Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilev
Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilev, born on April 15, 1886, in Kronstadt, Russia, was a notable Russian poet and a key figure in the Acmeist literary movement. He received his education in prestigious institutions and developed an early passion for poetry, publishing his first work in 1902. His marriage to fellow poet Anna Akhmatova in 1910 was marked by both collaboration and tension, particularly as Akhmatova's literary success began to overshadow his own. Gumilev co-founded the Poets Guild in 1911, promoting Acmeism, which emphasized a balanced and complete expression of poetic abilities. His travels in Western Europe and Africa enriched his poetry with exotic themes, showcasing the influences of diverse cultures. During World War I, he served in the army and wrote notable poems reflecting his military experiences. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Gumilev faced personal upheaval, including a divorce from Akhmatova and a second marriage. Unfortunately, his life was cut short when he was arrested and executed by the Bolshevik secret police in 1921, suspected of counterrevolutionary activities. Gumilev's legacy endures in Russian literature, remembered for his contributions to poetry and the Acmeist movement.
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Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilev
- Born: April 3, 1886
- Birthplace: Krondstat Island, Russia
- Died: August 24, 1921
Biography
Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilev was born on April 15, 1886, on Krondstat Island, Russia’s naval base in the Gulf of Finland not far from St. Petersburg. He was the son of a naval surgeon, and his mother was the daughter of an admiral. After his family moved to St. Petersburg, he was educated at the lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo, a very prestigious institution. Subsequently, his family moved to Tbilisi, Georgia, then under Russian rule, and he became enthralled with the exotic tribes of the Caucus. Surrounded by these typically romantic settings, he began to write poetry, and his first poem was printed in a journal in 1902.
His first book of poetry was published in 1905, followed by two more volumes within the next five years. In 1910 he married fellow poet Anna Akhmatova and gave her the nickname Gumi-lvitsa, Russian for Gumi-lioness, a play on his own name, which could be understood as Gumi-lion, since “lev” is the Russian word for lion. In 1911, he joined with Osip Mandelstam and Sergei Gorodetsky to form the Poets Guild, a workshop that would ultimately be the foundation of the Acmeist movement. He first used the term Acmeism in a 1912 article, describing it as a movement in which poets strove to use all aspects of their abilities equally to create a complete whole.
Gumilev travelled widely in Western Europe and in Africa, and his poetry came to be infused with exotic elements from his travels, particularly from the wildlife and traditional cultures he encountered in North Africa. However, his marriage to Akhmatova, which had been troubled from the start as the result of his infidelities, grew steadily more fragile as her work became more successful. He could remain happy in his marriage as long as Akhmatova remained the pupil walking in his footsteps, but he could not tolerate the possibility of her literary reputation eclipsing his, and this tension would ultimately destroy their marriage.
When World War I broke out in 1914, Gumilev volunteered for the army and was twice decorated for valor. He found time to write several noted poems about his experiences in the military. After the February, 1917 revolution overthrew the tsar, the provisional government sent Gumilev to France and Britain. After the Bolsheviks took over in the October Revolution, Gumilev returned to Russia, where he divorced Akhmatova in 1918 and married Anna Nikolaevna Englehard, by whom he would have a daughter, Elena, in 1920. His most prolific year was 1918, when he produced a number of outstanding poems. He continued producing work throughout 1919 and 1920, but in 1921 he was arrested by the Cheka, the Bolshevik secret police, and executed for suspicion of counterrevolutionary activities.