Retracing the timeline of Alexander Pushkin’s last duel

Duel of Onegin and Lensky. Illustration for Pushkin's novel in verse 'Eugene Onegin'

It was getting dark. Four people had just arrived on the left bank of the Chyornaya (‘Black’) River in St. Petersburg, a little after four o'clock in the afternoon. Alexander Pushkin, his assailant (a young Frenchman named Georges d'Anthès) and two secundants. Back then, it was a remote part of St. Petersburg’s outskirts, where, in winter, there were only empty summer cottages and knee-deep snow all around. 

In his previous duels, avid shooter Pushkin was almost always in a cheerful mood, spitting cherry pips like his hero from the story ‘The Shot’. But not this time. Now, he was depressed, as his honor and that of his young wife had been damaged. 

Pushkin's last fall

The whole noble society of St. Petersburg had been buzzing about the fact that Pushkin was a cuckold and that his wife Natalia Goncharova was having an affair with d'Anthès. The poet even received anonymous letters poking fun at him. So, he could no longer stand it and challenged the young Frenchman to a duel. 

That time, the case was hushed up. D'Anthès married Pushkin's sister-in-law and Emperor Nicholas I himself summoned Pushkin for a conversation. After that, the poet revoked the duel. But, the lewd jokes didn't stop and Pushkin, famous for his fiery temper, sent a very offensive letter to Baron Heeckeren, the adoptive father of d'Anthès, who was a powerful Dutch envoy to St. Petersburg. After hearing about this, d'Anthès could not stand it any longer and was forced to ask the Russian poet for a duel. And the latter had to agree on extremely harsh terms. 

They were to shoot at a distance of 20 steps with a barrier of only 10 steps. An almost certain death for both opponents. 

The duelists threw their overcoats on the snow and, on command, began to converge. Secundants, as well as Pushkin's friends, were sure to the last that a lucky chance would reconcile the opponents. Or that a random witness would help to cancel the potentially bloody affair. Duels were forbidden then and the emperor severely punished those who attended them. 

But, the duelants converged… A step before the barrier, d'Anthès fired first. The bullet hit Pushkin in the stomach and the poet fell. The gun dropped out of his hands and landed in the snow. The secundants rushed to the wounded, but he rebuffed them. 

Duel of Pushkin and d'Anthes

“I can still shoot!” he said, unwilling to surrender. They handed him another pistol. According to the rules, it was forbidden. However, realizing what had happened, d'Anthès didn’t object.

Pushkin gathered his last will and shot. The bullet hit the enemy in the chest area, but somehow d'Anthès remained unharmed. There were rumors that he was wearing chainmail, but it was hardly possible, because if someone were to reveal it, it would be a huge shame and dishonor for any nobleman. In fact, it was an iron button of the uniform that saved d'Anthès' life.   

The wounded Pushkin was brought home at half past seven in the evening in Heeckeren's carriage. It turned out that the poet had a crushed femur and had lost a lot of blood. 

Duel of Pushkin and d'Anthes

He was laid on a sofa, where he spent about two days before he eventually died. All this time, the poet's wife sobbed uncontrollably and the city, where the rumor began to spread, waited in a daze for news. 

Russia’s main poet died on February 10 at 2:45 pm. Before that, he managed to send d'Anthès a note of forgiveness, realizing that he would not survive. 

Nicholas I forgave Pushkin and took care of his entire family: He covered all debts and assigned a pension to the widow and daughters before their marriage. However, the emperor decided not to arrange a funeral with honors for a man who had died under such circumstances. 

Engraving by Lavrentiy Seryakov

He also did not want public riots, which could occur during the funeral procession, because people accused the authorities and high society of the death of the poet. Therefore, a secret burial was arranged near Pushkin's Mikhailovskoe Estate in Pskov Region.