Vilkina, Lyudmila Nikolaevna

Childhood and adolescence

She was born on January 5 (in the new style - January 17) of 1873 in St. Petersburg in a wealthy Jewish family ^[1] . Father, Nikolai Lvovich Vilkin ^{[2] [3]} , a graduate of St. Petersburg University , was a publisher, co-owner of the Vilkin and Oettinger Printing House (located in the “Vilkin houses”, first on Kazan Street, No. 3–35 (No. 22), and later on Sergievskaya Street No. 81–7) and later on of N. Vilkin’s own publishing house, among other things, from 1881, which published the Medical Library magazine (1881–1886) ^{[4] [5]} ; in his childhood, his daughter had the rank of collegiate assessor . N. L. Vilkin was the publisher and editor of the newspaper “Weekly Review of the Medical Library” ^[6] , he was himself engaged in translations of German medical literature ^[7] , he owned “Nevskoe Institution of Artificial Mineral Waters N. L. Vilkin” on Ekaterininsky Canal, No. 45 ^[8] . “Tipo-lithography of Vilkin and Ettinger” also was engaged in publishing artistic, technical and scientific literature, in 1875 a two-volume “Russian Literature in its Modern Representatives” was published by S. A. Vengerov ^{[9] [10] [11]} , in translations N. L. Vilkina published a poetry collection by Hermann Eichhorst (1882).

His mother, Elizaveta Afanasyevna Vilkina (1853, Lubny -?), Was the daughter of a banker and public figure Afanasy Leontyevich Vengerov and his wife, the writer Paulina Yulievna Vengerova, who had the name Epstein in her maiden name. In addition to Elizabeth, the family of the Vengerovs, who moved to the capital from Minsk , had three sons and three daughters, many of whom gained fame in the literary and social field, in particular, S. A. Vengerov , Z. A. Vengerova , I. A. Vengerov (in honor of the latter, the girl received the name Isabella at birth). Accordingly, the cousins ​​of L. N. Vilkina accounted for the composer and conductor N. L. Slonimsky , the writers M. L. Slonimsky, and A. L. Slonimsky ^{[12] [13] [14]} .

Vilkin family was very wealthy. One of the evidences of significant material wealth is the purchase by them in 1895 at the auction of almost new at that time profitable house of P. N. Konovalova (house 12 along Ozernom Lane , designed by the St. Petersburg architect V. Necora ). A year later, the house was resold by Vilkina to the first guild merchant S. R. Pines ^[15] .

In 1884, Isabella entered the prestigious St. Petersburg Women's High School Princess A. A. Obolenskaya ^[13] . The girl's impressions of her studies at the gymnasium were not vivid: there, according to her own recollections, she “tasted the fruitless longing of the winter early rise and the hated boredom of the evening notebooks” ^[16] .

Having finished five classes of a gymnasium in 1889, she moved to her relatives in Moscow , where she lived for more than two years. There she worked in various studios of theatrical art, intending to embark on a serious artistic career (according to her aunt Zinaida Vengerova’s recall, “she was preparing for Sary Bernard ”) ^{[12] [16]} . As a result, she did not become a professional actress, but in Moscow and later in St. Petersburg she often played in amateur performances ^[17] . Theater classes promoted Isabella’s thorough acquaintance with European and Russian drama . A special influence on the future poetess, according to her own recollections, was made by the works of G. Ibsen ^[16] .

In 1891 , living in Moscow, moved from Judaism to Orthodoxy , changing the name Isabella to Lyudmila. At the same time, among relatives and acquaintances, she often continued to use her old name, usually as “Bella” or “Bela” ^[12] . Despite the fact that the Orthodox name was not fully established for Vilkina, the poetess subsequently repeatedly stated the importance of baptism for her and reaffirmed her not only formal, but also sincere spiritual affiliation to the Russian Orthodox Church ^[16] .

