Varvara Bakhmeteva.Watercolor by Mikhail Lermontov
Small Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, which was always full of people. People bowed low. Church singing sounded. Everything around seemed strict.
You just look at your feet and re-read the names on the cast-iron gravestones. Many famous people were buried here. Patriarch Tikhon and Archbishop Ambrose, Prince Shakhovskoy, Field Marshal Repnin, Countess Rumyantseva-Zadunayskaya - the wife of the famous field marshal; Prince, cavalry general Tormasov, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. And here is one of the cast iron slabs - not far from the entrance, in the left corner of the cathedral. There is an inscription on it. Varvara Aleksandrovna Bakhmeteva (née Lopukhina). Year of birth - 1815, year of death - 1851. The same Varenka Lopukhina, friend and deepest love of Lermontov.
It's a mystery why she is buried here. Her closest relatives - her husband, sister, older brother Alexei Alexandrovich - a close friend of Lermontov, were buried in the cemetery of the Donskoy Monastery, and only she was buried in the cathedral. The church did not allow everyone, even a very rich person, to be buried in the temple, next to the great prayer books. This means that the church authorities favored Varvara Alexandrovna. The Lopukhin family is ancient, its representatives donated a lot for precious frames of icons and sacred books to churches; moreover, at the end of their lives, some of the family retired to monasteries, took monastic vows and even the schema. Varenka, apparently, was very pious and devoted to the church.
Lermontov. 1838. Artist A.I. Klunder
About love M.Yu. Lermontov's contact with Varvara Lopukhina was discovered only decades after the poet's death. For many years, the name of the one to whom the poem “The Demon” and many wonderful poems are dedicated and whose image served as the prototype for the heroine of the story “Princess Mary” and the unfinished novel “Princess Ligovskaya” remained unknown. According to a contemporary, “they were made for each other.” But they were never destined to unite:
... all her movements,
Smile, speech and features
So full of life, inspiration,
So full of wonderful simplicity;
But the voice penetrates the soul,
Like remembering better days...
Mikhail Yuryevich wrote this poem at the beginning of 1832, when he was 18 years old. And although he knew Varenka before (the Lopukhins’ house on Molchanovka was not far from the house of the poet’s grandmother), it was in the fall of 1831, when Varenka was brought from the rich Vyazma estate to Moscow for the first high society season in her life, that he fell in love with her.
“As a student,” recalled the poet’s second cousin Shan-Girey, “he was passionately in love with the young, sweet, smart as day, and in the full sense delightful Varvara Aleksandrovna Lopukhina; she was an ardent, enthusiastic, poetic and extremely sympathetic nature . I remember her tender gaze and bright smile now; she was 15 - 16 years old; We were children and teased her a lot; she had a small black birthmark on her forehead, and we always pestered her, repeating: “Varenka has a birthmark, Varenka is ugly,” but she, the kindest creature, was never angry. Lermontov’s feeling for her was unconscious, but true and strong, and he almost retained it until his death.”
At that time, his heart especially sought love. The strife between his father and grandmother, their unabated quarrels, put Lermontov in such a position that he “torn his soul from both.”
All his desire to love someone was focused on Varvara Lopukhina. And the trip to the Simonov Monastery made them friends and brought them closer together. In the spring of 1832, a cheerful group of young people from Molchanovka, Povarskaya - Lermontov’s closest neighbors - sat down in long lines drawn by six horses and went to the Simonov Monastery to listen to the singers and take a walk. Michelle and Varenka were nearby. After the trip, he became a frequent visitor to the Lopukhins, and it was rare that he did not visit them. The owner of the house, Alexander Nikolaevich, once served in the Cavalry Regiment. There were more than five thousand souls behind him. Lopukhin bought the house on Molchanovka in the early 20s of the 19th century, when his children grew up. Before this, the family lived in the village. On Malaya Molchanovka, in the immediate vicinity of the Lopukhins, landowner Elizaveta Alekseevna Arsenyeva and her grandson Mikhail, who came to Moscow from her Penza estate Tarkhany, settled in the spring of 1830.
