The Moor of Peter the Great (Russian: Арап Петра Великого, ''The Blackamoor of Peter the Great or The Negro of Peter the Great) is an unfinished historical novel by Alexander Pushkin. Written in 1827–1828 and first published in 1837, the novel is the first prose work of the great Russian poet.
Pushkin started to work on the novel towards the end of July, 1827 in Mikhailovskoye and in spring 1828 read some drafts to his friends, including poet Pyotr Vyazemsky. During Pushkin's lifetime, two fragments were published: in the literary almanac Severnye Tsvety (1829) and in the newspaper Literaturnaya Gazeta (March 1830). All the extant parts were first published after Pushkin's death by the editors of the journal Sovremennik in 1837, who also gave the novel its current title.
The main character of the novel, Ibrahim, is loosely based on Pushkin's maternal great-grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal, a black African who was brought to Russia during the reign of Peter the Great. Pushkin's interests in history and genealogy combined to depict the transformation of Russia at the beginning of 18th century; the period of Russian history to which Pushkin returns in the narrative poem Poltava in 1829. The influential Russian literary critic Vissarion Belinsky maintained that "had this novel been completed... we should have a supreme Russian historical novel, depicting the manners and customs of the greatest epoch of Russian history."
Plot summary
The novel opens with a picture of morals and manners of the French society of the first quarter of 18th century; with the Moor's life in Paris, his success in French society, and his love affair with a French countess. But "summoned both by Peter and by his own vague sense of duty" Ibrahim returns to Russia. The following chapters, full of historical color and antiquarianism, sketch the different strata of the Russian society: ball at the Winter Palace and boyars' dinner at the boyar Gavrila Rzhevsky's place. The latter is interrupted by the arrival of the Tsar, who wants to marry Ibrahim to the Gavrila's daughter, Natalia.
Adaptations
1961 – The Blackamoor of Peter the Great, opera, by Arthur Lourie
1875 – The Moor of Peter the Great (translated by Mrs. J. Buchan Telfer) in Russian Romance, London: H. S. King.
1892 – Peter the Great’s Negro (transl. by Mrs. Sutherland Edwards) in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories, London: Chapman & Hall.
1896 – Peter the Great’s Negro (translated by T. Keane) in The Prose Tales of A. Pushkin, London: G. Bell and Sons.
1933 – Peter the Great’s Negro (transl. by Natalie Duddington) in The Captain’s Daughter and Other Tales, London: J. M. Dent & Sons, (Everyman's Library).
1960 – The Negro of Peter the Great (transl. by Rosemary Edmonds) in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories, London: Penguin, (Penguin Classics).
1962 – The Negro of Peter the Great (transl. by Gillon Aitken) in The Captain's daughter and other stories, London: The New English Library Limited.
1966 – Peter the Great's Blackamoor (transl. by Gillon R. Aitken) in The Complete Prose Tales of Alexandr Sergeyevitch Pushkin, London: Barrie & Rockliff.
1983 – The Blackamoor of Peter the Great (translated by Paul Debreczeny) in Complete Prose Fiction, Stanford: Stanford U.P.
1999 – Peter the Great's Blackamoor (transl. by Alan Myers) in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories, Oxford: Oxford U.P., (Oxford World Classics).
2016 – The Moor of Peter the Great (transl. by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky) in Novels, Tales, Journeys: The Complete Prose of Alexander Pushkin, New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
2021 – Peter the Great's African : experiments in prose (transl. by Robert Chandler & Elizabeth Chandler and Boris Dralyuk) in Peter the Great's African : experiments in prose, New York, New York Review Books
Sources
Debreczeny, Paul. “The Blackamoor of Peter the Great: Pushkin’s Experiment with a Detached Mode of Narration.” Slavic and East European Journal. 18.2 (1974): 119–31.
Nicholas V. Riasanovsky. The Image of Peter the Great in Russian History and Thought. Oxford, Oxford UP, 1992.
