

Polonsky was forced to act as a home teacher in the family of A.O. Smirnova-Rosset. This situation weighed heavily on Polonsky, and, having gone abroad with the Smirnovs, he parted with them, intending to take up painting, for which he had great abilities.

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg, where he managed to take the post of secretary of the foreign censorship committee, which guaranteed him relative material well-being.

In 1857 he married, but was soon widowed. For the second time, he married the then-famous sculptor Josephine Antonovna Rulman.

From 1896 he was a member of the council of the main administration for the press. Not adhering to the radical social movements of his time, Polonsky treated them with cordial humanity.

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Thanks for the big biography, but when I saw the full one and not the short one, I realized that the short one is better

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819-1898) - Russian poet-novelist, publicist. His works do not have such a large-scale significance as or, but without Polonsky's poetry, Russian literature would not have been so multi-colored and multifaceted. His poems deeply reflect the world of Russia, the depth and complexity of the soul of the Russian people.

Brief biography - Polonsky Ya.P.

Option 1

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819–1898) Russian poet

Born in Ryazan, in the family of an official. He graduated from the local gymnasium and entered the Moscow University at the Faculty of Law. Here he became friends with Fet and Solovyov. He lived on the money that he was paid for lessons.

Polonsky's first poetry collection "Gamma" was published in 1844 and was favorably received by critics and readers. However, due to the constant lack of money, he had to look for work. From Moscow, Polonsky went to Odessa, and then to Tiflis, where he got a place in the office of the governor of Georgia, Count Vorontsov. The motley exotic of the Caucasus, local color, picturesque nature - all this was reflected in the new collection of poems of the poet "Sazandar".

Polonsky was forced to act as a home teacher in the family of A.O. Smirnova-Rosset. This situation weighed heavily on Polonsky, and, having gone abroad with the Smirnovs, he parted with them, intending to take up painting, for which he had great abilities.

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg, where he managed to take the post of secretary of the foreign censorship committee, which guaranteed him relative material well-being.

In 1857 he married, but was soon widowed. For the second time, he married the then-famous sculptor Josephine Antonovna Rulman.

From 1896 he was a member of the council of the main administration for the press. Not adhering to the radical social movements of his time, Polonsky treated them with cordial humanity.

Option 2

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819 - 1898), poet. Born on December 6 (18 n.s.) in Ryazan in a poor noble family. He studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, after which he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. In his student years, he began to write and publish his poems in

“Notes of the Fatherland” (1840), “Moskvityanin” and in the student almanac “Underground Keys” (1842). He is friends with A. Grigoriev, A. Fet, P. Chaadaev, T. Granovsky, I. Turgenev.

In 1844, Polonsky's first collection of poems, Gamma, was published, attracting the attention of critics and readers.

After graduating from university, he lived in Odessa. There he published the second collection of Poems of 1845.

In 1846, Polonsky moved to Tiflis, joined the office and at the same time worked as an assistant editor of the newspaper Transcaucasian Bulletin. While in Georgia, Polonsky turned to prose (articles and essays on ethnography), publishing them in a newspaper.

Georgia inspired him to create in 1849 a book of poems "Sazandar" (Singer), in 1852 - a historical play "Darejana Imeretinskaya".

From 1851 Polonsky lived in St. Petersburg, traveling abroad from time to time. The poet's collections of poems (1855 and 1859) were well received by various critics.

In 1859 - 60 he was one of the editors of the journal "Russian Word".

In the social and literary struggle of the 1860s, Polonsky did not take part on the side of any of the camps. He defended the poetry of “love”, opposing it to the poetry of “hate” (“For the Few”, 1860; “To the Citizen Poet”, 1864), although he recognized the impossibility of love “without pain” and life outside the problems of modernity (“To One of the Weary” , 1863). During these years, his poetry was sharply criticized by radical democrats. I. Turgenev and N. Strakhov defended Polonsky's original talent from attacks, emphasizing his "worship of everything beautiful and lofty, serving truth, goodness and beauty, love of freedom and hatred of violence."

In 1880 - 90 Polonsky was a very popular poet. During these years he returned to the themes of his early lyrics. A variety of writers, artists, and scientists unite around him. He is very attentive to the development of creativity Nadson and Fofanov.

