Valery Bryusov is a Russian poet, prose writer, playwright, translator, literary critic, literary critic and historian. He is also one of the founders of Russian symbolism.
Personal life
Having reached the age of 23, the young guy married Joanna Runt, with whom he lived until his death. There were no children in the family.
By nature, Bryusov was a very collected, purposeful and strong-willed person. However, at the same time, he showed a weakness for gambling, nightlife restaurants, erotica, etc.
His first three collections were called "Russian Symbolists". They contained translations of some French Symbolists, as well as poems by beginning poets.
The next collections were "This is me", "Romances without words" and "Masterpieces".
Soon, collections of poems "Third Guard", "Wreath", and "All Melodies" come out from under his pen.
Bryusov's poems are full of historical, mythological and abstract subjects. They contain love, politics, philosophy and private problems of a person.
An interesting fact is that his work influenced such poets as Sergei Solovyov and Andrei Bely.
The poet never settled on one thing, and constantly experimented with style.
For example, in his later work, the ideas of urbanism were traced when it came to large and highly developed ones.
Literary environment
In the late 90s, Bryusov met such famous writers as Gippius, Minsky, Sologub and others.
In 1899, he was the head of the Scorpio publishing house, which published works by figures of the "new art".
The next place of work in Bryusov's biography was the magazine "Scales", in which he was the editor-in-chief.
Having reached the pinnacle of writing, Bryusov became one of the most prominent figures in Russian literature. He was called the "emperor of symbolism."
In 1909, the Vese magazine was closed, as a result of which Valery Bryusov began working in the criticism department of the Russian Thought publication.
There he published his own and other people's works, written in the style of symbolism, the purpose of which was to destroy the isolation of the symbolic school in literature.
Historical novels and concepts
Always occupied one of the central places in the biography of Bryusov. He tried to give an objective assessment of any events taking place both in Russia and abroad.
He perceived the revolution of 1905 as the inevitable destruction of the culture of the past. At the same time, he did not deny the possibility of his own death, since he was part of the old world (see the verse “The Coming Huns”).
Over time, Bryusov lost interest in political events. Instead, he began to actively study the patterns of historical processes.
In his writings "Altar of Victory" and "Fiery Angel" he described in detail various eras, trying to show the crisis state of the world through historical analogies.
At the beginning of the First World War, the poet was a propagandist of patriotism. However, working as a war correspondent and seeing firsthand all the horrors of the war, he revised his views.
Translation activities
In 1898, Bryusov met Bartenev, who was the editor-in-chief of the Russian Archive magazine.
As a result, friendly relations began between them, and soon Valery Yakovlevich began working in his publication.
Almost all of his working time he was engaged in translations, and every year his translations became more and more qualitative and detailed.
After the revolution
After the October Revolution, of which he was the main organizer, Bryusov took over the power of the Bolsheviks.
At the same time, serious changes took place in his biography.
He became head of the Press Registration Committee. Soon he was entrusted with the post of chairman of the presidium of the Union of Poets.
In 1919, Valery Yakovlevich became a member of the RCP, and a year later he founded the Literary and Art University.
He lectured to students and also continued to publish articles aimed at the development of literature.
In his collection Dreams of Mankind, Bryusov published works by Armenian and Latin poets, as well as Japanese tanka.
He seriously thought about the problems of poetry, after which he wrote a work in which he considered this topic in detail.
Last verses
In the last years of his life, Bryusov did not stop experimenting with different styles of writing poetry.
An interesting fact is that in his latest works there is scientific poetry, the founder of which was the French poet Guillem.
Such poems include "Reality", "The World of N Dimensions" and "The World of the Electron".
Many contemporaries of Valery Bryusov did not understand his works because of their excessive complexity. However, this once again spoke of his talent and the existence of unique methods of versification.
Bryusov's legacy
For his biography, Bryusov wrote not only many poems of symbolism. He also gained fame as an excellent translator of English, French, German, Italian and ancient poets.
In addition, he managed to write a number of critical articles that help to better understand the quality of certain works.
Bryusov left a deep mark on Russian literary criticism, and also became the author of new forms of poetry.
Death
Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov died on October 9, 1924 at the age of 50. The cause of his death was pneumonia. The grave of the great symbolist poet is located at the Novodevichy cemetery.
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Russian Literature of the Silver Age
Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov
Biography
BRYUSOV Valery Yakovlevich (1873 - 1924), poet, prose writer, literary theorist, translator.
Born on December 1 (13 n.s.) in Moscow in a wealthy merchant family. The father of the future poet raised his son in the spirit of the progressive ideas of the sixties. Bryusov recalled: “Portraits of Chernyshevsky and Pisarev hung over my father’s table. I was brought up ... in the principles of materialism and atheism. A particularly revered poet in the family was N. Nekrasov.
He studied at the Moscow private gymnasium F. Kreiman, then moved to the gymnasium of the famous teacher L. Polivanov, who had a noticeable influence on the future poet. Already at the age of thirteen, Bryusov decides to become a writer. The circle of interests of the schoolboy Bryusov is literature, history, philosophy, astronomy. Entering Moscow University in 1892 at the historical department of the Faculty of History and Philology, he studied history, philosophy, literature, art, and languages (ancient and modern) in depth.
At the end of 1892, the young Bryusov got acquainted with the poetry of French symbolism - Verlaine, Rambo, Malarme - which had a great influence on his future work. In 1894 - 95 he compiled small collections "Russian Symbolists", most of which were written by Bryusov himself. Some of these verses spoke of the author's talent.
In 1895 he published the book "Masterpieces", in 1897 - the book "This is me" about the world of subjective decadent experiences that proclaimed egocentrism. In 1899, after graduating from the university, he completely devoted himself to literary activity. For two years he worked as the secretary of the editorial office of the Russian Archive magazine. After organizing the publishing house "Scorpion", which began to publish "new literature" (works of modernists), Bryusov takes an active part in organizing almanacs and the magazine "Balance" (1904 - 09), the best magazine of Russian symbolism.
In 1900, the book "The Third Guard" was published, after which Bryusov received recognition as a great poet. In 1903 he published the book "City and the World", in 1906 - "Wreath", his best poetic books.
