Maiakovsky, Vladimir

Maiakovsky, Vladimir [Маяковский, Владимир; Majakovskij], b 19 July 1893 in Bagdadi (now Maiakovsky), Georgia, d 14 April 1930 in Moscow. Russian futurist poet of Ukrainian descent. His attitude to Ukraine ranged from one of great sympathy for the land of his ancestors and its language, as in ‘Dolg Ukraine’ (Debt to Ukraine, 1926), to one of Russian chauvinism, as in ‘Nashemu iunoshestvu’ (To Our Youth, 1927). Many editions of his poetry have appeared in Ukrainian translation, including Vybrane (Selections, 1936, 1940) and Vybrani tvory (Selected Works, 3 vols, 1953).

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 3 (1993).]