Article

Name: One Unusual Telegram from Anna Akhmatova

Authors: Olga E. Rubinchik

Independent Researcher, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

In the section On the Occasion of the Centenary of Yury Chumakov

Abstract: A telegram from A. A. Akhmatova dated August 30, 1961 to the outstanding dog-trainer Lidiya Ivanovna Ostretsova concerning the death of her sheepdog Akbar was the impetus for writing this article. It appears to be the only telegram in Akhmatova’s epistolary written in response to the animal’s death. There is a legendary and inaccurate version of this telegram on the Internet; the document is cited according to the original in this paper. The article contains a brief presentation of the topic “Anna Akhmatova and animals” and describes Akhmatova’s special relationship to the Litdzhi (collie) which used to be a dog of her friends and neighbours in Komarovo – the Gitovichs, and explores her acquaintance with Akbar and L. I. Ostretsova, who trained Litdzhi, a dog of the poet Alexander Ilyich Gitovich and his wife Sylvia Solomonovna. The article contains fascinating oral memoirs by Tatiana Grigorievna Komarova, L. I. Ostretsova’s daughter, a film figure: her memories of A. A. Akhmatova, of her mother, whom those who knew her recalled as “an absolutely wonderful person”, of the Gitovich family and of the unique qualities of Akbar, who was called by the poet Aleksandr Ilich Gitovich “Lev Tolstoy among the dogs”. After his death, L. I. Ostretsova received support not only from Akhmatova - she received many telegrams from A. I. Gitovich, from such novelists, as Yu.  P. Herman, Yu. G. Tomin, R. P. Pogodin, V. F. Panova... This story is based on several conversations with T. G. Komarova held in 2022 and authorised by the narrator. Moreover, the study also includes a number of other documents from T. G. Komarova’s archive, including an unknown late photograph of A. A. Akhmatova, and Akhmatova’s inscriptions from the archive of Ekaterina Andreevna Gitovich, the granddaughter of the Gitovichs, etc.

Keywords: Anna Akhmatova, Lidiya Ostretsova, Tatiana Komarova, Alexander Gitovich, collie Litdzhi, sheepdog Akbar, telegram

Bibliography:

Beg vremeni. Fotoletopis’ zhizni Anny Akhmatovoy. Po materialam Muzeya Anny Akhmatovoy v Fontannom Dome [The run of time. Photo chronicle of the life of Anna Akhmatova. Based on materials from the Museum of Anna Akhmatova in the Fountain House]. In 2 vols. Comp. by I. Ivanova, N. Gromova; comment., afterword by L. Kopylov, T. Pozdnyakova. St. Petersburg, Museum of Anna Akhmatova in Fountain House, 2012, vol.2: 1946–1965, 200 p. (in Russ.)

Besedy s A. A. Akhmatovoy (iz sobraniya M. S. Lesmana) [Conversations with A. A. Akhmatova (from the collection of M. S. Lesman]. Enter. note, prepare text and notes by R. Timenchik. Iskusstvo Leningrada [Art of Leningrad], 1989, no. 5, pp. 67–74. (in Russ.)

Chernykh V. A. Letopis’ zhizni i tvorchestva Anny Akhmatovoy. 1889–1966

[Chronicle of life and work of Anna Akhmatova. 1889–1966]. Moscow, Azbukovnik, 2016, 944 p. (in Russ.)

Chukovskaya L. K. Zapiski ob Anne Akhmatovoy [Notes about Anna Akhmatova]. In 3 vols. Prep. by E. Ts. Chukovskaya and Zh. O. Khavkina with the participation of E. B. Efimov. Moscow, Soglasie, 1997. (in Russ.)

Du Fu. Lirika [Lyrics]. Trans. from Chinese by A. Gitovich, foreword by E. Serebryakova, note by G. Monzeler. Leningrad, Khudozhestvennaya literatura, 1967, 175 p. (in Russ.)

German Yu. Day lapu, Drug! [Give me a paw, Friend!] Leningrad, Detgiz, 1963, 48 p. (in Russ.)

Gitovich A. I. Zimniye poslaniya druz’yam [Winter messages to friends]. Moscow, Leningrad, Sovetskiy pisatel’, 1965, 163 p. (in Russ.)

