Veronika Polonskaya is a Soviet film and theater actress. Her fate is closely connected with Mayakovsky. It was Polonskaya who was the last love of the great poet. And she is the last one who saw Mayakovsky alive. Veronica witnessed his suicide.
Biography of Veronica Polonskaya
Veronika Polonskaya was born on June 6, 1908 in a family of Russian actors of the Maly Theatre. Her father, Vitold Polonsky, was famous and popular in pre-revolutionary Russian cinema. Mother, Olga Gladkova, also acted in films. Veronika Polonskaya was affectionately called Nora by her family and friends.
Where did Polonskaya study
When Veronika Polonskaya turned 16 in 1924, she entered the Moscow Art Theater to study. After graduation, Nora stayed to work in it. But the study didn't end there. She took acting lessons from Konstantin Stanislavsky and Nikolai Batalov.
Polonskaya's career
Veronika Polonskaya is an actress of Soviet cinema. Her career began in childhood. The first time she acted in a movie as a child, along with her father,in the film When the Lilacs Bloom, which was released in 1917. In the film, Veronica played the role of Alla. The adaptation was based on the novel "Pan" by Laurich Bruun. After the first filming, Veronika was fascinated by the magic of cameras and decided to devote her life to cinema.
In 1918, Polonskaya's father signed a very lucrative contract with Hollywood. And Veronica had to go with her parents to the USA. But on January 5, 1919, Vitold Polonsky died suddenly. As a result, Nora and her mother stayed at home.
Many people remember the play "Our Youth", in which Veronica played. Polonskaya's debut in Soviet cinema took place in the film "Glass Eye". This was the first picture in which the matured Veronica played. From 1927 to 1935, Polonskaya constantly played in performances. The last place of work of the actress is the theater. Ermolaeva. Polonskaya retired in 1973.
Roles in films played by Veronika Polonskaya
- "When the lilac blooms" - the role of Alla.
- "Swamp Mirages". Played Lisa's sister - Vera.
- Glass Eye is the main character.
- "Conveyor of death" - the role of Eleanor.
- "Three Comrades" - played the wife of Latsis, Irina.
- "War and Peace". Role in the episode.
- "Smile to your neighbor." Played Varvara Vershinin.
- "Mother Mary". The role of Sofia Pilenko.
Actress's personal life
In 1925, Veronika Vitoldovna Polonskaya married actor Mikhail Mikhailovich Yanshin. Despite the love affairwith Mayakovsky, she could not confess to her husband in treason. And for many years he was in ignorance. The whole truth about the love affair between Polonskaya and Mayakovsky surfaced after the poet's suicide, thanks to his farewell note, in which he recognized Veronica as his heiress along with his relatives. Polonskaya was disgraced throughout the country. When the betrayal was revealed, a divorce followed.
Polonskaya married Valery Alexandrovich Azersky for the second time. She gave birth to a son from him in 1936. She named him after Mayakovsky - Vladimir. Then Azersky was repressed, and Polonskaya married for the third time to the Soviet actor Dmitry Pavlovich Fiveysky. He adopted her son, who eventually went to live in the US.
Meet Mayakovsky
Polonskaya met Mayakovsky in 1929. Nora was already 21 at the time. After filming the film "The Glass Eye", Veronika was invited to the races by her husband Lily Brik. There she first saw Mayakovsky. Later they met on a visit to Kataev. And after that we began to see each other more often.
After a while, Veronica began to visit his apartment on Lubyanka often. There was the poet's office. Mayakovsky showed Veronica a lot of books. He captivated her by reading his poems and interesting stories about foreign countries. Often they walked around the city and talked. Veronika Polonskaya and Mayakovsky became close after a short time after they met. The apartment on Lubyanka became their place for love meetings.
How Polonskaya's romance with Mayakovsky developed
Polonskayaand Mayakovsky met secretly at the apartment. Polonskaya's husband did not know about this. In one of the meetings, Mayakovsky confessed his love to Veronica. She responded to his feelings, but was very jealous of other women. Polonskaya did not leave her husband. Perhaps she had a premonition that the connection with Mayakovsky would not last long. Veronica came to see him almost every day for a few hours before the theater. And then she went to work.
Mayakovsky did not like actors, but Veronica was an exception for him. Although over time he began to demand that she leave the theater. But Polonskaya refused. After his declaration of love to her, Mayakovsky began to affectionately call her "bride-in-law".
At the same time, he tried to meet his former love - Tatyana Yakovleva, but rumors about his new romance with Polonskaya reached her. Yakovleva got married. Mayakovsky violently experienced this event. He immediately began to demand from Veronica to legalize their relationship. But Polonskaya was married and was not going to admit to her husband that she was cheating on him.
Sharp corners in relations with Mayakovsky
Mayakovsky has always had a very complex and difficult character. The poet was haunted by frequent mood swings. It was said in society that he was sick. Recently, their relationship with Veronika Polonskaya has been very strained in an emotional sense. He then affectionately persuaded her to marry him, then he tried to achieve her positive decision with threats.
In 1930, Polonskaya had many difficult rehearsals, and there was less and less time for frequent meetings. Because of this, heeven more fervently insisted on the departure of Veronica from the theater. They often quarreled, often over trifles. Veronika Polonskaya was often late for meetings or appeared at them with her husband. Sometimes she didn't come at all.
Mayakovsky was very quick-tempered before. And some time before his suicide, he became even more angry, irritable. On April 12, Mayakovsky decides to speak with Polonskaya for the last time. He called her at the theater, they agreed to meet. On this day, Veronica asked him to leave for a short rest, for a couple of days. Mayakovsky promised, but stayed at home.
The next day they met again. The conversation turned into another showdown. It was then that the veil fell from the eyes of Veronica. She saw an exhausted and sick man in front of her, tried to calm him down. But Mayakovsky took out a revolver and promised to kill Polonskaya, even pointing the barrel at her. But he never fired.
Tragic death of beloved Polonskaya
Veronika Polonskaya, whose biography is closely connected with the name of Mayakovsky, is the only one who saw the poet on the day of his suicide. On April 14, he brought her to him. Locked the door with a key. He cried, did not let her out and demanded that she no longer return to the theater. But he didn't achieve anything. Polonskaya took twenty rubles from him for a taxi and went to the exit. Suddenly, I heard a shot behind me. Rushing back, Veronika saw Mayakovsky with a wound in his chest. The poet could not be saved. He passed away almost immediately.
Polonskaya did not go to the funeral, although their relationship became known anywayaround the world. Mayakovsky's mother and sisters considered her the culprit of his death. And he made Veronica his heiress.
Last years of life
According to the actress, this last year of the affair with Mayakovsky was for her the happiest and most unhappy at the same time. For many years, society preferred to forget about her, she was considered guilty of the death of the poet. No one was interested in Veronica, even the press did not ask questions. And only after many years the world became interested in the story of her life, and in particular the affair with Mayakovsky. Veronika Polonskaya died in September 1994.