In 1881, the collection "At Sunset" was published, in 1890 - "Evening Bells", imbued with motives of sadness and death, reflections on the transience of human happiness.

From 1860 to 1896 Polonsky served in the Committee of Foreign Censorship, in the Council of the Main Directorate for the Press, which gave him a livelihood.

Option 3

Born December 18, 1819. Polonsky's parents were poor noblemen. From 1831 he studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1838. He began writing poetry while still in high school.

From 1838 to 1844 he studied at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University. The first published poem by Polonsky - “The sacred evangelism solemnly sounds ...” The first collection of poems by the poet was published in 1844 and was called “Gammas”.

In 1844 Polonsky moved to Odessa, and then in 1846 to Tiflis. In Tiflis, he enters the service in the office and becomes the editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin". At the same time, he actively writes poetry, his favorite genre is ballads and poems.

In the 1950s, collections of Polonsky's poems were published in the Sovremennik magazine. Even then, the poet formed a rejection of political themes in poetry, his lyrics are personal and subjective. Since 1855, Polonsky was a home teacher. In 1857, Yakov Petrovich went abroad with his family, where he taught. He visits Italy, and since 1858 lives in Paris. In France, Polonsky marries E. V. Ustyugskaya.

In 1860 Polonsky returned to Russia and lived in St. Petersburg. Here he experiences a personal tragedy: the death of a child and the death of his wife. Since 1858, Polonsky has been working as the editor of the Russian Word magazine, and in 1860 he enters the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he works until 1896.

Criticism was ambiguous about Polonsky's work. In Russia, there were strong tendencies to involve writers in public life, and Polonsky believed that the poet should not and does not have the right to engage in politics. This served as a pretext for Pisarev's and Saltykov-Shchedrin's sharp condemnation of Olon's creativity, but the poet remained true to his principles.

The second wife of Polonsky was Josephine Rulman, who became a faithful companion and friend of the poet.
Polonsky died on October 30, 1898 in St. Petersburg, and was buried at home in Ryazan.

Full biography - Polonsky Ya.P.

Option 1

Russian prose writer and poet Yakov Polonsky was born in Ryazan on December 6 (according to the new style - 18) December 1819 in a noble family. He studied at the Ryazan Gymnasium, graduated from it in 1838 and began his literary activity quite early. In 1837, he presented his poem to the future Emperor Alexander II.

The biography of Y. Polonsky is a biography of the author, whose life had its own difficulties, but there were no sharp ups and downs. He chose the path of a lawyer and entered Moscow University, from which he successfully graduated in 1844. During his studies, he became close to A. Fet and A. Grigoriev, who highly appreciated his literary talent. He also met T. Granovsky, A. Khomyakov and. In 1840, in Otechestvennye zapiski, his poem was first published under the title “The sacred Annunciation solemnly sounds ...” Polonsky also began work in a student almanac called “Underground Keys” and in the Moskvityanin magazine.

Polonsky's first collection of poetry, Scales, was published in 1844. It clearly shows the influence of creativity. This already included poems in the genre of everyday romance (such as "Winter Way" or "Meeting"), which Polonsky developed in the future. In it was written a masterpiece by Polonsky called "The Song of a Gypsy" in 1853. Subsequently, B. Eikhenbaum, a literary critic, noted the combination of narration with lyrics as the main feature of Polonsky's romances. A huge number of everyday, portrait and other details made it possible to reflect the inner state of the lyrical hero.

After graduating from Moscow University, Polonsky moved to Odessa, where in 1845 his second collection, Poems, was published. V. G. Belinsky assessed the book negatively, not seeing deep content behind the “external talent”. Polonsky became a prominent figure in Odessa among local writers who were faithful to Pushkin's poetic tradition. Subsequently, he wrote the novel "Cheap City" (1879), based on his memories of his stay in Odessa.

In 1846, Polonsky was assigned to Tiflis, where he was appointed to the office of the governor M. Vorontsov. There he began work on the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" as an assistant editor and began to publish his essays in it. In 1849, in Tiflis, he published the next collection of poems - "Sazandar", where he included his poems, ballads, as well as poems written in the spirit of the "natural school". They abounded with everyday scenes and elements of national folklore.

