They say about the Russian poetess Vera Pavlova that she is real in everything. This is a real poet, a real mother and wife, a real woman. She has created over a dozen collections, among which there is not a single unsuccessful one.
Vera Anatolyevna does not like communication with journalists and often refuses to be interviewed. Therefore, and also because of the swiftness of her take-off to the literary Olympus, the opinion arose that such an author does not exist in reality, and all the poems under her name are a skillful literary hoax.
The path to the vocation
The biography of the future poetess began in 1963. The girl was born on May 4 in Moscow in a family of Desyatov graduates of the Metropolitan Institute of Alloys. Seven years later, Vera had a brother, Sergei. An interest in the poetic word was instilled in her granddaughter by her grandmother, who knew an incredible number of poems.
A six-year-old girl enthusiastically recited serious works to the guests. However, I did not try to write myself. She was interested in music. The child studied in the composition class at the Schnittke Music School. The student created plays, quartets, suites and even an opera by Barmaley. For seven years, the girl went on tour as part of the ensemble.
The schoolgirl was good at drawing. Her comics were so successful that she was recommended an art education. After the theoretical department of the music college, the graduate continued her studies at the Gnessin Academy with a degree in Music History. In the future, Vera dreamed of becoming a composer.
The student, together with her classmates, jokingly wrote a detective-parody "Theorist follows the trail" in the first year. The sophomores staged an opera, and in the third year, the students made the film themselves. In the fourth year, personal life has undergone dramatic changes. The common favorite and cheerleader married a student of the jazz department, the future pianist Andrei Shatsky.
A daughter, Natasha, appeared in the family. She subsequently chose a career as an opera singer. The second husband was Mikhail Pavlov, an amateur poet, writer. In alliance with him, his daughter Elizabeth was born. She graduated from the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, works as a photographer. Vera Anatolyevna conducted excursions in the Chaliapin House-Museum, created and published musical essays. Pavlova created her first iconic works after the birth of a child and separation from her husband in 1992.
The first steps in the literary field
The magazine "Yunost" published the first selection of the novice poetess. After the appearance of works in the newspaper "Segodnya" Pavlova turned into a famous writer. It was then that the myth of literary hoax appeared. Vera's third husband Mikhail Pozdnyaev was a professional journalist and poet. Thanks to him, his wife founded a club, a poetry studio, "Zodiac". For 12 years, Vera studied literature and music with children, staged plays with the participation of pupils. The marriage broke up in 2001.
In 1997, the first collection of the poetess "Heavenly Animal" was published. In 1998, a new book, Second Language, appeared. Pavlova's poetry is a kind of autobiography, a confession of a contemporary. In her works, she is not afraid to share with readers problems, dreams of a real strong feeling, fatigue and worries. She admits that she writes for herself.
Paradoxically, in the author's poetry, the frankness of introspection is combined with traditional views on family, love, marriage. The poems of the pack poetess are known far beyond the borders of the country. They are sold out instantly, published in the leading literary publications in Europe, America, Russia. Vera Anatolyevna is often present as a guest at international and national literary festivals.
Performances are staged based on the author's work. Pavlova recorded 7 discs; she herself sings the poems of the poets of the Silver Age. The author has created librettos for five operas, wrote four cantatas. The originality and directness gave the critics a reason to compare Pavlova with Marina Tsvetaeva.
Vera herself is calm about all assessments of her work. She is only afraid that she will not be able to write. The author admits that, in her opinion, true love can only be happy. And you need to create in order to find your Prince. This is exactly what happened to Vera Anatolyevna.
New Horizons
Her poems were translated into English by Stephen Seymour. He was so impressed by the works that he came to Russia in 2001 to meet the author personally. The first meeting turned into a real feeling. They officially became husband and wife in 2006. For a long time, Pavlova, according to her confession, lived on an airplane, constantly flying from Russia and America.
They practically never parted with their spouse. In his translation, the works of the chosen one were published in The New Yorker. We worked together on a new collection of Faith for 7 years. The book of translations "If There Is Something To Desire" was published by the American publishing house "Knopf". In 2010, the collection entered the top ten American poetry bestsellers, becoming the only translated edition in the ranking.
In 2000, the author was awarded the Apollo Grigoriev Prize. Her works have been translated into 22 languages. Pavlova chairs the jury of the first international competition for translations of Turkic-lingual poetry "Ak Torna".
Stephen passed away in 2014.
Vera Anatolyevna is working on a new book. She is not afraid of old age, jokingly calling her poems a preemptive blow. The author calls this period enlightenment, sent to enjoy the world's beauty and time for relaxation.
The poetess then plans to start writing poems for children. Pavlova will be jokingly assured that only in old age will she begin to learn to cook and acquire a cookbook.
Pavlova has a website. On his pages and on Facebook, she communicates with fans, replies to their messages.
