Maximilian
Alexandrovich Voloshin

Maximilian Alexandrovich Kirienko-Voloshin (May 28, 1877, Kiev – 11августа 1932, Koktebel) – Russian artist and poet-symbolist, literary critic and art historian, mystic, philosopher and journalist.

Features of the artist Maximilian Voloshin: Voloshin-the artist is associated with the land of the Crimea and Koktebel, its ancient difficult terrain, with powerful elements. Watercolors of Crimean landscapes he wrote from memory – they have no geographical precision, this precision – geological, philosophical, pantheistic.

Famous paintings of Maximilian Voloshin: "It leads through the waves and mist of the moon my lonely way", "Hills of marble and mountains of glass", "Restless earth".

Maximilian Voloshin – poet, who wrote as an artist, and the artist who wrote as a poet. Silver age poet, which was his among the symbolists, the artist of the early XX century, who advocated avant-garde art groups, but he never to which the movement belonged. Artist and poet, to whom main income and fame brought translations from the French, and even art and literary magazine articles.

Crazy hoaxer and a deep philosopher, he passionately created a legend about a magical poet-Ghost, in the beginning of XX century, managed to shoot a duel and effortlessly embodied the dream of many generations of artists about the idyllic community of artists, where they can all day long walking through the mountains in wreaths and robes, sunbathing by the sea chat, draw and read poetry aloud, eat inspiration directly from the land, fall in love and clowning around. Max in the poet's House in Koktebel in one summer could be visited by 400 guests. Inexplicable ability to charm people and travel with almost no money turned the biography of Voloshin in intense encounters and revelations the way, always physical, intellectual and spiritual.
First birth: Kiev, Moscow, Feodosiya When in his youth max was fascinated by the philosophy of Buddhism, he not only received his first religious experience, but also learned something about himself: he's on the ground "for the first time: to a degree me all new and interesting". On passionate desire "see everything, to understand everything, to know everything, to experience everything"about the zest for life and sincere love child of max recall, many of his friends. In the Parisian artistic society, this overweight, curly-haired young man with sparkling eyes gave the nickname "Monsieur, C'est très intéressant rated!"("Sir it's very interesting!").

This ability to wonder Voloshin kept until the last years of his life. And sickeningly boring it was for all these years, only in the gymnasium, and, in any. Private, first in Moscow, then, when money from the mother on the "best" education is no longer enough - in Treasury capital. Third attempt the school of Feodosia. And still the same hopeless longing, the feeling of lost time and bad grades. Max boring.

Mother Voloshin, Elena Octoballoon, the future mistress of his house Koktebel, self-willed, freedom-loving Great (the mother), was descended from Russified Germans. She left her husband with a two year max, went from Kiev to Sevastopol, worked at the Telegraph office and lived in constant need, then friends, then renting a room. Max didn't have toys, but his mother was a library. He had no locomotives and horses, but was a huge fantasy, spells, fantastical tales and enchanted places that trembling passed it by. Max himself in 5 years learned to read on newspaper headlines, knew by heart and earnestly recited Lermontov, Pushkin, Nekrasov, not understanding half the value of spoken words. And homeschooling little Voloshin was involved in student Nikandr Turkin, invited their older children in the house Vyazemsky, from which his mother had rented an apartment. From Turkina seven Voloshin learned about Edgar Allan PoE, Homer, Dostoyevsky, Buddhism and don Juan, and for independent work could be obtained, for example, a topic works: "to describe the Caucasus of Pushkin in the ethnographic and geographical aspects".

At the law faculty of Moscow University Max also studied for a short time, two years, and was exiled to Theodosius for participation in student riots. Their right to recovery in a year he didn't take it and began to seriously dream of Europe – with an enviable ability to self-organize, all his life he will learn himself, choosing library, topics, lectures, museums and teachers.
Art birth: Paris Max started the journey to Europe, drew two friends, and assuring the future of its companions, and mother, "stopping at Inns and lodging-houses and eating mostly bread, milk and other primitive food", it is possible to do two francs a day. Munich, Morgau, Milan, Genoa, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Constantinople, Max came to the foot, described by the verses. "The earth is a small planet, it is a shame not to go anywhere"will never the mother of the following travel, the most important – from the city, which he gave himself completely, in all its eras and stories, in all its colours and words, from Paris.

