An interesting stage in the life and work of a genius: Pushkin-Lyceum (1811-1817).

The Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum can be described without exaggeration as the furnace where the talent of AS was fully forged and perfected. Pushkin. And it's not just that the first poems were written in the walls of this educational institution, and not even that the prominent Russian publicist Gavriil Derzhavin noticed it here .

Tsarskoe Selo became the cradle where the personality of Alexander Sergeevich was discovered and developed, where he established himself as a poet. Pushkin-Lyceum later changed his style, but always remembered the adolescent years with a special warmth.

Why Tsarskoe Selo?

Pushkin was a difficult teenager, and therefore his parents were forced to seriously think about continuing the upbringing and education of the offspring in some strict and closed educational institution. And here just turned out to be an opportunity. Alexander I decided to "open the palace of the tsaritsin" for the sons of the nobles, in order to educate them "educated and faithful servants of the state." The autocrat even thought of giving this privileged institution to the Grand Dukes. The training program was carefully thought out, the best teachers of that time were invited - for example, A. Kunitsyn, A. Galich. Thus, Pushkin-lyceumist received a wonderful versatile education.

Moving to St. Petersburg

As soon as the parents of the 12-year-old boy found out about the upcoming opening of the Lyceum, they put their son on the road. Pushkin from Moscow to St. Petersburg brought his uncle - poet and literary Vasily Lvovich Pushkin.

He, by the way, went to the capital not only to escort his nephew, but also to pass on to his editorial polemic work. While Sasha was preparing for the entrance exams, he lived in the house of his uncle. Vasily Lvovich had some influence on the young poet, in particular, instilled in him an ironic attitude towards the adherents of the canonical Russian literature. Pushkin-Lyceum writes his first verses in a free style, which gives the impression of a free and intimate conversation. And his apt epigrams reflect the enthusiasm of Walter and other French "liberals."

Pushkin's friendship with the lyceum students

Sasha, as an open and sociable boy, immediately became friends with other students. He found many friends in the school. Some of them, too, were gifted with literary talent. Delvig, Gorchakov, Kiichelbecker, Puschin and others began to try the pen, published magazines (while handwritten), created a circle of literature. Both Alexander I and Pushkin's parents were mistaken: the orders in the school were by no means strict, and the servants, not loyal servants, but free-loving citizens came out of its walls. The institution was by no means closed: it was possible to go to Tsarskoe Selo. Therefore Vyazemsky, Zhukovsky, Karamzin, Chaadaev, Raevsky, Kaverin and many others also met and became close to the young talent. Friends of Pushkin - lyceum students, literary men or just educated officers - had an indelible influence on the poet's work.

Six years of study passed quickly, but were very fruitful. During this time Pushkin-Lyceum wrote almost 120 poems and began to work on his famous poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila." At the age of 15 he published his first works - "To a Friend", "Dreamer", "The Struck Knight". "Reminiscence in Tsarskoe Selo" was a custom-made poem written for the arrival to the Derzhavin exam. And the epic style of ode was given to the young genius easily.