Alexander Bestuzhev
| Alexander Bestuzhev | |
|---|---|
Portrait by unknown artist
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| Born |
3 November 1797 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 19 June 1837 (aged 39) Sochi, Russian Empire |
| Literary movement | Romanticism |
Alexander Alexandrovich Bestuzhev (Russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Бесту́жев; IPA: [bʲɪˈstuʐɨf]; (3 November [O.S. 23 October] 1797 – 19 June [O.S. 7 June] 1837), was a Russian writer and Decembrist. After the Decembrist revolt he was sent into exile to Caucasus where Russian Empire was waging the war against the Circassians. There writing under the pseudonym Marlinsky (Russian: Марли́нский; IPA: [mɐrˈlʲinskʲɪj]) he became known as a romantic poet, short story writer and novelist. He was killed there in a skirmish.
Alexander Bestuzhev came from the rich and noble Bestuzhev family. He received an excellent education. From a very young age his father prepared him for military service. Since he was not keen on mathematics he failed to enter the navy and began to serve as a dragoon in the Guard. In 1818 he was promoted to officer, he also served as aide-de-camp to several senior officers and he could make a successful career. However, he joined the Decembrists. Arguably he was not as radical as most of the conspirators and joined the plot not because he wanted to establish a republic in Russia but simply because many Decembrists were his friends; four of his brothers were also in the plot. Due to this fact and due to his confessions during the trial, he spent only a year and a half in prison and thereafter was sent into exile in Yakutia. Bestuzhev wanted to return to society and in order to obtain forgiveness he asked the authorities for transference to the army in Caucasus as a private. In 1829 he started serving in the 14th Chasseurs regiment. Though authorities were reluctant to promote degraded officers, Bestuzhev proved himself an outstandingly brave soldier and was finally promoted to officer in 1836. On 19 June 1837 he was killed in a skirmish with Circassians. Two of his brothers, Mikhail and Nikolay were sentenced to life at hard labor for their part in the Decembrist plot in 1826.
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