Apollo Maykov (1821-1897)
Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov was born on May 23, 1821 in Moscow. The childhood years of the poet were spent in the village of Nikolsky near Moscow, near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Father, Nikolai Apollonovich Maikov - artist, academician of painting, mother, Evgenia Petrovna - writer. Artists, writers, musicians were frequent guests in the Maykovs' house. One of Maikov's home teachers was I. A. Goncharov. In 1837, Maikov entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, willingly and extensively studied the history of ancient Greece and Rome, studied Latin and Roman poets. He began writing poetry at the age of fifteen. Young Maykov dreamed of a career as a painter, but flattering reviews by Pletnev and Nikitenko about his first poetic experiments and poor eyesight prompted him to devote himself to literature. In 1842 Maykov went on a trip abroad. He spent about a year in Italy, then lived in Paris, where, together with his brother Valerian, he listened to lectures at Sorbonne and the College de France. The result of this trip was the "Essays on Rome" published in 1847 and a Ph.D. thesis on ancient Slavic law. Upon his return to St. Petersburg, Maykov served in the Ministry of Finance, then as a librarian of the Rumyantsev Museum before moving it to Moscow, and later as chairman of the Foreign Censorship Committee. Apollon Nikolayevich Maikov died in 1897.
Maykov's poetry is notable for its even, contemplative mood, deliberate drawing, it is plastic and harmoniously finished. It is clear and precise, without penumbra and hints, lines, shapes and colors appear. Maikov's verse in his best works is distinguished by its strength, expressiveness and relatively weak lyricism, the author's emotions are hidden, as it were, the poems are devoid of psychological tension; the latter is primarily due to the fact that the poet finished his works too carefully, sometimes to the detriment of the original inspiration. Maikov began to publish in 1840. Inspired by ancient images, works of Greek and Roman sculpture, the world of ideally beautiful gods and goddesses, his poems carried a bright and optimistic beginning with a clearly predominant epicurean character. Another theme of the poet's work is Russian-Byzantine historical legends. At the beginning of his literary activity, the motives of Russian nature are clearly heard, often inspired by Maikov's favorite pastime - fishing. Unlike Tyutchev or Fet Maikov does not look for the ambiguity of symbols in nature, he creates concrete images and pictures, while showing remarkable pictorial vigilance and depth of feelings.
Maikov's "anthological" poems immediately brought him fame. The clarity and completeness of the images are distinguished primarily by "Dream", "Remembrance", "Echo and Silence", "My child, there are no more blessed days", "Poetry", "Bas-relief". Maikov begins one of his "Epicurean songs" with a rare lyrical impulse:
Give me Myrta Cyprida!
What do I need colored garlands?
However, in the second stanza, he gracefully returns to his usual tone:
Myrtle green vine
The old man, having married, is gratifying
Drink under a thick gazebo
Covered with grape vine.
Characteristic of Maykov's poetry is the poem "After visiting the Vatican Museum". The impressions made on him by the sculptures of this museum remind the poet of similar impressions from early childhood, which significantly influenced the nature of his work:
Even in infancy loved to wander my mind
On the dusty marbles of the Potemkin chambers.
The dusty antiques seemed alive to me;
And dominating my infantile mind
They were related to him, like fairy tales of a clever nanny,
In the plastic beauty of mythical legends...
Now, now I am here, in their bright homeland,
Where the gods lived among people, taking their image
And their immortal face was revealed to their gaze.
Like a distant pilgrim, among his shrines,
I stood among the statues...
An instant impression can transport a poet from a modern ballroom to the ancient world:
... Oh, you're the one to blame
O roses of Paestum, classic roses!
(Roses. Fayupazii)
In another poem - "Improvisation" - Maykov's plastic poetry successfully comes into contact with an area of musical sensations alien to her in general:
But the fading sounds become clear again...
And passionate songs are invaded by a jet
One dreary sound, pleading, full of torment...
It grows, everything grows, and it flows like a river ...
Already a sweet hymn of love in one memory
Shoots far ... but with a stone foot
The inexorable is coming, the suffering is coming
And his every step rumbles over me...
Some kind of cry in the boundless desert
It sounds like it's calling... alas! there is no hope!
He whines... and in the midst of the thunders in response to him
Only a mournful melody broke through the lullaby.
A characteristic expression of the good-natured and innocent Epicureanism of the poet was the poem "To the Young Men":
And they couldn't get drunk!
