Eduard Bagritsky
Encyclopedia
Eduard Bagritsky real name Dzyubin (February 16, 1934), was an important Russia
n and Soviet poet of the Constructivist
School.
He was a Neo-Romantic early in his poetic career; he was also a part of the so-called Odessa School of Russian writers (which also included Isaak Babel, Yuri Olesha, Valentin Katayev, Vera Inber
, Ilya Ilf
and Yevgeni Petrov, among others). A large number of this school's writers were Odessa
natives who often incorporated Ukrainian inflections and vocabulary into their writing.
, but most of his creative career took place in Moscow. After his early death from asthma, his friends helped to publish several of his works posthumously to provide financial assistance to his family. Isaac Babel, for example, planned to write a screenplay based on Bagritsky's long poem "Duma
about Opanas" (the script was never finished and was eventually lost).
Bagritsky was heavily influenced by the Russian Revolution and Civil War
. His poetry often touches on the subjects of violence, revolutionary morality, sexuality and its interethnic sociological problems. His worldview was extremely unsentimental, and earned him much invective from detractors from all sides who saw his poetry as vindictive toward both his Jewish origins and the host Russian culture.
In his book Russian Poet/Soviet Jew: The Legacy of Eduard Bagritskii (2000), Maxim D. Shrayer
investigated the path of this major Jewish poet writing in the Russian language and examined Bagritsky's contested legacy. The book included English translations of Bagrtisky's works, among the his long poem February (1933–34).
In his poetry of the last period of his life Bagritsky managed to covertly criticise the growing oppressive Stalinist regime. He died in Moscow
in 1934, aged 38.
Bagritsky's wife, Lidia Gustavovna Suok (of Czech and Austrian descent), had two sisters who also married noted writers: Olga married Yuri Olesha and Serafima married Vladimir Narbut
. Bagritsky's son Vsevolod (killed early in World War II) was also a notable Russian poet, whose fiancée Yelena Bonner
(eventually the wife of Andrei Sakharov
) later was a notable Russian dissident
.
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 and Soviet poet of the Constructivist
Constructivism (art)
Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1919, which was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes. Constructivism had a great effect on modern art movements of the 20th...
School.
He was a Neo-Romantic early in his poetic career; he was also a part of the so-called Odessa School of Russian writers (which also included Isaak Babel, Yuri Olesha, Valentin Katayev, Vera Inber
Vera Inber
Vera Mikhailovna Inber, born Shpenzer, was a Russian-Soviet poet and writer.-Biography:...
, Ilya Ilf
Ilya Ilf
Ilya Ilf was an extremely popular Soviet author of the 1920s and 1930s, who worked in collaboration with Yevgeni Petrov. See Ilf and Petrov for more info....
and Yevgeni Petrov, among others). A large number of this school's writers were Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
natives who often incorporated Ukrainian inflections and vocabulary into their writing.
Biography
Bagritsky was a native of OdessaOdessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, but most of his creative career took place in Moscow. After his early death from asthma, his friends helped to publish several of his works posthumously to provide financial assistance to his family. Isaac Babel, for example, planned to write a screenplay based on Bagritsky's long poem "Duma
Duma (epic)
A Duma is a sung epic poem which originated in Ukraine during the Hetmanate Era in the sixteenth century...
about Opanas" (the script was never finished and was eventually lost).
Bagritsky was heavily influenced by the Russian Revolution and Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. His poetry often touches on the subjects of violence, revolutionary morality, sexuality and its interethnic sociological problems. His worldview was extremely unsentimental, and earned him much invective from detractors from all sides who saw his poetry as vindictive toward both his Jewish origins and the host Russian culture.
In his book Russian Poet/Soviet Jew: The Legacy of Eduard Bagritskii (2000), Maxim D. Shrayer
Maxim D. Shrayer
Shrayer, Maxim D. is a bilingual Russian-American author, translator, and literary scholar, and a professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies at Boston College.-Biography:...
investigated the path of this major Jewish poet writing in the Russian language and examined Bagritsky's contested legacy. The book included English translations of Bagrtisky's works, among the his long poem February (1933–34).
In his poetry of the last period of his life Bagritsky managed to covertly criticise the growing oppressive Stalinist regime. He died in 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...
in 1934, aged 38.
Bagritsky's wife, Lidia Gustavovna Suok (of Czech and Austrian descent), had two sisters who also married noted writers: Olga married Yuri Olesha and Serafima married Vladimir Narbut
Vladimir Narbut
Vladimir Ivanovich Narbut - Russian poet of Ukrainian descent, and member of the Acmeist group, brother of Ukrainian artist and graphic designer Georgy Narbut.-Biography:...
. Bagritsky's son Vsevolod (killed early in World War II) was also a notable Russian poet, whose fiancée Yelena Bonner
Yelena Bonner
Yelena Bonner was a human rights activist in the former Soviet Union and wife of the noted physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. During her decades as a dissident, Bonner was noted for her characteristic blunt honesty and courage.-Youth:...
(eventually the wife of Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov was a Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident and human rights activist. He earned renown as the designer of the Soviet Union's Third Idea, a codename for Soviet development of thermonuclear weapons. Sakharov was an advocate of civil liberties and civil reforms in the...
) later was a notable Russian dissident
Dissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
.
External links
- Article about Bagritsky in the YIVO Encyclopediad of Jews in Eastern Europe
- Eduard Bagritsky. Poems
- P. Barenboim, B. Meshcheryakov — Flanders in Moscow and Odessa:: poet Eduard Bagritskii (Bagritsky) as the Till Ulenspiegel of Russian literature. An HTML version of the book on the Flemish theme and opposition to Stalinism in the poetical legacy of Eduard Bagritskii (Bagritsky). Complete translations of the poems comprising the “Flemish” cycle. This book in print.