Russia is known for its great writers. The family homestead of one of them we have visited last weekend.
The Pushkin Mountains are located in the heart of the Pskov region, on the spurs of the Valdai Hills, 670 km from Moscow, not far from Pskov and the border of Latvia. Here has been the family estate of the great-grandfather of Pushkin, the Moor of Peter the Great, Abram Petrovich Gannibal, an Afro-Russian nobleman, military engineer and general. Pushkin has been here frequently himself, get inspiration, has been serving his exile from St. Petersburg, recovering from his illness.
Actually the story about how Pushkin’s great-grandfather has come to Russia is a real fairy tale. A son of a African prince, as a child he was kidnapped, taken to the court of the Ottoman Sultan at Istanbul, then brought to Russia and presented as a gift to Peter the Great. Later the African child was adopted by Peter the Great. You will ask me why?
Peter had seen the importance of the knowledge and education and forced the noble families in Russia to send their children to schools abroad to receive literacy training and study science. Many had opposed by saying that this overseas knowledge is not for the Russian people and cannot learned by them. Then the tsar ordered to find him three ordinary children from the street and based on their example he wanted to show that you can teach to read and write anyone. The Russian ambassador to the Ottoman court Savva Raguzinsky saw the black servant boy at the Sultan’s Palace, bought the boy and brought him to Moscow as a gift to Peter the Great in order that child become one of those pupils.
The boy had been given a proper Russian name, had been baptized, and then he began to learn Russian language and general literacy skills. Seeing his interest in engineering and mathematics he was sent in France to study the art of fortification (military constructions study). After studying he had serving in the army, since 1756 he had been the chief military engineer to the Russian army, and in 1759, he received the rank of General-in-Chief, the second highest military rank in imperial Russia. He knew five languages.
In 1762 he retired and settled in the lands granted to him in the Pskov region. He also built himself a mansion, which later became the home to Pushkin (the famous writer is his great-grandfather).
Just imagine, in the 18th century, the chief military engineer of the Russian army was black general, who was as the boy presented as a gift to Peter the Great, and then was given proper education. It is simply fantastic...))
As for the estate it is a very beautiful place, the real natural surroundings and cultural heritage, excellent guides. It is the place you must see.
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