Russian poet Konstantin Fofanov: biography, creativity

The poet is not of this world, constantly in a vague mood and a world of ghostly visions, today almost forgotten - Konstantin Fofanov. His slightly sloppy appearance, which gave similarity to a crook, a fool or a beggar, did not give any reason to believe in a genius inside. This duality embarrassed many, but only until the poet began to read poetry ...

Unhappy childhood

Konstantin Fofanov was born in St. Petersburg in 1862, on May 30. His father was a small merchant who had emigrated from the peasants, but not being well versed in trade matters, very quickly lost his entire fortune. The future poet was one of the ten children. Due to family circumstances, Konstantin Fofanov did not receive systematic education. For several months he studied at various private boarding schools, a little longer in the city school of Petersburg. In total, there were only three classes of education.

Attempt at writing

The first verses were written, imitating Nekrasov. The poet at this time is not yet 14. By the sixteen he is fond of the Bible, from under his pen there are sublime folk lines. In 1881 a similar poem, under a fictitious name, is published in the newspaper "Russian Jew". Written in 1885, "The Sacrament of Love" and published in the journal "Observer" in 1888, led to a trial, following which the journal was closed. By the time it was already the hundredth publication. Poet poetry was published almost in all illustrated publications and even in the newspaper "New time" under the leadership of Suvorin.

In 1887 the first book of the poet with the unpretentious title "Poems" was published. The publication passed almost unnoticed by either readers or critics. It was not awarded to the Pushkin Prize, which Polonsky initiated. But the exuberant enthusiasm of the collection was called out by I. Repin. He painted a portrait of Fofanov and was a close friend to him until his death.

But then suddenly Nadson dies, who called the young poet "a great literary gift of a purely artistic hue." And the poetic style of Fofanov, a man who had been disappointed in life but not lost faith, was perceived by the continuation of the supersonic melody. Moreover, during his lifetime Nadson was supported in the press by the poet's debut collection.

An Incorrigible Romantic

Against the backdrop of the ever-growing revolutionary movement, the tradition of Russian verse collapses and the topical "revolutionary-democratic" poetry is raised. During this period, the poetry of Konstantin Mikhailovich becomes a romantic outlet. G. Byaly wrote that this is an amazing poetry of semitones and half-sounds, that she is able to convey the state of the soul, swinging between grief and joy. It was these lines that lacked that vague time in which they had to live. For this Fofanova highly esteemed Leskov, Polonsky, Tolstoy, Maikov. Symbolists Balmont and Bryusov invited him to collaborate with them in the Northern Flowers almanac.

Suvorin, who promoted the poet, publishes the second collection of his poems. All under the same uncomplicated name. Konstantin Fofanov's third book had the title of "Shadows and Mysteries." It was published in 1892. Behind her there is a poetic novel "Baron Klaks", critics say , this is a light parody of "Eugene Onegin."

Love story

In 1887, Konstantin Fofanov married Tupolev Lidia Konstantinovna. She was not just a beauty, she was infinitely in love. Their relations were very romantic. Lida met her future husband at the age of 14, being a schoolgirl, enthusiastically captivated by his poetry. A little later the poet dedicates to her the lines "The stars are clear, the stars are beautiful."

The Enchanted Prince

In the literary circles Konstantin Fofanov was ranked among the decadents. Partly because of the detachment and refusal to accept reality in favor of illusions and fantastic ideas, and also because of the search for new ways in literature and deep urbanism.

Literary critics believe that the poet had a great influence on the development of Russian poetry. There is even a definition of the "Foofan period". This is a ten-year stretch, located between the mid-1880s and 1890s. Konstantin Fofanov, whose verses found a very wide response among lovers of poetry and were in tune with the mood of society, gained many imitators.

Harbinger of symbolism

Contemporaries of the poet believed that he surprisingly deftly contrasted high ideals with low reality, that his poems differ declarative, stylistic and linguistic negligence and at the same time with this picturesque expressiveness. And the reader perceived the liberty in his lines as a manifestation of sincerity. There is an opinion that the poet is a symbolist. But in fact, experts trace in his poems the features of the transition from the traditional form to modernism. It is not for nothing that the "Fofan" period is consonant with the "twilight" era of timelessness.

Of his famous admirers, one can distinguish A. Chekhov, I. Repin, A. Maikov, and especially the poet-symbolist V. Bryusov, who spoke favorably about Fofanov. By the way, the leaders of this trend proudly told about the influence that was exerted on them by the two worldly lyrics of Fofanov's poetry.

He treated them with mild dislike. The reason is simple. After the publication in 1895 of several collections of Symbolists, the poet's epoch began to decline. The need for it was no longer there. Fofanov Constantine tries to redirect his creativity. There are poems about the excommunication from the church of Leo Tolstoy, about the famine ...

"My lamp burns down"

Leo Tolstoy, who considered the poet to be the best poet of his time, noticed that he lived all his life in poverty, surrounded by a large number of children. It's no wonder that Konstantin Fofanov, a romantic poet, became addicted to alcohol. You can not earn much by poetry. But trouble does not come alone. The poet dies two children, and against this background he has a nervous breakdown.

After a serious mental illness, suffered by him in 1890, and prolonged treatment, Konstantin Fofanov continues to write. By this time the whole family moved to Gatchina. The poet loves these places. Here he is visited by V. Bryusov and I. Repin. I. Severyanin has repeatedly visited his "teacher and the king" here. He has many poems dedicated to the poet and his beloved city: "Here the king wrote his decrees and wrote Fofanov poems ..."

Verses, poems, fairy tales and ballads of Fofanov are published in mass editions. The poet even prepared two collections for publication: "Ethers" (included verses of 1901-1906) and "Wings and Tears" (verses written from 1907 to 1911). They could not be published.

For some reason, only the collection of Illusions and two poems saw After the Calvary and Unusual Novel (again the alteration of the beloved Pushkin, The Lodge in Kolomna).

The revolution of 1905, not accepted by the poet, deprives him of his last readers. Poverty reaches the limit and so presses that in one of the newspapers Fofanov prints an announcement of the desire to be employed as a janitor, doorman and even sex. A year later, driven into a corner, he makes an attempt to sell fifteen volumes of his works for only a thousand rubles.

His life dissatisfaction and unsettled poured out sometimes into sarcastic impromptu. What did not remain without consequences. The joke with a hidden allusion to Alexander III drives him to a local prison for two weeks as politically unreliable.

And then a new attack seems to be a cured disease. Perhaps that is why he loses his volitional qualities, drinks, constantly changes his place of residence and beggars during this period Konstantin Fofanov. The biography of the poet is not so long. In 1911, a new round of sickness begins, new diseases are added to old diseases.

Wife, desperate, asks the editors, who publish his books, to raise funds for treatment in one of St. Petersburg's hospitals. But all is vain. May 30, 1911 Konstantin Fofanov is dying.

"My poems, like precious wines, will come their turn"

Surprisingly romantic poet wrote a lyrical landscape, was a singer of spring and May. Its lines were distinguished by crystal purity and melody. Many of them are put to music.

Realistic poems "Poetess", "Wolves", "Enchanted Prince", "Spring Poem" cause a storm of emotions in the reader.