In subsequent years, Bryusov's poetry becomes more chamber, new features of his lyrics appear: intimacy, sincerity, simplicity in expressing thoughts and feelings (collection All Melodies, 1909; book Mirror of Shadows, 1912).
During the First World War, Bryusov was at the front as a correspondent for one of the St. Petersburg newspapers, wrote patriotic poems, but soon returned from the front, realizing the senselessness of this war for Russia.
Bryusov accepted the October Revolution and placed his talent as an organizer of a new culture at its service. His activities in this direction were energetic and diverse. Poetic creativity was also very intense and productive: in the early 1920s he published five books of new poems, among which the best was On Such Days (1921). Known as an outstanding translator, a special place is occupied by translations of Armenian poetry and Verhaarn's poems. Bryusov did a lot in the study of the Russian language, made a significant contribution to the study of the works of Pushkin, Fet, Gogol, Blok, and others. , conducted seminars on the history of the Ancient East, etc. M. Gorky called Bryusov "the most cultured writer in Russia." On October 9, 1924, before reaching the age of 51, Bryusov died in Moscow.
"COMING FROM THE DUSK TO THE LIGHT..."
(On the creative path of Bryusov the poet)
Strict skill is important in art.
Break the souls of the deadly captivity
And go out on a fiery road
To the stream of eternal change.
V. Bryusov
The literary activity of Valery Bryusov is striking in its versatility. He is known as the author of stories and novels, playwright, translator, art theorist, literary historian and literary critic, researcher of verse, journalist, editor, teacher, organizer of literary
Life ... But in the minds of contemporaries and subsequent generations, he was and remained primarily a poet. Indeed, the most important and significant in
The extensive literary heritage of Bryusov is his poetic work.
Reading Bryusov's poems, one cannot help but pay attention to the motif persistently repeated from collection to collection, from year to year - the image of the path, the traveler, wandering off-road or relentless forward movement, difficult ascent.
Already in the poems of the early period, in the 90s, such confessions and auto-characteristics are constantly encountered:
We are travelers of the starless night,
Seekers of a vague paradise. (1895)
Or calls like this:
And here are the lines from the 900s:
All stone steps
Everything is steeper, steeper rise. (1902)
And in the 1910s, on the eve of great historical events, again:
I don't know, but I'm going; I throw my torch aloft;
I kick the steps; my spirit is intoxicated by the ascent. (1914)
And finally, after October again:
I'll go, I'm glad to the unexpected thunders,
Catching all the moments and not complaining,
Throw the faded hour back. (1921)
The number of such citations can be multiplied many times over.
This path, about which the poet constantly speaks, was not simple and difficult, it was replete with numerous twists and turns, ups and downs.
Whence and where did he lead?
Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov was born in 1873 in Moscow into a merchant family that had its origins in the serfs, and the middle
Her generation was already affected by the progressive democratic and scientific-materialist ideas of the 1960s. But the 60s were already in the past.
Bryusov's adolescence falls on the gloomy 80s, and youth - at the beginning of the 90s. The poet himself subsequently described the era in this way when his
Conscious life and his views were formed:
I grew up in a deaf time, When the whole world was deaf and quiet. And it seemed to people to live in a burden, And hearing did not need a verse.
It was a time of severe political reaction, the degeneration and crushing of the traditions of the liberation movement, disappointment in them, the disappearance
Interest in social issues among a significant part of the intelligentsia, the spread of the theory of "small deeds", the growth of philistine sentiments. Certainly,
In the depths of society, new social forces were already awakening and taking shape, the transition to a new, proletarian stage of the revolutionary movement was being prepared,
However, young Bryusov, like most people in his environment, was far from those social strata, had not yet seen these processes.
Let us pay attention to the fact that the quoted lines of the poet speak not only of political, but also of literary timelessness. If you turn to
The poetry of those years, we will see that it really experienced a clear decline, ideological impoverishment. In the verses of the overwhelming majority of poets,
Smallness, banality, dull epigonism, a sluggish, inexpressive form that can only discredit any public content.
In such a social and literary environment, Bryusov's poetic activity began.
His early poems were largely generated by this time. They were stamped by the stuffy atmosphere of the then bourgeois-intellectual environment,
Deprived of real civic ideals and interests, big ideas and aspirations. Hence the extreme individualism and egocentrism reflected in
In these verses, apoliticality, defiant disregard for social topics.
“I am alien to the anxieties of the universe,” the poet frankly declared. And in another poem he confessed: “I do not know other obligations, / Except
Virgin faith in yourself.
At the same time, the young Bryusov was characterized by the desire to somehow push off from his environment with its dull life, with its stereotyped
Morality, with its formulaic art, devoid of brightness and courage. The aspiring poet wanted to find some new ways, felt the need to say
Some new word. The first steps in this direction prompted him
The then foreign literature.
At that time in the West, and above all in France, a new trend in the field of poetry was taking shape and developing, which became known under
The name of symbolism or decadence (from the French word decadent - decadent), since its representatives expressed mainly minor
The mood of a tired soul, weary of the encounter with rough, prosaic reality. Poems of these poets (P. Verlaine, S. Mallarme and others)
They made a strong impression on the young Bryusov with novelty, unusual artistic means, the ability to subtly convey different shades of complex and
Contradictory experiences of modern man.
Fascinated by such examples, Bryusov plans to become the leader and organizer of the "new poetry" in Russia. In 1894-1895 he produced three
Small collections called "Russian Symbolists", filling them mainly with his own poems and under his own name and under various
Aliases. These collections, which were supposed to demonstrate the emergence of a new school of poetry in Russia, were soon followed by
Personal collections of the young poet with pretentious foreign titles: "Chefs d'oeuvre" ("Masterpieces", 1895) and "Me eum esse" ("This is me",
What characterized this early period of Bryusov's work? most clearly its poetic platform, its then aesthetic
Bryusov formulates the position in the well-known poem "To the Young Poet", which contains three appeals: "do not sympathize with anyone", "do not live in the present",
"worship art, only him, thoughtlessly, aimlessly." The stanzas of this work acquired the meaning of a manifesto of decadent poetry with its
Ultra-individualism, isolation from public life, with its outright amoralism and rejection of humanistic principles, with its cult
Self-sustaining art.
