“Eugene Onegin” is the first verse novel, occupying not only the first position in the order of its appearance but also by virtue of its content. The work has not lost relevance even today. It describes a banal story of a person who thirsts to be original. Onegin is an egoist who “hurries to live and hurries to feel.” Yet other people’s feelings hold no value for him, because everything is overshadowed by his sense of personal superiority. Onegin can be contrasted with Tatyana—natural, open, and simple. Her love is deep and sincere, and her sense of duty inspires admiration. But her fate was also shattered by this parody of the beautiful that is Onegin.
A masterpiece is not limited to the love line and the creation of vivid characters. As is known from school, it is an “encyclopedia of Russian life,” where A. S. Pushkin depicts the realities of his time, talks with the reader, and simply reflects on life.