Death of Mayakovsky: the tragic ending of the poet. Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky

The fact remains undeniable: the shot in the communal apartment, where Vladimir Mayakovsky's working room was located, sounded 85 years ago on April 14, 1930 at 10:17 am. The bullet hit the heart. The ambulance arrived and declared death. A version of suicide immediately arose. Moreover, a suicide note was found next to the poet:

"Everyone. Don't blame anyone for dying, and please don't gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly. Mom, sisters and comrades, forgive this is not a way (I do not advise others), but I have no choice."

Will not fulfilled

Still, there was some gossip. The romantic version of the death of the poet became hot on the heels of one of the most popular. It was rumored that his last lover refused him, and also that he suffered from a venereal disease. To refute the already completely absurd unhealthy version, it was even necessary to carry out a second autopsy. But no sexually transmitted diseases were found in Mayakovsky. In his personal life, there really was excitement, but, rather, of a pleasant nature: Mayakovsky was carried away by the 22-year-old Moscow Art Theater artist Veronika Polonskaya. And, apparently, the young lady reciprocated, although she did not agree to leave her husband, as the poet demanded. She was the last person to see Mayakovsky alive - she left the room a few moments before the shot, hurrying to the rehearsal.

Is it suicide?

Hearing the shot, Polonskaya immediately returned. The main opponent of the suicide version, journalist Valentin Skoryatin, claims that Mayakovsky was in love and made plans, which means that he could not decide on such a desperate step. As other evidence of his version, Skoryatin cites the first testimony of the young actress: "Then none of those present heard that Polonskaya talked about the revolver in the poet's hands when she ran out of the room." According to the journalist, she was subsequently forced to change her testimony. In addition, Skoryatin gives various testimonies about the location of the body: initially, witnesses stated that the poet's body lay "with its feet to the door," those who came later - that "head to the door." From which the journalist concludes that the body was moved and moved not by chance - but to avert the suspicion that the shot was fired by someone else who suddenly appeared at the door. Skoryatin considers the head of the secret department of the GPU Agranov as the main suspect. It was he who arrived at the scene of the crime after the young actress. The researcher of Mayakovsky's death suggests that Agranov could have hidden in the back room and then left through the back door.

Journalist Skoryatin did not believe in the authenticity of the will, he considered it a forgery. According to Skoryatin, Mayakovsky was killed. For what? For more and more disillusionment with the Soviet system, the journalist concludes. According to him, “more and more often notes of tragic disappointment burst into his“ party books ”, and more and more strained he sang reality. But the satirical denunciation of“ rubbish ”grew stronger.

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Latest expertise and new secrets

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the version that Mayakovsky was killed resounded with renewed vigor. At the same time, it turned out that the examination of the shirt that Mayakovsky was wearing at the time of his death had never been properly carried out. Until the 1950s, the shirt was kept first by the wife of the poet Lily Brik, then in the Mayakovsky Museum. The results of a study conducted by experts from the Federal Center for Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation were published in the new century. The main conclusion is that the nature of the tracks and the absence of signs of self-defense are characteristic of a shot fired with one's own hand. Experts admitted it is possible to stage a suicide, separate tracks can be staged. But it is impossible to take into account everything, including the single drops of blood found on the shirt and characteristic of the marks that a hand splattered with blood leaves when moving down.

However, one question remained unsolved, who and why changed the gun in the case of Mayakovsky's suicide. The substitution has also become known in our time. The experts were approached by employees of the Mayakovsky State Museum with a request to investigate the Browning, which was transferred along with bullets and a cartridge case from the Presidential Archives, from the materials of the investigation file of Vladimir Mayakovsky. At the same time, in the materials themselves, in particular, in the inspection report, a Mauser revolver appears. The examination showed that it was the Mauser that was shooting. So who changed the evidence? One of the plausible hypotheses was put forward by the forensic expert Alexander Maslov. He recalled the interrogation of Mikhail Zoshchenko in the NKGB and the writer's remark that "the revolver from which Mayakovsky shot himself was presented to him by the famous Chekist Agranov." Could it be that Agranov himself changed the weapon, attaching Mayakovsky's Browning to the case, the criminologist concludes. Mayakovsky, according to the documents, had two pistols - the Browning system and the Bayard system.

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Why

The question "why" also remains unanswered. Some researchers sympathize with the romantic version, some see the cause of the tragedy in creative torment - the day before, the public and the press received his new play "Bath" rather coldly, the production of "The Bedbug" was also expected by an obviously cold reception, colleagues and the authorities ignored his exhibition. In general, there were reasons for frustration. But what was the last straw, the criminologists are not able to give an answer to this question.