Fate decreed that it was the children of Alexander Nikolaevich Lopukhin who became the poet’s closest friends and remained faithful to his memory.
Varvara Aleksandrovna Bakhmetyeva, ur. Lopukhina (1815-1851).1833
Let's return to Varenka. She reciprocated Lermontov's feelings. In the summer of 1832, young people met in Serednikov, an estate owned by Ekaterina Arkadyevna Stolypyna, a relative of Lermontov. Their affection for each other grew day by day. Mikhail Yuryevich and Varvara Alexandrovna did not show their love and did not talk about it. One can only marvel at how patient she was with Lermontov, who had an intolerable character.
For reasons that are unlikely to ever become known, Varenka's father was against their marriage. And the elder sister Maria Alexandrovna did her best to prevent the lovers from getting closer, which did not prevent her from remaining the poet’s closest friend. But despite all the obstacles, in July 1832, when Lermontov and his grandmother were leaving Moscow for St. Petersburg (Mikhail decided to enter St. Petersburg University), Varenka promised to wait for his return.
“...I was captivated by this girl, I was bewitched by her... I surrendered to her as if it were fate,” Lermontov wrote in the drama “Two Brothers,” “she did not demand any promises or oaths, but she herself swore to love me forever - we parted - she was unconscious, everyone attributed it to an attack of illness - I alone knew the reason - I left with the firm intention of returning soon.”
There was no quick return. Lermontov entered the School of Guards Ensigns and Cavalry Junkers. At the Guards School, Lermontov's feelings for Varenka were drowned out by the new situation and the noisy life of the cadets, and upon entering the world - by new successes in society and in the field of literature.
Varenka waited patiently, but Lermontov’s continued three-year silence, as well as rumors that came from St. Petersburg about his infatuation with Ekaterina Sushkova, forced her to give in to the demands of her relatives. On May 25, 1835, she married Nikolai Fedorovich Bakhmetev, who was 18 years older than her and whom she did not know at all.
“Bakhmetev was 37 years old when he decided to get married and began to go out into the world to look for a bride,” recalled Lopukhina’s cousin, Princess Olga Nikolaevna Trubetskaya. - His choice fluctuated between several girls he liked, and he prayed that the Lord would show him whom to choose. In these thoughts, he arrived at the ball at the Assembly of the Nobility and was climbing the stairs when, wanting to overtake him, Varenka caught her ball scarf on the button of his tailcoat. I had to stop and spend a long time unraveling the fringe... Nikolai Fedorovich saw in this an undoubted indication from above - a “finger”, and wooed her. He was a man of great wealth and impeccable reputation. I don’t know who influenced poor Varenka, but Bakhmetev’s proposal was accepted.”
Shan-Girey lived in St. Petersburg at that time and witnessed how Lermontov received the news of Varenka’s marriage. “We were playing chess,” he recalled, “a man handed in a letter; Michel began to read it, but suddenly his face changed and turned pale; I was scared and wanted to ask what it was, but he, handing me the letter, said: “Here’s the news - read it,” and left the room. This was the news of V.A.’s upcoming marriage. Lopukhina."
Over time, it will be revealed that Lermontov’s infatuation with Sushkova was a game, even, perhaps, someone’s order. He needed Varenka’s brother, Alexei, who was infatuated with Sushkova, not to marry this person. The poet put all his effort and skill into winning the woman away from his friend, and having beaten him off, he immediately left her. Alexey Lopukhin was angry, but forgave Lermontov and soon met his future wife, the charming Princess Obolenskaya.
Emilia, a character in the play "The Spaniards". Presumably the author portrayed his beloved Varvara Lopukhina. Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov.
The truth was revealed, but too late. The marriage of Varenka Lopukhina became an open wound for Lermontov until his death. Lermontov wrote to Alexandra Vereshchagina in the winter of 1835: “I wish Mademoiselle Barbet (Varvara) to live in marital harmony until the silver wedding and even longer, if she is not disappointed until then!”
