With the deaths of great Russian poets, not everything is as simple as it might seem at first glance. There is still a lot of controversy regarding the death of Yesenin, while there are theories that claim that Pushkin’s duel was ordered by those in power and Dantes only carried out their will. To Pushkin and Yesenin we can also add Vladimir Mayakovsky. There are several facts that cast doubt on the fact that the mouthpiece of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” committed suicide.
Reconstruction of events
As in the story of Sergei Yesenin’s suicide, it would seem that everything led to the voluntary departure of Vladimir Mayakovsky from life. And 1930 was an extremely unfortunate year for the poet in many ways. And a year earlier, he was denied a visa to France, where he was going to get engaged to Tatyana Yakovleva. Later he received news of her imminent marriage. His exhibition “20 Years of Work,” in which he sums up his twenty years of creativity, was a complete failure. This event was ignored by important government officials and prominent cultural figures of the time, and Mayakovsky hoped that they would honor him with the honor of visiting the exhibition. Many colleagues and acquaintances said that not only had he completely written himself off, but also that he had long ceased to represent “that same” Mayakovsky, a faithful servant of the revolution.
Mayakovsky during the exhibition “20 years of work”
In addition, along with the exhibition, the production of his play “Bathhouse” failed. And throughout this year, the poet was haunted by quarrels and scandals, which is why newspapers labeled him a “fellow traveler of the Soviet regime,” while he himself adhered to a more active position. And soon, on the morning of April 14, 1930, in the house on Lubyanka, where Vladimir Mayakovsky was working at that time, a meeting was scheduled between the poet and Veronica Polonskaya. Then they had been in a close relationship for more than one year: Mayakovsky wanted to start a family with her. And it was then that he started a decisive conversation with her, demanding that she divorce her from the artist Mikhail Yanshin. Apparently, the conversation ended unsuccessfully for him. Then the actress left and, reaching the front door, suddenly heard a shot.
The last moments of Mayakovsky's life were witnessed by Vera Polonskaya
Witness testimony
Actually, only Polonskaya, among the people close to Mayakovsky, managed to catch the last moments of the poet’s life. This is how she remembers that fateful day: “I asked if he would accompany me. “No,” he said, but promised to call. And he also asked if I had money for a taxi. I didn’t have any money, he gave me twenty rubles... I managed to get to the front door and heard a shot. I rushed about, afraid to return. Then she walked in and saw the smoke from the shot that had not yet cleared. There was a small bloody stain on Mayakovsky's chest. I rushed to him, I repeated: “What did you do?..” He tried to raise his head. Then his head fell, and he began to turn terribly pale... People appeared, someone said to me: “Run, meet the ambulance.” She ran out and met him. I returned, and on the stairs someone said to me: “It’s late. Died…".
Veronica Polonskaya was the last love of Vladimir Mayakovsky
However, regarding the testimony of witnesses, there is one interesting point, which was once pointed out by Valentin Skoryatin, a researcher into the circumstances of the death. He drew attention to an important detail, which was that all those who came running after the shot found the poet lying in the “legs to the door” position, and those who appeared later found him in another “head to the door” position. The question arises: what was the need to move the poet’s dead body? It is quite possible that in this turmoil someone needed to imagine the following picture: at the moment of the shot, the poet was standing with his back to the door, then a bullet hit him in the chest from inside the room and knocked him over, head to the threshold. And this, in turn, already resembles an act of murder. What would it look like if he was facing the door? The same blow would again have knocked him over backwards, but with his feet towards the door. True, in this case, the shot could have been fired not only by Mayakovsky, but also by the killer, who acted extremely quickly.
The head of the OGPU Agranov wanted to bury Mayakovsky quickly
Also, the fact that investigators tried to quickly bury the poet cannot but raise doubts. Thus, Skoryatin, on the basis of numerous documents, is sure that the head of the OGPU, Yakov Agranov, by the way, one of the leaders of this repressive body, tried to arrange a hasty funeral for the suicide, but later changed his mind, considering it very suspicious.
Death mask of Mayakovsky
Also adding fuel to the fire is the remark of the artist A. Davydov regarding Mayakovsky’s death mask, which was made by Lutsky on the evening of April 14, 1930. And this gives grounds to assert that Mayakovsky fell face down, and not on his back, as happens when he shoots himself.
