Vladimir Mayakovsky (7 June, 1893 – 14 April, 1930) was a Russian poet, playwright, and actor. He was a famous figure in the Russian Futurist movement.
Fun Facts about Vladimir Mayakovsky:
- Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky was born in Baghdati, Georgia. At the time it was part of the Russian Empire. His father, Vladimir Mayakovsky was a forester, and his mother, Alexandra Alexeyvena, was a housewife. The couple had four children, two boys and two girls, however the brother, Konstantin, died when he was three years old.
- The Mayakovskys had noble roots, and distant relatives of Russian historical novelist Grigory Danilevsky.
- Vladimir Mayakovsky grew up bilingual. The family spoke Russian at home, but he spoke Georgian with his friends and at school.
- In 1906 Vladimir Mayakovsky the elder was filing papers when he stabbed his finger on a rusty pin. Soon after he died of blood poisoning. The family sold whatever they could and moved to Moscow.
- In Moscow, the future poet developed a taste for reading philosophy and natural sciences. He especially enjoyed Marxist literature and joined the underground Social Democrats in his school, Moscow’s 5th Classic gymnasium. He only stopped because his mother could no longer afford tuition. He finished his schooling at the Stroganov School of Industrial Arts.
- By 1912 Mr. Mayakovsky was publishing, reciting, and performing his poems in Saint Petersburg. By the end of 1913, the poet along with the Futurist group members started a 17 city tour in Russia. The performances were very successful, the audience very disorderly, and the police would sometime have to stop the show.
- When World War I broke out, Vladimir Mayakovsky volunteered for the military but was rejected for his political beliefs. He spent his time working for a company producing patriotic pictures.
- The poet fell in love with Lilya Brik, an author and socialite. The fact that she was married didn’t seem to bother him, her, or Osip Brik, her husband. Osip and Valdimir became close friends, and he later published several of his books.
- During the Bolshevik Russian Revolution, Mr. Mayakovsky embraced the movement and expressed allegiance to the new political regime with his art.
- Not only did he write, but he also starred in three silent films, even though only one survived.
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Sources:
Vladimir Mayakovsky | Wikipedia
Vladimir Mayakovsky: Russian poet | Britannica
Vladimir Mayakovsky | Poetry Foundation
Vladimir Mayakovsky | poets.org
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Fun Facts Friday: Vladimir Mayakovsky
DescriptionVladimir Mayakovsky (7 July, 1893 – 14 April, 1930) was a Russian poet, playwright, and actor. He was a famous figure in the Russian Futurist movement
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