One of the most difficult realizations for readers of biographies of great people is the simple fact that they were just people. Creativity, a brilliant flight of thought - this is just one of the facets of personality. Yes, descendants will see exactly her - but still this is only one facet. The rest may be far from ideal. Contemporaries wrote a lot of unflattering things about Pushkin, about Lermontov, about Dostoevsky. Marina Tsvetaeva was no exception. The life and work of this poetess were in constant deep inner contradiction.
Childhood
Tsvetaeva is a native Muscovite. It was here that September 26, 1892, she was born. Midnight from Saturday to Sunday, the feast of St. John the Evangelist. Tsvetaeva, who was always sensitive to coincidences and dates, especially to those that added exoticism and drama, often noted this fact, saw in it a hidden sign.
The family was quite wealthy. Father - professor, philologist and art critic. Mother is a pianist, a woman is creative and enthusiastic. She always sought to discern in children the sprouts of future genius, instilled a love of music and art. Noticing that Marina constantly rhymes, her mother wrote with enthusiasm: āMaybe a poet will grow out of her!ā Admiration, admiration for art - M. Tsvetaeva grew up in such an atmosphere. Creativity, all its subsequent life bore the imprint of this education.
Education and upbringing
Tsvetaeva received an excellent education, knew several languages, lived with her mother in Germany, Italy and Switzerland, where she treated consumption. At the age of 16, she visited Paris to listen to lectures on classical Old French literature.
When Marina was 14, her mother died. Father paid a lot of attention to children: Marina,
her two sisters and brother. But he was engaged in education of children rather than education. Perhaps that is why Tsvetaeva's work bears the imprint of early maturity and obvious emotional infantilism.
Many family friends noted that Marina has always been an extremely amorous and enthusiastic child. Too many emotions, too much passion. Feelings overwhelmed Marina, she could not control them, and did not want to. Nobody taught her this, on the contrary, they encouraged her, believing that they were a sign of creative nature. Marina did not fall in love - she deified the subject of her feelings. And this ability to revel in their own feelings, to enjoy them, using as fuel for creativity, Marina has kept forever. Love in the works of Tsvetaeva is always exalted, dramatic, enthusiastic. Not a feeling, but admiring them.
First poems
Marina began to write poetry early, at the age of six. Already at the age of 18, she published her own collection - with her own money, wrote an enthusiastic critical article dedicated to Bryusov. This was another of its characteristic features - the ability to sincerely admire literary idols. In combination with the undoubted epistolary gift, this feature helped Marina to establish a close acquaintance with many famous poets of that time. She admired not only poetry, but also the authors, and wrote about her feeling so sincerely that the literary review turned into a declaration of love. Much later, Pasternakās wife, after reading her husbandās correspondence with Tsvetaeva, demanded to immediately stop communication - the poetess's words sounded too intimate and passionate.
The price of enthusiasm
But that was Marina Tsvetaeva. Creativity, emotions, delight and love were her life, not only in poetry, but also in letters. This was her misfortune - not as a poet, but as a person. She didnāt just feel, she was fed by emotions.
The subtle mechanism of her talent worked on falling in love, on happiness and despair, as on fuel, burning them. But for any feelings, for any relationship, at least two are needed. Those who came across Tsvetaeva, who fell under the influence of her dazzling, like Bengal fire, feelings, always in the end became unhappy, no matter how wonderful everything was at first. Tsvetaeva was also unhappy. Life and creativity in her life are intertwined too closely. She injured people, and she did not realize it. More precisely, I thought it was natural. Just another sacrifice on the altar of Art.
Marriage
At 19, Tsvetaeva met a young handsome brunette. Sergey Efron was smart, effective, and he enjoyed the attention of the ladies. Soon Marina and Sergey became husband and wife. Many of those who knew the poetess noted that at first she was happy. In 1912, her daughter Ariadne was born.
But the life and work of M. Tsvetaeva could exist only at the expense of each other. Either life devoured poetry, or poetry devoured life. The 1913 collection was largely composed of old poems, and new ones needed passion.
Family happiness was not enough for Marina. Marital love quickly became boring, Tsvetaeva's work required new fuel, new experiences and torments - the more the better.
