The photograph was made in 1919. It is safe to say that this year he found himself at the crossroads of his life. The central event of the year was publication of the Imaginists' Manifest, the main item of which stated: ‘Image as a goal in itself. Word demands liberation from idea … Eating of meaning by image — the way of the poetic word development’. During this period, alongside with poets Anatoly Marienhof and Vadim Shershenevich, who also signed the Manifest, Yesenin took an active part in establishing the ‘Imaginists’ co-operative publishing house, joined the literary society called ‘Association of Freethinkers’, and participated in the activity of the ‘Stoilo Pegasa’ (Stall of Pegasus) literary coffee shop and book shop of the same name.
Poet Vladimir Kirillov got acquainted with Esenin in 1919 and formed such an impression of the poet at that time: ‘My acquaintance with Esenin took place in Moscow in winter of 1919 at the “Coffee Shop of Poets” in the Tverskaya Street. I remember fanciful wall painting, fantastic drawings, cartoons. The lines of Esenin, Marienhof, and Shershenevich spread up to the ceiling in their huge tottering letters. Multicolored paper lanterns are wavering slightly at the podium… Here he is on the podium. He looks like on our first acquaintance: mop-headed, with fair and fuzz hair like well combed flux, blue eyes with a merry twinkle. He is dressed well and with precision. He is reciting artistically and with a touch of charm or sorcery. He artistically throws his hand forward so as contacting with his listeners by it. The poems have a marked effect on the listeners and they hotly and vigorously cheer him. He leaves the podium being a sort of satisfied with success’.
During the entire year Sergei Esenin appeared at the poetry parties many times, recited poems, and delivered lectures on imaginism, published his works in collections of poetry, and wrote several poems and verses. Among them there were such well-known works as ‘Heavenly Drummer’, ‘The Pantocrator’, ‘Kobyliyu Korabli’ (Mare’s Ships), and “Soul feel sorrow for heaven …”.
This photograph was taken by photographer Nikolai Svishchev-Paola and then was kept in the family of Alexandra, the poet’s sister. Svishchev-Paola was artistic photography master and created a large series of expressive portraits of his contemporaries. The signature of the photographer can be seen in the lower right corner of the photograph.
Poet Vladimir Kirillov got acquainted with Esenin in 1919 and formed such an impression of the poet at that time: ‘My acquaintance with Esenin took place in Moscow in winter of 1919 at the “Coffee Shop of Poets” in the Tverskaya Street. I remember fanciful wall painting, fantastic drawings, cartoons. The lines of Esenin, Marienhof, and Shershenevich spread up to the ceiling in their huge tottering letters. Multicolored paper lanterns are wavering slightly at the podium… Here he is on the podium. He looks like on our first acquaintance: mop-headed, with fair and fuzz hair like well combed flux, blue eyes with a merry twinkle. He is dressed well and with precision. He is reciting artistically and with a touch of charm or sorcery. He artistically throws his hand forward so as contacting with his listeners by it. The poems have a marked effect on the listeners and they hotly and vigorously cheer him. He leaves the podium being a sort of satisfied with success’.
During the entire year Sergei Esenin appeared at the poetry parties many times, recited poems, and delivered lectures on imaginism, published his works in collections of poetry, and wrote several poems and verses. Among them there were such well-known works as ‘Heavenly Drummer’, ‘The Pantocrator’, ‘Kobyliyu Korabli’ (Mare’s Ships), and “Soul feel sorrow for heaven …”.
This photograph was taken by photographer Nikolai Svishchev-Paola and then was kept in the family of Alexandra, the poet’s sister. Svishchev-Paola was artistic photography master and created a large series of expressive portraits of his contemporaries. The signature of the photographer can be seen in the lower right corner of the photograph.
