Ruslan and Ludmila

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799-1837) - the greatest Russian poet and prose writer. In domestic literature, Pushkin stands apart: "The Sun of our Poetry", according to the writer of Vl. Odoevsky was the first to laid the foundations of realism in Russian literature and so transformed the language that the works of the 19th century are read as modern.
Alexander Sergeyevich was born in Moscow, in the family of a military adviser, amateur poet, and a secular young lady, granddaughters of Hannibal (African Abram Hannibal was a servant and pupil of Peter I, and then a general), in an old noble, well-poor family.
He began to write poetry in the lyceum - a privileged educational institution for the children of the nobles, and at the age of 15, in an open exam, he made a splash, having read his "memories in Tsarskoye Selo" and earned the hot approval of the living classic - Gabriel Derzhavin.
Pushkin was not bypassed by glory during his lifetime: he was called a genius and the “first Russian poet” in the press, Emperor Nicholas I favored him, each creation became an event for the reading public, but the work of the official (Pushkin served as a titular adviser) and Censorship restrictions constrained talent. However, the concentration of the life created over 37 years of life is amazing: these are piercing poems, and a great novel in verses, and lovely fairy tales, and brilliant prose, and, of course, beautiful poems.
A wonderful property of Pushkin’s creativity is a bright poetic strength and accuracy of images along with brevity.
The poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila" (1820) was written by a very young 21-year-old Pushkin, and was conceived in the lyceum under the impression of French knightly poems and Russian epics.
Pushkin in those years becomes a member of the literary circle "Arzamas", uniting innovators who sought to get rid of outdated literary canons. The creation of a national heroic poem was quite consistent with their requests. The non -standard mixing of European high style with vernacular and folk style, the daring grotesque caused criticism in the press, but the poem immediately glorified the poet.
It is interesting that the famous prologue ("at the Lukomorye oak green ...") appeared only in the second edition, in 1828, which, undoubtedly, strengthened the folk color of fairy tales