Igor Severyanin, whose poetry is known to many poetry fans today, is a famous Russian poet of the early twentieth century. He repeatedly declared his genius. The same fact was confirmed by many critics. And one of them is Valery Bryusov, a talented creator, without whose evaluation no literary fate could take place.
Creativity, which Igor Severyanin devoted his whole life to, the author’s biography and his recognition in literary circles begins long before the scandalous poem “I am a genius” appears. But despite the fact that this work was written in nineteen twelve, it became the hallmark of the author.
Childhood Igor Vasilievich
In fact, the Northerner is a literary pseudonym. In the year eighteen eighty-seventh, Igor Vasilyevich Lotarev was born in St. Petersburg. His childhood passed in this delightful city. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the theme of Petersburg will occupy such a huge place in the work of the poet.
Igor’s mother came from a noble family, and his father, as they said then, was from the middle class. But there was nothing derogatory in this. Because the boy’s dad has achieved great fame. He became the headquarters captain. But unfortunately, the parents broke up. And all subsequent years, Igor Vasilievich lived in the Novgorod province in the Cherepovets district. The future poet lived in the estate of his father's sister.
Famous relatives of Severyanin-Lotarev
To the end has not yet been studied on a documentary basis, what was the little Northerner, the biography of his early childhood contains a lot of gaps. But it was very important for the poet that on the maternal side he was associated with the family of the famous Fet and was a distant relative of the famous historian, author of the History of the Russian State, Nikolai Karamzin.
In the Novgorod province, Igor graduated from four classes of the school. And the reader should not be confused, since at that time there was a completely different educational system. And besides, he, like many children of that historical period, received a wonderful home family education.
And of course, Igor Vasilievich Severyanin, whose biography begins with the name Lotarev, was a very educated person. He knew Russian world culture very well and it was no accident that he often relied on his predecessors.
Traveling in his native country and the beginning of creativity
Then Igor Severyanin (a brief biography of that period has been little studied, therefore, only some facts are known), together with his father, travels throughout Russia and goes to the Far East, where he remains for several years. And in the nineteen fourth year he returns to his mother. It is there that he will meet many future famous poets, writers, and cultural figures.
And then a book will appear that will “sound” very loudly. The Northerner himself will call his earlier editions brochures. The writing of the first was facilitated by the events of the Russo-Japanese War of the nineteen-fourth year. And practically no one noticed the poet’s debut, because this is a kind of pre-war period. Igor Vasilyevich was often in a hurry with the release of his poems and books.
The appearance of an alias or big name
But it is worth paying attention to - it was a year about which Bryusov once wrote that he was a turning point for the fate of Russian symbolism. It is either a victory or a defeat. A new era began in Russian literature and poetry.
Lotarev, or the future Igor Severyanin, whose biography was such that he appeared as a poet at the same time, will become truly famous much later. But it was at this time that his literary pseudonym arose. At first it was Igor-Northerner, that is, through a hyphen, and a little later this sign will disappear and a big name will remain.
Biography Severyanin. Interesting facts about the poet's work
The most famous book will be The Booming Cup, but fame came to the poet before this edition. Many Russian Symbolists at that time already knew what methods were there to achieve fame. And often it was a literary scandal. The same thing happened with Igor Vasilyevich.
One of the poems, which begins like this: “Insert a corkscrew into the elasticity of the cork ...” was read in Tolstoy’s house in Yasnaya Polyana. It was an ordinary noble way of life - reading aloud books. The entire brochure of the Severyanin caused an unusual revival, but this work made a splash. Everyone laughed at the unusual moves of the author’s new poetry.
But suddenly Lev Nikolayevich got angry and said: "Around the gallows, murders, funerals, and they have a corkscrew in a traffic jam." Soon these words were circulated in many newspapers. So gained fame Igor Vasilyevich Severyanin. His biography and work became popular the very next morning.
The true popularity of the creator and the most famous book
But the real glory came after the publication of the book “Thundering Cup”. The name of the Severyanin was associated with a new trend in Russian poetry. Shortly before that, futurism appeared in Europe, which was associated with Marinetti, the Italian poet and theorist.
And Igor Vasilievich was the first in Russia to call himself a futurist. In the nineteen-twelfth year the direction of self-futurism took shape, and at the head of it stood a Northerner. Then he will move away from his brothers.
Search for the creative circle
While Igor Vasilievich was young, he was looking for himself literary allies, like any budding poet. It’s either that it’s recruiting just the boys into a group of futurists, now it’s going under the wing of the venerable Fedor Sologub, even trying to establish contacts with Gumilyov. But the easiest way was with the cubo-futurists. They invited Igor Severyanin on a tour, and despite the fact that their paths subsequently diverged, the cooperation was very fruitful.
In the poetry of Igor Vasilyevich there was a lot of traditional. No matter how the futurists dream of creating their own poetry, however, in literature, always present creativity intersects with the past. The names of many classical poets have become an important component in the work of the author. It is no coincidence that Igor Severyanin, whose biography is such that in his childhood he met many famous people, devoted so many verses to Pushkin, Fet, Tyutchev.
The cycle of works about the greatest creators
In the twenties, Igor Vasilievich wrote a whole series of works under significant names. Lermontov, Tolstoy, Tyutchev and so on. The northerner uses quotes from Russian classical poetry in his works in order to return the Russian reader to them again. Revive the traditions of Russian poetry.
But at the same time, there was a lot of new in Igor Vasilievich’s poems. It is no coincidence that he declared himself as a poet who changed the course of Russian literature and poetry. He was an innovator in the field of poetic language, engaged in the creation of words, introduced many new words into Russian literature.
So many-sided was the Northerner. The biography is short and not yet fully studied, but undoubtedly, this man made a huge contribution to the history of Russian creativity, and his works became another invaluable source for readers.
Winning the contest or "I am the king"
A sufficiently large place in the poetry of the Severyanin was occupied by the theme of the city. And the search for new poetic forms of Igor Vasilievich was closely connected with urban realities. He was ahead of his time, striving for unusualness, for something exotic.
Throughout his life, the Northerner has published a huge number of books, which were published in large runs, which primarily meant the recognition of the author. He created his unusual poetics. It is no coincidence that in one of the poems, called "The Dreaming Kingdom," he recreated his poetic world: "I am the king of a country that does not exist ...".
In the year nineteen eighteen, Igor Vasilievich took part in the contest and was even elected king of poets, outstripping Mayakovsky and Balmont in the number of votes. A northerner travels all over Russia and gathers huge halls, many readers come to his performances, because Igor Severyanin's poetry corresponded to the needs of his contemporaries.
Quite a lot of the author’s works were very serious, and the Northerner himself, whose biography is still true and many of the trials that fell to his lot, together with the whole people experienced the greatest events and upheavals of the era. And so it will be his fate that he does not emigrate, but after the conclusion of the Brest Peace he will be abroad.
Even before the revolution, he settled in a country house in Estonia, which became a new state. And there, cut off from Russia, Igor Vasilievich Severyanin will continue to create and create a kind of epic lyrics that reflects a person’s life, suffering and ideas about happiness. And in Russian poetry, he remained as an author unlike anyone, and his work has become dear to many readers.