In 1851, Polonsky moved to St. Petersburg. In 1856, he wrote in his diary that he felt "disgusted" by politically tinged poems, which, even being the most sincere, are, according to the poet, full of "lies and untruths" just like politics itself. Assessing his own gift, Polonsky noted that he was not endowed with the "scourge of satire", and few consider him a poet (1860 poem "For the Few"). Contemporaries evaluated him as figures of the Pushkin direction and noted in him honesty, sincerity and unwillingness to seem like someone else (A. Druzhinin and E. Stackenschneider).

In St. Petersburg in 1856 and 1859, two collections of Polonsky's poetry were published, as well as the first collection of prose works, Stories, in 1859. In Polonsky's prose, N. Dobrolyubov noted the poet's sensitivity to life and the close interweaving of the phenomena of reality with the perception of the author, his feelings. D. Pisarev took the opposite position and assessed these features of Polonsky's work as features of a "narrow mental world."

In 1857, Polonsky made a trip to Italy, where he studied painting. He returned to St. Petersburg in 1860, and at the same time experienced a tragedy - the death of his wife and son - about which he wrote in his poems "The Madness of Grief" and "The Seagull" (both 1860). In the 1860s, he wrote the novels "Confessions of Sergei Chalygin" (1867) and "Marrying Atuev" (1869), where the influence of I. Turgenev is noticeable. Polonsky continued to publish in various magazines, which corresponded to his self-awareness - all his life he considered himself a "nobody's", about which he wrote in letters to A. Chekhov.

In 1858-1860, he acted as editor in the journal Russkoye Slovo, and in 1860-1896 he worked in the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he earned his livelihood. In the 1860s and 1870s, the poet experienced the hardships of worldly disorder and inattention from readers. His interest in poetry reawakened only in the 1880s, when he, together with A. Maikov and A. Fet, became part of the "poetic triumvirate", which was revered by the reading public.

Once again becoming a landmark figure in the literary life of St. Petersburg, he gathered his prominent contemporaries at the so-called “Polonsky Fridays”. Polonsky maintained a friendship with Chekhov, followed the work of S. Nadson and K. Fofanov. In his poems "Crazy" (1859) and "Double" (1862), he predicted the motives of the poetry of the 20th century.

In letters to A. Fet, Polonsky noted that one could trace “my whole life” through poetry, and, guided by this feature of his own work, he built his “Complete Works” in 5 volumes, which was published in 1896.

Option 2

Yakov was born on December 6 (18), 1819 in the central part of Russia - the city of Ryazan. In a large family, he was the firstborn.

His father, Polonsky Petr Grigoryevich, came from an impoverished noble family, was an official quartermaster, was in the clerical service of the city governor-general.

Mom, Natalya Yakovlevna, belonged to the ancient Russian noble family of the Kaftyrevs, was engaged in housekeeping and raising seven children. She was a very educated woman, she loved to read and write romances, songs and poems in notebooks.

Gymnasium

At first, the boy was educated at home. But when he was thirteen, his mother died. The father was appointed to a public position in another city. He moved, and the children remained in the care of Natalya Yakovlevna's relatives. They identified Yakov to study at the First Ryazan Men's Gymnasium. In a provincial town, this educational institution was considered at that time the center of cultural life.

At that time, Russian poets Alexander Pushkin and Vladimir Benediktov were at the peak of their fame. The teenager Polonsky read their poems and began to compose a little himself, especially since it became fashionable to engage in rhyming then. The teachers noted that the young schoolboy had a clear poetic talent and showed excellent abilities in this.

Acquaintance with Zhukovsky

The decisive influence for the choice of Polonsky's further literary life was the meeting with the poet, one of the founders of romanticism in Russian poetry Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich.

In 1837, Tsarevich Alexander II arrived in Ryazan, the future emperor was admitted to the men's gymnasium. The head of the educational institution instructed Yakov to compose two verses of greeting verses. The gymnasium choir performed one verse to the melody “God Save the Tsar!”, which became the anthem of Russia four years earlier.

