A poem of Apollon N. Maikov

[Slivkin, Yevgeniy A.]

Dear Richard,

Since you are researching "late Imperial Russian attitudes towards Germans", I thought you would be interested to know that years ago I came across a little known brochure by the historian and journalist M. P.
Pogodin (editor of “Moskovskii vestnik”and “Moskovitianin”) entitled
“Ostzeiskii vopros” (1869).  In this pamphlet, the author addresses
Professor Shirren, an “ostzeiskii nemets” who occupied the position of Dean
of the Department of History and Law at the University of Derpt (Tartu).
Below I quote a characteristic passage in my clumsy translation:
“For us, all Germans fall into three categories:  1) The German Germans, the
residents of Germany – we honor and respect them as a first class European
nation.  2)  The Russian Germans, those Germans who became russified, who
serve our state and live among us – we love them and are grateful to them
for the many services they have rendered to us.  3)  The ostzeiskie Germans,
those who are the most viciously antagonistic to us.  Their existence and
attitude to us well justify the proverb: “One could not make an enemy for
himself unless one gave him food and drink with his own hand.”  You, the
ostzeiskie Germans, hate us in your hearts.  And this hatred is the most
convincing proof of your own malady.”

Regards,

Yevgeny Slivkin, Ph.D.
Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
University of Oklahoma



________________________________________
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Richard Benert [benovich at IMT.NET]
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 1:33 PM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: [SEELANGS] A poem of Apollon N. Maikov

The entry for 14 March, 1865, in Aleksandr Nikitenko's Diary of a Russian
Censor states that "Maikov came to see me and read the poem he had composed
for the dinner in Lomonosov's honor.  It is well written, but has strong
anti-German overtones."

I am currently interested in late Imperial Russian attitudes towards Germans
and would like to know where it might be possible to find this poem.  My
initial problem is that (difficult to admit on this listserve) I don't read
Russian.  I've looked at two online editions of Maikov's collected works
(1884 and 1904).  Only one short poem composed in 1865 showed up, and I
don't THINK this is it.  Lomonosov isn't mentioned by name, at any rate.

Can anyone tell me, first, whether this poem was ever published and, if so,
its title and where it can be found?

Many thanks,
Richard Benert
Bozeman, Montana

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