Yesenin and Mariengof: what connected the two poets, the reasons for the breakdown in relations

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

Literary critics who study the life and work of Sergei Yesenin endow the personality of Anatoly Mariengof with a kind of infernal halo: a mystical genius, an evil Yesenin demon. However, Sergey himself contributed to such a feeling of dislike: their relationship was deep and complex, not without conflict. But, of course, not all Yesenin's fans have a negative attitude towards Mariengof, because behind the loud quarrels there was a huge and tender friendship of poets - that is why their quarrel was perceived by them so painfully: only because the love of Yesenin and Mariengof was boundless.

Relationship specifics

Anatoly Borisovich influenced Yesenin a lot in poetic terms - no less than Blok or Klyuev. He became one of three poets extremely important to him. However, Anatoly influenced not only the work of Sergei: Yesenin adopted eccentricity, slight narcissism and the style of a subtle esthete from his friend. Anatoly Mariengof for Yesenin was one of the most importantpeople in life, despite loud disagreements. While the friends were together, Yesenin did not drink so much: Tolya was characterized by German punctuality and accuracy, and he closely followed his comrade. Only after their separation did Sergei get together with Isadora Duncan, and only then did many years of drinking begin, which eventually led to a sad ending.

Many call Mariengof Yesenin's guardian angel, despite the fact that they were complete opposites of each other. However, Anatoly is not a Black man at all, the relationship between Yesenin and Mariengof had a completely different connotation. First of all, the two poets were truly valuable and close people for each other, and only then - rivals.

Yesenin's friend Mariengof was also a living person, and he experienced the most tender and at the same time extremely complex feelings for his comrade. Partly it could be envy, but it was hardly paramount. One has only to look at the relationship of other major contemporary writers: Bunin and Gorky, Brodsky and Solzhenitsyn - they always combined mutual attraction and simultaneous rejection. These complex relationships can hardly be called unequivocally friendship or enmity.

In the case of these two poets, one should not think that their talents are incommensurable. Sergei Yesenin is certainly the genius of Russian poetry, however, Anatoly is far from the last person in literature. Mariengof was an outstanding novelist, a poet with his own view of the world and an amazing sense of style. At the same time, it is possible that even being aware of his unprecedented gift, he nevertheless experienced feelings due to the fact that Yeseninreceived wide popular recognition, while Mariengof himself remained more of a bohemian character.

The creators had a very warm relationship: Sergei Yesenin and Mariengof dedicated sensual and deep poems to each other, conducted a long and touching correspondence. Many of their letters have been published, some of which they have given to print personally.

Roman without lies

Many people call "A Novel Without Lies", in which Mariengof described his relationship with Sergei, a dishonorable lie that defiles the image of the poet. The novel was written after Yesenin's death, so there were no other sources of perspective on the situation. However, fans of the book did not notice anything reprehensible in the descriptions: being a close friend of Sergei, Anatoly had the right to some skepticism and irony about his best friend, because he lived with him and knew his personality, character and life like no other. In addition, the novel is full of amazing, full of love and adoration stories about Sergei. Anatoly Mariengof wrote about Sergei Yesenin truthfully and sincerely, not missing either positive or negative points - and this, according to critics, makes the novel truly valuable. Yesenin lived a difficult life, torn apart by emotions and passions, and a wide variety of feelings - including the same envy - bubbling noisily in his chest. The narration sounds sincere and without embellishment - memories of Yesenin, recorded by a person who loved him immensely.

Yesenin to Mariengof

Sergey Yesenin was born in the village of Konstantinovo, Ryazan province in the familysimple peasants. In 1904, he entered the Konstantinovsky Zemstvo School, and after graduating from it, he began to study at the parochial school. In 1912, Yesenin left his father's house and arrived in Moscow, where he first worked in a butcher's shop, and later in the printing house of I. D. Sytin. A year later, he became a free student at the historical and philosophical department at the University named after A. L. Shanyavsky. While working in a printing house, he became close to the poets of the Surikov literary and musical circle.

