What is the name of Vasily Aksenov's latest novel? Aksenov Vasily: biography and best books of the writer

Vasily Pavlovich Aksenov born on August 20, 1932 in Kazan, in the family of party workers, Evgenia Semyonovna Ginzburg and Pavel Vasilyevich Aksenov. Was the third youngest child in the family (and the only common child parents). Father, Pavel Vasilyevich, was the chairman of the Kazan City Council and a member of the bureau of the Tatar regional party committee. Mother, Evgenia Semyonovna, worked as a teacher at the Kazan Pedagogical Institute, then as head of the cultural department of the newspaper “Red Tataria”, and was a member of the Kazan regional party organization. Subsequently, having gone through the horror of Stalin’s camps, during the time of the exposure of the cult of personality, Evgenia Ginzburg became the author of a book of memoirs “ Steep route" - one of the first book-memoirs about the era Stalin's repressions and camps, a story about the eighteen years the author spent in prison, Kolyma camps and exile.

In 1937, when V. Aksenov was not yet five years old, both parents (first his mother, and then soon his father) were arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison and camps. The older children - sister Maya (daughter of P.V. Aksenov) and Alyosha (son of E.S. Ginzburg) were taken in by relatives. The orphan Vasya was forcibly sent to an orphanage for the children of prisoners (his grandmothers were not allowed to keep the child). In 1938, V. Aksenov’s uncle (P. Aksenov’s brother) managed to find little Vasya in an orphanage in Kostroma and take him in with him. Vasya lived in the house of Motya Aksenova (his paternal relative) until 1948, until his mother Evgenia Ginzburg, having left the camp in 1947 and living in exile in Magadan, obtained permission for Vasya to come to her in Kolyma. Evgenia Ginzburg will describe her meeting with Vasya in “Steep Route”.

Many years later, in 1975, Vasily Aksyonov described his Magadan youth in his autobiographical novel “The Burn.”

Beginning of literary activity

In 1956 Aksyonov graduated from the Leningrad Medical Institute. He worked as a doctor for three years. Since 1960 - professional writer. The story “Colleagues” (written 1959; the play of the same name together with Yu. Stabov, 1961; the film of the same name, 1963), the novels “Star Ticket” (the film “My younger brother"(1961), "It's time, my friend, it's time" (1962), the story "Oranges from Morocco" (1963), the collections "Catapult" (1964), "Halfway to the Moon" (1966), the play "Always in sale" (production of the Sovremennik Theater, 1965); in 1968 a satirical fantastic story"Overstocked barrels."

In the 1960s, V. Aksenov’s works were often published in the magazine “Yunost”. For several years he has been a member of the journal's editorial board. Adventure duology for children: “My grandfather is a monument” (1970) and “The chest in which something is knocking” (1972)

The experimental novel “The Search for a Genre” was written in 1972.

Also in 1972, together with O. Gorchakov and G. Pozhenyan, he wrote a parody novel on the spy action film “Gene Green - the Untouchable” under the pseudonym Grivadiy Gorpozhaks (a combination of the names and surnames of the real authors). 1976 - translated the novel “Ragtime” by E. L. Doctorow from English.

Difficulties

In the 1970s, after the end of the “thaw,” Aksyonov’s works ceased to be published in the Soviet Union. The novels “The Burn” (1975) and “The Island of Crimea” (1979) were banned from publication by Soviet censorship. At this time, criticism of V. Aksenov and his works became increasingly harsh: epithets such as “non-Soviet” and “non-national” were used. In 1977-1978, Aksenov’s works began to appear abroad (primarily in the USA).

In 1979, V. Aksyonov, together with A. Bitov, Vic. Erofeev, F. Iskander, E. Popov, B. Akhmadulina became one of the organizers and authors of the uncensored almanac “Metropol”. Never published in the Soviet censored press, the almanac was published in the USA. In protest against the subsequent exclusion of Popov and Erofeev from the Union of Writers of the USSR in December 1979, V. Aksyonov (as well as Inna Lisnyanskaya and Semyon Lipkin) announced their withdrawal from the joint venture.

