«A poet in is more than a poet» Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin 1895 –1925 Мы теперь уходим We'll depart this world for понемногу ever, surely, Много дум я в тишине продумал, I have thought in silence days and hours, Много песен про себя сложил, I have written songs. And I don`t grieve. И на этой на земле угрюмой I am happy in this gloomy world of ours To have had a chance to breathe and live. Счастлив тем, что я дышал и жил Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin And many people in his native country and abroad are captivated by his wonderful poems even now. His poetry was translated into 11 languages. He was incredibly gifted and talented. He also was handsome and very attractive for people. Everywhere women fell in love with him. He loved his country so deeply and passionately. He praised its beauty, nature, women in his beautiful poems. When I hear “Russia” I always have Yesenin in my mind – his photo or his poetry. He had “very Russian” character He was one of the most famous and loved poets of and was deeply devoted to Russia in the XX century. He had written poems for all his not too long life. He started to write when Russian nature. he was only nine. He couldn't help writing. Rhymes like a flock of birds always crowded in his mind. He had a great number of admirers of his talent. Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin was born in Konstantinovo in the region of the in a poor peasant family. He had spent most of his childhood in his grandparents' house. His granny`s fairy tales and folk songs were among his first childhood impressions. He began to write poetry at the age of nine. His grandfather, grandmother and three uncles brought up the boy. His uncles and grandfather taught him to fight, to claim the trees and to swim rather in a rude manner. The boy was very often with scratches and bruises. When his granny had pity to him, his granddad always said: “Don`t touch him! He will be stronger.” so…such way the character of Yesenin was formed. Childhood and youth After finishing a local school in Konstantinovo he continued to study at special school to become a teacher in a village. It was his relatives` dream but it wasn`t his. In 1912 he moved to where he worked as a corrector of the press in the publishing house and then in the printing house of I.D. Sytin. Exactly in that period he His father Alexander sided with (примкнул) Nikitich and mother workers who had 1912 Tatyana Fyodorovna revolutionary views. 1905г. That`s why he was under surveillance (под надзором) of the police. Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin "МНОГО ЖЕНЩИН МЕНЯ ЛЮБИЛО, ДА И САМ Я ЛЮБИЛ НЕ ОДНУ"

Here, in the printing house, Sergei met Anna Izryadnova. She became his common-law wife and loved him very much. They had a son Yuri but Yesenin soon left the family. He wanted to devote his life to writing poems. He wanted to write so much that he even couldn`t work, spend time at work like other people did. He Anna Izryadnova. wanted to give all his time to poetry. His youth In 1913 he entered the Moscow State University and had been studying there for a year and a half. In 1915, he moved to Petrograd where he met fellow-poets , Sergei Gorodetsky and . It Yesenin in 1914 was in Petrograd where he became well- known in literary society and had the first success. All literary circles, even Vyacheslav Ivanov and Alexander Blok themselves, were captured and charmed with Yesenin muse. His poems appeared immediately in several issues. Literary début

He made friends with Nikolai Klyuev in Petrograd. And he had a significant influence on the young poet. They appeared together with poems and chastushkas acting in a “peasant “and “national “manner. In 1916, Yesenin published his first collection of poems, “Radunitsa” (Радуница). He became one of the most popular poets of that time . Critics realized a fresh stream in him, marked young spontaneity Sergei Yesenin with Nikolai and native taste. People spoke Klyuev. Autumn, 1916. with admiration about his poems. Money and invitations to literary salons of patrons (меценаты) began to fall down on him like from the horn of plenty. Клюеву Теперь любовь моя не та. Ах, знаю я, ты тужишь, тужишь To Klyuyev My love has changed. I know you feel О том, что лунная метла Upset about the situation: Стихов не расплескала лужи. The crescent's sweeper couldn't spill The pools of lyrical creation. Грустя и радуясь звезде, Спадающей тебе на брови, Upset, but taking in good part The star that fell upon your brows, Ты сердце выпеснил избе, You spilt you heart about the house Но в сердце дома не построил. But there's no house in your heart.

И тот, кого ты ждал в ночи, The one you waited for to greet Прошел, как прежде, мимо крова. Has passed your shelter like a cynic. My friend, whomever did you gild О друг, кому ж твои ключи The key for with your singing lyric? Ты золотил поющим словом? You'll never versify the sun Тебе о солнце не пропеть And never see the Heaven's bound. В окошко не увидеть рая. Just like a mill that flaps its fan But cannot tear off the ground. Так мельница, крылом махая, 1918 С земли не может улететь. 1918 From 1916 till 1917, Yesenin had joined the army where he served as a hospital attendant. But soon after the Great October Revolution 1917, Russia stopped to take part in the World War I. Believing that the revolution would bring a better life, Yesenin first supported it. But soon he was disappointed and sometimes criticized the authority of Bolsheviks in his poems. In August 1917 Yesenin married the second time a secretary(an actress then), . (Райх) They had two children, a daughter Tatyana and a son Konstantin. Konstantin Yesenin became a well-known statistician of football later.

