The Championship of the Universal Class Struggle Author(s): Frantiek Dek and Vladimir Mayakovsky Reviewed work(s): Source:

The Drama Review: TDR, Vol. 17, No. 1, Russian Issue (Mar., 1973), pp. 53-63 Published by: The MIT Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1144792 . Accessed: 18/02/2012 08:31
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The

of the Championship Class

Universal
Introduction

Struggle

The Championship of the UniversalClassStruggle, a circus scenario, was written in the Fallof 1920 during Mayakovsky'swork at Window ROSTA.It is possible to establish almost the exact date from the text. The line stating that Pilsudski,the Polish Champion, "doesn't want to fight anymore" refers to the armisticeat the Polishfront concluded on Oct 20, 1920. In the last lines, the Referee urges spectators to join the Red Army in the fight against Wrangel; the Red Armydefeated Wrangel on Nov. 15, 1920. Thus, "The Championship"must have been written between Oct. 20 and Nov. 15,1920. The propagandathemes and charactersfrom "Championship"are also present in other works written by Mayakovskyin the Fallof 1920.The title, The Championshipof written in 1919-20. the Universal Class Struggle, is a line in the poem "150,000,000" The appeal to join the Red Army is also the subject of Mayakovsky's film scenario, To in The Front(1920).Themes from Window ROSTA October and November of 1920are also very similar:for example, Window ROSTANo. 406 (The Armisticeon the Polish Front),No. 412 (Wrangel)and No. 528 (Profiteers).Some of them, such as No. 406 and No. 528, have verses identical with "Championship." "The Championship" was staged by Lazarenko in the Second State Circus in Moscow in November, 1920.The staging was a parody of the popular circus wrestling match.A wrestling ring was erected in the middle of the arena. Referee Uncle Vanya (the artistic name of a well-known referee of French boxing, Ivan Lebedev) was played by Lazarenko.His costume consisted of a cap, long-waisted coat and high, tight boots. The other champions were played by circus comics and clowns. They wore jerseys with a sash across the chest covered with imitation medals. At the end of the performance, after the line "I'lleven take a carriage,"a large hoop was rolled into the arena. Lazarenkoplaced himself in the hoop and rolled around the arena and offstage. According to YuriDimitriev'saccount in TheSoviet Circus,Lazarenkoalso played the Revolution; he supposedly changed into the costume of the Revolution (a large red shirt) before the last fight. In the text, however, the Referee presents the Revolution, and the Revolution addresses itself to the Referee. If we assume that the description of the performance is correct, the contradiction in the text can be explained. Mayakovskywrote a scenario that was changed and rewritten during the rehearsal and first performances. It is possible that, between the text that comes down to us (found in Lazarenko'sarchives after his death) and the text that was actually performed, there are some differences. We can also admit the possibility of some physicalaction between the lines, permitting Lazarenkoto change his costume. It must also be remembered that it was a circus performance and that the difference between the text and the actual performance can be immense.

FrantisekDeak

At left, a painting of Lazarenko in circus costume. Below, Mayakovsky's Window ROSTA poster No. 412, which depicts the Red Army's struggle against Baron Piotr Wrangel, a Russian general who was in command of the White Army during the Revolution.

POCTArf9

The of Championship the Universal Class Struggle

By Vladimir Mayakovsky
(1920) CAST
Uncle Referee Lazarenko, (Vitaly, a famous Russian clown.)

The World Champion Entente Champion (There was a Triple Entente between France, England and Russia prior to World War I, as well as an Anglo-Russian Entente and an Anglo-French Entente.) American Champion

Revolution

Lloyd George, (David, 1863-1945. He was British Prime Minister in the coalition cabinet of 1916-1922. He also was one of the "big four" at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.)

Wilson, (Woodrow, 1856-1923. Twenty-seventh President of the United States.)

French Champion

Millerand, (Alexandre, 1859-1943. At first a Socialist, after World War I he became an ardent nationalist and rightist. He was Premier in 1920 and President of France from 1920 to 1924.)