On July 22, 1980, he left for the United States by invitation, after which he and his wife were deprived of Soviet citizenship. Lived in the USA until 2004, teaching Russian literature at J. Mason University, Washington.

Since 1981, V. Aksyonov has been a professor of Russian literature at various US universities: the Kennan Institute (1981-1982), John Washington University (1982-1983), Goucher University (1983-1988), George Mason University (from 1988 onwards). present time).

The novels “Our Golden Iron” (1973, 1980), “Burn” (1976, 1980), “Island of Crimea” (1979, 1981), a collection of short stories were published in the USA, written by Aksyonov in Russia, but published for the first time only after the writer’s arrival in America. "Right to the Island" (1981). Also in the USA, V. Aksenov wrote and published new novels: “Paper Landscape” (1982), “Say Raisins” (1985), “In Search of the Sad Baby” (1986), the “Moscow Saga” trilogy (1989, 1991, 1993 ), collection of short stories "Negative positive hero"(1995), "New Sweet Style" (1996) (dedicated to the life of Soviet emigration in the United States), "Caesarean Glow" (2000).

The novel “Egg Yolk” (1989) was written by V. Aksenov in English, then translated by the author into Russian.

For the first time after nine years of emigration, Aksyonov visited the USSR in 1989 at the invitation of the American Ambassador Matlock. In 1990, V. Aksenov returned Soviet citizenship.

In 1980-1991, V. Aksyonov actively collaborated with Radio Liberty as a journalist. Aksyonov’s radio essays were published in the author’s collection “A Decade of Slander” (2004).

after 1991

The Moscow Saga trilogy (1992) was filmed in Russia in 2004 by A. Barshchevsky in a multi-part television series.

In 2004, he published the novel “The Voltairians and Voltairians” in the magazine “October”, for which he was awarded the Booker Prize of Russia.

The book of memoirs “The Apple of the Eye” (2005) has the character of a personal diary.

IN last years lived with his family in France, Biarritz and Moscow.

January 15, 2008 V. Aksenov was hospitalized at hospital number 23 after a stroke. A day after hospitalization, Aksenov was transferred to the Research Institute named after. Sklifosovsky, where he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot in the carotid artery. The writer passed away on July 6, 2009.

In Kazan, since 2007, the international literary and musical festival Aksyonov-fest has been held annually in the fall (October) (the first was held with his personal participation), in 2009 the building was recreated and opened literary house-museum Aksenov, in which there is a city literary club.

Fantastic in the writer’s work

Aksenov’s prose often weighed heavily to fiction– these were fairy tales, alternative histories, magical realism, and “strange” prose. The following works of the author can be classified as fiction - the novels “The Island of Crimea”, “The Yolk of the Egg”, “Caesarean Glow”, “The Voltaireans and the Voltaireans” and “Moscow-kva-kva” (2006); the stories “The Steel Bird”, “Overstocked Barrel”, “Rendezvous”, “Our Golden Iron” and the dilogy for children “My Grandfather is a Monument”, “The Chest in which Something Knocks”. These are also plays such as “Always on Sale”, “Four Temperaments”, “Heron”, “Woe, Mountain, Burn”, stories by “Wild”, “It’s a pity that you weren’t with us”, “Victory”, “Halfway to the Moon”, “On the Square and Beyond the River”, “Happiness on the Shore of a Polluted Ocean”, “A Million Separations”, “Right to an Island” (1991).

Honorary titles, prizes

In the USA, V. Aksyonov was awarded the honorary title of Doctor of Humane Letters. He was a member of the Pen Club and the American Authors League. In 2005, Vasily Aksenov was awarded the Order of Literature and Art, one of the highest awards in modern France.