There is also a theory that the poet shot himself because he was sick with syphilis. However, this argument has no basis, since the results of an autopsy performed some time later showed that Mayakovsky did not suffer from this illness. Moreover, the verdict itself was not published anywhere, which caused a wide variety of gossip regarding the poet’s health. At least, the obituary published in the newspaper Pravda and signed by other colleagues of the writer mentioned a certain “swift illness” that led him to suicide.
It is impossible not to notice the difference between the noses of the living and dead Mayakovsky
The OGPU's hand in this matter
Lilya Brik said that Mayakovsky more than once thought about suicide, and Osip Brik once convinced his comrade: “Re-read his poems, and you will see how often he talks ... about his inevitable suicide.”
It is worth noting that the investigation was carried out at the highest levels. Initially, the above-mentioned Yakov Agranov took up this task, and then I. Syrtsov. The investigation was then fully referred to as “Criminal Case No. 02−29, 1930, People's Investigator 2nd Academic. Baum. district of Moscow I. Syrtsov about the suicide of V.V. Mayakovsky.” And already on April 14, Syrtsev, after interrogating Polonskaya at Lubyanka, said: “Suicide was caused by personal reasons.” And this message was published the next day in Soviet newspapers.
Officially, Mayakovsky’s suicide was caused by personal reasons
Mayakovsky valued his friendship with the Briks very much
When Mayakovsky died, the Briks were abroad at that time. And therefore Valentin Skoryatin, working with numerous materials and documents, put forward the version that the Briks deliberately left their friend in February 1930, because they knew that he would certainly be killed soon. And according to Skoryatin, the Briks could have been involved in such organizations as the Cheka and the OGPU. They even had their own Chekist ID numbers: 15073 for Lily, and 25541 for Osip.
And the need to kill the poet was based on the fact that Mayakovsky was quite tired of the Soviet authorities. In the last years of the poet's life, notes of dissatisfaction and undisguised disappointment appeared more and more often.
At the same time, Veronica Polonskaya could not have fired the shot, because according to the testimony of the actress and neighbors, the shot rang out immediately after she left the room. Therefore, all suspicions can be removed from her. The name of Mayakovsky's killer, if the murder did take place, is unknown.
Mayakovsky was reputed to be one of the main allies of the October Revolution of 1917
Strange note
One cannot help but pay attention to the suicide note left by Vladimir Mayakovsky. It would be appropriate to quote its text in full:
"Everyone
Don’t blame anyone for the fact that I’m dying and please don’t gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly.
Mom, sisters and comrades, sorry, this is not the way (I don’t recommend it to others), but I have no choice. Lilya - love me.
Comrade government, my family is Lilya Brik, mother, sisters and Veronika Vitoldovna Polonskaya. If you give them a tolerable life, thank you. Give the poems you started to the Briks, they will figure it out. As they say, “the incident is ruined,” the love boat crashed into everyday life. I’m at peace with life, and there’s no need for a list of mutual pains, troubles and insults. Stay happily.
Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Comrades Vappovtsy, do not consider me cowardly. Seriously - nothing can be done. Hello. Tell Yermilov that it’s a pity that he removed the slogan, we should have a fight.
V.M.
I have 2000 rubles in my table. contribute to the tax.
You will get the rest from Giza."
It would seem that the suicide letter, touching at first glance, directly indicates that Mayakovsky planned suicide in advance. This thesis is supported by the fact that the note is dated April 12. But the question arises: why, preparing for a decisive conversation with Veronica Polonskaya, Mayakovsky in advance, on April 12, predetermines the outcome of a conversation that has not yet taken place with her - “the love boat crashed...”, as he writes? It is also impossible not to pay attention to what exactly these lines were written with. And they were written in pencil.
Mayakovsky at work. Photo from 1930
The fact is that it is most convenient to fake the author’s handwriting with a pencil. And Mayakovsky’s suicide letter itself was kept for a long time in the secret archives of the OGPU. Mayakovsky's comrades, Khodasevich and Eisenstein, citing an insulting tone towards his mother and sister, stated that Mayakovsky could not have written something in such a spirit. So we can assume that the note was nothing more than a fake, compiled by the OGPU and intended to convince everyone as the main evidence of Mayakovsky’s suicide.