In 1836, the Bakhmetevs' only daughter, Olga, was born. Lermontov’s first biographer, Pavel Aleksandrovich Viskovatov, from the words of Varvara Lopukhina’s relatives, whom he found alive, said that “once only Lermontov had the opportunity in a third place (perhaps in the house of his acquaintances Bazilevsky) to see Varvara Alexandrovna’s daughter. He caressed the child for a long time, then cried bitterly and went into another room.”
After Lopukhina’s marriage, Lermontov still met with her several times. He gave her his self-portrait from 1837 and painted several portraits of her.
In the spring of 1838, Bakhmeteva and her husband, while traveling abroad, stopped in St. Petersburg. That year the last meeting between Varenka and Lermontov took place. This is how Akim Pavlovich Shan-Girey recalled it:
“Lermontov was in Tsarskoye, I sent a messenger to him, and I galloped off to her. My God, how painfully my heart sank at the sight of her! Pale, thin, and there was no shadow of the old Varenka, only her eyes retained their shine, and were as affectionate as before. She survived him, languished for a long time and died, they say, peacefully.”
During the last meeting, Varvara Alexandrovna asked Lermontov to check her list of “Demons” to see if everything in it was correct. He soon returned the manuscript to her with corrections and a second dedication.
Mikhail Yuryevich thought about her in the Caucasus. After the bloody battle at the Valerik River on July 11, 1840, he writes the famous poem of the same name, in which he again turns to her image.
But I remember everything - yes, for sure,
I couldn't forget you!
Firstly, because there are many
And I loved you for a long, long time,
Then suffering and anxiety
Paid for the days of bliss;
Then in fruitless repentance
I dragged through a chain of difficult years
And cold reflection
Killed the last color of life.
Approaching people carefully,
I forgot the noise of young pranks,
Love, poetry - but you
It was impossible for me to forget.
V. A. Lopukhina. 1832-1834 Drawing by M. Yu. Lermontov from the 22nd notebook of the Institute of Russian Literature. Saint Petersburg
Shortly before his death in Pyatigorsk, Lermontov saw a woman who surprisingly reminded him of Varenka. And soon the famous lines appeared in his notebook:
No, it’s not you that I love so passionately,
Your brilliance is not for me;
I love the past suffering in you
And my lost youth.
When sometimes I look at you,
In your eyes, delving into your long gaze:
I'm busy talking mysteriously
But I’m not talking to you with my heart.
I'm talking to a friend from my younger days,
I'm looking for other features in your features,
In the mouths of the living, lips have long been mute,
In the eyes there is a fire of faded eyes.
Marriage did not bring Varenka happiness. Bakhmetev turned out to be a very jealous husband. He could not hear Lermontov's name. In 1839, she gave autographs of poems and drawings of the poet to her cousin and childhood friend Alexandra Mikhailovna Vereshchagina, who married the Württemberg diplomat Baron Hügel. After the death of the Baroness, some of the drawings returned to their homeland, while others remained abroad.
Varenka gave Lermontov’s letters to her elder sister Maria Alexandrovna for safekeeping. She outlived Varvara much, cared for her during her illness, and after her death, Maria Alexandrovna burned Lermontov’s letters.
Lermontov dedicated many poems to Lopukhina, for example the poem from 1832:
We are accidentally brought together by fate,
We found ourselves in each other,
And soul became friends with soul,
At least the two of them won’t finish the journey!
So the spring flow reflects
The distant blue vault of heaven
And in a calm wave he shines
And trembles with a stormy wave.
Be, oh be my heaven,
Be a comrade of my formidable storms;
Let them then thunder between us,
I was born not to live without them.
I was born for the whole world to be a spectator
Celebrations or my death,
But with you, my guiding ray,
What praise or proud laughter of people!
The souls of their singer did not comprehend,
Souls could not love him,
Couldn't understand his sadness
They could not share the delight.
This poem stands out for its enlightened mood. The ideal image of the beloved woman serves as the poet’s only joy. However, the hope of finding happiness in love is unrealistic, which is why Lermontov talks about the impossibility of a common path; he anticipates a different outcome prepared for him by fate.
