Famous representatives of the Maykov family. last years of life

01.11.2019

“My whole biography is not in external facts, but in the course and development of my inner life ...” - said the poet. The lyrics of Apollo Maykov were a reflection of his life - hobbies, political views and historical events that he witnessed.

Literature or painting?

Apollo Maykov was born into a noble family. He inherited his love for art from his parents, representatives of the creative intelligentsia. Father, Nikolai Maikov, was an academician of painting, mother, Evgenia Maikova, was a writer and poetess. “Maikov’s house was seething with life, people who brought here inexhaustible content from the sphere of thought, science, arts,” recalled the writer Ivan Goncharov, who gave literature and Russian language lessons to the family.

Growing up in such an environment, Apollon Maikov was sure that he would devote his life to art. He was equally gifted in both literature and painting, but he decided to opt for poetry for two reasons: his youthful poems were highly appreciated by the literary historian Alexander Nikitenko and the poet Pyotr Pletnev, and developing myopia prevented him from devoting enough time to painting.

"His poems are reminiscent of ancient poets"

Enrolling in 1837 at the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, Apollon Maykov began to study ancient Greek and Roman history. This passion influenced his work. Contemporaries wrote: "He seems to look at life through the eyes of a Greek, his poems are reminiscent of ancient poets, they have a bright and optimistic beginning."

Maykov's first works were published in the late 1830s. In 1842, his first poetry collection was published. “A poetic, full of life and certainty language” - this is how Vissarion Belinsky commented on the book of the young poet. Admiring Maykov's work "Dream", the critic wrote: "Pushkin himself would have had this poem from his best anthological plays."

For this collection, Apollon Maykov received an allowance from Emperor Nicholas I. With the money he received, he went on a trip to Europe, which lasted almost two years. The poet visited Italy, France, Austria and other countries.

He shared his impressions of the trip with readers in a new collection - Essays on Rome, published in 1847 in St. Petersburg. Literary critics have noted that his work has changed: from antiquity, he moved on to modern life, he began to be more interested in the poetry of "thoughts and feelings."

Ivan Kramskoy. Portrait of Apollo Maykov fishing. 1883

Apollo Mike. River landscape. 1854

Vasily Perov. Portrait of Apollo Maykov. 1872

Petrashevsky circle and natural school

Returning to the capital in 1844, Apollon Maykov became a prominent figure in the literary circles of St. Petersburg. He actively collaborated with the magazines Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski, was friends with Vissarion Belinsky, Nikolai Nekrasov and Ivan Turgenev.

With the help of his brother, Valerian, Apollo also got to a meeting of the first socialist circle in Russia, organized by Mikhail Petrashevsky. There, the poet began a close acquaintance with Fyodor Dostoevsky and Alexei Pleshcheev. Although Maikov did not share all the views of the natural school, the influence of this literary movement still affects his work. The poems of the 1840s are full of civic motifs. Maykov published his poems in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski by Andrey Kraevsky, and in 1845 he wrote the poem Two Fates, for which he received the Pushkin Prize of the Academy of Sciences. In 1846, the poem "Mashenka" was published in the "Petersburg Collection" by Nikolai Nekrasov.

... On the shelf of a book - yes, about a person
You can probably conclude
According to his chosen library,
In his soul, in concepts to read, -
Goldoni's comedies lay there,
History of the Madonna and Saints,
Opera libretto, poems by Tassoni
Yes, the calendar of temple processions ...
Apollo Mike. Excerpt from the poem "Two Fates" (1845)

When many members of the Petrashevsky circle were exiled, Maikov changed his attitude towards the revolutionary movement in Russia. Later, in notes to the poet Yakov Polonsky, he spoke of his “liberal period”: “A lot of nonsense, a lot of selfishness and little love. It was my stupidity, but not meanness.