Moreover, the note itself is not mentioned in any way in the protocol from the scene of the incident. It appears only in the final conclusion of the case, where it follows that the letter was written “in unusual conditions” in a state “caused by excitement.” The story of the note does not end there: Valentin Skoryatin believes that the dating of April 12 is explained quite simply. In his opinion, on that day the murder of Mayakovsky went wrong, and therefore this falsification was saved for the next time. And this “next time” fell on the morning of April 14, 1930.
Mayakovsky's death was like a bolt from the blue. The Briks immediately returned from their trip to Europe. The poet's death was a big blow for all his friends and relatives. And now it is generally accepted that Vladimir Mayakovsky died voluntarily, although some researchers of this case are firmly convinced that he was deliberately “removed.” Some time later, Joseph Stalin would call him the best poet of the Soviet Union. And Polonskaya became Mayakovsky’s last close person. It was with her that the poet spent the last moments of his life.
During his lifetime, Mayakovsky had many affairs, although he was never officially married. Among his lovers there were many Russian emigrants - Tatyana Yakovleva, Ellie Jones. The most serious hobby in Mayakovsky’s life was an affair with Lilya Brik. Despite the fact that she was married, the relationship between them continued for many years. Moreover, for a long period of his life the poet lived in the same house with the Brik family. This love triangle existed for several years until Mayakovsky met the young actress Veronica Polonskaya, who at that time was 21 years old. Neither the age difference of 15 years, nor the presence of an official spouse could interfere with this connection. It is known that the poet planned a life together with her and insisted in every possible way on a divorce. This story became the reason for the official version of suicide. On the day of his death, Mayakovsky received a refusal from Veronica, which provoked, as many historians say, a serious nervous shock that led to such tragic events. In any case, Mayakovsky’s family, including his mother and sisters, believed that Polonskaya was to blame for his death.
The brilliant works of Vladimir Mayakovsky evoke true admiration among millions of his admirers. He deservedly ranks among the greatest futurist poets of the 20th century. In addition, Mayakovsky proved himself to be an extraordinary playwright, satirist, film director, screenwriter, artist, and editor of several magazines. His life, multifaceted creativity, as well as personal relationships full of love and experiences remain an incompletely solved mystery today.
The talented poet was born in the small Georgian village of Bagdati (Russian Empire). His mother Alexandra Alekseevna belonged to a Cossack family from Kuban, and his father Vladimir Konstantinovich worked as a simple forester. Vladimir had two brothers - Kostya and Sasha, who died in childhood, as well as two sisters - Olya and Lyuda.
Mayakovsky knew the Georgian language very well and from 1902 he studied at the Kutaisi gymnasium. Already in his youth he was captivated by revolutionary ideas, and while studying at the gymnasium, he participated in a revolutionary demonstration.
In 1906, his father died suddenly. The cause of death was blood poisoning, which occurred as a result of a finger prick with an ordinary needle. This event shocked Mayakovsky so much that in the future he completely avoided hairpins and pins, fearing the fate of his father.
In the same 1906, Alexandra Alekseevna and her children moved to Moscow. Vladimir continued his studies at the fifth classical gymnasium, where he attended classes with the poet’s brother, Alexander. However, with the death of his father, the family's financial situation worsened significantly. As a result, in 1908, Vladimir was unable to pay for his education, and he was expelled from the fifth grade of the gymnasium.
Creation
In Moscow, a young guy began to communicate with students who were keen on revolutionary ideas. In 1908, Mayakovsky decided to become a member of the RSDLP and often propagandized among the population. During 1908-1909, Vladimir was arrested three times, but due to his minority and lack of evidence, he was forced to be released.
During the investigations, Mayakovsky could not calmly stay within four walls. Due to constant scandals, he was often transferred to different places of detention. As a result, he ended up in Butyrka prison, where he spent eleven months and began writing poetry.
In 1910, the young poet was released from prison and immediately left the party. The following year, the artist Evgenia Lang, with whom Vladimir was on friendly terms, recommended that he take up painting. While studying at the school of painting, sculpture and architecture, he met the founders of the futurist group “Gilea” and joined the Cubo-Futurists.