Another poem from the same year is “Leave vain worries.” One of the few in which the lyrical hero is confident of a reciprocal feeling. The image of a pure, uncooled soul runs through the entire poem. However, even mutual love does not lead to harmony, because the soul of the poet himself has lost faith in everything and does not value anything. This poem was set to music by K.D. Agrenev-Slavyansky and A.F. Pashchenko.
The duel predetermined everything and ended everything. Everyone who knew him and who understood that he was for Russian poetry mourned. Everyone was overcome with numbness. Varenka’s sister and a person close to Lermontov writes in a letter to another woman close to him, Sashenka Vereshchagina: “The latest news about my sister Bakhmeteva is truly sad. She was ill again, her nerves were so upset that she was forced to spend about two weeks in bed, she was so weak. Her husband suggested that she go to Moscow, but she refused and stated that she absolutely did not want to undergo any more treatment. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I attribute this disorder to the death of Michel, since these circumstances converge so closely that it cannot but arouse certain suspicions. What a misfortune this death is... For several weeks I have not been able to free myself from the thought of this death and sincerely mourn it.
I really, really loved him.”
Varenka had no opportunity to express her feelings, she could only “not want to be treated anymore.” And for a long time she still had to see Bakhmetev in front of her, who was jealous of her even for the memory of the poet, who was no longer dangerous to him.
...With myself
He carried a flying swarm to his grave
Still immature, dark inspirations,
Deceived hopes and
bitter regrets.
“She outlived him, languished for a long time and died, they say, peacefully” in 1851 - this is what their mutual friend wrote about her. How well they all understood her feelings, how they could judge her, although she herself could not understand herself, whether she loved or feared her Demon. He was a tempter, he could not be different, he loved, and for him this was the main thing... And she... She pitied him, the only one who sincerely and simply pitied him and herself - with sadness about what had not happened, with gratitude for unearthly existence, God knows why they still love and pity Poets...
"K*" (“We are accidentally brought together by fate”) "TO*"(“We are accidentally brought together by fate”), verse. early L. (1832), dedicated. V.A. Lopukhina. In the love lyrics of 1830-32 (for example, in the poems of the Ivanovo cycle), where notes of resentment, reproach and the bitterness of disappointed hopes predominate, this is verse. stands out for its special mood of enlightened and confident love: the ideal image of the beloved woman, born so early in the heart of the young poet, serves as his only joy: “But with you, my ray of guidance, / What is the praise or proud laughter of people!” Such love is love-comradeship, love-companion - “Be, oh be my heaven, / Be a comrade of my formidable storms” - and it is not rejected by the poet. However, the hope of finding happiness in love is unrealistic, hence the fatal impossibility of a common path: the hero knows about another outcome prepared for him by fate. This is how another fundamental arises. motive - the motive of being chosen; The verse, therefore, outgrows the framework of the love theme. Lyric. the hero realizes the uniqueness and uniqueness of his life, openly and uncompromisingly opposing himself to an alien world, affirming the desire for heroism. action, struggle: “I was born so that the whole world would be a spectator / Of my triumph or death.” This poetic the formula can be considered as a kind of declaration of early L. In contrast to the human world, inert and indifferent, the hero is close to nature as a natural friendly environment. At the same time, elements of romanticism. landscape (“distant vault of heaven”, “formidable storms”, “stormy waves”) are symbolic. meaning. The expressive tension of the syntax and the repeatedly used anaphors create that “uninhibited” pathos of Lermont. verse, when free poetic. the thought seems to break out of the framework of a clearly organized form. Autograph unknown Authorizations copy - IRLI, notebook. XX. For the first time - “SV”, 1889, No. 1, dept. 1, p. 21-22; Dated according to position in the notebook.
Lit.: Maksimov(2), p. 32-37; Matvievskaya L.A., About stylistic. the use of antonyms in the lyrics and poems of M. Yu. L., “Rus. language at school", 1977, No. 2, p. 71-72; Pakhomov(5).
