A contemporary of A.Pushkin, a representative of the ancient
noble family, a poet
Yevgeny Abramovich Boratynsky (1800-1844)
was born and spent his childhood in the country estate
"Mara" in the Tambov region.
In 1796 the emperor Pavel I bestowed the Tambov estate "Mara" on the
poet's father, a major-general Abram Andreievich
Boratynsky for the great service to his country. After the
retirement, he had built a large house, a summer
stone pavilion Grotto of the pseudo-gothic style,
layed out a beautiful park with the ponds, bridges, cascades, arbours
and intricate pathes, planted fruit-trees in Mara. All his children were
born and primary educated in Mara.
During the 19th century many well famous persons visited Mara.
It became the original cultural center of the Tambov region at that time.
Such persons as N.I.Krivtsov (a former diplomat, a
Decemrist S.I.Krivtsov's brother, acquainted with Pushkin, Vyazemsky and
Karamzin), B.N.Tchicherin (a writer, a lawyer, a publicist,
a collector of pieces of art), an artist E.A.Dmitriev-Mamonov,
a writer N.F.Pavlov, a poet M.A.Zhemchuzhnikov, a composer
C.A.Kui and others were on visit to the Boratynskys.
Since 1831 S.M.Delvig (the baron A.A.Delvig's
widow, who later married the poet's brother S.A.Boratynsky)
lived there with her daughters by the first marriage.
The Boratynskys' estate Mara has not remained as it was before.
Only the family portraits, the
necropolis monuments, the photo collection
of museum and private collections,
archives materials were evidence of the once prospered family and the highest
culture of the Russian country estate at the turn of the 19th and 20th
centuries.
Note.
The poet's surname has a double spelling. In the second half of the
19th century it was prefered to write "Baratynsky".
Under this name he went down in literature. Such a spelling is being kept
in modern editions. However their letters and official papers Ye.Boratynsky
and his relatives signed as "Boratynsky".
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