Fedor Glinka's Memories of 1812

• In Event: Remembering 1812: Russian Empire-, Nation-, and State-Building across the Centuries

Abstract

Fedor Nikolaevich Glinka (1786-1880) was born into a Smolensk landowning family of modest means. Like others of his generation, his early life was dominated by the Napoleonic wars. Although he won several medals and a gold sword for bravery, he did not think of himself primarily as a soldier. He wanted to write, and became a poet, publicist, memoirist, and translator. His writings about his war experience, which are the subject of this talk, had the greatest impact.

Author

• Donna Tussing Orwin, U of Toronto (Canada)