Nikolay Zabolotsky | |
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| Born | Nikolay Alekseyevich Zabolotsky (1903-05-07)May 7, 1903 |
| Died | October 14, 1958(1958-10-14) (aged 55) |
| Occupation | Poet, translator |
| Notable awards | Shota Rustaveli Prize[1] |
Nikolay Alekseyevich Zabolotsky (Russian:Никола́й Алексе́евич Заболо́цкий; May 7, 1903 – October 14, 1958[2]) was a prominent Soviet and Russianpoet andtranslator.
Nikolay Alekseyevich Zabolotsky was born on May 7, 1903, in Kizicheskaya sloboda (now part of the city ofKazan). His father, Alexei Agafonovich Zabolotsky (1864–1929) was an agronomist, who managed azemstvo agricultural farm.[3] His mother, Lydia Andreevna (née Dyakonova) Zabolotsky (1882?-1926) was a teacher.[3] His early life was spent in the towns of Sernur (now in the Republic ofMari El) andUrzhum (now in theKirov Oblast). In 1920, Zabolotsky left his family and moved toMoscow, enrolling simultaneously in the departments of medicine andphilology at theMoscow State University. A year later, he moved toPetrograd (nowSaint Petersburg) and enrolled in the Pedagogical Institute ofLeningrad State Pedagogical Institute.
Zabolotsky had already begun to write poetry at this time. His formative period showed the influences of theFuturist works ofVladimir Mayakovsky andVelimir Khlebnikov, the lyrical poems ofAlexander Blok andSergei Yesenin, and the art ofPavel Filonov andMarc Chagall. During this period, Zabolotsky also met his future wife, E.V. Klykova.
In 1928, Zabolotsky founded the avant-garde group Oberiu withDaniil Kharms andAlexander Vvedensky. The group's acronym stood for "The Association of Real Art" (in Russian,Объединение реального искусства). During this period, Zabolotsky began to be published. His first book of poetry,Columns (Столбцы, 1929), was a series of grotesque vignettes on the life thatVladimir Lenin'sNew Economic Policy (NEP) had created. It included the poem"The Signs of the Zodiac Fade" (Меркнут знаки зодиака), an absurdist lullaby that, 67 years later, in 1996, provided the words for a Russian pop hit. In 1937, Zabolotsky published his second book of poetry. This collection showed the subject matter of Zabolotsky's work moving from social concerns to elegies and nature poetry. This book is notable for its inclusion ofpantheistic themes.
Zabolotsky's poetry also included works focused on religious themes. These are rooted on his early religious training and expressed Orthodoxy of the peasantry before the revolution.[4] While official biographical statements depicted him as a politically and sanitized Soviet poet, officially and unofficially published works showed that he had more spiritual and intellectual depth.[5] By the 1930s, Zabolotsky modified his poetic style towards "socialist realism" in a move to produce acceptable ideological content.[6]
AmidstJoseph Stalin's increased censorship of the arts, Zabolotsky fell victim to theGreat Purge. Arrested in 1938, he was tortured, and accused of taking part of a counter-revolutionary plot with other Leningrad (St Petersburg) writers, includingNikolai Tikhonov,Konstantin Fedin, andSamuil Marshak - none of whom were arrested.[7] He was sentenced to five years toSiberia. This sentence was prolonged until the war was over. In 1944 after his appeal he was freed of guard, but still continued the sentence in exile inKaraganda. In Siberia he continued his creative work and was occupied with translation ofThe Tale of Igor's Campaign. This followed with his release in 1945.
Upon his return to Moscow in 1946, Zabolotsky was restored as member ofUnion of Soviet Writers. He also translated severalGeorgian poets (includingShota Rustaveli'sepic poemThe Knight in the Panther's Skin, as well as more modern Georgian poets such asVazha-Pshavela,Grigol Orbeliani,Davit Guramishvili) and traveled frequently toGeorgia.[8] Zabolotsky also resumed his work as an original poet. However, the literature of his post-exile years experienced drastic stylistic changes. His poetry began to take a more traditional, conservative form and was often compared to the work ofTyutchev.
In 1930 he married Ekaterina Vasilyevna Klykova (1906–1997). They had two children:
His cousin was the children's writer Leonid Vladimirovich Dyakonov (1908–1995)[10].
So what if hers is not a lovely face?
She won’t excel in the enchantment lessons,
But she is blessed with innocence and grace,
Soft radiance imbues her very essence.
So what is beauty? And why does the human race
Keep up its worship, whether valid or misguided?
Is it a vessel holding empty space,
Or is it fire shimmering inside it?
The last few years of Zabolotsky's life were beset by illness. He suffered a debilitating heart attack and, from 1956 onward, spent much of his time in the town ofTarusa. A second heart attack claimed his life on October 14, 1958, in Moscow.
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