Lilya Brik. Biography of Vladimir Mayakovsky's music

Is it easy to be a muse of a great man? Probably not, if only because I have to stay in his shadow all my life (and after death too). And even their own merits and dignities will be powerless before the name of genius. This destiny was also awarded to the heroine of our article - Lilya Brik. Her biography as an independent person is interesting and not familiar to everyone. But everyone knows that this woman was a love and a muse of Vladimir Mayakovsky. And even her own way of life is viewed by biographers solely in intertwining with the life and work of the poet. Lilya Brik. Life before Mayakovsky

Lili Urievna (Gurievna, Yuryevna) Kagan was born in Moscow on November 11, 1891 in an intelligent Jewish family: his father is a lawyer, his mother is a musician. In love with German romantic poetry, the spouses named their daughters respectively: Lily - in honor of the beloved woman Goethe, Elsa - after the heroine of Goethe.

Girls from small years were taught music, foreign languages. The broad views of the parents allowed the daughters to be completely independent, although later on, father and mother had to regret their condescension more than once. Lilya was still a teenager who learned to win men's hearts, and in her network, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, there were quite adult and famous men among whom there was even Fyodor Chaliapin.

After graduating from the gymnasium, she studied mathematics courses, then architectural studies. Later she trained in Munich for the mastery of modeling. In 1911, Lily returned to the capital, where she met her future husband - Osip Briq, with whom, however, she had known before. I must say that Osip's parents were categorically against this novel and marriage - they were not at all satisfied with the moral image of the bride. However, the son went against their will, and in 1912 Osip and Lily were married. Two years later the couple moved to St. Petersburg, and their home soon became a favorite meeting place for creative people: poets, musicians, artists. It was said that more serious people came to them : lawyers, politicians and even chekists.

Introduction to Mayakovsky

The poet first met Lily's younger sister Elsa, they even had an affair. But one day Elsa committed an irreparable mistake, deciding to introduce her friend to her sister. She came with him to the salon where Lilya Brik reigned. The biography of all participants of the action from this moment made a sharp turn. Vladimir Mayakovsky read his new poem "Cloud in Pants" and immediately devoted it to Lila. She could not help falling under the influence of this huge passionate nature. In her memoirs Lily wrote that his love literally "attacked her." So there was no way to resist. Osip Brik, a humble lawyer, fell in love with the poems of the poet and has since done everything to publish and promote it. And Elsa was forgotten. However, the girl quickly found consolation: she married a French military Triolet, and then for the famous writer Louis Aragon. And there she herself became a writer. For Vladimir Mayakovsky, that day became fateful - all the meaning of his life was now Lilya Brik. Biography further became common not only for the two of them, but for Osip Bric.

Strange family

It really was unusual. Lily's husband did not spare time and money to publish Vladimir's poems, which had not been published by any publisher before. The love for Lila raged in Mayakovsky, finding a way out in all new works: "Flute-spine", "To everything," Lilichka, "" Man. " And each of his lines was dedicated to her. What is surprising, Osip was not at all embarrassed. Soon Mayakovsky moved to live with them. In Moscow, mocking rumors were circulating about this "dissolute family". The biography of Lily Brik, written by herself, contains frank statements that the affair with Mayakovsky began when they no longer had intimate relations with Osip. In other sources, there are directly opposite statements that they sometimes engaged with Osip love, locked themselves in the kitchen, and Volodya scratched at the door and cried. Truth in one: it was a very painful relationship, perhaps costing the life of a poet.

Lilya Brik: biography in the work

Now about the tragedy of being in the shadow of genius. For their relationship, as mentioned above, much is overlooked, including the creative biography of the heroine herself. But she was one of the most extraordinary and beautiful women of the twentieth century. Writer, translator, sculptor, actress, journalist - she had many talents. With Mayakovsky, they did a lot and fruitfully in the "Windows of Growth", worked on the film on the script of Vladimir, they performed together a lot. Exhausted by a sick relationship with his beloved, the poet tied short-term novels with other women, but again returned to his LYB.

In the first years of Soviet power, all three began to sympathize with the Bolsheviks, Osip even joined the CPSU (B.), Worked for some time in the Cheka. Not without the help of the four Brik Mayakovsky began to print in the central newspapers. In 1922, Lily had another stormy affair with the Soviet banker Krasnoshchekov, and jealousy killed the poet. Then everything fell back into place, and the strange trinity again reunited: they lived together, traveled together around the country and abroad. It's amazing that at that difficult time they had no problems with going abroad. It was assumed that this privilege was given to them for the cooperation of Lily with certain organs. This was also explained by the fact that her husbands (and they had four Lily) could be arrested and even shot, but never touched. These rumors did not comment on it, however, and they were not refuted.

In 1926, the poet was given a new apartment, and he moved there, naturally, with the Brik couple. These were years, very fruitful for Lily in the creative plan. She helps to publish the journal of the creative association "LEF", participates in the filming of the film "The Jew and the Earth", writes scripts for other films, translates the theoretical works of German literary critics, engages in sculptural works and, of course, the publishing issues of Mayakovsky. In 1930, the couple went to Europe, where they were caught by the news of the poet's death. In a suicide note, Mayakovsky called Lilya the only heiress of his works, thereby declaring her his unofficial widow and appointing him responsible for the further fate of his creative heritage. And Lilya Yurievna devoted almost all her life to this main goal.

Last years

Biography Lily Brick was full of meetings with amazing people and new events from the first to the last days. She managed to publish her books during her lifetime, the most famous of which are the autobiographical collection of memoirs "Partial stories" and personal correspondence with Vladimir Mayakovsky. Was she a fatalist? Hardly. But one day she told relatives that she had a dream, in which she scolded Volodya for suicide. And he put a pistol in his hand and said: "Anyway, you will do the same thing."

Together with the last husband - Vasily Katanyan - she lived at the dacha in Peredelkino. The aged writer has fallen and has broken a neck of a hip - artful trauma which was insignificant for elderly, not subject to treatment. And one of the nights, 86-year-old Lilya Yurievna took a lethal dose of sleeping pills ...

She bequeathed not to bury her, but to cremate and scatter the dust over the field. Her will was carried out, and a monument was erected in her memory - a large round boulder with engraved initials - "L.Yu.B.". As on the ring, given by Mayakovsky.