Who replaced Mayakovsky's revolver? Not the last mystery of the poet's death. Mayakovsky: "who, I shot myself

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 into 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 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 extreme excitement.

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

The "French" version reads: "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 become 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 a 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.

V.V. Mayakovsky

At one of the concerts, a short man jumped up to Vladimir Mayakovsky and shouted: "From the great to the ridiculous - one step!" Mayakovsky stepped forward to meet him: "So I am doing it."

But the genius Poet took not only a step from the great to the ridiculous. He crossed the border of life and death. Voluntarily or not - this is still actively debated by researchers of the life and work of V.V. Mayakovsky.

His death caused a public outcry, came as a surprise to both his enemies and friends and family. This happened in Moscow on April 14, 1930 at 10:17 am. Vladimir Mayakovsky committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart at point-blank range.

Don't blame anyone for dying and please
don't gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly.
Mom, sisters and comrades, sorry - this is not the way
(I do not advise others), but I have no options.
Lily - love me.
Comrade government, my family is Lilya Brik,
mother, sisters and Veronika Vitoldovna Polonskaya.
If you give them a bearable life, thank you.
Give the started verses to the Briks, they will figure it out.

As they say -
"The incident is screwed up"
love boat
crashed into everyday life.
I count with life
and there is no need for a list
mutual pain
troubles
and resentment.

Happy to stay.
Vladimir M, and I am
12 / IV -30 g.
Take a close look at the date of writing - April 12 (Mayakovsky died, let me remind you, on the 14th). Does this mean that the Poet was already preparing to "lay hands on himself" a few days before his death?

By yourself or not by yourself? - that is the question.

There are many mysteries in Mayakovsky's death. The most controversial question: was it itself murder?

Here, the opinions of researchers diverge in exactly opposite directions. Some argue that the Poet was killed. The main evidence, they believe, is the criminal case opened into the death of Mayakovsky.

Most confident about intentional murder said V. I. Skoryatin. He conducted independent investigations and concluded that an unnamed killer existed.
Film director S. Eisenstein also spoke about this: “He should have been removed. And they removed it. "

However, the experts officially revealed the "indisputable" fact of suicide. The word indisputable here is in quotation marks, since there is still heated debate on this issue.

Even more firewood is thrown into the "discussion fire" by scholars' disagreements over the authenticity of the note (suicide letter). Skoryatin bases his doubts on the following: first of all, the note was written in pencil, "although the poet was very anxious about his fountain pen and always used only it." And with the help of a pencil, it is easy to imitate someone else's handwriting.
All the same S. Eisenstein notes that Mayakovsky did not write anything of the kind.

Re-dissection of the body. For what, and what did it show?

On the evening of April 14, experts performed an autopsy and removed Mayakovsky's brain. Personally, I find this disgusting and unethical, despite the "good" scientific goals.
It is only worth noting that the brain did not have any significant deviations from the norm.

“… Suddenly unceremoniously loud knocks were heard from his room: it seemed that only a tree could be cut like that. This was the opening of the skull. There was Mayakovsky's brain in the pelvis ... ”- VP Kataev, even thirty years later, could not forget this story.

On April 17, a second autopsy was performed. This was due to rumors about Mayakovsky's illness (as if he suffered from syphilis). However, the results of the survey refuted all sorts of gossip.

Is the will of V. Mayakovsky violated?

By the way, about gossip. The request of the deceased, noted in the very first lines (which testifies to its importance), was not fulfilled: “… please do not gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly. "

But rumors spread across Moscow faster than news reports, and it became known about the death of the Poet even before the official "promulgation" (not without contrived details, however).

From the intelligence report:
“The news of Mayakovsky's suicide made a very strong impression on the public ...
Conversations, gossip.
The suicide reports in the newspapers, the romantic lining, the intriguing posthumous letter, for the most part, aroused unhealthy curiosity among the philistine.

Strange ... Have you noticed that often the wills of great people are not just not fulfilled, but distorted or completely ignored?

"God thinks: wait a minute, Vladimir!" Did the poet foreshadow his death?

Vladimir Mayakovsky, like many Geniuses of this world, predicted his own demise. They say about this, no - this is proclaimed by the lines of his poems:

"More and more often I think - is it better to put the bullet point at its end?"
"Anyway, I know, I'll die soon!"("Spine Flute")

"And my heart is eager for a shot, and my throat is raving with a razor"
"Throw a ray around your neck with a loop"("Human")

"One has only to stretch out a hand - a bullet instantly into life beyond the grave will outline a thundering path"("About it")

“Well, come out.
Nothing.
I will strengthen myself.
You see - how calm!
Like a pulse
The deceased. "("A cloud in pants")

Not only in his works, but also in his speeches, the Poet has repeatedly mentioned the possibility of suicide.

Why did the great poet pass away?

The exact reasons for the suicide are still unclear.
For example, A. Potapov writes about the influence personal anxiety A poet to his fate.
He notes that Mayakovsky was characterized by sharp fluctuations in mood, impressionability. Success inspired him, failure led to depression.

Internal tension, an exaggerated fear of getting sick (associated with the death of Mayakovsky's father), frequent mood swings, a thirst for fame, failure in the love sphere - all this largely influenced the tragic outcome of his life.

