Pushkin’s monuments are currently being destroyed in the Ukraine, under the guise that Pushkin was instrumental in “Russifying” Ukraine.
Pushkin was a bit complicated. But Africans and African-Americans looked up to him as a brilliant poet of African ancestry venerated and respected in a majority ‘white’ nation. He was an “octaroon”, but had dark skin and curly hair and he often commented on his own African features.
I find it sad to see his monuments destroyed. Disgusting as well. It must be gravy for these “de-Russifiers” that Pushkin was of African descent. Here’s a metal ass poem he wrote against tsardom. Love to hear your thoughts.
http://poemsintranslation.blogspot.com/2015/07/pushkin-ode-to-liberty-from-russian.html?m=1
So, Pushkin lived in the 19th century. This was Russia in the 19th century. Ukraine literally popped into existence almost a century after the poet was dead, so exactly what did he “russify”?
The whole “enforced Russification” is a popular talking point, used against USSR (but somehow not Russian Empire). It’s been largely propagated by NATO oriented outlets.
https://web.archive.org/web/20220125053520/http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181 July 12, 2021. Putin wrote an essay on Ukrainian “national identity” as an anti-Russian one that is extremely interesting. Concludes with supporting Ukrainian independence but basically on condition that mutual respect and openish borders between the two nations are reached.
Some stuff I’m not a fan of regarding the USSR, some stuff applauding Soviets, some spiritual stuff relating to Orthodox Christianity being the great uniter of Russian people, etc. Things to be critical of and read with a critical eye. But I think it’s a good and enlightening read.
“…and a young African man, clearly one of the thousands of foreign students present in the country at the time, stepped in. Visibly cold and out of place, he scrutinized the length of the line, then started to walk toward the chair in the farthest corner of the room. As he was passing by our bench, my friend elbowed me with a sly look on his pimply face and snickered loudly, ‘Smotri, kakaya obez’vanal [Look, what a monkey!]’ The African froze on the spot, slowly turned around and approached us. More than twenty years later, I still remember the furious and disgusted expression on his dark face. He fixed us with his gaze for a few very long seconds. I felt a knot in my stomach; my schoolmate was studying intently the lapels of his shabby school uniform, while the rest of the audience remained demonstratively oblivious to the scandal in the offing. But the scandal never erupted. The black man smiled contemptuously, and then, speaking slowly in a heavily accented Russian, emphasizing every syllable, uttered something very strange: ‘A Pushkin tozhe obez’yana? [Was Pushkin also a monkey?]’” – Black in the USSR, Maxim Matusevich
“You autocratic psychopath, You and your throne do I despise! I watch your doom, your children’s death With hateful, jubilating eyes. Upon your forehead they descry The People’s mark of true damnation. Stain of the world, shame of creation, Reproach on earth to God on high!” Great stanza.
Here’s a metal ass poem he wrote against tsardom
Amusingly (not really), Pushkin is currently being quoted in historical museums as being in support of Tsardom and Nicholas I specifically.
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How do you mean?
I believe Pushkin was still “white” but he had Ethiopian ancestry.
It’s difficult to conclude one way or another. He was 1/8th. Race had different connotations at the time and in different areas (and ofc it’s mostly a nonsense metric). In the U.S. he would have been considered completely black because of the “one drop rule”. Contemporaries of the time, as well as himself, talk of his African heritage as if it were very serious and important to him.
He may have had a bit of a tinge to his skin tone, but I do believe that he certainly passed as “white” outwardly.
Of course: at the time, he would’ve been “Slavic,” though as you say: his heritage was well-known.
For sure. Another thing to consider is cultural biases influencing things like portraits and statues, some painters might have wanted to make him appear more pale or have a darker complexion depending on their biases. Compare:
These look like two different people lolYes, it’s likely that he took certain features.
I have mixed ancestry, though I am white. Even so: my skin is sort-of has that “tinge” and people said that I looked “Arab” or “foreign” growing up.
