Pushkin, ALEXANDER SERGEEVICH, was born at Moscow, 26th May 1799, and educated at Tsarskoe Selo. In 1817 he entered the service of the government, but on account of his liberal opinions was for some time transferred to Bessarabia. In 1820 he published a romantic poem, Ruslan and Liudmila. Next came his Prisoner of the Caucasus (1822), his Fountain of Bakhchiserai (1826), Tzigani ('The Gypsies,' 1827), and Eugene Onegin (1828; Eng. trans. 1881), a clever novel in verse somewhat after the style of Byron's Beppo. In 1829 he published Poltava, which has Mazeppa for its hero. About the same time he wrote his fine tragedy Boris Godunov. Besides these works of considerable length, he was the author of many graceful lyrical poems, deservedly popular throughout Russia. He also left some prose writings, consisting of a History of the Revolt of Pugachev (in the reign of Catharine), several tales, and miscellaneous essays. He was appointed Russian historiographer with a pension of 6000 roubles. He was mortally wounded in a duel, and expired at St Petersburg, January 29 (February 10) 1837. Pushkin is considered the greatest poet whom Russia has yet produced. His writings show versatility, a powerful imagination with vigour of expression. In his Eugene Onegin, a Don-Juanesque poem, he is both humorous and pathetic, and many of his smaller pieces display wonderful elegance and finish.
The last-named poem was translated into English verse by Spalding (1881); the Daughter of the Commandant was translated in 1891; and a translation of the Poems, with introduction and notes by Ivan Panin, appeared at New York in 1889. Pushkin's name is also spelt Poushkin and Pouchekin. See the section on the literature under RUSSIA, and works there cited.