According to the memoirs of Lily Brik, Mayakovsky has repeatedly tried to commit suicide. On July 18, 1916, he made his first attempt to shoot himself, but the weapon misfired. The second incident took place on October 11, 1917, which also turned out to be unsuccessful. In the poet's diary, these dates are marked with the following words: "Immediately, somehow there was absolutely nothing to live for."

And only in the fatal third time, a ruthless piece of metal stopped the beating of the heart of the great and unique Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky ...

But understand: an incomparable right
Choose your own death

Name: Vladimir Mayakovskiy

Age: 37 years

Height: 189

Activity: poet, publicist, playwright, actor, director, artist

Family status: was not married

Vladimir Mayakovsky: biography

The brilliant works of Vladimir Mayakovsky evoke true admiration among millions of his admirers. He deservedly ranks among the greatest futurist poets of the 20th century. In addition, Mayakovsky proved himself to be an extraordinary playwright, satirist, film director, screenwriter, artist, and also an editor of several magazines. His life, multifaceted creativity, as well as personal relationships full of love and experiences, remain an incompletely unraveled mystery even today.

The talented poet was born in the small Georgian village of Bagdati ( Russian empire). His mother Alexandra Alekseevna belonged to a Cossack family from the Kuban, and his father Vladimir Konstantinovich worked as a simple forester. Vladimir had two brothers - Kostya and Sasha, who died in childhood, as well as two sisters - Olya and Luda.

Mayakovsky knew the Georgian language perfectly and from 1902 he studied at the gymnasium in Kutaisi. Already in his youth, he was captured by revolutionary ideas, and while studying at the gymnasium, he participated in a revolutionary demonstration.

In 1906, his father died suddenly. The cause of death was blood poisoning, which occurred as a result of a finger prick with an ordinary needle. This event shocked Mayakovsky so much that in the future he completely avoided hairpins and pins, fearing the fate of his father.

In the same 1906, Alexandra Alekseevna and her children moved to Moscow. Vladimir continued his studies at the fifth classical gymnasium, where he attended classes with the poet's brother, Alexander. However, with the death of his father, the family's financial situation deteriorated significantly. As a result, in 1908, Vladimir could not pay for his education, and he was expelled from the fifth grade of the gymnasium.

Creation

In Moscow, a young guy began to communicate with students who are fond of revolutionary ideas. In 1908, Mayakovsky decided to become a member of the RSDLP and often promoted among the population. During 1908-1909, Vladimir was arrested three times, however, due to his minority and lack of evidence, he was forced to be released.

During the investigations, Mayakovsky could not calmly be in four walls... Through constant scandals, he was often transferred to different places conclusions. As a result, he ended up in Butyrka prison, where he spent eleven months and began writing poetry.

In 1910, the young poet was released from prison and immediately left the party. The following year, the artist Evgenia Lang, with whom Vladimir was on friendly terms, recommended that he take up painting. While studying at the school of painting, sculpture and architecture, he met the founders of the group of futurists "Gilea" and joined the cubo-futurists.

The first work of Mayakovsky, which was published, was the poem "Night" (1912). At the same time, the young poet made his first public appearance in the artistic basement, which was called "Stray Dog".

Vladimir, along with members of a group of cubo-futurists, took part in a tour of Russia, where he read lectures and his poems. Soon there were also positive reviews about Mayakovsky, but he was often considered outside the futurists. believed that among the futurists Mayakovsky was the only true poet.

The first collection of the young poet "I" was published in 1913 and consisted of only four poems. This year also marks the writing of the rebellious poem "Nate!", In which the author challenges the entire bourgeois society. The following year, Vladimir created a touching poem "Listen", which amazed readers with its brilliance and sensitivity.

The genius poet was also attracted by drama. The year 1914 was marked by the creation of the tragedy "Vladimir Mayakovsky", presented to the public on the stage of the St. Petersburg theater "Luna-Park". At the same time, Vladimir acted as her director and performer starring... The main motive of the work was the riot of things, which connected the tragedy with the work of the futurists.

In 1914, the young poet firmly decided to voluntarily enlist in the army, but his political unreliability frightened the authorities. He did not get to the front and, in response to his neglect, wrote a poem "You", in which he gave his assessment of the tsarist army. In addition, Mayakovsky's brilliant works soon appeared - "A Cloud in Pants" and "War Declared."

The next year, the fateful meeting of Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky with the Brik family took place. From now on, his life was a single whole with Lilya and Osip. From 1915 to 1917, thanks to the patronage of M. Gorky, the poet served in an automobile school. And although he, being a soldier, had no right to publish, Osip Brik came to his aid. He acquired two of Vladimir's poems and published them soon after.

At the same time, Mayakovsky plunged into the world of satire and in 1915 published a cycle of works "Hymns" in the "New Satyricon". Soon two large collections of works appeared - "Simple as a lowing" (1916) and "Revolution. Poetochronicle "(1917).

The great poet met the October Revolution at the headquarters of the uprising in Smolny. He immediately began to cooperate with the new government and participated in the first meetings of cultural figures. Note that Mayakovsky led a detachment of soldiers who arrested General P. Sekretev, who was in charge of the automobile school, although earlier he had received the medal "For diligence" from him.