A little at the table - and drunk!
What and how - you don't care!
The wise drink with self-awareness,
And to the light, and smell
He appreciates the wine.
He, quietly losing his sobriety,
Thoughts give brilliance and playfulness,
Touched by the soul
And owning passion, anger,
Sweet to the elders, pleasant to the virgins,
And happy with myself.
It is worth noting two "Messages" by Maikov. The first - to Ya. P. Polonsky - very aptly characterizes this poet, the second - to P. A. Pletnev - is distinguished by the beauty of thought and form. Maykov's historical poems, imbued with a truly humanistic spirit, gained immense popularity among his contemporaries ("Clermont Cathedral", "Sovanarola", "At the Cathedral in Constance", "Confession of the Queen", "Eshman"). Maykov's main poetic work was the philosophical and lyricaldrama"Two Worlds" (1881). For the first time, its theme was heard at the end of the poem "Ancient Rome" (1848).
In 1852, on the same subject, was writtendramaticessay "Three Deaths", supplemented later by "The Death of Lucius" (1863). Finally, six years after the first draft, appeared in its final formdrama"Two worlds". The idea of pagan Rome is clearly understood and expressed by the poet:
Rome united everything
As in man the mind; the world
He gave laws and sealed the world,—
and elsewhere:
... From him went
Rays to all ends of the earth,
And where they went, there appeared
Trade, toga, circus and court,
And the eternal ones flee
Roman roads in the deserts.
The hero of the tragedy Maykov lives by faith in Rome and dies with it, defending and defending it from impending Christianity. What he believes in will survive all historical catastrophes:
Oh, Rome geter, jester and mime, -
He is vile, he will fall! .. But no,
Indeed, in what bears the name of Rome,
There is something higher! .. Testament
All that has been lived for centuries!
In it is the thought that lifted me up
Both over people and over gods!
It has Promethean fire
Unquenchable flame!
Rome is like the sky, firmly vaulted
He lightened the earth and the nations,
To all these thousand tribes
Or obsolete, or familiar
To robberies only, multilingual
He gave his tongue and the law!
Imperial Rome is doubly understandable and dear to the poet as adjacent to both worlds of his poetry - to the world of beautiful classical antiquity, on the one hand, and to the world of Byzantine statehood, on the other: both as an elegant Epicurean, and as a Russian official-patriot Maikov finds native elements here. However, the idea of a new Rome - Byzantium - is not realized by the poet with such depth and clarity as the idea of the first Rome. He loves the Byzantine-Russian system of life in its historical reality and takes on faith its ideal dignity, sometimes not noticing its internal contradictions. This faith is so strong that it brings Maykov to the apotheosis of Ivan the Terrible, whose greatness is allegedly not yet understood and whose "day will still come." It is impossible, of course, to suspect a humane poet of sympathy for the atrocities of Ivan IV, but they do not at all prevent his glorification, Maykov is even ready to consider them only as "a thorn of underground boyar slander and alien malice." At the end of Sovanarola, claiming that the Florentine prophet always had Christ on his lips, Maikov, not without reason, asks: "Christ! didn't you understand?" With incomparably greater right, it can be argued that the pious founder of the oprichnina “did not understand Christ”; but this time the poet completely forgets what religion his hero was - otherwise he would agree that the representative of the Christian kingdom, who does not understand Christ, is alien and hostile to His spirit, is in any case an anomalous phenomenon, not deserving of apotheosis. Hence, in The Two Worlds there is a weaker depiction of the Christian world than of the pagan world. Even such an outstanding personality as the apostle Paul is not presented clearly enough and accurately. The sermon of Paul transmitted at the end of the tragedy consists entirely of apocalyptic images and "apologists", which does not correspond much to the actual method and style of the biblical Paul. In addition to "Two Worlds", among the major works of Maykov, the "Wanderer" (excellently reproducing the concepts and language of some Russian sectarian movements), "Princess", "Bringilda", as well as a poetic arrangement " Words about Igor's regiment”(remaining to this day one of the best literary translations of it).
Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich (1821 - 1897), poet.
Born on May 23 (June 4 NS) in Moscow in an old noble family with rich cultural traditions. His father was a famous painter, academician of painting. Childhood years were spent in a Moscow house and estate near Moscow, which were often visited by artists and writers.
