Boris Kochno (January 3, 1904, Moscow — December 8, 1990, Paris) was a Russian poet, dancer and librettist. He was a lover of Karol Szymanowski in 1919, and he received as a gift a Russian translation of the chapter The Symposium from Efebos, the composer's unpublished novel. Szymanowski also dedicated four love poems to the youth. In 1920 he became Sergei Diaghilev's secretary, librettist, and eventually main collaborator. They were also lovers until Sergei's death in 1929 at 57. Kochno wrote the libretto of Mavra (1921), the Fâcheux (1924), La Chatte (1927) and of the Fils prodigue (1929). He also had an affair with Cole Porter in 1925, with whom he carried on a lengthy correspondence.
There are a number of published works by him. One, Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, is a record of the Diaghilev era. The other, Christian Bérard, is a scrapbook of reminiscences about, and art of, his former friend and collaborator.
