Tatyana Jolivet, Director of Center for Public Diplomacy
Andrey Khrenkov, PhD in History, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Prelude
Alexander Pushkin, the Great Russian poet with Ethiopian roots, is one of the recognized symbols of cultural and historical unity between Russia and Ethiopia. However, it is no secret that Alexander Sergeevich has never been to Ethiopia, or indeed to Africa in general, and practically did not write about Ethiopia at all. Without diminishing the importance of A.S. Pushkin in the history of our bilateral cultural and humanitarian relations, it is time to remember another Russian poet who, unlike A.S. Pushkin, visited Ethiopia repeatedly and left wonderful poems about it. Moreover, he created a whole cycle of poems dedicated to Africa, and mainly Ethiopia. We are talking about Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov – one of the major Russian poets of the early 20th century.
He was the man who revealed Ethiopia to the Russian reader, praised the majestic beauty of Abyssinia (as Ethiopia was then called) in verse, poetically described the proud character of its freedom-loving and brave people, amazingly and he conveyed the true spirit and aroma of this unique African country with a rich and ancient culture, which is so close to us spiritually.
In Soviet Russia, N.S. Gumilyov is known as poet, traveller and brave warrior. The First World War was already long forgotten. In 1921, he was shot by the Bolsheviks on false charges of counter-revolutionary activities, and they tried to erase his name from Russian literature. However, in new Russia, he was rehabilitated and is recognized as one of the literary luminaries of the Russian Silver Age.
We would like people in Ethiopia to know about this wonderful Russian poet, many of whose best poems were written in Africa or inspired by memories of his African travels. It is very possible, that personality and the poetic creativity of Nikolai Gumilyov will become another cultural and literary bridge between our countries and peoples. Nikolai Gumilyov was a contemporary of the dramatic era in history of Russia and Ethiopia, and not just a witness to grandiose historical events, but also as a direct participant in them. To descendants, he left a rich poetic heritage, which artistically reflected his contemporary era. During his travels in Ethiopia, he collected ethnographic information about the peoples who inhabited it, objects of material and spiritual culture, recorded songs, fairy tales, as well as tales and ballads of Azmari folk singers.
Gumilyov travelled around Ethiopia without any official status. However, he was received there as a friend, as a cultural representative of a great friendly country – the Russian Empire. Considering his role from the standpoint of today and using modern expression, Gumilyov could be called one of the first public diplomats. And, moreover, a very effective one, because he did a lot to introduce real Ethiopia to the reading public in Russia.
History
The contemporary literary era of Gumilyov is usually called “Silver Age” of Russian poetry. At that time, many Russian poets were seriously fond of French poetry and French symbolists. Gumilyov didn’t escape this and also had same passion. After graduating from high school in 1906, he decided to go to France to study at the Sorbonne, however, being not very persevering, left his studies soon and devoted himself to literary creativity entirely. He fanatically “fell ill” with a passion for travel, which gave him food for his poetic inspiration. As for Africa, it attracted Gumilyov from his early childhood. In 1909, he made his first trip to Africa. However, little is known about this trip. It seems that he then travelled only in Egypt, visited Alexandria and Cairo.
In 1910, he went to Africa for the second time and it was then that he managed to visit Abyssinia for the first time, get to Addis Ababa and even attend the ceremonial dinner of the young Ethiopian ruler Lij Yassu, the grandson of Emperor Menelik (Emperor Menelik II himself was seriously ill already at this time and did not take part in the public life).
Gumilyov’s next trip to Abyssinia took place in 1913. It was organized with the support of the management of the St. Petersburg Museum of anthropology and ethnography and thus, was better funded. From Odessa, Gumilev went to Djibouti, from there travelled along the railway, newly built by the French, and reached Dire Dawa. From there, with great adventures, he reached Harare, where the residence of the
governor of the region Ras Tefari Makonnin was located (who later became Emperor Haile Selassie I). He had to meet with the governor in person for getting a permission to travel in the country. To reinforce his request, the poet gave the future emperor a case of vermouth and photographed him with his wife and sister. In Gumilyov’s travel notes, there was a small entry about this meeting and his impressions. Having formed a caravan, traveling with his nephew, the son of his older sister, Nikolai Sverchkov, N.S. Gumilyov, went to the south of this vast province and made a fairly long 2-month journey around lands of the Somalis and Oromo. Already in Harare, Gumilyov, on behalf of Petersburg Museum, began to collect an ethnographic collection, which can be found now in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St. Petersburg.
Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, in August 1914, Gumilyov was enlisted as an ordinary volunteer in the army. He fought bravely, got two soldier’s medals of St. George’s Cross and was promoted to ranks of the officer by the young governor. He ended the war in 1918 and became a lieutenant in the ranks of the Russian Expeditionary Force in France. Gumilev could have stayed abroad for good, but chose to return to Russia, where the revolution took place in October 1917.
At home, he continued engaging in literary works, writing poetry, becoming more and more famous and popular in literary circles. In 1921, he was elected chairman of the Petrograd branch at already recognized as luminary poetry workshop, the All-Russian Union of Poets and, shortly before his death, managed to open branch of the union in town of Bezhetsk, Tver region. Living in Soviet Russia, Gumilyov was not involved in political activities, but clashed with the new authorities. He didn’t really hide his monarchical sympathies and soon became a victim of the “Red Terror”, although he had no real participation in counter-revolutionary activities, he was accused without any evidence of his guilt.
He was not saved from the execution even by the mediation of the world famous Russian proletarian writer A.M. Gorky. So, at the age of 35, the talented Russian poet, who was the first to sing about Abyssinia and essentially opened it to the Russian reader, died tragically. N.S. Gumilyov was rehabilitated only seventy years after his death in 1991. However, all these decades his name was preserved in people’s memory, his poems, including those from the Ethiopian cycle, were copied manually, typed and secretly distributed between devoted fans of his work.
Present and Future
In the city of Bezhetsk, Tver region, a family estate of poet’s mother Anna Ivanovna Gumileva (nee Lvova), who belonged to an old noble family, was preserved. Nikolay Gumilyov often visited this house and lived there with his first wife, a famous Russian poetess Anna Akhmatova and their son Lev, who later became famous scientist of oriental studies. In 2021, thanks to years of Gumilyov Society Chairman Olga Medvedko and Director of the Foundation development of small historical towns Yuri Shchegolkov’s efforts The Gumilev House Museum appeared in Bezhetsk. An African corner is being formed in it, which is replenished mainly with Ethiopian artefacts and exhibits. In addition, for the last 17 years, Gumilyovsky festival has been held in Bezhetsk.
In 2023, Bezhetsk received the status of a literary city. This is the result of the successful cooperation between public organizations and city authorities. Also in Bezhetsk, the collection “Literary City” began to be published regularly. Local College has a new specialty – tourism. City authorities, encouraging tourism, began to train their own professional staff.
BY AUTHORS:
The Ethiopian Herald December 8/2023
