Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky: biography

Modern Russia does not particularly favor classical music. It can not be said that the classical music is widely used by the Russian listener. To recount the well-known and beloved by the people classical music, enough fingers of one hand.

Without a doubt, this number includes the famous "Polonaise of Oginsky" (the second title is "Farewell to the Motherland"), authored by Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky (photo in the article represent reproductions of the portraits of the composer).

Man and polonaise

The school music course in Soviet and then Russian schools contains information that the famous musical masterpiece was written by Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky during his farewell to his beloved homeland. It is known that he had to leave Poland after the infamous uprising of T. Kosciuszko, in which the composer participated, was defeated. Mikhail Khleofas Oginsky lived a bright, dramatic life full of life. Interesting facts of his biography are set forth in this article.

Life as a novel

Biography of Mikhail Cleophas Oginsky is full of ups and downs, high selflessness, a frenzy of creative spirit and bitterness of defeats. An amazing historical fact is known: despite the anti-Russian orientation of the uprising, in which Mikhail Cleophas Oginsky took an active part, the Russians always sympathized and sympathized with the misfortune that inspired him to work.

But participation in a crushed rebellion and the birth of a musical masterpiece is just one episode from the interesting life of this amazing man. The life path of Michael Cleophas Oginsky reminds of an exciting adventure novel. It closely intertwines music, politics and love.

Michael Cleophas Oginsky: a brief biography. Origin

The future composer was born on September 25, 1765, near Warsaw, in the Guzov Manor of the Mazovian Voivodeship. By origin, the princes of Oginsky were not Poles. Their ancestors are historians called Western Rusyns (Belarusians who adopted Catholicism). Therefore, according to the researchers, it would be more appropriate to pronounce the name of the author of the famous polonaise not "Michal", but "Michael". Some scientists also say the pronunciation of the composer's name incorrect: her Polish version sounds like "Oginski", in the Russian version, there is no softening in the middle of the word.

The Oginsky princes were sure that the beginning of their ancestry goes back to the genus of Rurik himself. At home, they occupied a position corresponding to their high origin. Mikhail Cleophas Oginsky was justly proud of his ancestors: all of them in the Great Lithuanian princedom, which was part of the Commonwealth, held high posts. His great-grandfather was a voivode in Vitebsk, and his grandfather and father headed the Troki province. The uncle of the future composer was the voivode in Vilna and the Great hetman of Lithuania.

Education

Everyone in Mikhail's family was sure that the boy, like his great predecessors, had a successful political career. From a small age, parents purposefully trained and brought up their son, seeing in him the future commander or statesman. The former tutor of the Austrian emperor, one of the best teachers in Europe, was invited to the family.

To those who would like to understand how serious the preparation of little Oginsky was, one should know that from the age of seven his studies lasted 16 hours each. in a day. Parents also found time to teach their son music, and they took this very seriously. The boy was taught not only the basics of playing all sorts of musical instruments, but also taught the theory of music. Ironically, the teacher of Mikhail Oginsky, a fiery Polish patriot, was the composer O. Kozlovsky, who later wrote the music of the first hymn glorifying the Russian empire: "Thunder wins, give out!".

The rebel minister

At the age of 19, M. Oginsky became a deputy in the Polish Sejm, then he was sent as an ambassador from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the Netherlands and Great Britain. At twenty-eight, Oginsky occupies the post of Minister of Finance of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

A brilliant political career was overshadowed by internal strife in the country, as well as the fact that some territories of the Commonwealth have historically moved to more successful and powerful neighbors - Russia, Austria, Prussia. The young politician had to make a choice: he joined those who did not want to put up with this scenario, and became one of the participants in the anti-Russian uprising of Tadeusz Kosciuszko. The participation of the young minister in this insurrection was not formal: investing his own money, Oginsky forms and arms the detachment in 2000 people, and with some success deploys a guerrilla struggle against the Russians.

The Kosciuszko uprising was suppressed by the troops of the Russian Empire, Austria and Prussia. Kosciuszko himself was captivated, and Mikhail Oginsky was forced to flee.

Michael Cleophas Oginsky: polonaise

It was at this time that the famous musical work was written. Oginski and previously successfully combined political career and musical creativity. By that time, on his account there was already a considerable list of musical works, but none of them succeeded in repeating the success of the legendary polonaise.

Catastrophe

The Kosciuszko uprising turned into a real catastrophe for Poland. As a result of another territorial division, the country disappeared from the map of the world, while Oginsky lost all his estates. All the money and even the jewels of the spouse were spent on organizing the insurrection, paying for ammunition, weapons and food for the rebel army. As a result, Oginsky remained without any means of subsistence.

Escape

At this time, the personal life of Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky was also on the brink of destruction. His wife, Mikhail Isabella, did not share her husband's passionate feelings, soon left him and left for relatives. Oginsky had to hide alone in Europe, changing places of residence and names. It is known that he was followed by a real hunt. Russian authorities Oginsky's talents as a military and diplomat were appreciated, he was threatened with prison.