Gitovich A. Iz tsikla “Kremen’ i ogon’”. Stikhi [From the cycle “Flint and Fire”. Poetry]. Ed. by A. A. Gitovich. Zvezda, 1989, no. 6, pp. 153–155. (in Russ.)

Gitovich A. Stikhotvoreniya [Poems]. Leningrad, Lenizdat, 1968, 239 p. (in Russ.)

Gitovich A. Stikhotvoreniya [Poems]. Leningrad, Khudozhestvennaya literatura, 1982, 200 p. (in Russ.)

Gitovich A., Bursov B. My videli Koreyu [We saw Korea]. Leningrad, Molodaya gvardiya, 1948, 148 p. (in Russ.)

Gitovich S. Ob Anne Andreyevne [About Anna Andreevna] In: Ob Anne Akhmatovoy: Stikhi, esse, vospominaniya, pis’ma [About Anna Akhmatova: Poems, essays, memoirs, letters]. Comp. by M. M. Kralin. Leningrad, Lenizdat, 1990, pp. 330–356. (in Russ.)

Gitovich S. V Komarove [In Komarovo]. In: Vospominaniya ob Anne Akhmatovoy [Memories about Anna Akhmatova]. Moscow, Sovetskiy pisatel’, 1991, pp. 503–519. (in Russ.)

Gordin Ya. Delo Brodskogo. Istoriya odnoy raspravy po materialam F. Vigdorovoy, I. Mettera, arkhiva roditeley I. Brodskogo, pressy i po lichnym vpechatleniyam avtora [Brodsky case. The history of one massacre based on the materials of F. Vigdorova, I. Metter, the archive of I. Brodsky’s parents, the press and the author’s personal impressions]. Neva, 1989, no. 2, pp. 134–166. (in Russ.)

Iz semeynoy perepiski A. A. Akhmatovoy [From the family correspondence of A. A. Akhmatova]. Zvezda, 1996, no. 6, pp. 131–159. (in Russ.)

Khrenkov D. T. Aleksandr Gitovich. Literaturnyy portret [Aleksandr Gitovich. Literary portrait]. Leningrad, Sovetskiy pisatel’, 1969, 176 p. (in Russ.)

Kichanova-Lifshits I. Prosti menya za to, chto ya zhivu [Forgive me for living]. New York, 1982, 162 p. (in Russ.)

Konovalov D. M. Posle smerti v spinu mne ne votknut kola [After death, they will not stick a stake in my back]. In: Stikhi.ru: https://stihi.ru/2013/11/16/196. 2013. Data obrashcheniya: 29.09.2022. (in Russ.)

Krasheninnikov P. GKChP. 19 avgusta 1991 goda. Kak eto bylo [State Committee for the State of Emergency. August 19, 1991. How it was]. Rossiyskaya gazeta, 2021, August 19. (in Russ.) URL: https://rg.ru/2021/08/19/19-avgusta-1991-goda-kak-eto-bylo.html (accessed: 28.09.2022).

Lepekhin M. P. Kleshchenko Anatoliy Dmitriyevich. In: Skatov N. N. (ed.). Russkaya literatura XX veka. Prozaiki, poety, dramaturgi. Biobibliograficheskiy slovar’.

In 3 vols. Moscow, Olma-Press Invest, 2005, vol. 2, pp. 197–199. (in Russ.)

Lesman M. S. Tayna trekh arkhivov [The Secret of the Three Archives]. Enter. note by I. Fonyakov, publ. and afterword by N. G. Knyazeva. Neva, 1990, no. 7, pp. 183–189. (in Russ.)

Mashkova M. V. Pamyati Lidii Ivanovny Ostretsovoy [In memory of Lydia Ivanovna Ostretsova]. Voprosy kinologii, 1993, no. 1–2, pp. 31–32. (in Russ.)

Olshanskaya E. “Kakaya radost’ – kazhdyy istinnyy poet!” [“What a joy every true poet is!”]. In: Petrovykh M. Cherta gorizonta: Stikhi i perevody. Vospominaniya o Marii Petrovykh. Comp. by N. Glen, A. Golovacheva, E. Deych, L. Mkrtchyan. Yerevan, 1986, pp. 349–357. (in Russ.)

