Pushchin Ivan Ivanovich, whose biography will be presented in this article, was a Decembrist, author of memoirs, collegiate assessor and court judge in Moscow. But most know him as Pushkin's closest comrade.
Childhood of Pushchin Ivan Ivanovich
The hero of this article was born in Maryino (Moscow province) in 1798. The boy's father was Senator and Lieutenant General Ivan Petrovich, and his mother's name was Alexandra Mikhailovna. In 1811, the grandfather took the future Decembrist to the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum for education. Of course, this is not quite what little Pushchin Ivan Ivanovich wanted. The biography at the Lyceum was marked by the main event - an acquaintance with Pushkin. It took place at one of the exams, and later grew into an ardent friendship. Even more rapprochement contributed to the close location of their rooms. Pushkin and Pushchin also studied in the same circle. Despite this, friends disagreed on many issues. More than once they had disagreements about certain things and people.
Leaving the army
A year before the end of Pushchin's studies, the sovereign himself turned to the director of the lyceum and askedthe presence of pupils who want to go to military service. There were ten such people, including Ivan. A couple of times a week, General Levashev and Colonel Knabenau did military exercises with them in the hussar arena. Final exams “crept up” imperceptibly. Pushkin's best friend Ivan Pushchin was sad because he would soon have to part with his comrades, who had become his family during his studies. On this occasion, his fellow students wrote several poems in the album of the hero of this article. Among them were Illichevsky, Delvig and Pushkin. Subsequently, the album was lost somewhere.
Serving in the army
Immediately after graduating from the Lyceum, Ivan Pushchin, whose photo you can see in the article, was promoted to officer and put on a guards uniform. From that moment on, their paths with Alexander diverged. By the way, Pushkin did not know anything about the fact that Ivan joined one circle during his studies. Pushchin only occasionally mentioned his membership, but did not give details. We'll talk more about this below. It should be noted that Alexander never found out the truth.
New meeting with Pushkin
In January 1820, Ivan Pushchin, whose biography is in many literary encyclopedias, went to Bessarabia to visit his sick sister. There he spent four months. Returning back along the Belarusian highways, Ivan stopped at the postal station and accidentally saw Pushkin's name in the guest book. The caretaker told him that Alexander Sergeevich was on his way to work. In fact, the poet was sent into exile to the south. “How gratifying it would be to hug him,” wrote in his memoirsPushchin Ivan Ivanovich. Friendship with Pushkin resumed only five years later.
In 1825, the hero of this article learned that Alexander was exiled to the Pskov province. And Ivan had a strong desire to visit an old friend. To begin with, he intended to travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg to celebrate Christmas with his family. Then he went to his sister, and from there to the place of Pushkin's exile - the village of Mikhailovskoye. Acquaintances dissuaded Ivan from this trip, since Alexander was under the supervision of not only the police, but also the clergy. But Pushchin did not want to listen to anything. The meeting of friends in January 1825 made a strong impression on both. Alexander later wrote a poem about this. This was their last meeting.
Secret circle
What did Ivan Pushchin not tell Pushkin during their studies at the Lyceum? At that time, the hero of this article accidentally met people who in the future took part in the creation of the Northern Society, the Welfare Union and the events of December 14th. Ivan became one of the most prominent members of this circle. For this reason, Pushchin's military service did not last long. It just didn't give him room to put his beliefs into practice. After leaving, Ivan got a job in a provincial institution, and then took the place of a judge in the First Department of the Moscow Court of Appeal.
Wish for change
The change of service was due to the fact that the hero of this article wanted to update the atmosphere of bureaucracy, which, in his opinion, gave off mustiness. Everywhere reigned depraved chicanery andcorrupt practices. Ivan Pushchin hoped that his example of honest service for the good of the people would induce the nobility to take on the duties from which they had with all their might shied away.
Northern Society
The first half of the reign of Alexander I was distinguished by a cheerful mood due to the rise of public consciousness. But then everything changed. In government spheres, opinions were changing on many social issues. And this crossed out the hope for a better future for many advanced circles, one of which included Ivan Pushchin. In this regard, the attraction to revolutionary work came to the fore. It was impossible to openly engage in such activities, so the circles were transformed into secret organizations.
Ivan was a member of the Northern Society. The head of this organization, Ryleev, like Pushchin, switched from military service to civilian service. Together they fought ignorance and evil. But closer to 1825 politics began to penetrate their program more and more. Something had to be done. And the members of the Northern Society began to develop a plan of action.
