Russia's Favourite Hooligan Poet Sergei Yesenin

Sergei Yesenin was born on October 3, 1895, to a peasant family in the Ryazan Province of the Russian Empire.

Above: Russian poet Yesenin (the tallest of the three boys) in Konstantinovo (now Yesenino), May 21, 1909.

Above: Sergei Yesenin's memorial house in the village of Konstantinovo is open to visitors every day from 10 AM to 6 PM.

Yesenin moved to Moscow and then to Saint Petersburg in 1915, where he became friends with several well-known poets of the time. He published his first book of poems in 1916.

Above: Russian poets Sergey Yesenin (L) and Nikolai Klyuev, February 1, 1916.

Above: One of the rooms in Sergei Yesenin's memorial house in Konstantinovo.

Originally a supporter of the Bolshevik Revolution, Yesenin quickly became disenchanted with the party and started criticizing the government in his works and public speeches.

Above: Sergei Yesenin speaking at the dedication ceremony at the monument to another Russian poet Alexei Koltsov in Moscow, 1925.

On May 2, 1922 Yesenin married Isadora Duncan, a famous American dancer, who was 18 years older than him. She barely spoke any Russian, while Yesenin never spoke English. Their marriage was short-lived, lasting only a little over a year.

Above: Sergei Yesenin with wife Isadore Duncan, Berlin, 1922

'Forgive me please, I know that you have changed.
You live with an intelligent,good husband;
You don't need all this fuss and all this pledge,
And you don't need me either, such a hazard.

Live as you do, lead by your lucky star
Under the tent of fern, if there is any.
My best regards,
You're always on my mind, you are,
Yours, faithfully,
Sergey Yesenin.'

1924

Above: Sergei Yesenin and his wife Isadore Duncan on board the steamboat "Paris" during their journey to the US, October 1, 1922.

As Yesenin suffered from a string of failed relationships, he became steadily more depressed. His poetry reflected his slide into depression, which eventually led him to alleged suicide.

Above: Portrait of Sergei Yesenin by Soviet painter Lidya Sharleman.

'Blue is the night, and the moon is glancing,
There was a time I was young and handsome.
So irretrievable and so persistent
All has gone by, all is past, and distant.'

October 1925

Above: Sergei Yesenin in Moscow, 1922.

Sergei Yesenin allegedly committed suicide at the age of 30. He was found dead in his room in the Hotel Angleterre. His death immediately sparked controversies, some still believe that he was killed by the secret police.

Above: Room No.5 in the Hotel Angleterre, where Sergey Yesenin committed suicide.

'The rowan will maintain its coloration.
The grass exposed to heat will not decease,
I drop my words of sorrow and vexation
The way a tree drops quietly its leaves.'

1924

Above: Sergei Yesenin on a beach in Italy, 1922.