Evgeny Abramovich Baratynsky (1800, 1844) was an outstanding Russian poet and thinker of the first half of the 19th century, possessing a prophetic gift. His works attract those who seek in literature not only entertainment but also depth, striving for truth.

Baratynsky's biography would not be complete without mentioning his family. He was born on March 2 (February 19) 1800 in the village of Vyazhle in the Tambov province. His family belonged to a noble lineage, whose ancestors came from Polish nobility and received the surname in the 14th century after the castle "Boratyń."

Evgeny's father, Abram Baratynsky, served as an officer in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment and was favored by Paul I, but soon fell out of favor and retired. His mother, Alexandra Cherepanova, was a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court in her youth.

After receiving initial home education, in 1808 Evgeny entered a private German boarding school, where he added German to his Italian and French. He then transferred to a prestigious military educational institution, the Page Corps. From there, he wrote to his mother about his desire to dedicate his life to military service, but he was expelled due to theft of money, which deprived him of the right to a high military career.

At 19, Baratynsky became a simple soldier in the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment, then transferred to the Neishtadt Infantry Regiment in Finland. At 25, he received an officer rank, but a year later left the service and moved to the capital, where he married Anastasia, the daughter of Major General Lev Engelhardt.

Baratynsky's first poetic work was published in 1819. During this period, he became close to Alexander Pushkin and Anton Delvig, joined the literary circle of Moscow writers, and communicated with N. Yazykov, I. Kireevsky, and A. Khomyakov. Starting in 1826, collections of his works began to be published, including the poems "Eda," "Feasts," "Ball," "Concubine," and lyrical verses.

At 20, he wrote a poem that turned out to be prophetic, predicting that his life would end in a distant and foreign land.

At 36, after the death of his father-in-law, Baratynsky inherited the Moscow estate of Muranovo, where he settled with his family and rarely traveled. In 1842, his cycle "Twilight" was published.

In the autumn of 1843, Baratynsky went on a trip to Europe with his family, visiting Berlin, Frankfurt, Dresden, and Paris. He met Prosper Mérimée, historians Amédée and Thierry, and poet Sainte-Beuve, who admired his talent and asked him to translate fifteen of his lyrical works.

In the spring of 1844, the family decided to move to Naples. During the sea voyage, Baratynsky wrote his last poem. The day after arriving in Naples, he experienced severe headaches and suddenly passed away.