How did Nikolay Gogol and Vissarion Belinsky contribute to Pushkin’s literary reputation?

Nikolay Gogol and Vissarion Belinsky were instrumental in establishing Aleksandr Pushkin’s enduring status as the cornerstone of Russian literature.

• Nikolay Gogol: Even during Pushkin’s lifetime, Gogol recognized his predecessor’s immense importance as a great national poet. As a pupil and successor to Pushkin, Gogol’s own literary contributions helped solidify the environment in which Pushkin’s work was revered as the foundation of the Russian literary language.1
• Vissarion Belinsky: An eminent critic, Belinsky produced the most comprehensive and profound critical studies of Pushkin’s work, which remain relevant today. Through his influential essays in journals such as Otechestvennyye zapiski, Belinsky championed Pushkin’s work, helping to establish his reputation among the Russian intelligentsia. Belinsky’s analysis framed Pushkin as a vital figure whose writing reflected Russian reality, thereby cementing his place as the "beginning of beginnings" for subsequent generations of Russian writers.12

Together, their recognition and critical advocacy helped transform Pushkin from a contemporary poet into a national symbol whose work is considered an inseparable part of the Russian consciousness.13