February 27, 2020

#TBT Russian Literature is Born


#TBT Russian Literature is Born
Eugene Onegin as imagined by Alexander Pushkin, 1830.

195 years ago today Russian literature was born. More specifically, Alexander Pushkin's Yevgeny Onegin began to be published. The epic novel in verse was published over the next seven years, and was not published in a single, full publication until 1833.

Comprised of 5,446 lines of iambic tetrameter, in an unusual form that has come to be known as the "Onegin stanza" or the "Pushkin sonnet," the poem has a very natural tone and diction the demonstrated Pushkin's humor and virtuosity, cemented his place as the greatest Russian poet who ever was or ever will be.

As a cornerstone of Russian literature, the poem has been translated into multiple languages and inspired countless derivative works, films, music and ballet.

You Might Also Like

My Pushkin, Our Pushkin
  • June 01, 1999

My Pushkin, Our Pushkin

There are many Pushkins. But only Russia can truly claim him as its own. For Pushkin made Russian literature what it is. Included in this piece are amazing photos from films based on Pushkin's works, plus excerpts, in Russian and English, from his most famous works.
Pushkin's Death
  • January 01, 2007

Pushkin's Death

Looking at the place of Pushkin in the Russian psyche, on the anniversary of the poet's tragic death.
The Poet's Fate
  • June 01, 1999

The Poet's Fate

Alexander Pushkin's work was inextricably bound up with his personal life and with his tragic death, foretold in his masterpiece, Yevgeny Onegin.
Pushkin's Estates
  • June 01, 1999

Pushkin's Estates

Pskov region's three estates associated with Pushkin were more than a quiet place for the poet to create; they also offered material for his muse.
The Translator
  • November 01, 2017

The Translator

Galina Sergeyevna Usova is a poet and translator of English prose and poetry. For the last few years, she has been standing outside St. Petersburg’s Polytechnic Institute metro station selling her books.
Pushkin is a Meme
  • May 01, 2019

Pushkin is a Meme

In which an artist tries to get out of a job illustrating a brochure and ends up getting sucked into a Pushkin meme vortex.
Pushkin Was Here (Perhaps)
  • May 01, 2019

Pushkin Was Here (Perhaps)

“Pushkin is our everything,” Russians like to say. And sometimes it seems like he was everywhere.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955