The deepest heartfelt affection of the great Russian poet Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov is Varvara Lopukhina, the younger sister of his friend Alexei. In the spring, before Easter 1832, a company of secular ladies and young people went to the All-Night Vigil at the Simonov Monastery.
Love
Six horses slowly moved along the Moscow streets - from Povarskaya to Molchanovka, then to another Molchanovka, and further - to where the Avtozavodskaya metro station is now located. The youth enjoyed the spring evening and cheerful company, so they were in no hurry. Is it by chance that the young Varvara Lopukhina ended up in the line next to an equally young poet, a peer in love with her? This question can hardly be answered reliably. But one thing is known for certain: Varvara Lopukhina remained in the role of a muse almost until the death of the poet.
She rotated in the light for only one winter, taken out of the village to the "bride fair", was simple-hearted, natural, did not lose her rural blush and did not yet know how to calculateevery gesture, posture and word, like seasoned Moscow young ladies.
Varvara Lopukhina had an ardent, enthusiastic and poetic nature: far from the capitals, solitude and reading novels greatly influence the development of girlish dreaminess, without detracting from natural liveliness, cheerfulness and sociability.
Through the eyes of contemporaries and the poet
Varvara Alexandrovna Lopukhina had an extraordinary appearance: she was a blonde, which, of course, is not uncommon, but with mobile and absolutely black eyes, eyebrows and eyelashes. This gave her a special charm - all mood changes were reflected on her face instantly and clearly. It was impossible to draw a portrait of Varvara Lopukhina once and for all, people saw her so differently in changing circumstances.
Sometimes her untamed facial expressions made her almost ugly, and sometimes almost beautiful. This was noticed even by Mikhail Lermontov, in love, and Varvara Lopukhina appeared before the reader in the image of Vera from the novel "A Hero of Our Time" - just as whole, deep, charming and simple, with an affectionate and bright smile, and even with the same mole on her face. Contemporaries call this girl "in the full sense of the delightful", young, sweet and smart. Many people mention that close friends and girlfriends made fun of this mole, and Varvara Alexandrovna Lopukhina laughed with them.
Love is defense
Both vanity and proud thoughts left the poet when this love was the defense of his soul. Although from the very beginning it was clear that Varvara Lopukhina andLermontov is not a couple, because they are the same age. At her sixteen years old, one could be a full member of society, even get married (it was for this purpose that she appeared in the capital), but the poet …
He was still a child in the eyes of everyone at his sixteen. Youthful maximalism forced him to exaggerate his physical shortcomings: small stature, stoop, ugliness. The youthful story "Vadim" was never finished, but it was in Vadim that he saw himself, and in the beautiful Olga - her, Varvara.
Parting
The feeling of the poet's love was far from reciprocal when circumstances forced him to leave Moscow in the same 1832 to enter the Junkers' school in St. Petersburg. And there, secular hobbies, and the service itself was new, requiring special immersion, and for some time, beloved Varvara Lopukhina in Lermontov's life was obscured by pressing problems. However, he did not cease to be interested in her, as evidenced by the letters of both the poet himself and his contemporaries. But the poet could not correspond with her directly - this did not fit in with the strictness of secular rules.
Three years later, Varvara Lopukhina, whose biography is closely connected with the life and work of the great Russian poet, under pressure from her parents, married the landowner of the Tambov province Nikolai Fedorovich Bakhmetev, whom Lermontov instantly hated, and this feeling never disappeared. However, it was absolutely mutual, otherwise the husband would not have forced Varvara to destroy all the letters of the poet, and in general everything that was himgiven and dedicated to her. Bakhmetev was much older than Varvara Alexandrovna and Mikhail Yuryevich, who never recognized the new name of his beloved woman, and this was especially insulting. In all dedications to Varvara, Lermontov designated her maiden name with initials.
Last meeting
The last time they saw each other was in 1838 - fleetingly, when Varvara Lopukhina and Lermontov, it would seem, should have completely forgotten about each other. Varvara Alexandrovna went abroad with her husband and on the way stopped in St. Petersburg. The poet at that time served in Tsarskoye Selo. "They loved each other for so long and tenderly …" - this poem is like a mirror of the feelings that Lermontov and Varvara Lopukhina experienced. The love story with the last meeting could not end.
In a short moment, all their acquaintance must have flashed before their eyes, from a tender age, when attachments seem eternal, strong and irresistible, when there was no understanding of either love or life itself, and up to the present moment. Despite the rare and short meetings, everything managed to visit in their relationship: friendly affection, and crazy love, and hot passions, and killing jealousy, even hostility. All this matured, sprouted into true love, but they never managed to admit it to each other.
The Soul of a Singer
"We were accidentally brought together by fate …" - Lermontov's poems dedicated to Varvara Lopukhina can be opened with these enlightened youthful lines of 1832. The image of the belovedhere it is ideal, it is the only consolation for the soul of the poet, but hopes are unrealizable, happiness cannot be found here, since there is no common path. And between the lines one can read the prophetic: the poet knows what fate has in store for him.