Mayakovsky's first work to be published was the poem “Night” (1912). At the same time, the young poet made his first public appearance in the artistic basement, which was called “Stray Dog.”
Vladimir, together with members of the Cubo-Futurist group, participated in a tour of Russia, where he gave lectures and his poems. Positive reviews about Mayakovsky soon appeared, but he was often considered outside the futurists. believed that among the futurists Mayakovsky was the only real poet.
The young poet’s first collection, “I,” was published in 1913 and consisted of only four poems. This year also marks the writing of the rebellious poem “Here!”, in which the author challenges the entire bourgeois society. The following year, Vladimir created a touching poem “Listen,” which amazed readers with its colorfulness and sensitivity.
The brilliant poet was also attracted to drama. The year 1914 was marked by the creation of the tragedy “Vladimir Mayakovsky”, presented to the public on the stage of the St. Petersburg Luna Park Theater. At the same time, Vladimir acted as its director, as well as the leading actor. The main motive of the work was the rebellion of things, which connected the tragedy with the work of the futurists.
In 1914, the young poet firmly decided to voluntarily enlist in the army, but his political unreliability frightened the authorities. He did not get to the front and, in response to neglect, wrote the poem “To You,” in which he gave his assessment of the tsarist army. In addition, Mayakovsky’s brilliant works soon appeared - “A Cloud in Pants” and “War Has Been Declared”.
The following year, a fateful meeting between Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky and the Brik family took place. From now on, his life was a single whole with Lilya and Osip. From 1915 to 1917, thanks to the patronage of M. Gorky, the poet served in an automobile school. And although he, being a soldier, did not have the right to publish, Osip Brik came to his aid. He acquired two of Vladimir's poems and soon published them.
At the same time, Mayakovsky plunged into the world of satire and in 1915 published the cycle of works “Hymns” in the “New Satyricon”. Soon two large collections of works appeared - “Simple as a Moo” (1916) and “Revolution. Poetochronika" (1917).
The great poet met the October Revolution at the headquarters of the uprising in Smolny. He immediately began to cooperate with the new government and participated in the first meetings of cultural figures. Let us note that Mayakovsky led a detachment of soldiers who arrested General P. Sekretev, who ran the automobile school, although he had previously received the medal “For Diligence” from his hands.
The years 1917-1918 were marked by the release of several works by Mayakovsky dedicated to revolutionary events (for example, “Ode to the Revolution”, “Our March”). On the first anniversary of the revolution, the play “Mystery-bouffe” was presented.
Mayakovsky was also interested in filmmaking. In 1919, three films were released, in which Vladimir acted as an actor, screenwriter and director. At the same time, the poet began collaborating with ROSTA and worked on propaganda and satirical posters. At the same time, Mayakovsky worked for the newspaper “Art of the Commune”.
In addition, in 1918, the poet created the Komfut group, the direction of which can be described as communist futurism. But already in 1923, Vladimir organized another group - the “Left Front of the Arts”, as well as the corresponding magazine “LEF”.
At this time, several bright and memorable works of the brilliant poet were created: “About This” (1923), “Sevastopol - Yalta” (1924), “Vladimir Ilyich Lenin” (1924). Let us emphasize that during the reading of the last poem at the Bolshoi Theater, I myself was present. Mayakovsky's speech was followed by a standing ovation that lasted 20 minutes. In general, it was the years of the civil war that turned out to be the best time for Vladimir, which he mentioned in the poem “Good!” (1927).
No less important and eventful was the period of frequent travel for Mayakovsky. During 1922-1924 he visited France, Latvia and Germany, to which he dedicated several works. In 1925, Vladimir went to America, visiting Mexico City, Havana and many US cities.
The beginning of the 20s was marked by heated controversy between Vladimir Mayakovsky and. The latter at that time joined the Imagists - irreconcilable opponents of the Futurists. In addition, Mayakovsky was a poet of the revolution and the city, and Yesenin extolled the countryside in his work.
However, Vladimir could not help but recognize the unconditional talent of his opponent, although he criticized him for his conservatism and addiction to alcohol. In a sense, they were kindred spirits - hot-tempered, vulnerable, in constant search and despair. They were even united by the theme of suicide, which was present in the work of both poets.
