Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky was an important Russian poet, playwright, and artist of the twentieth century and one of the leading representatives of Russian Futurism. He was born on July 7, 1893, in the village of Bagdati, then part of the Russian Empire and today located in Georgia. His father, who was of noble origin, worked as a forest ranger. Mayakovsky had two sisters and grew up speaking two languages: Georgian at school and with friends, and Russian at home.
In 1906, his father died and the family moved to Moscow. Two years later, Mayakovsky was expelled from school because his family could not afford the tuition fees. In 1908 he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party and later became associated with the Bolsheviks. During the following two years, he was imprisoned three times for revolutionary activities and avoided forced labour only because he was still a minor.
During his periods of solitary confinement, Mayakovsky began writing poetry, although his early manuscripts were confiscated by the authorities. After his release, he enrolled in an art school and joined the Futurist movement, which celebrated modernity, technology, and revolution. His poetry quickly gained a reputation for its defiant and aggressive tone. His first poems appeared in the Futurist manifesto and anthology *A Slap in the Face of Public Taste*.
In 1914, he was expelled from art school because of his political activities. The following year he published his first major poem, *A Cloud in Trousers*, and fell deeply in love with Lilia Brik, the wife of a publisher and literary critic. This unconventional relationship would profoundly influence both his life and his work.
The First World War and the Russian Revolution had a significant impact on his poetry. During this period he wrote works such as *War and the World*, inspired by the horrors of war, and *Man*, a poem reflecting the pain and complexity of love. Following the October Revolution, Mayakovsky enthusiastically supported the new Soviet regime through revolutionary poems, posters, and political slogans.
He became a prominent member of the Left Front of the Arts (LEF) and was one of the few Soviet artists permitted to travel abroad. He visited many countries in Europe and America, giving lectures and readings. During a trip to the United States, he met Ellie Jones, with whom he had a daughter. He did not learn of her existence until several years later, when they met again in France in 1929.
That same year, Mayakovsky fell in love with Tatyana Yakovleva, to whom he dedicated his famous poem *Letter to Tatyana Yakovleva*. By this time, however, he had become increasingly critical of the growing bureaucracy and artistic restrictions of the Soviet Union under Stalin. His satirical attacks on officialdom and the suppression of artistic freedom cost him political support and earned him many enemies. He was censored and eventually forbidden from travelling abroad.
On April 14, 1930, Vladimir Mayakovsky committed suicide with a revolver while sitting at his desk. A farewell note was found beside him containing some of his final poetic words:
*"Love's boat has crashed against everyday life.
You and I are quits, and there is no point in listing
mutual pains, sorrows, and grievances.
See how much peace the world can give.
The sky is wrapped in stars, the gift of night."*
