Nikolai Verzhbitsky was a journalist and a memoir writer, author of books of memoirs about Sergei Esenin. From 1924, he lived in the Caucasus and worked for the Zarya Vostoka newspaper. Verzhbitsky met Esenin in the spring of 1921 in Moscow, and later when the poet came to Tiflis in the fall of 1924, the two established friendly relations.
Verzhbitsky recalls how he met the poet: ‘When he learned that I was also a writer, Esenin was delighted, and when I told him that I was working at the Centropechat publishing house, he felt completely friendly. He asked me to introduce him to the head of this institution, B.F. Malkin. “We publish some short books of poetry, ” he said, “and I would appreciate using the help of your director. This is how we met and how our friendship began to grow. "
Later, Verzhbitsky’s memoirs were repeatedly used as biographical sources, but literary scholars doubt their reliability.
Nevertheless, Verzhbitsky’s book describes many interesting moments from the poet’s life: “Esenin quite often went with me to the editorial office, and he soon fitted quite well among the office workers. Everyone loved the simplicity of his ways, his calm gaiety and gentle wit… The editorial staff were quite good. Once Esenin wrote a comic verse about them, Dawn of the East. When reading it, I always recalled our life in Tiflis, our cheerful and harmonious work at the editorial office. As a friendly team, we used to embark on all kinds of newspaper inventions, engaging talented authors and trying to make sure that the newspaper of the Transcaucasian Federation was no worse than the newspapers in the capital.”
There are five letters from Esenin to Verzhbitsky, dating back to 1924-1925.
In the poem Dawn of the East Esenin writes:
Irony! Carry me! Carry me on!
A Ryazan muzhik is squinting his eye,
Whatever turn you make, still all the paths converge at the Zarya Vostoka editorial office.
<…>
Kola Verzhbitsky!
A good old friend indeed, -
You give him poems, and he would put it at the very back,
Behind the ads of trusts and some old boots,
As if I were old boots’ bro and friend.
Verzhbitsky recalls how he met the poet: ‘When he learned that I was also a writer, Esenin was delighted, and when I told him that I was working at the Centropechat publishing house, he felt completely friendly. He asked me to introduce him to the head of this institution, B.F. Malkin. “We publish some short books of poetry, ” he said, “and I would appreciate using the help of your director. This is how we met and how our friendship began to grow. "
Later, Verzhbitsky’s memoirs were repeatedly used as biographical sources, but literary scholars doubt their reliability.
Nevertheless, Verzhbitsky’s book describes many interesting moments from the poet’s life: “Esenin quite often went with me to the editorial office, and he soon fitted quite well among the office workers. Everyone loved the simplicity of his ways, his calm gaiety and gentle wit… The editorial staff were quite good. Once Esenin wrote a comic verse about them, Dawn of the East. When reading it, I always recalled our life in Tiflis, our cheerful and harmonious work at the editorial office. As a friendly team, we used to embark on all kinds of newspaper inventions, engaging talented authors and trying to make sure that the newspaper of the Transcaucasian Federation was no worse than the newspapers in the capital.”
There are five letters from Esenin to Verzhbitsky, dating back to 1924-1925.
In the poem Dawn of the East Esenin writes:
Irony! Carry me! Carry me on!
A Ryazan muzhik is squinting his eye,
Whatever turn you make, still all the paths converge at the Zarya Vostoka editorial office.
<…>
Kola Verzhbitsky!
A good old friend indeed, -
You give him poems, and he would put it at the very back,
Behind the ads of trusts and some old boots,
As if I were old boots’ bro and friend.