The artistic atmosphere of the house contributed to the formation of the spiritual interests of the future poet, who early began to draw and write poetry.
Since 1834, the family moved to St. Petersburg, and the further fate of Maykov is connected with the capital.
In 1837 - 1841 he studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, without leaving literary studies. After graduating from the university, he served in the Department of the State Treasury, but soon, having received an allowance from Nicholas I for traveling abroad, he left for Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, then to Paris, where he listened to lectures on art and literature. He visited both Dresden and Prague.
His first poetry collection was published in 1842 and was highly appreciated by V. Belinsky, who noted "a talent, genuine and remarkable." The collection was a great success.
Impressions from a trip to Italy are expressed in Maykov's second collection of poetry "Essays on Rome" (1847).
During these years, he became close to Belinsky and his entourage - Turgenev and Nekrasov, visited the "Fridays" of M. Petrashevsky, maintained a close acquaintance with F. Dostoevsky and A. Pleshcheev. Although Maykov did not fully share their ideas, they had a certain influence on his work. His works, such as the poems "Two Fates" (1845), "Mashenka" and "The Young Lady" (1846), contain civic motifs.
From 1852 Maykov took the place of censor in the Committee of Foreign Censorship and since then, for more than forty years, served in this department. At the same time, he became close to the Slavophiles, imbued with their ideas and gradually moved away from the liberals and radicals, becoming a zealous defender of the "firm" monarchical power and the Orthodox religion. He more consistently switched to conservative positions, as evidenced by the poem "Clermont Cathedral" published in 1853 and the cycles "Neapolitan Album" and "Modern Greek Songs" published in 1858 (after a trip to Greece). The Peasant Reform of 1861 met with enthusiastic poems "Fields", "Niva". Finally opposing his understanding of art to the ideas of revolutionary democrats, he became a supporter of "art for art's sake", which caused sharp criticism from Saltykov-Shchedrin and satirical parodies of Dobrolyubov.
Fascinated by the era of Ancient Russia and Slavic folklore, Maikov created one of the best translations of The Tale of Igor's Campaign.
Based on the history of ancient Rome, he wrote the philosophical and lyrical drama "Two Worlds", which was awarded the Pushkin Prize by the Academy of Sciences in 1882. If earlier the poet was attracted to antiquity, now his interest has shifted to Christianity as a new moral teaching that opposes the aestheticism of paganism.
Maykov's best creations include his landscape lyrics: "Haymaking", "Under the Rain", "Swallows", etc., which are distinguished by sincerity and melodiousness. Many of his poems inspired composers to write romances. In 1893, his three-volume collected works, the sixth in a row, were published, completing his sixty-year literary activity.
The history of the Maykov family is directly connected with the history of Russian literature, art and education.
Apollo Maykov was born in Moscow on May 23, 1821. The poet's grandfather, Apollon Alexandrovich Maikov, was a former director of the imperial theaters, his brother, Mikhail Alexandrovich, worked in the literary field.
The poet's father, Nikolai Apollonovich, was a remarkable painter, academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. The brothers of Apollo Maykov are people respected in all respects: Valery was a talented critic and philosopher, Vladimir was the publisher of the children's magazine Snowdrop, Leonid was the vice-president of the Academy of Sciences, he was known for his works on the history of Russian literature.
Apollo Maikov grew up in an environment where art and science have always been, if not the only, then the main content of life, and constituted a constant and necessary condition of everyday life. The young man Maykov could not stray from the path destined for him by fate to serve his native poetry. External circumstances, during the entire passage of his literary career, were most conducive to the correct and comprehensive development of creative forces in him.
Apollo spent all his childhood until the age of nineteen not in the capital, but in the gentle, peaceful bosom of mother nature, in the midst of the simplicity and truth of Russian folk life, in the freedom and silence of a village near Moscow, on the estates of his father and grandmother. Thus, at that time in life, when impressions are perceived with the greatest force and sink into the soul most deeply, the first foundations of self-consciousness and spiritual personality in the soul of the future poet were laid by the Russian village and the Russian people. These foundations remained unshakable in Maikovo until the end of his days, serving as a solid foundation for all later spiritual layers.
During the years of gymnasium and university studies, the leaders and mentors of the young Apollo, in addition to his closest relatives, were such personalities as the co-editor of the journal "Library for Reading" V.A. Solonin, according to the testimony of his contemporaries who knew him, one of the most educated and best members of the then literary family, ardently fond of Russian literature and I.A. Goncharov, later famous author of "Oblomov" and "Cliff".
