Few people are able to combine talent in literature and painting, but Maximilian Voloshin succeeded. Although he did not win the laurels of Pushkin or Bryullov, all the same, grateful descendants forever wrote his name in history. Maximilian Voloshin lived a very eventful life, and proved the strength of his character to himself and others.
They consider the writer “their own” both in Russia and in Ukraine, since he was born in Kiev. Throughout the life of Maximilian Voloshin, he had a very close relationship with his mother. He did not maintain such close contacts with his father, since soon after his birth his parents divorced, and he did not communicate much with his father. M. Voloshin studied at the famous Moscow State University, but failed to complete his studies – he was expelled on charges of participating in student unrest. Voloshin’s childhood passed in the south of Russia, but later, when he was already a youth, his mother moved to Moscow and took him with him.
One day, Maximilian Voloshin took part in a duel with the famous Gumilyov, who, later, several decades later, was repressed and executed by the Soviet authorities. In his youth, M. Voloshin traveled a lot throughout Europe. He especially liked France (also, check Interesting facts about Marseille), and he spent a lot of time in Paris. There he even joined the Masonic lodge. After the outbreak of World War I, Maximilian Voloshin said that he officially refused to take part in this massive bloodshed, and even wrote a letter to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Empire, in which he announced his refusal.
The house-museum of Maximilian Voloshin is located in the Crimea, in the city of Koktebel. When the Civil War broke out in Russia, the writer retained his personal neutrality. At different times, he hid in his home both the Red Army men, who were wanted by the White Guards, and the White Guards, who were fleeing the advancing troops of the Red Army. Maximilian Voloshin was well-versed in foreign languages, and was fluent in French. So, he translated a lot of French works into Russian. Voloshin was always surrounded by a certain mystical halo, and he was even credited with superpowers. For example, the wife of the poet Balmont claimed that Voloshin can heal with the touch of hands. The house in Koktebel, in which M. Voloshin lived for many years, was at one time built by his mother. After Voloshin’s death, a whole crowd of famous writers, poets and artists of that era accompanied him to the cemetery. Maximilian Voloshin, already at the age, wore a beard and rather long hair. Because of this, once a group of Red Army took him for Karl Marx.