Departing from unsightly reality, the poet plunges either into the world of obscure visions and fruitless fantasies, or into the stuffy sphere of some kind of broken
And painful experiences, then into geographical and historical exoticism. In his poems at every step there are unusual, bizarre images. So, a poem about Moscow begins with the line: “Moscow is slumbering like a female sleeping ostrich”, and a poem about love with the words: “My love is a scorching
I remember: in the early silence I praised the burning noon of Java, The dream of lush lilies
On the wave, Trunks to which boas cling, Herbs unknown to the eyes, We
unknown flowers...
M. Gorky back in 1900 had reason to say about Bryusov that he “appears before the reader in strange and eccentric clothes, with
The mood is elusive."
Of course, far from everything from the decadent props of the first Bryusov collections should be taken seriously and considered an expression of genuine
Poet's experiences. There was a lot here from the desire to challenge the usual aesthetic norms, to draw attention to themselves, shocking the public
From a "decent" society, accustomed to the orderly, stereotyped and, for the most part, completely dull poetry of those years. Hence the notorious
The one-line poem "Oh, close your pale feet", and "the naked moon" (from the poem "Creativity"), which rises "under the azure
Moon”, and other extravagant images and motifs.
Bryusov himself admitted that in his poems he sometimes demonstrated "deliberate obscuration of meaning", "boyish swagger", "panache
Rare words, etc., in the manner of some Western poets. And in his diary of 1896, he promised that his next book “would be a gigantic
A mockery of the human race."
It is not surprising that his then performances caused bewilderment of readers, indignation of reviewers, and numerous parodies. Bryusov succeeded
So "irritate the geese" that for a number of years he was blocked from access to the big press.
If Bryusov had stopped at this stage of his poetic development,
Then in books on the history of literature he would be mentioned only in small print as one of the original representatives of decadent poetry and, of course, not
would be of great interest to us today.
But the poet himself was by no means satisfied with his poetic experiments of that time. “We were cheeky, we were kids,” he will soon say about the releases
"Russian Symbolists". He will write to his colleague in symbolism Konstantin Balmont about these collections: “You know their meaning well, that is,
The absence of their significance. And “Masterpieces” will receive such a merciless assessment of the author in the next collection: “Believe me: for a long time I have considered a poor book a mistake
Mine." And subsequently, the mature Bryusov will call his early poems "not quite
Successful tests of a somewhat arrogant young man.
Already from the third collection, published at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, - "Tertia Vigilia" ("Third Guard") - Bryusov begins the process of active
Overcoming decadence. And in this he is helped by an appeal to the example, experience, testament of the great writers of the past, and above all Pushkin, the study
The creativity of which he already then began to engage in and the admiration for which he carried through his whole life.
In Pushkin, Bryusov seeks and finds the answer to the question of what a poet should be. In his diary for 1897 we read the following entry: “The poet must
To be reborn, he must meet an angel at the crossroads, who would cut his chest with a sword and put, instead of a heart, coal burning with fire. Until this
It was, silently drag "in the wild desert" ... "
Dragging for several years in the desert of decadent art, Bryusov was already languishing and longing for renewal. On the way to overcome the egocentric
The limitations of decadence with its narrow-chamber lyrics, the poet turns to what he himself called "lyrical epic". And he finds material for it
At first, only in past centuries.
A historian by education and by his scientific interests, Bryusov possessed to a high degree, according to Gorky's definition, "a subtle and rare gift
Penetration into the past. For him, history was not a “country of graves”, but a “familiar world”, with which he “once lived with one soul”.
In the collection "The Third Watch" the main place is occupied by a large section "Favorites of the Ages". It contains expressive images of named and nameless historical and legendary heroes from different countries and eras. Here is a stern warrior who cannot imagine life outside of battles (“Old Viking”), and a poet, ideals
Who come into sharp conflict with reality ("Dante"), and the ancient observer of nature, seeking to comprehend the "mysteries of the worlds" ("Chaldean
Shepherd").
True, Bryusov approaches the depicted phenomena of the past with purely aesthetic criteria, he admires strong characters and bright
Personalities, regardless of their social and moral character. And among the "favorites of the ages" that attract the poet, it turns out, for example,
The cruel eastern despot Assargadon, who "raised his powerful throne" "on
Bones of enemies.
But the disappearance into the past and the poeticization of his "imperious shadows" undoubtedly testify to the fact that Bryusov did not find a real hero in
Modernity, that in the surrounding bourgeois-petty-bourgeois society, he saw a predominantly dull vegetation that caused him condemnation and disgust:
We are not used to bright colors, Our clothes are the color of the earth; And with a timid look we drooped, We drag slowly in the dust And what am I dreaming of? - wild
Screams. What is close to me? - blood and war. My brothers are northern lords, My time is Viking times.
The aspiration outlined in The Third Watch from the chamber, narrow-minded world to the big world with its affairs and interests is embodied in
The next collection - "Urbi et Orbi" ("City and Peace"), the very title of which the poet shows that he is no longer addressing a narrow circle of his
Like-minded people, but to a wider readership.
In such poems as "Escape", "Work", Bryusov largely anticipates the theme of Blok's poem "The Nightingale Garden". The lyrical hero of the first poem, having heard the trumpet call, runs from the magnificent alcove in which he slept a sweet dream, into life with its noise, anxieties and worries. AT
The hero of the second poem also leaves the daily life filled with hard work. Throwing off the "purple from his shoulders", he takes up the plow, shovel and
For Bryusov, a great worker, work has always been the main meaning of life. Now he glorifies work in poetry. And poetic, literary
He presents creativity - as if in a polemic with poets of a romantic-idealistic warehouse - in the form of hard work, in the form of plowing a field, and a poetic dream in the form of an ox pulling a heavy plow.
Bryusov, who recently declared in his poems: “I don’t see our reality, / I don’t know our century,” Bryusov is now turning his face to modern
Reality, eagerly absorbs its impressions. The theme of a big city enters his poetry, paintings appear and occupy a significant place
City life with its noises, roar, the movement of human crowds and fast-rushing carriages, with its temptations and contradictions. He glorifies
The modern city sings praises to him and at the same time he sees his ulcers and deformities. Bryusov becomes the first urban poet in Russian poetry XX
Century. The influence of Verlaine is replaced by the influence of the singer of the city of Verhaarn, whose works Bryusov introduces at the same time to Russian readers in his
Excellent translations. Previously, Bryusov was characterized by a confession: "I am delirious in silence alone." Now he writes in his diary: “I go to people,
I merge with people, I fraternize with them. In his poems about the city, social motives sound more and more strongly, more and more attention is paid to the fate of the disadvantaged.