It is no wonder, therefore, that Maykov, a student of the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, did not wallow in the wilds of jurisprudence, but remained an artist-poet, drawing from the lectures he heard at the faculty mainly what was useful and necessary for the development and inspiration of his creative forces. Roman law, associated with the study of the Latin language and the classics, and an encyclopedia of jurisprudence, in connection with philosophy, were young Maykov's favorite subjects. In addition, he took courses in Russian and general history from P.G. He read at the university from the manuscript of the poem "The Wrath of God" and "Venus of Medicea."
Almost at the same time, one of Maykov's anthological plays was read by S.P. Shvyrev at the university in Moscow - and the name of Maykov, a talented, aspiring poet, became known in literary circles.
The works published in 1840 and 1841 in the "Odessa Almanac", "Library for Reading", "Notes of the Fatherland", and, finally, a book published in 1842 under the title "Poems of Apollo Maikov", met with Belinsky's warm praise and the general sympathy of all lovers and connoisseurs of Russian poetry, finally decided the fate of Maykov, who until that time had still hesitated in choosing between poetry and painting, to which he also felt a great inclination.
The Minister of National Education Uvarov presented a book of poems by Maikov, who had just graduated from the course, with the degree of the first candidate, to the sovereign, who gave the young poet funds for a trip abroad, where Maikov spent almost two years assimilating the fruits of European enlightenment, studying "countries and peoples" , mainly Italy and Rome, their nature, life, history and creativity.
Needless to say, such a journey, immediately after the end of the university course, was the most timely and it supplemented and completed the education of Apollon Nikolaevich and provided the richest material for further creative work - material that the poet did not stop using throughout his life. To this and another, a few years later, Maykov's journey through Europe, Russian literature owes the appearance of many remarkable works of art.
Treasury service, first as an assistant librarian at the Rumyantsev Museum, then as a censor in the committee of foreign censorship, and, finally, as chairman of the same committee, not only did not interfere with Maikov’s writing activities, but, due to especially fortunate circumstances, even beneficially contributed to her, bringing poet with such personalities as Prince Odoevsky and F.I. Tyutchev. Being Maikov's closest superiors in the service, they were at the same time his personal friends, advisers, connoisseurs, and critics.
Tyutchev's influence especially strongly contributed to the final development of Maikov's views on Russian history and the foundations of Russian statehood, to which he remained faithful to the end.
All his life Maikov worked, was engaged in self-education, literary creativity. The works of Apollon Nikolaevich are the rich contribution that our domestic literature can be proud of.
On February 26, 1897, at a solemn meeting of the society of zealots of Russian historical education in memory of Emperor Alexander III, Maykov spoke and read his famous poem "October 20, 1894". The poet was cheerful and cheerful. A few days later he felt unwell, complained of chills, and pneumonia began. He died on March 8, 1897.
Oct 03 2011
Maikov Apollon Nikolaevich is a famous Russian poet and translator. Born May 23, 1821 in Moscow in the family of a famous artist, academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Maykov's childhood years were spent near Moscow in the family estate. In 1834, the Maikov family moved to St. Petersburg, where Maikov and his brother Valerian received an excellent education at home. They were taught literature by the writer I. Goncharov.
In 1837, Maikov entered the Faculty of Law at St. Petersburg University. The teachers drew attention to the student's poetic gift, which by that time had begun to be published in the almanacs "Library for Reading" and "Notes of the Fatherland". In 1842 Maykov published his first collection of poetry. The attention of the public was drawn to the main section of this book. VG Belinsky expressed admiration for the figurativeness and lightness of the poetic language. As in fact, in all of Maykov's work, landscape lyrics were vividly presented in this collection of poetry.
In 1841 Maikov graduated from the university as the first candidate and went to work in the Ministry of Finance. Soon, having received allowance from Nicholas I, Maikov makes a tour of Europe, he visits Italy, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Abroad Maikov is engaged in poetry and painting, listens to lectures on literature. The impressions received on this trip formed the basis of the poetry collection Essays on Rome (1847). In the works of this collection, along with the grandiose monuments of antiquity, modern everyday scenes coexisted.
