Sofia Parnok. Russian poetess, translator. Biography, creativity

Sofia Parnok is a talented poetess and translator. She is called the Russian Sappho (Sappho) - she was the only one in the whole Soviet space to openly talk about lesbian love. Her connection with Marina Tsvetaeva is widely known and illuminated from different angles. The latter is a more popular poetess, while Parnok did not concede to her either in talent or in significance in Russian literature. Both of them, the poetesses of the silver age, which left a lot of biographical information - a gift for descendants. Sophia Yakovlevna is known not only in the vastness of Russia. A lot of this contributed to the book by Diana Lewis Burgin "Sofia Parnok. Life and work of Russian Sappho."

Basic information

Sofia Parnok, whose real name sounded like Parnoh, was born in early August, 11th, in 1885 (old style - July 30). The native city of the poetess is Taganrog. Sophia's father, Yakov Solomonovich, owned a pharmacy in which he himself worked as a pharmacist. He had the title of honorary citizen of the city. Alexandra Abramovna, Sophia's mother, by profession and vocation was a doctor, was listed in the first generation of female doctors in Russia. The Parnoch family was well-off, in addition, it was part of the cultural and intellectual elite of the city. Therefore it is not surprising that all the children of Yakov Solomonovich and Alexandra Abramovna were well educated - from early childhood they studied music, learned to read early, learned two foreign languages (German and French). In addition to our heroine, her brother and sister (Valentin Parnoh and Elizaveta Tarakhovskaya) achieved success in the creative field. The first later became a well-known musician, translated and wrote his own poetry. Elizaveta Tarahovskaya also became known as a poetess. Sofia Parnok, in turn, showed early her literary talent - the first verse was written by her at the age of six.

early years

Twins, Valentin and Lizaveta, were younger than their elder sister, Sophia, for ten years. With their birth, the tragedy of the Parnakh family is connected - giving life to their children, Alexandra Abramovna died during childbirth. Father, not wanting to remain lonely, after a while decided on a second marriage and married a governess. The consequences are alienation and cold in relations with the eldest daughter. Since that moment life in the native Taganrog house has become a heavy burden for Sofia Parnok.

Education

In 1894 the young Parnok entered the Women's Taganrog Mariinskaya Gymnasium. 1900 was marked by the beginning of writing a huge number of poems - exact lines and sketches Sofia wrote in a notebook, many of them were preserved. They give precise information about the poetry of the Parnock of that time. In 1903 she graduated with honors, receiving a gold medal for success. The following year, Sofia Yakovlevna dedicated the Conservatory of Geneva, thanks to which the poetess played the piano magnificently, however, she did not go through the musician.

Sofia Parnok returned from Switzerland to Russia with the intention of continuing education. Having settled in St. Petersburg, where her uncle lived, Parnok tried to continue her music education, but after studying at the city conservatory for a short time, she realized that professional music was not for her, and she left this school in 1905. She also studied at the Higher Women's Bestuzhev Courses, but she did not graduate from the Faculty of Law .

Creation

Need I say, what passion was literature for Parnok? Sofia Yakovlevna translated a lot from French, sketches and cartoons, and Geneva awakened in her also the inspiration for writing the first cycle of poems - it was there that she met Nadezhda Pavlovna Polyakov. Lyric Sophia Parnok, in principle, thoroughly permeated with love for women, her inclinations, she understood early and did not reject it.

The poetess started publishing in 1906. Debut was her article in "Russian Wealth" and "Northern Notes" (since 1913, published under the name of Andrew Polyanin, wrote critical articles).

By 1910 the popularity of Parnok in literary circles had grown to the point that she constantly cooperated with the "Russian rumor". The poet herself moved to live in Moscow.

In 1916, the first poetic collection of Sofia Yakovlevna Parnok, named prose ("Poems"), was published.

After the revolution of 1917, the poet left for Sudak, but returned to Moscow in the early 1920s and published four more collections of poems (1922-1928).

In 1930, according to her libretto, an opera was staged, which had a deafening success.

In recent years, Sofia Parnok, like many at that time, was interrupted by translations.

Personal life

Despite the early awareness of their orientation, the Russian Sappho married Vladimir Volkshtein in 1907. Perhaps the reason for this was a difficult financial situation - the father, not being delighted with his daughter, stopped providing Parnok money. But two years later this marriage broke up. Sofia could not fall in love with her husband, moreover, as it turned out, she could not give him children either.

While living in Petersburg, Parnok was acquainted with the leading writers of the time, including Alexander Blok and at the time little-known Anna Akhmatova. Some of them were her close friends throughout her life, for example, Maximillian Voloshin.

Marina Tsvetayeva and Sofia Parnok

Relations between two famous poetesses are still of interest to biographers and fans of their works.

On October 16, 1914, at one of the literary evenings, these two kindred souls met. Their novel lasted exactly two years - until the winter of 1916. Their immense happiness, which flared up so suddenly, as if a tragic outcome had predicted in advance, both felt that they would soon be forced to part. But whatever novels Sofia Sofia Parnok (the biography tells, for example, about Nina Vedeneeva, her last love), Marina Tsvetaeva left a deep trace both in her memory and in her work.

Last years

August 26, 1933 in the village near Moscow Sofia Yakovlena died of a heart rupture. In recent years, she did not write anything and distanced herself from literary circles. Funerals Parnok were in Lefertovo. It is known for sure that Boris Pasternak attended them. Tsvetaeva, according to her own assurances, suffered the death of her ex-girlfriend rather indifferently.