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Elena MayakovskayaDaughter of Vladimir Mayakovsky
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Biography of Elena Mayakovskaya
- About Elena's Mother
- Ellie's Journey to America
- The Meeting in New York
- Love between Mayakovsky and Ellie
- An Eyewitness Account
- Lilya Brik's Knowledge
- A Single Meeting
- Mayakovsky's Last Wishes
- Visiting Russia in 1991
- Elena's Education and Career
- Writing a Biography of Vladimir Mayakovsky
- Elena's Favorite Mayakovsky Poem
Biography of Elena Mayakovskaya
Elena Mayakovskaya is the daughter of Vladimir Mayakovsky. She was born out of the passionate love affair between the poet and Ellie Jones during Mayakovsky's stay in New York in 1925. Elena has always believed in her parentage, even though it seemed unbelievable to many that Mayakovsky's daughter lived in America, specifically in Manhattan, New York.
About Elena's Mother
Elena's mother, Elizaveta (Ellie) Zibert, was born on October 13, 1904, in Davlekhanovo (now Bashkortostan). She was the eldest child in a family that was forced to flee Russia after the revolution. Her father, Peter Henry Zibert, was born in Ukraine, and her mother, Helen Neyfeldt, was born in Crimea. Ellie grew up in her father and grandfather's estates and was a flexible, slender, and attractive young woman with expressive blue eyes. She was not only physically appealing but also intellectual, educated, and charming, with knowledge of several foreign languages.
Ellie's Journey to America
The October Revolution of 1917 turned Ellie's comfortable life upside down. By that time, her family had significant land holdings in and outside of Russia. The future for her family in Soviet Russia was uncertain. Eventually, in the late 1920s, they managed to move to Canada. During the post-revolution chaos, Ellie was able to leave Davlekhanovo and found work with orphaned children in Samara. She later became a translator in Ufa for the American Relief Administration (ARA). After some time, she moved to Moscow, where she became Ellie Jones after marrying an Englishman named George E. Jones, who also worked for the ARA. They later relocated to London and from there, to America. Two years later, while still legally married, Ellie met Mayakovsky, and Elena was born. It is worth noting that George Jones put his name on Elena's birth certificate to make her "legitimate." He became Elena's legal father, and she always felt grateful to him.
The Meeting in New York
On July 27, 1925, immediately after his 32nd birthday, Mayakovsky arrived in America. He was a well-known poet and handsome man ("tall, dark, and beautiful"). A month later, he met Elizabeth Petrovna, Ellie Jones, a Russian immigrant. They met at a poetry evening in New York. They talked about art, and Ellie's interest in the secrets of poetic mastery intrigued Mayakovsky. As they conversed mostly in English at the party, it was natural for two Russians to strike up a conversation.
Love between Mayakovsky and Ellie
My mother told me that Mayakovsky was very tender with her. During his visit to America, he wrote ten poems, including "Brooklyn Bridge" and "Broadway." I believe Mayakovsky's feelings for my mother were connected to the peak of his poetic genius. Those who knew Mayakovsky saw him as a sensitive and vulnerable person, a romantic who did not tolerate any vulgarity towards women. However, circumstances led him to leave the United States on October 28, 1925, and he never returned.
An Eyewitness Account
One day, I found myself at the home of writer Tatiana Levchenko-Sukhomlina. She told me how she met Mayakovsky on the street during those years and started a conversation with him. He invited her and her husband to an evening of his poetry. According to Tatiana Ivanovna's account, she saw Mayakovsky with a tall, slender, young woman whom he called Ellie. Even from a distance, it was evident that Mayakovsky had strong and deep feelings for this woman. This was very important for me as it confirmed my belief in the passionate love affair between the poet and Ellie Jones during Mayakovsky's stay in New York in 1925.
Lilya Brik's Knowledge
A few days after Mayakovsky's death, Lilya Brik entered his room on Lubianka Street. While going through his papers, she destroyed a photo of a little girl, his daughter... Lilya inherited Mayakovsky's copyrights, so the existence of his daughter was undesirable to her.
A Single Meeting
In Mayakovsky's notebook, on a separate page, there was only one word written: "Daughter"... Yes, we met for the first and last time in Nice, where my mother went for her immigrant affairs. Mayakovsky was in Paris at the time, and someone informed him of our whereabouts. He immediately rushed to Nice, approached the door, and announced, "Here I am!" After visiting us, he sent a letter from Paris to Nice, which was perhaps my mother's most precious possession. It was addressed to "two Ellies," and in that letter, my father requested a subsequent meeting. However, my mother believed that they should not meet again.
Mayakovsky's Last Wishes
In his final testament, Mayakovsky designated his family as his mother, sisters, Lilya Brik, and Veronika Vitoldovna Polonskaya. He asked the government to "arrange a decent life" for them. He did not mention the woman he loved or me. Why? This was a question for which I did not have a satisfactory answer until I met Veronika Polonskaya during my first visit to Moscow in 1991. Delicate and fragile, Mrs. Polonskaya graciously received me in her small room at the Home for Elderly Actors. On her bookshelf stood a small statue of Mayakovsky. I am certain that she also loved my father. According to Veronika Vitoldovna's recollections, Mayakovsky told her, "My future is in this child." He proudly showed Veronika the Parker pen I gave him in Nice. There are currently two Parker pens in the Mayakovsky Museum, and one of them undoubtedly is mine.
Visiting Russia in 1991
In the summer of 1991, my son, Roger Sherman Thompson, a New York lawyer, and I traveled to Moscow, where we met Mayakovsky's relatives, friends, and admirers. As we were being driven to our hotel, I saw the monumental statue of Mayakovsky on Mayakovskaya Square (now known as Triumfalnaya Square). My son and I asked the driver to stop. I couldn't believe we were finally standing there! I have been to my father's grave at Novodevichy Cemetery, his museum on Lubianka Square, and the small room inside that museum where he took his own life. I remember placing my hand on the calendar open to April 14, 1930, the last day of his life.
At my father's grave at Novodevichy Cemetery, next to his tombstone, I dug up a small patch of ground between his grave and his sister's. There, I placed a portion of my mother's ashes, covered it with soil and grass, and watered it with tears. I kissed the Russian soil. Since my mother's death, I had hoped that one day her remains would be reunited with the man she loved, with the Russia she loved until the end of her days.
Elena's Education and Career
As it is well-known, my father was a talented artist, having studied at the School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. It seems I inherited this talent from him. At the age of 15, I entered an art school, and then I attended Barnard College, which I graduated from in June 1948. After college, I worked as an editor for widely circulated magazines, where I reviewed films, music recordings, and edited Westerns, novels, detective stories, and science fiction. It was a suitable occupation for the daughter of a futurist.
Writing a Biography of Vladimir Mayakovsky
No, I do not intend to write a biography of my father. However, I would like to see a biography of him written by a woman. I believe that a female scholar would better understand his character and personality than most men who have written so much about him.
Elena's Favorite Mayakovsky Poem
"My Shadow in Pantaloons" ("Cloud in Trousers"). And I am the stormy cloud in a skirt.