Zinaida Reich. This wonderful poem was devoted to Zinaida Reich after their divorce which was very painful for both. She married Meyerhold, a famous stage director of that time. Later Yesenin told his friends that he really loved only Zinaida. Письмо к женщине A Letter to the Woman Yes, you remember, Вы помните, You certainly remember Вы все, конечно, помните, The way I listened Как я стоял, Standing at the wall Приблизившись к стене, As you walked to and fro about the Взволнованно ходили вы по комнате chamber И что-то резкое Reproving me В лицо бросали мне. With bitter words and all. Вы говорили: You said Нам пора расстаться, That it was time we'd parted, Что вас измучила And that my reckless life, Моя шальная жизнь, For you, was an ordeal, Что вам пора за дело приниматься, And it was time a new life you had started А мой удел - While I was fated Катиться дальше, вниз. To go rolling downhill. Любимая! My love! Меня вы не любили. You didn't care for me, no doubt. Не знали вы, что в сонмище людском You weren't aware of the fact that Я был, как лошадь, загнанная в мыле, I Was like a ruined horse, amidst the crowd, Пришпоренная смелым ездоком Spurred by a dashing rider, flashing by. Imagism (Имажинизм) In search of new images Yesenin came closer with Mariyengof, Shershenevich and Ivlev. In the early 1919 they were united in the group of imagists. And Sergei Alexandrovich became a frequent customer (завсегдатаем) of “The stall of Pegasus” (“Стойло Пегаса”). It was a literary café in Moscow where imagists gathered. Yesenin and Shershenevich (are sitting), Shorshevskaya A.B., Marijengof I.V., Gruzinov I.V. Yesenin and Duncan After final decision to have broken off their relations with Zinaida Reich Yesenin took easy meeting with women, he drank with pleasure and kicked up a row in taverns. He was homeless and shelterless when burst into his life. She was a famous dancer and came to Russia to open a dancing studio for Russian girls. Yesenin thought he couldn`t fall in love any more before Isadora. That`s why he was very exited by his new feeling. Yesenin and Duncan

His meeting with a famous dancer Isadora Duncan was a great event in Yesenin`s life. It was in autumn 1921. She became his wife six months later although he couldn`t speak foreign languages and Isadora knew about twenty Russian words. Moreover she was 15 years older but Yesenin was dazzled by her talent. He dreamt about a talent child from her and was full of wonderful plans for future. Yesenin and Duncan She brought him abroad . They travelled together to Germany, Belgium, France, Italy and America. All their trips were accompanied with sensational scandals and shocking mad tricks of Yesenin and Isadora. Yesenin was greatly bored there because he was only a husband of a famous wife but not a great poet. She didn`t give him an opportunity to write poetry. And Sergei This couple struck, attracted interest Alexandrovich suffered very and curiosity. It caused many gossips much. Because he had and rumours. always knew that he was a poet “with the capital letter.” Yesenin abroad Europe met the poet like an enemy, like a Bolshevik. They were not interested in his poetry nor in the personality of the poet himself. Sergei Yesenin found himself separated. He was only a husband of a famous dancer there. That journey abroad provoked very complicated complex of feelings and impressions which were decisive in his deep rethinking his views toward city and village by the poet. America made a great impression on Yesenin. According to his own words, it changed his point of view. He was admired by industrial might of this country. After visiting America Yesenin realized very clearly how poor and pitiful our country was. Exactly after that trip to America a new theme in creative work of the poet appeared:

“Field Russia, «Полевая Россия, it is enough довольно To drag by the wooden plough Волочиться сохой on the fields.” по полям.” Yesenin abroad

It was very hard for him to live in Russia. But it was impossible for him to live without Russia at all!

The poet wrote: “ That world in which I lived before seemed to me awfully funny and ridiculous. From that moment I had fallen out of love with poor Russia.” Yesenin couldn't help noticing that business community in Europe had chilly relations toward art and poetry. People loved “ a dollar” more. It put his native country in purchase. Yesenin wrote:” Though we have starvation, though we are very poor, but we have a soul.” The art of America was on the lowest level of development. And journalists in New York were corrupted and unprincipled. Sergei Yesenin didn`t like America, “a country of golden devil”, because people`s relations were based on money there. He supposed that art and money are incompatible things. I agree with him, It's quite true. Nadezhda Volpin He met her after he had broken off his relations with Duncan. Nadezhda Volpin was a poetess and close Yesenin`s friend . She became a professional translator later. She joined the group of imagists in 1920. She recited on the stages of “Cafe of poets” and “The stall of Pegasus” . Here her friendship with Sergei Yesenin started. She remembered later that Yesenin was very intelligent and self-reliant. And Nadya always felt herself a girl student (курсисткой) with miserable Nadezhda Volpin mind. 1922 After she had parted with Yesenin, Nadya moved to Leningrad. Where her the only son was born on the 12th of May, 1924. Nadezhda Volpin

«Там на севере девушка тоже “ There is a girl in the north too. На тебя она страшно похожа. She looks like you very much. Может, думает обо мне...» Maybe, she thinks about me…”

It's just about her.

