Futurists advocate that the ‘future’ (symbolised by a steady technological development over-time), be brought suddenly into the present by dispelling all the conventions of the past that keep humanity looking back and not looking forward. Futurism is the belief that all of humanity’s suffering can be relieved and resolved through scientific thinking and scientific innovation. Vladimir Mayakovsky was a Marxist-Leninist and a Futurist. He was a proletariat philosopher who profoundly understood the spirit of the time he existed within, whilst looking beyond the ‘now’ to a distant future that he hoped to bring ever nearer, and into the present through the sheer power of his working class creativity. Mayakovsky’s creative genius spanned poetry, painting and theatre, whereby his artistic output involved all three expressions, often spilling over into technical design, and progressive photography. I am sure he would have agreed with me, when I proclaim ‘down with imperialism!’ It is interesting to note that the commemorative stamps regularly issued for Mayakovsky by the Soviet State under Stalin, stopped being produced in 1955 – one year before the treacherous Nikita Khrushchev ascended to power and pursued his Trotskyite inspired, anti-Stalin purges. Mayakovsky had no argument with the Soviet System or with Joseph Stalin, but whilst giving free rein to his creative talents, he sought to progress humanity beyond the boundaries of its suffering, and so doing, usher in a bright new future. For Mayakovsky’s place within history to be understood, he must be lifted out of the bourgeois distortion that defines Western derived, ‘Cold War’ rhetoric, and granted the dignity that is his own life. To gain an authentic and reliable narrative to Mayakovsky’s life, I have accessed (and translated) two Chinese language texts, from the People’s Republic of China, adding my own research and clarification where required. When he shot himself in 1930, it was not because of a dispute with the Soviet System, but was rather the consequence of a failed love affair (involving two women). Mayakovsky was a revolutionary artist whose talent knew no bounds. Until deliberately brought into this arena of Soviet life by Lilya Brik, Joseph Stalin was far too busy administering the development of the Soviet Union to pay much interest. Mayakovsky was first and foremost an ardent Communist and supporter of the progressive Soviet System (in fact, he took part in a pro-Bolshevik demonstration in 1905, but did not encounter ‘futurism’ until 1911), and as freedom of thought and freedom of expression were corner stones of that system, he often became embroiled in creative squabbles with the artistic and political community. Of course, none of these illogical and bizarre statements stand-up to objective historical examination. This schizophrenic approach to narrative building stems from the deliberate post-WWII policy of the United States, in its attempts to ‘demonise’ the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin is generally represented as ‘supporting’ Mayakovsky’s work, whilst sinisterly working behind the scenes, plotting his demise. More or less without exception, these sources pursued a mythological and irrational ‘Cold War’ narrative that demonised the Soviet Union, whilst simultaneously eulogising one of its main proponents (Vladimir Mayakovsky). Author’s Note: I first started research into this essay around 6 years ago – writing notes from what were then, limited Western sources.
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