The death of Mayakovsky: the tragic finale of the poet. Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky

The fact remains indisputable: a shot in a communal apartment, where the working room of Vladimir Mayakovsky was located, sounded 85 years ago on April 14, 1930 at 10 hours and 17 minutes. The bullet hit the heart. Arrived" Ambulance"stated death. A version of suicide immediately arose. Especially since a suicide note was found next to the poet:

"To everyone. Don't blame anyone for dying and please don't gossip. The deceased didn't like this terribly. Mom, sisters and comrades, I'm sorry, this is not the way (I don't advise others), but I have no way out"

Will not fulfilled

Still, it was not without gossip. The romantic version of the poet's death has become one of the most popular in hot pursuit. They gossip that he was rejected by his last lover, and also that he suffered from a venereal disease. To refute the already completely absurd unhealthy version, I even had to conduct a second autopsy. But no venereal diseases were found in Mayakovsky. In his personal life, there really were unrest, but rather of a pleasant nature: Mayakovsky was carried away by the 22-year-old artist of the Moscow Art Theater 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 one who saw Mayakovsky alive - she left the room a few moments before the shot, hurried to the rehearsal.

Is it suicide?

Hearing the shot, Polonskaya immediately returned. The main opponent of the version of suicide, journalist Valentin Skoryatin, claims that Mayakovsky was in love and made plans, which means 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 Polonskaya talking about the revolver in the hands of the poet when she ran out of the room." According to the journalist, she was subsequently forced to change her testimony. In addition, Skoryatin cites different testimonies about the location of the body: initially, witnesses claimed 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. As the main suspect, Skoryatin considers the head of the secret department of the GPU Agranov. It was he who arrived at the crime scene after the young actress. The researcher of Mayakovsky's death suggests that Agranov could hide in the back room, and then exit 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 the increasingly visible disappointment in the Soviet system, the journalist concludes. According to him, “notes of tragic disappointment burst into his “party books” more and more often, and he sang of reality more and more strained. But the satirical denunciation of “rubbish” grew stronger.

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Latest expertise and new secrets

With the breakup Soviet Union the version that Mayakovsky was killed sounded from new force. 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 really been carried out. Until the 1950s, the shirt was kept first by the wife of the poet Lily Brik, then in the Mayakovsky Museum. Results of a study conducted by experts from the Federal Center for Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice Russian Federation were published in the new century. The main conclusion is that the nature of the traces and the absence of signs of self-defense are characteristic of a shot fired own hand. It is possible to stage a suicide, experts admitted, it is possible to stage individual tracks. But it is impossible to take into account everything, including single drops of blood found on the shirt and characteristic of the traces that the hand, spattered with blood, leaves when moving down.

However, one question remained unsolved, who and why replaced the gun in the case of Mayakovsky's suicide. The change has also become known in our time. Experts were approached by employees of the State Mayakovsky Museum with a request to investigate the "Browning", which was transferred along with bullets and a cartridge case from the Presidential Archive, 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 revolver of the Mauser system appears. The examination showed that it was the Mauser that fired. So who changed the material evidence? One of the plausible hypotheses was put forward by 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." Isn't it Agranov himself who changed the weapon, adding Mayakovsky's Browning to the case, the forensic scientist 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 - on the eve of the public and the press, it was rather coldly received new play"Bath", 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 Moscow in apartment 12 of house No. 3 along Lubyansky passage. The cause of death was suicide.

unrequited love

During his lifetime, Mayakovsky had many novels, although he was never officially married. Among his lovers there 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 continued for many years. Moreover, for a long period of his life, the poet lived in the same house with the Brik 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 connection. It is known that the poet planned with her life together and insisted on divorce. This story became the reason for the official version of suicide. On the day of his death, Mayakovsky was refused by Veronica, which provoked, according to many historians, a serious nervous shock that led to such tragic events. In any case, Mayakovsky's family, including his mother and sisters, believed that it was Polonskaya who was to blame for his death.

Mayakovsky left a suicide note with the following content: "EVERYONE

Don't blame anyone for dying and please don't gossip. The dead man disliked this terribly. Mom, sisters and comrades, forgive me - this is not a way (I do not advise others), but I have no way out. 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 poems you have started to the Briks, they will figure it out. As they say - “the incident is ruined”, the love boat crashed into everyday life I am counting on life and there is no need for a list of mutual pains, troubles and insults. happy to stay

VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY.

mental trauma

Historians also consider difficult emotional experiences as one of the theories of suicide. The year 1930 was not very successful for the poet. First, he was very sick. Secondly, Mayakovsky was severely criticized, believing that he had already 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 fateful event, he listened to a lot of 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 about what exactly the oppressed emotional condition together with failed love became the reason for such an act.

