Answer
The execution of Akhmatova's first husband, Nikolai Gumilyov, in 1921, deeply impacted her life and poetic career. During this tumultuous era of political upheaval following the Russian Revolution, Gumilyov's arrest and subsequent execution left a profound emotional scar on Akhmatova. This tragic event became a recurring motif in her poetry, evoking themes of grief, loss, and the enduring power of memory in the face of personal tragedy.