The life and fate of this man would remain an incomprehensible mystery and mystery to us if he did not decide to connect his fate with the red-haired beauty Lily Kagan, and through it with one of the most prominent poets of the Soviet era - Vladimir Mayakovsky. It will be about the writer, screenwriter and literary critic Osip Brik. Biography, literary activity and personal life are waiting for you in this material.
Family and childhood Osipa
Osip was born on January 16, 1888. His parents - Max Brik and Polina Sigalova - had the right to stay in Moscow. The fact is that Max Brick was a merchant of the first guild. The family had a company, they were engaged in the sale of precious stones, the main specialization was the sale of coral. It should be noted that both Max and Polina were incredibly educated people, they spoke several languages. Osip Brik's mother was significantly different from other women in her progressive views.
School years
The atmosphere that reigned in the house of Osip, became the reason that the boy was prepared for training. He was able to enter a prestigious gymnasium without any blame, where no more than two boys of Jewish nationality were admitted a year. Despite the fact that Osip Brik was expelled shortly, he managed to finish his studies quite successfully. By the way, the second child, who was also admitted to this gymnasium, was Oleg Frelikh, a Soviet director and actor.
It was Oleg, Osip, and three other students who became the creators of the secret society. The emblem of society was a five-pointed star. There was a secret organization throughout the years of training. The "Gang of Five" dabbled not only in youthful amusements that were standard for that time. Once friends even raised a small amount of money and presented it to a woman who was engaged in prostitution!
Members of the secret community read a lot, talked about the works of different authors. The schoolchildren were especially interested in Russian symbolism. It was at this time that Osip Brik began to write poetry in this genre.
Feelings for Lily
When Osip was 16 years old, he was seriously interested in 13-year-old Lily Kagan. With her father, a lawyer by training, he simply adored discussing various political issues. For some time Osip and Lily went on dates, but Brik once told his beloved that their meeting was a mistake, he realized that he had mixed up warm friendly feelings with love, and therefore they had to leave. But after some time, the young people began to meet again. True, this did not last long. In the summer of 1906, Lily, together with her mother and younger sister, went to the resort, taking in advance a promise from Osip: to write to her every day. The young man ignored Lily's requests and sent her only one letter. After reading it, the red-haired beauty fell into hysteria, broke the letter into small pieces, she began a nervous breakdown, which was accompanied by hair loss and facial teak.
The next time they met on one of the Moscow streets, Brick already wore a pince-nez. Lily then noted that he had grown old and turned sour. They exchanged meaningless phrases, when suddenly Lily said:
And I love you, Osia.
In 1912, Osip and Lily got married.
Acquaintance with Mayakovsky
The Brik House was a kind of communication center, philologists and writers gathered here. In 1915, the younger sister Lily invited her lover - Vladimir Mayakovsky. The young poet read his poems and flirted with the mistress of the house.
That evening, Vladimir dedicated a poem to Lilya Brik entitled "Cloud in Pants." This did not bother Osip at all, he was fascinated by the talent of Mayakovsky, and therefore he even published a poem, spending his own money on it. The friendship of men grew stronger from year to year, and therefore Lily was able to admit infidelity to her husband only in 1918. In her diaries, she wrote that she would leave Volodya if Osip did not like it. However, her fears and worries were in vain: Osip Brik only made a promise from his wife to never leave him and always live together. A few days later Vladimir Mayakovsky wrote the following note:
To the chairman of the housing estate d. 13/15 on Gendrikov Lane. Please register in my apartment TT. L. Yu. Brick and O.M. Brick. V. Mayakovsky.
Love triangle
So in the personal life of Brikov - Osip and Lily - a poet appeared. This "family" was more than just weird. Osip got a lover, Lily also changed men. Mayakovsky made one-day acquaintances with women while traveling in America and Europe. In 1921, Osip was fired from the Cheka for "negligent work." The family was provided only by Vladimir Mayakovsky. It is enough to read Brik's letters to the poet over those years - these are endless requests for money.
These complex relationships continued until 1925. Then the writer Osip Brik divorced Lily, who seemed to him too frivolous. After that, he cohabited with Eugene Sokolova-Pearl. She also became his secretary.
Future life
The thirties of the last century were rich for Osip Maksimovich Brick in terms of work. Then he wrote a lot: these were scripts for movies, libretto for operas. Brick worked actively with Mayakovsky. In collaboration with the poet, he wrote several literary manifestos. Osip Maksimovich published articles about this poet.
He was also involved in transforming works of art into scripts for theatrical productions. During the Great Patriotic War, Osip wrote patriotic texts for "TASS Windows". He led a literary circle. All this time he did not stop communicating with Lily, who, after the death of Vladimir Mayakovsky, began to meet with the red commander Primakov. Osip died in February 1945. Doctors called the cause of his death a heart attack. Brika was cremated, his ashes buried in the Novodevichy cemetery.