Slavophiles and "pure art"

Since the 1850s, Apollon Maikov has become close to the editors of Moskvityanin, and conservative sentiments are increasingly felt in his work. Maikov shared the Slavophile ideas of Mikhail Pogodin (magazine publisher), Mikhail Katkov, Fyodor Tyutchev. During this period, the poet opposed the influence of Western European culture. He wrote a lot about the beauty of Russian nature. These poems, according to the publicist Mikhail Borodkin, "were memorized almost with the first prayers." Many of Maykov's works have been set to music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and other composers.

Palekh lacquer miniature on the theme "The Tale of Igor's Campaign". The work of Anna Kotukhina. 1956

In 1882, Maykov, a real state councilor, became chairman of the Committee on Foreign Censorship. During this period, the poet almost did not create new works. He was mainly engaged in editing his works and preparing collected works.

Apollon Maykov died in 1897 in St. Petersburg and was buried in the cemetery at the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent.

Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich is a famous Russian poet. He lived in the 19th century (1821-1897). The creative heritage of this poet is of interest in our time, which speaks of his undoubted talent.

Origin of A. N. Maykov

It should be said that Apollon Maikov was not the only gifted representative of his family name. The ancient family of the poet was rich in talented people. In the 15th century, the famous Russian theologian Nil Sorsky lived, and in the time of Catherine the poet Vasily Maikov worked.

The father of our hero was an academician of painting. The rest of his family also belonged to the creative intelligentsia. Mother is a translator and poetess, brother Valerian is a publicist and literary critic, and Leonid, another brother of Apollo, is a publisher and literary historian.

Childhood and youth, the first book of poems

Apollon Nikolaevich spent his childhood on the estate that belonged to his father. It was located near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The Maykov family moved to St. Petersburg in 1834. Apollo in childhood was fond of both literature and painting. However, myopia prevented him from following in his father's footsteps. Maikov's first prose experiments show the influence of Gogol. Then Apollon Maikov became interested in poetry. His biography of this period was also marked by his studies at St. Petersburg University, at the Faculty of Law. After graduating from the university, Apollon Nikolaevich published the first book of his poems. This important event took place in 1842.

Trip abroad, new poems

In the same year, Apollo Maykov went abroad. Here he stayed for about two years. Maikov listened to lectures by famous scientists in Paris. While in Rome, he took part in the revelry of Russian artists, wrote poetry, made sketches, went on horseback rides in the Roman valley. The result of the impressions received was Maykov's cycle of verse "Essays on Rome" (published in 1847). It was during his life in Italy that the first scrapping was indicated in the poet's work. Apollon Maikov broke with anthological poetry and began to strive for the so-called poetry of thought and feeling. Maikov ceased to be interested in the old man. He decided to turn to the present. As a result, portraits of the inhabitants of Rome appeared (Lorenzo, "Capuchin", "Beggar").

Homecoming

Returning to his homeland, the poet began working at the Rumyantsev Museum as an assistant librarian. In the second half of the 1840s, his circle of contacts included Nekrasov, Grigorovich, Turgenev, Belinsky. At that time, Apollon Maikov experienced the influence of the natural school. The poet published a lot in the "Notes of the Fatherland". In the "Petersburg collection" of Nekrasov in 1846 his poem "Mashenka" appeared. A little earlier, another poem was created, "Two Fates", which tells the story of an "extra" person.

Communication with the Petrashevites and the editors of the "Moskvityanin"

Apollon Nikolaevich in those years was ideologically close to Westernism. He became involved in the Petrashevsky movement through his brother Valerian. However, he soon began to be oppressed by their constant criticism of the government. Maikov saw utopianism in the Petrashevist movement, "a lot of selfishness", "a lot of nonsense" and "little love".

Apollon Nikolaevich, who was going through a crisis, ended up in the editorial office of Moskvityanin. Here he unexpectedly found not only participation, but also support for his views. Maikov denied the principles of civilization in Western Europe. This thought went through his entire collection "1854", which accurately reflected Maykov's worldview at that time. Another cross-cutting theme of the book was the historical mission of the Russian state, which blocked the way to the West for the hordes of Batu and thus prevented the death of European civilization ("Clermont Cathedral", etc.). Then Maikov became a staunch monarchist. He believed in the greatness of Nicholas I.

