Pushkin died after a duel with a Frenchman.
Rumours about the other man's relationship with Pushkin's much younger wife had led to the stand-off.
Elaine Feinstein is a Pushkin biographer.
Published on Friday, 11th February 2011.
Available Podcasts from Witness History: Archive 2011
Subscribe to Witness History: Archive 2011
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Witness History: Archive 2011 webpage.