In January, Kankrin suggested that, conveniently, alongside assignats it would be possible to introduce, in place of all “lobanchiki” and “yefimki,” a new Russian paper unit that would be entirely freely exchangeable for hard coin and would circulate like metal money.
A deposit cash office was opened at the Commercial Bank to accept gold and silver coin and to issue “deposit notes” in exchange. This was done in order to accumulate a metallic reserve in the bank and to accustom the population to credit notes circulating on a par with gold and silver.
The government is taking measures to introduce the culture of potato cultivation. The peasants are resisting; “potato riots” will soon begin.
LERMONTOV, M. YU., in March–April, was in St. Petersburg under arrest at the Arsenal guardhouse for a duel with E. de Barante. Lermontov wrote poems there: *The Airship*, *The Neighbor Girl*, *The Captive Knight*... In April he was sent into a second Caucasian exile. Friends and acquaintances gathered at the Karamzins’ apartment to bid him farewell, and he, moved, wrote the poem “Heavenly clouds, eternal wanderers...” In May, Lermontov was delayed in Moscow on his way to the Caucasus and visited the salon of KAROLINA KARLOVNA PAVLOVA, a poet and translator; later he took part in military operations on the Caucasian Line, in the campaign to Greater and Lesser Chechnya. During the New Year festivities, at one of the balls at the Nobility Assembly, he hardly moved from his place and only watched everyone with gloomy eyes. This year the novel *A Hero of Our Time* and the poem *Mtsyri* will be published.
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY was born, the future composer.