As soon as this woman was called: the greedy Valkyrie, the libertine, and the charmer, and the witching Slav, her main mission was to be the muse of the great.
Being close to a great man is difficult. He is a genius in the big world, and the "little spoiled child" returns to the family world with his complexes, shortcomings and whims. How can a faithful life friend not get lost in the shadow of greatness, not get bogged down in everyday life? Such a characterization can be given to anyone, but not Elena Dyakonova - she liked to raise geniuses on her own.
Life in Russia
The hometown of Elena Ivanovna Dyakonova was Kazan, where she was born at the end of the nineteenth century, more precisely - on August 26, 1894. Kazan of that time was far from a provincial town in the usual sense of the word. A university that was second only to Moscow, a gymnasium, one of the first among provincial cities, electricity, theater, and horse-drawn riding. But the girl was not happy with life “off the beaten path”, she saw a completely different personal life: she wanted a bright, like fireworks, pastime, so that everything around was boiling and sparkling.
Lena could not hope for a better fate, her father was a petty employee, bringing funds to the house that did not allow him to only starve to death. She grows up as a rather reserved child, and besides, she is ugly.
When the girl was 11 years old, her father dies, and her mother soon marries a second time. Dmitry Gomberg becomes Elena's stepfather, so in later life she sometimes calls herself Dmitrievna.
The new husband takes the family to Moscow. Here the girl begins training in a rather prestigious gymnasium, shows brilliant results and goes into adulthood as a teacher. The stepfather takes care of the brilliant upbringing and education of the stepdaughter, prepares her for publication. The knowledge gained in the gymnasium, fluency in French, a good orientation in art, poetry, music, a desire to continue studying, all said that the girl had good prospects for being noticed and successfully getting married. But life had its own way.
At the age of 16, Elena is diagnosed with tuberculosis. The girl needed to be treated abroad. Step-mother and her mother send her to Switzerland, to a sanatorium near Davos. Despite the rules of decency, Helen goes completely alone, unaccompanied, as expected. She revels in freedom and is very proud of herself: her dreams begin to come true.
Muse of the poet
In Klavedel, Elena completely refuses her name - now she is Gala (accent on the last syllable). So, her life will be like a holiday. Gala - "celebration, celebration" (French).
At the resort, she met with the young Frenchman Eugene Grendel, whom the rich and influential father sent to be treated
"from poetry." Feelings flared up between the young people. Elena Ivanovna instinctively realized that she had talent, and the young man in love threw her poetry. The intention to marry quite quickly matured in his heart, but his parents were categorically against marriage “with some Russian”.
A year after the start of treatment, the girl returns to her homeland. Eugene writes her gentle and affectionate letters in poetry, she reciprocates, calls him diminutive names and discourages her from going to war, which had begun by then. With marriage, things are not progressing. Then Elena takes the liberty to write to his mother, sends her gentle and sincere messages. After all, she already had a life in her head that she would lead in France. Finally, kind mother Eugene persuades her father, and the young get permission for marriage.
In February 1917, Elena Dyakonova left to live in France, where she successfully married with the poet Paul Eluard. This is the pseudonym of Eugene, which Gala herself suggested to him. And under this name the whole world recognized him.
Young spouses lead quite a secular life: balls, famous cafes, theaters, in the summer - fashionable resorts. Gala with pleasure shines in society, knows how to surprise the environment.
In the summer of the 21st year, being in the next fashionable resort, the couple get acquainted with the same young couple. Max Ernst and his wife Lou had a good time with Paul and Gala until a romance began between Max and Gala. And again she felt a genius - Ernst will soon also be world famous. Paul, Max and Gala began to live together. Surprisingly, this outstanding woman managed to love both equally.
