Literary and historical notes of a young technician. Griboedov Alexander Sergeevich - biography When was born with the Griboyedovs

Without looking at anyone, clearly marking his step, the Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia Griboyedov climbed the stairs of the magnificent palace of the Shah. Past dwarfs in colorful clothes with crooked scimitars. Past the bowing courtiers, who obligingly invited him into the room for ceremonial dressing (there he had to take off his shoes and put on special red stockings). Past, past... Confusion and horror were reflected on the faces of the courtiers: they simply did not know what to do in such strange cases. And Griboyedov walked into the gilded hall of public audiences in his boots. Unheard of audacity - to appear in front of the Shah with shoes on!

Shah Feth-Ali, or Baba Khan, was an impressive-looking old man with a hooked, fleshy nose and an extremely well-groomed beard. They said that this beard was the longest and most beautiful in all of Persia. He had 800 wives and concubines in his harem. From them there were 68 sons and 53 daughters, and all the offspring (including grandchildren and great-grandchildren) numbered 935 people, which for Tehran amounted to a significant increase in population. On this day, as part of the ceremony of receiving foreign ambassadors, the Shah was dressed in ceremonial clothes of hard red cloth, embroidered with silver and gold, studded with pearls and diamonds. On the chest, like armor, is a golden disk the size of a plate. Behind his shoulders are heavy golden wings. On the head is a brocade turban with a plume of feathers, decorated with large topazes. All together weighed about thirty kilograms. Neither move nor sit down. Slaves fanned him with peacock fans, and incense was smoked everywhere in precious incense burners...

Griboyedov bowed respectfully, but briefly, without putting his hand to his forehead. And... he sat down in one of the luxurious armchairs that lined the walls. These chairs were intended for anything but to sit on them in the presence of the Shah. This was never allowed to anyone. But Griboyedov did just that. And he spent the entire hour and a half of the audience in a comfortable and relaxed position, and the old Shah, ruler of the Universe, stood in front of him like a dressed-up doll. And he only flashed his eyes menacingly when the infidel also crossed his legs, putting his boot on display...

After many years, such insolence of the Russian ambassador plenipotentiary (wazir-mukhtar, in Farsi) was explained by the interests of the country. Like, it was necessary to establish the prestige of Russia. But the British, who enjoyed great influence at the Shah’s court, never allowed themselves anything like that. And they put on red stockings, and bowed as expected, and of course did not sit down... No, it’s not just about the interests of Russia. Griboyedov was always impudent to the point of despair and did not know how to humble himself, and did not want to. From his youth his pride was wounded...

Bastard

A typical dialogue is from one story written by a close friend of Alexander Sergeevich (a story where all the characters had real prototypes): Griboyedov’s literary double is asked: “What age are you?” - “Mother considers me eighteen years old; but I don’t believe women’s chronology, but I think I have much more.” There is terrible confusion regarding Griboedov's date of birth in his biographies. He himself indicated in his service records either 1795, then 1793, and for some time now exclusively 1790. That is, it turns out that he was born two years before his mother got married. That is, he was illegitimate.

Who was Alexander's real father is a mystery. His mother Anastasia Fedorovna Griboyedova - a girl with a dowry and great social connections - in 1792 married a man without a fortune, an humble, ignorant, much older than her and also a drunkard, Second Major Sergei Ivanovich Griboyedov. A namesake is a good solution when you need to hide the fact that your son is registered in your maiden name. Quite quickly, Anastasia Fedorovna separated from her husband, fearing a bad influence on her children: Sasha and Maria, whom she gave birth to in marriage. However, apparently, there was another child. Researchers were able to find information that in the Church of the Assumption in Moscow on January 18, 1795, baby Pavel, the son of Sergei Ivanovich Griboyedov, was baptized five days old. Where this child went after that is unknown. Apparently, he died in infancy. Which, apparently, made it possible to “legalize” five-year-old Alexander by registering him with the date of birth of his deceased younger brother.

According to his papers, Alexander entered Moscow University when he was 11 years old. And who knows how many secret insults he suffered about this from his 16-year-old classmates - well, how can he not become bilious and hot-tempered! But Griboyedov studied brilliantly, was a great scholar and, having graduated from two faculties, literature and law, did not limit himself to a candidate’s degree and was preparing to take the doctorate. Among other things, this promised the rank of 8th class according to the Table of Ranks, which gave the right to hereditary nobility (a thing far from superfluous for Griboyedov, because the story of an illegitimate birth could come to light, and then his nobility by right of birth would become invalid) .

But then there was war, he moved further and further across Russian soil, and Sasha, succumbing to an impulse, left the university and volunteered for a hastily formed hussar regiment. They recruited everyone there, did not have time to train and supply weapons, and when Napoleon approached Moscow, they simply evacuated the regiment to Kazan. On the way, cornet Griboyedov caught a cold and fell ill, and he was left in Vladimir. He never returned to duty: the patriotic impulse quickly cooled, and his mother arranged for him to be transferred to adjutant to General Kologrivov - “to carry out written work.” Alexander sat in the Belarusian wilderness, in Brest-Litovsk, for almost three years, waiting for the end of the war to retire. Out of boredom, I once climbed into the choir of the Jesuit church and sat down by the organ. The notes were revealed and he began to play. Griboedov was a wonderful musician. The monks, who had meanwhile begun mass, decided that the organist had appeared at an inopportune time. Suddenly the solemn sounds of Bach's fugue fell silent, and the Kamarinskaya fugue began to sound from the choir. It was a joke quite in his spirit...

And so in 1815 Griboyedov appeared in St. Petersburg. His mother again obtained an appointment for him - this time to the College of Foreign Affairs. And she managed to use her connections to introduce her son to the big St. Petersburg society (she did a lot, really a lot for him!). From the memoirs of contemporaries: “He brought from military life the reputation of a desperate rake, whose tomfoolery was the topic of many anecdotes, and in St. Petersburg he gained fame as a notorious and happy red tape, even chasing other people’s wives.” All this benefited him in the world - they said that Griboedov had the ability to make everyone around him fall in love with him. Not only was he a musician, he also composed music himself, wrote poetry, was witty, erudite, and had a cold and sharp mind. And he managed to prove himself in the service. They said about such people: they promise to go far...

