Vasily Zhukovsky

Vasily Zhukovsky

In 1817, a sharp turn began in the life of Zhukovsky, forcing him to postpone his poetry for a long time in the name of another, no less, and maybe even more significant historical mission in his eyes. In 1817, he became a teacher of the Russian language of the Grand Duchess (later Empress) Alexandra Fedorovna. And in 1826 he was offered the position of mentor-educator of the Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich (future Emperor Alexander II). Zhukovsky’s proximity to the court caused ironic and even sarcastic smiles among many Petersburg liberals of that time.

Zhukovsky himself selects teachers, develops a plan for the education of the heir, designed for 12 years. The foundation is the humanities, special attention is paid to the study of history, which Zhukovsky calls the best school for the future monarch. But Zhukovsky considers the main task “education for virtue” - the development of a high moral feeling in a pet. The spirit and direction of such education is evidenced by Zhukovsky’s poems composed by him on the occasion of the birth of his future student in 1818.

Zhukovsky honorably fulfilled his historical mission: in Alexander II he educated the creator of the great reforms of the 1860s and the liberator of peasants from serfdom. In 1841, Zhukovsky completed his work and, generously rewarded, retired. He spent the last decade of his life abroad, where in the spring of 1841 he married the daughter of an old friend, the German artist E. Reitern.

Вопросы:

1. In what year did Zhukovsky become a teacher of the Russian language of the Grand Duchess (later Empress) Alexandra Fedorovna?

2. How much was the education plan designed by Zhukovsky designed?

3. Who did Zhukovsky marry in 1841?

Слово	Транскрипция	Перевод
postpone	[poʊˈspoʊn]	откладывать
significant	[sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt]	значимый
humanities	[hjuːˈmænɪtɪz]	гуманитарные науки
occasion	[əˈkeɪʒən]	случай
peasant	[ˈpezənt]	крестьяне
honorably	[əˈnɔːrəblɪ]	благородно