The years 1917-1918 were marked by the release of several works by Mayakovsky dedicated to revolutionary events (for example, "Ode to the Revolution", "Our March"). On the first anniversary of the revolution, the play "Mystery Buff" was presented.

Mayakovsky was also fond of cinematography. In 1919, three films were released, in which Vladimir acted as an actor, screenwriter and director. At the same time, the poet began to collaborate with ROSTA and worked on propaganda and satirical posters. In parallel, Mayakovsky worked for the newspaper Art of the Commune.

In addition, in 1918 the poet created the Comfoot group, the direction of which can be described as communist futurism. But already in 1923 Vladimir organized another group - the "Left Front of the Arts", as well as the corresponding magazine "LEF".

At this time, the creation of several vivid and memorable works of the genius poet: "About this" (1923), "Sevastopol - Yalta" (1924), "Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1924). We emphasize that during the reading of the last poem at the Bolshoi Theater I was present myself. After Mayakovsky's speech, a standing ovation followed, which lasted 20 minutes. In general, it was the years civil war turned out to be for Vladimir best time, which he mentioned in the poem "Good!" (1927).

No less important and eventful for Mayakovsky was the period of frequent travel. During 1922-1924 he visited France, Latvia and Germany, to which he dedicated several works. In 1925, Vladimir went to America, having visited Mexico City, Havana and many cities in the United States.

The beginning of the 20s was marked by a stormy polemic between Vladimir Mayakovsky and. The latter at that time joined the Imagists - the implacable opponents of the Futurists. In addition, Mayakovsky was the poet of the revolution and the city, and Yesenin in his work extolled the village.

However, Vladimir could not help but recognize the unconditional talent of his opponent, although he criticized him for his conservatism and addiction to alcohol. In a way, they were kindred spirits- irascible, vulnerable, in constant search and despair. They were united even by the theme of suicide, which was present in the works of both poets.

During 1926-1927, Mayakovsky created 9 screenplays. In addition, in 1927, the poet resumed the activities of the LEF magazine. But a year later, he left the magazine and the relevant organization, finally disillusioned with them. In 1929, Vladimir founded the REF group, but the next year he left it and became a member of the RAPP.

Towards the end of the 1920s, Mayakovsky again turned to drama. He is preparing two plays: "The Bedbug" (1928) and "Bath" (1929), intended specifically for theatrical stage Meyerhold. They thoughtfully combine the satirical presentation of the reality of the 20s with a look into the future.

Meyerhold compared Mayakovsky's talent with Moliere's genius, but critics greeted his new works with devastating comments. In "Bedbug" they found only artistic flaws, but even ideological accusations were made against "Bathhouse". Many newspapers carried extremely offensive articles, and some of them had the headlines "Down with Mayakovsky!"

The fateful year 1930 began for the greatest poet with numerous accusations from colleagues. Mayakovsky was told that he was not a true "proletarian writer", but only a "fellow traveler." But, despite the criticism, in the spring of that year, Vladimir decided to take stock of his activities, for which he organized an exhibition entitled “20 years of work”.

The exhibition reflected all the multifaceted achievements of Mayakovsky, but brought continuous disappointments. Neither the poet's former colleagues from LEF, nor the top party leadership visited it. It was a cruel blow, after which a deep wound remained in the poet's soul.

Death

In 1930, Vladimir was sick a lot and even feared to lose his voice, which would put an end to his performances on stage. The poet's personal life turned into an unsuccessful struggle for happiness. He was very lonely, because Briks - his constant support and consolation, went abroad.

Attacks from all sides laid a heavy moral burden on Mayakovsky, and the poet's vulnerable soul could not stand it. On April 14, Vladimir Mayakovsky shot himself in the chest, which was the cause of his death.

After the death of Mayakovsky, his works came under an unspoken ban and were almost never published. In 1936, Lilya Brik wrote a letter to I. Stalin himself with a request to assist in preserving the memory of the great poet. In his resolution, Stalin praised the achievements of the deceased and gave permission for the publication of Mayakovsky's works and the creation of a museum.

Personal life

The love of Mayakovsky's whole life was Lilya Brik, a meeting with whom took place in 1915. The young poet at that time met with her sister, Elsa Triolet, and once the girl brought Vladimir to the Brikov apartment. There Mayakovsky first read the poem "A Cloud in Pants", and then solemnly dedicated it to Leela. It is not surprising, but the prototype of the heroine of this poem was the sculptor Maria Denisova, with whom the poet fell in love in 1914.

Soon a romance broke out between Vladimir and Lilya, while Osip Brik closed his eyes to his wife's hobby. Lilya became Mayakovsky's muse, it was to her that he dedicated almost all his poems about love. He expressed the boundless depth of his feelings for Brick in the following works: "Spine Flute", "Man", "To Everything", "Lilichka!" and etc.

The lovers took part in the filming of the film "Chained by the Film" (1918) together. Moreover, since 1918, Brieks and the great poet began to live together, which fit quite well into the marriage and love concept that existed at that time. They changed their place of residence several times, but each time they settled together. Often, Mayakovsky even supported the Brik family, and from all trips abroad he always brought luxurious gifts to Lilya (for example, a Renault car).

