🏔 #OTD in 1814, Mikhail Lermontov – one of Russia’s greatest poets – was born in Moscow. His poetry spoke of love and loneliness, freedom and devotion to his Motherland with an intensity that continues to resonate with modern readers. 212 years after his birth, he remains one of the best-loved figures in Russian literature.

Lermontov was born into a noble family and lost his mother in early childhood. Raised by his grandmother, Elizaveta Arsenyeva, at the Tarkhany estate (in what is now the village of Lermontovo in the Penza Region), he received a broad education at home before attending Moscow University’s boarding school for noble boys and then the University itself. By the age of 14, he was already writing poetry.

The young poet also developed a lifelong passion for painting. From his childhood in the Penza Region to his visits to the Caucasus for treatment at the mineral springs of what is now Pyatigorsk, he found inspiration in the world around him. Working with pencil, watercolour and oils, he captured landscapes, portraits and scenes of everyday life. At times, impressions he first put on canvas resurfaced years later in his poetry.

✍️ During his lifetime, Lermontov wrote around 400 poems and 30 narrative poems, as well as plays and prose. Among his most famous works are Borodino, The Sail, The Demon and The Novice (Mtsyri), the four-act play Masquerade and his most celebrated novel A Hero of Our Time.

In 1837, the death of Russia's greatest poet Alexander Pushkin in a duel prompted Lermontov to write Death of the Poet. Both a tribute to Pushkin and an indictment of the society he blamed for his death, the poem was copied by hand and passed from reader to reader. It brought Lermontov widespread recognition – and the anger of the imperial court. He was arrested and sent to serve in the Caucasus.

Proud, sensitive and sharp-witted, Lermontov could be unsparing in his criticism of society and showed considerable courage as an army officer. His attachment to the Caucasus began with childhood visits and lasted throughout his life. Its mountains, people and legends inspired some of his finest writing.

🕯 On July 27, 1841, a fatal duel near Pyatigorsk cut his life short at just 26. Yet even at that young age, Lermontov had created works that would secure his place in the pantheon of Russian literature.

Lermontov's figure stands on the Millennium of Russia monument (unveiled in 1862), towns, streets and theatres bear his name. Monuments honour him in Russia and abroad; even a crater on Mercury and an asteroid are named after him.

📖 His most enduring memorial, however, is his writing – still read, recited and loved by generations.

#DiscoverRUSSIA