Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin
Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin was a prominent Russian poet and civil servant who played a significant role in the literary scene before the rise of Alexander Pushkin. Born in 1743 in Kazan to a family of Tatar origin, Derzhavin faced early challenges, including a truncated education after his father's death. His military service in St. Petersburg eventually led to a successful career, where he gained recognition for his poetry, particularly with the publication of his notable ode "Felitsa" in 1782, which critiqued court corruption while praising Empress Catherine. As he advanced in rank, his literary output flourished, and he explored themes of religion through a Deistic lens, viewing God as the creator of a rational universe. In 1803, he resigned from his role as minister of justice and later aligned himself with a group of archaists. His later poetry reflected a shift toward a more formal style that incorporated traditional Slavonic language. Derzhavin passed away in 1816, leaving behind a legacy as a key figure in Russian literature.
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Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin
Poet
- Born: July 3, 1743
- Birthplace: Kazan, Russia
- Died: July 9, 1816
Biography
Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin was one of the leading lights of the Russian literary scene prior to Alexander Pushkin. He was born in 1743 in Kazan, the son of an impoverished country squire of Tatar origin. Because of his father’s early death, his formal education at the newly-founded Kazan Gymnasium (on the German model) was cut short.
His lucky break came when he was sent to St. Petersburg as a private in the guards, but he would have to wait until 1772 to gain his commission as an officer. In the following year, he distinguished himself in the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion, one of the most notorious Cossack revolts. By that time he had already begun to make his mark as a poet, and after he left the military in 1779 for the civil service his career really took off.
In 1782 he published his ode “Felitsa,” in which he balanced stinging satire on the corruption of the court with adulation of the Empress Catherine herself. As a result of this work, Derzhavin was able to attain high rank and the wealth that came with it. As he advanced in rank, he had more time and opportunity to devote to his literary efforts, and the power of his works steadily increased. He did a number of religious poems and translated the Psalter into Russian, but his handling of religious themes show him to have been a Deist, seeing God primarily in terms of the creation of a rational universe rather than as an active deity sustaining creation, as had been the case in previous Russian thought.
In 1803 Derzhavin was forced to resign from his position as minister of justice, and became one of the archaists who collected around the reactionary Admiral Aleksandr Shishkov. During this period, Derzhavin’s poetic style changed markedly, becoming more ponderous in style and using more words derived from Slavonic roots to replace Western borrowings. Derzhavin died in 1816.