Crimean Champion

Wrangel, (Baron Piotr, 1878-1928. A Russian General. In 1920, he succeeded Denikin in command of the White Army. He was forced back into the Crimea by the Red Army and had to evacuate his forces to Constantinople.)

56 Polish Champion

VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY

Pilsudski, (Joseph, 1867-1935. A Polish marshal and statesman. Originally a Socialist, he was repeatedly exiled and imprisoned by Russian authorities. During World War I, he commanded Polish forces under Austrian sponsorship, but toward the war's end he quarreled with the Central Powers and was interned. Released in 1918, he proclaimed an independent Polish republic. He fought victoriously against Russia to restore the Eastern Frontier as it was in 1772.)

Our Champion Profiteer

Sidorov, (a common name-denotes class.)

Joe Blow, or lower-

Almost Champion

Menshevik, family name unknown, living with fake credentials. (A political party in Russia at the time of the play.)

REFEREE Hear ye, Hear ye. Come in, people. Listen, people. Look, everyone who's eager: Lazarenko, in the role of Uncle Vanya, can pin any wrestlerof course, only if he's lying on a sofa. How many have been defeated by me! Almost unbelievable: Sidorenko, Karpenko, Enko. 4,5, 16, 28, fortyteen. Who, who hasn't been beaten yet? All material appearing in parentheses has been added by the translator.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP THE OF UNIVERSAL CLASS STRUGGLE But I'mnot a wrestler today, I'ma referee. Now there'll be a championship match: not an ordinaryfightbut a class struggle. Now before your very eyesthe noblest noblesathletes will strut by in well-matched pairs: they're here to eliminate each other. ParadeAllez! The EntenteLloydGeorgeLook,young and old, nephews and nieces, aunts and uncles! All eyes open wide! See! Look,first row. Look,second and third. Look,fourth and fifth. Sixth,look. Look,seventh and the eighth, tooa more disgusting mug you'll never see. Fattenedon the working man's blood, his cheeks alone weigh seventy pounds. Now he wantsto heave his paunchiness on top of the RSFSR.1 Before, Ententefought alone, but now that he's grown flabby and fat, he is inciting others. At firstthe Polishgentry he urged. But now it's Wrangelhe has spurred. WilsonHe is the AmericanChampion. Disregardhis scragginess. His power is frightful. Expansionis his chief force. He has the devil's luck. Justtry to attackhim there acrossthe seas and oceans;

57

'Russian SovietFederative Socialist Republic.

58

VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY

but in time his own workers,after all, will force him to fall. [turningto one of the athletes] Don't worry,wrestler, he's not very likable.
Primarily,

he is fighting
for

a prize. How friendly he is with Ententeeven though he nearlygnawed through his throat because of a Germansubmarine.

MillerandFrance. Unexpectedly a fighter emerges from a Frenchman. Yes, his belly is spilling over already. He is such a glutton;
he's more so than Lloyd George himself.

[turningto the spectators] If, instead of joining the Red Army, you blinkyour eyes at me, you, too, will be gobbled up.

PilsudskiPoland. Once, he fought successfully; now

he doesn't want to fight any more, but he still has it his own way. Having rested, he threatens to pounce on the RSFSR. Instead of gasping for breath,

the Pole catches his breath.

Sidorovspeculator, our countryman. One hundred seventy-five pounds of fine flour he liftswith one hand. He bears high the fine flour, while bearing down on us with it. These profiteers-

THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE UNIVERSALCLASS STRUGGLE

59

they are like stones in one's intestines. It'sas if one had just eaten: Theyfill one's belly, but in the end one dies from them: Devastationcorrodes like an ulcer. [turningto Sidorov] Don't worry,wrestler, it'sa good deal; fighting againstthe RSFSR. [to the spectators] He'llfight a little longer, he'll smuggle five dealsthen he'll run up againstthe Moscow Cheka.2

WrangelCrimea. The sixth wrestler. Stand up, everyone. Standcapless. AutocratGurzuski.3 Oh, how terrible! Uf! One, two, he subdued Gurzuf. On his head a papakha4 his legs in Moroccan leather. The Gurzuf nation called him Czarall the Gurzufs. He has very little power: The Frenchaces inflate him from behind, like a bubble. To prevent this cur from growing, he must be beaten while he is weak. If battlefieldand home front join together, one fist will be raised and this fist will strikehis imperialmajesty will burstfor sure. To the front, brothers! It'stime to fight!