1990 – Prize named after. A. Kruchenykh

1991 – laureate literary prize magazine "Youth" for 1990 for the novel "Island of Crimea"

1998 – nomination for the Booker Prize for the novel “New Sweet Style”

1998 – nomination for the State Prize Russian Federation for the novel “New Sweet Style”

2003 – Triumph Award

2005 – “Book of the Year” award in the “Prose” category for the novel “The Voltaireans and Voltaireans”

2005 – awarded the Order of Literature and Art, one of the highest awards of modern France

Vasily Aksenov was born on August 20, 1932 in Kazan. His father, Pavel Vasilyevich Aksenov, was a party leader and served as chairman of the Kazan City Council. The writer’s mother, Evgenia Solomonovna Ginzburg, taught at the Kazan Pedagogical Institute, was engaged in journalism, and wrote several literary works. Vasily was the youngest child in the family and the only common child of his parents (Maya is the daughter of P.V. Aksenov, Alexey is the son of E.S. Ginzburg from his first marriage).

In 1937, the parents were convicted and sentenced (Evgeniy Solomonovna to 10 years in prison and camps, and her husband to 15 years). Vasily's brother and sister were taken by relatives, but he himself was not allowed to stay with his grandmothers, and he was sent to an orphanage for prisoners. In 1938, he was taken from the Kostroma orphanage by his uncle, Andreyan Vasilyevich Aksenov, with whom he lived until 1948, until his mother, who was released from the camps in 1947 and lived in exile in Magadan, obtained permission for Vasya to move to her.

Received medical education, having graduated from the 1st Leningrad Medical Institute in 1956, after which he worked in distribution at the Baltic Shipping Company on ships long voyage. Aksyonov also worked as a quarantine doctor in Karelia, in the Leningrad sea trade port and in a tuberculosis hospital in Moscow.

Starting in 1963, when Nikita Khrushchev subjected Aksenov to devastating criticism at a meeting of the intelligentsia in the Kremlin, the writer began to have problems with the authorities. His works ceased to be published in the 70s, after the end of the “thaw”, and the writer began to be called “non-Soviet” and “non-national”. It is not surprising that in 1977-1978 his works began to appear abroad, mainly in the USA, where he went by invitation on July 22, 1980 (after which he was deprived of Soviet citizenship) and where he lived until 2004.

In 1980-1991, he actively collaborated with several major radio stations and magazines, wrote essays, and was a professor of Russian literature at one of the universities. Continued and literary activity. For the first time after nine years of emigration, Aksenov visited the USSR in 1989. The following year, his Soviet citizenship was returned to him. In the last years of his life he lived with his family in Biarritz (France).

In 2008, the writer was diagnosed with a stroke. Since then, his condition has been "stable and serious." On July 6, 2009, Vasily Pavlovich Aksyonov died in Moscow. He was buried on July 9, 2009 at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. In Kazan, the house where the writer lived in his youth was restored; in 2009, the Museum of his work was created there.

Literary activity

Vasily Aksenov began his journey as a writer by writing the story “Colleagues” in 1959 (a film of the same name was made based on it in 1962). It was followed by the novel Star Ticket, written in 1961, which was also filmed in 1962 under the title My Little Brother. 1962 ends with the writing of the story “Oranges from Morocco” (1962). The collections of stories “Catapult” and “Halfway to the Moon” were published in 1963 and 1966, respectively. In 1968, the science fiction story “Overstocked Barrels” was published. In 1964, Aksenov became one of the nine authors of the collective novel “He Who Laughs”, published in the newspaper “Nedelya”.

In the 60s, Aksenov often published in the magazine Yunost, where he was a member of the editorial board for several years. By 1970, the first part of the adventure duology for children “My Grandfather is a Monument” was written. Young readers saw the second part, entitled “The Chest with Something Knocking,” in 1972.

The experimental work “Search for a Genre” was written in 1972. When first published in the magazine " New world“The genre of the work was indicated as follows: “Search for a genre.” There were also attempts at translation activities. In 1976, the writer translated E. L. Doctorow’s novel “Ragtime” from English.

Novels written in the USA: “Paper Landscape”, “Say “Raisin””, “In Search of the Sad Baby”, “The Yolk of the Egg”, the “Moscow Saga” trilogy, the collection of short stories “The Negative of a Positive Hero”, “The New Sweet Style”, "Caesarean glow."