Urban bottoms. At this time, Bryusov creates his famous poem "The Mason" - about a worker who is forced to erect a prison where he will
To languish in prison, perhaps his own son. And soon the poet will express the bitter complaint of another bricklayer:
We beat stones to live in the world,
And we live - to beat ...
Woe to those who are now children,
To those who should be!
After the release of The Third Guard, M. Gorky wrote to Bryusov: “You, me
It seems that they could well intercede for an oppressed person. Gorky is not
Wrong. The theme of the oppressed person appears in Bryusov and where he
Refers to the historical past. For example, in the poem "Rowers
Triremes" he speaks on behalf of the captive slaves, chained to the oars and
By the efforts of those who move the ship, on the deck of which the minions enjoy the life
The growing democratism of Bryusov's poetry is also manifested in his attempts
To imitate the forms of modern folklore, and above all urban. So
A cycle of his "Songs" appears, among which two are called "Factory".
The sharpening of the poet's attention to social issues is powerfully
The whole socio-political situation of those years contributed to
Preceding the revolutionary explosion of 1905, and especially the revolution itself.
Not so long ago, Bryusov urged not to live in the present and preached
Dispassion. Now he is deeply concerned about the unfolding big
political events. Bryusov becomes the successor of the traditions of the Russian
Classical poetry. Picking up Lermontov's comparison of a poet with a dagger,
He calls himself a "wrestling songwriter" and states:
The poet is always with people when the storm roars, And the song with the storm is forever sisters.
As a bright civil poet of great power, Bryusov appears in the collection
"Stephanos" ("Wreath"), which came out just in the days of the armed December
Uprisings of 1905. The most important section of this collection is called
"Modernity".
Bryusov stigmatizes bourgeois liberals, half-hearted
Gradualists, "satisfied with little", satisfied with miserable concessions from
sides of the tsarist regime. With all sincerity, he is ready to glorify the "ocean
People's passion, crushing the fragile throne into chips.
True, the impending revolution attracts him mainly because of its
Destructive side. He calls the revolutionaries "relatives", but declares:
Break - I'll be with you, build - no!
This gave V. I. Lenin the basis to determine the then social
Bryusov's position as the position of an "anarchist poet".
The change in the content of Bryusov's poetry and his entire worldview led to
And to change his poetic style. Already in his early poem
"Sonnet to Form" Bryusov expressed his inclination towards "honed and complete
Phrase", to "the harmony of the sonnet". But in his early collections in style, in language,
In the whole poetic manner there was much that was impressionistically obscure,
Vague, vague, indefinite. The mature Bryusov's verse becomes
Courageous, chased, forged, images - convex, clear, sculptural,
The phrase acquires a complete, aphoristic character. These qualities
Emphasize almost everything that characterized his poetry of mature years. Yes, Andrew
Bely called Bryusov "a poet of marble and bronze", he wrote about his "ringing,
Metal strings", about "strong words, like hammer blows". A.V.
Lunacharsky noted in Bryusov's "faceted accuracy of images", "the weight of each
Lines and stanzas and the beautiful architecture of the whole. And Bryusov himself believed
The merit of his poems is precisely “conciseness and strength”, “providing tenderness and
Melodiousness - to Balmont.
Of course, Bryusov's work of the 1900s and 1910s is very contradictory.
More than once he had reason to repeat the words
One of His poems: "Again my soul is split." In collections
And during its heyday, one can find many relapses of unexpired decadence.
Here and hypertrophied eroticism, the perception of love as dark,
Destructive passion, and the affirmation of the fatal loneliness of man, and
A feeling of satiety with life (one of the poems is called “Boredom
Life"), and the glorification of the "bliss of death". Yes, Bryusov could say about himself,
That worshiped those that are brighter, that the body,
It trembled in anticipation of the shadows.
Favorite heroes of Bryusov and in his "lyric-epic" works are those whose,
According to the poet, "beautiful is the clear lot - / shine and die" - very
Are different. Along with Aeneas, who rushed towards a high feat,
Leaving the bed of neg, "thrown out the thoughts of love", the poet glorifies the triumvir
Anthony, because of his love for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, who violated his duty
statesman and commander. “Oh, let me draw the same lot!” -
Bryusov exclaims, finishing this poem.
And yet in the consciousness and poetry of Bryusov over the decadent,
The pessimistic, individualistic more and more triumphed otherwise,
Heroic, life-affirming, humanistic principle. The poet is increasingly
Glorifies the man-creator, tireless worker, creator,
A victorious man, transforming the earth, conquering nature, knowing
the universe. In this regard, the famous
The poem "Praise to the Man."
Stones, wind, water, flame
You humbled with your bridle,
Raised a jubilant banner
Right into the blue dome.
Before other poets, Bryusov glorified the first aviators. With firm faith in
The power of the human mind, the power of science and technology, he looks into the future,
He dreams that a person will win victories in space, he will even be able to change
And the trajectory of your planet:
I believe, bold!
You will put
Rows of sails across the Earth.
You guide with your hand
The run of the planet between the stars.
Symbolist magazine "Scales". But it can be argued that he never
Orthodox symbolist. He was alien, for example, to the mysticism of most of his
Junior colleagues, their faith in the other world and in the possibility of some
Communication with a mime. He had long felt like a stranger "among his own." Back in 1907
He wrote to one literary critic: “Although from the outside I seem to be the leader of those whom
Of old memory they call our decadents, but in reality I am among them
Like a hostage in an enemy camp. For a long time already everything that I write, and everything that
I say, my literary comrades definitely do not like it, but I,
Frankly, I don’t really like what they write and say.” Subsequently, he
He recalled stormy disputes with the Symbolists, who severely reproached him for
Realism in symbolism, for materialism in idealism.
