Alexander Pushkin

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The "Father of Russian Literature" was born in Moscow.  A monument to Alexander Pushkin was erected in 1880, and it's in a square also bearing his name.  Pushkin Square is a gathering place for young couples, skateboarders, activists, lovers of poetry and more.  It's also a prime place to meet a friend - for lunch somewhere in the area or to jump on the metro to head off to another part of the city.  During our Moscow visit, Kade and I walked to Pushkin Square one morning and sat on a bench near the Pushkin Monument while we waited to meet our American contact, Jon.

For a look at the highlights of Alexander Pushkin's creative life, click here. 

When we reached St. Petersburg we had to tour the Pushkin apartment museum.  I will try to add some more items here later on.  One thing I do remember is that we were the last to complete a tour of the home late one afternoon, and the lady who stayed to close up everything, asked (in Russian, of course) if I could reach high to close and lock a window inside the home.  And I thought, "How cool.  In this historical home of one of world's great writers I just closed a window that Pushkin may have once closed."  It's so basic, but it's the little things like that that make you appreciate traveling.  And the fact I didn't understand the language the lady used, but the hand gestures and eye contact, coupled with knowing it was closing time, helped me determine quickly what it was I needed to do.

Literaturnoe Kafe (Literary Cafe)

This was another must-see Pushkin spot, located on the Nevsky Prospekt.  Today a restaurant, Literary Café was once the home to a 19th century coffee shop that was popular with Pushkin and other famous people of his day.

Here Stephen Fry Profiles Six Russian Writers in the New Documentary Russia’s Open Book.

And Pushkin was in the spotlight at the recent closing of the Sochi Winter Games.  Click here.

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