Eugene Onegin (Russian Literature Classic). Alexander Pushkin

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      XV

       Table of Contents

      Thou fairy-land! Where formerly

      Shone pungent Satire’s dauntless king,

      Von Wisine, friend of liberty,

      And Kniajnine, apt at copying.

      The young Simeonova too there

      With Ozeroff was wont to share

      Applause, the people’s donative.

      There our Katenine did revive

      Corneille’s majestic genius,

      Sarcastic Shakhovskoi brought out

      His comedies, a noisy rout,

      There Didelot became glorious,

      There, there, beneath the side-scene’s shade

The drama of my youth was played.¹⁰

¹⁰ Denis Von Wisine (1741–92), a favourite Russian dramatist. His first comedy “The Brigadier,” procured him the favour of the second Catherine. His best, however, is the “Minor” (Niedorosl). Prince Potemkin, after witnessing it, summoned the author, and greeted him with the exclamation, “Die now, Denis!” In fact, his subsequent performances were not of equal merit.

      Jacob Borissovitch Kniajnine (1742–91), a clever adapter of French tragedy.

      Simeonova, a celebrated tragic actress, who retired from the stage in early life and married a Prince Gagarine.

      Ozeroff, one of the best-known Russian dramatists of the period; he possessed more originality than Kniajnine. “Oedipus in Athens,” “Fingal,” “Demetrius Donskoi,” and “Polyxena,” are the best known of his tragedies.

      Katenine translated Corneille’s tragedies into Russian.

      Didelot, sometime Director of the ballet at the Opera at St. Petersburg.