Let your character down! Alexander, who, in the St. Petersburg fashion, was fond of the theater and himself wrote plays in the French spirit, was allowed behind the scenes. And then one day the mother of his secular friend, cavalry guard Vasily Sheremetev, asked him to come up with something to discourage Vasenka from his mistress, ballerina Avdotya Istomina (“Brilliant, half-airy, obedient to the magical bow, surrounded by a crowd of nymphs, Istomina stands; she, touching with one leg floor, The other one slowly circles, And suddenly it jumps, and suddenly it flies, It flies like fluff from the lips of Aeolus; Now it will stoop, then it will develop And beat its leg with a quick leg"). The young Count Sheremetyev was so desperately in love with the ballerina that he could, of course, get married. And so mother was worried...

Soon Istomina once again had a heated quarrel with the jealous Sheremetev, and Griboedov had an opportunity. As a good friend, he invited Avdotya Ilyinichna to dinner after the performance. He took him to his apartment, which he shared with another friend of his - Count Zavadovsky, nicknamed the Englishman because he lived in London for a long time. Soon Zavadovsky himself came and began, as Istomina later put it at the investigation, “offering me love, but jokingly or in reality, I don’t know.” The matter ended with Griboyedov saving her from the harassment by taking her home.

When Sheremetev began to ask her where she had been, Istomina was silent at first. But he (according to Istomina’s same testimony during the investigation) “suddenly took a pistol out of his pocket and, putting it directly to his forehead, said: “Tell the truth, or you won’t get up from your seat - I give you my word this time.” You will be in the cemetery, and I will be in Siberia.” In general, the ballerina confessed out of fear to something that did not happen. Sheremetev could not even choose for a long time who to send the challenge to - Zavadovsky or Griboedov. The famous briter Yakubovich resolved this difficulty. Let Sheremetev fight with Zavadovsky, and he, Yakubovich, will call Griboedov under some pretext. Finding an excuse, given Alexander’s hot-tempered character, turned out to be as easy as shelling pears... They agreed as follows: first, Yakubovich and Griboyedov act as seconds for the first pair of duelists, and then they fight. Kaverin was taken as the third second (“He rushed to the Talon: he was sure that Kaverin was already waiting for him there. He entered: and there was a traffic jam in the ceiling”). The conditions are the most brutal: converge from eighteen steps, shoot from six. This was more serious than Pushkin’s duel with Dantes, when they fought from twenty steps, and the barrier was ten steps. Griboedov had virtually no chance of a bloodless outcome...

On November 12, 1817, at two o’clock in the afternoon, they gathered at Volkovo Field. At the last moment the parties almost reconciled. Zavadovsky apologized to Sheremetev, promised never to see Istomina again and even go back to England. Sheremetev hesitated. The matter had to be decided by the seconds. Kaverin stood for peace. Yakubovich, even though he was a brute, agreed. But Griboyedov suddenly said: “We gave our word”... “I don’t know why, the devil pulled me!” - he was annoyed later, when nothing could be corrected... Sheremetev shot first, on the move, and missed. Then Zavadovsky grinned, reached the barrier and began to take aim for a long time, playing on his nerves. Sheremetev, who was standing six steps away from him, broke loose and, in violation of the dueling code, shouted that if there was a miss, he would find an opportunity to kill the enemy like a dog. Then Zavadovsky fired. In the stomach. “The defeated Sheremetev fell on his back and began diving through the snow like a fish,” Kaverin further described. He himself, bending over the wounded man, did not find anything better than to say in embarrassment: “Here’s a turnip for you, Vasya!” There was no question of the seconds shooting now - it was necessary to provide assistance to the wounded. Sheremetev was brought home. 26 hours later he was gone...

The surviving participants in the duel were punished, but gently. Zavadovsky was offered to leave his fatherland for a while, and he went to his beloved London. Kaverin served time in the guardhouse. Yakubovich was transferred to an army regiment in the Caucasus, where he was soon wounded in the head, and he then wore a black bandage all his life. Griboyedov was not touched for a whole year - his mother obtained a complete forgiveness for him. But Yakubovich managed to talk about his role in the duel, considerably thickening his colors, and in social drawing rooms they began to whisper insultingly at his appearance...

The worst thing was the pangs of conscience. Griboedov decided to punish himself, and chose the original punishment: renunciation of all lies. From then on, he began to indicate the year of birth in 1790, essentially recognizing himself as a bastard. An act that required great courage in those days. In the end, the mother realized that in such a state Alexander had no reason to stay in St. Petersburg, and the gossip had to be put to an end. Anastasia Fedorovna began to bother about assigning her son somewhere abroad, to a diplomatic mission. Negotiations with the powers that be were conducted behind Alexander’s back. Two options were considered: overseas Philadelphia or Tehran. The second option seemed more profitable, and Griboyedov’s fate was decided.

He treated his mother rather coldly, but understood that she had already suffered enough because of his birth, and did not consider himself the right to contradict... Although he really did not want to go. I wrote to a friend: “I am forced to leave for a long time all communication with enlightened people, with pleasant women, to whom I myself can be pleasant. (Don’t laugh: I’m young, a musician, amorous and willing to talk nonsense, what else do they want?)”

Prisoner of the Caucasus

He wasn't just leaving pleasant, society women. He was leaving a great love, which he carefully hid from prying eyes. His biographers still haven’t gotten to the bottom of the truth: who was this woman? Apparently, the society beauty is apparently married. Alexander Sergeevich only said that because of her, “in my sinful life I burned out blacker than coal.” An unsent letter to her, written from the East, has survived: “You took me far from strangers into a secluded side room, to a wide window, you leaned your head on my cheek, my cheek flared up, and marvel! It took a lot of effort for you to bend down to touch my face, but I, it seems, was always much taller than you. But in a dream, quantities are distorted, and this is a dream, don’t forget. Here you pestered me for a long time with questions: did I write anything for you? - they forced me to admit that I had long ago recoiled, put aside all writing, there was no desire, no mind - you were annoyed. - Give me a promise that you will write. - What do you want? - You know it yourself. - When should it be ready? - In a year, certainly. - I promise. - In a year, take an oath... And I gave it with trepidation. Given in a dream, it will be fulfilled in reality.” And a year later he actually wrote the play “Woe from Wit.” It was amazing: finding myself among oriental exoticism, writing about Moscow...