The reception of the heir to the throne was successful, and in the evening the head of the gymnasium arranged a celebration on this occasion. At the event, Yakov met with the author of the words of the anthem, Zhukovsky, who accompanied the crown prince on a trip. The venerable poet spoke well of Polonsky's poetic creation. And when the guests left, the director of the gymnasium handed Yakov a gold watch from them. Such a gift and the praise of Vasily Andreevich secured Polonsky's dream to connect his life with literature.

Years of study at the university

In 1838 Yakov entered Moscow University. He became a law student, but still wrote poetry, took part in the university almanac "Underground Keys". Polonsky was greatly admired by the lectures of the Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, Timofey Nikolaevich Granovsky, who significantly influenced the formation of the student's worldview.

During his studies, sociable and attractive Yakov quickly found a common language with fellow students. He became especially close to Nikolai Orlov, the son of Major General Mikhail Fedorovich Orlov, a participant in the Napoleonic Wars. The most famous representatives of science, art and culture of Russia gathered in their house in the evenings. With some of them, Polonsky made a real long friendship - actor Mikhail Shchepkin, poets Apollon Grigoriev and philosopher Pyotr Chaadaev, historians Konstantin Kavelin and Sergei Solovyov, writers Mikhail Pogodin and Alexei Pisemsky.

Yakov read his works at the evenings, and new friends helped him with their publication. So, with the help of acquaintances in 1840, his poems were published in the publication Domestic Notes. Literary critics (including Belinsky) highly appreciated the first poetic works of the young poet, but it was impossible to live only at the expense of writing. Polonsky's student years were spent in constant need and poverty. He had to earn extra money by giving private lessons and tutoring.

Instead of the prescribed four years, Yakov studied at the university for a year longer, since in the third year he could not pass the exam in Roman law to the dean of the law faculty Nikita Ivanovich Krylov.

During the period of university studies, especially close friendly relations arose between Yakov and Ivan Turgenev. For many years they highly appreciated each other's literary talent.

Caucasian period

The plight was the main reason that, after graduating from the university in the fall of 1844, Yakov left Moscow. Although the first collection of his poems, Gamma, was published in Fatherland Notes, there was still no money. Polonsky had a chance to get a job in the customs department in Odessa, and he took advantage of it. There, Yakov lived with his brother, the famous anarchist theorist Bakunin, and often visited the house of the governor Vorontsov. The salary was not enough, again I had to give private lessons.

In the spring of 1846, he was offered a clerical position with the Caucasian governor, Count Vorontsov, and Yakov left for Tiflis. Here he served until 1851. The impressions received in the Caucasus, the history of Russia's struggle to strengthen the southern borders, acquaintance with the customs and traditions of the highlanders inspired the poet with his best poems, which brought him all-Russian fame.

In Tiflis, Polonsky collaborated with the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" and published collections of poetry "Sazandar" (1849) and "Several Poems" (1851). Here he published stories, essays, scientific and journalistic articles.

During his stay in the Caucasus, Yakov became interested in painting. The ability for this type of art was noticed in him while still studying at the Ryazan gymnasium. But it was the Caucasian surroundings and landscapes that inspired Polonsky, he painted a lot and retained this passion until the end of his days.

Europe

In 1851 the poet moved to the capital. In St. Petersburg, he expanded the circle of his acquaintances in the literary community and worked hard on new works.

In 1855, he published the next collection of poetry, which was published with great willingness by the most popular literary publications in Russia - “Notes of the Fatherland” and “Contemporary”. But the poet could not lead even the most modest existence on the fees received. Polonsky got a job as a teacher at home to the children of the St. Petersburg governor N. M. Smirnov.

In 1857, the governor's family went to Baden-Baden, and Yakov also left with them. He traveled to European countries, studied drawing with French painters, made acquaintances with representatives of foreign and Russian literature (the famous one was also among his new acquaintances).

In 1858, Yakov resigned as a teacher of the governor's children, as he could no longer get along with their mother, the absurd and fanatically religious Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova-Rosset. He tried to stay in Geneva and take up painting. But soon he met the well-known literary patron Count Kushelev-Bezborodko, who was just about to organize a new magazine, Russian Word, in St. Petersburg. The count invited Yakov Petrovich to take the post of editor.