During 1926-1927, Mayakovsky created 9 film scripts. In addition, in 1927, the poet resumed the activities of the LEF magazine. But a year later he left the magazine and the corresponding organization, completely disillusioned with them. In 1929, Vladimir founded the REF group, but the following year he left it and became a member of RAPP.
At the end of the 20s, Mayakovsky again turned to drama. He is preparing two plays: “The Bedbug” (1928) and “Bathhouse” (1929), intended specifically for Meyerhold’s theater stage. They thoughtfully combine a satirical presentation of the reality of the 20s with a look into the future.
Meyerhold compared Mayakovsky's talent with the genius of Moliere, but critics greeted his new works with devastating comments. In “The Bedbug” they found only artistic shortcomings, but even accusations of an ideological nature were brought against “Bath”. Many newspapers carried extremely offensive articles, and some of them had the headlines “Down with Mayakovism!”
The fateful year of 1930 began for the greatest poet with numerous accusations from his colleagues. Mayakovsky was told that he was not a true “proletarian writer”, but only a “fellow traveler”. But, despite the criticism, in the spring of that year Vladimir decided to take stock of his activities, for which he organized an exhibition called “20 years of work.”
The exhibition reflected all of Mayakovsky's many-sided achievements, but brought complete disappointment. Neither the poet’s former colleagues at LEF nor the top party leadership visited her. It was a cruel blow, after which a deep wound remained in the poet’s soul.
Death
In 1930, Vladimir was sick a lot and was even afraid of losing his voice, which would put an end to his performances on stage. The poet's personal life turned into an unsuccessful struggle for happiness. He was very lonely, because the Briks, his constant support and consolation, had gone abroad.
Attacks from all sides fell on Mayakovsky with a heavy moral burden, and the poet’s vulnerable soul could not stand it. On April 14, Vladimir Mayakovsky shot himself in the chest, which became the cause of his death.
Grave of Vladimir Mayakovsky After Mayakovsky's death, his works came under an unspoken ban and were almost never published. In 1936, Lilya Brik wrote a letter to I. Stalin himself asking for help in preserving the memory of the great poet. In his resolution, Stalin highly appreciated the achievements of the deceased and gave permission for the publication of Mayakovsky's works and the creation of a museum.
Personal life
The love of Mayakovsky's life was Lilya Brik, whom he met in 1915. At that time, the young poet was dating her sister, Elsa Triolet, and one day the girl brought Vladimir to the Briks’ apartment. There Mayakovsky first read the poem “A Cloud in Pants”, and then solemnly dedicated it to Lila. It is not surprising, but the prototype of the heroine of this poem was the sculptor Maria Denisova, with whom the poet fell in love in 1914.
Soon, a romance broke out between Vladimir and Lilya, while Osip Brik turned a blind eye to his wife’s passion. Lilya became Mayakovsky's muse; it was to her that he dedicated almost all his poems about love. He expressed the boundless depth of his feelings for Brik in the following works: “Flute-Spine”, “Man”, “To Everything”, “Lilichka!” and etc.
The lovers participated together in the filming of the film “Chained by Film” (1918). Moreover, since 1918, Briki and the great poet began to live together, which fit well into the marriage and love concept that existed at that time. They changed their place of residence several times, but each time they settled together. Often Mayakovsky even supported the Brik family, and from all his trips abroad he always brought luxurious gifts to Lila (for example, a Renault car).
Despite the poet’s boundless affection for Lilichka, there were other lovers in his life, who even bore him children. In 1920, Mayakovsky had a close relationship with the artist Lilya Lavinskaya, who gave him a son, Gleb-Nikita (1921-1986).
The year 1926 was marked by another fateful meeting. Vladimir met Ellie Jones, an emigrant from Russia, who gave birth to his daughter Elena-Patricia (1926-2016). The poet also had fleeting relationships with Sofia Shamardina and Natalya Bryukhanenko.
In addition, in Paris, the outstanding poet met with emigrant Tatyana Yakovleva. The feelings that flared up between them gradually grew stronger and promised to turn into something serious and lasting. Mayakovsky wanted Yakovleva to come to Moscow, but she refused. Then, in 1929, Vladimir decided to go to Tatyana, but problems with obtaining a visa became an insurmountable obstacle for him.
