Igor Severyanin
Encyclopedia
Igor Severyanin
Igor Severyanin ' onMouseout='HidePop("74910")' href="/topics/Tallinn">Tallinn
) was a Russia
n poet who presided over the circle of the so-called Ego-Futurists.
Igor was born in St. Petersburg in the family of an army engineer. Through his mother, he was remotely related to Nikolai Karamzin and Afanasy Fet
. In 1904 he left for Manchuria
with his father but later returned to St.Petersburg to publish first poems at his own expense. It was not until 1913 that, in the words of D.S. Mirsky, "the moment came when vulgarity claimed a place on Parnassus and issued its declaration of rights in the verse of Igor Severyanin". That year, Severyanin (his penname means "Nordic man/Man from the North" in Russian) brought out a collection entitled "The Cup of Thunder" (Громокипящий кубок), with a preface written by Fyodor Sologub
.
In one of his most celebrated poems, Lotaryov introduced himself to the readers with the following words: "I am Igor Severyanin, a genius!" He soon gained a cult following, especially in the provinces of Imperial Russia. The poet "captured the popular imagination and reached stardom with his slick pomaded hair parted in the middle; his melancholy, darkly circled eyes; his impeccable tails; and an ever-present lily in his hands".
Severyanin's poems treated such bizarre themes as "ice creams of lilacs" and "pineapples in champagne", intending to overwhelm the bourgeois audience with a riot of colors and cheap glamour associated by them with high society. In his verse, Severyanin admired dirigibles and automobile
s, everything that could convey to his simple-minded followers the notion of modernity. His would often shock the public by professing his admiration for Oscar Wilde
or scandalize his emulators with cynical statements and megalomania. During one party, they declared Severyanin "the king of poets", although respected critics professed their distaste for his work.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917
, Severyanin was one of the first poets to leave Russia. Having settled in Estonia
in 1918, he tried to return to Russia
afterwards, but could not for various reasons (namely, the civil war
, his marriage to a local woman (Felissa Kruut), unreceptive literary climate in Soviet Russia, etc.). After Soviet annexation of Estonia, 1940 Severyanin continued literary activities, but died of heart attack in the German occupied
Tallinn, 1941. He was buried in Alexander Nevsky cemetery, Tallinn.
Igor Severyanin ' onMouseout='HidePop("74910")' href="/topics/Tallinn">Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
) 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 who presided over the circle of the so-called Ego-Futurists.
Igor was born in St. Petersburg in the family of an army engineer. Through his mother, he was remotely related to Nikolai Karamzin and Afanasy Fet
Afanasy Fet
Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet , was a Russian poet regarded as one of the finest lyricists in Russian literature.-Origins:...
. In 1904 he left for Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
with his father but later returned to St.Petersburg to publish first poems at his own expense. It was not until 1913 that, in the words of D.S. Mirsky, "the moment came when vulgarity claimed a place on Parnassus and issued its declaration of rights in the verse of Igor Severyanin". That year, Severyanin (his penname means "Nordic man/Man from the North" in Russian) brought out a collection entitled "The Cup of Thunder" (Громокипящий кубок), with a preface written by Fyodor Sologub
Fyodor Sologub
Fyodor Sologub was a Russian Symbolist poet, novelist, playwright and essayist. He was the first writer to introduce the morbid, pessimistic elements characteristic of European fin de siècle literature and philosophy into Russian prose.-Early life:...
.
In one of his most celebrated poems, Lotaryov introduced himself to the readers with the following words: "I am Igor Severyanin, a genius!" He soon gained a cult following, especially in the provinces of Imperial Russia. The poet "captured the popular imagination and reached stardom with his slick pomaded hair parted in the middle; his melancholy, darkly circled eyes; his impeccable tails; and an ever-present lily in his hands".
Severyanin's poems treated such bizarre themes as "ice creams of lilacs" and "pineapples in champagne", intending to overwhelm the bourgeois audience with a riot of colors and cheap glamour associated by them with high society. In his verse, Severyanin admired dirigibles and automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s, everything that could convey to his simple-minded followers the notion of modernity. His would often shock the public by professing his admiration for Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
or scandalize his emulators with cynical statements and megalomania. During one party, they declared Severyanin "the king of poets", although respected critics professed their distaste for his work.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, Severyanin was one of the first poets to leave Russia. Having settled in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
in 1918, he tried to return to 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...
afterwards, but could not for various reasons (namely, the 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 marriage to a local woman (Felissa Kruut), unreceptive literary climate in Soviet Russia, etc.). After Soviet annexation of Estonia, 1940 Severyanin continued literary activities, but died of heart attack in the German occupied
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Tallinn, 1941. He was buried in Alexander Nevsky cemetery, Tallinn.