Derzhavin, Gavrila Romanovich (1743–1816)

Russian poet and politician. His poetic style combined innovative language, daring imagery, and a mix of conversational and elevated registers, as in the philosophical ode ‘Bog/God’ (1784). He was a prominent literary figure in St Petersburg, and was briefly minister of justice under Alexander I.

A soldier and civil servant, Derzhavin won the patronage of Catherine the Great with his poem ‘Oda k Felitse/Ode to Felicia’ (1782), which was addressed to her. He served for a time as a provincial governor. Derzhavin's sensual and idealistic lyric verse, such as ‘Vodopad/The Waterfall’ (1791–94), assures his position as one of Russia's most important and original 18th-century poets.