Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Afanasy Fet

Role / Field:

Master of Russian lyric verse, Afanasy Fet's poetry captured the ephemeral beauty of life.

Born:

1820-11-23

Died:

1892-11-21

Century / Era:

1820s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet (Russian: Афана́сий Афана́сьевич Фет, IPA: [ɐfɐˈnasʲɪj ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈfʲɛt] ), later known as Shenshin (Russian: Шенши́н, IPA: [ʂɨnˈʂɨn] ; 5 December [O.S. 23 November] 1820 – 3 December [O.S. 21 November] 1892), was a Russian poet regarded as the finest master of lyric verse in Russian literature. Afanasy Fet was born on 5 December 1820 to Afanasy Shenshin, a 44-year-old Russian landlord from Mtsensk, and Charlotte Becker, a 22-year-old daughter of Karl Becker, a German inn-keeper.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

While staying with them during his visit to Germany, Shenshin fell in love with Charlotte, who agreed to follow him to Russia. Pregnant with her second child, she divorced her husband Johann Foeth, a Darmstadt court official, and married her Russian suitor, but was forced to leave her one-year-old daughter Carolina behind. In November, at Shenshin's Novosyolky estate, she gave birth to a boy who was christened Afanasy Afansyevich Shenshin. Fourteen years later, as Shenshin and Becker's marriage, registered in Germany, proved to be legally void in Russia, Afanasy had to change his surname from Shenshin to Foeth, that of his biological father. This proved to be an...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Afanasy Fet