Some poets and writers left the people, having neither money, nor education – nothing but talent. And others from the very beginning had everything they needed … However, Gavriil Derzhavin, who went down in history as one of the most visible poets of the Enlightenment, was a nobleman, but poor and unknown to anyone. He achieved everything himself, becoming not only a great poet, but also a statesman.
The roots of the poet go to the Golden Horde. Being a guard, Derzhavin took part in the coup, as a result of which Catherine II came to power. When working on The Captain’s Daughter, Pushkin relied heavily on the published memoirs of Gavriil Derzhavin. A fair share of the writer’s works is erotic prose. For example, “Aristippova bath”.
The ode “Felitsa” was so favored by Empress Catherine II that she presented Derzhavin with a gold snuffbox encrusted with diamonds, which in those years cost several thousand rubles – a lot of money. The writer and the courtier were not indifferent to gambling. He happened to win a lot and lose. So, once he won almost 40 thousand rubles in one evening. Gavriil Derzhavin compiled the first in Russia explanatory dictionary. He first began writing at the age of 27, but most of his early poems have not survived. While serving in the guard, he gave 10 years to get an officer’s rank.
From the post of Minister of Justice, Gavriil Derzhavin was dismissed with the phrase “serves too zealously.” In honor of the great poet named one of the craters on the planet Mercury. During the Russian-Turkish war, Derzhavin bought bread for soldiers for money. In his memoirs, he scrupulously listed all his ranks, ranks and positions, but did not mention his merits as a poet.