Despite the poet's boundless affection for Lilichka, there were other lovers in his life, even those who bore him children. In 1920, Mayakovsky had a close relationship with the artist Lilya Lavinskaya, who gave him a son, Gleb-Nikita (1921-1986).

The year 1926 was marked by another fateful meeting. Vladimir met Ellie Jones, an emigrant from Russia, who gave birth to his daughter Elena-Patricia (1926-2016). Also, a fleeting relationship connected the poet with Sophia Shamardina and Natalia Bryukhanenko.

In addition, in Paris, the outstanding poet met with the emigrant Tatyana Yakovleva. The feelings that flared up between them gradually grew stronger and promised to turn into something serious and lasting. Mayakovsky wanted Yakovleva to come to Moscow, but she refused. Then in 1929, Vladimir decided to go to Tatiana, but problems with obtaining a visa became an insurmountable obstacle for him.

The last love of Vladimir Mayakovsky was a young and married actress Veronica Polonskaya. The poet demanded that the 21-year-old girl leave her husband, but Veronica did not dare to make such serious changes in her life, because the 36-year-old Mayakovsky seemed to her contradictory, impulsive and fickle.

Difficulties in relations with a young lover pushed Mayakovsky to a fatal step. She was the last person Vladimir saw before his death and tearfully asked her not to go to the planned rehearsal. Before she had time to close the door behind the girl, a fatal shot sounded. Polonskaya did not dare to come to the funeral, because the poet's relatives considered her to be the culprit in the death of a loved one.

On April 14, 1930, a shot was fired in Vladimir Mayakovsky's working room in Lubyansky passage in Moscow. Disputes over whether the poet passed away voluntarily or was killed do not subside to this day. One of its participants, Professor of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, Alexander Vasilyevich Maslov, tells about the virtuoso investigation of the experts.

Versions and facts

On April 14, 1930, Krasnaya Gazeta reported: “Today, at 10 hours 17 minutes, Vladimir Mayakovsky committed suicide in his working room with a revolver to the heart. Arrived " Ambulance"Found him already dead. V the last days VV Mayakovsky did not reveal any mental discord and nothing foreshadowed a catastrophe. "

In the afternoon, the body was transported to the poet's apartment in Gendrikov Lane. The sculptor K. Lutsky removed the death mask, and badly - he peeled off the face of the deceased. Employees of the Institute of the Brain removed Mayakovsky's brain, which weighed in 1700. On the very first day, in the presecture of the clinic of the medical faculty of Moscow State University, the pathologist Professor Talalay performed an autopsy, and on the night of April 17, a re-autopsy took place: due to rumors that the poet allegedly had a venereal disease, which were not confirmed. Then the body was cremated.

As with Yesenin, Mayakovsky's suicide caused different reactions and many versions. One of the "targets" was the 22-year-old Moscow Art Theater actress Veronika Polonskaya. It is known that Mayakovsky asked her to become a wife. It was she who was the last person to see the poet alive. However, the testimony of the actress, neighbors in the apartment and the data of the investigation indicate that the shot thundered immediately after Polonskaya left Mayakovsky's room. So she couldn't shoot.

The version that Mayakovsky not figuratively, but literally "lay down on the barrel with his head", put a bullet in his head, does not stand up to criticism. The poet's brain has been preserved to this day and, as the staff of the Institute of the Brain rightly reported in those days, "according to external examination, the brain does not represent any significant deviations from the norm."

Several years ago, in the program "Before and After Midnight," the well-known TV journalist Vladimir Molchanov suggested that the posthumous photograph clearly shows the marks of TWO shots on Mayakovsky's chest.

This dubious hypothesis was dispelled by another journalist, V. Skoryatin, who conducted a thorough investigation. There was only one shot, but he also believes that Mayakovsky was shot. Specifically, the head of the secret department of the OGPU, Agranov, with whom, by the way, the poet was friends: hiding in the back room and waiting for Polonskaya to leave, Agranov enters the office, kills the poet, leaves his suicide letter and goes out into the street again by the back door. And then he rises to the scene as a security officer. The version is amusing and almost fits into the laws of that time. However, without knowing it, the journalist unexpectedly helped the experts. Referring to the shirt the poet was wearing at the time of the shot, he writes: “I examined it. And even with the help of a magnifying glass, he did not find traces of a powder burn. There is nothing on it but a brown stain of blood. " So the shirt has survived!

Poet's shirt

Indeed, in the mid-50s, L.Yu. Brik, who had the poet's shirt, donated it to the V.V. Mayakovsky - the relic was kept in a box and was wrapped in a soaked special composition paper. On the left side of the front of the shirt - through damage, dried blood is visible around it. Surprisingly, this "material evidence" was not subjected to examination either in 1930 or later. And how many controversies there were around the photos!
Having received permission to study, I, without introducing into the essence of the case, showed the shirt to E.G. Safronsky, a major specialist in forensic ballistic examination, who immediately made a "diagnosis": "Input bullet fire damage, most likely a point-blank shot."

