Evgeniy Boratynskiy was admitted to the Page Corps in 1812, at the age of twelve. At that time, it was one of the most elite military educational institutions of the Russian Empire. It was established in Petersburg in 1759 by decree of Empress Elizabeth I, and in the early 19th century it was reformed. Alexander I considered it to be an institution ‘for education of morals and character, where the knowledge required for an officer is taught’. Therefore, only the children of the first three grades of ‘The Ranking Chart’ were enrolled, that is, their parents had to be not less than the rank of lieutenant general or secret advisor.
Graduates of the Page Corps made a significant impact on the history and culture of Russia. Among them were the writer Alexander Radishchev, the Decembrists Pavel Pestel and Vasily Ivashev, the anarchist Petr Kropotkin, the Octobrists’ leader Mikhail Rodzyanko, and the military commander Alexey Brusilov.
Boratynskiy relations with his peers and teachers in the Page Corps were not easy. “I had hoped to find friendship, but found nothing but indifference and disingenuous courtesy…” - he complained in a letter to his mother. But gradually, there gathered a company of teenagers around Evgeniy who possessed “more liveliness of character, more active imagination, more ardor of feelings than other children”. They called themselves “The Society of Avengers”, the purpose of which was “to torment our principals as much as possible”.
A series of pranks led to a serious misconduct, and in the spring of 1816 Evgeniy was expelled from the corps. He was also prohibited from performing any military or civil service other than that of soldiers. Boratynskiy had a hard time living through what had happened: “My health did not withstand these mental tribulations: I came down with a violent brain fever, and the medical help came almost too late to save my life”.
The family tried to fix the situation but it did not lead to a reduction of the punishment, and at the end of 1818 the soldiers' service of the poet began. He reminisced: “At the age of 18, I joined as private the guards regiment of chasseurs, of my own free will; I accidentally met some of our young poets, and they told me about their love of poetry. I don”t know if my experiments were successful from the point of view of the world; but I know that for my soul they were salvational”. The younger brothers of Evgeniy Boratynskiy - Irakly and Lev also studied in the Page Corps.
Graduates of the Page Corps made a significant impact on the history and culture of Russia. Among them were the writer Alexander Radishchev, the Decembrists Pavel Pestel and Vasily Ivashev, the anarchist Petr Kropotkin, the Octobrists’ leader Mikhail Rodzyanko, and the military commander Alexey Brusilov.
A series of pranks led to a serious misconduct, and in the spring of 1816 Evgeniy was expelled from the corps. He was also prohibited from performing any military or civil service other than that of soldiers. Boratynskiy had a hard time living through what had happened: “My health did not withstand these mental tribulations: I came down with a violent brain fever, and the medical help came almost too late to save my life”.
The family tried to fix the situation but it did not lead to a reduction of the punishment, and at the end of 1818 the soldiers' service of the poet began. He reminisced: “At the age of 18, I joined as private the guards regiment of chasseurs, of my own free will; I accidentally met some of our young poets, and they told me about their love of poetry. I don”t know if my experiments were successful from the point of view of the world; but I know that for my soul they were salvational”. The younger brothers of Evgeniy Boratynskiy - Irakly and Lev also studied in the Page Corps.
