Fjodor Tiutchev (1803-1873) was born into a noble family of moderate
wealth. He received excellent education at home and at Moscow University.
At 12 he translated Horace and at 16 began writing verses. In those times
the children of noblemen were supposed to serve in the army or make a civil
career. Tyutchev chose diplomacy. He served in the Foreign Ministry and
often went abroad on diplomatic missions, successfully combining civil
duties and literary activities.
Tyutchev's lyrics accompany the life of all Russians from childhood.
A unrivalled master of metaphors, he is the author of popular "winged"
phrases such as "blessed are those who visited this world at its fateful
moments" or "a worded thought is a lie".
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