Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov was born on December 1 (December 13 in the new style) 1873 in Moscow. His parents paid attention to his education from an early age, and by the age of eight, he began composing poetry. From childhood, he was allowed to read any literature except religious texts, as he was raised in an atheistic spirit. This led to his expulsion from the private Kreyman gymnasium in 1889 for promoting atheism.

In the same year, 1889, his first article was published in the magazine "Russian Sport." He studied at the first gymnasium from 1885 for four years, where he published a handwritten magazine and wrote poetry. After being expelled from Kreyman's gymnasium, he transferred to the private Polivanov gymnasium, which he successfully graduated from in 1893.

By the time he finished gymnasium, Bryusov began to take an interest in mathematics and discovered French symbolist poets. The influence of Verlaine is reflected in many of his poems. In 1893, he wrote the play "Decadents (The End of the Century)" about Verlaine's life. In the same year, he entered the historical and philological faculty of Moscow University, graduating in 1899. In 1897, he married Ioanna Matveyevna Runt (1876-1965), with whom he lived until the end of his days.

Bryusov gained initial fame with the poetry collections "Russian Symbolists," published in 1899.

After graduating from university, he fully dedicated himself to literature and began working at the magazine "Russian Archive." In 1899, he became one of the initiators of the creation of the publishing house "Scorpion."

At the turn of the twentieth century, his creativity reached its peak. During this time, the poetry collections "To the City and the World," "Wreath," the play "Earth," and "The Fiery Angel" were published. He considered the collection "Wreath" to be the pinnacle of his work. In 1904, he began publishing the magazine "Scales."

From 1910, Bryusov experienced a spiritual crisis, and his works faced criticism. During this time, he published critical articles in the magazines "Russian Thought" and "Art in Southern Russia."

Bryusov met the revolution with enthusiasm and soon began working in government service. He worked in the Committee for the Registration of the Press, then in the Moscow Library Department, was a member of the Moscow Soviet, and chairman of the All-Russian Union of Poets.

In 1920, he joined the VKP(b). In 1921, he organized the Higher Literary and Artistic Institute, where he served as rector and professor until his death. In the same year, he became a professor at Moscow State University. In his later years, he continued to write and sought to create a new direction in poetry, engaging in scientific work and criticism.

Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov passed away on October 9, 1924, in Moscow and was buried at Novodevichy Cemetery.