Russian poet Vladislav Khodasevich: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Khodasevich's biography is well known to all connoisseurs and lovers of literature. This is a popular Russian poet, memoirist, Pushkinist, literary historian, and critic. He had a great influence on Russian literature in the 20th century.

Poet's family

His family played an important role in Khodasevich's biography. His father's name was Felitsian Ivanovich, he came from a very impoverished noble family of Polish origin. Their surname was Masla-Khodasevichi, it is interesting that the hero of our article himself often called his father a Lithuanian.

Felician was a graduate of the Academy of Arts, but all his attempts to become a successful and fashionable painter turned out to be a failure. As a result, he chose the path of a photographer. He worked in Moscow and Tula, among his famous works there are photographs of Leo Tolstoy. Having earned money for the initial capital, he opened a store in Moscow, where he started selling photographic accessories. The poet himself described in detail the life of his father in the poem "Daktili", noting that he had to become a merchant solely out of need, but he never grumbled about this.

Khodasevich's mother, Sofia Yakovlevna, wasdaughter of the popular European writer Yakov Alexandrovich Brafman. She was 12 years younger than her husband, while they died in the same year - in 1911. Sophia's father eventually converted to Orthodoxy, devoting the rest of his life to the reform of Jewish life, approaching this issue exclusively from Christian positions. At the same time, Sophia herself was given in childhood to a Polish family, in which she was brought up as a zealous Catholic.

Vladislav Khodasevich had an older brother named Mikhail, who became a famous and successful lawyer. It is known that the daughter of Mikhail Valentina became an artist. It was she who painted the famous portrait of the poet, who was her uncle. Describing the biography of Vladislav Khodasevich, it is worth noting that the poet, while studying at the university, lived in his brother's house, maintaining friendly and warm relations with him until his final departure from Russia.

Youth of the poet

Khodasevich was born in 1886, he was born in Moscow. In the biography of Vladislav Khodasevich, a special place was occupied by educational institutions in which he received the basics of knowledge. In 1904, the future poet graduated from the Third Moscow Gymnasium, having gone for higher education to the law faculty of Moscow University.

But, after studying for only a year, he decided to abandon the profession of a lawyer and transferred to the Faculty of History and Philology. With several interruptions, he studied there until the spring of 1910, but he could not complete the course. In many ways, this was prevented by the turbulent literary life, in the center of which he found himself at that time. In biographyKhodasevich, all major events are listed by date. The hero of our article at that time visits the so-called TV environments, visits Valery Bryusov, at Zaitsev's evenings, constantly attends a literary and artistic circle. It was then that Khodasevich began to publish in domestic newspapers and magazines, in particular in the Golden Fleece and Scales.

Wedding

An important event in the biography of Khodasevich is his marriage to a spectacular and pretty blonde, as he himself called her, Marina Erastovna Ryndina. They marry in 1905. Surrounding and familiar families noted that the poet's wife was always distinguished by eccentric behavior, for example, she could appear at a party in the original Leda costume with a live snake around her neck.

In the biography of the poet Khodasevich, this marriage became a bright, memorable, but short-lived episode. Already in 1907 he broke up with his wife. Poems dedicated to Marina Ryndina have been preserved, most of them were included in a book called "Youth", which was published in 1908.

Telling about the character and biography of Vladislav Felitsianovich Khodasevich, at that time many of his acquaintances noted that he was a big dandy, for example, Don-Aminado was remembered for his student uniform on the floor, a mop of thick hair cut at the back of his head, with a deliberately indifferent and the cold look of dark eyes.

He alth problems

In 1910, a difficult time began in Khodasevich's biography. The poet begins to suffer from a lung disease, this becomes a significant reason for his trip.with friends in Venice. Together with the hero of our article, Boris Zaitsev, Mikhail Osorgin, Pavel Muratov and his wife Evgenia are sent to Italy. In Italy, Khodasevich's physical condition is aggravated by mental suffering. First, he experiences a love drama with Ekaterina Muratova, and in 1911, the death of both parents with an interval of only a few months.