Ostretsova L. I. Moy Akbar. Rasskazy dressirovshchitsy [My Akbar. Trainer’s stories]. Leningrad, Detgiz, 1962, 61 p. (in Russ.)

Perepiska A. A. Akhmatovoy i V. K. Shileyko [Correspondence of A. A. Akhmatova and V. K. Shileiko]. 1924–1929 / Publ. by A. I. Pavlovsky, entr. note, prepare text and comments by T. M. Dvinyatina. In: N. Gumilev, A. Akhmatova: Po materialam istoriko-literaturnoy kollektsii P. N. Luknitskogo. IRLI (Pushkinskiy Dom) RAN. St. Petersburg, Nauka, 2005, pp. 214–236. (in Russ.)

Peterburg of Akhmatova: Vladimir Georgiyevich Garshin / Comp., article, comment. by T. S. Pozdnyakova. St. Petersburg, Nevskiy dialekt, 2002, 256 p. (in Russ.)

Poberezkina P. E. “Prolog”: fragmenty kommentariya [“Prologue”: Commentary Fragments]. In: Poberezkina P. E. Vokrug Akhmatovoy. Moscow, Azbukovnik, 2015, pp. 140–188. (in Russ.)

Raspyatye: pisateli – zhertvy politicheskikh repressiy [Crucified: writers – victims of political repression]. Comp. by Z. Dicharov, articles by N. Martynenko, L. Ilyina. St. Petersburg, 1994, iss. 2: Mogily bez krestov, 214 p. (in Russ.)

Rozhdestvensky Vs. A. Stranitsy zhizni [Pages of life]. Moscow, Sovremennik, 1974, 464 p. (in Russ.)

Rusakov E. Istoriya odnogo avtografa. Pravda.ru, 20.12.2002. (in Russ.) URL: https://www.pravda.ru/economics/8836-gumilev (accessed: 29.09.2022).

Shefner V. Poeziya sil’neye, chem sud’ba. In: Kralin M. M. (comp.). Ob Anne Akhmatovoy: Stikhi, esse, vospominaniya, pis’ma. Leningrad, Lenizdat, 1990, pp. 330–356. (in Russ.)

Tibetskie narodnye pesni [Tibetan folk songs] / Trans. from Chinese by A. Kleshchenko; [foreword, ed. translations and notes by L. N. Gumilyov]. Moscow, Goslitizdat, 1958, 126 p. (in Russ.)

Timenchik R. D. Iz “Imennogo ukazatelya” k “Zapisnym knizhkam” [From “Index” to “Notebooks”]. In: Temnenko G. M. (ed.). Anna Akhmatova: epokha, sud’ba, tvorchestvo: Krymskiy Akhmatovskiy nauchnyy sbornik. Simferopol, Krymskiy arkhiv, 2009, iss. 7, 288 p. (in Russ.)

Timenchik R. Iz “Imennogo ukazatelya” k “Zapisnym knizhkam” Akhmatovoy [From “Index” to “Notebooks” of Akhmatova]. In: Memento vivere: Sbornik pamyati L. N. Ivanovoy. Eds. K. A. Kumpan, E. R. Obatnina. St. Petersburg, 2009, pp. 529–548. (in Russ.)

Timenchik R. Posledniy poet. Anna Akhmatova v 60-e gody [The last poet. Anna Akhmatova in the 60s]. In 2 vols. Moscow, Mosty kul’tury, Jerusalem, Gesharim, 2015. (in Russ.)

Vodennikov D. Akhmatova i zhivotnyye. Vzglyad [Akhmatova and animals. Sight]. Uchitel’skaya gazeta, 2019, no. 19, May 7. (in Russ.)

Zapisnye knizhki Anny Akhmatovoy (1958–1966) [Notebooks by Anna Akhmatova]. Comp. by N. Suvorova, intr. by E. G. Gershteyn, index by V. A. Chernykh. Moscow, Torino, Giulio Einaudi editore, 1996, 850 p. (in Russ.)