In 2010, Aksyonov’s unfinished autobiographical novel “Lend-Lease” was published.

The best books of the writer

  • If you decide to study the work of this wonderful writer, I suggest starting with literature dedicated to children. The story “My Grandfather is a Monument” will be an excellent start. Adventures, seas, oceans, pirates, captains - romance! When reading it, it is impossible not to remember the famous “Treasure Island” by Stevenson. It will not leave either adults or children indifferent.
  • The story "Colleagues" is recommended if you plan to approach Aksenov's work thoroughly, since this work is his first literary experience, the starting point in his career. The story is about young doctors and their understanding of the world around them, the search for themselves in it.
  • Novel "Star Ticket". I would really like to be impartial, but alas, I cannot calmly write about my favorite work by the author. Three guys and a girl, the first journey, youthful maximalism, mistakes and experience, parting are the main “tags” of this story. It was here that the writer’s style was born, and it is for this novel that readers love him.
  • "Island of Crimea". A historical and geographical alternative, where Crimea is a full-fledged island in the Black Sea. The plot is based on the biographies of the heroes; Throughout the novel, satirical and political overtones can be traced.
  • "He who Laughs laughs." The novel is interesting at least because 9 writers worked on it. The plot tells the story of a man who returns home from work one day and does not find his wife and child at home. That same evening, wandering around the city, he learns that he is considered a foreign agent...

Writer and screenwriter Vasily Pavlovich Aksenov was born on August 20, 1932 in Kazan in the family of a party leader. Parents were repressed; until the age of 16, Vasily Aksenov was brought up in orphanage, then at my aunt's. He lived for several years in Magadan, where his mother, Evgenia Ginzburg, was living in a settlement, author famous novel about Stalin's "Steep Route" camps. Aksenov graduated from Magadan high school.

Vasily Aksenov’s first stories “Torches and Roads” and “One and a Half Medical Units” were published in 1958 in the magazine “Yunost”; he gained fame after the publication in 1960 of the story “Colleagues”, on which a film of the same name was soon made.

Written in the early 1960s, the stories “Star Ticket”, “Oranges from Morocco”, the stories “Local Hooligan Abramashvili”, “Comrade Handsome Furazhkin”, “It’s a pity that you weren’t with us” and others were designated by critics as “youth prose".

In 1975, the novel “Burn” was written, and in 1979, “The Island of Crimea,” which were prohibited from publication by censorship.

In 1976 he translated from English popular novel Edgar Doctorow "Ragtime".

In 1979, together with Andrei Bitov, Viktor Erofeev, Fazil Iskander, Evgeny Popov, Bella Akhmadulina, Aksenov became one of the organizers and authors of the uncensored literary almanac "Metropol", published in the USA.

In December 1979, he announced his resignation from the USSR Writers' Union in protest against the exclusion of Viktor Erofeev and Yevgeny Popov from the Union.

Since 1981, Aksenov has been a professor of Russian literature at various US universities: Kennan Institute (1981-1982), Washington University (1982-1983), Goucher University (1983-1988), George Mason University (1988-2004). He taught a seminar for many years" Contemporary novel- the elasticity of the genre”, and then the course “Two Centuries of the Russian Novel”, was carried away by the teachings of Shklovsky, Tynyanov, Bakhtin.

In 1980-1991, Vasily Aksenov actively collaborated with Radio Liberty as a journalist.

The novels “Burn,” “The Island of Crimea,” and “Our Golden Iron,” which he wrote in the USSR but were first published only after the writer left for the United States, were published in Washington.

In the USA, Aksenov wrote and published new novels: “Paper Landscape” (1982), “Say the Raisin” (1985), “In Search of the Sad Baby” (1986), the “Moscow Saga” trilogy (1989, 1991, 1993), collection stories "The Negative of a Positive Hero" (1995), "New Sweet Style" (1996). The novel “Egg Yolk” (1989) was written by Aksenov in English, and then translated by the author into Russian.

In 1989, for the first time after a long break, Aksenov visited the USSR at the invitation of the American Ambassador Jack Matlock.

