Crimea appears in the account of Pushkin’s formative years as both a real destination within his travels and part of the landscape that helped develop his poetic imagination. The narrative connects the peninsula’s natural setting with his early writing, and later identifies the Salgir River as a specific geographical reference in his poetry.

Setting and Literary Formation

During the four years following his transfer to Kishineff in 1820, Pushkin made numerous excursions through the beautiful countries around the Black Sea basin, including Crimea and the Caucasus. The account presents this nomadic life amid nature as a powerful influence on his poetic genius. Looking back in the final canto of Eugene Oneguine, the poet recalls visiting the humble tents of migratory Roma after leaving the distant capital behind; the recollection turns travel into one of the formative experiences behind his poetic voice.

Works Associated with the Peninsula

Among the works Pushkin wrote in these years were The Prisoner of the Caucasus, The Fountain of Baktchiserai, and The Gipsies. The account groups the first two with Byron’s influence, describing them as belonging to the style of The Giaour and The Corsair, while distinguishing The Gipsies as more original. Crimea therefore belongs to the broader setting of a period in which travel, close study of nature, and literary influence converged, even as Pushkin began to move beyond dependence on Byron toward a line of his own.

The Salgir in the Poem

The poem’s reference to the captives of the Salgir’s shore points specifically to The Fountain of Baktchiserai. The accompanying note identifies the Salgir as a river in Crimea and explains that the line also refers to two of Pushkin’s notable works: The Prisoner of the Caucasus and The Fountain of Baktchiserai. Through this note, a brief poetic image becomes a geographical marker, tying Crimea to the literary works associated with Pushkin’s travels and early creative development.