Creativity of the 1850s

As happens with every true poet, Maykov's work of the 1850s is much broader than his ideological guidelines. He created works on a social theme (the idyll "Fool", the cycle "Worldly Thoughts"), poems of an ideological and political nature. Simultaneously Maikov wrote poems that continued the anthological and aesthetic principles of his early poetry. We are talking about such cycles as "Cameos" and "Fantasy". At the end of 1850s. the cycles "At home", "In the wild", "In the rain", "Spring", "Haymaking" appeared. In these works, Maikov's former harmonic view of nature is still felt. However, now he manifests himself in sketches of rural landscapes in Russia.

"Autumn"

In 1856 Apollon Maikov created one of the most famous poems. "Autumn" - so he called it. From a young age, the poet was fond of hunting, but often caught himself thinking that an ordinary walk in the forest without a gun gives him much more pleasure. He really liked to rake in the leaves with his foot, to hear the crackling of branches ... However, in autumn the forest loses its mystery and mystery, because "the last flower has tied up", "the last nut has been plucked". And this world gives rise to hitherto unknown feelings in the poet...

Marine expedition

The Italian theme reappeared in the work of Apollon Nikolaevich in 1859. This was due to the fact that he, together with other researchers, made a sea expedition, visiting the islands of the Greek archipelago. The ship on which the voyage was carried out did not get to Greece. He had to stay in Naples. Therefore, instead of one cycle, as Apollon Nikolayevich Maikov had planned, it turned out to be two. The "Neapolitan Album" was created from Italian impressions. This is a kind of story in verse, the theme of which is the life of the people in Naples. As a result of studying the culture and history of Greece, "Modern Greek songs" ("The Swallow Has Rushed", "Lullaby", etc.) appeared.

One of his most famous poems is "Lullaby ...". Apollo Maykov created this work in 1860. More than 20 composers at one time wrote music for it. Among them are A. Chesnokov, A. Arensky, V. Rebikov, P. Tchaikovsky.

last years of life

In the last 25 years of his life, Maykov was interested in the eternal questions of being. He thought about the development of civilizations. An important place in Maikov's thoughts at that time was occupied by the fate of our country, its past and present, its role in history. In the 1880s, Apollon Nikolaevich also created a number of poems that are distinguished by deep religiosity and the idea that religious humility is a distinctive feature of a Russian person (“Eternal night is approaching ....”, “Leave it, leave it! ..”, etc.).

Finally

Merezhkovsky in his book "Eternal Companions" wrote that Maikov Apollo is a poet whose life path was bright and even. There was no persecution, no enemies, no passions, no struggle in him. There were poems, books, travel, family joys, fame. Indeed, his biography was not very poetic: he did not die on the scaffold or in a duel, he was not persecuted, he was not tormented by passions. With Apollon Maikov, everything external went inside. His true biography, true destiny was his path from the Romans and Greeks to Russian reality, the history of peoples, the poetry of the Bible and the eternal questions of being.

Maykov Apollon Nikolaevich (1821 - 1897), poet.

Maikov's literary activity, like Fet and Polonsky, lasted more than half a century. At the dawn of his conscious life, he perceived the last works of Pushkin and the work of Lermontov with the directness of a contemporary, and died after the speech of the Russian symbolists.

Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov was born in Moscow on May 23, 1821. He spent his early childhood mainly in the countryside - on the estates of his father and grandmother in the Moscow province. The first childhood impressions were reflected in Maykov's later poetic sympathies, in his love for the Russian landscape, in his addiction to a somewhat naive patriarchal way of life.

