Peter the Great's Negro
Encyclopedia
Peter the Great's Negro is an unfinished historical novel
by Alexander Pushkin. Written in 1827-1828 and first published in 1837
the novel is the first prose work of the great Russian poet.
. During Pushkin's lifetime, two fragments were published: in the literary almanac Severnye Tsvety (1829) and in the newspaper Literaturnaya Gazeta
(March 1830). All the extant parts were first published, after Pushkin's death, by the editors of the journal Sovremennik
in 1837, who also gave the novel its current title.
The main character of the novel, Ibrahim, is loosely based on Pushkin's maternal great-grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal
, a black African who was brought to Russia during the reign of Peter the Great
. Pushkin's interests in history and genealogy combined to depict the transformation of Russia at the beginning of 18th century; the period of Russian history to which Pushkin returns in the narrative poem Poltava
in 1829. The influential Russian literary critic Vissarion Belinsky
maintained that ``had this novel been completed ... we should have a supreme Russian historical novel, depicting the manners and customs of the greatest epoch of Russian history.”
The reasons why Pushkin left the novel unfinished are not known and no outline in Pushkin's hand has survived to show how he intended to develop the plot. According to a friend of Pushkin, A. Wulf: ``The main intrigue of the novel, as Pushkin says, will be the sexual infidelity
of the Negro's wife, who gives birth to a white child, and is punished by being banished to a convent
.” (A.S. Pushkin v vospominaniyah sovremennnikov, Moscow, 1950, pp. 324–325).
and boyar
s' dinner at the boyar
Gavrila Rzhevsky's place. The latter is interrupted by the arrival of the Tsar, who wants to marry Ibrahim to the Gavrila's daughter, Natalia.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
by Alexander Pushkin. Written in 1827-1828 and first published in 1837
1837 in literature
The year 1837 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* The Little, Brown and Company publishing house opens its doors.* First publication of the The United States Magazine and Democratic Review.-New books:...
the novel is the first prose work of the great Russian poet.
Background
Pushkin started to work on the novel towards the end of July, 1827 in Mikhailovskoe and in spring 1828 read some drafts to his friends, including poet Pyotr VyazemskyPyotr Vyazemsky
Prince Pyotr Andreyevich Vyazemsky or Petr Andreevich Viazemsky was a leading personality of the Golden Age of Russian poetry.- Biography :...
. During Pushkin's lifetime, two fragments were published: in the literary almanac Severnye Tsvety (1829) and in the newspaper Literaturnaya Gazeta
Literaturnaya Gazeta
Literaturnaya Gazeta is a weekly cultural and political newspaper published in Russia and Soviet Union.- Overview :...
(March 1830). All the extant parts were first published, after Pushkin's death, by the editors of the journal Sovremennik
Sovremennik
Sovremennik was a Russian literary, social and political magazine, published in St. Petersburg in 1836-1866. It came out four times a year in 1836-1843 and once a month after that...
in 1837, who also gave the novel its current title.
The main character of the novel, Ibrahim, is loosely based on Pushkin's maternal great-grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal
Abram Petrovich Gannibal
Major-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal, also Hannibal or Ganibal or Ibrahim Hannibal or Abram Petrov , was brought to Russia as a gift for Peter the Great and became major-general, military engineer, governor of Reval and nobleman of the Russian Empire...
, a black African who was brought to Russia during the reign of Peter the Great
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
. Pushkin's interests in history and genealogy combined to depict the transformation of Russia at the beginning of 18th century; the period of Russian history to which Pushkin returns in the narrative poem Poltava
Poltava (poem)
Poltava is a narrative poem written by Aleksandr Pushkin in 1828-9 about the involvement of the Ukrainian Cossack hetman Ivan Mazepa in the Battle of Poltava between Sweden and Russia. The poem intertwines a love plot between Mazepa and Maria with an account of Mazepa's betrayal of Tsar Peter I...
in 1829. The influential Russian literary critic Vissarion Belinsky
Vissarion Belinsky
Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky was a Russian literary critic of Westernizing tendency. He was an associate of Alexander Herzen, Mikhail Bakunin , and other critical intellectuals...
maintained that ``had this novel been completed ... we should have a supreme Russian historical novel, depicting the manners and customs of the greatest epoch of Russian history.”
