Sergii Aleksandrovich Shirinsky-Shikhmatov
Sergii Aleksandrovich Shirinsky-Shikhmatov was a notable figure in early 19th-century Russian literature, born in 1783 into an aristocratic family. He received his education at the naval corps of cadets and the Russian imperial naval academy, later joining the Naval Committee of Learning, which sparked his literary interests. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov began his writing career through translations of Western literature, notably Alexander Pope's "Essay on Criticism," and he produced solemn odes, including tributes to Peter the Great. His work was characterized by the use of Slavonic archaisms and a distinctive avoidance of verb rhymes, which set him apart from many contemporary poets. Despite facing criticism from emerging writers like Alexander Pushkin, he found support among a group known as the young archaists. In 1830, he took holy vows, adopting the name Anikita, and embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1834. He eventually became the archimandrite of the church at the Russian embassy in Athens, where he passed away in 1837. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov's contributions to Russian literature and his complex legacy continue to be of interest to scholars and literature enthusiasts alike.
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Subject Terms
Sergii Aleksandrovich Shirinsky-Shikhmatov
Poet
- Born: 1783
- Birthplace: Dernovo, Smolensk, Russia
- Died: June 7, 1837
- Place of death: Athens, Greece
Biography
Sergii Aleksandrovich Shirinsky-Shikhmatov was born in 1783 to an old, princely family and was educated in the naval corps of cadets, the Russian imperial naval academy. In 1800 he was assigned to the Naval Committee of Learning, a part of the admiralty, which was headed by noted writer Aleksandr Semyonovich Shishkov. This association led to the development of Shirinsky- Shikhmatov’s own interest in writing. Like many Russians of his time, he began his literary career with translations of leading Western writers, in his case Alexander Pope’s Essay on Criticism. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov wrote a number of very solemn odes, including one praising Peter the Great. In 1810 he was elected to the Russian Academy, and he was a member of the Colloquy of Lovers of the Russian Word, a literary society that was very popular in St. Petersburg in the first part of the nineteenth century.
Shirinsky-Shikhmatov’s style was heavy with Slavonic archaisms and characterized by a strenuous avoidance of verb rhymes, which were often considered “too easy” by Russian poets, given the way in which verb conjugations lent themselves to a large number of similar endings. His often ponderous manner of writing was mocked by a number of up-and- coming young writers, including Alexander Pushkin, but at the same time there was a group known as the young archaists upon whom he made a favorable impression.
In 1830 Shirinsky-Shikhmatov took holy vows under the name of Anikita. In 1834 he left Russia for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1836 he became archimandrite of the church at the Russian embassy in Athens, Greece, where he died the following year.