Life and work in St. Petersburg

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg and began work in the Russian Word.

In 1860 he entered the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee as a secretary. Since 1863, he took the post of junior censor in the same committee, worked in one place until 1896.

In 1897, Yakov Petrovich was appointed a member of the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs.

At the end of his life, in his work, the poet increasingly turned to religious and mystical themes (old age, death, fleeting human happiness). In 1890, his last collection of poems, Eternal Ringing, was published. The most significant work of Polonsky is considered to be a comic fairy tale poem "The Grasshopper-Musician".

Personal life

The poet met his first wife Elena Ustyugskaya (born in 1840) while traveling in Europe. She was the daughter of a Frenchwoman and headman of the Russian church in Paris, Vasily Kuzmich Ustyugsky. Elena did not know Russian at all, and Yakov did not know French, but the marriage was concluded out of great love. In 1858, Polonsky brought his young wife to St. Petersburg.

But the next two years were the most difficult in the life of the poet. He fell and received a serious injury, he could not get rid of its consequences until the end of his days and moved only with the help of crutches. Soon after, his wife fell ill with typhus and died. A few months later, their six-month-old son Andrei died.

For many years he could not recover from grief, only creativity saved him. In 1866, Yakov married a second time to Josephine Antonovna Rulman (born in 1844). Three children were born in this marriage - sons Alexander (1868) and Boris (1875) and daughter Natalia (1870). Josephine had the talent of a sculptor and actively participated in the artistic life of St. Petersburg. Creativity evenings were often held in their house, where famous writers and artists in Russia came.

Death

Yakov Petrovich died on October 18 (30), 1898. He was buried in the village of Lgovo, Ryazan province, in the Dormition Olgov Monastery. In 1958, the remains of the poet were reburied on the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin.

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky (1819 - 1898) - Russian writer. Known mainly as a poet.

1. Polonsky learned to read early. As Yakov Petrovich wrote in his memoirs of childhood, “When I was seven years old, I already knew how to read and write and read everything that came to my hand.”
2. In the gymnasium, Jacob studied unevenly. Although he always had an A in literature (as literature was then called), in other subjects he had twos and ones.
3. Even in his gymnasium years, Yakov wrote poetry so well that in August 1837 the director of the gymnasium N. Semyonov instructed him, a 6th grade student, to write a poetic greeting to the heir to the throne. Then the Ryazan gymnasium, where Polonsky studied, was going to visit Tsarevich Alexander (future Tsar Alexander II) with the famous poet Vasily Zhukovsky, who was his tutor. The greeting was written but not read. The director invited Yakov Polonsky to his apartment, where he was met by V. Zhukovsky. The famous poet praised the novice poet and said that the Tsarevich favors him for hours. The case with the gold watch was solemnly presented to Yakov the next day in the assembly hall of the gymnasium, in the presence of all the teachers and students.
4. After graduating from high school, Polonsky went to Moscow on a Yamsk cart and entered the law faculty of Moscow University.
5. During his student years, Polonsky lived very poorly. He even had to sell the gold watch presented to him by the Tsarevich in order to buy clothes.
6. Polonsky drew very well. In Spassky-Lutovinovo, the estate, which was his friend, Polonsky stayed for two summers. Basically, Jacob painted pictures. They still adorn the walls of the museum-estate of Turgenev.
7. In the house of Polonsky in St. Petersburg, on Fridays, the color of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia gathered. Many talented writers, musicians and artists were glad to receive an invitation to his literary “Fridays”.

Polonsky Yakov Petrovich (1819-1898) - Russian poet-novelist, publicist. His works do not have such a large-scale significance as Nekrasov or Pushkin, but without Polonsky's poetry, Russian literature would not be so multicolored and multifaceted. His poems deeply reflect the world of Russia, the depth and complexity of the soul of the Russian people.

Family

Yakov was born on December 6 (18), 1819 in the central part of Russia - the city of Ryazan. In a large family, he was the firstborn.

