Sergei Yesenin and Sophia Tolstaya: a rebellious aristocratic novel

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Two people meet, a man and a woman, and destinies intertwine, souls grow together … And the reason for everything is Love, which unites, for inexplicable reasons, two different people. For what, is it by chance, or is there providence in these meetings, bringing that peace, and sometimes - a painful attraction, with which you cannot, and sometimes you do not want to fight. So Sergei Yesenin and Sophia Tolstaya could not resist their feelings, although it seemed that they could connect such different people.

Sergey Yesenin. Son of a peasant

A blond guy with an open face, a thoughtful, serious look and extraordinary talent - that was Sergei Yesenin. A guy from a simple peasant family has always aspired to the big world, where his extraordinary gift of speech will be revealed. The family could only offer him a job as a shopkeeper, which he, without hesitation, exchanged for publishing and, of course, creativity. He begins to publish early, gets acquainted with the venerable poets of those times, speaks publicly. His first editions are noted by critics as a new stream, a living natural syllable, praising a simple peasant way of life. Then there will be rebellious works, so corresponding to the spirit of the poet. And of course women, beloved, loving, for whom Yesenin, meeting with him, became iconic, fatal.

Sophia. Favorite granddaughter of the classic

Sofya Andreevna Tolstaya was born an aristocrat. She was the granddaughter of the writer Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. As a teenager, the family took Sophia to England, where she received an excellent education.

Returning to Russia, Sophia entered a female gymnasium, then a university, but for health reasons and due to lack of money, she was forced to leave her studies and marry S. M. Sukhotin, whose marriage was short-lived.

A meeting. Fate or chance

The first time, Sophia saw Yesenin at a literary evening. Dating did not happen, but the poems were remembered, how they were read, how much open soul and life there was in them. What Sophia recalled later. Acquaintance took place later, at a meeting, where Sophia was also invited. The poet shone, was treated kindly to the women and suddenly decided to "hang around …" as he put it, after the granddaughter of the venerable writer. And not this time, but in a different company, Sophia and Sergey met again. He went to see her off, and a walk in Moscow, conversations or something else inexplicable, led to the fact that the poet proposed to Sophia. After the first date.. And I got my consent! The poet's impulsiveness did not surprise anyone, but Sophia, who gave a quick consent, amazed those who knew her, restrained and reasonable.

Even her relationship with the writer Boris Pilnyak could not interfere with the engagement. For a long time, contemporaries could not believe in the transience with which the poet became close - this rebel and bully, egoist, talented, but reckless, and an aristocrat, continuer of a famous family, a deep, wise woman. Yesenin drank. And in this state he was scary, hot and unpredictable. Sophia is gentle and caring in her unreasonable cravings. "He does not understand what he is doing," she said to the bewilderment of her acquaintances, who vied with each other to dissuade her from marrying a wretched reveler. But, no matter what they say, Yesenin also changed his life after meeting with Sophia, breaking off relations with Galina Benislavskaya, and, albeit for a while, leaving riotous companies.

What is love - both passion and friendship

Sophia, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, was not a beauty. Large facial features, somewhat overweight, but at the same time she was distinguished by depth of mind, wisdom and education. She became an advisor and friend for the poet. Perhaps for Yesenin, this woman was like a quiet island of warmth and home, where he was drawn, but in which it was painfully scary to dissolve, to lose her rebellious spirit. But Sergei was not an insensitive reveler, he was gentle to Sophia, in his own way, in Yesenin's way. As Sophia wrote in her memoirs, he then hugs, presses to his chest, kisses his hands and repeats everything "My darling, darling …", then suddenly he starts dancing.

A family

What a test for her was Yesenin's decision "to think if he could become a good husband for her …" For five days Sophia waited as never before in her life, she did not remember how she managed to get through it. And then he returned, saying that he would not leave her anywhere.. And again the light in the eyes, and the soul sings.. "With him, only with him, no one is needed..". Friends, acquaintances are still perplexed. Knowing Yesenin, and when he is in love, he tells everyone about it, here he is calm, restrained. And Sophia, who just did not say that this marriage will not bring her happiness. They advised me to flee until it was too late and the destructive passion was not finally drawn in, namely by passion, and they explained Tolstoy's hobby for this talented, but destructive person.

No matter how reckless Yesenin was, but he also thought about the upcoming marriage, consulted with friends, assuring him of his intention to settle down. And the marriage of Tolstoy and Yesenin took place. Friends of the poet noted his liveliness, joy from his new position. Yesenin moves to live with Sophia, in her apartment, where her relatives with children are in one room, in another aunt. A gloomy apartment with antique furniture, dark, the sun did not enter. The new way of life begins to weigh on the poet. There are no more merry gatherings, poetry readings at night, dashing parties. But calmness and regularity appeared, on which the poet's friends pinned their hopes, hoping that family life would benefit and bring the long-awaited quiet joy.

Sophia was strict and demanding of herself and those close to her. Although she hid it behind an impeccable upbringing. Such properties of her character were the opposite of the simplicity and breadth of Sergei's nature, his gaiety. But, at the same time, Sophia loved her talented husband and strove to make his life comfortable. There were also dinners and evenings with friends. But everything is more decorous than in former times. Sergei is more and more often thought that he was in a hurry.. And Sophia, his sweet and wonderful … but he is burdensome with her. There were also breakdowns, and he could say too much, God knows what, and left into the night … But, he always returned … Did he love? … Did he love …

In correspondence with friends, Sergei increasingly mentions that family life is ruining, it is painful for him in Sophia's apartment, where there is so much from her great grandfather. Despite the fact that Sophia, with her boundless love, patience and extraordinary trepidation, tried to preserve their marriage, Yesenin more and more often thinks that he has fallen out of love, that he is in a cage, and his attempt to become an exemplary husband fails. And everything is decided by his final decision to leave for Leningrad. From whom he fled, and where. With Sophia, his faithful friend, he no longer feels the flight … After the death of the poet, Sophia Tolstaya did a tremendous job of collecting material and opening a museum in memory of Sergei Yesenin.

Heart-eater Yesenin left a mark on the lives of many women. Interesting and life story and the mystery of the death of Zinaida Reich - Yesenin's first wife.