Alexander Pushkin’s poem “He lived among us…” (1834), dedicated to Adam Mickiewicz, contains a retelling of the Polish poet’s speeches about humanity striving for unity. The article offers an answer to the question of how adequate their transmission

Alexander Pushkin’s poem “He lived among us…” (1834), dedicated to Adam Mickiewicz, contains a retelling of the Polish poet’s speeches about humanity striving for unity. The article offers an answer to the question of how adequate their transmission is and whether there are appropriate formulations in Mickiewicz’s own poems. Pushkin’s paraphrase of Mickiewicz’s statements allows us to draw conclusions about the peculiarities of Russian and Polish poets’ work, the similarities and differences between their artistic worlds. The poetic dialogue between Mickiewicz and Pushkin about the future of nations began before this poem was written. The Russian poet is more traditional in his work and is not inclined to ideological utopias. However, when he turns to the image of Mickiewicz, he uses his characteristic train of thought. What in Mickiewicz are words without additional shades of meaning, in Pushkin acquires a universal conciliar meaning. The genius of the Russian poet lies in the fact that he does not object to Mickiewicz’s words about the unity of nations, but continues and elevates them.