Mariya Petrovykh
Encyclopedia
Mariya Sergeevna Petrovykh (commonly Maria Petrovykh; Russian
: Мари́я Серге́евна Петровы́х) ( — June 1, 1979) was a Russian poet and translator.
, where her engineer father worked in a cotton factory; her parents were married in 1896, and she was the youngest of five children. Her sister Ekaterina "suggests that the thoughtfulness and alertness that accompanied Petrovykh throughout her life were formed during their slow childhood walks with their nanny along the Volga; her sister claims as well that Petrovykh's characteristic independence and determination to carry through her decisions appeared early in life." Her mother's brother Dmitri Aleksandrovich Smirnov (1870—1940) and her father's brother Ivan Semyonovich Petrovykh (metropolitan Iosif, 1872—1937) were both priests who fell victim to Stalinist repression. From 1922 she lived in Yaroslavl, where she taught school and attended Writers' Union meetings; her poetry began to be appreciated there.
, where she continued her studies at the State Higher Literary Courses (fellow students were Arseny Tarkovsky
, Yuliya Neiman, Daniil Andreyev
, and Yuri Dombrovsky
; Tarkovsky described Petrovykh as the best poet of the group). At this time she married Petr Granditsky, but the marriage did not last long. She became a friend of both Anna Akhmatova
, with whom she remained close until Akhmatova's death, and Osip Mandelstam
, who fell in love with her in 1933 and dedicated to her what Akhmatova called "the best love poem of the twentieth century," "Masteritsa vinovatykh vzorov" (tr. by Richard and Elizabeth McKane as "The expert mistress of guilty glances"). In 1936 she married Vitaly Golovachev, and in 1937 their daughter Arina was born; a few months after her birth Golovachev was arrested and sentenced to five years in the Gulag
(where he died in 1942). Petrovykh worked as an editor and translator for Moscow publishing houses; in the summer of 1941 she and her daughter were evacuated to Chistopol
in Tatarstan
, where they spent World War II
. Her translations were primarily from Polish and Armenian but also from Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, and other languages. From 1959 to 1964 she conducted a seminar for young translators along with David Samoylov
.
in 1968. But Akhmatova considered her "Naznach' mne svidan'e na etom svete" (Make me a date on this earth) "one of the masterpieces of twentieth-century lyric poetry." Stephanie Sandler writes:
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Мари́я Серге́евна Петровы́х) ( — June 1, 1979) was a Russian poet and translator.
Early life
Petrovykh was born in Norskii Posad, a village now within the city limits of YaroslavlYaroslavl
Yaroslavl is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historical part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities...
, where her engineer father worked in a cotton factory; her parents were married in 1896, and she was the youngest of five children. Her sister Ekaterina "suggests that the thoughtfulness and alertness that accompanied Petrovykh throughout her life were formed during their slow childhood walks with their nanny along the Volga; her sister claims as well that Petrovykh's characteristic independence and determination to carry through her decisions appeared early in life." Her mother's brother Dmitri Aleksandrovich Smirnov (1870—1940) and her father's brother Ivan Semyonovich Petrovykh (metropolitan Iosif, 1872—1937) were both priests who fell victim to Stalinist repression. From 1922 she lived in Yaroslavl, where she taught school and attended Writers' Union meetings; her poetry began to be appreciated there.
Career and private life
In 1925 she moved to MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where she continued her studies at the State Higher Literary Courses (fellow students were Arseny Tarkovsky
Arseny Tarkovsky
Arseny Alexandrovich Tarkovsky was a prominent Soviet and Russian poet and translator. He is considered one of the great 20th century Russian poets. He was also the father of influential film director Andrei Tarkovsky.-Origin:...
, Yuliya Neiman, Daniil Andreyev
Daniil Andreyev
Daniil Leonidovich Andreyev was a Russian writer, poet, and Christian mystic.- Biography :...
, and Yuri Dombrovsky
Yuri Dombrovsky
Yury Osipovich Dombrovsky was a Russian writer who spent nearly eighteen years in Soviet prison camps and exile....
; Tarkovsky described Petrovykh as the best poet of the group). At this time she married Petr Granditsky, but the marriage did not last long. She became a friend of both Anna Akhmatova
Anna Akhmatova
Anna Andreyevna Gorenko , better known by the pen name Anna Akhmatova , was a Russian and Soviet modernist poet, one of the most acclaimed writers in the Russian canon.Harrington p11...
, with whom she remained close until Akhmatova's death, and Osip Mandelstam
Osip Mandelstam
Osip Emilyevich Mandelstam was a Russian poet and essayist who lived in Russia during and after its revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union. He was one of the foremost members of the Acmeist school of poets...
, who fell in love with her in 1933 and dedicated to her what Akhmatova called "the best love poem of the twentieth century," "Masteritsa vinovatykh vzorov" (tr. by Richard and Elizabeth McKane as "The expert mistress of guilty glances"). In 1936 she married Vitaly Golovachev, and in 1937 their daughter Arina was born; a few months after her birth Golovachev was arrested and sentenced to five years in the Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
(where he died in 1942). Petrovykh worked as an editor and translator for Moscow publishing houses; in the summer of 1941 she and her daughter were evacuated to Chistopol
Chistopol
Chistopol is a town in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, located on the left bank of the Kuybyshev Reservoir, on the Kama River. Population: It is served by the Chistopol Airport.-History:It was first mentioned in chronicles at the end of the 17th century...
in Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
, where they spent World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Her translations were primarily from Polish and Armenian but also from Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, and other languages. From 1959 to 1964 she conducted a seminar for young translators along with David Samoylov
David Samoylov
David Samoylov , pseudonym of David Samuilovich Kaufman . He is a notable poet of War generation of Russian poets, and considered one of the most important Russian poets of the post-World War II era.-External links:* * *...
.
Legacy
As a poet she was much appreciated by a small circle but little known to the wider public; the only book of poems she published during her lifetime was Dalnee derevo (A distant tree), published in YerevanYerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
in 1968. But Akhmatova considered her "Naznach' mne svidan'e na etom svete" (Make me a date on this earth) "one of the masterpieces of twentieth-century lyric poetry." Stephanie Sandler writes:
External links
- Selection of poems and bio (in Russian, with photo)
- Shulamit Shalit article (in Russian, with photos)