Aleksei Kol'tsov occupies a distinctive place in Russian literature because of his craftsmanship in the genre of the Russian song. There is no other poet whose songs have been more popular in all strata of Russian society. More than three hundred composers--among them Petr Il'ich Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, and Anton Grigor'evich Rubinstein--have written music for his songs, which were circulated orally, often without even mention of the poet's name.

Aleksei Vasil'evich Kol'tsov was born on 3 October 1809 in the provincial town of Voronezh. His father, Vasilii Petrovich Kol'tsov, a wealthy livestock dealer and member of a merchant guild, was well known in the area for his honesty and strict adherence to old traditions. Vasilii Kol'tsov was also involved in other business ventures such as subletting arable and timber land. Aleksei Kol'tsov's mother, Praskovia Ivanovna (née Pereslavtseva), was a kind, mild, and industrious woman...