On April 14, 1930, the body of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky was found in apartment 12 of building No. 3 on Lubyansky proezd in Moscow. The cause of death was suicide.

Unrequited love

During his lifetime, Mayakovsky had many novels, although he was never officially married. Among his beloved were many Russian emigrants - Tatyana Yakovleva, Ellie Jones. The most serious hobby in Mayakovsky's life was an affair with Lilya Brik. Despite the fact that she was married, the relationship between them persisted for many years. Moreover, for a long period of his life the poet lived in the same house with the Brick family. This love triangle existed for several years, until Mayakovsky met the young actress Veronica Polonskaya, who at that time was 21 years old. Neither the age difference of 15 years, nor the presence of an official spouse could interfere with this relationship. It is known that the poet planned a life together with her and in every possible way insisted on a divorce. This story became the reason for the official version of suicide. On the day of his death, Mayakovsky received a refusal from Veronica, which provoked, as many historians say, a serious nervous shock that led to such tragic events. In any case, the Mayakovsky family, including his mother and sisters, believed that the blame for his death lay precisely on Polonskaya.

Mayakovsky left a suicide note with the following content: “ALL

Don't blame anyone for dying, and please don't gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly. Forgive my mother, sisters and comrades - this is not a way (I do not advise others), but I have no other options. Lily - love me. Comrade government, my family is Lilya Brik, mother, sisters and Veronika Vitoldovna Polonskaya. - If you give them a tolerable life, thank you. Give the started verses to the Briks, they will figure it out. As they say - "the incident is ruined", the love boat crashed into everyday life I am with life in mind and there is no need for a list of mutual pains, troubles and grievances. Happy to stay

VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY.

Mental trauma

Historians also consider difficult emotional experiences as one of the theories of suicide. 1930 was not a very good year for the poet. First, he was sick a lot. Secondly, Mayakovsky was harshly criticized, believing that he had completely "written out". Local newspapers saw him as an anti-Soviet writer. At one of the meetings with readers, which took place 2 days before the fatal event, he listened to many unflattering reviews addressed to him. Mayakovsky himself during this period considered himself deeply unhappy. Therefore, this version has a right to exist. In many historical works, one can find information that it was the depressed emotional state, together with the failed love, that caused such an act.

Indiscriminate communications contributed to the emergence of a version of syphilis, which could lead to suicide. But most researchers refute this hypothesis, arguing that such a life-loving person like Mayakovsky could not take his own life just because of this disease. And there is no official evidence that the poet was really sick. After the poet's death, criminologists insisted on a second autopsy to finally make sure that this version was untenable.

Political motives

There were also rumors that the poet was killed for ideological reasons. Some believed that Mayakovsky, with his rebellious character, posed a danger to the Soviet regime. Indeed, in recent years, he could afford unflattering statements, but this has nothing to do with his death. The murder theory has no ground at all. The fact that the poet shot himself was officially confirmed by criminologists.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky (1893-1930) is considered an outstanding Soviet poet. In addition to poetry, he was also involved in drama, writing screenplays, and tried himself as a film director and film actor. He took an active part in the work of the creative association "LEF". That is, we see a bright creative personality, incredibly popular in the 20s of the last century. The whole country knew the name of the poet. Someone liked his poetry, but someone not very much. Indeed, they were somewhat specific and found recognition among supporters of just such a peculiar expression of their inner world.

But our conversation will not be about the poet's work. To this day, many questions arise. mayakovsky's unexpected death on April 14, 1930... Vladimir Vladimirovich died at the age of 36. This is that very happy life period when you look with the same irony at those who are older and at those who are younger than you. There are still many, many years of life ahead, but for some reason the fateful path of the creator was cut short, leaving in the souls of people a feeling of confusion mixed with bewilderment.

Naturally, there was a consequence. The organs of the OGPU conducted it. The official conclusion was suicide. One can agree with this, since creative natures are inherently very unpredictable. They see the world around them somewhat differently from other people. Always some kind of throwing, doubts, disappointments and a constant search for something elusive all the time. In short, it is very difficult to understand what they want to get out of this life. And now, at the peak of disappointment, the cold barrel of a pistol is brought to the temple or heart. Shot, and all problems are solved by themselves in the simplest and most proven way.

