An unknown manuscript of Yesenin’s "Pugachev" was kept in a private London library for about 90 years

LONDON. Yesenin’s manuscript accidentally never returned to Russia in London

For several generations of the British, they managed not to notice the pearls in the sink of the London Library for more than 90 years. Claudia Ricci turned out to be a successful catcher of jewelry, who discovered in the Russian collection of the book depository the manuscript of Yesenin’s poem “Pugachev”. This happened last year, but a report on the sensational find took place at the International Symposium in honor of the poet’s 120th anniversary at the end of September 2015. Yeseninologists from the very beginning confirmed the authenticity of the autograph: its manuscript part from the first five chapters and the rest printed on a typewriter with copyright edits. Various versions have been put forward regarding the emigration of the manuscript to the West. The truth was established by the same Ricci, foreign trips with Isadora Duncan were not to blame.

The British writer, journalist and translator of Russian literature Karl Eric Bechhofer Roberts (CE Bechhofer Roberts) had in his luggage several books about Russia, friendship with Nikolai Gumilyov and G.I. Gurdzhiev, translations of Yevreinov’s play “Merry Death” and the poem of the Bloc “Twelve” ", Which was published with illustrations by Mikhail Larionov. While working on the book “On Starving Russia,” he met with representatives of the creative intelligentsia in Moscow, who spoke about the prohibitions on publishing many books, about the persecution and arrests, and about forced emigration. In the “Cafe of Imaginists”, he met Sergey Yesenin and Anatoly Mariengof. The story of the transfer of the white autograph to Bechhofer in 1921, shortly before his return to London, can be found in the aforementioned edition. There are suggestions that the poet was counting on the appearance of a Pugachev translated into English on the shores of Albion. Judging by the stamp, the manuscript has been in the London Library since 1934. It is known that in the 20s a drama in verses was published in the USSR by only two independent publishing houses. Despite the agreement signed with the poet in the "State Publishing House" the book did not come out. The production at the Meyerhold Theater also did not take place due to the lack of, according to the director, sufficient dynamics and the impossibility of an adequate stage embodiment.

Nobody is going to return the manuscript to Russia, except in the form of a facsimile copy.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru