The tsarskoselsky muse

The tsarskoselsky muse

An excursion by Alexandra Zubareva

11a form

School 606

You, who sang so many poems,

And the death of cities and the young century,

Your songs have kept us awake when we should have died, -

These words were said at the 20-th death anniversary of Anna Akhmatova in February, 1986.

A Great Russian poet, a generous person and a wise woman, we’ll remember her name forever.

Tsarskoe Selo. The town of muses. Something magical must be in it: the air of creativity, inspiration. It seems that every corner breathes poetry. Tsarskoe selo for me is a town forever related with Anna Akhmatova.

Life and work of Anna Akhmatova is deeply connected with Tsarskoe Selo. By chanceless Tsvetaeva called her “Tsarskoselskaya muse”

We are sharply feeling her presence in Pushkin town in our days as well.

The poet wrote “My first memories are Tsarskoselsky”, she remembered a green damp magnificence of the parks, a racecourse, where young multi-colored horses rode, and an old railway station.

The first house of Gorenko family (a real surname of Akhmatova) was at the corner of Shirokaya Street and Bezimyanni Alley. That was a dark-green wooden building of two floors with a stone cellar and a nice garden. Akhmatova recalled it with warm feelings; it became more memorable for her than all houses in the world.

A racecourse, which she remembered about, was located nearby. There also was her favorite Bakery of Gollerbahh, which was very popular among the children.

One of the places, which remind us about the poet up to now, is the Tsarskoselsky women gymnasium. It lays near the Gostinny Dvor at Leontievskaya street. Alas, the studying in the gymnasium wasn’t the luckiest period of Akhmatova’s life. In high school she attracted attention for her slender, agile figure, her face with its large, bright eyes contrasted with her dark hair, brows, and lashes; her unusual profile; her pride, stubbornness; and, in particular, her wide knowledge of modernistic poetry.The classmates considered her lyrics foolish and ridiculous. The relationships with the principal didn’t turn out good as well.

But still, that part of her life in Tsarskoe Selo became a basis, which all her poetical individuality has grown up on.

Akhmatova was also indebted a meeting with Gumilev to Tsarskoe Selo. They met here in gymnasium years. Two poetical souls united under Tsarskoselsky sky. It was an exquisite, marvelous love, but no longer than they were married.

Gumilev continued over many years to offer his hand and heart to Anna. He had dedicated to her an impressive cycle of love poetry, in which he described her as a mermaid, a sorceress, and a queen. She refused him several times, then half agreed, and then refused again. At last she wrote to her best friend, “Pray for me. It can’t be any worse. I want to die” .

The young pair was married at April 25, 1910. Gumilev and Akhmatova spent their wedding journey in Paris, afterwards they moved in Tsarskoe Selo. As it often happens, marriage was a beginning of the end of their relationship.

Their house was situated at the corner of Bulvarnaya Street. The town at that time seemed to the poet dead and dumb.

Later Akhmatova and Gumilev moved to the house on Malaya Street, 63. The atmosphere was friendly and hospitable there. A lot of Akhmatova’s friends visited her in that house: Block, Mandelshtam, Gorodecky. It always smelled art and poetry there.

Anna Akhmatova presented Tsarskoe Selo as two different places: a royal residence, where all is dull and down-to-earth, and a town of poetry, a town, related with Pushkin forever.

To Tsarskoe Selo theme Akhmatova constantly returned during all her life. All of her poems are filled with a deep love to the town.

In the poem of 1944 “All the dears’ souls are in the high stars”, devoted to Pushkin town, Akhmatova wrote with the full right that it seems to be a place for her soul as well

“Здесь столько лир повешено на ветви,

Но и моей как будто место есть”

“Maid of light! Where are you, Donna Anna? Anna! Anna! – Silence”…