At the age of twelve, Maikov was taken to St. Petersburg, where the whole family soon moved. At the age of three, he completed the entire gymnasium course and in 1837 entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. Studying Roman law, Maikov learned Latin and could read Roman writers in the original. He did not know the Greek language at that time and read Greek writers in French translations. Classes in Roman law, philosophy, reading Roman and Greek poets aroused in Maykov a deep interest and love for the ancient world, so characteristic of his work.

From an early age, Maikov lived in an atmosphere of literary interests and the cult of art. His father was a painter; mother wrote poems and novels. It is no coincidence that the brothers were involved in literature; one of them, Valerian, was an outstanding critic of the 1940s. At the evenings at the Maykovs, which I. A. Goncharov, who invariably visited them, recalled with delight, writers, artists, artists, and musicians visited them. For several years, a handwritten journal was published, the staff of which were all the Maikovs, Goncharov, who taught the poet the history of literature, the poet Benediktov, and others. Many of Maikov's poems appeared here, later published in magazines.

From the beginning of the 40s, Maikov began to systematically publish his poems. In 1842 he published them as a separate book. The book garnered unanimous critical acclaim. Belinsky devoted a special article to her, highly appreciating the young poet. Considering that in the future Maikov should not be limited to anthological motifs that reflected his love for the ancient world, Belinsky at the same time warmly welcomed the simplicity of his poems, the absence of false pathos and deliberate sophistication in them, the accuracy of words and images. The critic contrasted Maikov with poets associated with Slavophilism (N. M. Yazykov of the last period of his work, A. S. Khomyakov, S. P. Shevyrev), and V. G. Benediktov.

In 1841 Maykov graduated from the university. After the release of the first collection of poems, he went on a long trip abroad. Only now did Maikov make the final choice between poetry and painting, which he had been doing for a number of years; the great success of the collection convinced him that it was in poetry that his true vocation was. Maikov lived for quite a long time in Italy, where he had long been striving. He wrote a book of poems "Essays on Rome" there. He also lived in Paris, diligently listening to university lectures. On the way back, in Prague, Maikov met with the leaders of the Slavic national liberation movement - V. Ganka and P.I. Safarik.

Returning to Russia in 1844, Maikov entered the Rumyantsev Museum as a librarian. By this time, he met young writers who were then at the center of literary life: I. S. Turgenev, N. A. Nekrasov, D. V. Grigorovich and others, as well as with Belinsky and the circle of M. V. Petrashevsky. Maikov was influenced by the ideas of Belinsky and the Petrashevists, their views on the tasks of modern literature, their call for a socially oriented, realistic art. Under the influence of these ideas, Maikov's poems "Mashenka" and "Two Fates" were written. True, this influence was short-lived, and Maikov did not include these poems in his collections and collected works.

Soon he joined the conservative camp and became a defender of the so-called "pure poetry". "Pure poetry" was contrasted in 1850-1860 with civil poetry, the most prominent representative of which was Nekrasov, poetry closely associated with the advanced ideas of his time. Among the poets who defended the idea of "art for art's sake", Maikov occupied his own special place. Unlike, for example, Fet, a poet, no doubt, a larger and more original one, he strove for the plasticity of the image, the accuracy of visual images, and semantic clarity. The main element of his poetry is not lyrical excitement, but harmonic "calmness" and "objectivity".

The second half of the 1950s was a very fruitful period in Maikov's work. During these years, many of his most famous works were written, including excellent poems that depict the originality and beauty of Russian nature ("Haymaking", "Autumn", "Swallows", etc.). In 1858 Maykov took part in the expedition of the corvette "Bayan" to Greece. Previously, he read many books and studied modern Greek. "Bayan" visited not only Greece, but also Italy. The literary result of this trip was two cycles - "The Neapolitan Album" (it includes one of Maykov's best poems - "Tarantella") and "Modern Greek Songs", which, along with everyday and love motives, reflected the struggle of the Greeks for national liberation.

