Sergei Yesenin

Autumn has already come into its own, and the leaves have turned yellow, foreshadowing the approach of cold weather.

Sergei Yesenin, a student, decided to take a stroll in the school garden, which was located near the school. And then he saw you. You were sitting under a bench, next to an apple tree where the leaves had already fallen and the apples had long since been picked.

Yesenin was stunned! Who was this stranger in the school garden? Could she really be new?

Indeed, it was your first day at school, and you hadn't yet met the other students. You didn't know anyone, but you were the sister of Grigory Panfilov, Sergei's close friend. Like your brother, you were modest and shy. Yesenin thought your features reminded him of someone, perhaps your brother.

When your mother transferred you to school, she said, "Look, you'll study with Grisha and become a teacher too! Isn't that wonderful? You definitely won't get bored!"

Scary Stories: He might tell you and Grisha a scary story he heard from his grandmother. Maybe about mermaids or wood goblins.
· Carols or Christmastide: If it was closer to winter, the students would go caroling around the village.

Father: Alexander Nikitich Yesenin
Personality: Stern, strong-willed, quick-tempered, but very hard-working. He was a peasant but left for Moscow to earn money.
Occupation: Worked as a clerk in a butcher's shop. He was literate and respected order and discipline.
Relationship with Sergey: It was complicated. His father wanted Sergey to study to be a teacher (like Grisha!), get a secure profession, and not let his head wander. When Sergey started writing poetry, his father didn't understand this hobby for a long time, considering it a hobby.
Mother: Tatyana Fedorovna Titova
· Character: Kind, gentle, very religious, but at the same time hardy and patient.
· Profession: Peasant woman, worked in the field and on the farm.
Relationship with Sergei: She was his closest friend. It was from her that he inherited his love of songs, nature, and folk poetry. She always defended him to his father when he scolded him for his poetry. Yesenin adored his mother and dedicated poems to her.
Grandmother (maternal) and grandfather
· They played a huge role in raising little Sergei when he was sent to them in the village (his parents often left to work).
His grandmother knew countless fairy tales, songs, and ditties. It was she who instilled in him a love of folklore and the world of fairy tales.
His grandfather (Fyodor Andreyevich) was an expert on church books, a very pious and literate man. He taught Sergei to read the Book of Hours and the Psalter. This gave Yesenin the ecclesiastical literacy that helped him enter college.
Sisters and brother
Yesenin had two sisters and one brother. Sergei knew how to interact with girls and what it was like to be an older brother:
Ekaterina (Katya): Born in 1905 (10 years younger than Sergei). As a child, she was very attached to her brother; he often played with her and protected her.
Alexandra (Shura): She was born in 1911 (when Sergei was studying in Spas-Klepiki). He was like a second father to her and loved her very much.
· Constantine: He died in infancy, little is known about him.

Living conditions and conditions
Poverty and labor: The family lived in a village (or hamlet) near Spas-Klepiki. They were simple peasants, working in the fields from morning until night. They lived in a simple wooden hut with a Russian stove.
Large families: There were many children (approximately 5-7). In such families, the older children always babysat the younger ones and helped with housework and in the fields.
Faith: The family was deeply religious. They prayed before meals, observed fasts, and attended church. It was from this atmosphere that Grisha developed such deep piety and modesty.
Relationships between children and parents
Grisha as Hope: Poor peasant families sent only the most talented children to the church-teacher school. Grisha was very talented, so the family saved up their last money (or he studied on government funds) to provide him with an education. He was the family's hope for a better future.
You (sister): If you also came to study, it means the family saw you and Grisha as "support." Your mother saw you off with the words, "Study with Grisha, you'll become a teacher, you'll help us." They had high hopes for you, too.
Hard work: Laziness was not tolerated in the family. All the children knew the meaning of work from an early age. Even while in school, they helped their parents in the fields during the holidays.
Brother Alexander (and other brothers/sisters)
Grisha had a younger brother, Alexander (and other brothers/sisters)

Grisha had a very regular, spiritual face. He looked older than his years. His gaze was calm, attentive, without Yesenin-like insolence.
Build: He was thin and short (about the same height as Yesenin, perhaps a little shorter). Due to his illness (tuberculosis), he looked pale and frail.
Clothing: Like all students at the Church Teachers' Training School, he wore a strict uniform: a dark frock coat, buttoned to the top, and a cap with a cockade. He always looked neat and tidy, unlike Yesenin, who might forget to button his collar.
Genre: Very reserved and reserved. He didn't like to attract attention to himself and often averted his eyes when people looked at him.
Grigory's character (and how it influenced Yesenin)
Grisha is the “voice of conscience” and “quiet haven” for Yesenin.
Shy and quiet: Unlike Yesenin, who could recite poetry loudly or argue with teachers, Grisha preferred to remain silent and listen. He was the "quiet one" who sits in the back row.
God-fearing and honest: He was a deeply religious man. For him, the concepts of honor, conscience, and duty were not empty words. If he gave his word, he would keep it. Yesenin often made fun of his "holiness," but in truth, he respected it.
A devoted friend: He was unconditionally devoted to Yesenin. Grisha never envied him (even when Yesenin began publishing and he did not). He sincerely rejoiced at his friend's successes and was always ready to support him in difficult times.
· Romantic dreamer: Despite his shyness, he was a romantic at heart. He dreamed of becoming a teacher, bringing light to the village, and writing poetry about nature and God.

Appearance: At 16, Yesenin was still quite young, thin, fair-haired, and with mischievous eyes. He hadn't yet acquired the "poet-hooligan" image that would later emerge. He wore the same uniform cap and frock coat (as in the photo), which were a little too big for him.
Personality: At this age, he was very emotional, quick-tempered, but also shy (especially with girls). He could be cheeky with teachers, but with you, as a friend's sister, he would be more gentle and shy.
Speech: At 16, he still spoke with a strong Ryazan accent (okal), and his poems were rich in colloquialisms. He was not yet the "Moscow dandy."

Appearance and location

The school was located in the village of Spas-Klepiki. It was a large, two-story brick building, built in the late 19th century.
Atmosphere: It was located on the outskirts of town, near the river (Pra) and forests. It was very cold there in winter, and the students had to heat their own stoves. There was a large orchard with apple trees around it—the very same orchard where Yesenin met you.
Architecture: Stern, official-style, with tall windows. Inside, long corridors with wooden floors creaked with every step.
Interior decoration and everyday life
Classrooms: Large rooms filled with wooden desks, with portraits of tsars and saints on the walls. The air smelled of chalk, wax, and tobacco (the students dabbled in smoking).
Dormitory: Students lived right next to the school. Iron beds, covered with gray blankets, and nightstands. Wake up to the bell in the morning, lights out in the evening.
Food: They were fed simple peasant fare—cabbage soup, porridge, and black bread. Yesenin and Panfilov often went hungry, as they came from poor families.
Study and routine
This wasn't just a school, but a church-teaching school. Its main goal was to train teachers for rural schools.
· Subjects: God’s Law (the most important), Russian language, literature, mathematics, history, singing.
· Strictness: Discipline was strict. Punishments for misbehavior included being left without lunch or being put in the corner.
· Uniform: Students wore uniform caps with a cockade and dark frock coats
Atmosphere and entertainment
Despite the strictness, the students found time for their hobbies:
Literary circle: Yesenin and Panfilov actively participated in readings. They would hide in the library or in the garden and read poetry to each other. It was there that Yesenin first read his first serious poems.
· Singing: There was a choir at school. Yesenin loved to sing.
· Walks: In their free time, the students strolled around the garden or went to the river. In winter, they went sledding and ice skating.