Igor Severyanin (Igor Vasilyevich Lotaryov, 1887-1941)
His last poem. 1941
Autograph manuscript poem signed ('I. Severyanin'), 'Poslednyaya Lyubov' ('Last Love'), Ust-Narva (Narva-Joesuu), [Estonia], 18 April 1941.

In Russian. One page, approx. 208 x 145mm.

Poslednyaya lyubov'

Ty vlilas' v moyu zhizn', tochno struyka Tokaya
V oskorblyayemyy vodkoy khrustal'.

Severyanin last poem, written only eight months before his death. 'You flowed into my life like a trickle of Tokai / Into crystal offended by vodka'. The extravagant, brilliant Severynanin, leader of the so-called 'Ego-Futurists' and perhaps most famous for his poetic introduction, 'I am Igor Severyanin, a genius!', had been one of the first poets to leave Russia after the revolution, settling in Estonia in 1918. His last years were overshadowed by the Soviet occupation of Estonia in 1940, followed by the German invasion in July 1941. He died of a heart-attack in Tallinn on 20 December 1941. Severyanin's common-law wife, Vera Korendi, recalled the composition of the poem in a memoir, 'Here ... his last poem, 'Last Love', was born ... I was simply amazed by the unusually inspired expression on his face, his eyes shining with happiness. He called me over ... "Verushka, I have prepared such a gift for you!" ... Then he read me this wonderful poem ... It was his swan song'.

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