On the way to Persia, in the Caucasus, he met the exiled Yakubovich, and the postponed duel took place. This time there were no casualties, although Griboedov’s left hand was left crippled for the rest of his life. But now he was free from the past. And finally, after many months of travel, he arrived in Tehran. The Russian mission in Persia (in a country with which the war for the Caucasus either died out or flared up again) existed in its infancy. It was headed by a completely random person - a doctor, an Italian subject. Against this background, Griboyedov quickly moved forward and managed to attract the attention of the all-powerful proconsul of Iberia, General Ermolov, under whose supervision there was a Russian mission in Persia. And Ermolov transferred Griboyedov to his headquarters. This was already promising... The illustrious general fell in love with Griboyedov with all his heart, and Alexander was extremely passionate about Ermolov, judging by his letters home. Ermolov promoted him in ranks, easily allowed him to go on a two-year vacation to Russia so that Griboedov would show “Woe from Wit” there (the censorship, however, did not let the play pass, and it did not appear either on stage or in print during Griboyedov’s life in Russia, for with the exception of a passage in Bulgarin's almanac). Finally, Ermolov saved him from certain death in 1826, when, after the Decembrist uprising, suspicion of complicity fell on Griboedov. After him, a courier came to Ermolov’s headquarters with an order to “arrest the collegiate assessor Griboedov with all the papers belonging to him, taking care so that he does not have time to destroy them, and send both them and himself to St. Petersburg to His Imperial Majesty.” Ermolov, risking his own head, warned Alexander and gave him time to destroy the papers, many of which could seem to the court as evidence of guilt.

Strictly speaking, Griboyedov was not a member of any secret society. Although he was very close friends in St. Petersburg with the instigators of the riot, and even shared an apartment with Odoevsky for a long time. He was not accepted into the “Union of Salvation”... for moral reasons. The fact is that the participants in the secret society considered themselves great people making history in advance. And even in everyday life they behaved accordingly - so that they would not be ashamed of history. They didn't play cards, didn't dance at balls, didn't talk nonsense (or so it seemed to them, anyway). Finally, they never lied even in small things. And then, after the failure of the uprising, during the investigation they gave surprisingly truthful and self-destructive testimony, even if in this way they betrayed their friends - the principle is the principle, and it was not supposed to be violated under any circumstances... And here is Griboyedov with his red tape, fleeting love affairs (sometimes even with the wives of his own friends), writing vaudeville acts, daring antics... In addition, Alexander remained silent when peasant unrest was brutally suppressed on his mother’s estate, and this, in the eyes of the opponents of serfdom - the Decembrists, was absolutely unforgivable. However, on the eve of the uprising, when Griboyedov came to St. Petersburg to show his incriminating play, they began to take a closer look at him. He no longer seemed such an empty person, and he was given instructions: for example, to convey something to the Southern Society on the way to the Caucasus, or to carefully test the waters regarding his boss, Ermolov: would the authoritative general support the coming uprising?.. In a word, even Griboyedov was not a member of the Society, but there were plenty of compromising moments among his papers - enough for hard labor...

So, he was brought to St. Petersburg and put in the guardhouse at the General Staff - those whose guilt was not obvious were put there, since there were no more places left in the casemates of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Griboyedov managed to get a job there, too, by bribing the overseer: at night he... took him to play the piano in a pastry shop on Nevsky Prospekt. In the end, due to the lack of obvious guilt and thanks to the efforts of high-ranking relatives who were begged by his mother, Griboyedov was released. There were only a few people like him - almost all the suspects were sentenced to hard labor.

He was even granted an audience with the emperor, where he dared to ask for pardon for his friend, Odoevsky. Nicholas I considered this insolence and ordered Griboyedov to be sent back to the Caucasus as quickly as possible. And there dramatic events unfolded. The fact is that the emperor could not stand Yermolov, whose power in the East was becoming too great. And he removed the military leader, appointing General Paskevich instead. All the chicks of the Ermolovsky nest were sent into retirement overnight. Except... Griboyedov. And the point here is not even that Paskevich was his relative (cousin’s husband). And Alexander’s readiness to serve the newly-made proconsul was even more zealous than he served Ermolov. The dismissed Ermolov only shook his head when he learned about this. After all, the author of “Woe from Wit” was never seen in cowardice and betrayal... But Griboyedov had his own reasons. The fact is that Paskevich, unlike Ermolov, did not shine with political talents. Consequently, there was room for the talents of Griboyedov himself to develop. Now, under a boss who was easy to manipulate, he became the real, albeit secret, master of the Caucasus. Not only orders and reports - he even conducted Paskevich’s personal correspondence himself, and everyone was amazed: why did the illiterate general suddenly develop a brilliant writing style?.. They whispered around: “For Paskevich, everything that Griboyedov says is sacred.” But Alexander was not at all embarrassed by the gossip - a field of activity on a truly national scale opened up before him...

He himself conducted regular peace negotiations with the Persians in the village of Turkmanchay. And he managed to achieve a lot: the Persians gave Russia the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates (Eastern Armenia), agreed to the Russian fleet in the Caspian Sea, a large indemnity and the return to their homeland of all Russian subjects who found themselves in Iranian captivity... Griboyedov himself brought the Turkmanchay peace treaty for signature by Emperor Nikolai . This was his triumph - in St. Petersburg he was greeted with a shot from a cannon of the Peter and Paul Fortress. He was granted the rank of state councilor, awarded the Order of St. Anne in Diamonds and... fortune. Finally, he was freed from the need to fight for a place in the sun. And he began to dream of retirement in order to do more pleasant things than service - music and literature...

Women appeared in his life again. Bulgarin’s wife Lenochka (Griboedov did not overburden himself with gratitude, including for printing excerpts from “Woe from Wit”, for which Bulgarin took great risks), ballerina Katenka Teleshova... Alexander, however, had been in touch with her for several years . At first he was deeply in love. He recaptured it from the Governor-General of St. Petersburg, Miloradovich. He ran to every performance, devouring Katenka with his eyes from behind the scenes... He achieved reciprocity, wrote poetry for her, published it and... suddenly lost interest. He wrote to a friend: “I was knocked off my feet that now everything is so open, the veil has been pulled back, I have sealed my secret to the whole city, and since then I have not been happy. Laugh!” But Griboyedova did not let Teleshov go, although she was tormented by his endless betrayals...

