Born into a noble family in Moscow on June 6th 1799, Pushkin was acknowledged as a literary figure as early as fifteen years old, when he published his first poem. Pushkin was an alumnus of the Tsarskoyoe Selo Lyceum in Saint Petersburg, established by Tsar Nicholas I. Upon graduating, Pushkin stayed in Petersburg and entered the ranks of the young intelligentsia. Beginning in 1820, Pushkin spent much of his life in exile due to his radical views on social activism and literature. In exile, Pushkin wrote many poems, including his most famous To***, supposedly for Anna Petrovna Kern. His famous play, Boris Godunov was written in 1825. In 1830, Pushkin married Natalia Goncharova, a Moscow beauty. In the later years of his life, Pushkin spent much of his time writing prose and fairy tales. In 1837, Pushkin was killed in a duel by Georges d'Anthes, whom Pushkin alleged was in love in his wife Natalia. Pushkin is considered to be one of the greatest Russian poets, the founder of modern Russian literature, and an important figure in Russian romanticism. His language is said to have inspired Turgenev, Tolstoy, Gogol, and Lermontov. His works have inspired operas, songs, and plays.