Their son, Alexander Sergeyevich Volpin- Yesenin, became a well- known mathematician, a philosopher, a human rights activist. In 1960s he took part in the dissident movement with Andrei Sakharov and others. He has been living in the USA since 1972. A faithful friend … Sergei and Isadora came back to in August, 1923. After returning to Moscow from Europe and America Yesenin left her. After Isadora two women more tried to save perishing poet. One of the only loved him, the other one was his wife. Sergei and two his sisters settled at Galina Benislavskaya`s flat. She became for him very close friend and faithful helper in everything. She also became Yesenin`s common-law wife in 1923. Galya was madly in love with Yesenin. He appreciated her only as a good friend and told her that he couldn`t love her as a woman. In spite of this fact she did for him everything and actually she lived by his problems and difficulties. Galina Arturovna Galina had managed all his literary affairs Benislavskaya during his departures from Moscow since 1924 (1897 – 1926) till his death. . Unloved…Irreplaceable…Galina Benislavskaya

She had always been “in the shadow of his “distinguished” women. First it was Duncan and then `s granddaughter, Sophia Tolstaya. Galina tried to do everything to help Yesenin to stop drinking. Because when Sergei drank he had bad behavior and didn`t understand what he did. He was always among his “admirers”. But they often only used him and flattered, called him to taverns (“кабаки”) where he paid for everything. But after that they could betray him very easily while Yesenin believed them to be honest and sincere men. She wrote him at the end of every letter: “Always yours and I always love you.” He gave her endless commissions and assured her only in his tender friendship. But she devoted all her life to serve him. After the tragic death of the poet life for Benislavskaya lost any meaning . She shot herself on his grave on the third of December, 1926.. She was buried near Yesenin on Vagankovskoye cemetery. Last years. Sophia Tolstaya. In 1925 Yesenin met and married Sophia Andreyevna Tolstaya, a granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy. She was five years younger than the poet. He was very proud to become a husband of the great writer`s granddaughter . Sophia Andreyevna worked at the Library of the Writers' Union. She fell in love with Yesenin and his poetry very much. And Sophia had good intentions to become a wife, a helper, a friend and a prop (опорой) for the writer. She wrote to her friend:”I have given all of me to him.” Sophia Andreyevna knew before their wedding that Sergei Alexandrovich had already serious problems with alcohol. She tried to help him to give up drinking. But she declared that Yesenin was very serious about his creative work. And he never sat to poetize being drunk. This woman of rare mind and sincerely heart brought the light and comfort in the troubled, nomadic life of the poet. But it seemed that it was late… They went to Baku to rest. Yesenin wrote many new poems and he published them in the newspaper “The worker of Baku”. They came back to Moscow. By that time he also had suffered a from complete mental prohave, broken off their relations and was hospitalized for a month. Yesenin escaped from the clinic and he ran away from Moscow to Leningrad. He said nobody about his trip. Next day it was announced in After Yesenin`s death Sophia newspapers that Sergei Alexandrovich Andreyevna devoted all her life to saving hanged himself on the hot radiator in of the heritage of the poet and collecting the hotel "Angleterre". materials to immortalize the memory about him. She kept carefully everything which was connected with the poet`s life, sorted out his archives, prepared for publishing his works. A death of the poet

He wrote his last poem “Goodbye, my friend, goodbye” by his own blood (because they hadn`t ink in the hotel) on the 27th of December . Next day the dead body of Sergei Yesenin was found .Contemporaries of the poet were assured that Yesenin committed suicide. Now there is another version that the poet was murdered by OGPU. People argue about it even now if it was a self-murder or the death from the hand of hired killers. In my opinion, he was murdered. Goodbye, my friend, goodbye (1925) was his farewell poem. It was written by his blood.