In 1915 Sergei left Moscow for Petrograd. There he reads poetry to Blok, Gorodetsky and other poets, with whom he would later make friends. A year later, Yesenin is called to war. By that time, he managed to get close to a group of "new peasant poets" and publish his first collections of poems, which brought him wide fame.

In the early 20s, Yesenin first met Anatoly Mariengof, with whom he would carry friendship through his whole life. The unifying word for Yesenin, Mariengof and Shershenevich was "Imagism" - a new poetic trend that these poets founded together. But in 1924, Yesenin would break any ties with Imagism in connection with a quarrel with a close friend, Anatoly Mariengof.

Mariengof to Yesenin

Anatoly was born in 1897 in Nizhny Novgorod. His parents were from noble families, which, alas, went bankrupt. In their youth they were actors and played in the provinces. Later they left the stage, but the love of the theater and the passion for literature were inherited by their son.

In 1916 Anatoly graduatedlocal gymnasium and moved to Moscow to enter the law faculty of Moscow University. But less than six months later, Mariengof went to the front as part of an engineering and construction squad and began building bridges and roads. At the front, Mariengof did not leave writing: he worked hard on poetry, and soon his first play in verse, Pierrette's Blind Man's Bluff, was published.

In 1917, when he went on vacation, there was a revolution in the country. Anatoly returns to Penza and plunges into writing.

The same summer, the Czechoslovak Corps enters the city. Tolya's father dies from an accidental bullet, and after this tragic event, Anatoly leaves Penza forever and leaves for Moscow, where he lives with his cousin Boris. There he accidentally shows his poems to Bukharin, who at that time was the editor-in-chief of Pravda. He did not like the poems, but he saw a rare talent in Mariengof and got him a literary secretary at the publishing house of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, which he led.

It was there that the first meeting of Anatoly Mariengof and Yesenin soon took place, which turned the lives of both.

Introduction

Anatoly and Sergei met at the publishing house of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Yesenin, Shershenevich and Mariengof - the creators of a new poetic movement - met here, so this place became truly significant in the literary world of that time. Here there is a meeting with Rurik Ivnev, Boris Erdman and other poets, thanks to which a group of Imagists is created, who announcedhimself in the "Declaration", published in the magazine "Siren" in 1919. This definition was invented by Anatoly, the name comes from the foreign word "image" - an image. Thus, it began to apply not only to Mariengof: when asked "give a unifying word for Yesenin, Shershenevich and Mariengof" it is worth mentioning imagism.

This literary trend emerged in the 1920s in Russian poetry. Representatives of this trend declared the creation of an image to be the goal of any creativity. So, the main expressive means of any Imagist was a metaphor and whole metaphorical chains, which had to be compared with different elements of the image - in the literal and figurative sense of the meaning of the subject. Defiant outrageousness, anarchic motives, and eccentricity are characteristic of the creativity of the Imagists.

Friendship of poets

The meeting at the All-Russian Central Executive Committee became a fateful one for both poets. Already in the autumn of 1919 they settled together and became inseparable for many years. Yesenin and Mariengof travel around the country together: they make a joint trip to Petrograd, Kharkov, Rostov-on-Don, and also visit the Caucasus. In times of separation, writers dedicate poems to each other and write long letters, which are subsequently published, causing discontent among critics. Sergei dedicated the following works to a friend:

• "I am the last poet of the village."
• Sorokoust.
• "Pugachev".
• "Farewell to Mariengof".

The joint brainchild of Mariengof, Yesenin and Shershenevich was Imagism. This time was important.for the poetic environment of that era. During the period of passion for this trend, Sergey writes several collections:

• "Trainer".
• "Confessions of a bully".
• "Brawler Styles".
• "Moscow Tavern".

