Anatoly Marienhof
Encyclopedia
Anatoly Borisovich Marienhof or Mariengof ' onMouseout='HidePop("13817")' href="/topics/Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S.
) 1897 — 24 April 1962) was a Russia
n poet
, novelist and playwright
. He was one of the leading figures of Imaginism
. Now he is mostly remembered for his memoirs that depict Russian literary life of the 1920s and his friendship with Sergei Yesenin
.
. Upon graduating from gymnasium
in 1914, he was drafted and served during the First World War on Eastern Front
.
Marienhof's literary career started in 1918 when he participated in the Imaginists' manifesto "Deklaraciia", published in Voronezh
. The manifesto was signed also by Sergei Yesenin
and other Moscow
poets. Together they started a new poetic flow called Imaginism
. Marienhof participated in all Imaginist actions and publications. He himself published a dozen books of poetry in 1920—1928. He became a close friend of Yesenin with whom he shared a flat during some months. Marienhof is the dedicatee of some of Yesenin's major works, including the large poem Sorokoust, the drama Pugachov and the tract on poetics Maria's Keys'.
Marienhof gained further renown with his controversial fiction: "The Novel without Lies" (1926) and "The Cynics" (1928). The former presented his fictionalized (although still largely accurate) recollections of his friendship with Sergei Yesenin; the latter was a story of the life of young intellectuals during the revolution and the War communism
. Both were met with sharp criticism in the Soviet press. "The Cynics" was published in Berlin (Petropolis), and not in the Soviet Union until 1988.
After the publication of his last novel, "Shaved Man", in 1930 in Berlin
and parts of his historical novel "Ekaterina" (1936), Marienhof was reduced to writing for theatre and later for radio without any hope of being published again. Yesenin's works were edited in the USSR for a long period of time to omit the dedications to Marienhof.
In his later years, after Stalin's death, Marienhof wrote mostly memoirs; they were published several decades after his death in 1962.
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
) 1897 — 24 April 1962) was a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, novelist and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. He was one of the leading figures of Imaginism
Imaginism
Imaginism was a poetic flow inside Russian avant-garde which came about after the Revolution of 1917. It was founded in 1918 in Moscow by a group of poets including Anatoly Marienhof, Vadim Shershenevich, and Sergei Yesenin, who wanted to distance themselves from the Futurists; the name may have...
. Now he is mostly remembered for his memoirs that depict Russian literary life of the 1920s and his friendship with Sergei Yesenin
Sergei Yesenin
Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin was a Russian lyrical poet. He was one of the most popular and well-known Russian poets of the 20th century but committed suicide at the age of 30...
.
Biography
Anatoly Marienhof was born into a nobleman's family in Nizhny NovgorodNizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
. Upon graduating from gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in 1914, he was drafted and served during the First World War on Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
.
Marienhof's literary career started in 1918 when he participated in the Imaginists' manifesto "Deklaraciia", published in Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
. The manifesto was signed also by Sergei Yesenin
Sergei Yesenin
Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin was a Russian lyrical poet. He was one of the most popular and well-known Russian poets of the 20th century but committed suicide at the age of 30...
and other Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
poets. Together they started a new poetic flow called Imaginism
Imaginism
Imaginism was a poetic flow inside Russian avant-garde which came about after the Revolution of 1917. It was founded in 1918 in Moscow by a group of poets including Anatoly Marienhof, Vadim Shershenevich, and Sergei Yesenin, who wanted to distance themselves from the Futurists; the name may have...
. Marienhof participated in all Imaginist actions and publications. He himself published a dozen books of poetry in 1920—1928. He became a close friend of Yesenin with whom he shared a flat during some months. Marienhof is the dedicatee of some of Yesenin's major works, including the large poem Sorokoust, the drama Pugachov and the tract on poetics Maria's Keys'.
Marienhof gained further renown with his controversial fiction: "The Novel without Lies" (1926) and "The Cynics" (1928). The former presented his fictionalized (although still largely accurate) recollections of his friendship with Sergei Yesenin; the latter was a story of the life of young intellectuals during the revolution and the War communism
War communism
War communism or military communism was the economic and political system that existed in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War, from 1918 to 1921...
. Both were met with sharp criticism in the Soviet press. "The Cynics" was published in Berlin (Petropolis), and not in the Soviet Union until 1988.
After the publication of his last novel, "Shaved Man", in 1930 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and parts of his historical novel "Ekaterina" (1936), Marienhof was reduced to writing for theatre and later for radio without any hope of being published again. Yesenin's works were edited in the USSR for a long period of time to omit the dedications to Marienhof.
In his later years, after Stalin's death, Marienhof wrote mostly memoirs; they were published several decades after his death in 1962.
English Translations
- Cynics, (Novel), Hyperion Press, 1973.
- A Novel Without Lies, (Memoir), Glas, 2000.