Ilya Selvinsky
Encyclopedia
Ilya Selvinsky was a Russia
n poet, and known leader of the Constructivist
movement; as such, he implemented "a scientific approach into the realm of poetry."
In fact, many of Selvinsky's poems are very far from constructivism, showing a fine lyric approach, sometimes of an ecstatic-gloomy character ("Call me, call me" and some other verses from World War II
- and the post-War periods, for instance.) As with many Soviet
poets, he was first enthusiastic about Communism ideology, and as happened with some of them, he later became disillusioned with it. This "transition" was reflected in his poetry's contents and vocabulary, which, in its turn, was enriched by his multifarious professions: he was an actor
, circus
fighter, dock
worker, fur-processing instructor; he graduated from the department of Social Sciences of Moscow State University
.
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, and known leader 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...
movement; as such, he implemented "a scientific approach into the realm of poetry."
In fact, many of Selvinsky's poems are very far from constructivism, showing a fine lyric approach, sometimes of an ecstatic-gloomy character ("Call me, call me" and some other verses from World War II
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...
- and the post-War periods, for instance.) As with many Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
poets, he was first enthusiastic about Communism ideology, and as happened with some of them, he later became disillusioned with it. This "transition" was reflected in his poetry's contents and vocabulary, which, in its turn, was enriched by his multifarious professions: he was an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
fighter, dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
worker, fur-processing instructor; he graduated from the department of Social Sciences of Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
.