Konstantin Balmont

Konstantin Balmont
Portrait of Konstantin Balmont by Valentin Serov. 1905.
Born	Konstantin Dmitrievich Balmont 15 June [O.S. 3 June] 1867 Shuya, Vladimir Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	23 September 1942(1942-09-23) (aged 75) Paris, France
Occupation	Poet
Nationality	Russian
Citizenship	Russian Empire / France
Education	Moscow University (dropped)
Period	1885–1937
Genre	poetry • memoirs • political essay
Literary movement	Russian symbolism
Notable works	Burning Buildings (1900) • Let Us Be Like the Sun (1903)
Spouse	Larisa Garelina • Yekaterina Andreeva
Partner	Dagmar Shahovskoy • Elena Tzvetkovskaya
Children	Nikolai Bal'mont, Nina (Ninika) Bruni (née Balmont), Mirra Balmont, Georges Shahovskoy, Svetlana Shales (née Shahovskoy)

Konstantin Dmitriyevich Balmont (Russian: Константи́н Дми́триевич Бальмо́нт, IPA: [kənstɐnʲˈtʲin ˈdmʲitrʲɪjɪvʲɪdʑ bɐlʲˈmont] ^ⓘ; 15 June [O.S. 3 June] 1867 – 23 December 1942) was a Russian symbolist poet and translator who became one of the major figures of the Silver Age of Russian Poetry.

Balmont's early education came from his mother, who knew several foreign languages, was enthusiastic about literature and theater, and exerted a strong influence on her son. He then attended two gymnasiums, was expelled from the first for political activities, and graduated from the second. He started studying law at the Imperial Moscow University in 1886, but was quickly expelled (1887) for taking part in student unrest. He tried again at the Demidov Law College from 1889, but dropped out in 1890.

In February 1889 he married Larisa Mikhailovna Garelina; unhappy in marriage, on 13 March 1890 Balmont attempted suicide by jumping from a third-storey window - he walked with a limp and had an injured writing-hand for the rest of his life. He became involved in two other common-law marriages and attempted suicide a second time in 1909.

Balmont wrote poetry and prose prolifically and published his works to wide audiences in Imperial Russia. After the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 he emigrated (1920), and had a smaller following in exile. He translated works of writers in several other languages, including the works of Edgar Allan Poe. He was thought of amongst the pre-revolutionary Russian intellectual milieu as an innovative poet and enjoyed friendships with many of his fellow Russian emigrant poets. He died of pneumonia in France in 1942.