V. N. Shikin Lermontov Encyclopedia / USSR Academy of Sciences. Institute rus. lit. (Pushkin. House); Scientific-ed. Council of the publishing house "Sov. Encycl."; Ch. ed. Manuilov V. A., Editorial Board: Andronikov I. L., Bazanov V. G., Bushmin A. S., Vatsuro V. E., Zhdanov V. V., Khrapchenko M. B. - M.: Sov. Encycl., 1981
See what “K*” (“We are accidentally brought together by fate”) is in other dictionaries:
- “WE ARE ACCIDENTALLY DRAWN BY FATE”, see “K*”. Lermontov Encyclopedia / USSR Academy of Sciences. In t rus. lit. (Pushkin. House); Scientific ed. council of publishing house Sov. Encycl. ; Ch. ed. Manuilov V. A., Editorial Board: Andronikov I. L., Bazanov V. G., Bushmin A. S., Vatsuro V. E.,… … Lermontov Encyclopedia
ACCIDENTALLY, adv. 1. adv. to random in 1 and 2 digits. Randomly meet someone. “Accidentally buy something. Why are you together? It can’t happen by accident.” Griboyedov. “We were brought together by chance by fate.” Lermontov. We met by chance. I him… … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
MOTIVES of Lermontov's poetry. Motive is a stable semantic element lit. text, repeated within a number of folklore (where the motif means the minimum unit of plot structure) and lit. artist prod. Motive m.b. considered in the context of all creativity... ... Lermontov Encyclopedia
Lermontov's ETHICAL IDEAL, the idea of a perfect personality embodied in his work, inextricably linked in the poet's mind with the idea of a perfect world order as a whole. For understanding Lermont. creativity E. and. especially important:... ... Lermontov Encyclopedia- POEM by Lermontov. L.'s poetic speech as a special type of poetic. speech is characterized by an extraordinary variety of expressions. means: abundance of metric. and strophic. forms, rhythmic freedom. variations, rich melodic. intonation, imagery... ... Lermontov Encyclopedia
We are accidentally brought together by fate,
We found ourselves in each other,
And soul became friends with soul;
At least the two of them won’t finish the journey!So the spring flow reflects
The distant blue vault of heaven
And in a calm wave he shines
And trembles with a stormy wave.Be, oh be my heaven,
Be a comrade of my formidable storms;
Let them then thunder between us,
I was born not to live without them.I was born for the whole world to be a spectator
Celebrations or my death,
But with you, my ray of guidance.
What praise or proud laughter of people!The souls of their singer did not comprehend,
Souls could not love him,
Couldn't understand his sadness
They could not share the delight.
Analysis of Lermontov’s poem “K * (We are accidentally brought together by fate...)”
In 1831, 16-year-old Mikhail Lermontov met Ekaterina Sushkova and fell in love with the girl, who subsequently played with his feelings for 10 long years. However, the young poet did not lose hope that someday he would be able to win the heart of the eccentric and selfish beauty. Almost from the first days of their acquaintance, he dedicated poems to his chosen one, believing that this meeting was some kind of sign from above. Not naturally inclined to mysticism, the poet believed that he had found his soul mate.
The poem “K * (We are accidentally brought together by fate...)” is written in a similar vein, in which Lermontov tries to reach out to his beloved and tell her about his feelings. The poet does not touch on the topic of love, but admits: “We found ourselves in each other, and soul became friends with soul.” At the same time, the author is aware that there are many different obstacles to a happy union with Ekaterina Sushkova. And first of all, it’s all about the character of the girl who loves social entertainment and loves to flirt with men. However, Lermontov sees not only this in his chosen one, he admires her rich inner world. He understands that Katenka’s behavior in society is a protective mask, under which hides a subtle and very vulnerable soul. It is for this reason that the poet asks his muse: “Be, oh be my heaven, be a comrade of my formidable storms.”
Constant quarrels with the girl do not bother Lermontov, who believes that he only brings liveliness to their relationship. However, he cannot imagine that every day this harmless game goes further and further: the poet falls in love more and more, and Ekaterina Sushkova increasingly uses his feelings as a target for ridicule.
