The Presidential Library portrays Greek scholar Nikolay Gnedich

February 13, 2019 marks the 235th anniversary of the birth of Nikolay Ivanovich Gnedich (1784–1833) - a poet and prose writer who left us his translation of the Iliad worthy of the original. The Presidential Library’s materials present works of Gnedich, his participation in the literary process of his time, his relationship with fellow pen. 

Nikolay Ivanovich was born in Poltava in the family of a poor landowner with Cossack origin. He received education at the Poltava seminary and at the Kharkov Collegium which allowed him entering Moscow University in 1800. Schoolmates later recalled that Nikolay Gnedich "was remarkable for his tireless diligence and patience, his love for ancient languages". Gnedich was distinguished by a deep interest in the ancient Hellenic culture and special enthusiasm in the study of the Greek language - all this prepared him to work on the translation of the Iliad, which took over 20 years of life.

Not graduating from the university course, Nikolay Ivanovich moved to St. Petersburg and entered the service in the department of public education as a scribe. It allowed him engaging in parallel with his works. Gnedich entered the literary environment of the capital as a translator of plays Ducie and Schiller. Schiller's drama “Fiesco's Conspiracy in Genoa” and Voltaire’s later translation of “Tancred” enriched the repertoire of Russian theaters and brought Gnedich to wide popularity.

In the early 1800s, his first poems appeared in the metropolitan journals: "Community" in "Northern Messenger" and "Peruvian to the Spaniard" in the magazine "Flower Garden". The first is the politically pointed adaptation of the philosophical ode of the French poet Tom; the second is the original work of Gnedich, which is one of the most vivid and freedom-loving works of Russian civil lyricism of the early 19th century. Belinsky once wrote that in this work “some verses are remarkable for the energy of feelings and expressions”.

In Gnedich's book “The Fruits of Solitude” the author appears at once as a poet and prose-writer, demonstrating fluency in the word. Thus, in the chapter “Spring Morning” he conveys the whole palette of the world awakening: “The black shadows of the night run away - the rosy dawn begins to shine on the edge of the horizon, the quivering sun ray awakens all nature: the beneficial sun rises, the fiery golden spreads across the fields. Flowers open their cups and seem to the sun a crystal pearl of cool morning dew; A fragrant pair of roses enlivens the green leaf atlas".

He shows his attitude to basic values ​​in the chapter “Virtue”.

Being friends with the poet of the Pushkin Pleiad Batiushkov, he writes in the preface to his collection Experiments in Verse and Prose, which is available on the Presidential Library’s portal.

In 1807, Gnedich took up the translation of Homer's Iliad, which was considered a model of ancient literature. However, working on the Iliad, Gnedich was almost at the epicenter of the literary life and social struggle of his time. In his speech “Discourse on the reasons that slow down the development of our literature”, he said in 1812 at the opening of the Imperial Public Library, he spoke of “pride in being a Russian”, on the need to learn more about our language and at the same time take from other peoples all the most valuable For example, the Hellenic tradition of youth education.

He expects from the Russian poets the heroic images and "holy donations by himself for the benefit of the people". The idea of ​​the public duty of the writer, that the poet is a warrior, was expressed by Gnedich in his “Speech on the Appointment of a Poet”, delivered in 1821 on the occasion of his election as vice-president of the Free Society of Lovers of Russian Literature.

As a translator of the Iliad Pushkin was interested in Gnedich whom he met in the house of A. N. Olenin, President of the Academy of Arts and Director of the Public Library. Pushkin also visited Gnedich’s house: the poet mentions his “Epicurean cabinet” in letters from the south.

Once Pushkin listened to an excerpt from the Iliad by a translator at a meeting of the Green Lamp, after which he wrote and immediately crossed out the epigram on Gnedich. A month later, the author of the epigram creates a panegyric to the same Gnedich, published in the Alcyone’s anthology for 1832.