Symbolists, led to a break with them. Once he insistently extolled the dream
And dream of reality. Now in his critical articles he
Reality" that "as soon as art breaks away from reality,
His creatures lose flesh and blood, wither and die."
To the all-round strengthening of communication with the surrounding reality, with the real
Life, including the most ordinary, the simplest, Bryusov strives in his
Poems of the 1910s.
At the dawn of his work, Bryusov expressed demonstrative disdain for
To real nature:
I created in secret dreams the World of ideal nature, - What is this
Ashes: Steppes, and rocks, and waters.
Soon, however, this arrogant and contemptuous attitude towards nature,
The expression of the poet, "jumped" from him. With each new collection of 1900 - 1910s
Over the years, the theme of nature occupies an increasing place in Bryusov. Fields, forests, mountains,
The sea, “the brilliance of the day, the black of the night, springs, winters” find their lover in it
In his poems of the second decade of the 20th century, Bryusov deliberately
Argues with decadent mindsets. He wants to oppose
Characteristic of his former associates, the weariness of life "indomitable,
An invincible call to life, to life at all costs, to all wounds and
Her joys." No wonder his collection "Mirror of Shadows" opens with an epigraph from
As long as on the chest of the earth Although I will hardly breathe, All the thrill of life
Young I will be intelligible from everywhere.
And the collection "Seven Colors of the Rainbow" begins with exuberant lines:
What am I to do when I am not sated with this intoxicated life!
In the same decade, Bryusov's work also includes the big theme of friendship.
The peoples inhabiting Russia, and the poet makes a great contribution with his work
In the development and strengthening of this friendship.
Even before the revolution, he becomes close to M. Gorky, actively participates in
His publishing endeavors. Gorky highly valued the collaboration between Bryusov and
He called him "comrade in work for the benefit of Russian culture." Highly
Their cooperation was fruitful in the preparation of collections that contributed to
Familiarization of Russian readers with the poetry of some other peoples of Russia.
The book "Poetry of Armenia" compiled by Bryusov acquired special significance.
Which he worked both as a translator of many poetic texts, and as
For Russian readers, the rich world of Armenian poetic culture, and
Not surprisingly, during the celebration of his fiftieth birthday, he was awarded
Honorary title of People's Poet of Armenia.
For a quarter of a century of his pre-revolutionary creativity, Bryusov, as we
We see that different “paths and crossroads” came out (as he called the three-volume collection
of his works), he tried, one might say, “all tunes” (this is also
The title of one of his collections).
In the 900s, Bryusov already enjoyed great popularity and recognition.
But he never rested on his laurels and often felt
Dissatisfaction with their position in life and literature, their creativity.
In his letter to the writer N. I. Petrovskaya, associated with the symbolist
In circles, we find, for example, the following confessions: "I can no longer live
Outdated beliefs, those ideals through which I stepped into
Poetry cannot live by the "new art", the very name of which is intolerable to me
More". And in his diary he writes in 1907: “At times I am quite
I was sincerely ready to give up all the old ways of my life and move on to new ones,
Start all over again."
However, only the greatest event of the 20th century, which caused a powerful shock
All public life from top to bottom, - the October Socialist
The revolution forced Bryusov "at the very foundation, at the very root to reconsider everything
Your worldview." It turned out to be a profound upheaval for him personally.
“I myself see myself,” Bryusov noted, “completely different to this point and after
It may seem surprising that the meter of the Symbolist current, in
A former militant defender of the individualistic and self-contained
Art decisively and irrevocably went over to the side of the October
Revolution, became an active builder of socialist culture and even a member
Communist Party.
In order to find an explanation for this, we must remember that Bryusov
He has never been a faithful son of his class, he has long been "breaking out" of it.
Impregnated with knowledge of history, admiring the heroism of prominent people and
Great events of the past, Bryusov and to his present presented high
Ethical and aesthetic requirements to which bourgeois reality
Far from matching. Hence his long-standing conflict with this
Reality. Bryusov was quite sincere when he wrote in
Beginning of the century:
How I hated all this life the system, Shamefully petty, wrong,
Ugly.
Different socio-historical formations, Bryusov understood and foresaw
The inevitability of the fall and the existing capitalist system. He more than once in
He spoke of the impending social cataclysm in his works, he
Looking ahead to the future when
A free man will firmly stand Before the face of the sky on his planet.
Naturally, the poet is much more than the multitude of his colleagues in
Class and profession prepared to receive and welcome
Great October, to "turn his horse on a new path."
Back in 1906, he wrote: “There are some truths ... ahead of modern
Humanity. Whoever shows me the way to them, I will be with him. This path is decisive
The moment was indicated to Bryusov by the October Revolution, Lenin and his associates.
In the early spring of 1918, when a significant part of the intelligentsia
It also occupied hostile or waiting positions in relation to the Soviet
Authorities, Bryusov, together with Professor P. N. Sakulin, came to the People's Commissar
Enlightenment A. V. Lunacharsky and offered his cooperation.
We saw that in 1905 the poet declared, addressing the revolutionaries:
“Break - I will be with you, build - no!” Now he went to build along with
Communists a new society, a new culture.
A man of extraordinary activity by nature, Bryusov has always been
Only a writer. Even before the revolution, he gave a lot of time and effort
Organizational work in the field of literature and culture. October opened for
His social and organizational activities are wide open.
He conducts responsible work in the People's Commissariat of Education, heading scientific
Libraries, literature department, art education. He is a member
State Academic Council, Deputy of the Moscow Council, Professor
Moscow University, editor of the journal "Artistic Word",
Chairman of the All-Russian Union of Poets. He works at the State Publishing House. He
Creates and leads the world's first institution of higher education for the preparation
Young Writers - Higher Literary and Art Institute, which
His name was given.
And he combines this big, intense daily work with
The continuation of the main work of his life - poetic creativity. For seven
The years he lived after October, he publishes six collections of new poems and
Becomes one of the pioneers of Soviet poetry. The verses included in these
Collections are not equal, but among them there are those that belong to
Poetic classics of the post-October years.
