“Yesenin: A Moscow Hooligan with a Georgian Accent” — A Lecture by Vitaly Kibitlevsky

“Yesenin: A Moscow Hooligan with a Georgian Accent” — A Lecture by Vitaly Kibitlevsky

Sergei Yesenin lived for just 30 years, yet his life story could have filled several lifetimes. A village boy from Ryazan Governorate became one of Russia’s most celebrated poets. His life was marked by revolution, literary fame, scandals, wild parties, three marriages, travels across Europe and America, and a tragic death whose circumstances remain a subject of debate to this day.

Georgia held a special place in Yesenin’s life. He spent several months there between 1924 and 1925. In Tiflis, the poet took part in literary evenings and spent time with local writers before traveling to Batumi, where he entered one of the most productive periods of his creative career.

During the lecture, we’ll trace Yesenin’s remarkable journey — from a village in Ryazan to the Angleterre Hotel in Leningrad. We’ll explore his poetry, the women in his life, his friends and enemies, his complicated relationship with the Soviet authorities, and, of course, his Georgian adventures.

Discover the story of a poet who loved passionately, wrote unforgettable verses, and had an extraordinary talent for getting into trouble.