A Hero Of Our Time

Vremya Novostey has an article about the recent award of a military decoration to the 19th century Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841). Lermontov, who saw active service in Southern Russia as an officer of dragoons, and based his novel A Hero Of Our Time on his experiences there, is sometimes known as “the poet of the Caucasus”. Although the award was made to the “Tarkhany” state museum where Lermontov’s ashes are preserved, the military commander responsible for the initiative is reported as saying that “the medal rightfully belongs to our great poet”, who received no decorations in his lifetime, even though he was reputed to be an officer of great daring.

The article’s author notes, somewhat sardonically, that it appears Lermontov is being posthumously enlisted in the War on Terror [my tr.]:

All in all, it seems that the Defence Ministry has decided to mark Lermontov’s exploits within the framework of some programme of military-patriotic education. Thereby reminding society that we value Mikhail Yuryevvich not so much for his poetic genius as for his bravery during his service in the army. And it may be assumed that if this experiment is deemed successful, then soon the director of the Yasnaya Polyana Museum Reserve will be solemnly awarded a similar medal as a sign of recognition of the military merits of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, whom, as is well-known, the authorities also missed out of the awards list. In fact, it is possible that in this case the Soviet 1942 medal “For the Defence of Sevastopol” will be thought fitting. In the final analysis, as in the case of Lermontov’s Caucasian merits, if not the time, then the place of action coincides: after all, Tolstoy was an artillery offcer in the theatre of military actions in the Crimean War. [T. later became internationally famous as a committed pacifist, D.M] The only remaining regret the Defence Ministry may have is that the majority of great Russian writers were overwhelmingly civilians, and did not take part in the numerous wars of those days, composing their verses and novels far back in the rear – in the capital cities, on private estates and even sometimes in emigration.

(Hat tip: Marius)