Among Pushkin’s friends in the lyceum, this character was ignored by historians and literary scholars. However, it was thanks to his efforts that many of the works of the great poet saw the world.
The Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum presented Russian culture with a galaxy of outstanding writers and public figures. Among the famous people who surrounded Alexander Pushkin was our hero. A meek disposition made him a favorite of his comrades and an absolutely uninteresting figure for historians. He did not make duel, a hundred ladies did not seduce, but his role in their fate was significant.
Childhood
Misha was born in September 1789. His father was a state adviser. He wanted to give his son a good education so that he could follow in his footsteps - to make a career in the sovereign service. A child from an early age was prepared for admission to the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. To his level of knowledge consistent with the standards, the family decided to send the boy to the Moscow noble university boarding school.
Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum
The works of relatives were not in vain - in 1811 the young Yakovlev became a lyceum student. Teachers noted the diligence of the student, his discipline and craving for knowledge. Peers noted theatrical talent of a friend. From them he received the nickname "Payas - 200 numbers." The teenager found the appropriate use of his gift - he participated in productions on the stage of the educational institution.
In the world of beauty
Our hero was interested in literature. It was his passion that brought the boy into the circle of friends of Sasha Pushkin. The guys started with the publication of the handwritten magazine Young Swimmers. His success inspired them to write the play “It Is Happen in the Light”, which the beginning playwrights destroyed. Among classmates, Yakovlev was closest and quietest to Wilhelm Küchelbeker. Misha loved to patronize and protect his comrades. In high school, he was awarded the unofficial title of "Lyceum Warden".
Friends Lyceum students of Alexander Pushkin
Mikhail often visited Sofia Ponomareva. The husband of this lady was a wealthy man and generously paid for all her entertainment. The secular lioness became the mistress of the literary salon, which was attended by recognized masters of the artistic word Ivan Krylov and Nikolai Gnedich. Her brother studied at the Lyceum, because the youth from Tsarskoye Selo were welcome guests in the house.
It's time to grow up
After graduating from the Lyceum in 1817, Yakovlev got a seat in the Sixth Department of the Senate. He was identified as assistants to Dmitry Mertvago, who was engaged in revision in the Vladimir province. As soon as order was established in the region, officials undertook to check the Caucasus and Astrakhan. The successes of the young man were appreciated, appointing him in 1820 as the head of the department of taxes. All this time, our hero traveled through the expanses of the Russian Empire, revealing abuses on the ground.
Mikhail Yakovlev
In 1827, Mikhail Yakovlev arrived in St. Petersburg to serve in the office of the emperor. His apartment immediately turned into a "lyceum compound" - old friends stayed with him for a long time. Visited a friend and Alexander Pushkin. A year as a poet ended the link, however, he was not going to be corrected. Soon the authorities were outraged by his poem "Gavriliada". Misha did not turn his back on his friend, but he himself left him to devote all his time to his young wife Natasha.
Creation
Like all enlightened people of that time, Mikhail Yakovlev did not shy from art. In 1828, he published a collection of his poems and stopped rhyming. The new hobby of our hero was music. He had a pleasant baritone, and he sang romances at social events. He liked this genre, and soon he added his own to popular works, putting the poetry of Anton Delvig to music.
Literary reading (1866). Artist Vladimir Makovsky
With Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev again had a chance to meet in 1832. Mikhail was just appointed manager of the printing house of the II Division of His Imperial Majesty the Chancery. A friend brought him a serious work - "The History of the Pugachevsky Revolt." The official not only helped to gain approval for the publication of the book, but also chose the fonts for printing it. After 4 years, our friends, along with Prince Dmitry Eristov, decided to contribute to the popularization of Orthodoxy and presented to the public a complete list of people who were considered saints.
Friend loss
Moving on, Mikhail Yakovlev did not try to arrange his personal life. The bachelor’s lair was the best party venue for former high school students. In 1826, it was from him that the whole company celebrated 25 years since the founding of the Tsarskoye Selo educational institution. Everyone had fun, nothing portended trouble.
Before the duel (1936). Artist Lavrenty Zharenko
A year later, the poet appeared to his friend and showed him an anonymous libel, where he was called a cuckold and humiliated his wife. Pushkin asked a reasonable comrade for advice. Yakovlev knew that any guesses could provoke his friend to a rash step. He examined the paper for a long time, and then concluded that this muck was not produced in Russia. Let Sashka think that some foreign ill-wisher sent him this. Pushkin did not look for foreign agents; George Dantes, whose teacher was the ambassador of the Netherlands, appeared beside him and his wife. About the death of the poet in a duel Yakovlev was informed by their mutual friend in writing.
