Pushkin’s monuments are currently being destroyed in the Ukraine, under the guise that Pushkin was instrumental in “Russifying” Ukraine.
Pushkin was a bit complicated. But Africans and African-Americans looked up to him as a brilliant poet of African ancestry venerated and respected in a majority ‘white’ nation. He was an “octaroon”, but had dark skin and curly hair and he often commented on his own African features.
I find it sad to see his monuments destroyed. Disgusting as well. It must be gravy for these “de-Russifiers” that Pushkin was of African descent. Here’s a metal ass poem he wrote against tsardom. Love to hear your thoughts.
http://poemsintranslation.blogspot.com/2015/07/pushkin-ode-to-liberty-from-russian.html?m=1
It’s difficult to conclude one way or another. He was 1/8th. Race had different connotations at the time and in different areas (and ofc it’s mostly a nonsense metric). In the U.S. he would have been considered completely black because of the “one drop rule”. Contemporaries of the time, as well as himself, talk of his African heritage as if it were very serious and important to him.
He may have had a bit of a tinge to his skin tone, but I do believe that he certainly passed as “white” outwardly.
Of course: at the time, he would’ve been “Slavic,” though as you say: his heritage was well-known.
For sure. Another thing to consider is cultural biases influencing things like portraits and statues, some painters might have wanted to make him appear more pale or have a darker complexion depending on their biases. Compare:
These look like two different people lol
Yes, it’s likely that he took certain features.
I have mixed ancestry, though I am white. Even so: my skin is sort-of has that “tinge” and people said that I looked “Arab” or “foreign” growing up.