Upon learning that the shot was fired more than 60 years ago, Safronsky noted that such examinations were not carried out in the USSR at that time. An agreement was reached: the specialists of the Federal Forensic Center, where the shirt was transferred, will not know about its belonging to the poet - for the purity of the experiment.

So, a beige-pink shirt made of cotton fabric is subject to research. Front placket with 4 mother-of-pearl buttons. The back of the shirt is cut from collar to bottom with scissors, as evidenced by the ledge-like edges of the cut and the even ends of the threads. But to assert that this particular shirt, bought by the poet in Paris, was on him at the time of the shot, is not enough. On the photographs of Mayakovsky's body taken at the scene of the incident, the fabric pattern, texture, shape and localization of the blood stain, and gunshot injury are clearly distinguishable. When the museum shirt was photographed in the same angle, magnification and photo combination was carried out, all the details matched.

Experts from the Federal Center had a difficult job - to find traces of a shot more than 60 years ago on the shirt and establish its distance. And there are three of them in forensic medicine and forensic science: a point-blank shot, from a close and a long distance. Linear injuries of a cruciform shape characteristic of a point-blank shot were found (they arise from the action of gases reflected from the body at the time of destruction of the tissue by the projectile), as well as traces of gunpowder, soot and scorching both in the damage itself and in the adjacent areas of the tissue.

But it was necessary to identify a number of stable signs, for which the diffuse-contact method was used, which did not destroy the shirt. It is known: when fired, a red-hot cloud flies out along with the bullet, then the bullet overtakes it and flies away further. If fired from a long distance, the cloud did not reach the object; if from a close distance, the powder-gas suspension should have settled on the shirt. It was necessary to investigate the complex of metals that make up the shell of the bullet of the alleged cartridge.

The impressions obtained showed a negligible amount of lead in the area of ​​damage, and almost no copper was found. On the other hand, thanks to the diffuse-contact method for determining antimony (one of the components of the capsule composition), it was possible to establish a vast zone of this substance with a diameter of about 10 mm around the damage with the topography characteristic of a shot at the side stop. Moreover, the sectoral deposition of antimony indicated that the muzzle was pressed against the shirt at an angle. And intense metallization on the left side is a sign of a shot from right to left, almost in a horizontal plane, with a slight downward slope.

From the "Conclusion" of the experts:

"1. Damage on V.V. Mayakovsky's shirt is an entrance fire damage, formed when fired from a distance "side stop" in the direction from front to back and somewhat from right to left in an almost horizontal plane.

2. Judging by the features of the damage, a short-barreled weapon (for example, a pistol) was used and a low-power cartridge was used.

3. Small size of the blood-soaked area located around the entrance gunshot injury indicate its formation as a result of a simultaneous release of blood from the wound, and the absence of vertical blood streaks indicates that immediately after receiving the injury, V.V. Mayakovsky was in a horizontal position, lying on his back.

4. The shape and small size of blood blots located below the damage, and the peculiarity of their location along the arc indicate that they arose as a result of the fall of small drops of blood from a small height onto the shirt in the process of moving down right hand splashed with blood, or from a weapon in the same hand. "

Can suicide be so thoroughly simulated? Yes, in expert practice there are cases of staging one, two, less often five signs. But the whole complex of signs cannot be falsified. It has been established that drops of blood are not traces of bleeding from a wound: they fell from a small height from a hand or weapon. Even if we assume that the Chekist Agranov (and he really knew his business) was a murderer and applied drops of blood after firing, say, from a pipette, although according to the reconstructed timing of events he simply did not have time for this, it was necessary to achieve a complete coincidence of the localization of the drops blood and the location of traces of antimony. But the reaction to antimony was discovered only in 1987. It was the comparison of the location of antimony and blood drops that became the pinnacle of this study.

Death autograph

The specialists of the laboratory of forensic handwriting examinations also had to work, because many, even very sensitive people, doubted the authenticity of the poet's dying letter, written in pencil with almost no punctuation marks:

“Everyone. Don't blame anyone for dying, and please don't gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly. Mom, sisters and comrades, forgive me this is not a way (I do not advise others), but I have no choice. Lily - love me. My family is Lilya Brik, mother, sisters and Veronika Vitoldovna Polonskaya ...
A love boat crashed about everyday life, I am with life in calculation And there is no need for a list of mutual troubles and grievances. Happy to stay. Vladimir Mayakovsky. 12.IV.30 g. "

From the "Conclusion" of the experts:

"The submitted letter on behalf of Mayakovsky was made by Mayakovsky himself in unusual conditions, the most probable cause of which is a psychophysiological state caused by anxiety. "

There was no doubt about the dating - it was April 12, two days before his death - "immediately before the suicide, the signs of unusualness would have been more pronounced." So the secret of the decision to die is hidden not in the 14th day of April, but in the 12th.

"Your word, comrade Mauser"

Relatively recently, the case "On the suicide of Vladimir Mayakovsky" was transferred from the Presidential Archives to the Museum of the Poet along with the fatal Browning, a bullet and a cartridge case. But in the protocol of the inspection of the scene, signed by the investigator and the expert doctor, it is said that he shot himself from "a revolver of the Mauser system, caliber 7.65, No. 312045". According to the certificate, the poet had two pistols - Browning and Bayard. And although Krasnaya Gazeta wrote about a revolver shot, eyewitness VA Katanyan mentions a Mauser, and N. Denisovsky, years later, Browning, it is still difficult to imagine that a professional investigator could confuse a Browning with a Mauser.