Since the late 1980s, it began to be published again in Russia. After his citizenship was returned to him in 1990, Aksenov often came to Russia, his works were published, including in the magazine "Yunost", and a collection of his works was published.

In June 1999, the first Aksenov readings took place in Moscow, to which the writer arrived from the USA.

Since 2002, Aksenov lived in France, in Biarritz.

In 2004, he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus at George Mason University (USA).

In April 2007, Aksenov’s next novel, “Rare Earths,” was published in Moscow.

Vasily Aksenov is the author of the plays “Always on Sale”, “Your Killer”, “The Four Temperaments”, “Aristophaniana with Frogs”, “Heron”, “Woe, Woe, Burn”, “Aurora Korelika”, “Ah, Arthur Schopenhauer” and film scripts for the films “When the Bridges Are Drawed”, “My Little Brother”, “The Marble House”, “Central”, “While the Dream Goes Wild”. His the best thing The writer considered the novel "The New Sweet Style".

In 2009, after the death of the author, the last completed novel by Vasily Aksenov was published - " Mysterious passion. A novel about the sixties", in 2010 the unfinished autobiographical novel "Lend Lease. Lend leasing" .

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Vasily Pavlovich Aksenov (1932-2009) - Russian writer, playwright and translator, he was born in Kazan on August 20, 1932. His novels were repeatedly banned, the prose writer was called “non-Soviet and unpopular.” Because of this, the writer even had to leave his homeland for a while. But from childhood he was accustomed to moving and persecution, because Vasya was only four years old when his parents were arrested. Based on the works of this author, films have been repeatedly made and plays staged in different theaters. His most popular works were the stories “It’s Time, My Friend, It’s Time,” “Oranges from Morocco” and the novel “Star Ticket.” Critics defined the writer's genre as “youth prose.”

Family relationships

Future writer was the third child in the family of Pavel and Evgenia Aksenov. The father and mother already had a daughter and a son, but from previous marriages. Vasya became their first joint child, his parents waited for him for a long time and loved him very much. Pavel was a member of the bureau of the regional committee of the CPSU and chairman of the city council. His wife taught at one of the local universities, and later she managed to head the cultural department at the Krasnaya Tataria newspaper. Evgenia Ginzburg also wrote and published memoirs about Stalin’s concentration camps - “Steep Route”.

In 1937, Vasily’s parents were arrested. Brother Alexei and sister Maya were taken by relatives, and the four-year-old boy was sent to an orphanage with other children of political prisoners. He spent two years there until Andreyan Aksenov, Pavel’s brother, arrived. The uncle took his nephew to Kazan, and the next ten years of the boy’s life were spent there. Only in 1948 did the mother manage to leave the Kolyma camps and return her son. Together with his mother, Aksenov moved to Magadan. There he graduated from high school. Memories of that life period the prose writer will later describe it in the novel “The Burn.”

In 1956 the young man graduated medical university in Leningrad. According to his assignment, he had to work as a doctor on the ships of the Baltic Shipping Company. But because of his parents, Vasya was unable to get permission, so he had to look for another place of work. He was a quarantine doctor in Kaleria, in the Leningrad port, then received a position at the capital's tuberculosis research institute.

First publications

In 1958, Aksenov's first stories were published. The magazine “Yunost” published the works “Torches and Roads” and “One and a Half Medical Units.” But they did not bring fame to the aspiring writer. Only after the publication of the story “Colleagues” in 1960 did they begin to take him seriously. Soon, a film of the same name was released based on it.

After some time, the novel “Star Ticket” was published, which was also filmed. The film was called “My Little Brother”. Aksenov also tried himself as a playwright, publishing the play “Always on Sale.” It was later staged by members of the Sovremennik Theater troupe.

In the early 60s, Vasily Pavlovich published several collections (“Catapult”, “Halfway to the Moon”) and individual stories. Among them are “Local hooligan Abramashvili”, “It’s a pity that you weren’t with us” and “Handsome Comrade Furazhkin”. In 1968, a fantasy story with elements of satire, “Overstocked Barrels,” was published.