In the same year, the poem "Leave vain worries" was written. Here, Lermontov's mood is optimistic, it seems to the lyrical hero that the feeling is reciprocal, he is even sure of it. The poet's ardent heart beats in every line, he castigates his lost faith and cherishes nothing and does not see harmony even in reciprocity. In 1841, one of the most famous poems was written, dedicated not to Varvara Lopukhina. This "No, not you so passionately I love …" - full of memories of the past and the strongest love.
Life is short but full
Varvara Lopukhina was always present in Lermontov's work, at times invisibly, as if dissolving in the diversity of his life, but never leaving it. She was calm in character, soft and responsive, that is, the absolute opposite of the impulsiveness and ardor of the poet. At first, Lermontov was sure that he had no chance, but gradually his heart told him that Varenka was not as indifferent to him as he thought: a blush flares up from a glance, the blackness of his eyes becomes bottomless at a chance meeting of his eyes.
Meanwhile, the suitors were seriously courting her, and her peer, sixteen-year-old Michel, this tomboy-boy, who only runs around with children, gets angry and torments himself and everyone aroundbaseless jealousy, like an adult. Varenka calmly accepted the courtship of strangers, because she continued to have tender feelings for the poet. Lermontov, even guessing about the true state of affairs, suffered. In constant doubt, he experienced spiritual ups and downs, short moments of happiness and long days and nights of jealousy. How did Varvara Lopukhina feel looking at all this?
Suffering
Varvara was not sure of anything, especially Lermontov's feelings. He not only confused her with his behavior, sometimes it seemed to her that he was just mocking. So unexpectedly it pours with icy coldness and is immediately sweet, friendly in a friendly way, and then reproaches for the lack of reciprocity and real passion on her part. His coldness was intended for her as a punishment for some mythical betrayals. It was hard for her from such constant changeability, unsteadiness of relations. She doubted not herself, but him. And, in principle, it is fair. However, from these doubts, love grew stronger, not disappeared.
Lermontov initially rushed from one feeling to another, from one lady to another, but time proved: love for Varvara Lopukhina survived everything and everyone. He dedicated poems to Sushkova, who responded to his feelings so late, when they had already become feigned, and to Natalya Ivanova (N. F. I., whose initials remained a mystery for a long time), the poet was amorous and did not differ in constancy.
Love
The only feeling that accompanied him all his life was love for Varenka Lopukhina. But understandingit didn't work out between them. The modest woman could not give vent to feelings when the poet positioned her as a girlfriend or as a sister, and then suddenly as a lover. She did not guess his moods, she was lost. And he played - and her, and her feelings. And he himself truly understood his feelings only at that dark moment when he received the news of her marriage.
Lermontov's life was swift and short. Many hobbies settled there - both fleeting and strong. The basis of his behavior was ostentatious coldness and purely secular courtship. His character was like a volcano - quiet and silent, he suddenly erupted with fiery passion. And only love for Varvara Lopukhina never ceased in his heart. What was she to do? She was not sure that the coldness of the poet was ostentatious, because Lermontov never said a single word about his love to her, all his feelings, and hers, too, were only implied …
Bakhmetev
Nikolai Bakhmetev was thirty-seven when he decided to marry (Lermontov had already died at twenty-seven - for comparison). He liked some young ladies, and he weighed the pros and cons, not in a hurry to make a choice. And then, unfortunately, Varenka Lopukhina accidentally caught the fringe of the ball stole on the button of his coat. He decided that this was a sign from above, and, as a we althy and well-meaning man, he got married. He was not refused. Varenka was only twenty. Or rather, at that time, it was already twenty - it's time, it's time …
She was not happy in her marriage. The husband turned out to be no less jealous than Lermontov, and he even forbade talking about the poet. Several meetings at balls andholidays under her husband nevertheless took place, and everyone got it from Lermontov. These dates were bitter for Varvara: the sharp-tongued poet frankly mocked not only her husband, she also got barbs. In many works, the poet described this story - all his heroines, externally and internally similar to Barbara, are deeply unhappy, and their husbands are complete insignificance. Lermontov hated Bakhmetev and did not consider him worthy of happiness as a narrow-minded and mediocre person.
Varvara Lopukhina
The photo was not yet taken at that time, but the poet described his beloved so colorfully that the reader sees even a mole above the eyebrow as if with his own eyes. Varvara Alexandrovna barely survived the death of Lermontov and, I must say, not for long. After receiving this tragic news, she fell ill, and for several weeks she refused both medicines and doctors. Varvara did not want to see anyone and did not want anything, only to die. Its fading lasted ten difficult years.
Since childhood, a he althy body did not want to die, but she made him. Not daring to express her feelings, she simply did not want to be treated. Her nerves became upset at the mere presence of her husband, who was even jealous of the memory of Lermontov. And she was gradually killed by sadness about the unfulfilled. In 1851, Varvara Lopukhina remained only in poetry, but forever.
