# Alexander Sumarokov

> Russian poet, playwright

**Wikidata**: [Q429915](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q429915)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Sumarokov)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/alexander-sumarokov

## Summary

Alexander Sumarokov was a Russian poet, playwright, librettist, writer, literary critic, and satirist who was active during the 18th century in the Russian Empire. His professional career spanned from approximately 1740 to 1777, during which he became recognized as a significant literary figure. He is also associated with the work *Trudoljubivaja ptšela*, dated to 1759.

## Biography

- Born: [Not available in source material]
- Nationality: Russian Empire
- Education: [Not available in source material]
- Known for: Poetry, playwriting, libretto writing, literary criticism, and satire
- Employer(s): [Not available in source material]
- Field(s): Literature — poetry, drama, opera libretti, satire, literary criticism
- Work period: Approximately 1740 to 1777
- Also known as: Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov, Aleksandr Sumarokov

## Contributions

Alexander Sumarokov's contributions spanned multiple literary genres during his active period from 1740 to 1777. He produced poetry, characterized by strong expressiveness of words, and drama — formal literature intended for performance, written in the form of character lines and author's remarks, typically divided into acts and scenes. As a librettist, he authored the words for operas and similar extended musical compositions. He is connected to the work *Trudoljubivaja ptšela*, which dates to January 1759. Additionally, he functioned as a literary critic, reviewing new literary books in a cultural journalism capacity, and as a satirist, authoring satirical texts.

## FAQs

**What types of literary works did Alexander Sumarokov produce?**
Sumarokov produced a wide range of literary output including poetry, dramatic plays, opera libretti, satirical writings, and literary criticism over a career spanning roughly from 1740 to 1777.

**What was Alexander Sumarokov's role in opera?**
He served as a librettist, meaning he authored the libretto — the words and text — for operas and similar extended musical compositions.

**During what time period was Alexander Sumarokov active?**
His documented work period began around 1740 and ended around 1777, placing his career firmly in the mid-18th century within the era of the Russian Empire.

**What was *Trudoljubivaja ptšela*?**
This was a work associated with Alexander Sumarokov, dated to January 1759.

## Why They Matter

Alexander Sumarokov mattered as a multifaceted literary figure in the 18th-century Russian Empire, contributing across an unusually broad spectrum of literary forms — poetry, drama, opera libretti, satire, and literary criticism. His career, spanning nearly four decades from 1740 to 1777, positioned him as a productive figure in Russian literary culture during a formative period of the Russian Empire (which itself was established in 1721). The diversity of his roles — from playwright to librettist to critic to satirist — suggests he played a versatile part in shaping literary tastes and production. His engagement with drama and opera libretti indicates involvement in the performing arts as well as purely written literature.

## Notable For

- Active career spanning approximately 37 years (1740–1777)
- Recognition across multiple literary roles: poet, playwright, librettist, writer, literary critic, and satirist
- Association with the work *Trudoljubivaja ptšela* (1759)
- Career situated within the Russian Empire period (1721–1917)
- Contribution to both written literature (poetry, satire, criticism) and performative arts (drama, opera libretti)

## Body

### Identity and Names

Alexander Sumarokov, also known by the aliases Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov and Aleksandr Sumarokov, was a human — a member of *Homo sapiens* — identified as a Russian poet and playwright in his Wikidata description. He holds a sitelink count of 31, with a Wikipedia title under "Alexander Sumarokov."

### National and Historical Context

Sumarokov was a figure of the Russian Empire, the former empire spanning Eurasia and North America that was established on October 22, 1721, and lasted until 1917. His entire documented career falls within this imperial period.

### Literary Occupations

Sumarokov held an extensive range of literary occupations:

- **Poet**: A person who writes poetry — literary work characterized by strong expressiveness of words.
- **Playwright**: A person who writes plays — formal types of literature intended for performance, where text is written as character lines and author's remarks, usually divided into acts and scenes.
- **Librettist**: An author of the libretto, which comprises the words of an opera or similar extended musical composition.
- **Writer**: A person who uses written words to communicate ideas and produce literary works.
- **Literary Critic**: A cultural journalist who reviews new literary books.
- **Satirist**: An author of satirical texts.
- **Impressionist**: An entertainer who skillfully mimics the voices, speech patterns, singing styles, and mannerisms of others in performances.

### Career Timeline

Sumarokov's documented work period began in approximately 1740 and concluded around 1777, covering nearly four decades of literary activity.

### Associated Work

One specific work connected to Sumarokov is *Trudoljubivaja ptšela*, which has an inception date of January 1759. This work carries a sitelink count of 5.

### Fields of Contribution

Sumarokov contributed to several interconnected literary and artistic fields:

- **Poetry**: Literary style characterized by strong expressiveness of words (sitelink count: 241).
- **Drama**: Formal literature intended for performance, structured as character lines and author's remarks, typically divided into acts and scenes (sitelink count: 116).

## References

1. Concise Literary Encyclopedia
2. Integrated Authority File
3. Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978)
4. BnF authorities
5. Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
6. Library of the World's Best Literature
7. International Standard Name Identifier
8. CiNii Research
9. Virtual International Authority File
10. MusicBrainz
11. Dictionary of Russian Writers of XVIII century. Volume III
12. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
13. [Source](https://www.bartleby.com/library/bios/index15.html)
14. LIBRIS. 2012
15. FactGrid