Symbolism is a direction in literature, painting, music and art in general. The peculiarity of the genre consists in a certain element of mystery and mystery, incomplete disclosure of the essence of the work. The meaning is conveyed to the reader, viewer or listener with the help of various symbols (the name of the flow originated from this word).
The birthplace of symbolism is France. The direction arose in the 1870s, and in the late XIX and early XX centuries it became popular in Russia. Symbolism was used by such Russian creators as Valery Bryusov, Konstantin Balmont, Andrey Bely, Alexander Blok, Mikhail Vrubel, Alexander Scriabin and others. The poet Vyach Ivanov also made a great contribution to the development of symbolism in Russia.
Biography: early years, family, education
Vyach Ivanov (full name - Vyacheslav Ivanovich Ivanov) was born on February 28, 1866 in Moscow. The poet's father was a surveyor (at that time this profession was called a surveyor).
After graduating from the First Moscow Gymnasium, Vyach Ivanov entered Moscow University at the Faculty of History and Philology, but studied there for only two years. Since 1886, the future poet continued his studies in Berlin, where he also studied philology, history and philosophy.
The biography of the poet Vyach Ivanov has developed so that almost all his youth, about 20 years, he spent abroad. Mostly lived and traveled in Western Europe: Italy, Greece, Switzerland.
Abroad, the poet met his second wife (the first, Daria Dmitrievskaya, he married almost immediately after graduating from high school) - Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal. In 1896, a daughter was born, who was named after her mother.
In the same year, another important event took place in the life of Vyach Ivanov. He met his mentor Vladimir Solovyov, thanks to whom there was an impetus in the work of the poet. The first book of poems about nature was released.
A little later, in 1903, Vyach Ivanov met with Russian Symbolists - Balmont, Merezhkovsky, Blok. From this moment begins a new period in the life and work of the poet.
Return to Russia
In 1905, Vyach Ivanov returned to Russia, but he settled not in his native city, but in St. Petersburg. Every week, the great creators of the Silver Age gathered in his apartment: they discussed new ideas, shared sketches of their works and news from the literary world. Vyach Ivanov was at the peak of his fame and collaborated with a large number of magazines popular at that time.
After the death of his wife, the poet married a third time. In 1913, Vyach Ivanov and his wife moved to Moscow, where they met the composer Scriabin.
The October Revolution was not understood and not accepted by Ivanov. Like many other writers, artists and composers who did not approve of the idea of revolution, he tried to emigrate from Russia. Another reason for the move was his wife's tuberculosis. Despite all this, the exit was denied, and Ivanov had to stay at home.
In 1920, the poet’s wife died, and Vyach Ivanov moved to Baku, where he taught philology.
Last years
After spending 4 years in Baku, the poet Vyach Ivanov again settled in Italy. For the past decades, he lived in calm and solitude, only occasionally communicating with Merezhkovsky, Bunin and other emigrants. For the fourth time, Vyach Ivanov did not marry, and his secretary was engaged in household work.
The poet decided to turn to religion and joined the Catholic Church.
In Italy, Vyach Ivanov also taught: he was a lecturer in foreign languages, and taught courses in Russian literature.
He died in Rome in 1949, having lived a long life. The poet was 83 years old. He was buried at Testaccio cemetery.
Features of creativity
Many of Vyach Ivanov’s works have references to the distant past — Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as Byzantium — Ivanov was one of the few writers who turned to the art of this state when creating their works. It was in these eras that the poet found for himself what he called "genuine symbolism."
In the verses of Vyach Ivanov, high eternal themes are raised that have always worried poets and their readers: death and rebirth, despair and hope. The poems are not dynamic, but rather give the impression of something static, stately and heavy. You can see that the poet practically does not use verbs, which creates this effect of immobility.
Many writers described and sang nature, but even this is what Vyach Ivanov does in his own way. In his works, he mentions not trees, not grass, not ponds, but rather the inanimate part of the world - piles of scattered stones, crystals sparkling in the sun and molten metals.
Despite this aspect, the work of Vyach Ivanov as a whole is surprisingly holistic and harmonious, and the main topics are triumph and love, which can overcome death. The poet often uses Greek words - this is a tradition of the ancient Church Slavonic language, which emphasizes the grandeur and sophistication of poems.
Critic reviews
Dmitry Mirsky, a Russian literary critic and critic, compares Vyach Ivanov’s poems with “rich Byzantine vestments.” The enormous influence of past times is felt, which makes the verses “filled with self-awareness”. According to the critic, the poet carefully thought out every word. All this makes the work of Vyach Ivanov truly original and important for Russian literature.