Vladislav Khodasevich is considered one of the most talented writers of the "white" emigration. His creative legacy includes five poetry collections, numerous critical articles, and biographies of famous people. Like Marina Tsvetaeva, Zinaida Gippius, and Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Vladislav Felicianovich captured his sad life path, full of illnesses and disappointments, in his poems.

The poet was born on May 28, 1886, in Moscow, which was then part of the Russian Empire. His childhood was spent in a fairly well-off family, that of Felician Ivanovich Khodasevich, a Polish photographer, and Sofia Yakovlevna Braffman, a Jewess.

Despite the significant age difference, Vladislav Khodasevich maintained a close relationship with his older brother Mikhail, a well-known lawyer. They even lived together in 1904 and 1910 while the poet studied at Moscow University, now known as Lomonosov Moscow State University.

It was his brother that Vladislav looked up to when he enrolled in the law faculty. However, the chosen profession turned out to be boring, and in the fall of 1905, he transferred to the historical and philological faculty. But even there, his literary talent did not allow him to flourish. Ultimately, Vladislav Felicianovich only completed his general education at the 3rd Moscow Gymnasium.

As a creative person, Vladislav Khodasevich often fell in love, and he was also loved in return. Judging by photographs, the poet was a slender but charming man. His personal life resembled a swing: after tumultuous romances came disappointments and bouts of drinking.

His first serious infatuation was with Marina Erastovna Ryndina, the "written beauty of Moscow." She agreed to marry him on April 17, 1905, but by the end of 1907, she announced their breakup.

His romantic experiences were accompanied by tragic events: in 1911, both of Khodasevich's parents died within a few months of each other. This reminded the poet of the fleetingness of life, and he quit drinking, contemplating family life. In 1913, Vladislav Felicianovich married Chulkova-Grenchion.

The most devoted woman in his life was Nina Nikolaevna Berberova, a poetess. They met in December 1921 and fell in love, but they never became legal spouses.

Khodasevich's last love was Olga Borisovna Margolina, a Jewess. Their wedding took place in 1933. The poet had no children.

His first collection, "Youth" (1908), brought Khodasevich popularity. Most of the poems, such as "Behind the Snows," "To the Flower of Ivan's Night," and "Rings," were dedicated to Marina Ryndina.

By the time of the release of his second collection, "The Happy Little House" (1914), Khodasevich was considered a promising Russian author. He was invited to work for leading newspapers such as "Russian Vedomosti," "Morning of Russia," and "New Life," and he tried to publish everywhere.

The last book published during his lifetime in Russia was the collection "Heavy Lyre" (1922), which included poems like "Music," "Psyche! My Poor!..," "On the Dimming Spires...," "Ballad," and others.

Khodasevich's poetic journey concluded with "Collected Poems" (1927), which included the cycle "European Night" and new poems such as "Above Me in the Clear Azure...," "In Memory of Cat Murra," "Before the Mirror," "Monument," the altered "Acrobat," and others.

By the end of his life, Vladislav Felicianovich had accumulated numerous "dossiers" on fellow writers, including Maxim Gorky, Dmitry Merezhkovsky, and Zinaida Gippius, intending to write their biographies. An example was the book "Derzhavin" (1931).

In the late 1930s, Vladislav Felicianovich's health sharply deteriorated. He lost a lot of weight, could not eat normally, and suffered from stomach spasms. Doctors, both Russian and French, could not diagnose him, suspecting oncology or intestinal disease, and persistently recommended surgery.

Khodasevich was operated on June 13, 1939, at the Brusse Hospital, but he died the next day without regaining consciousness. The cause of death was gallstones, which no doctor had detected.

The entire "white" emigration bid farewell to the poet at the Greek-Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity. His body rests in the suburbs of Paris, at the Boulogne-Billancourt cemetery.