Promiscuous relationships contributed to the emergence of a version of syphilis, which could cause suicide. But most researchers refute this hypothesis, arguing that such a cheerful person as Mayakovsky could not commit suicide only because of this disease. Yes, and there is no official evidence that the poet was really sick. After the death of the poet, the criminalists insisted on a second autopsy in order to finally verify the inconsistency of this version.

Political motives

There were also rumors that the poet was killed for ideological reasons. Some believed that Mayakovsky, with his rebellious character, was a danger to the Soviet regime. Valid in last years he could afford unflattering remarks, but this does not apply to his death. The murder version has no basis. 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 engaged in dramaturgy, writing screenplays, 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. Some people liked his poems, others not so much. Indeed, they were somewhat specific and found recognition among supporters of just such a peculiar expression of their inner world.

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

Naturally, there was a consequence. Organized by the OGPU. The official conclusion was suicide. We can agree with this, since creative people are inherently very unpredictable. They see the world somewhat different from other people. Forever some throwing, doubts, disappointments and a constant search for something elusive all the time. In a word, it is very difficult to understand what they want to get from this life. And now, at the peak of disappointment, the cold muzzle of a pistol is brought to the temple or heart. A 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 official government bodies, who were originally supposed to protect citizens from rash and dangerous acts. So where is the truth? In this case, she is not at 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, we will first get to know the Brik family in more detail, with which our hero had a long close relationship.

Briki

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

Vladimir and Lily 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 happened there and how it happened 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 by no means a poor man. It is quite natural that he shared part of his income with the Briks.

Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik

It can be assumed that this is why Lily tried with all her might to tie Vladimir to herself. Since 1926, the trinity 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 not far from Taganskaya Square. The Briks did not have the opportunity to get at that time a separate apartment. The huge city lived in communal apartments, and only outstanding personalities who brought significant benefits to the existing regime had their own living space.

Since 1922, Mayakovsky's works began to be published in major 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.

Heart affairs of Vladimir Mayakovsky

Being completely dependent on Lily Brik, our hero from time to time entered into intimate relationships with other women. In 1925, he traveled to America and began 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 who received the name Helen (Elena). She is alive to this day. He is a philosopher and writer, maintains a close relationship 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 unimaginable 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 unite himself with the bonds of Hymen and Tatyana and finally say goodbye to the Briks. This, of course, was not part of Lily's plans. In April 1929, she introduced the poet to the young and beautiful actress Veronika Polonskaya, who has 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, news came from Paris that supposedly Yakovleva was marrying 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 to the tragedy, because Mayakovsky's death occurred almost before 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 world revolution. That is why it was such a huge success with various publishers. He was paid huge fees, provided with separate housing, but in return they demanded devotion and loyalty.

However, by the end of the 20s, notes of disappointment with the existing regime began to slip in the works of the poet. There were still years of collectivization ahead, a terrible famine, repressions, and Vladimir Vladimirovich already felt in his soul the mortal danger hanging over the country. It became increasingly difficult for him to praise the existing reality. I had to step over my understanding of the world and moral principles more and more often.

A wave of jubilation was gaining strength in the country. Everyone admired or pretended to admire the achievements of the socialist system, and Mayakovsky began to satirically denounce all sorts of "rubbish". It sounded out of tune with the enthusiastic chorus of sycophants and opportunists. The authorities very quickly felt that the poet had become different. He has changed, and in a way that is dangerous for the regime. The first sign was the criticism of his plays "Bug" and "Bath". Then the portrait disappeared from a literary magazine, and persecution in the press unfolded.

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's one thing when fellow writers come, and another thing when an OGPU officer comes into the apartment on a friendly visit. We must also not forget that Osip Maksimovich Brik in 1919-1921 was an employee of the Cheka. And there are no former Chekists.

All this guardianship was carried out in order to check the reliability of the poet. The results were deplorable for Vladimir Vladimirovich. The decision was made to remove it. It could not have been otherwise, because a reforged tribune could cause great ideological harm to the communist regime.

The last day of the poet's life

Mayakovsky's death, as already mentioned, occurred on April 14, 1930. There were no Briks in Moscow: they went abroad back in February. The poet decided to take advantage of their absence in order to finally break 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 purchase an apartment for himself, and leave the existing living space to a voluptuous and selfish couple.