His father, Polonsky Petr Grigoryevich, came from an impoverished noble family, was an official quartermaster, was in the clerical service of the city governor-general.

Mom, Natalya Yakovlevna, belonged to the ancient Russian noble family of the Kaftyrevs, was engaged in housekeeping and raising seven children. She was a very educated woman, she loved to read and write romances, songs and poems in notebooks.

Gymnasium

At first, the boy was educated at home. But when he was thirteen, his mother died. The father was appointed to a public position in another city. He moved, and the children remained in the care of Natalya Yakovlevna's relatives. They identified Yakov to study at the First Ryazan Men's Gymnasium. In a provincial town, this educational institution was considered at that time the center of cultural life.

The building of the 1st male gymnasium in Ryazan, where Yakov Polonsky studied

At that time, Russian poets Alexander Pushkin and Vladimir Benediktov were at the peak of their fame. The teenager Polonsky read their poems and began to compose a little himself, especially since it became fashionable to engage in rhyming then. The teachers noted that the young schoolboy had a clear poetic talent and showed excellent abilities in this.

Acquaintance with Zhukovsky

The decisive influence for the choice of Polonsky's further literary life was the meeting with the poet, one of the founders of romanticism in Russian poetry Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich.

In 1837, Tsarevich Alexander II arrived in Ryazan, the future emperor was admitted to the men's gymnasium. The head of the educational institution instructed Yakov to compose two verses of greeting verses. The gymnasium choir performed one verse to the melody “God Save the Tsar!”, which became the anthem of Russia four years earlier.

The reception of the heir to the throne was successful, and in the evening the head of the gymnasium arranged a celebration on this occasion. At the event, Yakov met with the author of the words of the anthem, Zhukovsky, who accompanied the crown prince on a trip. The venerable poet spoke well of Polonsky's poetic creation. And when the guests left, the director of the gymnasium handed Yakov a gold watch from them. Such a gift and the praise of Vasily Andreevich secured Polonsky's dream to connect his life with literature.

Years of study at the university

In 1838 Yakov entered Moscow University. He became a law student, but still wrote poetry, took part in the university almanac "Underground Keys". Polonsky was greatly admired by the lectures of the Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology, Timofey Nikolaevich Granovsky, who significantly influenced the formation of the student's worldview.

During his studies, sociable and attractive Yakov quickly found a common language with fellow students. He became especially close to Nikolai Orlov, the son of Major General Mikhail Fedorovich Orlov, a participant in the Napoleonic Wars. The most famous representatives of science, art and culture of Russia gathered in their house in the evenings. With some of them, Polonsky made a real long friendship - actor Mikhail Shchepkin, poets Apollon Grigoriev and Afanasy Fet, philosopher Pyotr Chaadaev, historians Konstantin Kavelin and Sergei Solovyov, writers Mikhail Pogodin and Alexei Pisemsky.

Yakov read his works at the evenings, and new friends helped him with their publication. So, with the help of acquaintances in 1840, his poems were published in the publication Domestic Notes. Literary critics (including Belinsky) highly appreciated the first poetic works of the young poet, but it was impossible to live only at the expense of writing. Polonsky's student years were spent in constant need and poverty. He had to earn extra money by giving private lessons and tutoring.

Instead of the prescribed four years, Yakov studied at the university for a year longer, since in the third year he could not pass the exam in Roman law to the dean of the law faculty Nikita Ivanovich Krylov.

During the period of university studies, especially close friendly relations arose between Yakov and Ivan Turgenev. For many years they highly appreciated each other's literary talent.

Caucasian period

The plight was the main reason that, after graduating from the university in the fall of 1844, Yakov left Moscow. Although the first collection of his poems, Gamma, was published in Fatherland Notes, there was still no money. Polonsky had a chance to get a job in the customs department in Odessa, and he took advantage of it. There, Yakov lived with his brother, the famous anarchist theorist Bakunin, and often visited the house of the governor Vorontsov. The salary was not enough, again I had to give private lessons.

In the spring of 1846, he was offered a clerical position with the Caucasian governor, Count Vorontsov, and Yakov left for Tiflis. Here he served until 1851. The impressions received in the Caucasus, the history of Russia's struggle to strengthen the southern borders, acquaintance with the customs and traditions of the highlanders inspired the poet with his best poems, which brought him all-Russian fame.

