Pushkin and the Legends: Celebrating Russian Language Day
On June 6, we celebrate Russian Language Day, choosing this year to honor Aleksandr Pushkin, the literary giant who shaped modern Russian. Yet, Pushkin’s linguistic journey is filled with irony and legend—some true, some perhaps embellished over time. Truth: Pushkin’s First Language Was French Pushkin was born into Russian aristocracy, where French was the language of the educated elite. He spoke French before Russian, a fact that adds poetic irony to his role as the father of modern Russian literature. Despite his fluency in French, Pushkin’s deep engagement with Russian folklore and his nanny, Arina Rodionovna, nurtured his love for the Russian language. Eventually, he pioneered a writing style that blended classical and vernacular Russian, making literature more accessible to the people. Legend: Pushkin Mistakenly Used Feminine Verb Endings A persistent legend among some linguists (and students at the University of Moscow/MGU when I was a student there eons ago, it now se...