Two poets lived in one house, sharing neither money nor place: they had everything in common. Yesenin and Mariengof did everything together: they woke up, dined, dined, walked and even dressed the same in white jackets, jackets, blue trousers, canvas shoes. Friends lived on Bogoslovsky Lane, next to the Korsh Theater - now this place is called Petrovsky Lane, and the theater became a branch of the Moscow Art Theater. The comrades rented a communal apartment, where they had as many as three rooms at their disposal.

Erdman, Startsev, Ivnev often gathered in the apartment, keeping company with Shershenevich, Mariengof, Yesenin - what united such diverse poets? This imaginism is their common brainchild, which has become a separate literary trend. Their meetings were held in the format of reading their essays, which the creators have accumulated over a given period of time.

Moving

Yesenin, being a man of a subtle soul, literally immediately felt that a deep and real feeling arose between Mariengof and Anna Nikritina, an actress of the Chamber Theater. It is difficult to say how Yesenin felt about Anatoly's sympathy for Anna: there are rumors that he soon became very jealous of a friend, and this was what marked the beginning of the relationship between Sergei and Isadora Duncan and at the same time the quarrel between Yesenin and Mariengof.

At one of the friendly meetings Yesenin meets Isadora. The girl immediately falls in love with Sergei: allevening young people do not part. From this evening Nikritina leaves with Mariengof, and Yesenin with Duncan. A couple of months later, Yesenin moves to Isadora, and Anna moves to Sergey's place to Mariengof and soon marries him (in 1923). Anna Nikritina was with Anatoly for the rest of her life.

The couples often saw each other. Soon Yesenin and Duncan got married, and Isadora took her husband's surname. Nevertheless, Isadora and Sergei were as if from outside worlds and could not come to an agreement in any way. Despite the fact that Yesenin spoke exclusively in Russian, and Duncan - in fact, in any, except for Russian.

Once Mariengof and Anna met a couple of Yesenins at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Sergey was terribly delighted and certainly called them to visit that evening. The couple has arrived. Isadora raised her first glass to the strong friendship of Mariengof and Yesenin: she was always a very sensitive woman and understood how hard it was for Sergei. She felt very well how strong and deep her husband's relationship with his best friend was.

Honeymoon trip

After the wedding, Isadora and Sergei went to the Mariengofs to say goodbye. Anatoly received Yesenin's poems "Farewell to Mariengof", which were dedicated to him personally. Mariengoff handed him his.

Both poems became prophetic in many ways. The lives of friends split in two: “we” disappeared, and, as Anatoly wrote, “I” and “He” appeared. This gap was a big blow for both.

Yesenin went on a trip for a reason - he went as a Russian poet, who had as his goalconquer and conquer Europe and America. And the Russian poet did not fail: now he is known to the whole world, the national pride of our country.

But abroad did not become his home - he was terribly homesick for his native land and his beloved people who stayed there. From Europe, he wrote to Anatoly about how sad and bad he was abroad. He terribly missed his friend, nostalgic for the old days. Sergei was not ready for such changes. Only after losing, Yesenin realized how much he loved: both his homeland, and friends, and his closest comrade Anatoly Mariengof.

Gradually, discord began in the Yesenins' relationship. It was difficult for Sergei in a foreign land: he felt out of place, alien, unaccepted. While Isadora was like a fish in water: everyone knew her, joyfully met and adored her. Yesenin was infringed everywhere: he was no longer in first place, now Isadora Duncan occupied him.

Soon the couple returned to the poet's homeland, and it didn't take long before they were forced to disperse.

Return

By 1923, the Mariengofs already had a son, Kirill. Suddenly, a telegram with money arrives from Yesenin: “I have arrived, come, Yesenin.” The delighted family goes to Moscow to meet Serezha. According to the memoirs of Anna Nikritina, it was painful to look at the poet: he was all “gray”, his eyes became cloudy and unclear, his look was desperate. Some strange and unknown company was with him, apparently clinging to the poet on the way.

After a while, Yesenin moved to the Mariengofs on Bogoslovsky lane. But soon Sergey left the couple again, leaving for Baku. Life of Mariengof andYesenin by 1925 again dispersed.

