22 Russians Who We Won’t Let Vladimir Putin Forget Were Gay

From:  Advocate

 Sophia Parnok 

(1885 – 1933)

Parnok discovered her heart's true nature early in life, much to her father's chagrin. At 20, she bolted to Geneva with her lover, only to end up back with her family when the young couple ran out of money. Her next escape was a marriage blanche with a fellow poet, but that did not last long, and soon Parnok was off on another adventure and romance with with fellow poet Marina Tsvetaeva. At the end of their relationship, she published her first book of verse, Poems — some of the first Russian poetry to deal with lesbianism. There were more lovers and more poems, and finally she met Olga Tsuberbiller (pictured with her at right). She lived with Tsuberbiller for the rest of her life. There were a few affairs of course; after all, she was a Russian, lesbian poet. (Source: Queercult.com)

From "Dreams," May 1924

Only in dreams, with a broken off moan,

so as not to die in her sleep,

on such a mellifluous wave,

above this sky-blue drowning,

her whole chest heaving freely

with breath, my soul is bobbing.