In the future, Maikov's work developed in several directions. Even more than in previous years, he turned in his works to both Western and Russian history. On the other hand, Maykov was attracted by themes and motifs drawn from the folk poetry of different countries; he translated folk songs (Belarusian, Serbian, Greek), wrote a number of poems in the spirit of folk lyrics, the poems Baldur and Brunhilde, the themes of which were borrowed from the Scandinavian epic, etc. Igor.

Maikov's son went through The Lay at the gymnasium, and the poet reread it with him. Having come across a number of obscure passages, dissatisfied with the division of the "Word" into parts in the translations made before him, Maykov turned with his doubts to Professor I. I. Sreznevsky, but he replied: "Strive it yourself!" And so the poet studies the scientific literature about the Lay, compares it with the epic of other peoples, and only then translates it. Maikov called the four years spent on translation "the second university" - no longer in law, but in the philological faculty.

Finally, it is necessary to note one idea that worried Maikov for almost his entire life and to which he devoted many years of work. This is a dramatic work on the theme of the clash of Christianity with paganism. His first sketch, artistically weak, appeared in the collection of 1842, and the final edition, called "Two Worlds", refers to 1881. Who would wish to trace the history of this work step by step, he would see Maikov's ideological evolution, and the perseverance, that perseverance with which he strove to better and brighter realize his plan.

In the years 1860-1870, the work of Maikov, who had finally broken with progressive circles and was published mainly in the reactionary Russkiy vestnik, could not but meet with a sharp rebuff from critics and writers of the democratic camp. In addition to the tendencies in Maikov's poetry, which were alien to them, his bureaucratic career also had some significance here. In 1852 he joined the Foreign Censorship Committee, where he served until his death. From 1882 he became chairman of the committee.

Along with attacks against the "nihilists", the glorification of the reigning persons, along with the religious-nationalist sentiments that have intensified in his work, Maikov also creates individual poems (for example, "Emshan", "Spring" of 1881), which have enduring artistic value.

In the 1980s Maikov wrote little. The exacting poet reworked old works and prepared a new edition of his collected works for publication. Maikov died on March 8, 1897.

Bibliography

For the preparation of this work, materials from the site http://russia.rin.ru/

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Russian poetry of the 19th century is rich in the names of famous authors, whose works have become classics and have not lost their relevance, having been carried through the centuries. One of these outstanding poets is Apollon Maikov, who left us a wonderful creative heritage, interest in which has not faded to this day.

It is interesting to know what facts of the biography influenced the work of the writer, contributed to the formation of A. Maikov as a poet, the direction of his works and poetic style.

Famous representatives of the Maikov family

Maykov Apollon Nikolaevich was born in 1821 in Moscow into an old noble family, whose history is closely connected with Russian art and education. Among the well-known relatives of the poet (all of them bore the surname Maikov) are many extremely gifted representatives of the creative intelligentsia who contributed to the development of Russian culture:

Nil Sorsky (in the world Nikolai Fedorovich) - the famous Russian church figure of the 15th century, an Orthodox saint;
Vasily Ivanovich - a poet who worked in Catherine's times;
Apollon Alexandrovich - director of the Imperial Theatres, grandfather of the poet;
Nikolai Apollonovich - a talented historical painter - father of A. Maykov;
Evgenia Petrovna - translator and writer - mother of the poet.

The siblings of Apollo Maykov also shone with talents:

Valerian Nikolaevich - publicist and literary critic;
Vladimir Nikolaevich - writer, publisher of magazines for children and youth "Snowdrop" and "Family Evenings";
Leonid Nikolaevich is a member of the Academy of Sciences, known for his works on the history of Russian literature.

Family education of Apollon Maykov

The childhood years of the poet were spent in the center of Moscow in the parental home, where a special atmosphere reigned, artists, writers and musicians often visited. Children grew up in an environment of love for creativity, extreme reverence for art and science as the main meaning of existence. All this contributed to the fact that Apollon Maikov read a lot, drew well and began to write lyric poetry early.

