The Story of Sonechka by Marina Tsvetaeva. Short summary

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«The Tale of Sonechka» is an autobiographical work by Marina Tsvetaeva. In it, the poet tells of a difficult, but at the same time not devoid of romantic hopes and searches, stage of her life.

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The year 1919 is outside the window. Tsvetaeva, along with her young daughters, is forced to squat in the attic of an apartment building. The woman has not heard from her husband, a White Guard officer, for a long time. In addition to poverty in Marina’s abode reigns an even worse disaster — hunger.

But even in such difficult times in the life of Tsvetaeva there is a place for something bright and joyful. For this poetess is an outlet becomes a friendship with the actors Vakhtangov. They often come to her house, where they read poetry, put on plays, singing and dancing.

Among the actors, Sonia Galliday stands out. The young narcissistic girl is both sentimental and eccentric. She attracts Tsvetaeva’s attention with her spontaneity and impermanence. However, this ray of sunshine soon leaves the home of the poetess. A real support for the woman is her eight-year-old daughter Anya, who is not her age is clever and perceptive. Her youngest, Irina, dies in an orphanage. Until the end of her life, Tsvetaeva cannot forgive herself for the death of her daughter, whom she could not protect.