The staff of the V.V. Mayakovsky Museum appealed to the Russian Federal Forensic Center with a request to conduct a study of the Browning pistol No. 268979, the bullet and the cartridge case, transferred to them from the Presidential Archives, and to establish whether the poet was shooting at himself with this weapon.

The chemical analysis of the plaque in the bore of the Browning barrel made it possible to conclude that "no shot was fired from the weapon after the last cleaning." But the bullet, once removed from Mayakovsky's body, really "is part of the 7.65 mm Browning cartridge of the 1900 model of the year." So what's the deal? The examination showed: "The caliber of the bullet, the number of tracks, the width, the angle of inclination and the right-hand direction of the tracks indicate that the bullet was fired from a Mauser pistol of the 1914 model."

The results of the experimental shooting finally confirmed that "the 7.65 mm bullet of the Browning cartridge was fired not from the Browning pistol No. 268979, but from the 7.65 mm Mauser."

Still - a Mauser. Who changed the weapon? In 1944, an employee of the NKGB, "talking" with the disgraced writer MM Zoshchenko, asked if he considered the cause of Mayakovsky's death clear, to which the writer replied with dignity: “It remains mysterious even further. It is curious that the revolver from which Mayakovsky shot himself was presented to him by the famous Chekist Agranov.

Could it be that Agranov himself, to whom all the materials of the investigation flocked, changed the weapon, attaching Mayakovsky's Browning to the case? What for? Many knew about the "gift", moreover, the Mauser was not registered with Mayakovsky, which could have a big backfire on Agranov himself (by the way, he was later shot, but for what?). However, this is from the realm of conjecture. It is better to respect the poet's last request: “... please do not gossip. The deceased did not like this terribly "

85 years ago, on April 14, 1930, MAYAKOVSKY was shot in Lubyansky passage in Moscow. This was the official version: the poet himself raised the pistol to his chest, exhausted by problems with women, creative failures and syphilis (the obituary said: "rapid illness", although later tests were done and they did not confirm the illness).

“Many classified documents and annoying unanswered questions suggest that the true truth has been distorted and hidden. Outstanding work done by a Russian researcher Valentin Skoryatin, makes us look in a new way at the version of Mayakovsky's suicide ",- spoke at the conference on Mayakovsky American professor Albert Todd.
The more materials Skoryatin found about the death of the poet, the more he noticed inconsistencies and oddities.
Several people testified that Mayakovsky was not going to consider April 14 the last day of his life. On April 10 or 12, the poet promised that he would help make May Day slogans for the Central Committee, but asked to postpone the work for several days due to the flu.

A little earlier, on April 4, he contributed money to the housing cooperative RZHSKT named after Krasin. And he asked his acquaintances to help him rent a house until the fall, while the house was being built. Threesome life with Brikami burdened Mayakovsky, he wanted to have a normal family, made an offer Veronica Polonskaya.
After the death of the poet in new apartment Breeks moved.
Lilya did not hide from her Puppy that she became a mistress Agranova, Head of the Secret Department of the OGPU. The bloody investigator who was called the executioner of the Russian intelligentsia and who personally sanctioned the execution Gumilyov Agranov was not at all jealous of his predecessor. I even gave him a revolver. Mayakovsky was left-handed, but for some reason he took the pistol in his right hand, which was uncomfortable for him, before firing ... Years later, studying the protocol of the investigation, Skoryatin noticed that the weapon had been changed. Instead of Mauser No. 312045, recorded in the protocol, Browning No. 268979 was found.

Mayakovsky's suicide letter also left many questions. Why did the poet write it with a pencil and not with a pen? It is known that Mayakovsky was terribly squeamish and would not give his pen to an outsider. In addition, it is almost impossible to forge handwriting with a fountain pen, but the professionals from Agranov's department made a pencil forgery without difficulty.
And the content of the letter looks strange. How could it happen that Mayakovsky, very decent to close people, when determining the heirs, put his mother and sister after Lily? The right to inheritance was secured by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR: 1/2 part - to Leela, 1/6 - to mothers and sisters. V. Polonskaya, in violation of the will of the poet, - nothing. Interestingly, Agranov immediately took the original letter. When dividing the inheritance, members of the government were guided not by the original, but by newspaper reprints.

Agranov rushed into Mayakovsky's room with a bullet and immediately took the investigation into his own hands. Perhaps it was with his help that the investigation "did not notice" the testimony of the people who ran into the room immediately after the fatal shot. They claimed that the poet fell with his feet against the door. Those who came later saw the body in a different position, head to the door. Someone changed the position of the body so that there was no thought that the poet was shot.
Studying the death mask, the researchers noticed that the poet had a broken nose. It seems that Mayakovsky fell face down, and not on his back, as happens if a person shoots himself.