His character has not improved over the years. One day a large crowd gathered to listen to him read “Woe from Wit” (this was not forbidden by censorship). Griboyedov sat down, put the manuscript on the table, and got ready. And then the hell with Vasily Mikhailovich Fedorov, the author of the bad drama “Liza, or the Consequence of Seduction and Pride,” come up and take Griboyedov’s manuscript. “Wow,” said the old man, “it’s heavy: it’s worth my “Lisa”!” Griboyedov looked at him angrily and said: “I don’t write vulgarities.” And further, no matter how Fedorov did not apologize, he still did not want to forgive him and even refused to read while Fedorov was in the hall. In vain, the owner tried to smooth out the situation, saying: “But we will put Vasily Mikhailovich in the back row of seats as punishment.” “Put him wherever you want, but I won’t read in front of him,” Griboedov insisted, and lit a cigar. Poor Fedorov blushed, turned pale, almost cried, and finally took his hat: “I’m very sorry, Alexander Sergeevich, that my innocent joke was the cause of such trouble, but so as not to deprive the host and guests of the pleasure of hearing your comedy, I’m leaving.” At this moment, everyone felt sorry for the old man except Griboedov, who, having won another victory (even over such an opponent), became cheerful...

All this social whirlwind, which Alexander missed so much in the Caucasus, was interrupted overnight by a call from Foreign Minister Nesselrode. Griboedov was required to go to Persia again to head the Russian mission there. Alexander Sergeevich, who did not want to leave St. Petersburg, and who foresaw that the Persians would not forgive him for the humiliating Turkmanchay Peace, found, as it seemed to him, an ingenious way out of the situation: he convinced Nesselrode that in order to successfully conduct business in Tehran, what was needed was not a mission, but an emergency and plenipotentiary ambassador - otherwise, they say, Russia will be at a disadvantage compared to England. Griboedov knew that he himself could not be made an ambassador. Well, they just can’t! An ambassador is a position equal to a ministerial one, and he is just a state councilor. But... A few days later he was informed that the emperor had signed his appointment to the post of ambassador plenipotentiary. Alexander Sergeevich was still thinking about refusing (he reasoned that he would not be welcome in Tehran after he forced them to sign such an unfavorable Turkmanchay Peace).

The mother decided the matter again - she was now calm about her son, but she needed funds to ensure her daughter’s future. Anastasia Fedorovna acted out a whole scene in the chapel of the Iveron Mother of God, where in front of the icon she took an oath from Alexander to continue the service. He was not used to contradicting her, and fate carried him to death...

Tehran disaster

Along the way, in Tiflis, he unexpectedly got married. Nina Chavchavadze was only 16 years old, he was 38. They only knew each other for a few weeks. They didn’t even talk much - they mostly played four hands on the piano... She knew a lot of music from memory, including the one that Griboyedov had once composed. Then he fell ill with yellow fever, and she nursed him. “Nina did not leave my bed, and I married her,” Alexander Sergeevich wrote home.

They got married hastily and in violation of formalities - Griboyedov neglected the rule of obtaining permission for marriage from his immediate superior, Nesselrode. Moreover, Alexander had not yet recovered from the fever, and in church he felt ill. He was clearly in a hurry: to live, to love... As if he understood that fate had already given him very little time...

Soon the newlyweds hit the road. Alexander Sergeevich did not dare to take his wife to Tehran - he left her in the relatively safe Tabriz, in the house of some English friends. In parting he said: “Do not leave my bones in Persia if I die there. Bury me in Tiflis, in the monastery of St. David." Nina decided that this was a joke, and, smiling at him brightly and joyfully, she promised to fulfill everything...

And so Griboyedov ended up in Tehran. His premonitions came true: now everyone here hated him and considered him the culprit of the humiliation of Persia. One could have behaved diplomatically, tried to smooth out the corners... One could have agreed to give the Shah a delay in paying the indemnity - Griboyedov did not want to. I didn’t even understand the transparent hint when, as payment, they sent him... diamond buttons cut from the robes of the wives of the heir to the throne (isn’t this a plea for mercy for the ruined khan?). Alexander Sergeevich went ahead. After the scandalous reception with the Shah, he made - quite deliberately, for he was extremely smart - a number of other tactlessnesses. One night, two Armenian women from Alayar Khan’s harem made their way to his embassy across the city. The Wazir-Mukhtar, aka Griboyedov, ordered to accept them - according to the Turkmanchay Treaty, Persia undertook to release all captive Russian subjects, and Armenia was now part of the Russian Empire... But from the point of view of Islam, it was a monstrous crime - to leave women converted to Islam (even if and by force), under the same roof with strangers for the night.

The next morning, a eunuch of the harem was sent to Griboedov, from where the women had escaped. Bowing humbly, he asked to return his wives to Alayar Khan. Griboedov replied, grinning: let Alayar Khan turn to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Count Nesselrode. Maybe he will make a reservation in the Turkmanchay Treaty for Alayar Khan... The eunuch returned to the harem with nothing, and at night... he himself fled to the Russian embassy. He also turned out to be Armenian! This was the last straw.

A Sharia court was convened. Wives and eunuchs were property that was protected by Islamic law. The kafirs (that is, the infidels) were not forgiven for violating these laws... Several dozen Persians rushed to the Russian embassy building with shouts and insults. Griboyedov ordered a volley of blank charges to be fired at them. Then the unexpected happened: one of the Persians fell dead - it is not clear how this happened. Maybe one of his own killed him. The bloody body was taken to the mosque, and the mullahs demanded jahat. A holy war to wash away the blood of a true believer with the blood of his murderer, an infidel.

The next day, January 30, 1829, an angry crowd of one hundred thousand rushed to the embassy. That was the end. The Cossacks fired back to the last bullet, Griboyedov, armed only with a saber, rushed to their aid. 37 people were killed - everyone who was in the embassy (except for one secretary, sent in the morning to the Shah for protection). The bodies of the victims were mocked for several days. They dragged them through the streets with dead cats and dogs tied to them. They chopped it into pieces. Then they dumped me in a hole...

Nina Griboedova was not told the truth for a long time - she was pregnant. The absence of letters from her husband was explained by his illness. But on the eve of giving birth, she overheard someone’s conversation and found out everything. The child died an hour after birth...

