Aleksey Koltsov facts for kids
Aleksey Vasilievich Koltsov (Russian: Алексе́й Васи́льевич Кольцо́в; born October 15, 1809 – died October 29, 1842) was a famous Russian poet. Some people called him the "Russian Burns" because he wrote about everyday life, just like the Scottish poet.
Koltsov's poems often sounded like traditional folk songs. They talked about the lives of ordinary people, especially farmers. He loved to write about their hard work and simple lives. He also collected Russian folklore, which are traditional stories and customs. This greatly influenced his writing. Many of his poems were later turned into songs by famous composers like Dargomyzhsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov.
Contents
A Poet's Life Story
Aleksey Koltsov was born in a city called Voronezh. His father was a merchant who bought and sold cattle.
Early Life and School
Aleksey went to a local school for less than two years, from 1818 to 1820. His father wanted him to help with the family business. So, Aleksey had to leave school early.
Working and Writing
Koltsov spent his time traveling, buying, and selling cattle for his father. But he had a secret passion: writing poems. He wrote them without his father knowing.
Becoming Known
In 1831, his poetry started to get noticed. A poet and thinker named Nikolai Stankevich from Moscow published some of Koltsov's poems. They appeared in a newspaper called "Literaturnaya gazeta" (Literary Newspaper).
In 1835, Koltsov's first collection of poems was published. This was a big step for him!
Meeting Famous Writers
Koltsov often traveled for business to big cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow. There, he met many important writers and thinkers. One of them was Vissarion Belinsky, who became a helpful guide for Koltsov.
He also met other famous people, including Vasily Zhukovsky, Pyotr Vyazemsky, Vladimir Odoevsky, and even Aleksandr Pushkin. Pushkin was so impressed that he published one of Koltsov's poems in his own journal, "Sovremennik".
Challenges and Later Life
Aleksey's father was very strict and controlled much of his life. This made it hard for Aleksey to focus on his writing and personal happiness.
Sadly, Aleksey Koltsov became very ill. He passed away in 1842 when he was only 33 years old. He was buried in his hometown of Voronezh.
