Vasily Trediakovsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vasily Trediakovsky
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| Василий Тредиаковский | |
Portrait by Fyodor Rokotov
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Vasily Kirillovich Trediakovsky
5 March 1703 Astrakhan, Tsardom of Russia
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| Died | 17 August 1769 (aged 66) St. Petersburg, Russian Empire
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Vasily Kirillovich Trediakovsky (born March 5, 1703, died August 17, 1769) was a very important Russian writer. He was a poet, an essayist, and a playwright. Trediakovsky helped create the basis for what we now call classical Russian literature.
Contents
A Look at Vasily Trediakovsky's Life
Early Life and Education
Vasily Trediakovsky was the son of a priest who was not wealthy. He became the first person from a common family in Russia to get a special education abroad. He studied at the Sorbonne in Paris from 1727 to 1730. There, he learned about philosophy, languages, and mathematics.
Starting His Career
Soon after returning to Russia, Trediakovsky started working for the Academy of Sciences. He became an acting secretary. He also worked as the unofficial poet for the royal court.
His Important Work on Poetry
In 1735, Trediakovsky published a book called A New and Brief Way for Composing of Russian Verses. This book was very important for Russian poetry. It was the first time that poetic styles like the sonnet, the rondeau, the madrigal, and the ode were discussed in Russian literature.
Facing Challenges
In 1740, Trediakovsky faced a difficult time. He was treated badly by a powerful minister named Artemy Volynsky. This event, though unfortunate, made him a target for jokes among some people.
More Contributions to Language
Trediakovsky continued to work on language and poetry. In 1748, his book A Conversation on Orthography came out. This was the first time anyone had studied how the sounds of the Russian language were put together. He also kept pushing for new ways of writing poetry in his 1752 work, On Ancient, Middle, and New Russian Poetry.
Translations and Later Years
Trediakovsky was also a very busy translator. He translated works from old classical writers, thinkers from the Middle Ages, and French books. Sometimes, his translations caused trouble with the people who checked books for approval. He also had problems with his bosses at the Academy and with people in the royal court.
In 1759, he was asked to leave the Academy. His last big work was a translation of Les aventures de Telemaque by François Fénelon in 1766. He translated it into a Russian style called hexameter. Trediakovsky's works helped change Russian poetry. They moved it from an older style, where lines had a set number of syllables, to a newer style based on rhythm, which fit the Russian language better.
See also
In Spanish: Vasili Trediakovski para niños
- Mikhail Lomonosov, who created the basis of the modern Russian literary language
