It was a case of death imitating art when Russian novelist Alexander Pushkin faced the final chapter of his life.
Pushkin features a fatal duel in his romantic tragedy Eugene Onegin, which provides the story for Buxton International Festival’s headline opera in July.
Twelve years later, he was killed fighting a duel of his own against the man he believed was having an affair with his wife.
Ironically, Pushkin’s hero Onegin was reluctant to take part in the fictitious duel – which he won – while in real life the novelist wrote a letter about his love rival which he knew would lead to the challenge which ended in his death.
See BIF’s production of Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky on 6, 10, 14, 16 & 19 July.