Родные просторы Landscape Vastes étendues natales Herzensnahe Weiten
This Pskov village is closely connected with the creative biography of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. At different periods of his life the poet visited his native village, of Mikhailovskoye — first as an exalted youth, then as a person "driven by fate" and later as a poet tired of the intrigues of the nobles and dreaming of peace and quiet in which to create. Here, in the old house, belonging to his grandfather he worked well. Even during the years of exile, during the Tzar's ruthless reprisals against his friends, he was calmed by this wonderful country-side with its green groves and parks, blue lakes, the calm Sorotia river and the boundless green fields. "The austere Russian country-side in this region faultlessly acted upon the poet, as a master influences his pupil, and instilled in him the qualities of a really national writer", — wrote the sculptor Sergei Konyonkov. "Only in Mikhailovskoye could the poet free himself from the vivid impressions he acquired in the south, from the capitals and the comotions of social life." While secluded in Mikhailovskoye Pushkin created very many works — "Boris Godunov", "Gypsies", "Count Zero", chapters from "Eugene Onegin" and over a hundred poems, among them such well known ones as "October Nineteenth", "A Winter's Evening", "A Wonderful Moment", "Again I Visited" and many others. Here, on December 14, 1825, the poet heard of the arrest, exile and execution of his friends the "Decembrists". Visiting the Pushkin estate one cannot but recall the poet's clear and striking verses. They are everywhere — in the mansion and the park, on the road leading to Trigorskoye, on the wooded hill, on the porch of the "Nurse's Cottage" and the Mikhailovskoye's apple grove. His verses have been chiselled out in marble and granite slabs stand along all paths that the poet had walked along. The poet's verses are brought to mind in another wonderful spot of the Pushkin reserve — the Trigorsk estate, situated near Mikhailovskoye and once belonging to his close friends the Osypov-Wolf family. Pushkin said that it was "a heaven crowed by the Muses". The poet dedicated verses to all members of this large family. There are many spots on this estate that have been described by Pushkin in his works — "Onegin's Bench", "The Sun Watch", "The Secluded Oak", "The Spot Under the Ashberry Tree", "The Saddle-Shaped Birch", "The Green Dance Hall" and other spots. Another interesting spot is the park in Petrovskoye — the estate that used to belong to the poet's grandfather P. A. Hannibal. It is famous for its alley of midget linden trees. The reconstruction of the Hannibal mansion, of which only the foundation has been preserved, is now in progress. The poet was a frequent guest here. Between Mikhailovskoye and the Pushkin Hills, on a large hill, stands the ancient Assumption Cathedral of the Sviatogorsk monastery. It was built at the time of Ivan the Terrible. This is the poet's last resting place. He met his tragic end in February 1837. In the center of the grave, surrounded by a marble balustrade, stands an obelisque of white marble with a draped urn on top. The inscription on the granite base reads "ALEXANDER SERGEYEVICH PUSHKIN, BORN IN MOSCOW ON MAY 26th, 1799, DIED IN ST. PETERSBURG ON JANUAR 29th, 1837". The flow of people to this spot never ends. Every year hundreds of thousands of people enter the monastery's gates and climb the stone steps to this holy spot to pay their respects to the beloved poet.
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