Dears readers and subscribers, this week I translated the poem “Commander” by Alexander Pushkin which was written in 1835 and brings attention to the virtues and merits of Barclay de Tolly, shedding light on his importance in Russian history. To complement the poem I added M.B. Barclay de Tolly. Drawing by Pyotr Fyodorovich Borel and the painting “Military Council in Fili” by Aleksey Danilovich Kivshenko which will be presented in our next post.
As usual you can freely access the whole translation by following one of the link, you can also find all of our translation on the Russian Literature page.
I hope you’ll enjoy this poem and paintings as much as I did
- Short analysis of the poem “Commander” by Alexander Pushkin
- Painting “Military Council in Fili” by Aleksey Danilovich Kivshenko and M.B. Barclay de Tolly. Drawing by Pyotr Fyodorovich Borel
- Translation of the poem “Commander” by Alexander Pushkin in English with English and Russian side by side
Short analysis of the poem “Commander” by Alexander Pushkin
The poem “Commander” by A.S. Pushkin pays tribute to M.B. Barclay de Tolly, a historical figure whose contributions to Russia during the Patriotic War of 1812 are still debated among specialists. Despite his notable services, Barclay de Tolly faced distrust from his contemporaries. The skepticism stemmed from his Western surname, which cast doubt on his loyalty. However, the poem “Commander” serves as an ode, highlighting the valor and dedication of a person who was underappreciated by those around him. Pushkin’s work brings attention to the virtues and merits of Barclay de Tolly, shedding light on his importance in Russian history.
Painting “Military Council in Fili” by Aleksey Danilovich Kivshenko and M.B. Barclay de Tolly. Drawing by Pyotr Fyodorovich Borel
Translation of the poem “Commander” by Alexander Pushkin in English with English and Russian side by side
| Полководец | Commander |
| Translation by Akirill.com Nov 27, 2023 | |
| У русского царя в чертогах есть палата: | The Russian Tsar has a chamber in his palace: |
| Она не золотом, не бархатом богата; | It is not rich in gold or velvet; |
| Не в ней алмаз венца хранится за стеклом; | It is not where the crown diamond is kept behind glass; |
| Но сверху донизу, во всю длину, кругом, | But from top to bottom, all the way around, |
| Своею кистию свободной и широкой | with his free and wide brush, |
| Ее разрисовал художник быстроокой. | the artist painted it with a quick eye. |
| Тут нет ни сельских нимф, ни девственных мадонн, | Here, there are neither rural nymphs, nor virgin madonnas, |
| Ни фавнов с чашами, ни полногрудых жен, | Neither fauns with cups, nor full-breasted wives, |
| Ни плясок, ни охот, — а все плащи, да шпаги, | Neither dancing, nor hunts – but all are cloaks, swords, |
| Да лица, полные воинственной отваги. | and faces full of warlike courage. |
| Толпою тесною художник поместил | In a crowd, the artist placed |
| Сюда начальников народных наших сил, | here the leaders of our national forces, |
| Покрытых славою чудесного похода | covered with the glory of a wonderful campaign |
| И вечной памятью двенадцатого года. | and the eternal memory of the twelfth year. |
| Читать далее … | Continue to read … |
< < < La Crête Volatile des Nuages s’éclaircit (Ru/Fr) / The Flying Ridge of Clouds is Thinning (Ru/Eng) / Редеет облаков летучая гряда (Рус/Анг.) / (Рус/ Фра.)
Ma Muse (Ru/Fr) / My Muse (Ru/Eng) / Муза (Рус/Анг.) / (Рус/ Фра.) > > >
We put a lot of effort into the quality of the articles and translations, support us with a like and a subscription or sponsor us if you like them. We are also on Facebook and Twitter
- Joyeux Noël! avec le poème Noël d’Alexandre Blok traduit en français
- Merry Christmas! with the poem “Christmas” by Alexander Blok translated in English
- Poèmes et peinture, semaine du 14 décembre 2025
- Poems and painting, Week of December 14, 2025
- Poèmes et peinture, semaine du 7 décembre 2025
- Poems and painting, Week of December 7, 2025
© 2023 Akirill.com – All Rights Reserved
AKirill, Learn, apprenez, translation, traduction, livres bilingues, bilingual books 