Vladimir Mayakovsky

Mayakovsky’s fellow-student Burlyuk and he were expelled together for their Futurist activities; Burlyuk paid him so he could write without starving. Osip Brik, Tretyakov and Mayakovsky edited an avant-garde journal. Vertov (who said he loved him immediately), Babel, Shklovsky and Eisenstein were among contributors to his magazine ‘Lef.’ Rodchenko, Meyerhold and Shostakovich were close collaborators. In Paris Mayakovsky visited Picasso, Braque, Léger and Cocteau, and attended Proust’s funeral. Pasternak knew him well, admired him, but said he inflated his talent. He was involved with Triolet, but became her sister Lilya Brik’s lover.