Back in December 1916, Nikolai Korneychukov—better known to most as Korney Chukovsky—arrived in the city we all love.
The purpose of his visit is extremely simple.
At the Kharkiv Public Library (now the V. Korolenko Library), the literary critic—who was already well-known at the time—was scheduled to give lectures on the Futurists (“The Art of the Coming Day”) and on the writer Anastasia Verbitskaya.
During his walks, the city of Kharkiv and its women made a great impression on Kornei Ivanovich. Perhaps for this reason, he referred to the time he spent in our beloved city as “the blissful days of Kharkiv.”
In early December, Chukovsky wrote the following letter from Kharkiv to his close friend Ilya Repin:
I. E. Repin
December 5, 1916. Kharkiv.
Dear Ilya Efimovich.
I just saw a large portrait of you here in Kharkiv, on Sumskaya Street: you’re sitting on a small sofa, surrounded by flowers, looking like a doll, and smiling angelically. The photographer didn’t hold back on the retouching. Caption: Ilya Yefimovich Repin in Chuguev. And beautiful women walk by (well, what beauties there are in Kharkiv!) and gaze at you in the shop window all day long. And I send you my warmest regards.Yours, Chukovsky.
Kuokkala Station, Finnish Railways
However, that wasn’t the only thing that connected Kornei Ivanovich to our city.
So, to be continued…
Source: Chukovsky, K. I. — Collected Works in 15 Volumes. Vol. 14 — 2013.
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