Ernest Sébastien Brugière de Barante ; 1818-1859) - Attache of the French Embassy in St. Petersburg , son of the French Ambassador Prosper de Barant . He is known for challenging M. Yu. Lermontov to a duel, thereby putting an end to his barely beginning diplomatic career and seriously compromising his father.
| Ernest de Barant | |
|---|---|
| Ernest Sébastien Brugière de Barante | |
 | |
| Birth | April 22, 1818 Paris |
| Death | September 18, 1859 ( 41) Vanves |
| Father | |
| Profession | attache of the french embassy |
The history of the duel was investigated in detail by Emma Gerstein [1] , who possessed not only memorial evidence, but also the correspondence of the French envoy, as well as members of his family.
Duel with M.Yu. Lermontov
As early as 1838, the French envoy de Barant wrote his son to Russia and began to prepare him for a diplomatic career. Ernest at that time was 21 years old. His mother was the granddaughter of the famous beauty Sophie d'Udetot , who served as the prototype of Julia in the novel of the same name by Russo . He graduated from Bonn University and was listed as attaché to the cabinet of the French Foreign Minister. His father saw him as a diplomat, but Ernest himself was mainly interested in women.
In Russian society, a young Frenchman was considered windy; in one of Belinsky's letters, he is even characterized as “salon Khlestakov” [2] . Belinsky’s judgment, who was not a member of secular society and did not personally know the young de Barant, appeared, apparently, under the direct influence of Lermontov, who met Ernest quite often and even was known as his rival in red tape. The quarrel occurred on February 16, 1840 at the St. Petersburg ball at the Countess Laval . It was known that Barant tried to care for the beautiful young widow Princess Scherbatova (nee Shterich), who was not indifferent to Lermontov. According to other sources, the poet and diplomat did not share the heart of the beautiful German girl Teresa von Bacherakht [3] . Subsequently, it was alleged that the attache was offended by Lermontov for his attitude towards the French, since Lermontov did not hide his opinion that it was the Frenchman Dantes who was guilty of Pushkin's death. But formally, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, between Barant and Lermontov, the quarrel arose over a small quatrain written by the poet 7 or 8 years ago. And it sounded like this:
| The beautiful Neva goddess A Frenchman is dragging behind her! Her face is like a melon But then ... pa, like a watermelon . " [4] |
According to the first biographer Lermontova N.A. Viscous , de Barant, with passion, demanded explanations from Lermontov about some offensive verses that reached him. Mikhail Yuryevich declared all this a slander and called gossip. According to Lermontov’s official testimony at the trial, when meeting with Ernest de Barant on February 16, 1840, the following dialogue took place at the Countess Laval ball:
Barant: Is it true that in a conversation with a famous person you said unfavorable things to my account?
Lermontov: I did not say anything reprehensible to anyone about you.
Barant: Still, if the gossip that was transmitted to me is correct, then you did very badly.
Lermontov: I do not accept reprimands and advice, and I find your behavior very funny and impudent.
Barant: If I were in my own country, I would know how to end this business.
Lermontov: In Russia they follow the rules of honor as strictly as elsewhere, and we are less than others to insult ourselves with impunity . [five]
Having received such an answer, Ernest de Barant challenged Lermontov to a duel , which took place on February 18, 1840, behind the Black River , on Pargolovskaya Road. First, the opponents fought on swords, then on pistols. There were no tragic consequences (although Lermontov received a light wound with a sword in the chest).
The news that Lermontov fought with a Frenchman for the honor of a Russian officer caused a sympathetic response in society. P. A. Vyazemsky wrote on March 22, 1840: “ This is the exact opposite of the history of Dantes . Here patriotism operates. They make a hero out of Lermontov and rejoice that he taught the Frenchman a lesson . ” There was a rumor in the city that even the emperor treated Lermontov condescendingly: “ The sovereign said that if Lermontov had a fight with a Russian, he would know what to do with him, but when with a Frenchman, then three-quarters of the guilt amounts to ” [6] . Even before the arrest of Lermontov, the young de Barant was strongly recommended on behalf of the emperor to leave Russia, but the French ambassador hesitated in fulfilling his monarch's will: Ernest's return to Paris after a scandalous duel was supposed to hurt his diplomatic career. Lermontov was arrested and put on trial on March 11 for "not reporting a duel." As for his adversary, thanks to the patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Nesselrode, he was even freed from giving written testimony (the receipt of which the Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich himself — the commander of the guards corps and the younger brother of the emperor in vain).
On April 13, the court announced the decision: Lermontov was sent to the Tenginsky Infantry Regiment , which was conducting hostilities in the Caucasus . But the story did not end there. The elder de Barant intervened: Lermontov’s secular reputation was seriously damaged. The diplomat resorted to the help of the chief of the gendarmes Benckendorf , who, after the trial, called Lermontov to his house and demanded that he acknowledge in writing his testimony about the “air shot” as false and apologize to Ernest de Barant. Lermontov was forced to turn for help to the commander of the guards corps, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich : “Count Benckendorf deigned to offer me to write a letter to Mr. Barant, in which I would ask him to apologize for my false testimony about my shot. <...> I could not agree to that, because it was against my conscience ... ” [7] . Mikhail Pavlovich acquainted Lermontov’s letter with his crowned brother. There is no direct evidence of the reaction of Nicholas I , but Benckendorff had to retreat (which, incidentally, is easily explainable: an unexpected continuation of the dueling story should have caused the king only irritation, because the verdict had already been pronounced and the case was closed).
Later, the French ambassador and his wife sought Ernest to return to St. Petersburg, but at the same time they were very afraid of Lermontov's return (in this case, a new clash between young people was almost inevitable). Having the support of Benckendorf , de Barant and his wife discussed a possible intrigue against Lermontov: “It would be excellent if he was in the garrison inside Russia ...” [8] . But fate decreed otherwise. Already in February 1841, Lermontov, who distinguished himself in battles against the highlanders, received leave and came to Petersburg . And the young de Barant never returned to Russia.
Notes
- ↑ Gerstein, E. G. Duel of Lermontov with Barant // Literary Heritage, 1948, No. 45-46. See also: Gerstein E.G. Fate of Lermontov. Second edition, revised and supplemented. - M .: Fiction, 1986. - S. 6-35.
- ↑ Gerstein E.G. Fate of Lermontov. Second edition, revised and supplemented. - M .: Fiction, 1986. - S. 20.
- ↑ M.A. Korf . Diary for 1840 .-- M .: Quadriga, 2017 .-- S. 67.
- ↑ Yu.P. KALYUZHIN First duel M.Yu. Lermontov
- ↑ Gerstein E.G. Fate of Lermontov. Second edition, revised and supplemented. - M .: Fiction, 1986. - S. 6.
- ↑ From a letter from V.G. Belinsky V.P. Botkin from March 14-15, 1840. See: Belinsky V.G. Collected works. T. 9. M.: Fiction, 1982. - S. 353.
- ↑ Cit. by: Gerstein E.G. Fate of Lermontov. Second edition, revised and supplemented. - M .: Fiction, 1986. - S. 30-31.
- ↑ Cit. by: Gerstein E.G. Fate of Lermontov. Second edition, revised and supplemented. - M .: Fiction, 1986. - S. 33.