Vladimir Mayakovsky and Mikhail Bulgakov
Vladimir Mayakovsky, the ardent poet, and Mikhail Bulgakov, the sharp-witted novelist, enjoyed playful and often biting satire aimed at each other. They traded barbs both in private conversations and in their literary work, sometimes without restraint. Their feud rested in large part on divergent ideological views: Mayakovsky embraced a heartfelt belief in the communist project, while Bulgakov was perceived by many as more bourgeois. In The Bedbug, Mayakovsky described Bulgakov with a caustic jab, calling him a constant dictionary of dead words, littered with pet names of culture and bohemia. Bulgakov, in turn, referenced Mayakovsky in his own writings, as seen in an essay about Lord Curzon where he recounts a dramatic scene on a balcony and a tense, public confrontation. It is also suggested that Mayakovsky was the inspiration for Sashka Ryukhin, a mediocre poet in The Master and Margarita. Earlier still, Mayakovsky nearly derailed the Moscow Art Theater production of White Guard by delivering a speech to like-minded peers, warning against Bulgakov’s ideas even if that cut the game short. ]
The audience followed the Bulgakov–Mayakovsky confrontation with relish. Screenwriter Sergei Yermolinsky recalled that crowds would hurry to witness the possible clash of two giants. At their first encounter, the two exchanged polite chatter and even sought advice; Bulgakov, however, did not always take the guidance offered. The two were said to stand on opposite sides of theatrical currents, with Mayakovsky aligned with Meyerhold and Bulgakov with Stanislavski. ]
Ivan Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoevsky
The enmity between Fyodor Dostoevsky and Ivan Turgenev did not emerge overnight. Their differing temperaments became clearer as time passed. Dostoevsky tended to be a more complex, stormy personality, while Turgenev carried himself with social ease and was willing to challenge what he saw as Dostoevsky’s inconsistent life. Their first serious dispute arose after Dostoevsky read The Double and observed Turgenev stepping away for a moment to attend to other business. Frustrated, Turgenev publicly proclaimed that he would not let the world write him off, a remark that reflected the tension between the two writers. Dostoevsky later spoke of his time in exile, where he absorbed Turgenev’s innovations and began to reconcile in private moments, though his own stance on European influences remained a point of contention. ]
The rupture deepened in Baden-Baden, Germany, when Dostoevsky, then suffering financially, found himself in need of support. He sought a loan from Turgenev, who offered only a portion of the sum, stoking further animosity. A subsequent quarrel escalated to the point where Dostoevsky criticized Turgenev’s later novel, The Smoke, and the exchange grew acrimonious. Turgenev, in turn, insisted that he would not engage in dialogue about Russia with someone whom he believed did not fully grasp his own mental capacities. ]
Ivan Bunin and Vladimir Nabokov
When Ivan Bunin was already established as a leading writer, Vladimir Nabokov was just beginning his ascent. Nabokov admired Bunin and corresponded with him, describing himself as a diligent student and Dolly-like devotee. Bunin offered feedback occasionally, recognizing Nabokov’s talent while noting that his early prose bore traces of imitation. The two corresponded primarily by letters, as Nabokov lived in Moscow and Bunin was in exile for a time. ]
As Nabokov’s fame spread in Paris during the 1930s, a rivalry began to take shape. Some whispered that Bunin’s wife, Vera, who would later win the Nobel Prize, disliked Nabokov and reportedly kept diaries reflecting her misgivings about his presence. A shared lunch in a Paris restaurant revealed a widening gulf: Bunin reportedly found the setting disagreeable, while Nabokov felt the exchange did not yield meaningful connection. Nabokov later recalled a tense exchange in which Bunin’s words burned with sarcasm, and he described Bunin as a difficult figure in social settings. A later anecdote claimed that Bunin refused Nabokov’s invitation to a restaurant, clinging to a memory of a mysterious prior encounter. The relationship gradually cooled, culminating in a mutual distance that reflected changing literary currents. ]
Two years before Bunin’s passing, the two writers drifted further apart. Bunin explicitly stated that he had never invited Nabokov to a restaurant, framing the anecdote as a misunderstanding wrapped in miscommunication. The tension between them served as a window into how older generations of Russian émigré writers perceived the rise of a younger, cosmopolitan voice. ]
Alexei Tolstoy and Osip Mandelstam
Alexei Tolstoy and Osip Mandelstam did not remain enemies for long. Tolstoy even defended his fellow writer before editors, yet a tragic turn of events altered their bond when Mandelstam fell victim to arrest and oppression. The seed of discord was planted when Mandelstam lent money to a neighbor, a man known by the alias Amir Sargidzhan. Mandelstam, famous for his volatile temper, delayed repayment, and rumors swirled about the debtor’s household. When Sargidzhan’s wife arrived with food and wine, neighbors perceived it as a sign of gluttony during a debt dispute. The ensuing public altercation led to a court of comrades, a Soviet-era informal tribunal, presided over by Tolstoy. He judged both parties responsible and insisted on debt repayment when funds allowed. Mandelstam rejected the decision, suspecting Tolstoy of colluding against him. A year and a half later, Mandelstam encountered Tolstoy again at the Writers’ Publishing House in Leningrad, where Mandelstam struck his colleague in a confrontation. He was later detained for a poem, with rumors hinting at deeper involvement by others. ]
Sergei Yesenin and Boris Pasternak
Quarrels between poets could flare even in the editing room of a magazine like Krasnaya Nov. One famous incident involved Sergei Yesenin, who had been drinking, and Boris Pasternak. Accounts describe an almost theatrical struggle, with Yesenin alleged to have clashed with Pasternak in a chaotic display. The confrontation included dramatic gestures and crude language, leaving observers uncertain about the motives or roots of the conflict. Pasternak would later describe his relationship with Yesenin as unstable; there were days of inexplicable warmth followed by intense hostility. ]