Vladimir Mayakovsky's last love was the young and married actress Veronica Polonskaya. The poet demanded that the 21-year-old girl leave her husband, but Veronica did not dare to make such serious changes in life, because 36-year-old Mayakovsky seemed contradictory, impulsive and fickle to her.
Difficulties in his relationship with his young lover pushed Mayakovsky to take a fatal step. She was the last person Vladimir saw before his death and tearfully asked her not to go to the planned rehearsal. Before the door could close behind the girl, the fatal shot sounded. Polonskaya did not dare to come to the funeral, because the poet’s relatives considered her to be the culprit in the death of a loved one.
In fact, suicide was the result of many factors, personal, professional, literary-political - and purely political. In recent years, Mayakovsky has gradually come to the understanding that his services are not in demand, that he does not have a natural, self-evident place in the society under construction, where in literature and literary politics people who did not have any qualifications for this have taken the lead roles.
The last six months have been marked by a number of setbacks and defeats: a forcibly interrupted romance with Tatyana, a boycott of the exhibition “20 Years of Work”, the failure of “Bath”, a humiliating capitulation to RAPP, a break with her closest friends, a prolonged flu and mental fatigue, Nora’s refusal to leave her husband when Mayakovsky wanted this.
Lily's first reaction was shock and shock.
“I don’t understand anything at all now,” she wrote to Elsa from Berlin when the news reached her. “How unbearable!” When Lily wrote to her sister again two weeks later, she explained the suicide by saying that “Volodya was terribly overworked and, alone , couldn’t cope with himself.” If she and Osip Maksimovich had been in Moscow, “this wouldn’t have happened,” she thought, and repeated the same phrase two weeks later, again in a letter to Elsa, adding: “I know for sure, how it happened, but in order to understand it, you had to know Volodya the way I knew him.<... >Volodya shot like a gambler from a completely new, never fired revolver [pistol. - B.Ya.]; 50 percent is a misfire. Such a misfire happened 13 years ago, in St. Petersburg. He tempted fate for the second time*.
He shot himself in front of Nora, but she can be blamed like an orange peel on which he slipped, fell and fell to his death." The conviction that Mayakovsky would not have shot himself if he and Osip were at home was shared by many; in addition to the poet’s mother, this was also the opinion of Korney Chukovsky, who wrote to Galina Katanyan on April 15:
“All these days I’ve been crying like a fool. I’m sure that if Lily Yuryevna and Osip Maksimovich were here in Moscow, this wouldn’t have happened...”
The conclusion that Nora was no more to blame than an orange peel on which someone slipped is, for all its superficiality, correct: Nora is the last straw, that’s all. Lily meant that it was not external factors that led to Mayakovsky’s suicide, but other, deeper reasons.
One of them was Mayakovsky’s fear of growing old. Old age terrified him, and he often returned to this topic in conversations with Lily. “Volodya to old age? Never!” Lily exclaimed in surprise in response to the words of Yakobson’s novel that he could not imagine Mayakovsky old. “He has already shot himself twice, leaving one bullet in the revolver clip. In the end, the bullet will hit.” “Death is not scary, old age is scary, it’s better for old people not to live,” Mayakovsky explained to his friend Natalya Ryabova when he was thirty-three. To her question about when old age sets in, he replied that a man is old when he is thirty-five, and a woman before. “How often have I heard from Mayakovsky the words “I’ll shoot myself, commit suicide, 35 years old is old age! I’ll live to see thirty. I won’t go any further,” wrote Lily.
The fear of growing old was closely related to his fear of losing his magnetic power as a man. “When a man is not older than 25, all women love him,” he explained to the twenty-five-year-old poet Zharov shortly before his suicide, “and when he is older than 25, then all women love him too, with the exception of one, the one you love and who does not love you.”
If anyone realized that Mayakovsky, in the words of Chukovsky, was “a suicide by vocation,” it was Lili. But it was not necessary to know him so closely to understand that the reasons for suicide should be sought in the internal contradictions that always tormented him.