In Tiflis, Polonsky collaborated with the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin" and published collections of poetry "Sazandar" (1849) and "Several Poems" (1851). Here he published stories, essays, scientific and journalistic articles.

During his stay in the Caucasus, Yakov became interested in painting. The ability for this type of art was noticed in him while still studying at the Ryazan gymnasium. But it was the Caucasian surroundings and landscapes that inspired Polonsky, he painted a lot and retained this passion until the end of his days.

Europe

In 1851 the poet moved to the capital. In St. Petersburg, he expanded the circle of his acquaintances in the literary community and worked hard on new works.

In 1855, he published the next collection of poetry, which was published with great willingness by the most popular literary publications in Russia - “Notes of the Fatherland” and “Contemporary”. But the poet could not lead even the most modest existence on the fees received. Polonsky got a job as a teacher at home to the children of the St. Petersburg governor N. M. Smirnov.

Landscape of the Caucasus, painted by Yakov Polonsky

In 1857, the governor's family went to Baden-Baden, and Yakov also left with them. He traveled around European countries, studied drawing with French painters, made acquaintances with representatives of foreign and Russian literature (the famous Alexandre Dumas was also among his new acquaintances).

In 1858, Yakov resigned as a teacher of the governor's children, as he could no longer get along with their mother, the absurd and fanatically religious Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova-Rosset. He tried to stay in Geneva and take up painting. But soon he met the well-known literary patron Count Kushelev-Bezborodko, who was just about to organize a new magazine, Russian Word, in St. Petersburg. The count invited Yakov Petrovich to take the post of editor.

Life and work in St. Petersburg

At the end of 1858, Polonsky returned to St. Petersburg and began work in the Russian Word.

In 1860 he entered the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee as a secretary. Since 1863, he took the post of junior censor in the same committee, worked in one place until 1896.

In 1897, Yakov Petrovich was appointed a member of the Council of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs.

At the end of his life, in his work, the poet increasingly turned to religious and mystical themes (old age, death, fleeting human happiness). In 1890, his last collection of poems, Eternal Ringing, was published. The most significant work of Polonsky is considered to be a comic fairy tale poem "The Grasshopper-Musician".

Personal life

The poet met his first wife Elena Ustyugskaya (born in 1840) while traveling in Europe. She was the daughter of a Frenchwoman and headman of the Russian church in Paris, Vasily Kuzmich Ustyugsky. Elena did not know Russian at all, and Yakov did not know French, but the marriage was concluded out of great love. In 1858, Polonsky brought his young wife to St. Petersburg.

But the next two years were the most difficult in the life of the poet. He fell and received a serious injury, he could not get rid of its consequences until the end of his days and moved only with the help of crutches. Soon after, his wife fell ill with typhus and died. A few months later, their six-month-old son Andrei died.

For many years he could not recover from grief, only creativity saved him. In 1866, Yakov married a second time to Josephine Antonovna Rulman (born in 1844). Three children were born in this marriage - sons Alexander (1868) and Boris (1875) and daughter Natalia (1870). Josephine had the talent of a sculptor and actively participated in the artistic life of St. Petersburg. Creativity evenings were often held in their house, where famous writers and artists in Russia came.

Death

Yakov Petrovich died on October 18 (30), 1898. He was buried in the village of Lgovo, Ryazan province, in the Dormition Olgov Monastery. In 1958, the remains of the poet were reburied on the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin.

From 1831 he studied at the Ryazan gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1838. He began writing poetry while still in high school.

From 1838 to 1844 he studied at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University. The first published poem by Polonsky - "The sacred Annunciation sounds solemnly ..."

The first collection of poems of the poet was published in 1844 and was called "Gammas".

In 1844 Polonsky moved to Odessa, and then in 1846 to Tiflis. In Tiflis, he enters the service in the office and becomes the editor of the newspaper "Transcaucasian Bulletin". At the same time, he actively writes poetry, his favorite genre is ballads and poems.

