Why was Aleksandr Pushkin exiled from St. Petersburg in 1820?

Aleksandr Pushkin was banished from St. Petersburg in May 1820 primarily due to the political nature of his poetry, which had drawn the ire of the authorities. These works were perceived as subversive and contrary to the interests of the state, leading to his forced relocation to a remote southern province.12

Throughout his life, Pushkin’s writing frequently challenged the status quo, and his political poems were a significant source of friction with the tsar. His exile marked the beginning of a period of movement across southern Russia, including stays in Yekaterinoslav, Kishinyov, and Odessa, during which he continued to write and engage in the social and political life of the regions.21