Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) is considered the father of Russian literature and the greatest of all Russian poets.

Pushkin lived in Tsarskoe Selo, or “Tsar’s Town,” a town near St Pushkin lived in Tsarskoe Selo, or “Tsar’s Town,” a town near St. Petersburg where the imperial family and nobility had palaces and summer homes. An important “Lyceum,” or high school, was also located in Tsarskoe Selo, and Pushkin studied there. Akhmatova grew up in Tsarskoe Selo (and in Kiev, after her parents’ separation).

Palace at Tsarskoe Selo

Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum