Beloved of Joseph Brodsky

Marianne Basmanova and Joseph Brodsky. Photo source -
https://formasloff.ru/2020/05/24/12-stihov-iosifa-brodskogo-o-zhizni/

Joseph Brodsky’s beloved in Leningrad was the artist Marianne Basmanova. She lived in house No. 15 on Glinka Street. The young people met at a party at the composer Boris Tishchenko’s place. She was born into a family of fairly well-known artists. Pavel Ivanovich Basmanov, back in the 1930s, was among the talented painters who gathered around the poet Mikhail Kuzmin. Natalia Georgievna was known as a book graphic artist. According to some accounts, Marina, although she did not receive proper formal education, was a capable girl who quickly grasped her parents’ lessons and even helped her mother with the design of several book editions. Maria was two years older than Joseph.

Brodsky was blinded by Marina, adored her, and told everyone that one day this girl would definitely become his wife. A month after meeting her, he wrote the poem “I embraced these shoulders and looked…” which for the first time bore the initials “M.B.” In the following years, he dedicated such a number of poems to his beloved that it has no parallel in world literature.

Joseph and Marina loved to walk around Leningrad, exploring its old streets. The poet read poems to his muse, while she told him about painting and introduced him to the works of her favorite artists. Sometimes they visited mutual friends, and everyone noted the delicate and touching connection felt between them. “He couldn’t take his eyes off her and watched every gesture with admiration: how she tossed her hair back, how she held a cup, how she looked in the mirror,” recalled Lyudmila and Viktor Shtern. The only person who sensed that things were not smooth between Joseph and Marina was the Shterns’ housekeeper. When the lovers’ door closed behind them, she said:

“Did you notice how her eyes sparkle? I tell you, she’s a witch and has bewitched Osya… He’ll cry his eyes out over her yet…”

Neither Brodsky’s parents nor Basmanova’s parents approved of their relationship. This saddened the young couple, but not as much as the differences in their own views and aspirations. Brodsky dreamed of a family and children, while Basmanova flatly refused to marry him. Because of this, they often quarreled, after which they “broke up forever,” but within a few days they got back together because they could not live without each other. The Shterns told how after one such “breakup,” Brodsky came to them, ate a bowl of soup, and left silently. His hands were wrapped in dirty bandages, clearly stained with blood.

When the situation repeated several times, Viktor Shtern couldn’t stand it and said to Brodsky: “Listen, Osya, stop it, this… scares people. If you ever really decide to kill yourself, ask me to explain how it’s done.” Joseph nodded gloomily. Since then, he no longer appeared with bloodied bandages on his wrists — perhaps he managed to quell his suicidal impulses, or perhaps he simply switched to other serious problems. On the eve of the new year 1964, Brodsky faced the threat of arrest for parasitism and was forced to flee to Moscow. He could not abandon Marina to fate, so he asked his friend, the poet Dmitry Bobyshev, to look after her for some time.

As a result, they grew closer, and a classic love triangle formed. As for Brodsky, he learned about the betrayal. The poet immediately ran to buy a train ticket to Leningrad. Friends tried to dissuade Brodsky, convincing him that upon arrival he would face inevitable arrest. But the poet didn’t care — he had to see Marina.

Getting off the train, Brodsky rushed to his beloved’s apartment, but no one was there. A few hours later, he met Bobyshev, and a very harsh conversation took place between them, which forever ended their friendship. And three days later, Brodsky was arrested. The court ruled that the poet must be immediately exiled to the Arkhangelsk region. But Brodsky seemed absolutely unconcerned. All his thoughts were still occupied by the woman he loved so much.

It was during exile that Brodsky began to rapidly grow as a poet. And Marina played a huge role in this, as she followed him to the Arkhangelsk region to share the hardships of his life. Brodsky was ready to forgive her everything, as long as she was near. But then Bobyshev appeared on the horizon, and Basmanova left with him to Leningrad. Then she returned to Brodsky again. And so several times. For all participants in the love triangle, that period was extremely painful and difficult. And in 1968, after Brodsky’s return from exile, Marina gave birth to his child. Joseph was over the moon with happiness. The poet hoped that now his beloved would definitely agree to become his wife, and they could create a happy family. But Marina was adamant — no wedding, period.

In 1972, the love triangle finally broke up. Joseph Brodsky emigrated to America, while Marina chose to stay in Russia and raise their son on her own. She also parted ways with Bobyshev.

The poet dedicated many poems to M.B. — it is by these first letters of her name and surname that they can be found in Brodsky’s collections. By the way, Marianna Pavlovna Basmanova — a St. Petersburg artist and book graphic artist — still lives in the Benois mansion on Glinka Street. At that time, the artist did not go with the poet to the USA. But they always corresponded. Marianne, Brodsky’s first love, is an absolutely non-public person. And the poet’s and artist’s son, Andrey Osipovich Basmanov, does not want to use the laurels of his famous father. The son was five years old when Joseph Brodsky left Leningrad and his homeland. For anyone even slightly familiar with Brodsky’s poetry, there is no mystery here. M.B. — the graphic symbols of the most frequent dedications above his poems. It is said that the number of his poems dedicated to one person has no parallel in world poetry. M.B. — is Marina Pavlovna Basmanova — Joseph Brodsky’s Leningrad love, an artist, one of the most mysterious, strange, and secretive people in the poet’s circle. It is unlikely that today there is a character from this circle who is surrounded by so many rumors, versions, half-truths, and secrets. She categorically refuses interviews, does not meet with journalists, does not open doors even to acquaintances, and does not take phone calls from strangers. There is only one photograph of the mysterious “M.B.”, barely allowing one to judge what she really looks like.

The last poem dedicated to M.B. he wrote in 1989, and it is a kind of farewell:

“With your voice, body, name

Nothing is connected anymore; no one has destroyed them,

But to forget one life — a person needs, at minimum,

another life. And I have lived this share...”

Sources:

https://peterburg.center/ln/marshrut-peterburg-i-brodskogo-mesta-brodskogo-v-gorode-na-neve.html

https://rg.ru/2008/05/24/brodsky.html

https://www.marieclaire.ru/psychology/vse-razletelos-k-chertu-na-kuski-rokovaya-lyubov-iosifa-brodskogo/