Petersburg period

Returning to St. Petersburg at the end of 1892 , Vilkina began to actively revolve in literary and artistic circles, which was largely promoted by the wide connections of her maternal relatives among the creative intelligentsia. In a short time she became a prominent figure of the capital of bohemian society, a regular of numerous salons and circles ^{[13] [16]} .

According to reviews of contemporaries, Vilkina was distinguished by her attractive, though somewhat painful appearance, rather poor health (many sources mention consumption ) and a very temperamental character. She led a free life: her romantic ties with many famous writers , philosophers and artists , including KD Balmont , V. Ya. Bryusov , D. S. Merezhkovsky , V. V. Rozanov , S. L, gained fame. Rafalovich , K. A. Somov . It is characteristic that Wilkina not only did not conceal such relations, but, on the contrary, often deliberately advertised, in particular, publicizing the corresponding frivolous correspondence (there are suggestions that, at least in some cases, the case was obviously limited to such correspondence) ^{[17] [18]} . At the same time, many of the fans had a significant impact on the intellectual and creative development of Vilkina. She herself assigned Merezhkovsky a special place in this respect, admitting that he, along with Henrik Ibsen and F. I. Tyutchev , was the author to whom she “owes much that I consider to be among the treasures of the soul” ^[16] .

From 1896, she was in a civil marriage with the poet, writer and philosopher N. M. Minsky , who was a longtime friend of the Vengerov family (it is noteworthy that even before the birth of Lyudmila, young Minsky proposed one of her aunts, Faina Vengerova, but was refused). Officially, their union was registered only on June 8, 1905 ^{[19] [20]} . Vilkina became for Minsky a second wife, her predecessor was the writer Yu. I. Yakovlev , better known under the pseudonym Julia Bezrodnaya , and after Vilkin's death, Minsky married her aunt - Zinaida Vengerova . After marriage registration, she accepted the real name of her husband - Vilenkina ^{[14] [21] [22]} .

The personal life of the spouses was very free and peculiar: both were actively practicing the relationship "on the side", not hiding it. So, the novels of the married Vilenkina with KA Somov, and Minsky with Z. N. Gippius , and also with the aunt of his wife, Z. A. Vengerova, were quite widely known (the latter even lived with the spouses in 1904-1905). and called the current family "tripartite union") ^{[12] [17]} . In the diary of M. A. Voloshin for April 1908, the story of G. I. Chulkov about Vilkin ’s visit to the house of tolerance in the company of A. A. Blok and F. K. Sologub ^{[23] is given} . KI Chukovsky in her memoirs describes her outrageous behavior at political rallies: the poetess loudly declared her desire to surrender to each of the speakers she liked ^[24] . Bryusov mentions a one-day “escape” from Vilkina in the fall of 1902 to Finland : his poem “The Forest Maiden” is dedicated to this event ^[14] .

The links of Vilenkina with Merezhkovsky and Minsky with Gippius led to a serious complication of the relationship between the two poetess (their very emotional correspondence remained), which, however, did not prevent Gippius from significantly influencing the development of Vilkina ^[17] .

In his apartment on the English Embankment (house number 62) in St. Petersburg, provided to them by a wealthy relative of Minsk, homeowner Ya. S. Polyakov , the couple opened a literary salon, which gained some popularity in symbolist circles ^{[12] [17] [25] [26] [27]} . Sometimes the meetings at the Vilenkiny were held with elements of mystical ceremonies and outrageous - some visitors jokingly called them "orgies" ^[20] . About extravagant style Vilkina accept visitors salon recalled, in particular, Chukovsky:

Frequently visiting the salon on the English Embankment, Bryusov noted a very peculiar color of the “radiations” held there and called Vilkina a “new Egyptian priestess,” believing, however, that the wife of Minsky imitated Gippius in her manner of communication ^{[16] [28]} . Meanwhile, Gippius herself spoke about the Minsk-Vilkina circle very sharply, considering the latter to be the initiator of the outrageous events:

