The Stormy Life of Evgeny Kumming. Moscow, 1918‒1921

Abstract

The essay reconstructs the Moscow period of the literary biography of the poet and playwright Evgenii L’vovich Kumming (1899‒1980), starting with the establishment of the All-Russian Union of Poets in December 1918 until his immigration to Estonia in the Spring of 1921. The author reconstructs his participation in Moscow literary associations “The Green Atelier” (“Zelenaia masterskaia”), “The Literary Mansion” (“Literaturnyi osobniak”), “The Link” (“Zveno”) as well as the historical context of his creative activities. Literary life of those years was largely concentrated in writers’ clubs, and cafes, where numerous events were held with poetry readings, polemical discussions, etc. The essay traces in detail Kumming’s participation in such literary meetings. Kumming’s “dramatic trilogy” The Legendary Life and Worthy Death of Petrushka (1920), which appears as a vivid example of the poetic avant-garde of the post-revolutionary years, is republished in the Appendix.

Keywords

• evgenii kumming
• veniamin kaverin
• moscow literary life of the late 1910s – early 1920s
• literary life
• “the literary mansion
• “the green atelier.”