2Police.

3Gurzufis a city in the Crimea,which was occupied duringthis period by Wrangel. 4Caucasian made of sheepskin. hat

60

VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY

AprelevWho knows from where. He is neither the devil's advocate, nor God's righthand. Nor does he sit in council; nor is he dispatched to the All-RussianCheka. Neither proletarian,nor nonproletarian; neither capitalist,nor noncapitalist. Inch by inch, he creeps before everyone like a worm. I didn't want to accept him, thinking-among the bigger ones he'd get lost. Buthe begged a lot.
"I," he said,

"even though I'ma Menshevik, I reallywant to fight now." However, someone like that can be a little terrifying. He loves unlawfulwaysso much that he fights by tripping everyone. Introductionsare finished. Thischampionship match has been arrangedby me, and all these gentlemen have arrived. Why have all these gentlemen arrived?

CHORUS OF VOICES These gentlemen have arrived to get at each other's throats.

REFEREE And now, throw some bones to the gentlemen fighters. [Throwin: a crown, a huge gold coin, and a bag with the inscription: "profitfrom an imperialistwar."LloydGeorge and Millerandbegin fighting for the profit, Wilsonand the Profiteer for the gold coin, Wrangeland the Polish Lordfor the crown. The redhaired Menshevik is staggeringand getting under everyone's feet.]

REFEREE It begins!

THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE UNIVERSALCLASS STRUGGLE

61

MILLERAND
Referee sir, it's your job. Stop the damned Lloyd George: he's biting! WRANGEL Keep the Menshevik away. He's wriggling under everyone's feet. LLOYD GEORGE Och-och-och, what is he doing with my head?! REFEREE Silence! Seizing heads isn't permitted. POLISH LORD Stop Wrangel, he's biting my thighs! REFEREE They're casting care to the winds. They're squabbling! They'll bite each other to deathThey must be separated. [Whistle. The last fighter, Revolution, enters.] REFEREE Revolutionthe world champion. The last to come out. Look, how suddenly everything becomes quiet. REVOLUTION Comrade referee, explain: I challenge all these fighters. How many of you, dried, will make a pound? [The fighters interrupting each other.]

62

MAYAKOVSKY VLADIMIR

POLISH LORD I don't want to fight. MENSHEVIK It'snot an intelligent occupation. WILSON I'mnot hired to fight you, either. MILLERAND
[to Lloyd George]

You creep forward. LLOYD GEORGE

No, you.

MILLERAND
No, you.

in EVERYONE, chorus Lethim go, He's stronger. Go on, Entente. [Revolutioncatches up the Ententeand in a minute throws him over by takinghim by his head.] REFEREE That you call a "head circle tie-up." And now, using a little bit of Red-Armystyle to pin him downEntentewill be flat on his back. [Both fightersbecome tired. It is difficultto finish off Entente.] REFEREE
Neither side

can overcome the other. Armistice.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE UNIVERSALCLASS STRUGGLE

63

Phooey! Break for ten minutes. In ten minutes, the fight for the decision. ENTENTE Break for ten minutes? Hardly. I think they broke me not for ten minutes but for a lifetime. [Revolution leaves, and behind him Entente is pushed out in a wheelbarrow.]

REFEREE Intermission for ten minutes. All you who want the Reds to win after the ten-minute break, should go home and tomorrow go to the front as volunteersto wring Wrangel's neck. I am ready to go there today. To get there faster I'll even take a carriage.

DEAK Translatedby FRANTISEK