At one time, Alexander Pushkin very precisely defined the nature of such relationships, noting: “The less we love a woman, the easier it is for her to like us.” The romance between Lermontov and Sushkova developed precisely in this vein, but the poet will not soon realize that he has become a victim of a game of love. In the meantime, he is determined to throw the whole world at the feet of his chosen one for the opportunity to at least occasionally feel her favor.
The poet admits: “I was born so that the whole world would be a spectator.” This phrase implies that Lermontov knows about his exclusivity, but is not sure that he can achieve success in the literary field. However, next to Ekaterina Sushkova, he is not afraid of people’s rumors, contempt and the stigma of a loser. “What praise or proud laughter of people!” notes the author, implying that in the first place for him there is and will not be personal ambitions, but the relationship with this girl. After all, she easily grasps his mood and knows exactly when the poet needs friendly participation, and when he is ready to support small talk. Lermontov will understand much later that Sushkova does not feel love for him, and this will become the biggest disappointment in his life.
Mikhail Yurjevich Lermontov
We are accidentally brought together by fate,
We found ourselves in each other,
And soul became friends with soul;
At least the two of them won’t finish the journey!
So the spring flow reflects
The distant blue vault of heaven
And in a calm wave he shines
And trembles with a stormy wave.
Be, oh be my heaven,
Be a comrade of my formidable storms;
Let them then thunder between us,
I was born not to live without them.
I was born for the whole world to be a spectator
Celebrations or my death,
But with you, my ray of guidance.
What praise or proud laughter of people!
The souls of their singer did not comprehend,
Souls could not love him,
Couldn't understand his sadness
They could not share the delight.
In 1831, 16-year-old Mikhail Lermontov met Ekaterina Sushkova and fell in love with the girl, who subsequently played with his feelings for 10 long years. However, the young poet did not lose hope that someday he would be able to win the heart of the eccentric and selfish beauty. Almost from the first days of their acquaintance, he dedicated poems to his chosen one, believing that this meeting was some kind of sign from above. Not naturally inclined to mysticism, the poet believed that he had found his soul mate.
The poem “K* (We are accidentally brought together by fate...)” is written in a similar vein, in which Lermontov tries to reach out to his beloved and tell her about his feelings. The poet does not touch on the topic of love, but admits: “We found ourselves in each other, and soul became friends with soul.” At the same time, the author is aware that there are many different obstacles to a happy union with Ekaterina Sushkova. And first of all, it’s all about the character of the girl who loves social entertainment and loves to flirt with men. However, Lermontov sees not only this in his chosen one, he admires her rich inner world. He understands that Katenka’s behavior in society is a protective mask, under which hides a subtle and very vulnerable soul. It is for this reason that the poet asks his muse: “Be, oh be my heaven, be a comrade of my formidable storms.”
Constant quarrels with the girl do not bother Lermontov, who believes that he only brings liveliness to their relationship. However, he cannot imagine that every day this harmless game goes further and further: the poet falls in love more and more, and Ekaterina Sushkova increasingly uses his feelings as a target for ridicule.
At one time, Alexander Pushkin very precisely defined the nature of such relationships, noting: “The less we love a woman, the easier it is for her to like us.” The romance between Lermontov and Sushkova developed precisely in this vein, but the poet will not soon realize that he has become a victim of a game of love. In the meantime, he is determined to throw the whole world at the feet of his chosen one for the opportunity to at least occasionally feel her favor.
The poet admits: “I was born so that the whole world would be a spectator.” This phrase implies that Lermontov knows about his exclusivity, but is not sure that he can achieve success in the literary field. However, next to Ekaterina Sushkova, he is not afraid of people’s rumors, contempt and the stigma of a loser. “What praise or proud laughter of people!” notes the author, implying that in the first place for him there is and will not be personal ambitions, but the relationship with this girl. After all, she easily grasps his mood and knows exactly when the poet needs friendly participation, and when he is ready to support small talk. Lermontov will understand much later that Sushkova does not feel love for him, and this will become the biggest disappointment in his life.