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Vadim GardnerRussian poet
Date of Birth: 13.07.1880
Country: ![]() |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Literary Beginnings
- Patriotism and Exile
- Later Years in Finland
- Posthumous Recognition and Legacy
Early Life and Education
Vadim Gardner was born into a distinguished family in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire.His father, Daniel Thomas Gardner, was the son of an American scientist and author of numerous scientific works on chemistry and medicine. Vadim's paternal grandfather, a court physician to Brazilian Emperor Pedro I, was married to a woman from the renowned Portuguese family de Paiva Pereira. Vadim's mother, Ekaterina Ivanovna Dykhova, studied medicine in America, married D. T. Gardner, and brought her husband back to Russia.
After completing his studies at the prestigious Annenschule in St. Petersburg, Vadim Gardner enrolled in the law faculty of St. Petersburg University.However, his involvement in student unrest in 1905 led to his arrest and expulsion from the university. After two months in prison, he was released due to his American citizenship. Subsequently, Gardner obtained permission to complete his university course at the University of Tartu.
Literary Beginnings
In 1908, Gardner's first collection of poems, featuring over 60 compositions, was published in St. Petersburg.A second book, "From Life to Life," was released in 1912, garnering him recognition within literary circles in St. Petersburg. He became a member of the renowned "Tower" group headed by poet Vyacheslav Ivanov.
Nikolai Gumilyov, another prominent poet, took note of Gardner's unique talent:"Despite Vadim Gardner's predilection for religious themes, his most successful poems are those that are lighthearted."
Patriotism and Exile
In 1916, Gardner adopted Russian citizenship in a surge of patriotic fervor and was dispatched to England where he joined General Gedroyts,who led a committee responsible for supplying weapons to the Allied forces. In 1918, he returned to Russia aboard a military transport through Murmansk, alongside fellow poet Nikolai Gumilyov.
In 1921, Gardner returned to Finland, settling in his mother's estate in Metyenkylä (now Molodyozhny).His third and final collection of poems, "Under Distant Stars," was published in Paris in 1929.
Later Years in Finland
With the outbreak of the Finnish War in 1939, Gardner's family, along with many others in their village, became refugees.They traveled throughout southern Finland, residing briefly in Klaukkala. After the war, Gardner moved to Helsinki, where he spent the remainder of his life. Despite his literary output during this period, his work remained mostly obscure.
Posthumous Recognition and Legacy
In 1990, the first posthumous edition of Gardner's poems, "By the Gulf of Finland," was published in Helsinki.A second posthumous edition was released in St. Petersburg in 1995. However, much of Gardner's literary legacy remains largely underexplored and unknown to the public.