It is difficult to say whether this led to actual betrayal. Marina was fond of, flushed from emotions and wrote, wrote, wrote ... Naturally, the unhappy Sergei Efron could not help but see this. Marina did not consider it necessary to hide her hobbies. Moreover, the involvement of another person in this emotional whirlwind only added drama and increased the passions. This was the world in which Tsvetaeva lived. The themes of the poet's creativity, her bright, impulsive, passionate sensuality, sounding in verses - these were two parts of one whole.
Safic connection
In 1914, Tsvetaeva learned that not only men could be loved. Sophia Parnok, a talented poet and brilliant translator, Russian Safo, seriously carried away Marina. She left her husband, inspired and carried away by the sudden kinship of souls in unison. This strange friendship lasted two years, full of the delight of love and gentle adoration. It is possible that the connection was indeed platonic. Emotions are what Marina Tsvetaeva needed. The life and work of this poetess are like an endless pursuit of an object of love - love itself. Happy or unhappy, mutual or unrequited, to a man or a woman - it does not matter. The only important thing is the rapture of the senses. Tsvetaeva wrote verses devoted to Parnok, which later entered the collection āGirlfriendā.
In 1916, the connection ended, Tsvetaeva returned home. The resigned Efron understood and forgave everything.
Peter Efron
The following year, two events take place simultaneously: Sergey Efron goes to the front as part of the White Army, and Marina has a second daughter, Irina.
However, the story of Efron's patriotic impulse is not so clear. Yes, he came from a noble family, was a hereditary Narodnaya Volya, his convictions were fully consistent with the ideals of the White movement.
But there was one more thing. In the same 1914, Tsvetaeva wrote piercing poems dedicated to Sergeiās brother, Peter. He was sick - consumption, like that of Tsvetaevaās mother.
And he is seriously ill. He is dying. Tsvetaeva, whose life and work is a flame of feelings, this person lights up. It can hardly be considered a novel in the normal sense of the word - but love is obvious. She watches with painful enthusiasm the rapid fading of the young man. He writes to him - the way she can, passionately and passionately. Goes to his hospital. Intoxicated by the extinction of others, intoxicated by her own sublime pity and tragic feelings, Marina devotes more time and soul to this man than to her husband and daughter. After all, emotions so vivid, so blinding, so dramatic - these are the main themes of Tsvetaevaās work.
Love polygon
What should Sergey Efron feel? A man who has turned from a husband into an annoying hindrance. The wife rushes between a strange girlfriend and a dying brother, writes passionate poems and dismisses Efron.
In 1915, Efron decided to become a nurse and go to the front. He goes to courses, finds work on a medical train. What was it? Conscious choice driven by conviction or a gesture of despair?
Marina suffers and worries, she rushes about, finds no place for herself. However, Tsvetaevaās work only benefits from this. Poems dedicated to her husband during this period are among the most piercing and creepy. Despair, longing and love - in these lines the whole world.
Passion, which corrodes the soul, spills into poetry, this is the whole Tsvetaeva. The biography and creativity of this poetess form each other, feelings create verses and events, and events - verses and feelings.
The tragedy of Irina
When in 1917 Efron, leaving the school of ensigns, went to the front, Marina was left alone with two children.
What happened later, Tsvetaevaās biographers try to pass over in silence. The youngest daughter of the poet, Irina, dies of hunger. Yes, in those years it was not uncommon. But in this case, the situation was extremely strange. Marina herself repeatedly said that she did not love the youngest child. Contemporaries claim that she beat the girl, called her crazy and stupid. Perhaps the child really had mental abnormalities, or maybe that was the effect of the bullying on his mother.
In 1919, when the food became very bad, Tsvetaeva decided to send the children to a sanatorium, for state security. The poetess never liked to engage in everyday turmoil, they annoyed her, aroused bitterness and despair. Unable to withstand the fuss with two sick children, she, in fact, gives them to the shelter. And then, knowing that theyāre practically not being fed there, she wears only one meal - the eldest, beloved. An unfortunate weakened three-year-old child does not withstand hardships and dies. At the same time, Tsvetaeva herself, obviously, eats if not normally, then tolerably. I have enough strength for creativity, for editing already written earlier. Tsvetaeva herself spoke of the tragedy that had happened: there wasnāt enough love for the child. Just not enough love.
Life with a genius
That was Marina Tsvetaeva. Creativity, feelings, aspirations of the soul were more important for her than living people who were nearby. Everyone who was too close to the bonfire of Tsvetaevaās creativity was scorched.
