{"id":7372,"date":"2015-02-12T07:09:54","date_gmt":"2015-02-12T07:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=7372"},"modified":"2018-08-15T18:57:01","modified_gmt":"2018-08-15T18:57:01","slug":"three-iconic-russian-love-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/three-iconic-russian-love-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Iconic Russian Love Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Valentine’s Day\u00a0is approaching, I was thinking about the archetypal love stories — you know, the Romeo and Juliet (\u0420\u043e\u043c\u0435\u0301\u043e \u0438 \u0414\u0436\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0435\u0301\u0442\u0442\u0430<\/strong>) tales that are\u00a0immediately recognizable and referenced whenever people want to evoke love. What follows is not complete or representative by any means, and I encourage you to share more examples in comments. However, these stories will likely be recognized by anyone brought up in Russia (and, I imagine, many of the neighbo\/u\/ring countries).<\/p>\n

Nikolay Rezanov and Conchita Arg\u00fcello<\/h2>\n

This story has its roots in real events. Nikolay Rezanov<\/a> (\u041d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0430\u0439 \u0420\u0435\u0437\u0430\u0301\u043d\u043e\u0432<\/strong>) was a Russian explorer who was involved, among other things, with Russian colonies in Alaska.\u00a0In 1806\u00a0he traveled to California\u00a0to secure provisions for the colonies. There, he met Concepci\u00f3n “Conchita” Arg\u00fcello (\u041a\u043e\u043d\u0447\u0438\u0301\u0442\u0430 \u0410\u0440\u0433\u0443\u044d\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043e<\/strong>), the governor’s daughter, and the two got\u00a0engaged. It is thought that both parties might have, at least initially, sought a marriage of convenience<\/a>. Rezanov had to return to Russia but promised to come back. On\u00a0his way back, he fell ill and died. Conchita never got married and became a nun.<\/p>\n

The couple inspired several works of arts, including the “rock opera”\u00a0Juno and Avos<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(“\u042e\u043d\u043e\u0301\u043d\u0430 \u0438 \u0410\u0432\u043e\u0301\u0441\u044c”<\/strong>), named after Rezanov’s ships. The play enjoys iconic status in Russia, and Rezanov’s role for played by Nikolay Karachentsov (\u041d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0430\u0301\u0439 \u041a\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0446\u043e\u0432<\/strong>) for many years until he was seriously injured in an accident in 2005.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WXsptdINflM<\/a><\/p>\n

The Master\u00a0and Margarita<\/h2>\n

The Master and Margarita<\/em><\/a> (\u041c\u0430\u0301\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440 \u0438 \u041c\u0430\u0440\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0301\u0442\u0430<\/strong>) is a novel<\/a> by Mikhail Bulgakov (\u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438\u0301\u043b \u0411\u0443\u043b\u0433\u0430\u0301\u043a\u043e\u0432<\/strong>). The book took more than 10 years to write and, despite being finished in 1940, was not published until 1967. The novel has multiple story lines and biblical motifs and is worth reading on ts own merits, but a love story is central to the plot.<\/p>\n

Master (whose real name we never learn) is a writer working on a novel about Pontius Pilate (\u041f\u043e\u0301\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0439 \u041f\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0301\u0442<\/strong>), which is attacked by Soviet literary critics. One day he runs into a woman carrying yellow flowers, and the two instantly fall in love. Margarita leaves her husband and moves in with Master. She encourages him to finish the novel and is ready to\u00a0enlist the Devil’s help to this end — this is actually quite humorous and not as ominous as may sound from this description. Margarita is thought to be based on Bulgakov third wife, Elena.<\/p>\n

Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik<\/h2>\n

Vladimir Mayakovsky<\/a> (\u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u0301\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u041c\u0430\u044f\u043a\u043e\u0301\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439<\/strong>) was\u00a0a Russian\/Soviet poet and graphic artist, known for his innovative style of writing and, among other things, for his love affair with Lilya Brik<\/a> (\u041b\u0438\u0301\u043b\u044f \u0411\u0440\u0438\u043a<\/strong>). Lilya Brik was married at the time she met Mayakovsky, who she was introduced to by her sister (the future French writer Elsa Triolet<\/a>). The Briks were in an open marriage, and Mayakovsky ended up moving in with the couple.<\/p>\n

Lilya was active in the art scene of the 1920s Russia and is thought to have inspired much of Mayakovsky’s work. Even after\u00a0their affair ended, and Mayakovsky started seeing other women, the two remained close friends.<\/p>\n

I would like to end this post with a song version of Mayakovsky’s poem “\u041b\u0438\u0301\u043b\u0438\u0447\u043a\u0430!<\/a>” addressed to Brik. Yes, it’s Mayakovsky in the footage. I’m looking forward to your additions to the list in the comments!<\/p>\n