Particularly significant was the collection with expressive
The outstanding poet was born on December 1 in a wealthy family that had its origin in the serfs. The father raised his son in the spirit of the sixties. Especially in the family of Valery Yakovlevich they loved to reread the works of Nekrasov. Valery Yakovlevich received his education in the private Moscow gymnasium of F. Kreiman, after which he came to the gymnasium of L. Polivanov, a well-known teacher who had a significant influence on the poet. Bryusov was interested in literature, history, philosophy, astronomy.
In the verses of the vast majority of that time, banality, not an expressive form, prevailed. His early poems originated in that time. In 1894-1895, Bryusov compiled small collections of poems "Russian Symbolists", most of which were written by himself and speak of the poet's extraordinary talent. In 1895 he published the book "Masterpieces", In 1897 - "This is me". In 1899, after graduating from the university, he devotes himself entirely to literary activity. He works as a secretary in the editorial office of the journal "Russian Archive", takes part in the creation and development of almanacs and the journal "Vesy". Bryusov received his recognition after the publication of the book "The Third Guard" in 1900. In 1903 he published the book The City and the World. And in 1906 - "Wreath" - these are his best poetic books. In subsequent years, new features appeared in the author's poetry: intimacy, sincerity, simplicity of thoughts and feelings.
Reading the works of Bryusov, it is impossible not to pay attention to the stubbornly repeated motif - the image of the path, wandering, relentless movement forward and difficult ascent. During the First World War, Valery Yakovlevich was at the front, where he served as a correspondent for one of the newspapers. The October Revolution discovered in the poet the talent of an organizer of a new culture. Studying the work of Pushkin A.S. whose work he admired and bowed to him all his life, Valery Yakovlevich found the answer to the question “What should a real poet be like?”. A real poet must be reborn, and instead of a heart there must be a flaming coal, invested in him by an angel. He published five books of new poems, the best of which is On Days Like These. He contributed a lot to the study of the Russian language and the study of the work of famous Russian poets: Pushkin, Fet, Gogol, Blok and many others. Bryusov also lectured on ancient and modern Russian literature, the Latin language, and history.
Russian poet, prose writer, playwright and translator Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov was born on December 13 (December 1 according to the old style), 1873 in Moscow into a merchant family. , then studied at the gymnasiums of Franz Kreiman (1885-1889) and Lev Polivanov (1890-1893). In 1893, Bryusov entered the Faculty of History and Philology of Moscow University, from which he graduated in 1899.
Bryusov began to write early, as a child, writing poems and stories. Already at the age of 13, he linked his future life with poetry. Bryusov's earliest known poetic experiments date back to 1881; a little later, his first stories appeared. In adolescence, Bryusov considered Nikolai Nekrasov his literary idol, then he was fascinated by the poetry of Semyon Nadson. By the beginning of the 1890s, the time had come for Bryusov's enthusiasm for the works of French symbolists - Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Stefan Mallarmé. Between 1894 and 1895 he published (under the pseudonym Valery Maslov) three collections of "Russian Symbolists", which included many of his own poems (including under various pseudonyms); most of them were written under the influence of the French Symbolists. In the third issue of "Russian Symbolists" Bryusov's one-line poem "Oh close your pale legs" was placed, which quickly gained fame, providing an ironic attitude to the collections from the public.
In 1895, Bryusov's first book of poems, Chefs d'œuvre ("Masterpieces"), was published, in 1897 - a collection of poems Me eum esse ("This is me") about the world of subjective decadent experiences, proclaiming egocentrism. In 1899, after graduating from the university, Bryusov decided to devote himself entirely to literary activity. For two years he worked as the secretary of the editorial board of the Russian Archive magazine. After the organization of the publishing house "Scorpion", which began to publish "new literature" (works of modernists), Bryusov took an active part in the organization of almanacs and the journal "Vesy" (1904-1909), which became the mouthpiece of Russian symbolism.
In 1900, Bryusov's book "The Third Guard" was published, after which the author was recognized as a great poet. In 1903, he published the book Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World), and in 1906, the poetry collection Wreath.
The book "Earth's Axis" (1907) was compiled by the fantastic-symbolic drama "Earth" and stories. Bryusov is the author of the novels "The Fiery Angel" (separate edition 1908), "The Altar of Victory. A Tale of the 4th Century" (1911-1912), novels and short stories (included in the book "Nights and Days", 1913), stories "Rhea Sylvia" ( separate edition 1916), "Betrothal of Dasha" (separate edition 1915), "Mozart" (1915).
At the turn of the first decade of the twentieth century, Bryusov's poetry became more chamber, new features of his lyrics appeared: intimacy, sincerity, simplicity in expressing thoughts and feelings (collection "All Melodies", 1909; book "Mirror of Shadows", 1912).
© S. V. Malyutin
© S. V. Malyutin
For the theater of Vera Komissarzhevskaya, Bryusov translated the plays "Pelléas et Mélisande" by Maurice Maeterlinck (1907; staged by Vsevolod Meyerhold) and "Francesca da Rimini" by Gabriele D'Annunzio (together with Vyacheslav Ivanov, 1908). He published the psychodrama The Wayfarer (1911), the tragedy Protesilaus the Dead (1913). He translated the dramaturgy of Emile Verhaarne ("Helena of Sparta", 1909), Oscar Wilde ("The Duchess of Padua", 1911), Moliere ("Amphitrion", 1913), Romain Rolland ("Liliuli", 1922).
He was engaged in translations of Dante, Byron, Goethe, Maeterlinck. Separate editions were translated by Emile Verharne, Paul Verlaine, Poe, Oscar Wilde, a collection of French lyrics of the 19th century, "The Great Rhetor. The Life and Works of Decimus Magnus Ausonius" (1911), "Erotopaegnia. Poems by Ovid, Pentadius, Ausonius, Claudian, Luxoria (1917).
During the First World War, Bryusov was at the front as a correspondent for one of the St. Petersburg newspapers, wrote patriotic poems.
Valery Bryusov welcomed the October Revolution of 1917 and actively cooperated with the new government. In 1920 he joined the Communist Party.
In 1917-1919, he headed the Committee for the Registration of the Press (since 1918, a department of the Russian Book Chamber). He was the head of the Moscow Library Department at the Narkompros (1918-1919), chairman of the Presidium of the All-Russian Union of Poets (1919-1921), from 1919 he worked at the State Publishing House, from 1921 - the head of the literary sub-department of the Art Education Department at the Narkompros. In 1921 he organized the Higher Literary and Art Institute (later VLHI named after V. Ya. Bryusov) and until the end of his life he was its rector and professor.
