Sergey Gorodetsky was born in 1884. He first collection of poems, Yur, was published in 1907. His work was marked by its varied rhythms and its use of Russian mythology.

In 1911 Gorodetsky joined with Nikolai Gumilev and Osip Mandelstam to establish the Guild of Poets. Formed as a reaction to the Symbolist movement, the Acmeists, as they became known, called for a return to the use of clear, precise and concrete imagery.

The outbreak of the First World War brought an end to the Guild of Poets. This was largely due to the fact that their leader, Nikolai Gumilev, joined the Russian Army and served on the Eastern Front. Gorodetsky now identified himself with a group of peasant poets led by Nikolai Klyuyev and Sergei Yesenin.

In 1917 Gorodetsky joined the Bolsheviks and was a strong supporter of the October Revolution. Gorodetsky denounced former members of the Guild of Poets. Nikolai Gumilev and Osip Mandelstam, who were both opponents of the Communist government, were both executed by the Secret Police.