The Decembrist uprising
December 14, 1825 Ivan Pushchin stood with Obolensky on Senate Square. Nearby were other Decembrists. Later, Küchelbecker (a lyceum comrade) testified against them. He stated that Odoevsky, Bestuzhev, Shchepin-Rostovsky, Obolensky and Pushchin led the square and prompted him to shoot General Voinov, the Grand Duke. Ivan himself denied such an accusation. Pushchin was greatly carried away by the crowd and saw in itunfamiliar officer without a hat. Those around him said he was a spy. Then Ivan advised to stay away from him. Who struck the officer, the hero of this article did not see. Thus, the question of what Pushchin was doing on Senate Square remains open. He did not say anything about this and many years later in the "Notes of the Decembrist".
Arrest
On the evening of December 14, 1825, Ivan Pushchin, whose photo was already in the criminal case against the Decembrists, was arrested along with other members of the Northern Society. They were imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. During interrogations, Ivan either denied everything or remained silent. The court found Pushchin guilty of planning and participating in regicide. The hero of this article was awarded the first category of the rating of state criminals. The final sentence is the death pen alty by beheading. Six months later, the court softened the punishment, depriving Ivan of his ranks and exiling him to eternal hard labor in Siberia. A couple of months later, the term was reduced to 20 years.
Katorga
Upon arrival in Siberia, Ivan Pushchin, whose biography is known to all fans of Pushkin, spent several years in hard labor. His life was not particularly difficult. And the very word "hard labor" was applied to the Decembrists, who were in different prisons, only in a conventional sense. They lived as a friendly family, having organized in their barracks something like a university for mental work. Also, Pushchin, together with Mukhanov and Zavalishin, established a small artel. She helped underprivileged members who came to the settlement. And there also existeda newspaper artel that provides the Decembrists with printed publications and books on various topics (including prohibited ones).
While in the Chita prison, Pushchin translated Franklin's Notes. Ivan was engaged only in the first part. The second was translated by his friend, Steigel. The finished Franklin's Notes were sent to a relative of Mukhanov, but, unfortunately, the manuscript was lost. Ivan had to destroy the rough copy during the inspection of the prison, since the ink was prohibited, and the Decembrists got it smuggled.
Western Siberia
Thanks to the Supreme Manifesto of 1839, Pushchin was released from hard labor. He was expelled to a settlement in the city of Turinsk (Western Siberia) in 1840. For the next four years, Ivan was mainly engaged in reading books. The Siberian climate adversely affected his he alth. From 1840, Pushchin regularly had chronic seizures. In this regard, he wrote a petition for transfer to Yalutorovsk. It was satisfied, and after the arrival of Ivan, they settled in the same house with Obolensky. Then, in connection with the marriage of Comrade Pushchin, he moved to a separate apartment.
Besides Ivan, there were other Decembrists in Yalutorovsk: Basargin, Tizenhausen, Yakushkin, Muravyov-Apostol and others. They regularly visited the hero of this article. At such meetings, the Decembrists played cards, discussed the latest political events, etc. Ivan became addicted to farming and spent a lot of time in the garden. But his he alth did not improve. Pushchin petitioned Gorchakov (Governor-General of WesternSiberia) about being transferred to Tobolsk for medical consultations.
Treatment and freedom
After the move and initial treatment, Ivan felt a little better. In Tobolsk, he met with an old acquaintance Bobrischev-Pushkin. Together the friends worked on the translation of Pascal. After his return, Pushchin did not complain about his he alth for some time, but soon the seizures resumed. In 1849, he again asked Gorchakov to send him for treatment. This time in Turin waters. All expenses for the trip were paid from the treasury. There Pushchin met Bestuzhev and his other comrades. Six months later, Ivan returned to Yalutorovsk. The hero of this article was released after the manifesto of 1856, having spent 16 years in the settlement.
Recent years
In 1858 Pushchin Ivan Ivanovich, whose biography is known to many admirers of Pushkin's talent, married Natalia Fonvizina (the wife of the famous Decembrist who died in 1854). A few months after the wedding, the hero of this article died. Pushchin was buried in Bronnitsy next to the cathedral. The grave is located near the tomb of Fonvizin M. A.
Works by Pushchin Ivan Ivanovich
In addition to the "Notes of Franklin" mentioned above, the hero of this article wrote "Notes on Friendship with Pushkin" (1859) and "Notes of the Decembrist" (1863). The first, in a more complete form, appeared in Maykov's work on the biography of the poet. Ivan had the most tender feelings for Alexander since his studies at the Lyceum. Therefore, the "Notes" were imbued with brotherly love and sincere sincerity.
ThisPushchin Ivan Ivanovich's work is not limited. He also owns "Letters from Yalutorovsk" (1845) to Engelhardt. In them, Ivan tells the former director about his own life. He also shares his thoughts on the Siberian order, local bureaucracy and the law of 1842, according to which the peasants were given land for possession, subject to their cultivation by free labor. On the whole, the letters to Engelhardt contain many apt remarks characteristic of an advanced, educated person.