The hero of our article finds salvation in a relationship with the younger sister of the then popular poet Georgy Chulkov. With Anna Chulkova-Grenzion, who was practically the same age as him, they got married in 1917. Such facts about the biography and family of Khodasevich are known to modern researchers. The poet, to whom this article is dedicated, raised Chulkova's son from his first marriage, the famous future film actor Edgar Garrick. He is known for the role of Charles XII in Vladimir Petrov's epic "Peter the Great" and the image of General Levitsky in the historical film "Shipka's Heroes" by Sergei Vasiliev.

Second book of the poet

Even briefly telling the biography of Khodasevich, it is necessary to mention his second book of poems "Happy House", which was published in 1914. In the six years that have passed since the release of the first collection "Molodist", Khodasevich managed to become a professional writer who earned a living by translating, writing feuilletons and all kinds of reviews.

When the First World War began, Khodasevich received a "white ticket", for he alth reasons he could not serve in the army, so he went to work inperiodicals "Morning of Russia", "Russian Vedomosti", in 1917 he collaborated with the newspaper "New Life". At the same time, he was still harassed by he alth, the hero of our article suffered from spinal tuberculosis, so he was forced to spend the summer in 1916 and 1917 in Koktebel, in the house of his friend and also the famous poet Maximilian Voloshin.

Years of Revolution

A lot of interesting facts in the biography of Khodasevich. For example, it is known that he enthusiastically accepted the February Revolution, which took place in 1917. And after the October Revolution, at first he even agreed to cooperate with the Bolshevik government. However, he quickly came to the conclusion that under this power it was impossible to conduct a free and independent literary activity. After that, he decided to withdraw from political issues and write exclusively for himself.

In 1918, his new book "Jewish Anthology" was published, which he co-authored with Leib Yaffeon. This collection includes works by young Jewish poets. At the same time, he works as a secretary in the arbitration court, conducts theoretical and practical classes in the literary studio of Proletkult.

Describing briefly the biography of Khodasevich, it should be mentioned that since 1918 he began to cooperate in the theater department of the People's Commissariat of Education, worked directly in the repertoire section, then received a position as head of the Moscow department at the World Literature publishing house, which was founded by Maxim Gorky. Khodasevich also actively participates in the founding of a bookstore onshares, behind the counter in this shop, Muratov, Osorgin, Zaitsev and Griftsov are on duty in turn.

Moving to Petrograd

In the brief biography of Vladislav Khodasevich, which is given in this article, it is necessary to note his move to Petrograd, which took place in November 1920. The poet was forced to do this because of the acute form of furunculosis that appeared in him. The disease appeared from hunger and cold that raged in the country due to the Civil War.

In Petrograd he was helped by Gorky, who contributed to obtaining rations and two rooms in the writers' hostel "House of Arts". About this experience, Khodasevich would later write an essay called "The Disc".

In 1920, his third poetry collection was published, which, perhaps, becomes the most famous of his career. It's called the Grain Path. It contains a poem of the same name, in which the poet describes the events of 1917. The popularity of Khodasevich after the release of this collection is only growing. The work of Khodasevich, whose biography we are currently studying, for many is associated with the poems included in this collection.

New romantic relationship

At the very end of 1921, Khodasevich met the poetess Nina Berberova, who turned out to be 15 years younger than him. He falls in love with her and in the summer of 1922 leaves with his new muse for Berlin via Riga. Approximately at the same time, simultaneously in Berlin and St. Petersburg, the fourth collection of Khodasevich's poems en titled "Heavy Lyre" was published. Until 1923, the hero of our articlelives in Berlin, communicates a lot with Andrei Bely.

Then, for some time, he lives side by side with the family of Maxim Gorky, whose personality he values very highly. Interestingly, at the same time, he speaks unflatteringly of him as a writer. Khodasevich claimed that he sees authority in Gorky, but does not consider him a guarantor of his even hypothetical return to his homeland. He considers the most vulnerable properties of his character to be a confused attitude to truth and lies, which had a decisive influence on his life and his work.

At the same time, Khodasevich and Gorky cooperate fruitfully together, despite obvious differences of opinion. Together they edit the magazine "Conversation" (Shklovsky also helps them in this work), in total six issues of this publication are published. It mainly publishes novice Soviet authors.