The Shah sent his grandson to St. Petersburg to apologize for the incident. In addition to the eloquent assurances that everything happened against the will of Baba Khan, Nicholas I also received the Shah diamond, one of the most famous stones in the world. The price of Griboedov’s blood... But Russia needed peace with Tehran, because a war with Turkey was being prepared. The only thing they demanded from the Persians was to return the body of Alexander Sergeevich to their homeland.

Strictly speaking, it was impossible to fulfill this condition: the bodies of the dead were disfigured, and they had lain in the pit for too long. The Persians reasoned this way: the Russians need not a body, but a name. It was ordered to hand over Griboed - that means they will have Griboyed (they did not pronounce the full name of the vazir-mukhtar). They took out what was best preserved from the pit, collected it piece by piece, put it in a closed coffin and transported it on a cart (how else could they overcome the mountain roads?). According to legend, in the Caucasus, a cart with a terrible load was accidentally met by a St. Petersburg friend and Griboedov’s namesake, Pushkin. He asked: “Where are you from?” - “From Tehran.” - “What are you bringing?” - “Mushroom eater.” Pushkin took off his cap and bowed his head...

Nina buried the remains as her husband bequeathed to her: in Tiflis, in a monastery. She placed a monument on the grave with the inscription: “Your mind and deeds are immortal in Russian memory; but why did my love survive you? She knew him little, but she loved him with all her soul. For 28 long years, until her death, Nina remained faithful to Griboyedov. As for Anastasia Feodorovna, she, as a mother who lost her son in public service, received assistance from the emperor - 30 thousand rubles - and soon died. Everything was left as an inheritance to the daughter...

Irina Strelnikova# a completely different city

P.S. Readers from Yerevan ask to add that “Woe from Wit” was once staged during Griboedov’s lifetime on the territory of the Russian Empire - in the Erivan fortress, shortly after the conclusion of the very Turkmanchay Peace Treaty, according to which Eastern Armenia joined Russia. Apparently, this was done as recognition of Griboyedov’s personal merits in this accession.

Almaz Shah - the price for the death of Griboyedov

Alexander Griboyedov

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov (1795-1829) - poet, playwright, pianist, composer, diplomat.

Gifted with many talents and not developing any of them, Griboedov remained for us the author of the only play “Woe from Wit.”

Lifetime portrait of Griboyedov by P.A. Karatygina was published in 1858. More precisely, not the portrait itself, but a lithograph of Munster from a drawing by P.F. Borel. The second reliable portrait of Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov is considered to be a portrait painted with colored pencil in 1824 by the artist M.I. Terebenev (1795-1864). An engraving was made based on it by N.I. Utkina.

Alexander Griboyedov, 1858 Artist P.A. Karatygin

Alexander Griboyedov, 1829 Engraving by N.I. Utkina

The most famous portrait of A.S. Griboyedov was written in 1873 by I.N. Kramskoy commissioned by P.M. Tretyakov for his art gallery.

The history of its creation was left to us by a close friend of Kramskoy, the publisher of the magazine “Russian Antiquity” M.I. Semevsky: “Guided by P.A. Karatygin’s oral story about Griboyedov’s appearance, Kramskoy wrote as if “from dictation” and resurrected the appearance of the glorious writer with a talented brush. Wanting to test himself and make sure whether he really managed to capture the similarity, color and facial expression, the artist showed the portrait on the easel to some people who personally knew Griboyedov, and all of them were struck by the amazing similarity and the expression of intelligence and grace that Griboyedov’s features breathed.”

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov was born on January 4 (15), 1795 (according to other historical sources - 1790) in Moscow, into a family of well-born nobles. His father traced his ancestry back to the Polish gentry.

The mother supervised the children's education. She was a proud and swaggering representative of her class, but not without intelligence and practicality. Nastasya Fedorovna understood that in modern times, promotion and taking a high position in society can be achieved not only by origin and connections, but also by a person’s education. Therefore, much attention in the family was paid not only to the upbringing, but also to the education of children. Alexander's teachers were truly enlightened French governors. Later, professors from the university were invited to give lessons. Already in his childhood, Griboyedov read a huge number of books.

Since 1803, the boy was assigned to the Moscow Noble University boarding school. In 1806 he entered Moscow University. Before the War of 1812, Griboyedov completed his studies at the faculties of literature and law; his education in physics and mathematics did not allow him to finish his studies.

Already at the university, Alexander Sergeevich is unanimously recognized by those around him as one of the most educated people of his time. He knows all the world classics very well, reads and speaks several foreign languages ​​fluently, composes music, and plays the piano beautifully.

Military service and social life in St. Petersburg

With the outbreak of the War of 1812, Griboedov considered it his duty to enlist in the hussar regiment to defend the fatherland. But while the regiment is being formed, Napoleon is already being thrown far from Moscow, and soon the army leaves for European territory.

Despite the end of hostilities, Griboyedov decides to remain in the army, and their regiment is transferred to remote places in Belarus. These years will practically “fall out” of the writer’s life. Later he will remember them with regret, although he will feature some of his acquaintances from this time as heroes in his comedy “Woe from Wit.” Together with his comrades, he participated in the most reckless undertakings, spending time in revelry and games. All the best instilled in him by his university education seemed to be lost. But after a while, the stormy pastime begins to weigh on Griboyedov. At first he joins a circle of officers who, in their free time from duty, write simple poetry, then he begins to write articles. At this time, he sent notes to St. Petersburg “On cavalry reserves” and “Description of the holiday in honor of Kologrivov.” Increasingly interested in literature, Griboyedov realized that he could no longer exist in the hussar environment and in 1815, having visited St. Petersburg, he made the necessary connections and acquaintances there, preparing his transition to the College of Foreign Affairs.

In 1816, Alexander Sergeevich retired and moved to St. Petersburg. Here he becomes close to the leading people of his time and immediately accepts their ideas. Among his friends are many future organizers of secret societies. In secular salons, Griboedov shines with cold wit and even cynicism. He is also drawn to the theatrical stage. During this period, he wrote and translated for the theater the comedies “The Young Spouses” (1815) and “His Family or the Married Bride” (1817).

Griboyedov is reputed to be in good standing at the College of Foreign Affairs.

The calm and regularity of life is disrupted by the writer’s participation in a duel, which ends in the death of one of the duelists. Largely thanks to his mother’s connections, Griboedov was sent away from the capital - as a secretary to the Russian diplomatic mission in Persia.

