Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky was born in 1783 in the Tula province. The landowner A.I. Bunin and his wife cared for the illegitimate Vasily and secured a noble title for him. Vasily began his education with the Bunins, then studied at a private boarding school and at the Main People's School. However, he was soon expelled "for incapacity," and he found himself in the home of his relatives, the Yushkovs, where he became fascinated with sentimentalism, read extensively, studied languages, and met N.M. Karamzin, whose follower he remained for a long time.

In 1797, Vasily entered the Noble Boarding School of Moscow University. Here he befriended the Turgenev brothers, united by their love for literature. By the age of 25, a romantic line was already clearly evident in his work. Zhukovsky engaged in translating lyrical ballads and editing texts. His works "Lyudmila," "Cassandra," and "Svetlana" were published.

In 1812, Zhukovsky went to the front but continued to write. During this time, his poems "The Singer in the Ranks of Russian Warriors" and the letter "To Emperor Alexander" appeared. His light style was noticed, and he began to edit military reports.

In 1815, Zhukovsky was invited to serve in the imperial family as a teacher. He selected translations and texts for Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna and developed a teaching system for the future Emperor Alexander II. Zhukovsky wrote and translated extensively, mentored Russian poets, and was involved in the fate of A.S. Pushkin. In the following years, he accompanied Alexander on trips across Russia and Europe. His main work became Homer's "Odyssey."

In 1841, Zhukovsky married the daughter of an artist and friend of Reitern, who was almost 40 years younger than him. He passed away in 1852 in Baden-Baden (Germany), and later his remains were transported to Russia and buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.