Preparation of a new insurrection

Abroad Oginsky met with Polish emigres, tried to agree on support with the revolutionary French government, called on the Turkish sultan to again unleash a war with Russia. But all his diplomatic efforts were unsuccessful. The fate of Poland was not interesting to the governments of other countries, they did not want to unleash a new war with Russia. Mikhail Oginsky was extremely exhausted and disappointed.

The King of the Netherlands, where he used to be an ambassador, managed to reach an agreement with the Prussian monarch about the amnesty for Oginsky. The policy was allowed to reside in Prussia. He was reunited with his wife, two sons were born - Tadeusz and Xavier. But in 1801, the couple completely separated. Probably, Mikhail did not manage to forget that his wife left him in a difficult moment. Or maybe his wife realized that her husband had not changed at all and could get involved in a new political adventure and again spend all her family money on her.

A sharp turn

In 1802, the new Russian Emperor Alexander I announced an amnesty for all participants in the Kosciuszko insurrection. Oginsky was not only granted the right to return home, he received back all his possessions.

Such mercy became possible due to the influence on the young Russian emperor of the Pole Adam Czartoryski, who was surrounded by the monarch. Prince Oginsky now could be settled in his Zalessky estate, where they built a farmstead and laid the park.

New marriage

At the age of 37, Mikhail Oginsky marries again. The prince's chosen one is the widow of his deceased friend, Count Nagursky, 25-year-old Italian Maria Neri. Biographers of Prince Oginsky reported that the temperament of his wife was truly unrestrained: it was impossible to find the number of her lovers. In this marriage four children were born - three girls and one boy, but only with respect to one of the daughters of Oginsky, Amelia, contemporaries had no doubts about the authenticity of the fatherhood of the prince. Such a bad reputation of the prince's wife, however, did not prevent their marriage to last for as long as 13 years.

Return to big politics

In 1810, the nobility of the Grodno and Vilnius provinces, Mikhail Oginsky, was sent to the Russian Tsar Alexander I as an adviser for the affairs of the region. The candidacy of the former rebel was supported by Mikhail Kutuzov. So Michael Oginsky returned to big politics, becoming a Russian senator and entering the number of confidants of the king. The Prince hoped, having presented Alexander I the project of creation of the Great Lithuanian princedom as a part of the Russian empire, to achieve for the native land even an autonomy. But the king rejected the project.

Last years

In 1817, Oginsky realized that he was tired of politics. He freed himself from the senator's powers and returned to his homeland. For some time the prince lived in his estate, then in Warsaw and Vilna. It was not an opal - in Russia it was never reproached by the past.

In 1823, Oginsky, whose health was greatly shaken, moved to Florence. Here the prince spent his last years. The politician and composer died in Florence on 10/15/1833. After his death there were rumors that Oginsky was allegedly killed, stabbed with a dagger in revenge for the adventures of a tumultuous youth. But historians have not confirmed these rumors. Mikhail Oginsky was buried in the church of Santa Croce (Florence), in the Pantheon of outstanding personalities. Next to it rests the remains of Galileo Galilei, Niccolo Machiavelli, Michelangelo Buonarroti and J. Rossini.

And the musical masterpiece he wrote - polonaise "Farewell to the Motherland" - continues to fascinate the hearts of listeners.

Confession

For Russians polonaise Oginsky is one of the most popular tunes. Sayings about the music of Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky prominent figures in science, art and politics can be summarized by a phrase from a letter by Russian writer FV Bulgarin: "Who does not know Oginsky's polonaise?". In one of the letters of the great Repin there are such lines about the composer: "His name is known throughout Russia." What is especially important, according to historians and musicologists: Polonaise, written by the rebel Oginsky, was music that reconciled the victors and the vanquished.

Great work and its author for several centuries pay attention to artists, writers, filmmakers. Fragments of immortal music sound like ringtones in mobile phones, used in feature films.

Memoirs

It is known that Oginski wrote his memoirs in French. Translation of the biography of Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky into Belarusian was performed by Olga Romanovich, the former teacher of the Raevskaya School-garden (Molodechnenschina) in 2011. For the first time the memoirs of the diplomat and composer Mikhail Oginsky in Belarusian in the same year published the magazine Arche. The memories cover the period 1788-1794 until the Prince's departure abroad after the uprising of T. Kosciusko was suppressed.

As evidenced by Ch. Editor of the journal A. Pashkevich, memoirs of the outstanding cultural and social and political figure M. Oginsky, known far beyond Belarus, are written in good literary style, without dryness, on the contrary, they are distinguished by the presence of many details of the then life. The memories of their great compatriot will be interesting not only to academic historians, but also to a wide range of readers, the Belarusian publisher believes.