Service in Persia and the Caucasus

In March 1819, after a deliberately slow journey, Griboedov finally arrived at his place of service - Tehran, and then Tabriz. He gets a lot of new impressions, meets courtiers and local princes, ordinary people and wandering poets. The service turns out to be uncomplicated, and Griboyedov has enough time to engage in literary creativity and self-education. He reads a lot, hones his knowledge of Persian and Arabic, and with surprise and joy realizes that his comedy “Woe from Wit” is being written here more fruitfully than ever. Soon the first two acts of the final edition of the comedy were ready. During this period, Griboedov managed to commit one truly heroic act. At his own peril and risk, he was able to take several Russian prisoners out of Persia. General Ermolov noticed Griboyedov’s desperate courage and decided that such a person deserved a better fate than vegetating in Persia. Thanks to the efforts of Ermolov, Alexander Sergeevich was transferred to the Caucasus to Tiflis. Here the first and second acts of “Woe from Wit” were completely finished.

Return to St. Petersburg and arrest

In 1823, the writer goes on vacation. In Moscow and the estate of his friends near Tula, he completely completed the main work of his life.

In the fall of 1824, Griboyedov went to St. Petersburg with the hope of publishing and theatrical production of “Woe from Wit.” But it meets with categorical opposition. With great difficulty, excerpts from the comedy were published in the anthology “Russian Waist”. As for handwritten versions, their number was close to book circulation. The spread of the book was also facilitated by the Decembrists, who considered it their “printed manifesto.” The work intertwines innovation and classicism, strict adherence to the rules of comedy construction and free development of characters. A significant decoration of “Woe from Wit” is the use of iambic heterometers and precise and aphoristic language. Many lines of comedy were “snatched for quotes” already in the days of handwritten lists.

In the fall of 1825, Griboyedov was going back to the Caucasus, but he was returned from the road on suspicion of participating in the preparation of the Decembrist uprising. Thanks to Ermolov's warning, Griboyedov managed to destroy incriminating materials from his archive. At the time of his arrest there is no evidence against him. During the investigation, the writer categorically denies his participation in the conspiracy. In June 1826, Griboyedov was released from arrest as completely innocent.

Tragic luck

With great reluctance, he is going to the Caucasus again. And perhaps the writer would have achieved his resignation and remained in St. Petersburg, engaged in literary work, but his mother takes an oath from her son to continue his diplomatic career.

With the beginning of the Russian-Persian War, Alexander Sergeevich takes part in several battles, but acts with great success in the field of diplomacy. He “bargains” for Russia the extremely profitable Turkmanchay Peace Treaty and brings the documents to St. Petersburg, hoping to stay in the capital. He dreams of continuing to write poetry, to finish the tragedies “Rodamist and Zenobia” and “Georgian Night”, and the drama “1812” he began.

But it was precisely thanks to Alexander Sergeevich’s personal contribution to the drafting of the articles of such a beneficial peace treaty that the Tsar decided that Griboedov was most suitable for the post of ambassador to Persia. It is impossible to refuse the highest appointment and the writer is forced to go to Persia again.

Tragic ending

With great reluctance, in June 1828, Griboyedov left St. Petersburg. With all his might he delays his arrival at his destination, as if anticipating his fate.

The last “ray of happiness” in his life was his ardent love for the daughter of his friend A.G. Chavchavadze, Nina, whom he married while passing through Tiflis. Leaving his wife in Tabriz, he goes to Tehran to prepare everything for the arrival of his beloved woman.

What happened next is difficult to assess unambiguously. According to most sources, for attempting to remove Armenian women from the harem of a noble nobleman and the caretaker of the Shah's harem, Griboyedov was killed by Muslim fanatics, and the entire Russian mission was destroyed.

According to other sources, Griboyedov and the mission staff behaved disrespectfully towards the Shah and the laws of the country, and the rumor about the removal of women from the harem simply became the last straw that overflowed the patience of the Persians and forced them to deal with the insolent strangers.

There is a version that religious fanatics were skillfully incited to attack the Russian mission by English diplomats.

Whichever of these versions turns out to be true, the result was sad - the wonderful Russian diplomat, poet and playwright Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov suffered a terrible death at the hands of Muslim fanatics in Persia on January 30 (February 11), 1829.

His body was transported to his homeland and buried in Tiflis (now Tbilisi) in the monastery of St. David.

Interesting facts about Griboyedov:

The writer knew French, English, German, Italian, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Persian and Turkish perfectly well.

Living in the Caucasus, Griboyedov used his position and all his connections to make life easier for the Decembrists exiled here in any way and was able to “pull” some of them out of Siberia.

The writer was a member of the largest Masonic lodge in St. Petersburg.

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov was born on January 15, 1795 into a wealthy family of nobles. A man of exceptional talent, Alexander Griboedov could play the piano brilliantly, composed music himself, and knew more than five foreign languages. The Russian figure graduated from the Moscow University Noble Boarding School (1803), and then from three departments of Moscow University.

Griboyedov served in military service with the rank of cornet from 1812 to 1816, after which he began to realize himself in the journalistic and literary fields. Among his first works are the comedy “The Young Spouses,” which he translated from French, and “Letter from Brest-Litovsk to the Publisher.” In 1817, Griboedov joined the Masonic organization “United Friends” and took the post of provincial secretary in the civil service. Griboedov continues to write, and the comedy “Student” and “Feigned Infidelity” are added to his work. At the same time, the gifted figure met Alexander Pushkin and his entourage.

Griboedov traveled to Persia twice on behalf of the government - in 1818 and 1820. Service in the east weighed heavily on him, and Griboyedov moved to Georgia. During this period, work began on his most famous work, “Woe from Wit.”

In 1826, the Russian writer was accused of belonging to the Decembrists. Griboyedov remained under investigation for about 6 months. But his involvement in the conspiracy could not be proven, and Griboyedov was released.

In 1828, he married Nina Chavchavadze, but their marriage was short-lived: Alexander Sergeevich was killed by a rioting crowd on January 30, 1829 during a visit of the Russian embassy to Tehran.

Biography 2

A great writer, competent diplomat, musician and composer is not a complete list of Alexander Griboedov’s merits. An inquisitive boy of noble origin. The best scientists of that time were involved in his upbringing and training.

Sasha's abilities knew no bounds; he easily mastered six foreign languages. Since childhood, he played musical instruments and wrote poetry.