For Marina Tsvetaeva, who had lived in exile since 1921 but saw Mayakovsky as a brother in spirit, his suicide was a tragic but logical result of the destructive internal struggle between the lyricist and the tribune.
“For twelve years in a row the man Mayakovsky killed the Mayakovsky poet within himself, in the thirteenth year the poet stood up and killed the man.” Pasternak came to a similar conclusion - and in his opinion, Mayakovsky shot himself “out of pride, because he condemned something in himself or around himself that his pride could not come to terms with.” If the suicide did not surprise the closest circle, then for those who knew only the public, external side of Mayakovsky - a futuristic and communist agitator, a loud pop poet, a brilliant polemicist - it came as a real surprise. “Such a death does not fit in with Mayakovsky as we know him,” Khalatov analyzed the suicide, thereby proving that he did not know him. “It is almost impossible to combine the idea of suicide with this appearance,” wrote Lunacharsky, and the editorial of Pravda stated that Mayakovsky’s death “is so inconsistent with his entire life, so unmotivated by all of his work.” According to Mikhail Koltsov, the pistol was not held by the real Mayakovsky, but by “someone else, random, who temporarily took possession of the weakened psyche of the poet - social activist and revolutionary.”
“It’s not clear,” commented Demyan Bedny, asking rhetorically: “What did he lack?”
As if we were talking about missing external comfort.
UNRETIRED LOVE
During his lifetime, Mayakovsky had many affairs, although he was never officially married. Among his lovers there were many Russian emigrants - Tatyana Yakovleva, Ellie Jones. The most serious hobby in Mayakovsky’s life was an affair with Lilya Brik. Despite the fact that she was married, the relationship between them continued for many years. Moreover, for a long period of his life the poet lived in the same house with the Brik family. This love triangle existed for several years until Mayakovsky met the young actress Veronica Polonskaya, who at that time was 21 years old. Neither the age difference of 15 years, nor the presence of an official spouse could interfere with this connection. It is known that the poet planned a life together with her and insisted in every possible way on a divorce. This story became the reason for the official version of suicide. On the day of his death, Mayakovsky received a refusal from Veronica, which provoked, as many historians say, a serious nervous shock that led to such tragic events. In any case, Mayakovsky’s family, including his mother and sisters, believed that Polonskaya was to blame for his death. Mayakovsky left a suicide note with the following content:
“EVERYONE Don’t blame anyone for the fact that I’m dying and please don’t gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly.
Mom, sisters and comrades, forgive me - this is not the way (I don’t recommend it to others), but I have no choice.
Lilya - love me.
Comrade government, my family is Lilya Brik, mother, sisters and Veronica Vitoldovna Polonskaya. “If you give them a tolerable life, thank you.”
Give the poems you started to the Briks, they will figure it out. As they say - “the incident is ruined”, the love boat crashed into everyday life
I am at peace with life and there is no need for a list of mutual pains, troubles and insults.
Stay happy VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY.
MENTAL TRAUMA
Historians also consider difficult emotional experiences as one of the theories of suicide. 1930 was not a very successful year for the poet. Firstly, he was sick a lot. Secondly, Mayakovsky was harshly criticized, considering that he had already completely written himself off. Local newspapers saw him as an anti-Soviet writer. At one of the meetings with readers, which took place 2 days before the fateful event, he listened to a lot of unflattering reviews addressed to him. Mayakovsky himself considered himself deeply unhappy during this period. Therefore, this version has a right to exist. In many historical works one can find information that it was a depressed emotional state together with failed love that became the reason for such an act.
Promiscuous relationships contributed to the emergence of a version of syphilis, which could have caused suicide. But most researchers refute this hypothesis, arguing that such a life-loving person as Mayakovsky could not take his own life just because of this disease. And there is no official evidence that the poet was really ill. After the poet’s death, criminologists insisted on a repeat autopsy to finally verify the inconsistency of this version.
POLITICAL MOTIVES
There were also rumors that the poet was killed for ideological reasons. Some believed that Mayakovsky, with his rebellious character, posed a danger to Soviet power. Indeed, in recent years he could afford unflattering statements, but this in no way relates to his death. The murder version has no basis. The fact that the poet shot himself was officially confirmed by criminologists.