However, the suicide of Vladimir Vladimirovich left a lot of questions and ambiguities. They clearly indicate that there was no suicide, but there was murder... Moreover, it was carried out by the official state bodies, which were originally supposed to protect citizens from rash and dangerous acts. So where is the truth? In this case, it is not in fault, but in facts that clearly indicate not just a criminal, but a political crime. But to understand the essence of the issue, you need to know the particulars. Therefore, at first we will take a closer look at the Brik family, with whom our hero had a long close relationship.

Breeches

Lilya Yurievna Brik (1891-1978) - a famous Soviet writer and her husband Osip Maksimovich Brik (1888-1945) - literary critic and literary critic. This couple met a talented young poet in July 1915. After that, a new stage began in Mayakovsky's life, which lasted 15 years until his death.

Vladimir and Lilya fell in love with each other. But Osip Maksimovich did not interfere with this feeling. The Trinity began to live together, which caused a lot of gossip in literary circles. What was there and how it was is irrelevant for this story. It is much more important to know that Brikov and Mayakovsky were connected not only by spiritual, but also by material relations. Under Soviet rule, the poet was not at all a poor man. Quite naturally, he shared part of his income with the Briks.

Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik

It can be assumed that this is why Lilya tried with all her might to bind Vladimir to herself. Since 1926, the trio lived in a Moscow apartment, which the poet received. This is Gendrikov Lane (now Mayakovsky Lane). It is located in the very center of Moscow near Taganskaya Square. The Briks did not have the opportunity to get a separate apartment at that time. The huge city lived in communal apartments, and only outstanding personalities had their own living space, bringing significant benefits to the existing regime.

Since 1922, Mayakovsky's works began to be printed in large publications. The fees were so high that the trio began to spend a lot of time abroad, staying in expensive hotels. Therefore, it was not in the interests of the Briks to break off relations with a gifted and naive poet, who was a good cash cow.

The heartfelt affairs of Vladimir Mayakovsky

Being completely dependent on Lily Brick, our hero from time to time entered into intimate relationships with other women. In 1925 he traveled to America and started a love affair with Ellie Jones there. She was an emigrant from Russia, so the language barrier did not bother them. From this connection, on June 15, 1926, a girl was born, named Helen (Elena). She is alive to this day. He is a philosopher and writer, maintains close ties with Russia.

In 1928, Mayakovsky met Tatyana Yakovleva in Paris. Along the way, Vladimir bought Lily Brik a French car. He chose it together with Yakovleva. For Moscow at that time it was an unthinkable luxury. The poet wanted to create a family with his new Parisian passion, but she did not express a desire to go to Bolshevik Russia.

However, Vladimir did not lose hope to join the bonds of Hymen with Tatiana and finally say goodbye to Briks. This, of course, was not part of Lily's plans. In April 1929, she introduced the poet to the young and beautiful actress Veronica Polonskaya, who had been married to actor Mikhail Yanshin for 4 years.

Our hero was seriously carried away by a girl who was 15 years younger than him. Very opportunely the news came from Paris that Yakovleva was allegedly getting married to a well-born Frenchman. Therefore, Vladimir quickly forgot his foreign passion and focused all his attention on Veronica. It was this girl who became the main witness of the tragedy, because Mayakovsky's death occurred almost in front of her eyes.

Chronology of tragic events

Possible cause of death

If we assume that Vladimir Vladimirovich was killed, then why was this done, who did he interfere with? In 1918, the poet inextricably linked his fate with the Bolshevik Party. He was a tribune preaching the ideas of the world revolution. Therefore, he enjoyed such great success with various publishing houses. He was paid huge royalties, provided with separate housing, but in return they demanded loyalty and loyalty.

However, by the end of the 1920s, notes of disappointment with the existing regime began to slip through the poet's works. There were still years of collectivization, terrible famine, repression ahead, and Vladimir Vladimirovich already felt the mortal danger hanging over the country in his soul. It became more and more difficult for him to praise the existing reality. More and more often I had to step over my understanding of the world and moral principles.

A wave of jubilation was gaining momentum in the country. Everyone admired or pretended to admire the achievements of the socialist system, and Mayakovsky began to satirically denounce any "rubbish". It sounded like a dissonance to an enthusiastic chorus of sycophants and opportunists. The authorities very quickly felt that the poet had changed. He has changed, and in a direction dangerous for the regime. The first sign was the criticism of his plays "Bedbug" and "Bath". Then the portrait disappeared from a literary magazine, and harassment began in the press.

