Ermil Ivanovich Kostrov
Ermil Ivanovich Kostrov was a Russian poet born in Viatka in 1755, hailing from a peasant family. His father held the role of a sexton, a significant religious position in prerevolutionary Russia. Kostrov pursued education at a Russian Orthodox seminary, followed by studies at the Slavo-Graeco-Latin Academy and Moscow University, where he earned a bachelor's degree. He contributed to the literary scene by publishing his poetry, influenced by the works of notable poets Mikhail Lomonosov and Gavril Derzhavin. A significant aspect of his career involved translating foreign literature, including works by Voltaire and Apuleius's "The Golden Ass." Despite his literary talent, Kostrov struggled with poverty and resisted commercializing his work. Later in life, he became the official poet-in-residence at Moscow University, a position that offered financial support but led to frustration and a descent into alcoholism. Kostrov passed away in 1796, and while his poetry faded into obscurity, his legacy endured as a symbol of the romantic poet archetype, characterized by solitude and artistic struggle.
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Ermil Ivanovich Kostrov
- Born: January 6, 1755
- Birthplace: Sineglinskoe, Viatka, Russia
- Died: December 9, 1796
Biography
Ermil Ivanovich Kostrov was born in Viatka, Russia, in 1755 to the family of a peasant who had been made a sexton by the petition of his village community; at this time in prerevolutionary Russia, a sexton was a responsible religious post. Kostrov attended a Russian Orthodox seminary in his native region and then went to Moscow to attain a secular education at the Slavo-Graeco-Latin Academy. He later attended Moscow University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree.
Kostrov published his verse in a number of literary journals, continuing the odic tradition of poet Mikhail Lomonosov, although his later works began to show the influence of poet Gavril Derzhavin. Kostrov frequently supported himself through the translation of foreign poetry, particularly French, into Russian. He translated a number of the works of Voltaire, as well as the classical Greek author Apuleius’s satire The Golden Ass. Kostrov was in many ways the very model of the romantic poet, for he struggled throughout his life with poverty which was largely caused by his independence of mind and his refusal to prostitute his talent to commercial purposes.
Near the end of his life he was appointed the official poet-in-residence of Moscow University, which provided a stipend to support himself but obligated him to produce verse for solemn occasions. He found the post frustrating and took solace in heavy drinking. He ultimately destroyed his health through alcoholism and died in 1796. Subsequent generations of writers largely forgot his poetry but remembered his image as a lonely artist starving in a garret. Alexander Pushkin even wrote a line about that image of Kostrov in one of his poems.