He really wanted to prove himself in combat conditions, and he enlisted in the hussar regiment, but the war with Napoleon had already begun to end, much to Alexander’s chagrin. So he was never able to take part in the fighting.

His mother, Anastasia Fedorovna, saw her son as an official, but Griboyedov did not want to serve at all, it seemed boring to him. At this time he became interested in theater and literature, writing comedies. Young and hot, he soon gets into trouble and becomes a second. Duels at that time were not only prohibited, but you could go to prison for participating in them. Anastasia Fedorovna did a lot to save her son from imprisonment. And he had to leave Russia and go to Persia.

Being in foreign lands, Alexander was very bored. After some time, he seeks a transfer to Georgia. Here he begins to write his famous comedy. At the same time, he writes poetry and plays and continues to study music.

Alexander Griboyedov not only knew Ivan Krylov, he read “Woe from Wit” to him. The great fabulist liked the work, but he said with regret that the censorship would not let it pass. This turned out to be true. Moreover, the play was not only banned from being staged in the theater. But also print. It had to be rewritten secretly.

Soon Alexander returned to the Caucasus, where he continued to serve at Ermolov’s headquarters. At this time, the Decembrist uprising occurred. Griboyedov comes under suspicion and is arrested.

Before going on a diplomatic mission to the capital of Iran for the last time, Alexander got married. The happiness of the young did not last long, only a few weeks. Going on another business trip, no one could have imagined that it would be the last.

It took half a century for people to start talking about Griboyedov and his role as a diplomat, writer and just a person.

Option 3

A.S. Griboedov is an outstanding Russian playwright, poet, composer and pianist. He was considered one of the smartest and most educated people of his time. He did a lot of useful things for Russia in the diplomatic field.

He was born in 1795. He was a representative of an old wealthy family. The mother, a harsh and domineering woman, loved her son very much. He answered her in the same way. However, conflicts often arose between them.

Alexander's learning abilities manifested themselves in childhood. Already at the age of six he could freely communicate in 3 foreign languages, and by his teenage years he had mastered 6 languages. At first he received an excellent home education under the guidance of experienced tutors, then he was enrolled in the Moscow University boarding school. Further, having graduated from the verbal department of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University, a thirteen-year-old teenager receives a Candidate of Science degree. Then he continued his studies at the Faculty of Law, after which he received a candidate of laws degree at the age of 15.

Having become interested in mathematics and natural sciences, he not only diligently attended lectures, but also took private lessons from some scientists, because he wanted to obtain a doctorate degree. He also managed to engage in literary work, but, unfortunately, his early works have not survived.

In 1812 Because of the outbreak of the Patriotic War, Griboyedov abandoned his studies and literary studies and, under the influence of patriotic ideas, enlisted in the hussars. But he did not have the chance to fight, since his regiment was sent to the rear. Soon Alexander was appointed adjutant to the commander and transferred to Brest-Litovsk.

In 1814 publishes his articles for the first time. Begins to write for the theater. In 1815 resigns, and after 2 years enters the civil service at the College of Foreign Affairs.

Living in St. Petersburg, Griboyedov takes an active part in the activities of the literary and theater circle. Writes and publishes several comedies.

In 1818 receives appointment to the post of secretary of the Russian mission in Iran. Keeps travel notes. Shooting with A.I. in Tiflis Yakubovich. After this duel, a finger on his left hand was forever mutilated.

In Iran, he is working for the release of captured Russian soldiers and personally accompanies their detachment to their homeland. In 1820 begins work on the play "Woe from Wit".

Since 1822 to 1823 Serves under General Ermolov. He writes musical vaudeville, which premiered in 1824. Leaves the service. He is trying to get “Woe from Wit” published and staged, but to no avail.

In 1154, the youngest son, Vsevolod, was born into the family of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky from his second marriage. After the death of the pope, the eldest son Andrei Yuryevich became the head of the Vladimir-Suzdal state.

This man's talent was truly phenomenal. His knowledge was enormous and multifaceted, he learned many languages, was a good officer, a capable musician, an outstanding diplomat with the makings of a major politician. The comedy "Woe from Wit" put him on a par with the greatest Russian writers. Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov...

He belonged to a noble family and received a serious education at home. Already at an early age, Griboyedov’s multifaceted talent was revealed. His two waltzes for piano became famous in calm, merchant-like Moscow. Griboedov studied at the Moscow University Noble Boarding School, then entered Moscow University. Having graduated from the literature department in 1808 with the title of candidate, he continued to study in the ethical and political department. One of the most educated people of his time, Griboyedov spoke French, English, German, Italian, Greek, Latin, and later mastered Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. The widespread version according to which Griboedov graduated from three faculties of Moscow University and only because of the War of 1812 did not receive a doctorate has not yet been confirmed by documents.

With the beginning of the Patriotic War, Griboyedov left his academic studies and joined the Moscow Hussar Regiment as a cornet. But he never had the chance to take part in battles: the regiment was in the rear. After the war, the future writer served as an adjutant in Belarus. Griboyedov spent his youth stormy. He called himself and his fellow soldiers, the Begichev brothers, “stepchildren of common sense” - their pranks were so unbridled. There is a known case when Griboyedov once sat down at the organ during a service in a Catholic church. At first he played sacred music for a long time and with inspiration, and then suddenly switched to Russian dance music.

Having retired at the beginning of 1816, Griboyedov settled in St. Petersburg and was assigned to serve in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. Leads a secular lifestyle, moves in theatrical and literary circles in St. Petersburg. He begins to attend Shakhovsky's circle, he himself writes and translates for the theater the comedy "Young Spouses" "His Family, or the Married Bride." The consequence of “ardent passions and powerful circumstances” was drastic changes in his fate - in 1818, Griboyedov was appointed secretary of the Russian diplomatic mission to Persia. On July 16, Count Nesselrode notified in writing the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Army, General Ermolov, that "The official Mazarovich is appointed charge d'affaires of Persia, Griboedov is appointed secretary under him, and Amburger is appointed clerical employee." Nesselrode loved brevity. Not the least role in this kind of exile was played by Griboyedov’s participation in the duel.

Two friends of Griboyedov, revelers Sheremetev and Zavadovsky, competed over the ballerina Istomina. A well-known duelist in the city, the future Decembrist Alexander Yakubovich inflamed the quarrel, and accused Griboyedov of ignoble behavior. Sheremetev had to fight with Zavadovsky, Yakubovich - with Griboyedov. Both duels were to take place on the same day. But while they were providing assistance to the mortally wounded Sheremetev, time was running out. The next day, Yakubovich was arrested as the instigator and exiled to the Caucasus. Griboedov was not punished for the duel, but public opinion considered him guilty of Sheremetev’s death.

