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Abstract:

In the second half of the 1930s N.N. Aseev worked on the poem “Mayakovsky begins.” A letter from a reader from Simferopol — N.M. Kovaneva (dated September 6, 1950) — was written after the appearance of new chapters of the poem in the magazine “Okt’abr’.” This letter is a response to Aseev’s poem and it is published for the first time. This very sincere and deeply emotional letter is of considerable interest, because it raises questions that worried readers and fans of V.V. Mayakovsky for years, the origins of love for his lyrics are revealed, it is told from which writings the acquaintance with the poet’s work began. However, this document is typical for its time, there is not any critical attitude to what was happening in the country; the author of the letter knows nothing about the quarrel between Mayakovsky and M. Gorky, about the fate of the writers who were shot by that time. The letter quotes both Aseev’s poem and Mayakovsky’s texts, contains reflections on negative critical reviews in the 1920s of the poet’s works and the role of Lily Brick in his life.