Aggression from the authorities

Every day Aksenov’s works became more and more popular. He was accepted onto the editorial board of the Yunost magazine and published in various publications. In the seventies, Vasily released a duology for children - “My grandfather is a monument” and “A chest in which something is knocking.” In 1972, an experimental novel called “The Search for a Genre” was published. In the same year, the parody “Gene Green - Untouchable,” co-written with Gorchakov and Pozhenyan, was published. In 1976, Aksenov translated Doctorow’s “Ragtime” from English.

The prose writer's works were constantly criticized by the government. In 1963, Nikita Khrushchev scolded the writer at a demonstrative meeting with the intelligentsia in the Kremlin. There he cursed the poet Voznesensky. The main reason This attitude became the free behavior of writers. They took part in demonstrations on Red Square (after this incident, Aksenov was detained by vigilantes). In the late 1960s, Vasily signed letters in defense of dissidents. For this he was reprimanded and entered into his personal file.

Forced emigration

When the “thaw” ended, the prose work was no longer published in the USSR. He had a presentiment of this, so he published the novels “Burn” and “Island of Crimea” much later, already in the USA. The almanac “Metropol”, created by Vasily together with Bitov, Akhmadulina, Iskander, Popov and Erofeev, was also published there. The last two were soon expelled from the Writers' Union. As a sign of protest, several writers, including Aksenov, independently left this society. He later wrote about these events in the novel “Say Raisin.”

In July 1980, the talented prose writer was invited to the USA. He agreed, and immediately after leaving he was deprived of USSR citizenship. For ten years he worked in America as a professor of literature at various universities. Aksenov was also a journalist for Radio Liberty and Voice of America. His radio essays were often published in local almanacs, and later even the collection “A Decade of Slander” was published.

After moving, Vasily wrote several new novels - “Paper Landscape”, “In Search of the Sad Baby” and “Moscow Saga”. The last of them was published in three books, and later a series was filmed based on it. The director was Dmitry Barshchevsky. At the same time, a collection of short stories, “The New Sweet Style,” was published, which told about life after emigration.

In 1989 Aksenov published the novel “Egg Yolk”, written in English language. Later he translated it into Russian. In the same year, the writer received an invitation to visit the USSR from the American Ambassador Jack Matlock. In 1990, his citizenship was returned to him, but the prose writer did not want to return to his homeland. His works were again published in Russia, Vasily was even awarded several times.

last years of life

In 2002, the writer and his family moved to Bearizze. Aksenov’s last years were spent in France, but he often visited Moscow. In 2004 he received the Booker Prize for his novel Voltairians and Voltaireans. IN next year The writer released a kind of diary of memories called “The Apple of his Eye.” Also in 2005 he was awarded the French Order of Letters and Arts.

In January 2008, the writer was hospitalized at Moscow Hospital No. 23 with a stroke. A day later he was transferred to the Sklifosovsky Research Institute, and the carotid artery thrombus was removed. Within six months, Aksenov’s condition was diagnosed as “stable and serious.” On March 5, 2009, he was operated on again due to complications. On July 6th of the same year, Vasily Pavlovich died in Moscow. He was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery.

The prose writer's last novels were published after his death. One of them was released in October 2009, it was called “Mysterious Passion. A novel about the sixties” and was autobiographical. In the second work, Aksenov also described his life and memories, but never had time to finish it. This novel was called “Lend Lease” and was published in 2010.

During his life, Vasily Pavlovich was married twice. His first wife was Kira Mendeleeva, the daughter of the first rector of a pediatric university in Leningrad. The girl gave birth to her beloved son Alexei. Their relationship ended after the prose writer met Maya Carmen, the wife of a famous documentary filmmaker. Aksenov fell madly in love with a woman and left his family for her. Together they moved to the USA, where Maya taught Russian. She remained with her beloved until his death.