On Monday, April 14, the poet arrives at Polonskaya at 8 o'clock in the morning and takes her to his place. There is a conversation going on between them. Vladimir demands that Veronika 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, as at 10-30 she has a rehearsal in the theater. She goes out into the front door and then hears the sound of a revolver shot. Veronica runs back into the room just a moment after leaving and sees that Vladimir is lying on the floor with his arms outstretched.

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 oversaw the creative intelligentsia. The scene of the incident was examined, the poet's body was photographed. Vladimir Vladimirovich's suicide letter, dated April 12, was found. Agranov read it aloud and put it in his tunic pocket.

Toward 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 died from a shot in the heart. But rumors spread that Mayakovsky had syphilis, which caused the tragedy. Pathologists had to open the body, but no serious abnormalities were found in the organs. The newspapers wrote that the poet died of a transient illness. Friends signed the obituary, and that was the end of the matter.

Murder or suicide?

So how should one characterize the death of Mayakovsky? Was it murder or suicide? To shed light on this issue, let's start, as expected, with a suicide note. Here is her text:

“To everyone… Don’t blame anyone for dying and don’t gossip. The deceased didn’t like this terribly.

Comrade government, my family is Lilya Brik, mother, sister and Veronika Polonskaya. I would be grateful if you give them a tolerable life. Give the verses you have begun to the Briks, they will sort it out. As they say - the incident is over, the love boat crashed into everyday life. I am counting with life, and there is no need for a list of mutual pains, troubles and insults. Happy staying."

Here is a will written, according to the date, April 12. And the fatal shot sounded on April 14. At the same time, a love 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 money to buy a cooperative apartment, but there was not even a little thing 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 forge 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 writing, you can argue that it was not written by Mayakovsky. So who then produced this creation. Maybe there was an employee in the apparatus of the OGPU who took on such duties that were so unusual for him?

The archive contains the criminal case number 02-29. This is just the suicide case of VV Mayakovsky. It was led by investigator I. Syrtsov. So, the inspection protocol does not mention the suicide letter, as if it never existed. 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 was fired. Either she was standing near the poet, or she had already left the room. As Veronica herself later claimed, she went out into the front door and only there she heard the sound of a shot. However, judging by the papers, her behavior can be interpreted in different ways. The woman ran down the stairs, and a shot rang out, or ran out of the room screaming, and it was at that moment that the poet shot himself. So maybe she saw Vladimir in his hand with a pistol, 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 a gun was found near the body or not. How was the body? Head to the door or head into the room. If someone else entered the room and fired, then Vladimir Vladimirovich had to fall back, that is, head deep into the room. But nothing definite can be said here. Thus, it can be concluded that the investigative actions were carried out extremely carelessly. They were a 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 the OGPU, but presented this case as a suicide. It was safely placed in the archive and gathered dust on the shelves until the 90s of the XX century. And who will you ask in 60 years? Moreover, Yagoda's people, including Agranov, were shot in 1937-38. So the retribution was done anyway.

Who was the winner 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 a loving wife ended in divorce. But the Soviet government recognized Lily as the legitimate heiress of the deceased poet. She got his co-op apartment and cash savings.

But the most important thing is the archives, which, in fact, were the property of the people. However, this is not all. Since 1935, the so-called "widow" of Mayakovsky began to receive interest from the sold works of the poet. 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, without two minutes the wife received nothing. However, no. She got gossip, talk behind her back, malevolent smirks. The last point in this epic was the divorce from her husband. Well, what can you do. That's the way this world works. Someone finds, and someone loses. But let's be optimistic. folk wisdom says: "What doesn't happen is always for the best."

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

Vladimir Mayakovsky entered 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". Then, one by one, there were acts represented 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 a suicide letter written on April 12.

As in the case of Yesenin, the death of a talented poet caused a strong reaction and gave rise to many versions of what happened. Two of them are the most widely used.

The “Chekist” version was widely considered in various publications of the perestroika and post-perestroika period. 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 confused 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 great excitement.

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

The "French" version reads: "Look for a woman!" Many researchers tend to just her, she is less mysterious, but more plausible. One of the targets was the young actress Veronika 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 death, there was a quarrel between them, Veronika left the apartment in Lubyansky passage, took a few steps and heard a shot.

Could this quarrel be the last straw that sank the "love boat" of the great poet and deprived him of the 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 an infinite number of guesses, it is difficult to prove something for sure. 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.