Along with this, the Chekists began to patronize the poet. They began to visit regularly as good friends, because Lilya Brik loved to receive guests. But it is one thing when friends-writers come, and another when an OGPU employee comes to the apartment on a friendly visit. We should also not forget that Osip Maksimovich Brik in 1919-1921 was an employee of the Cheka. And there are no former Chekists.

All this custody was carried out in order to check the reliability of the poet. The results were disastrous for Vladimir Vladimirovich. It was decided to remove it. It could not be otherwise, because the transformed tribune could cause great ideological harm to the communist regime.

The last day of the poet's life

The death of Mayakovsky, as already mentioned, occurred on April 14, 1930. There were no Briks in Moscow: they left abroad in February. The poet decided to take advantage of their absence in order to finally break off the protracted relationship leading nowhere. He wanted to create a normal family and for this he chose Veronica Polonskaya. In early April, he makes a cash contribution to a housing cooperative in order to buy an apartment for himself, and leave the available living space to a voluptuous and selfish couple.

On Monday, April 14, at 8 o'clock in the morning, the poet comes to Polonskaya and takes her to his place. Here a conversation takes place between them. Vladimir demands that Veronica leave her husband and go to him right now. The woman says that she cannot leave Yanshin right away. She does not refuse Mayakovsky, assures that she loves him, but she needs time. After that, Polonskaya leaves the apartment, since at 10-30 she has a rehearsal at the theater. She goes out into the front door and then hears the sound of a revolver shot. Veronica runs back into the room literally a moment after leaving and sees that Vladimir is lying on the floor with outstretched arms.

Soon an investigation team arrived, but not from the police, but from counterintelligence. It was headed by the head of the secret department of the OGPU, Yakov Saulovich Agranov (1893-1938). His appearance can be explained by the fact that he supervised the creative intelligentsia. The scene was examined, the poet's body was photographed. The suicide letter of Vladimir Vladimirovich, dated April 12, was found. Agranov read it aloud and put it in his tunic pocket.

Towards evening, the sculptor Konstantin Lutsky appeared. He made a plaster mask from the face of the deceased. At first, they did not want to do an autopsy, since it was already clear that the poet had died of a shot in the heart. But rumors spread that Mayakovsky had syphilis, which was the cause of the tragedy. The pathologists had to open the body, but no major organ abnormalities were found. The newspapers wrote that the poet died of a transient illness. Friends signed the obituary, and that was the end of it.

Murder or Suicide?

So how should you characterize Mayakovsky's death? Was it murder or suicide? To shed some light on this issue, let's start, as it should be, with a suicide note. Here is its text:

"Everyone ... I am dying, do not blame anyone and do not gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly. Mom, sister, comrades, forgive me, but I have no other choice. Lily, love me.

Comrade government, my family is Lilya Brik, mother, sister and Veronica Polonskaya. I would be grateful if you could arrange a tolerable life for them. Give the started verses to the Briks, they will understand. As they say - the incident is over, the love boat crashed into everyday life. I count with life, and there is no need for a list of mutual pains, troubles and grievances. Happy to stay. "

Here is a will, written according to the date April 12. And the fatal shot was fired on April 14. At the same time, an amorous explanation with Veronica also took place, although the poet knew that he was about to die. But despite this, he insisted that the beloved immediately leave her husband. Is there any logic in this?

It is also interesting that Vladimir Vladimirovich wrote the last letter in pencil. He had the money to buy a cooperative apartment, but there was not even a little change for a pen. However, the deceased had his own very good pen with a luxurious gold nib. He never gave it to anyone, but wrote only to her. But at the most crucial moment of his life he picked up a pencil. By the way, it is much easier for them to fake handwriting than with a pen.

At one time, Sergei Eisenstein said in a narrow circle of friends that if you carefully read the style of the letter, you can say that it was not written by Mayakovsky. So who then gave birth to this creation. Perhaps, in the apparatus of the OGPU there was an employee who took on such unusual duties?

The archive contains a criminal case number 02-29. This is just the case of V.V. Mayakovsky's suicide. It was led by investigator I. Syrtsov. So, the examination report does not mention the suicide letter, as if it did not exist. There is also no examination of the shirt that the poet was wearing at the time of his death. But she could tell a lot to the investigation.