External links
Russian Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Арап Петра Великого
(in Russian) «Арап Петра Великого» available at Russian Virtual Library
moor, peter, great, russian, Арап, Петра, Великого, blackamoor, peter, great, negro, peter, great, unfinished, historical, novel, alexander, pushkin, written, 1827, 1828, first, published, 1837, novel, first, prose, work, great, russian, poet, authoralexander,. The Moor of Peter the Great Russian Arap Petra Velikogo The Blackamoor of Peter the Great or The Negro of Peter the Great is an unfinished historical novel by Alexander Pushkin Written in 1827 1828 and first published in 1837 the novel is the first prose work of the great Russian poet The Moor of Peter the GreatAuthorAlexander PushkinOriginal titleArap Petra VelikogoCountryRussian EmpireLanguageRussianGenreHistorical novelPublication date1837Published in English1875Media typePrint Contents 1 Background 2 Plot summary 3 Adaptations 4 Translation history 5 Sources 6 External linksBackground EditPushkin started to work on the novel towards the end of July 1827 in Mikhailovskoye and in spring 1828 read some drafts to his friends including poet Pyotr Vyazemsky During Pushkin s lifetime two fragments were published in the literary almanac Severnye Tsvety 1829 and in the newspaper Literaturnaya Gazeta March 1830 All the extant parts were first published after Pushkin s death by the editors of the journal Sovremennik in 1837 who also gave the novel its current title The main character of the novel Ibrahim is loosely based on Pushkin s maternal great grandfather Abram Petrovich Gannibal a black African who was brought to Russia during the reign of Peter the Great Pushkin s interests in history and genealogy combined to depict the transformation of Russia at the beginning of 18th century the period of Russian history to which Pushkin returns in the narrative poem Poltava in 1829 The influential Russian literary critic Vissarion Belinsky maintained that had this novel been completed we should have a supreme Russian historical novel depicting the manners and customs of the greatest epoch of Russian history Plot summary EditThe novel opens with a picture of morals and manners of the French society of the first quarter of 18th century with the Moor s life in Paris his success in French society and his love affair with a French countess But summoned both by Peter and by his own vague sense of duty Ibrahim returns to Russia The following chapters full of historical color and antiquarianism sketch the different strata of the Russian society ball at the Winter Palace and boyars dinner at the boyar Gavrila Rzhevsky s place The latter is interrupted by the arrival of the Tsar who wants to marry Ibrahim to the Gavrila s daughter Natalia Adaptations Edit1961 The Blackamoor of Peter the Great opera by Arthur Lourie 1976 How Czar Peter the Great Married Off His Moor film USSR directed by Alexander Mitta starring Vladimir Vysotsky Translation history Edit1875 The Moor of Peter the Great translated by Mrs J Buchan Telfer in Russian Romance London H S King 1892 Peter the Great s Negro transl by Mrs Sutherland Edwards in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories London Chapman amp Hall 1896 Peter the Great s Negro translated by T Keane in The Prose Tales of A Pushkin London G Bell and Sons 1933 Peter the Great s Negro transl by Natalie Duddington in The Captain s Daughter and Other Tales London J M Dent amp Sons Everyman s Library 1960 The Negro of Peter the Great transl by Rosemary Edmonds in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories London Penguin Penguin Classics 1962 The Negro of Peter the Great transl by Gillon Aitken in The Captain s daughter and other stories London The New English Library Limited 1966 Peter the Great s Blackamoor transl by Gillon R Aitken in The Complete Prose Tales of Alexandr Sergeyevitch Pushkin London Barrie amp Rockliff 1983 The Blackamoor of Peter the Great translated by Paul Debreczeny in Complete Prose Fiction Stanford Stanford U P 1999 Peter the Great s Blackamoor transl by Alan Myers in The Queen of Spades and Other Stories Oxford Oxford U P Oxford World Classics 2016 The Moor of Peter the Great transl by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky in Novels Tales Journeys The Complete Prose of Alexander Pushkin New York Alfred A Knopf 2021 Peter the Great s African experiments in prose transl by Robert Chandler amp Elizabeth Chandler and Boris Dralyuk in Peter the Great s African experiments in prose New York New York Review BooksSources EditDebreczeny Paul The Blackamoor of Peter the Great Pushkin s Experiment with a Detached Mode of Narration Slavic and East European Journal 18 2 1974 119 31 Nicholas V Riasanovsky The Image of Peter the Great in Russian History and Thought Oxford Oxford UP 1992 External links Edit Russian Wikisource has original text related to this article Arap Petra Velikogo in Russian Arap Petra Velikogo available at Russian Virtual Library link to interview with Robert Chandler about translating Peter the Great s African https open spotify com episode 2KAE9MtyRbxztLRTkjZjuQ Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Moor of Peter the Great amp oldid 1131553602, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
