Alexander Pushkin
*This date celebrates the birth of Alexander Pushkin in 1799. He was a Black Russian poet, the great-grandson of Abram Hannibal, a Black African general, and a friend of Peter the Great.
As a child, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin displayed a talent for writing poetry. In 1818, he was appointed to Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By day, he worked for the government; at night, he wrote poetry. Pushkin eventually became Russia's poet laureate. Political freedom was the subject of two of his most famous poems, Noel and Ode to Freedom, which critiqued the government. As a result, Pushkin was banished into exile, during which he continued to write and became the first Russian to earn a living as a poet.
In 1824, he received a pardon from Alexander I on the condition that his future writings would not provoke political unrest. Thereafter, he wrote two novels, The Captive of the Caucasus and The Captain's Daughter. A continuous theme throughout his works was his evident pride in his African heritage. He left unfinished a tribute novel, The Moor of Peter the Great, in honor of his grandfather. In 1837, at the age of 38, Pushkin died in a duel over the woman he married.