The reasons why Pushkin left the novel unfinished are not known and no outline in Pushkin's hand has survived to show how he intended to develop the plot. According to a friend of Pushkin, A. Wulf: ``The main intrigue of the novel, as Pushkin says, will be the sexual infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
of the Negro's wife, who gives birth to a white child, and is punished by being banished to a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
.” (A.S. Pushkin v vospominaniyah sovremennnikov, Moscow, 1950, pp. 324–325).
Plot summary
The novel opens with a picture of morals and manners of the French society of the first quarter of 18th century; with the Negro's life in Paris, his success in French society, and his love affair with a French countess. But "summoned both by Peter and by his own vague sense of duty" Ibrahim returns to Russia. The following chapters, full of historical color and antiquarianism, sketch the different strata of the Russian society: ball at the Winter PalaceWinter Palace
The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and...
and boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
s' dinner at the boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
Gavrila Rzhevsky's place. The latter is interrupted by the arrival of the Tsar, who wants to marry Ibrahim to the Gavrila's daughter, Natalia.
Adaptations
- 1961 - The Blackamoor of Peter the Great, opera, by Arthur LourieArthur LouriéArthur-Vincent Lourié, born Naum Izrailevich Luria , later changed his name to Artur Sergeyevich Luriye was a significant Russian composer. Lourié played an important role in the earliest stages of the organization of Soviet music after the 1917 Revolution but later went into exile...
- 1976 - Skaz pro to, kak tsar Pyotr arapa zhenil, film, USSR, directed by Alexander MittaAlexander MittaAlexander Naumovich Mitta is a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter and actor.Mitta's birth name was Alexander Naumovich Rabinovich . He studied engineering , then worked as a cartoonist in art and humour magazines...
, starring Vladimir VysotskyVladimir VysotskyVladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky was a Soviet singer, songwriter, poet, and actor whose career had an immense and enduring effect on Russian culture. He became widely known for his unique singing style and for his lyrics, which featured social and political commentary in often humorous street...
.
Translation history
- 1875 - The Moor of Peter the Great (translated by Mrs. J. Buchan Telfer) in Russian Romance, London: H. S. King.
- 1892 - Peter the Great’s Negro (transl. by Mrs. Sutherland Edwards) in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories, London: Chapman & Hall.
- 1896 - Peter the Great’s Negro (translated by T. Keane) in The Prose Tales of A. Pushkin, London: G. Bell and Sons.
- 1933 - Peter the Great’s Negro (transl. by Natalie Duddington) in The Captain’s Daughter and Other Tales, London: J. M. Dent & Sons, (Everyman's LibraryEveryman's LibraryEveryman's Library is a series of reprinted classic literature currently published in hardback by Random House. It was originally an imprint of J. M. Dent , who continue to publish Everyman Classics in paperback.J. M. Dent and Company began to publish the series in 1906...
). - 1960 - The Negro of Peter the Great (transl. by Rosemary EdmondsRosemary EdmondsRosemary Edmonds , born Rosemary Lilian Dickie, was a British translator of Russian literature whose editions of Leo Tolstoy have been in print for 50 years.-Biography:...
) in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories, London: Penguin, (Penguin Classics). - 1966 - Peter the Great's Blackamoor (transl. by Gillon R. Aitken) in The Complete Prose Tales of Alexandr Sergeyevitch Pushkin, London: Barrie & Rockliff.
- 1983 - The Blackamoor of Peter the Great (translated by Paul Debreczeny) in Complete Prose Fiction, Stanford: Stanford U.P.
- 1999 - Peter the Great's Blackamoor (transl. by Alan Myers) in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories, Oxford: Oxford U.P. , (Oxford World Classics).
Sources, references, external links, quotations
- Debreczeny, Paul. “The Blackamoor of Peter the Great: Pushkin’s Experiment with a Detached Mode of Narration.” Slavic and East European Journal. 18.2 (1974): 119-31.
- Nicholas V. Riasanovsky. The Image of Peter the Great in Russian History and Thought. Oxford, Oxford UP, 1992.
External links
«Арап Петра Великого» avaialble at Russian Virtual Library- Peter the Great’s Negro, transl. by Natalie Duddington