In 19th-century Russia, Tsar Nicholas I must crack down on the Decembrists and intellectuals. Then there are the writers and poets like Pushkin and Gogol. Another poet, Zhukovsky, who is close to the throne and is one of the tutors to the Tsarevich, the future Alexander II, acts as a defender at the court for these men of letters, whose writings can sometimes offend the emperor’s sensibilities.
He shows great skill in saving them from the Tsar’s wrath. He is especially a friend and confidant of Pushkin. Many times he saved him, but against slander and jealousy, he is powerless.
Everyone knows the tragic end of Pushkin. This is all part of a tumultuous period in Russian history, the life of Pushkin, and this lesser-known poet Zhukovsky, whom Henri Troyat reveals to us with his usual talent.
Thanks to him, we explore Saint Petersburg, its high society, and the customs of this world where honor is easily bruised. The Song of the Fools is a page from the history of Russia, from an era, from the 19th century when the Tsarist empire was shaken by the first tremors of what would become the revolution. For now, we are in 1830, Nicholas I reigns and governs his vast empire with an iron hand.
Thierry Jan, writer