Premiere on Channel One: serial film “Mysterious Passion” based on the latest novel Vasily Aksenov, in which the author “encrypted” the names and surnames of his contemporaries. The prototypes of the heroes are the idols of the sixties: Robert Er - Robert Rozhdestvensky, Anton Andreotis - Andrei Voznesensky, Nella Akhho - Bella Akhmadulina, Yan Tushinsky - Evgeny Yevtushenko, Vasily Aksyonov himself under the nickname Vaxon and many others. AiF.ru invites you to recall the real biographies of the prototypes of the main characters of the novel.

Robert Rozhdestvensky

Creation: The first serious publications of Rozhdestvensky’s poems appeared in the Petrozavodsk magazine “At the Turnover” when the poet was only 18 years old. At that time he was just trying to enter the Literary Institute. M. Gorky, where he was accepted, but only on the second attempt. Rozhdestvensky’s first works contained a lot of civic pathos; he wrote about space exploration and the difficulties Everyday life. But the older the writer became, the more lyrical his poetry seemed, and love lyrics came to the fore.

Robert Rozhdestvensky. Photo: RIA Novosti / Boris Kaufman

Popularity of Rozhdestvensky Soviet years was huge: in the 60s he was one of those who conquered the Polytechnic and sports palaces, his creative evenings took place at full halls, and the books were published in huge editions.

Popular works: Rozhdestvensky’s famous poems about love are known in almost all countries, and many are familiar with his work thanks to the songs “My Years”, “Echo of Love”, “Ticket to Childhood”, “Gravity of the Earth”. He is the author of the words of the legendary song “Moments” from the movie Tatiana Lioznova"Seventeen Moments of Spring".

Personal life: Robert's entire personal life was connected with Alla Kireeva, artist and literary critic . He dedicated all his love poems to her, and she became the mother of his two daughters.

Death: Rozhdestvensky died in Moscow at the age of 62. In 1990, doctors gave the poet a terrible diagnosis: a malignant brain tumor. But after a successful operation, he managed to live another 4 years.

Interesting Facts: The poet stuttered badly, especially when he was worried, much less speaking in public, and this made him even more charming. But there was a reason for this speech disorder: they say that in childhood, in front of the poet’s eyes, his friend was hit by a car, after which Rozhdestvensky began to stutter.

Andrey Voznesensky

Creation: Voznesensky’s first collection, “Mosaic,” was published in 1958, when the poet was 26 years old. He immediately incurred the wrath of the authorities, because he did not reflect the principles that were instilled at that time. Then Voznesensky aroused sharp rejection among the Soviet literary community: his lyrics contained many daring metaphors and comparisons, an unusual rhythm of verse and a non-standard reflection of the tragedy of the Great Patriotic War. In 1963, Nikita Khrushchev himself sharply criticized the poet: “Look, what a Pasternak you found!.. Go to the damn grandmother. Get out, Mr. Voznesensky, to your masters!” Only in the 1970s did the persecution of the poet end and he finally began to be published in large numbers.

Popular works: Voznesensky was the author of eight poems and more than forty poetry collections. He is one of the creators of the rock opera “Juno and Avos” and the author of the lyrics famous romance"I will never forget you". Many popular pop songs were written based on his poems, including “Million Red roses", "Encore song", "Start over", "Give me back the music."

Personal life: Voznesensky lived for forty-six years in happy marriage With theater and film critic, writer Zoya Boguslavskaya, who in 1964 left her husband for famous author after he dedicated the poem "Uzzah" to her.

Death: In 1995, Voznesensky was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, the poet began to lose his voice, and the muscles of his throat and limbs began to weaken. He died at home in the arms of his beloved wife at the age of 77 after a second stroke.

Interesting Facts: Popular in the 90s performed Evgenia Osina The song “The Girl is Crying in the Machine” was written based on Voznesensky’s poem “First Ice”. In the late 60s, the song “First Ice” was popular in urban courtyard culture, and in different years it was performed Nina Dorda and VIA "Jolly Fellows".