But most importantly, it is absolutely unclear from the case where Polonskaya was when the fatal shot sounded. Either she was standing next to the poet, or she had already left the room. As Veronica herself later claimed, she went into the front door and only there heard the sound of a shot. However, judging by the papers, her behavior can be interpreted in different ways. A woman ran down the stairs, and a shot rang out, or ran out of the room screaming, and it was at this moment that the poet shot himself. So maybe she saw a pistol in Vladimir's hand, got scared and tried to hide? It seems that the investigator did not need a clear and precise answer at all.

The criminal case was closed on April 19. At the same time, it remained a mystery whether the gun was found near the body or not. How did the body lie? Head towards the door or head into the room. If an outsider entered the room and fired, then Vladimir Vladimirovich had to fall back, that is, his head deep into the room. But nothing definite can be said here. Thus, it can be concluded that the investigative actions were conducted extremely carelessly. They were pure formality. All the work was done not for the sake of establishing the truth, but for the sake of a tick that such work was done.

So the conclusion suggests itself. The poet was killed by employees of the OGPU, but presented this case as suicide... It was safely archived and collected dust on the shelves until the 90s of the XX century. Who do you ask from in 60 years? Moreover, Yagoda's people, including Agranov, were shot in 37-38. So the retribution was done anyway.

Who won after Mayakovsky's death?

The death of Mayakovsky was in the hands of Lily Brik. There is no talk about Osip Maksimovich, since his family life with his loving wife ended in divorce. But the Soviet government recognized Lilya as the legal heir of the deceased poet. She received his co-op apartment and money savings.

But the most important thing is the archives, which, in fact, were the national property. However, this is not all. Since 1935, the so-called "widow" of Mayakovsky began to receive interest on the poet's works sold. And they were printed in millions of copies, since Vladimir Vladimirovich was posthumously recognized as the best and most talented poet of the Soviet era.

As for Polonskaya, the wife received nothing without two minutes. However, no. She received gossip, conversations behind her back, malevolent grins. The last point in this epic was the divorce from her husband. Well, what can you do. This is how this world works. Someone finds, and someone loses. But let's be optimists. Popular wisdom says: "What doesn't happen is always for the best."

On April 14, 1930, a shot was fired in the apartment of Vladimir Mayakovsky, which ended the life of the 37-year-old poet. "The love boat crashed about everyday life ..." these words from the suicide note, it would seem, quite clearly indicate the cause of the tragedy, but, nevertheless, disputes about what was the motive, and whether the poet died himself or was killed, do not subside for many years.

Vladimir Mayakovsky went down in the history of Russian poetry under the banner of futurism, noisy, bright, scandalous. Researchers liken his work to a five-act theatrical performance. The role of the prologue was played by the tragedy "Vladimir Mayakovsky". Further, one by one, there were acts, presented by both large poems and small works, poems. And the epilogue of this whole story, full of drama, intensity of passions and genuine feelings, was the suicide letter written on April 12.

As in the case of Yesenin, the death of the talented poet caused a violent reaction and gave rise to many versions of what happened. The most widespread are two of them.

The "Chekist" version was widely considered in various publications of the perestroika and post-perestroika periods. They attempted to prove that it should not be about suicide, but about the murder of the poet by agents of the OGPU. This version is fed by various inconsistencies and inaccuracies discovered during the investigation of the death of Mayakovsky. Many, for example, are embarrassed by the fact that the suicide note was written by the poet two days before the fatal shot, in addition, Mayakovsky always made notes with his favorite pen, and the farewell words were written in simple pencil, almost without punctuation marks. According to criminologists, it is much easier to forge handwriting with a pencil, but the examination of this note showed that the letter was written by Mayakovsky himself in a state of intense excitement.

It should be noted that the results of examinations carried out at different times on this matter are unambiguous: the poet shot himself. What could have pushed the young man to such a step?

The "French" version says: "Look for a woman!" Many researchers are inclined towards it, it is less mysterious, but more believable. One of the targets was the young actress Veronica Polonskaya, who was the last to see the poet alive. It is known that at that time there was a stormy romance between her and Mayakovsky, the poet asked her to become his wife, Polonskaya hesitated. On the day of their death, there was a quarrel between them, Veronica left the apartment in Lubyansky passage, took a few steps and heard a shot.

Could this disagreement be the last straw that sank the "love boat" of the great poet and deprived him of his desire to live? It is hard to say. In the last note, he turns not to Veronica, but to the fatal beauty Lilia Brik with the request: "Lily - love me." You can build infinitely many guesses, proving something for sure is difficult. It is only known that earlier Vladimir Mayakovsky had already tried to commit suicide. The last attempt ended in a misfire, this time "Mr. Mauser" said his weighty word.