“With righteous Word sear hearts of men...”: On the 225th anniversary of A. S. Pushkin’s birth

The article focuses on the aspects of the great poet’s legacy that were directed towards the artistic analysis of the shadow problems of his time. This pertained to the life of high society but primarily and especially to a number of negative aspects of the society of the Nicholas era, in this Pushkin’s position was very close to the Decembrist movement. Strongly protesting against the shortcomings of the world around him, he was also far from illusions that these shortcomings could soon be eradicated on account of a particular mentality of Russians. Nevertheless, the emergence of the “sun of Russian poetry” on the horizon of national history itself inspired a certain optimism about its prospects.