Prisoner of Russia: Alexander Pushkin and the Political Issues of Nationalism

Yuri Druzhnikov. Prisoner of Russia: Alexander and Political Issues of Nationalism. Translated by Thomas Moore and Ilya Druzhnikov. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1999. 454 pp., $61.95, cloth. The eminent Russian historian Vasilii Kliuchevskii once observed that always wants to say too much about Pushkin, and one always ends up saying many extraneous things, leaving out important ones (p. xii). The image of Pushkin, dominant figure in Russian culture, genius whose works expressed Russia's whole destiny, weighs heavily upon scholars and biographers. In foreword to Prisoner of Russia, author, fiction writer and scholar, remarks that century-and-a-half of research yielded more about than poet ever knew about himself. Scholars have exhaustingly explored his views on literature, philosophy, religion, and economics; they have calculated the range of every pistol shot he ever fired and discovered how long his fingernails were (p. vii). However, Druzhnikov maintains, voluminous research not revealed certain mysteries about Pushkin. Though filled with biographical and documentary detail, this book is neither comprehensive biography, nor critical survey of Pushkin's works. In author's words, it represents search for a new approach towards Pushkin (p. ix) and skeptical inquiry into life and works of Russia's foremost poet and writer. Druzhnikov finds that, since nineteenth century and throughout Soviet period, been turned into icon of worship insulated from doubts and inquiries of skeptics (p. xi). As Druzhnikov acknowledges, his goal is not to undermine Pushkin's significance but rather to purge past of deception (p. xii). Applying Soviet cliches to reign of Nicholas I, Druzhnikov calls Pushkin, who had been banned from experiencing world beyond his country's borders, the first recognized 'refusenik' in (p. 354). A non-exiter, was also an internal exile; he could not travel in his own country without government authorization. This theme is only too familiar to Druzhnikov, dissident writer under Soviet regime, who views Pushkin's exile through prism of his own experiences. The book focuses on twelve years in Pushkin's life, from 1817, year when poet graduated from Western-oriented Lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo, until of most mysterious episodes (p. 417) in his life, journey to Arzrum, on Turkish border, where escaped in 1829. Druzhnikov finds that Pushkin's life and works can neither be understood, nor interpreted irrespective his desire to see West (p. xi). Sixty-four years ago Ernest Simmons discussed manner in which Tsar Nicholas I had formulated Pushkin's status for rest of his life in letter written to exiled poet on September 1826: Mr. may travel in his own equipage at freedom, not in position of prisoner, and under escort of courier only... (Simmons, [Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1937] p. 248). The American scholar succinctly summarized tragedy of poet who lived not under arrest, but neither as free person, and revealed poet's efforts to escape from Russia (Simmons, pp. 236-48).l Subsequently, other biographers also dealt with Pushkin's attempts to go abroad.2 For this reason, Druzhnikov's remark that-apart from an article published by Mstislav Tsiavlovskii in 1916 (p. xii)-the poet's exit file has not been studied at all (p. xi) comes as surprise. Druzhnikov goes beyond idea that was Russia's prisoner and suggests that poet collaborated with secret police in return for his freedom to travel abroad: He was openly being prepared for career of informing (p. 379). The writer views high society of Moscow and Petersburg as extended family-dissidents and informers (p. 320), and suggests that hopelessness of Russian existence made into fugitive. …

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