Lilya Brik: Mayakovsky's muse and a symbol of Russian poetry
Was born Lilya Brik. Mayakovsky's beloved woman.
And I won’t throw myself into the air,
and I will not drink poison,
and I won't be able to pull the trigger over my temple.
Above me,
except for your gaze,
the blade of any knife has no power
(Lilichka!)
She was born into a Jewish family KaganovThey named her Lily, after Goethe's beloved. Mayakovsky will call her Lily, in the Russian manner.
With my sister Elsa (future wife Louis Aragon) received an excellent education, spoke German and French fluently, and played the piano. Lily had a knack for mathematics. And—her secret to success with men.
You need to convince a man that he's wonderful, even brilliant, but that others don't understand it. And allow him to do what's not allowed at home. Well, good shoes and silk underwear will do the rest.
At 17, she became pregnant by her music teacher. Her parents insisted on an abortion. Although Lily wanted to keep the child, a childhood friend Osya Brick He even proposed marriage to “cover up the sin.”
Lili married Osip Brik in 1912, after studying sculpture in Munich and having a series of affairs. Osip's parents weren't happy with their son's choice, but they resigned themselves to it.
I bought them by asking them to replace the wedding gift of a diamond necklace with a Steinway piano. From this, they concluded that I was selfless and cultured.
In 1914, the Briks' St. Petersburg apartment was transformed into a salon for the creative intelligentsia. A year later, the "happiest" event in their lives would take place there. Mayakovsky — meeting the Briks. Osip was impressed by the poem "A Cloud in Trousers" he read at their salon—he would publish it at his own expense. And Mayakovsky was impressed by Lilya—he asked permission to dedicate the poem to her.
I crumple miles of streets with the swing of my steps.
Where will I go, hiding this hell!
What heavenly Hoffmann
Are you making this up, damn you?!
(Spine flute)
Later, Mayakovsky and Lilya would symbolically exchange rings. On his, the initials of L.Yu.B. would spell out the endless "I love you."
I told Osya that my feelings for Volodya were proven, strong, and that I was now his wife. And Osya agreed (from a letter to her sister)
They lived in a “triple alliance”, separated, traveled together and separately.
On April 14, 1930, the Briks, traveling in Europe, bought Mayakovsky cigars and ties as gifts. They sent a postcard, which the poet never read—he committed suicide.
I had a dream: I was angry at Volodya for shooting himself, and he so tenderly puts a tiny pistol in my hand and says: “You’ll do the same thing anyway.”
She outlived Mayakovsky by 48 years. She had two more common-law marriages. She was most distressed by the death of Osip Brik.
When Volodya shot himself, it was Volodya who died. When Primakov [her second husband, a military commander] died, it was he who died. But when Osya died, it was I who died!
She lived with the writer until the end of her life. Vasily Katanyan. Owning half of the rights to Mayakovsky's creative legacy, she participated in the publication of the poet's complete works. She also created the first museum named after him in Moscow.
She decided to end her life at 86, after falling and breaking her hip. She left a note of apology and took a lethal dose of Nembutal.
It doesn't matter how you die, it matters how you live
At her request, her ashes were scattered over a field near Moscow. A stone with the letters "L.Yu.B." was erected.
