Michael Lermontov bas born on the 15th of October 1814 in a noble
family. The poet spent his youth at Tarkany. He entered Moscow
University, but very soon had to abandon it. Then he entered St.
Petersburg School of Cavalry Cadets and finished it.
In 1837 the poet was exiled to the Caucasus for his poem on
Pushkin's death in which he put all the blame for it on the ruling
circles of Russia under Nicolas I. In 1841 Lermontov was sent into exile
to the Caucasus for the second time. As a result of intrigues by the
officers he was provoked into a personal quarrel with an old
schoolfellow, which led to the duel. On July 15, 1841 the poet was
killed.
Lermontov began writing when he was very young. One of his first
writings to be published was his tale verse Hadji Abrek. But Lermontov
became famous for his poem on the death of Pushkin. Whether Lermontov
chose to write poetry, prose or drama the stamp of his genius was always
to be found on it.
Lermontov's poems "The Demon", "Mtsyri" and the "Lay of the Merchant
Kalashnikov", his innumerable lyrics, his novel "A Hero of Our Time" and
his play "Masquerade" are masterpieces of Russian literature.
Lermontov's poems are the profession of faith of an independent and free
man.
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