After leaving for Europe

Vilkina traveled to Europe several times - including for spa treatment, she visited France, Switzerland and Belgium . In 1906 , shortly after leaving for France, Minsky, who was prosecuted for having links with the social democratic press , went after her husband, but occasionally came to St. Petersburg - the first time before the end of the same 1906 ^[17] . This return of Vilkina was quite emotionally welcomed in a letter to her by Merezhkovsky, who had previously believed that the poetess had left her homeland forever:

In 1913, the amnestied Minsk briefly returned to Russia, but already in 1914, before the start of the First World War, the couple had finally moved to France. Constantly lived in Paris, at times - on the Cote d'Azur . Before the October Revolution, Vilkina maintained active ties with friends in Russia, and later was a prominent figure in the circles of the Russian emigration of the first wave ^[17] .

Precise data on the time and circumstances of Vilkina’s death are not available: it is known that she died in Paris before July 30, 1920 ^[26] . It is noteworthy that five years after the death of his wife Minsky, who by then was already seventy, he married her aunt Z. Vengerova ^{[14] [29]} .

The beginning of the creative activity of Vilkina belongs to the mid -1890s . One of the first evidence of her efforts in the literary field is the letter of Z. A. Vengerova to the Kiev writer S. G. Balakhovskaya dated September 21, 1895, in which her aunt assesses the prospects of her niece as the author:

Vilkina began publishing in the second half of the 1890s. Her early works - poems and short stories - were published in the literary journals "Books" Week "," New Business "," Journal for All ", as well as in the newspapers" New Time "and" Stock Exchange . "Later, her publications appeared in such authoritative symbolist publications such as “ Libra ”, “Questions of Life”, “ Golden Fleece ”, “Pass”, and “Northern Flowers” ^{[13] [21]} . Vilkin’s early publications didn’t evoke significant resonance in literary circles; few and mostly restrained.

An important part of her creative work was the translation of works by a number of leading European writers and playwrights of that period, in particular, M. Meterlink , O. Mirbo , G. Hauptmann , A. Savignon , R. de Gurmon , published both in various literary almanacs and individual editions. Some translations were made in collaboration with her husband or with other writers ^{[13] [21]} . Particularly significant was the volume of translations of Maurice Meterlinck, often performed in conjunction with the well-known translator V. L. Binstock - they formed the basis for several collections of Belgian works published in Russia and the USSR ^{[25] [26]} .

Vilkina signed her works in various ways: as “Vilkina, L.”, “Vilkina (Minsk), L.”, “Minsk” or in letters “L. AT.". Some poems and short stories were published under the pseudonym "Nikita Bobrinsky" ^{[25] [26]} .

The only collection of works by Vilkina, called “My Garden”, was published at the end of 1906 by the symbolist publishing house Scorpio . The collection included three stories and thirty sonnets. Yielding to Vilkina’s requests, Rozanov agreed to write a preface to him, who, however, presented the published works and the identity of their author in a rather peculiar way. It is noteworthy that, according to Chukovsky's memoirs, Rozanov later claimed that he wrote this preface without reading the collection itself and being supposedly certain that the book is called “My backside” ^[24] .

"My garden" has caused mostly very disapproving criticism. Many of Vilkin’s works seemed questionable not only from a poetic, but also from a moral point of view: they saw certain erotic allusions that contradicted the norms of traditional morality. Only a little later, thanks to the acquaintances of Minsky, several positive reviews were received, including from Andrei Bely and I. F. Annensky ^{[14] [29]} .

It is characteristic that Vilkina herself recognized not only the insufficiently significant amount of her literary creativity, but also the impossibility through her of properly expressing her spiritual world:

After leaving for France, Vilkina continued her creative and translation work. In the first half of the 1910s, Wilkien poems, short stories, essays, and translations sent from Paris were published in the Gman, Sagittarius, Strada anthologies ^{[25] [26]} .

After the October Revolution, she actively collaborated with the émigré press, in particular, with the magazine “Future Russia” published in Paris and the almanac “Russian Collection”. Some works and translations were published after her death ^{[25] [26]} .

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