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1783
Born in the provincial Tula village of Mishenskoe, the illegitimate
son of a wealthy landowner, A.I. Bunin and a captive Turkish
woman; receives education in his home and in provincial
boarding schools; begins to write poetry at age eight
1797
Placed in Moscow University Gentry pension
1801
Founds, with Turgenev brothers, Aoeikov, and Merzliakov,
the "Literary Friendship Society," a circle interested
in pre-romantic literature and translated many German and
English works of this ilk
1802
Publishes "A Country Churchyard," a translation
of Thomas Gray's elegy, in Karamzin's Messenger of Europe;
this work and his many others contribute to the belief that
he is the founder of Russian Romanticism
1806
Writes the elegy "Evening," which, like many of
his lyrics, is atmospheric, melancholy, yet straightforward
in terms of language
1808
Becomes editor of this journal and frequently contributes
poetry to its pages, including the ballad Lyudmilla,"
which earns him the nickname "Balladier"
1811
Writes "The Bard"
1812
Joins Moscow militia, witness battle of Borodino and writes
"A Brad in the Camp of Russian Warriors" which,
to a large extent, cemented his reputation; writes the lyrics
"Dreams" and mystical "Elisium"
1813
Proposes marriage to niece (daughter of his half-sister)
M.A. Protasova, but he is not permitted to marry, an episode
which will tinge the rest of his life and work with sadness
1814
Writes "Epistles to Prince Vyazemsky
and V.L. Pushkin," which help to establish the friendly
epistle, a playful, chatty, yet precise genre
1815
Helps to form the circle Arzamas, which was dedicated to
the modernization and reform of the Russian language; writes
"Slavyanka"
1816
Writes "Spring Feeling"
1818
Writes "Song"
1819
Writes "The Inexpressible"
1821
Writes "Lalla Ruk"
1825
Becomes tutor to the future Aleksander II
1820s
Translates such works as Byron's "Prisoner of Chillon"
and Scott's "The Eve of St. John"
1839
Retires from service and travels abroad
1841
Marries Elizabeth Reitern, an artist's daughter and they
settle in Germany
1840s
Works on translation of The Odyssey
1852
Dies in Baden-Baden, he is buried in Petersburg
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