#aleksey pleshcheyev

[diracsea]

"Let us go to the shore;

There the waves will kiss our legs.

With mysterious sadness

The stars will shine down on us."

— Aleksey Pleshcheyev

[cbjustmusic]

University of Pretoria Camerata performing Tchaikovsky’s “The Crown of Roses”. _____________________________ The Crown of Roses Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky; Lyrics based on the poem "Roses and Thorns" by American poet Richard Henry Stoddard, translated to Russian by Aleksey Pleshcheyev, then retranslated to English by Geoffrey Dearmer

When Jesus Christ was yet a child He had a garden small and wild Where-in he cherished roses fair And wove them into garlands there

Now as the summertime drew nigh There came a troop of children by And seeing roses on the tree With shouts they plucked them merrily

"Do you bind roses in your hair?" They cried in scorn to Jesus there The boy said humbly "Take I pray All but the na-ked thorns away"

Then of the thorns they made a crown And with rough fingers pressed it down Till on his forehead fair and young Red drops of blood like roses sprung

[karamazovdmitri]

—Anton Chekhov, in a letter to Aleksey Pleshcheyev, June 28th 1888

[emleechxn]

Juin (June): Barcarolle (Barcarolle)

Let us go to the shore

there the waves will kiss our feet.

With mysterious sadness

the stars will shine down on us.

(Aleksey Pleshcheyev)

[javierdenoriega]

#JoseLuisNieto plays Tchaikowsky: The Seasons. June: Barcarolle (G minor). "Let us go to the shore; there the waves will kiss our feet. With mysterious sadness the stars will shine down on us". "Vayamos a la orilla; allí las olas nos besarán los pies. Con misteriosa tristeza, las estrellas brillarán sobre nosotros". "Выйдем на берег там волны Ноги нам будут лобзать, Звезды с таинственной грустью Будут над нами снять". (Aleksey Pleshcheyev)

[ioannisg22]

THE MOCK EXECUTION OF FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY

On December 22, 1849, members of a Russian intellectual literary group known as the Petrashevsky Circle were sent to Semyonov Square to meet their fate – death by firing squad. With the men pointing their rifles and fingers resting on the trigger, a messenger from the Tsar rode into the square waving a white flag. Like something out of a Hollywood movie, he declared he had an official pardon from the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas I, in a ��show of mercy.” This was not a show of mercy, but rather a staged way of fostering fear, terror, and gratitude. This was a “mock execution” and among the victims was the famed Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Besides Petrashevsky, Dostoyevsky, and Belinsky, the circle was made up of such individuals as the writer Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, the poet Aleksey Pleshcheyev, and the painter Taras Shevchenko – all well known Russian creatives who happen to be socialist-leaning. Besides serfdom, they also discussed socialist politics, their opposition to Tsar Nicholas I, and read banned literature. This all came to a halt when, on April 23, 1849, 35 members of the circle were arrested. There was also a note sent to police officers calling for Dostoyevsky’s arrest by name. It read, belongAccording to the supreme order of the Tsar, I command you to arrest Junior-Lieutenant and literary artist Fyodor Dostoyevsky at four o’clock in the morning… to put a seal on all of his papers, manuscripts, and books, and dispatch instantly all these materials, together with Dostoyevsky to the Third Section of the Royal Police of His Majesty… if Dostoyevsky claims that certain docu belonging to other people, ignore these statements and seal those documents as well.The group was incarcerated in St. Peter and Paul Fortress Prison, or simply known as “Fortress Prison,” where the worst criminals were kept. After months in prison, they were convicted of distributing letters with “abusive remarks about the Orthodox Church and Government” and conspiring to publish “anti-Government propaganda.” For this, they were sentenced to death by firing squad.On December 22nd, they were marched out blindfolded to Semyonov Square in Saint Petersburg. As preparations were made, every person was prepared to die that day. 

As the squad pointed their guns at the three tied to the posts (as noted, not Dostoyevsky, who was off to the side), the shout went out, “Prepare to fire!” and, then, another sound rang out – that of a drummer who had been commanded to beat the “refuse,” meaning stop the previous order. The messenger had arrived with Tsar Nicholas’s I new order. “Long Live the Tsar” was yelled, blindfolds were taken off, and the prisoners, including Dostoyevsky, had tears in their eyes. They were saved, but this wasn’t a last second show of mercy. This pardon was actually agreed upon the day before, but with the orders that it was to be announced only at the last possible second.

[finita--la--commedia]

Ah, why do your eyes occasionally Gaze at me so severely And why torture my soul with distress From your cold, unaffectionate gaze ...

-- Aleksey Pleshcheyev (1825-1863), from “ Ah, why do your eyes occasionally ...”, translated from the Russian by Erin Franklin “ Ах, зачем твои глазки порою На меня так сурово глядят И томит мою душу тоскою Твой холодный, неласковый взгляд “

[finita--la--commedia]

Caress me, as you used to, Drive away my grief with affection. Why do your eyes occasionally Gaze at me so severely, so severely ?

 -- Aleksey Pleshcheyev (1825-1863), from “ Ah, why do your eyes occasionally ...” “ Приласкай же меня, как бывало, Лаской прочь мою грусть отгони. Зачем же твои глазки порою На меня так сурово, так сурово глядят. “