До свиданья, друг мой, до свиданья. Goodbye, my friend, goodbye. Милый мой, ты у меня в груди. My love, you are in my heart. Предназначенное расставанье It was preordained we should part Обещает встречу впереди. And be reunited by and by. До свиданья, друг мой, без руки, без слова, Не грусти и не печаль бровей,- Goodbye, no handshake to endure. В этой жизни умирать не ново, Let`s have no sadness – furrowed brow. Но и жить, конечно, не новей. There`s nothing new in dying now Though living is no newer. After his funeral his poems were banned by the Kremlin. Sharp criticism of Nikolay Bukharin of Yesenin`s writings contributed significantly to the banning. Only in 1966 most of his works were republished. Everything – his writings, behaviour , personal life were subjected to criticism too. He was only 30 years old. Sergei Yesenin was buried at Vagankovo cemetery in Moscow . There are monuments to Yesenin in many cities of Russia: in Moscow (3 monuments), in Saint- Petersburg (2 monuments), in , Voronezh, Ivanovo, Krasnodar, Tula, Cherkessk. They show how people of our country love and honour this great poet. But I like his monument in Ryazan most of all. Because this monument shows us Yesenin`s character very City Ryazan. The Ryazan Kremlin. clearly. We can see here Sculptor A.P. Kibalnikov. what kind of person and Architect R. Begunits. 1975. poet Sergei Alexandrovich was. This monument was designed in very unusual form. The poet was depicted as a giant going out of the ground. It seems that Yesenin is reciting his poems. His figure is very inspired and his face is spiritual. He spread out his arms widely. The collar of his shirt is unbutton. His hair is rumpled by the wind. “You guess about wavy rye under the moon from my curls” (“Про волнистую рожь при луне по кудрям ты моим догадайся”) The figure of the poet is as it is coming out of the ground. It symbolizes his folk roots, amazing devotion to his country, propinquity to simple people. In my opinion, this sculpture reveals Yesenin`s personality and It is known that Sergei Alexandrovich was charisma in the best possible way. a brilliant reciter. He did it with great The poet spreading out his arms by brightness and had wonderful skills of an habitual gesture is reciting his poems actor. He always was a stunning success. excitedly. Maybe, these poems are Many questions were asked. about those birches and rowan trees Yesenin was very resourceful person too. which were planted behind the Once someone threw an apple in him while monument. The sculptor shows us a he was reciting on the stage. Yesenin . person who is ready to give the catched the apple on the fly, bited a piece of people everything. It is known that it and continued the poem chewing. His Yesenin always helped people with eyes were shining and laughing. He did it so money very much: to his own family naughty that all people in the hall started to and to young poets. applaud. My conclusion: It was very interesting for me to work on this topic. I know many interesting facts about my favorite poet now. Sergei Yesenin was an amazing and very talented person. He loved Russia very much and gave us as a present many beautiful poems about it. He tried to understand its developing and present situation in that time. He loved many women and all of them were absolutely amazing. He had always dreamed about a gifted child. But all of his children were gifted in different areas (unfortunately not in literature). His impressions from the trip abroad say not only about his huge observation but also about maturity of the poet in appraisal of the lifestyle which was alien to him. He was very loving and kind with his parents and sisters. He always sent money to Konstantinovo. My conclusion: He did everything to help young unknown poets. Yesenin had always been opened and honest with people even if they betrayed him. He had never revenged, only stopped talking with them. Young poets, whom he always helped, gave money, clothes and place to live, very often betrayed him and started to gossip about his life. The only reason was envy. He was a rebel. He believed that he would write something the most beautiful. But he had gone so early…Yesenin was more than a poet. He was an attractive and strong personality. The creative work of Yesenin is one of bright and disturbing pages of the history of soviet literature. The Yesenin`s epoch went to the past but his poetry continue to live and gives his readers the feeling of love to native land, to everything which is close and different. We are excited by sincerity and spirituality of the poet. For whom Rus was the dearest on the whole planet. I hope my presentation was interesting for you!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !!! ЛИТЕРАТУРА: • 1. Дитц В.Ф. Есенин в Петрограде-Ленинграде. «Лениздат.» 1990 • 2. Кузнецов В. Сергей Есенин. Казнь после убийства. Издательский дом «Нева», СПб- Москва,2006 • 3. Ройзман М.Д. Все, что помню о Есенине. «Лениздат», 1980 • 4. Флор Т., Есенина Н. и др. Сергей Есенин. Воспоминания родных. М., «Московский рабочий», 1985 • 5. Шнейдер И. Встречи с Есениным. Воспоминания., М., «Советская Россия», 1970 САЙТЫ О ЕСЕНИНЕ:

• http://esenin-sergej.ru/ • http://www.esenin-sergej.ru/esenin/foto.php • http://ru.wikipedia.org • http://www.liveinternet.ru/community/882418/profile • http://www.esenin-sergej.ru/esenin/family.php - о семье Есенина • http://zhurnal.lib.ru/w/wagapow_a/yesen.shtml - стихи Есенина на русском и англ.языках • http://www.sesenin.ru/ebiography/