Pushkin's "Klevetnikam Rossii" (1831)

[Robert Chandler]

Dear Philippe,

I have some notes on this myself.  Here they are - summarized from Binyon's
biography of Pushkin:

"During the 1820s Russian rule in Poland had grown more oppressive. In
November 1830 the Poles had rebelled and a war had begun.  The Poles asked
France to support them, and Pushkin was afraid that a new European war might
begin. In late August 1831, the Russian army took Warsaw and Poland was once
again subdued.  Even as a young radical, Pushkin had been supportive of
Russian imperialism in the Caucasus, so it is not especially surprising that
he joined with Zhukovsky in publishing a small brochure On the Taking of
Warsaw.  This contained one poem by Zhukovsky and two by Pushkin: ŒTo the
Slanderers of Russia¹ and ŒBorodino Anniversary¹.  The former, the more
important of these two poems, is addressed primarily to various French
politicians who had been critical of Russia.  Pushkin¹s central argument is
depressingly similar to one repeated only too often by the Soviet regime in
similar circumstances: that this is a quarrel between Slavs, a Œdomestic
quarrel¹, and it is not for outsiders to interfere.  The three poems were,
unsurprisingly admired at court.  No less surprisingly, many liberals,
including Vyazemsky, were fiercely critical, accusing Pushkin of currying
favour with the Tsar.  There is no doubt that this last criticism was
unfair.  Whatever one may think of them, Pushkin¹s views were deeply held
and entirely sincere."

BUT I AM NO LONGER CONFIDENT OF MY LAST SENTENCE.  Pushkin wrote this poem
at more or less the same time as he finally gave in to demands to rewrite
his earlier version of BORIS GODUNOV; the original version was considered
too positive in its portrayal of the False Dmitry (who, of course, enjoyed
Polish support).  This does seem to have been a time when Pushkin - insecure
in many ways and desperately short of money - seems to have been trying to
improve his position with the authorities.

I too would be very interested to know what other people think.

Vsego dobrogo,

Robert

> Dear list members,
>  
> As I am preparing a contribution on relations between Russia and "Europe", I
> came accross Pushkin's piece of poetry "Klevetnikam Rossii", where he
> justifies the Russian repression of the Polish uprisal in 1830-31 against
> French deputies expressing their sympathy to Poles.
>  
> The text (a rather nationalist piece) is in marked contrast with Pushkin's
> supposed progressist views...
>  
> Could someone give me any any clue on where this text was first published in
> Russia and France and under what circumstances it was written ?
>  
> Thanks in advance
>  
> Philippe
> (Strasbourg, France)
>  
> 
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