Evgeny Baratynsky as "existentialist" of Pushkin era (to poet's 225th anniversary)

The work deals with a profound analysis of the work by E. Baratynsky in terms of his existential quest associated with the human identity crisis and the search for the meaning of life (from the point of view of modern perception). The main part of the article covers several key aspects of the work by E. Baratynsky. The attention is paid to the poet’s internal conflict, reflecting the “spiritual discontent” and “counter-feelings”, which are clearly embodied in his mature elegies. E. Baratynsky is considered as the one who, by means of the poetry of thought, explores the complexities of human nature and existential crises. The analysis of specific, most representative works of the poet, such as “Disillusionment”, “The Last Death”, “My Gift is Poor...”, “The Aching Spirit Heals the Song...”, and “The Premature Child” is made. E. Baratynsky raises philosophical questions about the transience of time, the fragility of love, the place of man in the world as a special spiritually transitional creature, as well as the role of art in human existence. E. Baratynsky was a poet of his time, but his works remain penetrative and relevant for modern readers, being in tune with similar existential questions that were significant in the 20th and 21st centuries.