Assessing the work of Khodasevich, the researchers note that it was extremely specific and concise. Such was the poet himself in life. The hero of our article loved hoaxes, constantly admiring a certain "non-writing writer." He himself often used hoax as a literary device, exposing it himself after some time. For example, he once wrote several poems under a false name, even inventing for this Russian poet of the 18th century Vasily Travnikov. Khodasevich himself wrote all of Travnikov's poems, and then read them at literary evenings and even published a study about Travnikov in 1936. Many admired Khodasevich, who discovered one of the greatest poetsthe century before last, no one even suggested that Travnikov did not really exist.

Life in exile

Speaking briefly about the biography and work of Khodasevich, it should be mentioned that he finally understands that it is impossible to return to the USSR in 1925. At the same time, the hero of our article continues to publish for some time in the Soviet periodical press, he writes feuilletons and articles about the activities of the GPU abroad. After the release of several high-profile notes on this topic, the Soviet authorities accuse him of being a "White Guard".

It comes to the point that in the spring of 1925 the Soviet embassy in Rome refuses to renew Khodasevich's passport, offering him to return to Moscow for this. The poet refuses, finally cutting off all ties with the country.

In the same year, another important event takes place in the biography of the Russian poet Khodasevich - together with Berberova, he moves to Paris. The hero of our article is actively published in the emigrant newspapers Latest News and Days. True, he leaves the last edition, following the advice of Pavel Milyukov. At the beginning of 1927, Khodasevich headed the literary department of the Vozrozhdenie newspaper. In the same year, he publishes "Collected Poems", which includes a new cycle called "European Night".

After that, Khodasevich almost completely stopped writing poetry, devoting most of his time to critical research. As a result, he becomes one of the leading literary critics in Russianabroad. In particular, he argues with Georgy Ivanov and Georgy Adamovich, discussing with them the tasks of Russian literature in exile, as well as the purpose of poetry in general and the crisis in which it finds itself.

Published jointly with his wife Berberova. They publish reviews of Soviet literature under the pseudonym Gulliver. Khodasevich and Berberova openly support the Perekrestok poetic group, and are among the first to speak highly of the work of Vladimir Nabokov, who later becomes their close friend.

Memoirs of Khodasevich

In 1928, Khodasevich began to write his own memoirs, which are included in the book "Necropolis. Memoirs", which was published in 1939. In them, he tells in detail about his acquaintance and relations with Bely, Bryusov, Gumilyov, Yesenin, Gorky, Sologub, the young poet Muni, with whom they were friends in their youth.

Also Khodasevich writes a biographical book "Derzhavin". He is well known as a major and meticulous researcher of Pushkin's work. The hero of our article, having finished work on the biography of Derzhavin, planned to write a biography of the "sun of Russian poetry", but his he alth did not allow him to do so. In 1932, he writes in a letter to Berberova that he puts an end to this work, as well as to poetry, realizing that nothing else remains in his life. They part ways in April 1932.

The next year, Khodasevich will marry again. His new darling - OlgaBorisovna Margolina. She is four years younger than her husband, originally from St. Petersburg. With his new wife, the poet lives in exile. His position is difficult and difficult, he communicates little with his compatriots, keeps himself apart. In June 1939, Khodasevich died in Paris after another operation, which was supposed to maintain his he alth. He was buried near the French capital, in the cemetery of Boulogne-Biancourt, he was 53 years old.

His last wife Olga Margolina didn't outlive her husband much. During World War II, she was taken prisoner by the Germans. She died in a concentration camp in Auschwitz in 1942.

Nina Berberova, with whom they lived a long life together, in 1936 entered into an official marriage with the painter Nikolai Makeev, she remained friendly with Khodasevich until his death. She suffered the war in German-occupied Paris, divorced in 1947. In 1954, already in the United States, she married the famous music teacher and pianist Georgy Kochevitsky, five years later she managed to obtain American citizenship.

In the 80s she also divorced Kochevitsky, and in 1989 she even came to the Soviet Union at the age of 88. She died in Philadelphia in 1993.