Biography Balmont
Konstantin Dmitrievich Balmont is a famous Russian poet, symbolist, classic of the literature of the Silver Age. He is also famous for his translations from many languages. The author of many poetic collections, articles and essays.
Early life. Education
Born June 15, 1867 in the village of Gumnischi Vladimir province, where he lived until 10 years. Balmont’s father worked as a judge, then as head of the zemstvo board. The mother instilled a love of literature and music to the future poet. The family moved to Shuya, when the older children went to school. In 1876 Balmont studied at the Shuya grammar school, but soon he got tired of learning, and he began to pay more attention to reading. After graduating from the gymnasium for revolutionary moods, Balmont transferred to Vladimir, where he studied until 1886. In the same year he entered the university in Moscow, to the legal department. Studies there did not last long, a year later he was expelled for participating
The beginning of the creative path
The poet wrote his first poetry as a ten-year-old boy, but his mother criticized his undertakings, and Balmont no longer attempted anything to write for the next six years.
For the first time the poet’s poems were printed in 1885 in the magazine “Picturesque Review” in St. Petersburg.
In the late 1880’s, Balmont was engaged in translation activities. In 1890, due to a poor financial situation and an unsuccessful first marriage, Balmont tried to commit suicide – threw himself out of the window, but remained alive. After receiving serious injuries, he lay in bed for a year. This year in the biography of Balmont is difficult to call successful, but it is worth noting that he turned out to be productive in creative terms.
The debut poetry collection of the poet did not arouse public interest, and the poet destroyed the entire print run.
Climb to glory
The greatest flowering of Balmont’s art is in the 1890s. He reads a lot, learns languages and travels.
Balmont often translates,
Balmont published a collection “Under the Northern Sky”, began to publish his works in the publishing house “Scorpion”, the journal “Libra”. Soon new books appear – “In boundlessness”, “Silence”.
Having married for the second time in 1896, Balmont leaves for Europe. For several years he travels. In 1897, in England, he lectured on Russian poetry.
The fourth in the collection of poetry Balmont “Let’s go as the sun” came out in 1903. The collection became especially popular and brought great success to the author. In early 1905, Konstantin Dmitrievich again left Russia, he traveled to Mexico, then traveled to California.
Balmont took an active part in the revolution of 1905-1907, mainly speaking in front of students and building barricades. Being afraid of being arrested, the poet leaves for Paris in 1906.
After visiting Georgia in 1914, translated into Russian the poem by Sh. Rustaveli “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”, as well as many others. In 1915, returning to Moscow, Balmont travels the country with lectures.
The Last Emigration
In 1920, due to the poor state of health of his third wife and daughter, he went to France with them. He did not return to Russia any more. In Paris, Balmont publishes 6 more collections of his poems, and in 1923 – autobiographical books: “Under the new sickle”, “Air way”.
The poet yearned for Russia and more than once regretted that he had left. These feelings were reflected in his poetry of the time. Life in a foreign country became increasingly difficult, the poet’s health deteriorated, there were problems with money. Baliont was diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Living in poverty in the suburbs of Paris, he no longer wrote, but only occasionally read old books.
December 23, 1942 in Noisy-le-Grand, near Paris, in the shelter “Russian House” Balmont died of pneumonia.
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