They say that the poetess fell victim to persecution and repression, could not stand the test of poverty and deprivation. But in the light of the tragedy of 1920, it is obvious - most of the suffering and torment that Tsvetaeva suffered is her fault. Free or involuntary, but her. Tsvetaeva never considered it necessary to keep her feelings and desires in check, she was a creator - and that was all said. The whole world served as her workshop. It is difficult to expect from people around Marina to perceive such an attitude with enthusiasm. Genius is, of course, wonderful. But from the side. Those who believe that close creators should tolerate indifference, cruelty and narcissism only out of respect for talent, simply did not live in such conditions. And they hardly have the right to judge.
Reading a book with brilliant verses is one thing. Dying of hunger when your mother does not consider it necessary to feed you, simply because she does not love you, is completely different. Yes, the works of Akhmatova and Tsvetaeva are masterpieces of silver age poetry. But this does not mean that poets were necessarily good people.
Konstantin Rodzevich
For all the character traits of Tsvetaeva, for all her everyday, practical inadequacy, Efron still loved her. Finding himself after the war in Europe, he called his wife and daughter there. Tsvetaeva went. For some time they lived in Berlin, then for three years - near Prague. There, in the Czech Republic, Tsvetaeva had another affair - with Konstantin Rodzevich. Again the fire of passion, poetry again. Tsvetaevaās work was enriched by two new poems.
Biographers justify this passion for the poetessās fatigue, her despair and depression. Rodzevich saw a woman in Tsvetaeva, and Marina was so yearning for love and admiration. It sounds quite convincing. If you do not think about the fact that Tsvetaeva lived in a country that was starving. Tsvetaeva, by her own admission, caused the death of her daughter. Marina was repeatedly fond of other men, and not just men, forgetting about her husband. And after all this, he made every effort to help his wife get out of a starving country. I didnāt leave her - although, of course, I could. Not divorced upon arrival. No. He gave her shelter, food and the opportunity to live in peace. Of course, what kind of romance is there ... It's boring. Itās commonplace. Whether business is a new fan.
European hobbies of Tsvetaeva
According to some contemporaries, the son of Tsvetaeva, George - is not at all a child of Efron. It is believed that the boyās father could be Rodzevich. But there is no exact information in this regard. Those who doubted the paternity of Efron did not like Marina, considered her an extremely unpleasant, difficult and unprincipled person. And consequently, from all possible explanations, they chose the most unpleasant, defaming name of the poetess. Did they have reasons for such dislike? Maybe. Should you trust such sources? No. Prejudice is the enemy of truthfulness.
Moreover, not only Rodzevich served as an object of enthusiasm for Tsvetaeva. It was then that she conducted scandalous correspondence with Pasternak, which was cut short by the wife of the latter, finding outrageously frank. Since 1926, Marina has been writing to Rilke, and communication lasts long enough - until the death of the legendary poet.
Life in emigration Tsvetaeva unpleasant. She yearns for Russia, wants to return, complains of frustration and loneliness. Homeland in the works of Tsvetaeva in these years has become a leading topic. Marina was carried away by prose, she writes about Voloshin, about Pushkin, about Andrei Bely.
At that time, the husband became interested in the ideas of communism, reconsidered his attitude to the Soviet regime, and even decided to participate in underground activities.
1941 - suicide
Not one Marina is sick returning to her homeland. The daughter, Ariadne, is also eager to go home - and she is indeed allowed to enter the USSR. Then Efron returns to his homeland, already by that time implicated in a political-killing murder. And in 1939, after 17 years of emigration, Tsvetaeva finally returned too. The joy was short-lived. In August of that year, Ariadne was arrested, in November - Sergei. Efron was shot in 1941, Ariadne received 15 years in the camps on charges of espionage. Tsvetaeva couldnāt find out anything about their fate - she simply hoped that her relatives were still alive.
In 1941, the war began, Marina with her sixteen-year-old son leaves for Yelabuga to evacuate. She has no money, no work, inspiration left the poetess. Emptied, disappointed, lonely Tsvetaeva could not stand it and on August 31, 1941, she committed suicide - she hanged herself.
She was buried in a local cemetery. The exact resting place of the poetess is unknown - only roughly the area in which there are several graves. There, after many years, a memorial monument was erected. There is no single point of view regarding the exact burial place of Tsvetaeva.