At some point, the Mariengofs ended up with the Kachalovs in the company of Sarah Lebedeva, a sculptor. The comrades discussed Yesenin a lot, and Vasily Ivanovich even read the poem "Kachalov's Dog". Soon they returned home to the Mariengofs, at 4 in the morning, where it turned out that Yesenin had been visiting here in their absence the day before. According to Anna's mother, he kept looking at Cyril, the son of Anatoly and Anna, and wept. Serezha passionately wanted to make peace with Tolya … The company was confused: while they were discussing Sergei, he was right at their house, in despair. Mariengof did not know where to look for him, because Yesenin did not have permanent housing at that time: he spent the night here and there.

And suddenly the next day the bell rang - Yesenin was standing outside the door. Everyone was terribly happy: warm greetings, affectionate hugs, friendly kisses … Anatoly was happy with Serezha's visit, and he told how his "gang" laughed at him because he again went to Mariengof. They talked for a long time, sang, were silent … And then Sergei said: "Tolya, I will die soon." He did not take his words seriously, convincing that tuberculosis was curable, he even promised to go with a friend for treatment, no matter what happened, just to be there at a difficult moment.

But, as it turned out, Yesenin did not have any tuberculosis, as he said. A terrible and obsessive thought of suicide settled in my head.

Crisis

Soon Sergei ended up in the nervous department of Gannushkin. Mariengofs Anatoly and Anna often visited him, and he in responseHe said that patients like him were not allowed to give strings or knives, as long as they didn't do anything terrible to themselves. Since then, Anna Mariengof - nee Nikritina - never saw Sergei again, while her husband had another fateful meeting and a difficult conversation, and after - many years of life without a best friend.

On the morning of December 28, 1925, Yesenin was found dead in the Angleterre Hotel. The next day, news about this event was published by Izvestia. Then M. D. Roizman, who wrote an essay to the deputy editor of Evening Moscow, first learned about the death of the poet. So he learned about the sad news. It occurred to him that Sergei, perhaps, only tried to commit suicide, but he was saved. Leaving the editorial office, he went to the "Mouse Hole", where he met Mariengof. He, having heard the terrible words, immediately turned pale and began to call Izvestia. Could not get through.

Soon they met Mikhail Koltsov, who confirmed the chilling message about Yesenin's death. Then tears flowed from Anatoly's eyes: there was no more hope.

December 30, the coffin with the body of the poet arrived in Moscow. Everyone who knew Yesenin and loved came to say goodbye to the young poet. At the same time, Anatoly Mariengof bitterly wrote his sad poem dedicated to the memory of his dear friend. The coffin with the body of a loved one had not yet sunk into the ground when the poet wrote the lines:

“Sergun, wonderful! My golden maple!

There's a worm, There is death, Smoldering there.

How could you believe selfish

Her speeches.”

This poem became Mariengof's own farewell to Yesenin.

Yesenin was buried on December 31 - the day when people celebrated the New Year. Anatoly Mariengof said about Sergei Yesenin with sadness and sorrow: “How strange the course of life is: now they are burying Yesenin, putting his cold, pale body in black earth, and after a couple of hours they will powder their noses and shout “Happy New Year! With new happiness!”

Anatoly with a great loss entered the new year: "Unbelievable!" - he said, to which his wife answered him: “No, no. This is life, Tolya…”

The relationship between Mariengof and Yesenin defies logical explanation. This is selfless love, bordering on something supernatural, the impossibility of tearing lives apart, deep longing and even deeper friendship that knows neither time, nor distance, nor death - a real rarity and the greatest value that poets carried through their entire lives. life. A unique example of a truly strong friendship. Such a strong feeling became both a great gift and a heavy cross for poets: it is extremely difficult to maintain such a sincere connection, but losing it is even worse. In any case, the example of the relationship between Yesenin and Mariengof demonstrates that true friendship does exist. But such a great power entails a huge responsibility, and whether the poets coped with it is difficult to judge - yes, maybe not worth it.