Osip Emilievich
Mandelstam
1891-1938
Osip Mandelstam was a Russian poet, novelist, translator, and literary critic who was one of the most prominent figures of the Silver Age. He was born on January 15, 1891, in Warsaw, Poland. He was the son of Jewish merchants. His father, Emil Veniaminovich Mandelstam, owned a glove manufacturing business and was a member of the merchant guild. His mother, Flora Osipovna Verblovskaya, was a musician and piano teacher. In childhood, Mandelstam and his family moved to Pavlovsk and then St. Petersburg. Here, he received a thorough education, including music and foreign language instruction. After attending the prestigious Tenishevsky College under the guidance of V.V. Gippius, Mandelstam began to develop his own unique voice as a poet. Throughout his life, Mandelstam remained committed to his craft, producing a body of work that would become some of the most celebrated in Russian literature. His poetry, novels, and translations continue to inspire readers today. This is where his interest in literature and revolutionary ideas began, which was reflected in the first poems published in the school magazine under the pseudonym “Wick”. During his early years, Osip was marked by a thirst for knowledge and a desire for self-development. After graduating from college, he decided to continue his studies at the Sorbonne, immersing himself in the study of literature and philosophy. There, he was inspired by the lectures of Henri Bergson and the French poetry of the Symbolists. Later, he continued his education at Heidelberg University, studying philosophy. However, the main source of his knowledge was not universities but literary circles in St. Petersburg, where he met prominent personalities such as Vyacheslav Ivanov, Nikolai Gumilev, and Anna Akhmatova. By the 1910s, Mandelstam had finally decided on his path as a poet. His first book of poems, The Stone, published in 1913, immediately caught the attention of literary critics. It already contains the main motifs of acmeism, a new trend that Mandelstam joined under the influence of Gumilev. However, the poet was not limited to this trend alone. His interest in philosophy, history, and mythology enriched his poetic language and gave his work a universal meaning. The events of the First World War, revolutions of 1917, and subsequent political upheavals were reflected in his poetry, influencing his worldview and strengthening his interest in historical regularity and the civic responsibility of the poet. Since the 1920s, his poetry was replaced by translations and prose, but even in these genres, he remained a master of words. His autobiographical essay, “The Noise of Time,” was an attempt to understand his place in a changing world. In memory of this outstanding poet, a memorial plaque was erected in Moscow next to the bust of O.E. Mandelstam.
Address: Moscow, Zabelina St., 3, building 8
