Velimir Khlebnikov is one of the most famous poets of the early twentieth century, a representative of the Russian avant-garde, who called himself "the chairman of the globe." He, of course, was an extraordinary and controversial person. In his work, he strove for innovation, used unusual literary techniques, associativity, abstract narrative. Therefore, not every reader is able to truly understand and feel his works.
Biography: early years
At birth, the poet was named Victor, his full name is Victor Vladimirovich Khlebnikov. From his father's side, he came from a noble merchant family. However, Vladimir Alekseevich Khlebnikov had nothing to do with trade, but was engaged in botany and ornithology. His research activities led the family to the Maloderbetovsky ulus of the Astrakhan province, where Victor was born on October 28, 1885.
He became the third child of the Khlebnikovs, and later they had two more children. In addition to Victor, his sister Vera, who became an avant-garde artist, is also well known. The mother of the future great poet, Ekaterina Nikolaevna, received a history education, grew up in a wealthy family, and among her ancestors were Zaporozhye Cossacks.
Vladimir Khlebnikov was in the civil service, which is why he did not stay in one place for a long time. The family followed him. In Simbirsk, Victor went to the gymnasium, and in 1898 he continued his studies in Kazan. In 1903 he entered Kazan University, opting for the Physics and Mathematics Faculty. Participation in a student demonstration turned into arrest and imprisonment for one month, after which Khlebnikov took the documents from the university. And in the fall of 1904 he returned to study, only now he chose the department of natural sciences.
At first, Victor enthusiastically takes up his studies, is engaged in research in the field of ornithology, writes scientific articles. In her spare time she studies Japanese. But gradually the sphere of his interests is shifting more and more towards literature.
Literary creativity: first steps
In 1904 Khlebnikov made an attempt to publish the play "Elena Gordyachkina", but did not find a response from the publishers. His next literary experience was the work in prose "Yenya Voeikov", which remained unfinished. At the same time, Victor writes poetry and sends some of them to the poet Vyacheslav Ivanov. In 1908, in the Crimea, they met personally. After that, Khlebnikov decides to move to St. Petersburg, for which he is transferred to the natural department of St. Petersburg University.
In the capital, he falls under the influence of the Symbolists, is interested in Slavic mythology, paganism. Becomes closer to the writer Alexei Remizov and becomes a frequent guest in his house. Khlebnikov's new hobby is reflected in the play "Snowman". In October 1908, the newspaper Vesna published the poem The Temptation of the Sinner. This was the debut of the young author in print media. In 1909 he left for a long time to stay with relatives in the suburbs of Kiev, and on his return he wrote the poem "Menagerie".
Khlebnikov's educational interests are changing again: he chooses between the Faculty of Oriental Languages and the Faculty of History and Philology, in the end he prefers the latter. At the same time, he got a creative pseudonym Velimir - translated from the Slavic language "big world". Khlebnikov is a member of the Academy of Verse, organized by the symbolist poet Vyacheslav Ivanov, writes the poem The Crane and the drama Madame Lenin.
Russian futurism
In 1910, the next stage of his creative work began as a part of the literary association "Budelyane". The members of this group publish the collection "The Trap of Judges", which includes several of Khlebnikov's works. The literary world accepts the creativity of the "Budelyans" with hostility, accusing it of frivolity and bad taste.
Meanwhile, Velimir begins a creative crisis, and he switches to the search for numerical patterns of historical development. His works are reflected in the brochure Teacher and Student, published in May 1912. In it, Khlebnikov actually predicted the coming revolutions of 1917.
The "Budelyan" group is developing and is gradually turning into a movement of Russian futurism. Velimir becomes close to the poet Alexei Kruchenykh, they write the poem "The Game in Hell". As part of a group of futurists, Khlebnikov's works are published in both general and author collections:
- A Slap in the Face to Public Taste (1912);
- "Roar!" (1913) - the first author's collection of the poet;
- "Collection of Poems" (1914).
Search for patterns
Gradually, creative differences alienate Khlebnikov from the futurists, and he again gets carried away with the study of historical laws. Based on his activities, he declares the number 317 as the key number in the relationship between mathematics and history. At the beginning of 1915 he came up with the "Society of Presidents of the Globe", which should consist of 317 outstanding people of the world.
In the spring of 1916 Khlebnikov was called up for military service, and he left for Volgograd. It’s not easy for the poet in the army, so he turns to his friend psychiatrist Nikolai Kulbin for help, who diagnoses Velimir with a mental disorder. After a series of commissions, the poet leaves military service.
During the February Revolution of 1917, Khlebnikov came to St. Petersburg, wrote poems in support of the events. In 1918 he went on a trip to Russia, stayed with his parents in Astrakhan for a long time and collaborated with the local newspaper Krasny Warrior.
In 1919 the poet entered a psychiatric hospital in Kharkov to avoid being drafted into Denikin's army. He works a lot and fruitfully, composes several poems:
- "Forest melancholy";
- "Poet";
- Ladomir;
- "Razin".
The last years of life and death
From 1920 to 1922 the poet traveled a lot: Rostov-on-Don, Baku, Persia, Zheleznovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Moscow. He is working on the treatise "Boards of Fate", writes poems "The Night Before the Soviets", "Chairman of the Cheka" and many poems. His contemporaries recalled that due to frequent travels, Khlebnikov's works were constantly lost and kept in complete disarray. Sometimes he even slept on a pillow of manuscripts stuffed into a pillowcase.
Shortly before his death, Velimir finished the work "Zangezi", written in the genre of super-novel he invented. This work, like the "Boards of Destiny", explored the "laws of time", and the main character Zangezi was presented as a new prophet. Khlebnikov's supernatural was published after his death.
Visiting the artist Pyotr Miturich, who lived in the Novgorod province, the poet's legs were suddenly paralyzed. Local medicine could do nothing to help him, and Khlebnikov's condition seriously deteriorated. On June 28, 1922, he died at the house of his friend Miturich and was buried in the village of Ruchyi. In 1960, the remains of the writer were transported to Moscow and buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
Personal life
In the poet's personal life, there was only a place for platonic feelings. He was in love with a distant relative Maria Ryabchevskaya, admired Ksana Boguslavskaya, Vera Budberg and Vera Sinyakova. But not a single woman lingered in his life and failed to fully accept Khlebnikov with all his eccentricities.
A number of modern psychiatrists who have studied his personality and work have come to the conclusion that the great Russian avant-garde artist suffered from a schizophrenic disorder. And this diagnosis explained the strangeness in his behavior, a special view of the world, literary uniqueness.