In the 1950s, collections of Polonsky's poems were published in the Sovremennik magazine. Even then, the poet formed a rejection of political themes in poetry, his lyrics are personal and subjective.

Since 1855, Polonsky was a home teacher.

In 1857, Yakov Petrovich went abroad with his family, where he taught. He visits Italy, and since 1858 lives in Paris. In France, Polonsky marries E. V. Ustyugskaya.

In 1860 Polonsky returned to Russia and lived in St. Petersburg. Here he experiences a personal tragedy: the death of a child and the death of his wife. From 1858, Polonsky worked as the editor of the Russian Word magazine, and in 1860 he entered the service of the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he worked until 1896.

Criticism was ambiguous about Polonsky's work. In Russia, there were strong tendencies to involve writers in public life, and Polonsky believed that the poet should not and does not have the right to engage in politics. This served as a pretext for Pisarev's and Saltykov-Shchedrin's sharp condemnation of Olon's creativity, but the poet remained true to his principles.

The second wife of Polonsky was Josephine Rulman, who became a faithful companion and friend of the poet.

Born December 6, 1819 in Ryazan. Yakov was the firstborn in the family of Peter Grigorievich (1790-1852) and Natalya Yakovlevna (1796-1832).
Jacob's education was taken up early. Already from the age of six, his mother taught him to read and invited various teachers. The first teacher was Ivan Vasilyevich Volkov. By the age of seven, Yakov Petrovich was already reading well. When the boy was 12 years old, his mother dies. In 1838, his father helped with admission to the gymnasium. Thus ended childhood, and the gymnasium weekdays began.
In 1838 he began to study at the First Ryazan Men's Gymnasium. The first glory came in the gymnasium. During the arrival of Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich (future Emperor Alexander II) in Ryazan, Polonsky wrote greeting verses that pleased the Tsarevich and his tutor Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky. For this, the Tsarevich presented Yakov with a gold watch. This glorified the young poet throughout Ryazan. But Yakov could not boast of academic success. In all subjects, except for literature, which he knew perfectly well, he had average results. In 1838 he graduated from the gymnasium and went to Moscow to enter the university.
From 1838 to 1844 he studied at Moscow University at the Faculty of Law. During this period, he met Fet, Grigoriev, Chaadaev, Turgenev and others. He was friends with Fet and Turgenev for many years. In 1840, the first edition of poems in "Notes of the Fatherland" thanks to Belinsky. In 1844, with the help of friends, he raises money for the publication of his first book of poems, Gamma, which was published when Polonsky was taking his final exams. During his studies, Yakov Petrovich constantly faced financial difficulties, and this forced him to earn extra money as a tutor.
After graduating from the university, the issue of earning becomes acute, which pushes Polonsky to move to Odessa. Here, in 1845, he published the second book, Poems of 1845, which was modestly praised on the pages of Sovremennik, but the poems were strongly criticized by Belinsky. Further searches for work push the poet to move to Tiflis in 1846, where he works in the Transcaucasian Bulletin.
In 1851 he left Tiflis. First to Ryazan, to his sick father, and then to St. Petersburg, with creative hopes. Until 1857, he was trying to somehow earn a living and combine his work. In 1857 he went abroad. He returned from a foreign trip in 1858 with his young wife Elena Vasilievna Ustyugskaya (1840-1860). In 1859, he began working in the Russian Word magazine. In the spring of 1860, with the help of friends, he got a job in the Foreign Censorship Committee. The head there at that time was Fedor Tyutchev. In 1863 he received a promotion. He worked for the Committee of Foreign Censorship for 36 years, until 1896. In 1866, the second marriage with Josephine Antonovna Rulman (1844-1920). In the period of the 60s-70s, Polonsky continued his work. But during this period it was very often criticized and was not particularly loved by readers. This changed in the 80s. Reader recognition. Polonsky Fridays became very popular in the 80s. Evenings attended by many celebrities. In 1896, Polonsky began to work in the Press Council.
Yakov Petrovich Polonsky died on October 30, 1898 in St. Petersburg. He was buried on the territory of the Olgov Monastery in Ryazan. In 1959, the grave was transferred to the Ryazan Kremlin.