Bryusov took an active part in the preparation of the first edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (he was the editor of the Department of Literature, Art and Linguistics; the first volume was published after Bryusov's death). In 1923, in connection with the fiftieth anniversary, Bryusov received a letter from the Soviet government, which noted the poet's numerous merits "to the whole country" and expressed "gratitude from the workers' and peasants' government."
In the 1920s (in the collections "Dali" (1922), "Mea" ("Hurry!", 1924), Bryusov radically updated his poetics, using a rhythm overloaded with accents, abundant alliteration, ragged syntax, neologisms, futuristic constructions of versification. late Bryusov, Mikhail Gasparov, who studied it in detail, called it "academic avant-gardism."
On October 9, 1924, Bryusov died in his Moscow apartment from lobar pneumonia. The poet was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in the capital.
Valery Bryusov was married to Joanna Runt (they were married in 1897). She was the companion and closest assistant of the poet until his death. After the death of Bryusov, she became the keeper of his archive and the publisher of her husband's legacy.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources.
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Biography, life story of Bryusov Valery Yakovlevich
Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov was born on the 1st (according to the new style on the 13th) day in December 1873 in the city of Moscow. He was born into a merchant family, although middle-class, but strongly influenced by the ideas of his time. Father and mother enthusiastically indulged in the education of the future poet on the most rational foundations. From infancy, little Valery saw many books around him and heard adults talking about “smart things”. The boy was diligently protected from any "devilry", from fairy tales, but he learned about the principles of materialism and Darwin's ideas before he managed to learn multiplication.Childhood and youth
The childhood and youthful years of Valery Bryusov were not marked by anything significant. He graduated from the gymnasium in 1893, at that time he was more deeply interested in reading literature. Then he entered Moscow University to study at the Faculty of History and Philology. At the age of ten or fifteen, Bryusov had already tried his hand at prose, he tried to make translations from ancient and new foreign authors. Valery's desire to devote himself entirely to creativity as a writer became more and more clear.
Symbolism
In 1892, young Valery Bryusov got acquainted with the poetry of the French Symbolists - Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rambo, Stephane Mallarmé, which had a great influence on all the poet's further work. In 1894-95, he compiled several small collections called "Russian Symbolists", in which most of the poems were written by himself.
In 1895, Bryusov published his first, entirely author's book "Masterpieces", and already in 1897 - the second book entitled "This is me", revealing the world of subjective decadent experiences of the poet, proclaiming his egocentrism. After graduating from the university in 1899, Valery devoted himself entirely to literary activity. He worked for two years as editorial secretary in the Russian Archive magazine. The soon-to-be-organized publishing house "Scorpion" began to publish works of modernists, the so-called "new literature", and Valery Bryusov took an active part in the publication of the journal "Vesy" and several almanacs in 1904-1909.
CONTINUED BELOW
Confession
In 1900, Bryusov's book "The Third Guard" was published, after which Valery Yakovlevich received public recognition as a great poet. He published in 1903 the book "City and Peace", then in 1906 - "Wreath", which became the best poetic books of the poet.
In subsequent years, Bryusov's poetry became more chamber, new features appeared in his lyrics: sincerity, intimacy, simplicity in expressing feelings and thoughts (the collection All Melodies, published in 1909; the book Mirror of Shadows, published in 1912).
World War I
During the 1st World War, Bryusov went to the front from the newspaper Russkiye Vedomosti. He published a large number of articles and correspondence on military matters. However, his pseudo-patriotic frenzy passed quickly, the war more and more appeared to Bryusov in his disgusting guise. The poet wrote sharply critical poems (“A lot can be sold ..”, “The Two-Headed Eagle” and a number of others), which, of course, remained unpublished. The poet more and more plunged into the abyss of a simple "creation of poetry." He tried to find especially refined rhymes, created poems of the most rare and outlandish form, achieving exceptional technical sophistication. Contemporaries recalled that they were literally stunned by Bryusov's talent for improvisation, the ability to write a classic sonnet almost instantly. During this period, Valery Yakovlevich created two "wreaths of sonnets". He published a little later a collection called "Experiments", in which he sought to present the most complex and diverse poetic meters and rhyming methods.
Bryusov’s most grandiose poetic idea, “Dreams of Humanity,” which arose from the poet as early as 1909, but finally took shape only in 1913, also belonged to the pre-war years. Valery Bryusov intended to represent the soul of humanity expressed in his lyrics. Even according to the most initial plans, the poetic epic “Dreams of Mankind” should have amounted to almost three thousand poems, no less than four volumes. Bryusov, with his usual maximalism, intended to present absolutely all the forms that the lyrics have passed through at all times and among all peoples. This gigantic plan of the poet was not destined to end.
Last years
On the advice of Maxim Gorky, the Moscow Armenian Committee asked Bryusov in 1915 to organize and edit a collection of translations of Armenian poetry. In 1916, the collection "Poetry of Armenia" was published. Bryusov performed most of the translations in it. He also published an extensive work entitled “The Chronicle of the Historical Destinies of the Armenian People”, became the author of a number of articles that were dedicated to the figures of Armenian culture. This brought Valery Bryusov a well-deserved recognition. In 1923, the Russian poet was awarded the honorary title of People's Poet of Armenia.
On the 9th in October 1924, Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov died in Moscow.
Sergei Rachmaninov and Mikhail Gnesin, Alexander Grechaninov and Reingold Gliere wrote music for Valery Bryusov's poems. However, the poet not only wrote poetry - he created plays and translated foreign authors, published magazines and led a literary institute. Valery Bryusov became one of the founders of Russian symbolism.
"Huge bags of scribbled paper"
Valery Bryusov was born in 1873 into a Moscow merchant family. He was the grandson of the poet Alexander Bakulin, author of The Fables of a Provincial.
