And the The Welcome to Russian History Retold, episode 165. Alexander Pushkin, part 2.

Last time we covered the early years of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin from his days

with his nanny and servant to his years of the licey at Sarskoy Salo. Now we find him still in St. Petersburg at his new job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

To say that Pushkin was a slacker at his job is kind of an understatement.

His occupation really was poet regardless of what the government position he held.

Writing was his life except the part where debauchery took over. A rake, a

scoundrel, a womanizer. Any of these terms can be used to describe Alexander Pushkin. The age, marital class, or place in society of the women didn't seem to matter.

His friends constantly chided him about his behavior, but that didn't stop him from carousing around.

Alexander Turgenia, a friend of his, wrote the following about him, quote,

I sculled that cricket, Pushkin, every day for his laziness and failure to improve himself.

Add to that his taste for vulgar Lida Loves, and is no less vulgar 18th century liberalism.

What nourishment for a poet is there and that?

He further wrote, quote,

idleness, laziness, those terrible murderers of all beauty and talent hover over Pushkin.

Every morning Pushkin informs Jukovsky that he hasn't slept all night.

He spends his time at brothels or else visiting Princess Golizina and me and at night he plays cards

Another letter from Turgania states

Pushkin is very ill he took cold while standing in the doorway of the

house of a whore who would not let him in, in spite of the rain, for fear of giving him her

malady. What a conflict between nobleness, love, and debauchery.

Because of his behavior, the Nereal disease followed Pushkin in his youth,

but it was a serious case of Gangrene that almost took his life in

...