In February 1822, after three years of service in Tabriz, Griboyedov transferred to Tiflis to the chief administrator of Georgia, Ermolov. There the postponed duel with Yakubovich took place. Griboyedov was wounded in the arm - for him as a musician it was very sensitive.

It was him who General Ermolov made his secretary “for foreign affairs.” Loving Griboedov like a son, according to Denis Davydov, he tried not to burden the young man with everyday work. And even to high authorities he boldly said that "Poets are the pride of the nation." And in general, he had a fatherly attitude towards smart and courageous youth, not at all embarrassed that the young people working for him, such as, for example, Yakubovich, Kuchelbecker, Kakhovsky, the Raevsky brothers, were considered “unreliable” at that time. Griboyedov, in his own words, stuck to Ermolov “like a shadow.” Secluded, sometimes even at night, they talked - for hours Griboyedov could listen to how the “proconsul of the Caucasus” described Napoleon, the carnivals of Venice, his date with Lady Hamilton.

It was in Tiflis that the 1st and 2nd acts of “Woe from Wit” were written; their first listener was the author’s colleague and close friend of Pushkin, Wilhelm Kuchelbecker. In the spring of 1823, Griboyedov went on vacation. In Moscow, as well as on the estate of S. Begichev near Tula, where he spends the summer, the 3rd and 4th acts of the immortal comedy are created. By the autumn of 1824, the comedy was completed. Griboedov travels to St. Petersburg, intending to use his connections in the capital to obtain permission for its publication and theatrical production. However, he soon becomes convinced that comedy “is not to be missed.” Only excerpts published in 1825 by Bulgarin in the almanac “Russian Waist” were censored. The first complete publication in Russia appeared only in 1862; The first production on the professional stage was in 1831. Meanwhile, the comedy immediately became an event in Russian culture, spreading among the reading public in handwritten copies, the number of which was close to the book circulation of that time. The distribution of lists was facilitated by the Decembrists, who viewed comedy as a mouthpiece for their ideas; Already in January 1825, Ivan Pushchin brought “Woe from Wit” to Pushkin at Mikhailovskoye. As Pushkin predicted, many lines of “Woe from Wit” became proverbs and sayings.

In the fall of 1825, Griboedov returned to the Caucasus, but already in February 1826 he again found himself in St. Petersburg - as a suspect in the Decembrist case. There were many reasons for the arrest: during interrogations, four Decembrists, including Trubetskoy and Obolensky, named Griboedov among the members of the secret society, and lists of “Woe from Wit” were found in the papers of many of those arrested. Warned by Ermolov about the impending arrest, Griboyedov managed to destroy part of his archive. This came especially easy for him. He was surprisingly indifferent to the fate of his creations. He could have forgotten the manuscript of “Woe from Wit” at a friend’s place or left it on the piano in some salon. During his many travels, chests of papers disappeared somewhere, and he took care of the piano, which he always carried with him. And even after his death, traces of Griboyedov’s work continued to disappear; all his papers, letters, and things were destroyed in Persia. A fire in the house of his nephew Smirnov, who had been searching for the archives of his famous uncle for many years, completely destroyed all Griboyedov’s papers.

During the investigation, he will categorically deny his involvement in the conspiracy. At the beginning of June, Griboyedov was released from arrest with a “cleaning certificate.” There really was no serious evidence against him, and even now there is no documentary evidence that the writer somehow participated in the activities of secret societies. On the contrary, he is credited with a disparaging characterization of the conspiracy: “One hundred warrant officers want to turn Russia over!” But, perhaps, Griboyedov owed such a complete acquittal to the intercession of a relative - General Paskevich, the favorite of Nicholas I.

Upon returning to the Caucasus in the fall of 1826, Griboyedov took part in several battles of the outbreak of the Russian-Persian War. He achieves significant success in the diplomatic field. As Muravyov-Karsky would later write, Griboyedov “replaced an army of twenty thousand with his single face.” He will prepare a Turkmanchay peace that will be beneficial for Russia. Having brought the documents of the peace treaty to St. Petersburg in March 1828, he received awards and a new appointment - minister plenipotentiary to Persia. Instead of literary pursuits, to which he dreamed of devoting himself, Griboyedov is forced to accept a high position.

Griboedov's last departure from the capital in June 1828 was tinged with gloomy forebodings. On his way to Persia, he stops for some time in Tiflis. There he hatches plans for economic transformations in Transcaucasia. In August he marries 16-year-old Nina Chavchavadze. When the young people went out into the street, it seemed that the whole city was welcoming them. In front of them was a continuous sea of ​​flowers, from all the windows roses flew at Nina’s feet. White, red. Two days later there was a dinner for a hundred invited persons, and on September 9 the Griboyedovs mounted their horses. Their huge caravan stretched for a mile. We spent the night under tents in the mountains, breathing the frosty air. In Tabriz, the newlyweds parted: Griboedov was supposed to go to Tehran and transfer his “high appointment” to the Shah of Iran.

Among other matters, the Russian envoy is engaged in sending captive Russian citizens to their homeland. The appeal to him for help by two Armenian women who ended up in the harem of a noble Persian was the reason for reprisals against the active and successful diplomat. On January 30, 1829, a crowd incited by Muslim fanatics destroyed the Russian mission in Tehran. The Russian envoy was killed. Along with him, the entire staff of the Russian mission was destroyed; only the senior secretary Maltsov, an unusually cautious and cunning man, survived. He offered salvation to Griboyedov too, all he had to do was hide. Alexander Sergeevich’s answer was the answer of a man of honor: "A Russian nobleman does not play hide and seek."

Griboyedov was buried in Tiflis on Mount St. David. The whole city mourned him. Residents of Tiflis dressed in black clothes; the balconies were covered with a black veil falling onto the black ground. They held lit torches in their hands. The whole city, like a black cameo, was in darkness and tears. There was complete silence...

The inscription made by Nina Chavchavadze on the grave of Alexander Sergeevich is like a cry from the soul, carved into the stone: “Your mind and deeds are immortal in Russian memory, but why did my love survive you?”