In 1844 Maykov returned to Russia and got a place in the Rumyantsev Museum, and then in the Committee of Foreign Censorship in St. Petersburg. Maikov becomes a prominent figure in the literary environment of the capital, he actively collaborates in the progressive publications Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski, writes articles on art in the style of the Natural School, publishes several biographical essays and the poem Masha (1846), in which makes fun of romantic clichés.
Maykov maintained friendly relations with V. Belinsky, I. Turgenev, N. Nekrasov, A. Pleshcheev, F. Dostoevsky, participated in meetings of M. Petrashevsky's circle. In the course of the investigation into the case of the Petrashevites, Maikov was put under covert supervision. After that, Maykov begins to share the ideas of Slavophilism and becomes a supporter of "patriarchal-monarchical" rule.
Maikov gained great popularity: he was published in the best literary and art magazines, and spoke at literary evenings. One of the important tasks of art Maikov considered the preservation of the historical memory of the people. Inspired by this task, Maikov makes free translations and stylizations of songs of the Belarusian and Serbian peoples. One of Maykov's most notable works is the poetic translation of The Tale of Igor's Campaign (1870).
At the center of all Maykov's poetry was the confrontation between Christianity and paganism. Maikov wrote the poem "Two Worlds" (1872, 1881) on this subject, for which Maikov was awarded the Pushkin Prize in 1882 by the Academy of Sciences. Maykov died in St. Petersburg on March 8, 1897.
Brief biography of the poet, the main facts of life and work:
APOLLO NIKOLAEVICH MAIKOV (1821-1897)
Apollon Nikolaevich Maykov was born on May 23 (June 4, New Style) 1821 in Moscow into an old noble family with rich cultural traditions. The ancestor of the Maykovs was the clerk of the Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich and Tsar Ivan the Terrible Andrei Mike. As many researchers suggest and all the Maikovs were sure, the Russian saint and church writer Nil Sorsky (in the world Nil or Nikolai Maikov) belonged to their family. However, no documentary evidence of this has yet been found.
The father of the future poet, Nikolai Apollonovich (1796-1873), was a man of unusually interesting fate. As a youth, Maykov the father “was sent to the second cadet corps at a time when only two careers were considered decent for a nobleman: either in the military or in the civil service. Right from the school bench, without having time to finish the course, he was, like many then, released as an officer, about 18 years old, into the army, into the Bagration corps. In the Battle of Borodino, Nikolai Apollonovich was wounded in the leg and sent to an estate in the Yaroslavl province for treatment. In the same place, out of boredom, the young man took up drawing, first copying the picture that hung over his bed. The copy was a success, and having already returned to the service in the hussar regiment, Maikov continued to indulge in a new hobby. After the end of the war, Maikov, who was awarded the Order of Vladimir, retired with the rank of major, got married and, with relief, shifting all the worries of life onto his wife's shoulders, took up painting. The Maykov brothers were already in their teens when their father became a well-known artist, a favorite of Emperor Nicholas I. On behalf of the sovereign, Maykov painted a number of images for the churches of the Holy Trinity in the Izmailovsky regiment (which brought him the title of academician in 1835), images for the small iconostases of St. Isaac's Cathedral , on the execution of which the artist worked for about 10 years.
The mother of the Maykov brothers, Evgenia Petrovna, nee Gusyatnikova (1803-1880), came from an old merchant family. The woman is highly educated, she collaborated in literary magazines, acted as a poetess and fiction writer.
The Maykovs had four sons. The elders, Valerian and Apollo, and the younger ones, Vladimir and Leonid.
The early childhood of Apollon Nikolaevich was spent in the estate of his father, the village of Nikolsky, near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and partly in the estate of his grandmother, the village of Chepchikha, Klinsky district, Moscow province.
His constant comrades were peasant children. Here he became addicted to fishing for the rest of his life, which was later reflected in his poem "Fishing".
In 1834, the Maykovs moved to St. Petersburg, and the further fate of the poet was connected with the capital.
Evgenia Petrovna was a kind and sociable lady, she always welcomed young writers, fed the poor, everyone could find support and a kind word from her. Subsequently, Maykova was very fond of and respected as a kindest friend by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.
Numerous guests - artists and writers - always gathered in the friendly Moscow mansion of the Maykovs. In the end, the Maykov salon took shape, but it was not high society, and famous writers were not attracted to it. There were mostly young, beginning writers, semi-professional writers, talented amateurs, students who worshiped poetry and art. Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov (1812-1891), still unknown to anyone, became a frequent guest of the salon.
