Jevgeņijs Oņegins by Alexander Pushkin (1837, trans 1974)

I read the Latvian translation of Eugen Onegin (itself an English translation of the title of a long poem in Russian by Pushkin, translated into Latvian by Mirdza Bendrupe with ellipses for certain stanzas or lines - possibly censored) The original date is tricky too, as it was published serially over a number of years, but the Wikipedia claims that the version most often read now is the 1837 edition.

I recently attended a play called “Onegin - Commentary” at the Riga New Theatre. The friend who gave me the ticket suggested that I read Eugene Onegin in the Latvian translation before attending the play, and I am thankful I did, as the poetry itself was recited in Russian, but the story line and the comments outside the story line were in Latvian, which I could understand clearly. It was easier to follow having read the book.

I took all the Russian literature classes in translation that were offered at Cornell. My senior year I decided that to really “get” Russian literature, I should learn the language, and I took one semester of it. Enough to learn the letters, but not much else has stuck over the years. I do not remember what we read of Pushkin, but I am quite sure it was not Onegin. I am not used to reading much verse, never mind a whole story in verse, but this actually fit quite well with the story. I also read very little Latvian, so it took longer than it otherwise might, but was well worth the effort.

Onegin is a dandy (as the play explained) who was an aristocrat, bored of parties in the city (St. Petersburg, I believe) and was happy to inherit an estate in the country from an uncle. He gets bored there too, but makes friends with Lensky, a neighbor and poet. Lensky is in love with Olga, and Olga’s sister Tanya falls for Onegin – writing him a letter declaring her love, which I understand my friends here in Latvia learned by heart in their school days. Onegin rejects Tanya. Lensky tricks Onegin into attending an event at the sisters’ house, and Onegin is mad about it, so he flirts and dances with Olga, making Lensky so jealous, that he calls Onegin out on a duel. Onegin kills Lensky at the duel, and has to go abroad, as dueling is illegal in Russia at the time, but still often practiced. The play spent quite a bit of time explaining dueling at the time, pointing out all the mistakes the second made, who could have prevented the duel and unnecessary death of Lensky. Onegin returns years later to find Tanya married to an officer, and when Onegin declares his love for her, she rejects him.

In my mind the play and book are so intertwined that I have a hard time teasing them apart. I just am happy that I have had this duel experience. I doubt that I would otherwise pick up a book of Russian literature in verse – though that in itself was interesting, as Pushkin wrote in his own “sonnet” form with a distinct rhyming pattern that was emulated in the translation. It was full of literary and historical references, and in a romantic style that is foreign to me now, but worth visiting occasionally. Thank you Inta for both experiences!