The poet's parents and their friends served as role models for children, their example helped to form spiritual interests, respect for moral values and high life principles. The house produced handwritten editions for the publication of works by family members and guests - the almanac "Moonlight Nights" and the magazine "Snowdrop", in which the first poems of young Apollo were published.

The future poet spent the summer months in the grandmother's estate near Moscow in the village of Chepchikha. Here A. Maykov got acquainted with the nature of his native land with its silence and expanse, with the life of the Russian village and folk life.

In the life time of childhood and adolescence, when the impressions are especially strong and deep, the foundations of the poet's personality were laid by education in the spirit of the creative intelligentsia, as well as life in the bosom of free mother nature and the life of the Russian village with its truth and simplicity.

Getting an education

When A. Maikov was 13 years old, his family moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg, which connected the further fate of the poet with the Northern capital. Here I. A. Goncharov began to give lessons in Russian literature and Latin to Apollo and his brothers.

A. Maikov studied at the University of St. Petersburg at the faculty of jurisprudence, but at the same time did not leave literature and painting. He listened with particular interest to lectures related to his passion for philosophy and the study of the Latin language - his favorite subjects were the encyclopedia of jurisprudence and Roman law. He also attended courses in general and Russian history and Russian literature.

After graduating from the university, Apollon Maikov entered the civil service in the Department of the Treasury.

The first collection of poems by A. Maykov

The name of the young talented poet Maykov became known after his works were published in a number of magazines, such as Otechestvennye Zapiski and Library for Reading. Soon the first collection "Poems of Apollo Maykov" (1842) was published, which was a success with readers and warmly received by connoisseurs of Russian literature. The young author was warmly praised by V. G. Belinsky.

This event contributed to the fact that the final choice of A. Maikov, who was still hesitating between painting and literary creativity, was made in favor of poetry. Another reason why he had to leave the arts was the deterioration of his eyesight.

Travel abroad

The first collection of poems by A. Maykov was presented by the Minister of Public Education to the Emperor. For the book, the poet was awarded an allowance from Nicholas I - funds for a long trip to Europe, where he stayed for almost two years. At first, Maykov went to Italy, where he was engaged in creativity, visited many cities, visited museums and exhibitions. Then in France, in Paris, he listened to lectures on world literature and art. In order to study European culture, he also visited Dresden and Prague.

The trip served as an excellent timely addition to the university education of Apollon Maykov, which provided the richest material for further creativity and became an inexhaustible source of inspiration for writing many wonderful works throughout the life of the poet.

public service

Returning to Russia, Apollon Maikov wrote a dissertation on the law of the ancient Slavs, served in the Ministry of Finance, then worked at the Rumyantsev Museum as an assistant librarian. Then there were positions, first junior censor, then senior censor, and finally chairman of the foreign censorship committee, where he worked for more than forty years. As a member of the scientific committee under the Ministry of Public Education, he reviewed books published for public reading. He was a member of the council of the Russian Literary Society and the commission for organizing public readings, worked at the publishing house of the Novoye Slovo magazine and Teatralnaya Gazeta.

The state service partly contributed to the writing activity of A. Maykov, bringing him closer to Odoevsky and Tyutchev. Being the poet's superiors at work, they became his friends, critics and connoisseurs of his works. F. I. Tyutchev had a particularly strong influence on the formation of the final views and views on Russian statehood, to which the poet remained faithful until the end of his life.

The poet died in 1897 and was buried in St. Petersburg at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Apollo Maykov, biography: milestones

The most significant events in the life and work of A. Maykov were:

1834 - the Maykov family moved to St. Petersburg;
1837-1841 - University studies;
1842-1844 - overseas travel;
1852 - began to work in the committee of foreign censorship;
1853 - became a corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences;
1853-1866 - the birth of four children in the family of Apollo Maykov and his wife Anna;
1857 - received the rank of real state councilor;
1882 - awarded the Pushkin Prize;
1888 - received the rank of Privy Councilor;
1897 - approved as chairman of the foreign censorship committee.