APOSTLE OR JUDAS

Michael Bulgakov, who knew Mayakovsky well, did not believe in the official version of suicide. Marina Cherkashina, a researcher of Bulgakov's work, noted: “Bulgakov was so shocked that he resumed work on what was left was a novel about the prince of darkness. A drama of truly biblical proportions was enacted before his eyes. Caesar in this drama - Marx and his "omnipotent doctrine", the procurator Pilate (the governor of Caesar in the USSR) - comrade Stalin, head of the secret service of Yershalaim Afraniy - head of the Special Department of the OGPU Yakov Agranov(even the surname is consonant!) with Berry. “Yeshua's preacher was the Master crucified on the newspaper strips; finally, a ruddy money-changer from Kiriath (who traded his soul for 30 coins) - a tall poet from Baghdadi, who exchanged talent for party propaganda, writes Cherkashina. - One had to have remarkable courage so that in a country where a well-oiled machine of political assassinations - the OGPU-NKVD - was operating, to reveal and show in the novel the secret mechanism of such assassinations. Bulgakov did this using the sad example of Mayakovsky.

And nobody was deceived by the biblical entourage of the episode. Under a white cloak with a bloody lining, under the togas of Afranii and his henchmen, Chekist service jackets with blue buttonholes are clearly visible.
Bulgakov insistently emphasized: the biblical events of the novel took place on the 14th of the spring month of Nisan. A direct reference to the date of the poet's death, April 14, 1930. On the 14th, the head of the secret service of Yershalaim, Afranius, talks with the procurator of Judea, Pilate. On the same day, Judas dies, having been stabbed in the heart. Mayakovsky was dealt with without a knife. He was shot.
In the novel, Pilate raises a glass of wine red as blood - Tsekuba. The name of this brand is very consonant with the familiar abbreviation of the Central Committee (b) - Bolsheviks. And here is Pilate's toast addressed to Caesar: "For you, Caesar, father of the Romans, the dearest and best of people!" The most expensive and best of people in Bulgakov's times was called only one single person.

From the novel The Master and Margarita:
- Yes, Afranius, this is what suddenly occurred to me: did he commit suicide?
- Oh no, procurator, - even leaning back in surprise in his chair, Afranius answered, - forgive me, but this is absolutely incredible!
- Ah, everything is probable in this city! I'm willing to argue that through the most a short time rumors of this will spread throughout the city.
Rumors that someone had helped the suicide really spread throughout Moscow on the same day.
But isn't it too harsh to imagine a living suffering person like Mayakovsky in the image of a biblical traitor? Why, in Bulgakov's eyes, the proletarian poet could only be Judas?

Quote

Ivan BUNIN:
- I think that Mayakovsky will remain in the history of literature of the Bolshevik years as the lowest, most cynical and harmful servant of Soviet cannibalism in terms of literary praise of him.

REBEL OF FAILURE

Mikhail Bulgakov, the son of a professor at the Theological Academy, came from a religious family, looked with a shudder at Mayakovsky's fight against God. He could only be Judas in his eyes, exclaiming: "I would throw blasphemies into the sky." In almost every verse, Mayakovsky voices obsessive thoughts about God, literally leads a personal rivalry with the Almighty, hoping to take his place in the hearts of people.
I, the car and England carol,
maybe just,
In the most ordinary gospel
thirteenth apostle.
And when my voice
bawdy hoots -
from hour to hour,
whole day,
may be,
Jesus Christ sniffs
my soul is forget-me-not.

Back in 1916 - 1917, he wrote the poem "Man", where he builds life lyrical hero(whose name without false modesty is Vladimir Mayakovsky) according to the Gospel canon. Speaking about the birth of Mayakovsky, the poet plays on the plot of the Nativity of Christ. The next chapters are "The Passion of Mayakovsky", "The Ascension of Mayakovsky", "The Return of Mayakovsky", "Mayakovsky to the Centuries".
“How
I can't sing myself,
if all of me is
solid unseen,
if every move is mine -
huge,
inexplicable miracle. "

ME AND RUBLES HAVE NOT ACCUMULATED THE STITCHES

Marina Cherkashina notes: “In Bulgakov’s eyes, Mayakovsky could only be Judas, because he betrayed his“ attacking class ”, becoming the new proletarian bourgeois: foreign trips, large fees, foreign currency gifts to his mistress - all this did not fit well with the image of a fiery“ agitator, throat-leader ”.
“Be damned! - the poet shouts to everyone who is well fed in the 22nd hungry year. - Let it be so that every swallowed sip burns the stomach! So that the juicy steak turns around with scissors, ripping open the walls of the intestines! " "All-Russian headman" Kalinin, having visited the southern regions, witnessed the facts of cannibalism. And Mayakovsky, traveling around Berlin, orders huge portions in the most expensive restaurants. In Paris, he goes to an expensive atelier on the Place Vendome to have a dressmaker sew shirts.

At Lilina's request, he brings from abroad to Moscow the latest release of Ford on reinforced balloon tires. The Soviet master wore silk underwear, rested in best houses recreation, rented dachas, hired housekeepers.
“Mayakovsky's statements to the tax office allow creating an idea of ​​his income. His usual income for six months was about 6 thousand rubles, that is, 12 thousand a year. Let us compare this amount with the annual wages of a worker, which was approximately 900 rubles. Mayakovsky earned almost 13 times more, ”writes Swedish literary critic Bengt Yangfeldt.