At the age of four, Bryusov learned to read and literally settled in his parents' library. He studied the biographies of great people and foreign classics, read tabloid novels and scientific literature. The poet recalled his childhood: “From fairy tales, from any “devilry” I was diligently protected. But I learned about the ideas of Darwin and the principles of materialism before I learned multiplication. I did not know classical literature well: I did not read either Tolstoy, or Turgenev, or even Pushkin; of all the poets in our house, an exception was made only for Nekrasov, and as a boy I knew most of his poems by heart ". Bryusov was also fond of scientific experiments: he conducted simple chemical and physical experiments and studied the nature of various phenomena from books. Even at preschool age, the boy wrote the first comedy - "The Frog".
At the age of 11, Valery Bryusov became a student of the Kreyman private gymnasium - after the exam, he was accepted immediately into the second grade. At home, he grew up without comrades, did not know simple children's games, and his passion for science and literature alienated him even more from his classmates. However, later Bryusov became close with other young lovers of reading, together they began to publish a handwritten magazine "Beginning". During these years, the novice writer tried his hand at prose and poetry, translating ancient and modern authors. However, Bryusov's first publication was a completely ordinary article - at the age of 13 he appeared on the pages of the Russkiy Sport magazine in support of a sweepstakes at the races.
“I started new works all the time. I wrote poetry, so much so that I soon filled up the thick Poesie notebook that had been given to me. I have tried all forms - sonnets, tetracins, octaves, triolets, rondos, all sizes. I wrote dramas, short stories, novels... Every day carried me further and further. On the way to the gymnasium, I thought about new works, in the evening, instead of learning lessons, I wrote ... I collected huge packages of scribbled paper.
The magazine "Beginning" was published for several years, and after that the students abandoned this idea. Bryusov resumed his editorial activity when he was 16 years old. He began to issue a handwritten "Leaf of the V class" at school. The newspaper criticized the gymnasium rules, so soon the freethinker student was forced to move to another educational institution. He continued to study at the Polivanov gymnasium.
Dedication to "Eternity and Art"
In the 1890s, Valery Bryusov became interested in the work of Pushkin and the French Symbolists - Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Stefan Mallarmé. In 1893 he wrote a letter to Verlaine, in which he called himself the founder of Russian symbolism. In the same year, Bryusov created the drama "The Decadents (End of the Century)" - she talked about some of the facts of the biography of the French poet.
In 1893, Bryusov entered the Faculty of History and Philology of Moscow University. He studied history and philosophy, art and literature. The young poet devoted a lot of time to foreign languages - sometimes only to read foreign authors in the original.
Bryusov wrote in his diary: “If I could live a hundred lives, they would not satiate all the thirst for knowledge that burns me”.
Already in the second year of study, the poet published his first collection "Chefs d'oeuvre" - "Masterpieces". In the preface, he wrote: “Printing my book today, I do not expect it to be properly assessed ... I do not bequeath this book to my contemporaries and not even to humanity, but to eternity and art.” Critics were skeptical of the poems, including because of the high-profile title of the book. Two years later, the second collection was released - "This is me." Urban, historical and scientific motives appeared in it. The next book - a collection of poems "The Third Guard" with historical and mythological plots - was dedicated by the poet to Konstantin Balmont. The poet published his works in many Moscow and St. Petersburg magazines, worked in the Moscow publishing house "Scorpion".
In 1897 Valery Bryusov got married. His chosen one was Joanna Runt, the young governess of the poet's sisters. The poet wrote in his diary: “The weeks leading up to the wedding are not recorded. This is because they were weeks of happiness. How can I write now if I can only define my state with the word “bliss”? I'm almost ashamed to make such a confession, but what? That's it". Joanna Runt was very sensitive to Bryusov's manuscripts, before the wedding she did not allow them to be thrown away during cleaning, and after that she became a real keeper of Bryusov's works.
Valery Bryusov and his wife, Ioanna Bryusova (née Runt). 1899 Photo: M.Zolotareva
Valery Bryusov with his wife Ioanna Matveevna
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Valery Bryusov became close to other symbolists - Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Zinaida Gippius, Fyodor Sologub. In 1901, their first joint almanac "Northern Flowers" was published - it was then that symbolism became an established literary trend. Poets and writers arranged literary meetings in the Gippius circle, on “Wednesdays” with Bryusov, as well as with his friend Alexander Miropolsky (Lang). Quite often, seances that were fashionable in those years were held here. Lights were dimmed in the rooms and "spirits" were called in, which moved furniture and even "wrote" mysterious texts - of course, with someone else's hand.
In 1903, Bryusov published the book "City and the World", and in 1906 - the collection "Wreath". The "Wreath" includes works of several previous years - mythological, lyrical, as well as those dedicated to the revolution and war. In parallel with his literary work, the poet publishes the symbolist magazine Scales, manages the department of literary criticism in the Russian Thought magazine, writes plays, prose, and translates foreign authors.
Correspondent, translator, professor
During the First World War, Valery Bryusov worked as a war correspondent for the Russkiye Vedomosti newspaper. But the patriotic sentiments of the first years of the war quickly faded. Ioanna Bryusova recalled that he "returned deeply disappointed by the war, no longer having the slightest desire to see the battlefield." During this period, Bryusov's critical poems appeared, but they remained unpublished.
During these years, Valery Bryusov focused not on the plots of his new poems, but on the form of verse and poetic technique. He selected refined rhymes, wrote classical French ballads, studied the techniques of the poets of the Alexandrian school. Bryusov became a virtuoso of improvisation: he created a classical sonnet in record time. Bryusov created one wreath of sonnets from fifteen works by Bryusov in just seven hours.
In 1915, by order of the Moscow Armenian Committee, Valery Bryusov began to prepare a collection of national poetry. The anthology covered one and a half thousand years of Armenian history. The poet was also involved in the organization of work, and translations, and editing the book, and preparing it for publication. When the collection came out, Bryusov wrote several articles about Armenian culture and the book Chronicle of the Historical Destinies of the Armenian People. Later he received the title of People's Poet of Armenia.
After the revolution, Valery Bryusov became a civil servant. At first, he led the Committee for the Registration of the Press, worked at the State Publishing House, was chairman of the presidium of the All-Russian Union of Poets, and helped prepare the first edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. In 1921, Anatoly Lunacharsky suggested that Bryusov organize the Higher Literary and Art Institute. Until the end of his life, the poet remained his rector and professor.
In 1924, the poet died - he died of pneumonia. Valery Bryusov was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
