Vladimir Mayakovsky is known as one of the most significant poets of the Russian Revolution.
He rose to prominence in the early 20th century with his innovative and energetic poetry, which often addressed political and social themes. His political influence was due to his heavy involvement in Soviet politics and propaganda serving as a member of the Bolshevik party and producing propaganda pieces in support of the Communist cause.
However, Mayakovsky’s life was not just about politics and revolution; he was also a romantic at heart.
Enter Tatyana Yakovleva
Tatyana was born in Moscow in 1906 to a wealthy family. Her father was a military engineer who would later become an architect, and her mother was a socialite who hosted many events in their home. Tatyana grew up in a privileged environment and was provided with a good education which made her a very intellectual person.
As a young woman, Tatyana was known for her beauty and charm as she was probably the most academic person to have modelled for the Chanel fashion house. She was often invited to social events and was popular among the elite circles in Moscow.
Our story starts here
In 1928 Mayakovsky and Tatyana met in Paris through a mutual friend — Lilya Brik — who Vladimir was once in love with. She was one of the most famous and influential women in the Soviet Union who was called by Pablo Neruda the “muse of Russian avant-garde”.
Lilya Brik plays an important role in Mayakosvky’s story since she was the one that introduced him to Tatyana — who would later become his muse.
Mayakovsky was infatuated with Tatyana’s beauty and intelligence, and she was drawn to his wit and charisma.
Their love lasted for a couple of years, during which Mayakovsky wrote some of his most famous love poems, including “A Cloud in Trousers” and “The Backbone Flute.”
After their initial introduction, Vladimir would keep in touch with her albeit their forbidden love. Why forbidden you may ask? Vladimir and Tatyana were of different backgrounds. Vladimir was the “bad boy” who was born into a poor family, with ties to far-left communist parties, in comparison to Tatyana who was the pretty, well-educated lady.
There were many reasons for them to not fall in love but Vladimir had no intentions of doing so.
Later, Tatyana would help Vladimir choose a car to travel from Paris to Moscow. This is an important part of the story.
It’s safe to say that Mayakosvky was madly in love with Tatyana, so much so that he even wrote a poem for her called — “Letter to Tatiana Yakovleva”
“[…] Don’t you think just squinting from under straightened arcs.
Go here, go to the crossroads my big and clumsy hands.
Do not want?
Stay and winter and this insult we will lower it to the general account.
I don’t care you someday I’ll take one or together with Paris.”
Vladimir was so much in love with Tatyana that all the money he was making he’d spend at a Parisian flower shop in which he’d given a specific set of orders.
Every week, a flower boy would take some very unusual and unique flower bouquets to Tatyana’s house and every time she’d open the door, the flower boy would lean into her ear and say the following.
“From Mayakovsky.”
This flower shop would follow Vladimir’s request every week, no matter the weather or time.
After a year, in 1929, Vladimir decided to leave Russia to go visit Tatyana in Paris but he came across an issue. He was denied a visa. Urban legends say that Lilya — his former muse — and her husband played an important role in this, due to their powerful governmental connections.
His reaction was very simple.
“If I do not see Tatyana — he said — , I will shoot myself.”
Later, after he would stay in Moscow, Russia, he’d meet a beautiful actress Veronika Polonskaya with whom he’d spend the next year until April 14, 1930.
On this day, Vladimir would take his own life. After Veronika left his flat, she heard a loud gunshot from inside the apartment. As soon as she walked in, she saw Mayakovsky dead, lying on the floor with a bullet in his chest — where his heart used to be.
His funeral would be the third-largest event of public mourning in Soviet history after Lenin, and Stalin.
The note he wrote before his death, said the following,
“To all of you. I die, but don’t blame anyone for it, and please do not gossip. The deceased disliked that sort of thing terribly. Mother, sisters, comrades, forgive me — this is not a good method (I do not recommend it to others), but there is no other way out for me. Lily — love me. Comrade Government, my family consists of Lily Brik, mama, my sisters, and Veronika Vitoldovna Polonskaya. If you can provide a decent life for them, thank you. Give the poem I started to the Briks. They’ll sort them out.”
Our story continues back in Paris
On that day Tatyana would receive another bouquet and the flower boy would do as requested. As soon as he gave her the flowers, he would lean in and say — “From Mayakovsky.”
Tatyana would keep receiving flowers every week, for the next ten years — even after Vladimir’s death. The flowers continued to arrive in the 1940s even after France was invaded by the Germans.
At that time Tatyana didn’t have any access to money but she found a clever way to survive. For the next few years, she’d sell the flowers she received from Mayakosvky on the boulevard in German-occupied Paris and since they were extremely rare, she made a lot of money.
After Paris was liberated by Allied troops, Tatiana continued to receive flowers until her very end, at the age of 84.
Through the ages
The sun was shining brightly on that beautiful day in the late 1970s when Tatyana, decided to finally open up to the Soviet engineer Arkady Ryvlin.
He had dreamed of meeting her in person after hearing her story from his mother during his youth. And finally, he found himself sitting in her Parisian home, surrounded by a sea of bouquets, listening to her every word.
They talked for hours, discussing everything about her life. Arkady was in awe of her, but he was also out of depth to ask the grey-haired lady about the love of her youth. However, he did ask her about Mayakovsky and what had happened to her after he passed away.
As Tatyana intended to make him a cup of tea, the doorbell interrupted them. A bouquet of golden Japanese chrysanthemums was presented to Tatyana, with the same old message:
“From Mayakovsky.”
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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