The biography of Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov is different in that there was no struggle and passions, persecution and persecution in it. His life is a bright and even path, on which the poet had work, creativity and fame, travel and the joys of family life, there were liveliness of movements and emotions that gave birth to beautiful poems.

Creativity of Apollo Maykov

In the work of A. Maykov, a number of periods can be distinguished, each of which is characterized by its own characteristics.

In the poems "Two Fates" (1845), "Mashenka" and "The Young Lady" (1846), civil motives can be traced, which arose under the influence of the ideas of the Petrashevists. Then there is a transition to a conservative position, which is evidenced by the poem "Clermont Cathedral" (1853), as well as cycles of poems dedicated to impressions from trips to Italy and Greece - "Essays on Rome" (1847), "Neapolitan Album" and "Modern Greek Songs" (1858). The cycles of poems “In an anthological kind”, “Centuries and peoples”, “Reviews of history” correspond to the cultural and historical themes.

In the work of the poet, his constant interest in world history with its dramatic episodes is noticeable: the poems "Savonarola" (1851) and "Sentence" (1860), as well as the dramas "Three Deaths" (1851), "The Death of Lucius" (1863) and " Two Worlds (1881), in which Christianity is opposed to paganism.

In addition to poetry, A. Maikov was quite successfully engaged in translations, his poetic adaptation of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" - a great creation of the ancient Russian era, is considered one of the best. He translated the works of such authors as Goethe and Heine, folk poetry from different countries - Greece, Spain, Serbia. A. Maykov's poems inspired the creation of romances by such great composers as Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Apollo Maykov: poems about Russian nature

In landscape lyrics, the poet's talent manifested itself most clearly. The subtlety of colors, natural beauty and harmony, seen in the most ordinary and familiar phenomena, such as the arrival of spring, summer rain, autumn fading - all this is Apollo Maykov. "Swallows" is a wonderful touching work in which the poet expressed thoughts about the transience of life through a description of the actions of birds that managed to build a nest in a few summer months, raise offspring and fly away to warmer climes.

Contemplation, sincerity, observation and melodiousness - this is what distinguishes Apollo Maykov in the landscape theme. "Spring", "In the rain", "Haymaking", "Autumn", "Summer rain" are considered the best works of the poet about the nature of his native land.

Domestic literature is proud of the rich contribution made by the work of the poet A. N. Maikov. His poems will forever remain one of the most interesting phenomena in Russian poetry.

Apollon Nikolaevich Maykov was born in 1821 into an educated and talented family. His father was a painter, the brothers Valerian and Leonid were writers. Writers, artists often visited my father's house, literary conversations were held, and they argued about art. By the way, I. A. Goncharov, who gave lessons to older children, was a frequent visitor.

A. N. Maikov graduated from St. Petersburg University with a degree in literature, he did a lot of painting, for which he felt a vocation, but the weakness of his eyesight forced him to abandon work in this area.

Portrait of Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov. Artist V. Perov, 1872

He began to write poetry while still at the university, the first experiments, like Turgenev, attributed to Professor Pletnev, editor of the Sovremennik magazine. Pletnev approved of Maikov's experiments. In 1840, his poem "Dream" was published in the Odessa almanac, signed with the letter M. Belinsky welcomed this poem and guessed a major poet in the author.

In 1844 Maykov published the first collection of poems, which nominated the author as a poet. A major event in his life was a trip to Italy, where Maykov, as an artist and lover of beauty in art and nature, found rich material for study and observation. The poet visited museums and art galleries in Italy and enjoyed nature. Stay in Italy had a great influence on his creative development. After that, in Paris, he listened to lectures by professors in various fields of knowledge.

Returning to Russia, Maykov was the librarian of the Rumyantsev Museum, and after the death of Tyutchev, he acted as chairman of the foreign censorship committee. A. N. Maykov personally edited the three-volume collection of his works.

He died in 1897.