The initial education of Maykov's sons - Valerian and Apollo - was carried out at the home of a friend of Nikolai Apollonovich by the writer Vladimir Andreevich Solonitsyn. The history of literature was taught to the brothers by I. A. Goncharov.
The resulting “home circle”, which also included house friends V. G. Benediktov, I. A. Goncharov and others, “issued” the handwritten magazine “Snowdrop” and the almanac “Moonlight Nights”, which included the first poetic samples of young Maykov .
When Apollo was sixteen years old, he and Valerian entered St. Petersburg University. Apollo studied at the Faculty of Law.
At the university, the young poet was actively engaged in creativity. Maykov's gift was noticed, especially by Professor Pyotr Alexandrovich Pletnev, who for many years then took care of the poet and introduced the greatest writers, in particular V. A. Zhukovsky and N. V. Gogol, to his works.
After graduating from the university, Apollon Nikolaevich was assigned to serve in the Department of the State Treasury, but soon, having received allowance from Nicholas I for traveling abroad, he left for Italy, where he studied painting and poetry, and then to Paris, where he listened to lectures on art and literature. Maikov visited both Dresden and Prague. He was especially interested in Prague, because by that time the poet had already become imbued with the ideas of Slavophilism and Pan-Slavism. In particular, he met and talked a lot with Safarik.
In 1844 Maykov returned to Russia, where he worked for eight years as an assistant librarian at the Rumyantsev Museum.
The first poetry collection of Apollon Nikolaevich "Poems" was published in 1842 and was highly appreciated by V. G. Belinsky.
During these years, Maykov became close to Belinsky and his entourage - I. S. Turgenev and N. A. Nekrasov. A special page in his life was the short-term participation of the poet in the activities of the Petrashevsky circle. On this basis, Maykov especially became friends with F. M. Dostoevsky.
On August 3, 1849, three and a half months after the arrest of all the activists of the Petrashevsky circle, Maikov was also arrested. He was interrogated, they came to the conclusion that he was a random person in this case, and they released him that evening.
In 1852, Maykov married a Russian German woman of the Lutheran faith, Anna Ivanovna Stemmer (1830-1911). Over time, they had four children, but only three sons survived to adulthood.
And in October 1852, the poet entered the service of the St. Petersburg Committee of Foreign Censorship, where he acted as junior censor. Despite the fact that the service was complex and difficult, the poet fell in love with her, especially when, on his advice, his friend and great Russian poet F. I. Tyutchev was appointed chairman of the committee, and in 1860 Ya. P. Polonsky became the secretary there. Since 1875 Maykov himself headed the committee.
I don’t need anything else: I want to die, like Tyutchev, in the committee dear to my heart, - Apollon Nikolayevich once admitted. Maykov worked in this department for forty-five years, until his death.
As head of the academic committee for foreign censorship, Maikov was also a member of the academic committee of the Ministry of Public Education. In 1853, the Academy of Sciences elected him a corresponding member in the department of the Russian language and literature, and the Kyiv University an honorary member.
The Crimean War of 1853-1856 stirred Maikov's patriotic and monarchist feelings. At the very beginning of 1855, his small book of poems "1854" was published.
After the Crimean War, Apollon Nikolaevich became close to the young editors of the Moskvityanin, the late Slavophiles and the “statists”. On the basis of the Slavophiles, but with a firm idea of the state, with the recognition of post-Petrine history, Maykov became a supporter of the ideas of M. P. Pogodin and M. N. Katkov. At the same time, he created a number of poems about Russian nature, which were memorized “almost with the first prayers”, which became textbooks and quotes: “Spring! The first frame is exhibited…”, “Summer rain”, “Haymaking”, “Swallows” and others.
Fascinated by the era of Ancient Russia and Slavic folklore, Maikov created the best translation in the history of world literature into modern Russian of the epic "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" (the work went on in the period 1866-1870).
Based on the history of ancient Rome, the poet wrote the philosophical and lyrical drama "Two Worlds", awarded the Pushkin Prize by the Academy of Sciences in 1882.
In everyday life, Maikov was characterized by subtle carefree humor and kindness of heart. All his life he remained a sincere unmercenary.
On February 27, 1897, Apollon Nikolaevich Maykov went out into the street too lightly dressed, soon fell ill, and a month and a half later, on March 8 (20 according to the new style), 1897, he died.
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