Bella Akhmadulina

Creation: Bella Akhmadulina began writing poetry back in school years, and the first publication was published in the magazine “October” when the author was only 18 years old. Many Soviet critics considered Akhmadulina’s poetry “irrelevant,” “vulgar,” and “banal,” but the young poetess, on the contrary, gained enormous popularity among readers. Despite obvious talent, Akhmadulina was expelled from the Literary Institute for refusing to support the persecution Boris Pasternak. Later she was restored and even given a diploma with honors, but along with Yevtushenko and Voznesensky Soviet authority never supported her.

Popular works: One of Akhmadulina’s most famous poems is “On my street which year...”, which became famous thanks to the film Eldara Ryazanova"Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath!". The works of the poetess are also widely known: “And finally, I will say...”, “Oh, my shy hero...”, “From the depths of my adversity...”.

Personal life: Akhmadulina was married four times: to Evgeniy Yevtushenko, behind writer Yuri Nagibin, behind screenwriter Eldar Kuliev and for theater artist Boris Messerer.

Death: In the last years of her life, Akhmadulina was seriously ill. In 2010, at the age of 73, she died at her dacha in the village of Peredelkino near Moscow.

Interesting Facts: In 1964, Akhmadulina played a young journalist in the film Vasily Shukshina“There lives such a guy.” And six years later she starred in another film: “Sport, Sports, Sports.”

Evgeniy Yevtushenko

Creation: The poet's first poem was published when he was 17 years old, and the author's talent was so obvious that he was accepted into the Literary Institute without a school certificate. Then, in 1952, he became the youngest member of the USSR Writers' Union, bypassing the stage of candidate member of the joint venture.

The beginning of creativity coincided with the Khrushchev thaw, and Yevtushenko’s fresh poems turned out to be in tune positive sentiments youth. In the early 1960s, he was one of the first among poets to appear on stage, and his artistry and special manner of reading poetry contributed to his success.

In 1957, Yevtushenko was expelled from the institute for supporting the novel. Vladimir Dudintsev“Not by bread alone,” but he continued to participate in various protests and was in opposition to the authorities. In 1991, Yevtushenko signed a contract with an American university and left the country forever.

Personal life: Yevgeny Yevtushenko was officially married four times: to Bella Akhmadulina, Galina Sokol-Lukonina, my own fan Jen Butler and on Maria Novikova, with whom he still lives.

Popular works: In Yevtushenko’s bibliography there is a place not only for poetry, but also prose works. The most famous of them are the autobiographies “Premature Autobiography” and “Wolf Passport”. He is also the author of the lyrics to well-known songs: “Do the Russians want war,” “And it’s snowing,” “Waltz about a waltz,” “This is what’s happening to me.”

Interesting Facts: After the publication of the poem “Babi Yar,” Yevgeny Yevtushenko was “excommunicated” from Ukraine for twenty years: he was not allowed to hold creative evenings and meetings with poetry lovers.

Vasily Aksyonov

Creation: In 1956, Aksyonov graduated from the Leningrad Medical Institute. He worked as a doctor in the North, in Karelia, in Leningrad, in Moscow. His first stories were published in the magazine “Yunost” already in 1958, but it took time for Aksyonov to give up medicine and take up writing seriously. His novels and stories turned out to be very popular, but aroused disapproval from the authorities: the writer was constantly accused of hidden anti-Sovietism. After the end of the “thaw” and the scandal with the publication of the uncensored almanac “Metropol” in the USSR, it was no longer published: as a sign of protest, Aksyonov voluntarily resigned from the Writers’ Union.

Vasily Aksenov. Photo: RIA Novosti

Popular works: Most popular works The author is considered to be “The Moscow Saga”, “Trilogy”, “Burn” and “Island of Crimea”, unpublished due to censorship in the USSR. As well as his last completed novel, Mysterious Passion.

Personal life: Vasily Aksenov was married twice, his first wife was Kira Mendeleeva, and second Maya Carmen, which the poet himself called main passion all my life.

Death: Aksenov died in 2009 at the age of 77 after a long illness.

Interesting Facts: After Aksenov was deprived of Soviet citizenship, he taught Russian literature at several US universities. In 1990, Aksenov and his wife were returned to Russian citizenship, but he never returned to his homeland, only appearing in Moscow from time to time.