Konstantin Dmitrievich Balmont

Konstantin Dmitrievich Balmont was born near the town of Shusty in a territory that had for centuries been ruled by the Shuisky family who had once been Tzars of Russia and were still, at that time, a much respected family.
He wrote his first poetry before he was in his teens but was rebuked by his mother at about the age of 10 and there is no record of his writing for a further 6 years until he started high school. At this time he was influenced by the poet Nekrasov.
In 1884 he was expelled fro the school in his own town for writing and distributing illegal literature and he then enrolled in a school in Vladimir before enrolling, in 1886, at the Moscow State University to study law. Within a year he was in trouble again, this time for "participating in student disorder". He tried to continue his formal education at the Demidovsky Lyceum in Yaroslav but was again unsuccessful and so decided to educate himself. A task he seems to have accomplished quite well.

Balmont's first collection of poetry called "Poetry Collection" was published in 1890 with little success and he tried to destroy all the copies printed. At this time Balmont was translating from Scandinavian, Italian and English literature and was also giving public lectures. At about this time he developed a strong friendship with another poet, Brusov. A second poetry collection "beneath the Northern Sky" was issued in 1894.

In the years leading up to the turn of the century he began to tour abroad, visiting many European countries and reading and writing much poetry whilst he did so.

Although a published poet, "In Boundlessness" (1895) and Tranquility (1897) as well as his earlier volumes, he became a member of the Association of Amateur Russian Literature Writers in 1899 and published another 3 volumes within 4 years. "Burning Building" (1900), "We Shall be as the Sun" (1903) and "only Love" (1903). Balmont was now a famous name in Russian literature and was publishing several books a year. "White Lightning" (1908), "Calls of Antiquity" (1908), "Birds in the Air" (1908), "Green Garden" (1909), "From Otherwordly Poets" (1909), "White Architect" (1914), "The Edge of Osiris" (1914) and a 10 volume set of collected works also in 1914. He also visited Mexico and the USA during this period. The poet Bryusov said that he (Balmont) "completely reigned over Russian poetry".

Balmont had started out like most Russians of that period as a Monarchist and had dedicated one of his books to Prince A. I. Urusov but now he was becoming a Bolshevik and he wrote satirical poems and took part in rallies. This got him into serious trouble and he departed Russia on a grand tour to England, the Canary Islands, South America, Madagascar, Southern Australia, Polynesia, New Guinea, Ceylon, as well as other places. When he received a pardon, like many others, during the 300th anniversary celebrations of the Romanovs he returned to Russia in 1914 but left almost immediately for France, returning in 1915

He then began to travel widely within Russia from Saratov to Omsk, from Kharkov to Vladivostok, giving lectures and speeches.
In 1920, Balmont requested permission from the new Communist rulers to leave the country and in 1921, he and his family travelled out of the country. They never returned to Russia! Balmont's works from this time show great sadness and discontent. He died on December 24, 1942 in Paris, during the Nazi occupation of that city.
JS