This Soviet poet kept ‘bringing’ flowers to his Parisian love – even posthumously

Famous Soviet poet Vladimir Mayakovsky continued to ‘bring’ flowers to his Parisian love – even after his death.

Vladimir Mayakovsky was never officially married, but his personal life was shrouded in many mysteries and hoaxes. Although his main love and muse was Lilya Brik, the poet had many other affairs. On a tour in Paris, he met with a Russian emigrant named Tatyana Yakovleva and immediately fell in love with her. 

He asked her to come with him to the USSR, but she did not go. Their love affair could have ended there, but it didn’t.

As Tatyana recalled later, every Sunday after the poet left, she received flowers with a note “From Mayakovsky”. It’s not clear how long it lasted. But, according to legend, Mayakovsky put all the money from his Paris performances in the bank with the sole condition of using it to send flowers. And they, no matter what and for many years, were delivered to his beloved. Even when the news of his tragic death came, the next morning there was a knock on the door with the words: “From Mayakovsky”.

Even during World War II, a Tatyana was brought flowers “from Mayakovsky”. And she allegedly sold them in the street – and only thanks to this she survived the occupation. 

How true do you think this legend is?