He studies avidly, at the Louvre school of Museum studies, at the Sorbonne, writes from nature in the Academy, Calarasi, learns to paint in the Studio of the artist Elizabeth Kruglikovahe dreams of art and became a correspondent, writing about the artistic life of Paris in the Russian magazines.

Max knows Paris by heart, museums and theatres, roads and embankments, and the language poets, he arranges thrilling walk through the city many friends and associates. When Voloshin will be desperately in love, uncertain of reciprocity, tormented by innuendo a friendly and calm attitude, he will bring his beloved and future wife Margarita Sabashnikovahere, in Paris. Sad, a talented artist, often suffering from undue anxieties and visions of death Margera frightened of max, voloshinskaya her strange gaiety, her annoying way of speaking, his eccentric clothes, and most importantly – it repels anyone who will love her. He many times wrote her a farewell letter, no longer able to hope without promises. And on the first call or on purpose dropped a gentle word again rushed headlong into these painful relationships.

Max and Margaret were married for a very short time when they were passionate Petersburg. The couple will settle in the same house with Vyacheslav Ivanov, a famous poet-symbolist. Here in Ivanovo "the Tower" sounds new poetry, here Bohemian young people are creating stories of their own lives. Margarita will go from max very soon in a seductive and frightening love triangle Ivanov and his wife.
Spiritual birth: Koktebel Voloshin built a house in Koktebel in 1903 and was their main home and the main place on earth. Great, here comes the trousers, Max the hoodie-shirt, artistic gardeners-"bonehead" catch up to the horror of local peasants and neighbors. They bathe at night naked, play performances, and all the time read poetry. In this sultry, salty air born home adventure Voloshin and poetess Lilia Dmitrieva – mysterious Cherubina de Gabriak. This hoax will end sadly – a duel with Voloshin and Gumilev, from which only hurt itself Cherubina. Koktebel – this summer and autumn Max starts to go all over Russia and Europe to give lectures on literature and art. It was hard to find an educated person in Russia who would once not attended lectures Voloshin.

When Crimea will be the springboard of a brutal civil war, the publicity will save the lives of not only max. Becoming the most Frank and ruthless poetic chronicler of the war, Voloshin sure that you need to win the war itself, and not the enemy. He hides in the attic of the poet's House and in his bed of red – when Crimea seized white and then white – when Crimea broke out the red terror. He was recognized and respected by the generals and the commissioners. Negotiations for the release of the prisoner the scientist or the poet often end with talk and verses. There is a legendary story of the red Commissioner, which allowed Voloshin of death list to cross off every tenth.

The Crimean Chronicles the early 20-ies begin with the dry phrase "famine in the Crimea". Fees for articles, reaching from Moscow to the Crimea, devalued hundreds of times. Watercolors sold well, Max, vrasta roots in the Crimean land, feeding on her power and paints portraits of the land. The earth receives and hears his artist, thankfully revealing secrets and rewarding meetings. As will be shown in his life Maria Zabolotskaya, the second wife and the mistress of the House of the poet: "Chronologically, she was 34 years old, spiritually 14. Face is similar to a simple farm boy of the same age (but sometimes at the elderly midwife or Salonica). Writes poems and has no talent. Good and testy. Very good hostess, except that maybe all the stocks and supplies to give to the first comer. Deep in the Orthodox religious... Her love for me the greatest happiness and joy".

Max Voloshin died at the hands of his wife in Koktebel, at noon, in August, my favorite time of year and day. The mountain on which he was buried, now called Voloshinskii.

Author: Anna Sidelnikova