There are many beautiful women in the world, they illuminate with their gentle light every era and all countries. They manage their appearance in different ways. Some are happy with family happiness and devote their entire lives to one man whom they love and respect, raise children with him and share their joys and sorrows until the hour of death. Others, like butterflies, flutter from one "flower" to another. Sometimes such a tortuous flight ends safely, but not always. Tatyana Alekseevna Yakovleva, who found her peace in Connecticut, USA, was not one or the other. She turned her beauty into talent, becoming a professional muse.
Who is she?
"Who was this woman and what was so outstanding about her?" - our contemporary will ask. And he will be right in his doubts. Well, yes, she made acquaintances among celebrities, she was friends with Marlene Dietrich , received signs of attention from Chaliapin, with Prokofiev she used to play music four hands, Esti Lauder and Edith Piaf wore their hats (but this was later, in America).
It is unlikely that anyone in our country would know today if Tatyana Yakovleva and Mayakovsky were not connected by relationships that went beyond friendship. The circumstances of the life and death of the chief proletarian poet were studied in the most thorough manner, although not all information was subject to wide disclosure. In 1928 he visited Paris, about which he even wrote that he would like to live and die here if ... What now happened in this city became known.
The role of Briks
They were introduced by Elsa Triole, Lily's sister. A lot has been written about the poet’s relationship with the Brik family. They were not just strange, even in our age of permissiveness they would most likely be considered perverted. Many considered Lily Brick's influence on Mayakovsky to be monstrous, he himself suffered and still could not get free. Once abroad, the proletarian worker became interested in the American Ellie Jones, who became pregnant from him, and then gave birth to a daughter. Too many people were interested in stopping this connection, from the “Briocheka” herself (her sister acted in her interests) to the comrades who occupied the highest Kremlin offices in Moscow. Additionally, Elsa had her own motives to distract the poet from the annoying Mrs. Jones. The fact is that during his stay in Paris, Vladimir Vladimirovich generously spent his fees, thereby substantially improving the financial condition of his sister Lily Brik, and along with Louis Aragon, her friend.
Outstanding uncle
She was born in St. Petersburg in 1906. We don’t know anything about count titles or an old boyar origin, from which we can conclude that there was neither one nor the other. Brother of the father Alexander Yakovlev was an artist. It is interesting that he became one of the founders of design, not only Russian, but in general. It was he who helped Monsieur Citroën give the aesthetic appearance to cars that had just begun to build in France. Actually, it was uncle who was able to pull his niece from Sovdep Russia to Paris, for this he used all the influence of his friend, the French king of cars.
First impression
It cannot be confidently stated that Tatyana Yakovleva Mayakovsky immediately really liked. Around her were the most famous men of the Russian emigration, well-born, talented, sometimes very poor, besides, her dazzling appearance also attracted those whom our compatriots in exile habitually called foreigners. But Tatyana Yakovleva simply could not help but like. Moreover, it was impossible not to fall in love with her.
Despite the fact that the emigrant did not show any sympathy in any way, Mayakovsky showed some persistence.
Letter of the poet
The poem “Letter to Tatyana Yakovleva”, written after an acquaintance, makes it clear about the first impression made by the young beauty on the poet, from which it becomes completely clear that, despite the general proletarian orientation of creativity, the leggy that is so lacking in Moscow did not escape . He urged Tatiana to fill this deficit in the Paris restaurant Petite Chaumiere, it was three weeks later, namely on December 24, on the eve of the new 1929. The refusal was most tactful and was expressed in dissatisfaction with the public reading of the "Letter ..." in the circle of the Russian-speaking community and the reluctance to publish it. Indeed, the verse could distort the delicate taste of the connoisseur of elegant literature with its ultimatum-aggressive pressure, the threat of taking the chosen one even with Paris, and wishing, in case of disagreement, “to stay and winter”.
