Aleksandr Blok. Written early in 1918, the poem was one of the first poetic responses to the October Revolution
of 1917.
Background
The poem describes the march of twelve
Jesus Christ
is seen in the snowstorm, heading the march of the Twelve.
The Twelve, with its "mood-creating sounds, polyphonic rhythms, and harsh, slangy language" (as the
Bolshevik
authorities and betraying his former ideals. On the other hand, most Bolsheviks scorned Blok's mysticism and asceticism and especially the mention of Christ.
Immediately following the publication (3 March 1918) in the
Pushkin, had brand new images. He noted "The Twelve is an ironical work. It’s written not even with folk rhyme but with "flash" language. A Savoyarov style of street trolls".[3]
Shklovky talked about Savoyarov's songs in the "ragged" genre, where he would go on stage dressed and made up as a criminal.
Petrograd of "The Twelve", a frightening city in the snowy winter of 1918. Aleksandr Blok considered this poem to be his best work.[4]
During the war, Savoyarov met Aleksandr Blok who attended his concerts in cinemas and
café chantant a dozen times in 1914–1918.[5] Sometimes Blok brought actors who recited his poems and plays onstage. Thus in 1918 he persistently showed Savoyarov's performances to his wife Liubov Mendeleyeva-Blok so that she could "adopt" his eccentric manner (for reading The Twelve poem). He wrote in his journals: "Liuba finally saw Savoyarov who plays on tour in miniature close to us. Why measuring ounces of Alexandrians' talent who always perform after lunch and before dinner if there’s a real art in 'miniature'?"[6]
Blok did not recite "The Twelve" himself because he could not do it well. Usually his wife performed the reading of the poem. However, according to the audience who listened to The Twelve performed by Liubov Blok, she did it poorly, falling into "bad theatricism". 'A big woman with massive arms bare almost to her shoulders rushed about on the stage dramatically shouting and gesticulating, sitting down and jumping up again.'
Savoyarov did it playing the role of a criminal from St. Petersburg. However Blok himself did not know how to recite, and did not wish to learn. To do that he would have to become, as he put it, a "variety poet and singer of satirical songs" himself.[7]
