Ivan Semyonovich Barkov ( rus, Ива́н Семёнович Барко́в, p=ɪˈvan sʲɪˈmʲɵnəvʲɪtɕ bɐrˈkof, a=Ivan Syemyonovich Barkov.ru.vorb.oga; –1768) was a Russian poet, the author of
erotic
Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...
"Shameful Odes". He was a student of
Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov (; russian: Михаил (Михайло) Васильевич Ломоносов, p=mʲɪxɐˈil vɐˈsʲilʲjɪvʲɪtɕ , a=Ru-Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov.ogg; – ) was a Russian Empire, Russian polymath, s ...
, whose works he frequently parodied. He was also a translator and editor at the
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...
.
Biography
Ivan Barkov was born in 1732 in the family of an
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
priest. In 1744 he entered an Orthodox Seminary where he spent 5 years. In 1748 at Lomonosov's recommendation he was admitted to the Academic Gymnasium. Language and poetry were his fields of study. He was an uneven student, and he repeatedly was subjected to corporal punishment (whippings) for drunkenness, insolence, and slander against the rector. In 1751 he was demoted to a typesetter at the Academy's printing workshop, and in 1753 he was promoted to the position of a scribe in the Academy's administrative office.
In 1755-56 he was Lomonosov's personal secretary, and in this period he wrote "A Brief History of Russia", which was published in 1762. In 1759-60 he edited the medieval "Nestor's Chronicle" for publication. In 1756 he was dismissed from the Academy for drunkenness and insubordination, after several reprieves, and reinstated until final dismissal in 1766.
Barkov translated
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...
's Odes into Russian in 1763, Phaedr's Fables in 1764, and Ludovico Lazzaroni's "Il Mondo degli Eroi" in 1763.
He died in 1768. There were widespread rumors that he died either in a suicide, with the autoepitaph ''Жил грешно и умер смешно'' (''lived sinfully and died ridiculously'') "on a piece of paper inserted into his anus", or in an outhouse drowning.
Poetry
Barkov was highly regarded as an able interpreter and a poet. Since poetry was his hobby more than his job, he could afford to use simpler language in his work. Most of his poems are outrightly
obscene
An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be use ...
or even
pornographic
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of Human sexual activity, sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, , although very funny. Written copies of his work circulated Russia since their creation.
Several works commonly yet erroneously ascribed to Barkov actually date from the 1840-60s.
Legacy
Ivan Barkov had a major impact on Russian language and later
literati. His name is being brought up in any dispute on introduction of slang words into language, and, although his verses were unpublished for a very long time for being
immoral
Immorality is the violation of moral laws, norms or standards. It refers to an agent doing or thinking something they know or believe to be wrong. Immorality is normally applied to people or actions, or in a broader sense, it can be applied to gr ...
, written copies of his work could always be found in student environments.
Books
Kniaz'kin, I.V.
Russkii Priap Ivan Barkov
Pages: 224
Publisher: DEAN
Year: 2002
External links
Barkov's biography (in Russian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barkov, Ivan
1732 births
1768 deaths
Russian male poets
Russian erotica writers
18th-century poets from the Russian Empire
18th-century male writers