Outwardly, the poet looked rude, but tenderness did not rage in his heart. And she wrote to her mother that only one person she met could leave a mark in her soul. Bribed the beauty of his dissimilarity to the people of the usual circle, physical and moral colossal.
Something very important happened after Tatyana Yakovleva and Mayakovsky parted. Flowers, orchids, were delivered daily to her address, regardless of the weather and political conditions. During the Nazi occupation, they even served as a means of survival, they could be sold or exchanged for food, so these bouquets were good. In each of them was a card with the inscription "from Mayakovsky."
Poet and women
About Vladimir Mayakovsky can not be said that he was a man in love. His novels are famous and distinguished by some unusualness, like many other facts of the poet’s biography. Women answered him in return, but showed a certain apprehension, wild temperament in combination with brutal appearance, as well as mental imbalance, frightened them. Tatyana Yakovleva was no exception, she was attracted to Mayakovsky, and at the same time repelled from him, she felt the unbridled nature of him and the fragility of relations, and she, like any other woman, wanted reliability.
Why Mayakovsky shot himself
They stopped letting the poet abroad, and in desperation he said at the beginning of 1929 that he could shoot himself if he did not see his beloved woman. It should be noted, however, that he attempted suicide earlier, moreover, on similar occasions, but the lady was another, Lilya Brik. Most likely, he was not going to shoot seriously, and the pistol did not load. It is also not possible to connect the successful attempt with the personality of Yakovleva, at that time another woman was already the object of Mayakovsky's desire - Polonskaya, who was married. For the sake of doubtful happiness, she did not want to become the wife of the officially recognized genius poet to give up her acting career and her husband, whom she, in her own words, loved in her own way. It is likely that the fatal shot was accidental, an empty clip indicates this, the cartridge remaining in the barrel, most likely forgotten, was the cause of death. Thus, the version according to which Tatyana Yakovleva was the last unhappy love that provoked suicide has, of course, the right to exist, but, rather, as one of the elements of the image of the fatal vamp woman, because of which men shoot right and left.
Life after Volodya
So what is left of this long-standing romantic story? Very few photos of Tatyana Yakovleva and Mayakovsky, in which they are depicted together, have been preserved. Her letters to the poet were destroyed by a rival - Lily Brik. His messages are preserved. The fact of daily flower delivery for decades from the poet is also confirmed by many evidence. That, in fact, is all.
Biography of Tatyana Yakovleva may seem enviable to many women. She married twice and both times in her own way successfully. Viscount Bertrand du Plessis became the one who saved her from Volodya (by her own admission). He gave a sonorous title, besides, importantly, material stability, and of Francine, daughter. The first husband, although unloved, but respected, died during the war.
Happiness with Liberman
The second husband was Alexander Liberman, with whom she lived the rest of her life, apparently, her calmest and happiest period. Until the last days, she considered herself Russian, ate exotic jelly and buckwheat porridge, exotic for Connecticut, and received guests from her homeland. Tatyana Yakovleva loved to communicate with compatriots and led a secular lifestyle, with great pleasure throwing parties, balls and receptions. In communicating with celebrities, she showed pleasant spontaneity, she could tell Marlene Dietrich, who settled on her couch, that if she burns her upholstery with a cigarette, then she will beat her. Christian Dior was also delighted with her jokes and aphorisms.
Queen of hats
Yakovleva was considered the "queen of hats." This title did not bring money, and design work was rather a hobby and at the same time a great topic for conversations with famous friends. The main thing that she was able to do was convince them that it was this style that made them unique, after which they went out shopping very satisfied and “similar to prize horses” (according to her ironic remark).
Her husband, Alex, readily published articles on talented people in the Vogue magazine, which helped them become famous. The family reigned in harmony and peace.
In this gracious atmosphere, Tatyana du Plessis-Liberman, nee Yakovleva, left this mortal world in 1991, asking her husband to "give way to her." Like a real gentleman, he obeyed. She did not create anything outstanding in life, except for an elegant image. She was just a muse.