Among the many amazing stories of great compatriots, the biography of Osip Mandelstam, although not distinguished by a particular richness, is still remembered due to his tragedy. During his short life, he witnessed two revolutions, which was reflected not only in his worldview, but also in poems. In addition to them, the work of Osip Mandelstam includes prose, numerous essays, essays, translations, and literary criticism.
Childhood
Osip Emilievich Mandelstam, a Jew by birth, was born in January 1891 in the Polish capital, which at that time was assigned to Russia. Almost immediately after the birth of a son, the family moved to St. Petersburg. Emiliy Veniaminovich, the boy’s father, earned his livelihood by the glove business, and also as a merchant was in the first guild, which made him a good person in society. And her mother, Flora Verblovskaya, was engaged in music, the younger Mandelstam inherited her love from her. In the period from 1900 to 1907, Osip Emilievich studied at the prestigious Tenishevsky College, in which Nabokov had once received his education. After graduation, parents send their son to Paris, and later to Germany (thanks to financial security). At the Sorbonne, he attends many lectures, gets acquainted with French poetry and meets his future friend - Nikolai Gumilyov.
Homecoming
Unfortunately, the Mandelstam family goes bankrupt by 1911, and Osip returns to St. Petersburg. In the same year he was enrolled at St. Petersburg University at the Faculty of History and Philology, but he still could not complete his studies due to frivolity, and in 1917 he was expelled. During this period, his political sympathies were given to the Left Socialist Revolutionaries and Social Democrats. He also actively preaches Marxism. Creativity Osip Mandelstam formed in the French period of life, and the first poems were published in 1910 in the journal "Apollon".
"Workshop of poets"
It is so customary that poets always need like-minded people and belonging to a certain trend. The “Workshop of poets" group consisted of such famous personalities as Gumilyov, Akhmatova, Sergey Gorodetsky, and, of course, Mandelstam often attended meetings. Osip Emilievich in his early years gravitated to symbolism, but later became a follower of acmeism, like his closest friends from the club. The seeds of this movement are clear, distinct images and realism. Thus, in 1913, the first collection of Mandelstam's poems under the name “Stone” incorporated precisely the spirit of acmeism. In those same years, he speaks publicly, visits the “Stray Dog”, and also gets acquainted with Blok, Tsvetaeva and Livshits.
Years of wandering
The biography of Osip Mandelstam in this period is very stormy. When the First World War begins, the poet does not get to the front due to health problems. But the revolution of 1917 was very clearly reflected in his lyrics. His worldview and political views are changing again, now in favor of the Bolsheviks. He writes many poems directed against the king and the army. During this period, he becomes more and more famous and successful, actively travels around the country and is published in many publications. Unknown reasons prompt him to move to Kiev, where the future wife of Osip Mandelstam, Nadezhda Khazina, was living at that moment. Before the marriage, concluded in 1922, he manages to live for some time in the Crimea, where he is arrested on suspicion of Bolshevik intelligence. A year after his release, fate sends him to Georgia. However, even there the poet is waiting for an unpleasant surprise. He is again imprisoned, but thanks to the efforts of his local colleagues, he manages to quickly free himself.
Life and work in Soviet Russia
Immediately after serving his sentence in Georgia, the biography of Osip Mandelstam returns him to his native Petrograd again. His attitude to the revolution is reflected in the next collection of poems called Tristia, which is published in 1922 in Berlin. Then he binds himself with sacred bonds with Nadezhda Yakovlevna. In the works of that time, sweet tragedy reigned, accompanied by longing for parting with values, people and places. After this, the poet Osip Mandelstam goes into a deep and protracted poetic crisis, at first delighting admirers with only rare verses in which he expresses regret over the death of the old culture. And in the five-year period (from 1925 to 1930) he writes nothing at all, except prose. In order to somehow live in harsh conditions, he is engaged in translations. The third and final collection with the simple title “Poems” is published in 1928. In this he is greatly facilitated by Bukharin, who is far from the last in the Kremlin. However, supporters of Stalin, who is actively gaining strength, are looking for any reason to substitute the poet.
last years of life
The biography of Osip Mandelstam in the 30s brings him to the Caucasus with his wife, which also could not have done without the help and trouble of Bukharin. This, rather, is an occasion to hide from the persecution, rather than rest. Traveling helps Osip Emilievich regain interest in poetry, which results in a collection of essays entitled “Trip to Armenia”, which, however, were rejected by ideology. After 3 years, the poet returns home. His views are once again undergoing change, and disappointment in previously revered communism completely obscures his mind. From his pen comes the scandalous epigram “Kremlin Highlander”, which he reads to a curious public. Among these people is a scammer who is in a hurry to report to Stalin. In 1934, Osip is waiting for another arrest and exile in the Perm region, where he is accompanied by a faithful wife. There he tries to commit suicide, but the attempt turns out to be a failure. After that, the spouses are sent to Voronezh. It was there that the best and latest poems were written with the signature “Osip Mandelstam”, whose biography and work were cut short in 1938.
