Mikhail Lermontov
Russian Romantic poet and prose writer, key figure after Pushkin.
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (15 October 1814 – 27 July 1841) was a Russian Romantic writer, poet, and painter. Often called "the poet of the Caucasus," he became the most significant Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin died in 1837 and is considered the leading figure of Russian Romanticism. His work continues to influence Russian literature, both through his poetry and his prose, which established the tradition of the Russian psychological novel.
Lermontov was born in Moscow into the Lermontov family and grew up in the village of Tarkhany. His father’s side traced its roots to a Scottish officer named Yuri (George) Learmonth, who settled in Russia in the mid-17th century after being captured in Poland. Family legend claimed Learmonth descended from the 13th-century Scottish poet Thomas the Rhymer. Lermontov’s father, Yuri Petrovich, was a military captain who married Maria Mikhaylovna Arsenyeva, a wealthy heiress from the aristocratic Stolypin family. The marriage was unhappy; Maria’s mother, Elizaveta Arsenyeva, disliked her son-in-law. Maria died of tuberculosis on 27 February 1817, when Mikhail was two. After her death, a bitter custody battle erupted between Yuri and Elizaveta. They agreed the boy would stay with his grandmother until age sixteen, and Lermontov grew up spoiled and isolated from his father.
Raised by his doting grandmother, Lermontov received an excellent home education, becoming fluent in French and German, learning musical instruments, and showing talent in painting. But his health was fragile: he suffered from scrofula and rickets, which left him bow-legged. A French doctor, Anselm Levis, kept him under close watch. His first tutor was Colonel Capet, a former Napoleonic prisoner of war, followed by a German pedagogue named Levy, who introduced him to Goethe and Schiller, and then another Frenchman, Gendrot. The family feud shaped his early drama *Menschen und Leidenschaften* (1830), whose protagonist resembles the young Lermontov.
In 1827, Lermontov moved with his grandmother to Moscow and entered Moscow University’s boarding school, where he excelled and began writing poetry. By 1829, he had produced notable poems. His early work showed the influence of Alexander Pushkin and Lord Byron. Frequent trips to the Caucasus for his health left a deep impression and became a major theme in his writing.
In 1832, Lermontov moved to Saint Petersburg and enrolled in the School of Cavalry Junkers and Ensign of the Guard, later joining the Life-Guard Hussar regiment. His literary career grew, but his sharp wit and satirical poems made enemies. His poem “Death of the Poet,” written after Pushkin’s death, brought him fame but also led to his first exile to the Caucasus because of its controversial content. During exile, he wrote some of his best-known works, including *A Hero of Our Time*. After briefly returning to St. Petersburg, his rebellious behavior and another duel caused a second exile. In 1841, Lermontov died in a duel with fellow officer Nikolai Martynov, cutting short one of Russia’s most promising literary careers.
- born
- 15 October 1814 (O.S. 3 October 1814)
- died
- 27 July 1841 (O.S. 15 July 1841)
- field
- Literature, poetry, painting
- nationality
- Russian
- known_for
- Poem 'Death of the Poet,' novel A Hero of Our Time, founding the Russian psychol
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Lore & Background
Lermontov grew up in Tarkhany and received excellent home education from his grandmother, nurturing his talents in languages, music, and painting. However, his health was fragile, and he suffered from scrofula and rickets. His grandmother's strict control caused him emotional turmoil, leading to his development as a lonely and introspective individual. In 1827, Lermontov moved to Moscow with his grandmother and joined the Moscow University's boarding school. He excelled academically and started to write poetry. By 1829, Lermontov had written notable poems. His literary career began to take shape, with his early works reflecting the influences of Alexander Pushkin and Lord Byron. Lermontov's early education included extensive travel to the Caucasus for his health, which greatly impressed him and influenced his work. In 1832, Lermontov moved to Saint Petersburg and enrolled in the School of Cavalry Junkers and Ensign of the Guard, eventually joining the Life-Guard Hussar regiment. His literary career flourished, but his sharp wit and satirical works earned him many enemies. The poem "Death of the Poet," written after the death of Alexander Pushkin, gained Lermontov significant fame, but led to his first exile to the Caucasus due to its controversial content. During his exile, Lermontov continued to write, producing some of his most famous works, including A Hero of Our Time. His experiences in the Caucasus provided rich material for his poetry and prose. Despite returning to St. Petersburg briefly, his rebellious nature and another duel led to his second exile. In 1841, Lermontov was killed in a duel with fellow officer Nikolai Martynov. His death marked the loss of one of Russia's most promising literary talents.
Reader's Guide
Lermontov's significance lies in his role as the foremost Russian Romantic poet after Pushkin and as the founder of the Russian psychological novel through his prose, particularly A Hero of Our Time. His poetry and prose have had a lasting influence on Russian literature into modern times. His experiences in the Caucasus provided rich material for his work, earning him the epithet 'the poet of the Caucasus.' His death in a duel at age 26 marked the loss of one of Russia's most promising literary talents, and his legacy endures through his contributions to both poetry and the development of psychological realism in fiction.
Did You Know?
- Lermontov's paternal family descended from the Scottish family of Learmonth, and can be traced to Yuri (George) Learmonth, a Scottish officer in the Polish–Lithuanian service who settled in Russia in the middle of the 17th century.
- Family legend asserted that George Learmonth descended from the famed 13th-century Scottish poet Thomas the Rhymer (also known as Thomas Learmonth).
- Lermontov's mother, Maria Mikhaylovna Arsenyeva, died of tuberculosis on 27 February 1817, when Lermontov was only two years old.
- Lermontov's grandmother, Elizaveta Arsenyeva, launched a formidable battle for her grandson after his mother's death, promising to disinherit him if his father took the boy away.
- Lermontov's first romantic passion was for a nine-year-old girl he met during a trip to the Caucasus in summer 1825.
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