IN THE COMPANY OF GEPEUSHNIKOV

Once on the door of the apartment where Mayakovsky and Briki lived, an epigram appeared, the authorship of which was attributed to Yesenin: “Do you think Brick, a language researcher, lives here? / A spy and a Cheka investigator live here. Osip Brik was officially recruited by the Cheka. Soon, Lilya got an ID card of an employee of the GPU number 5073. A specific audience gathers in their apartment: NKVD officers, Soviet bankers and state officials.
Parsnip later he will call this house “the Moscow police department”. Later he confessed that it was scary to hear Lilya say: "Wait, we'll have dinner soon, as soon as Osya comes from the Cheka."

Mayakovsky courted women with carelessness, as if considering them to be of a lower order. He could easily describe the girl as "a delicious piece of meat" and loved to talk about his adventures very much. According to Burliuk, Mayakovsky was "a little picky" in his passion. He was content with "the love of the bourgeois women who cheated on their husbands at dachas - in hammocks, on swing benches, or the early unbridled passion of female students." At the same time, he wrote about "scum sucking on every double bed."

1. Vera Shekhtel. Mayakovsky disgusted and horrified the parents of the girls with whom he was familiar. When the poet started dating Vera Shekhtel, the daughter of an outstanding architect, her father made every effort to cut off the relationship. But in vain. Vera became pregnant and was sent abroad to have an abortion.
Then she married another. In 1932, her son Vadim Tonkov was born. The older generation remembers him in the image of the comic Veronica Mavrikievna.

2. Lilya Brick. From a young age Lile Kagan heightened sexual curiosity was characteristic. At 17, she became pregnant with a music teacher. Lilya was saved from pregnancy by a familiar doctor in the "dirty bedbug" - a hospital in Armavir.
By marrying Osipa Brika, Lilya did not even think to hide her adventures from him. The affair with Mayakovsky, whom she called the Puppy, smoothly passed into a strange life as a three of us.
Andrey Voznesensky will later be shocked by Lily's confession: “I loved making love to Osya. We then locked Volodya in the kitchen. He was eager, wanted to join us, scratched at the door and cried ... "
When Lilya left for Riga, Osip and Mayakovsky had one topic of conversation: "the only person in the world is a kitty." “I’m still your puppy,” Mayakovsky writes to Lilya, “I live, only thinking about you, waiting for you and adoring you. Every morning I come to the Wasp and say: "Boring, brother Kis, without Liska," and Oska says: "Boring, brother Schen, without Kisa."
Once Lilya told Mayakovsky that she loved Osip. Here's what happened next, according to the biographer Bengta Youngfeldt: “Mayakovsky sobbed, almost screamed and threw himself on the sofa from all his height. His huge body lay on the floor, and his face buried himself in the pillows and clasped his head in his hands. He sobbed. Lily bent over him in confusion. - Volodya, come on, don't cry. You are tired of such verses. - Osya ran to the kitchen for water. He sat down on the sofa and tried to raise Volodin's head. Volodya raised his face, bathed in tears, and pressed himself against Aspen's knees. Through a sobbing howl he shouted: "Lily does not love me!" - burst out, jumped out and ran into the kitchen. He moaned and cried there so loudly that Lilya and Osya huddled in the bedroom. "

4. Ellie Jones. When Mayakovsky came to America, he, not knowing English, when meeting people, took a note out of his pocket. From her he read aloud an apology for not shaking hands. (Mayakovsky was very afraid of infections, even door handles opened it through the pocket of his jacket or with a napkin.) Volunteered to be his translator Ellie Jones, an emigrant who fled Russia after the revolution. In June 1926, Ellie gave birth to a daughter from Mayakovsky. Together with the girl, she arrived in Nice in 1928 - this was the first and last meeting between father and daughter.

5. Tatiana Yakovleva. Lilya Brik was calm about the amorous adventures of the Puppy, but Ellie Jones caused her terrible fear. The poet did not hide that he fell in love. This jeopardized the financial situation of Brikov, which was provided by Mayakovsky. To eliminate her rival, Lilya asked her sister Elsa, who lived in Paris, to introduce the poet to someone else. Elsa brought Mayakovsky to Tatiana Yakovleva... And again the fatal passion! The poet fell in love so much that, leaving, he left a lot of money in flower shop- so that every Sunday Tatyana was brought an armful of roses.

6. Veronica Polonskaya. Fearing that the amorous Puppy will marry Yakovleva and get out of the influence of the Briks, they introduce him to the actress Veronica Polonskaya... Polonskaya was married, but all of Moscow, including her husband, knew about the affair with Mayakovsky. On the eve of the poet's death, the actress promised that she would move to him. Maybe this is what infuriated Lilya, who gave strength and omnipotence to adultery with Agranov?
No one will now answer what happened in the poet's "little boat" at the time of his death. Yuri Olesha said that Polonskaya, who was there, ran out with a shout: "Save me!" And only then a shot rang out.
Polonskaya did not attend the funeral: Mayakovsky's mother and sisters considered her to be guilty of the poet's death. But Lilya took the death of Mayakovsky without tragedy. After the funeral, they drank tea at the Briks, joked, chatted about everything in the world.