List of Russian Nobel laureates in literature. Nobel Prize for Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur), Sweden

On December 10, 1933, King Gustav V of Sweden awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to the writer Ivan Bunin, who became the first Russian writer to receive this high award. In total, the prize, established by the inventor of dynamite Alfred Bernhard Nobel in 1833, was received by 21 people from Russia and the USSR, five of them in the field of literature. True, historically it turned out that for Russian poets and writers the Nobel Prize was fraught with big problems.

Ivan Alekseevich Bunin distributed the Nobel Prize to friends

It is known that Nobel laureates have the right to decide for themselves how to spend the money they receive. Some people invest in the development of science, some in charity, some in own business. Bunin, a creative person and devoid of “practical ingenuity,” disposed of his bonus, which amounted to 170,331 crowns, completely irrationally. Poet and literary critic Zinaida Shakhovskaya recalled: “ Returning to France, Ivan Alekseevich... not counting the money, began organizing feasts, distributing “benefits” to emigrants, donating funds to support various societies. Finally, on the advice of well-wishers, he invested the remaining amount in some “win-win business” and was left with nothing».

Ivan Bunin is the first emigrant writer to be published in Russia. True, the first publications of his stories appeared in the 1950s, after the writer’s death. Some of his works, stories and poems, were published in his homeland only in the 1990s.

Dear God, why are you
Gave us passions, thoughts and worries,
Do I thirst for business, fame and pleasure?
Joyful are cripples, idiots,
The leper is the most joyful of all.
(I. Bunin. September, 1917)

Boris Pasternak refused the Nobel Prize

The writing community in the poet’s homeland took this news extremely negatively and on October 27, Pasternak was unanimously expelled from the Union of Writers of the USSR, at the same time filing a petition to deprive Pasternak of Soviet citizenship. In the USSR, Pasternak's receipt of the prize was associated only with his novel Doctor Zhivago. The literary newspaper wrote: “Pasternak received “thirty pieces of silver,” for which the Nobel Prize was used. He was awarded for agreeing to play the role of bait on the rusty hook of anti-Soviet propaganda... An inglorious end awaits the resurrected Judas, Doctor Zhivago, and his author, whose lot will be popular contempt.”.

The mass campaign launched against Pasternak forced him to refuse the Nobel Prize. The poet sent a telegram to the Swedish Academy in which he wrote: “ Due to the importance that the award given to me has received in the society to which I belong, I must refuse it. Please don't take my voluntary refusal as an insult.».

It is worth noting that in the USSR until 1989, even in school curriculum There were no references to Pasternak’s work in the literature. The first to decide to introduce en masse Soviet people with the creative work of Pasternak, director Eldar Ryazanov. In his comedy “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” (1976) he included the poem “There will be no one in the house”, transforming it into an urban romance, which was performed by the bard Sergei Nikitin. Ryazanov later included in his film “ Love affair at work"An excerpt from another poem by Pasternak - “Loving others is a heavy cross..." (1931). True, it sounded in a farcical context. But it is worth noting that at that time the very mention of Pasternak’s poems was a very bold step.

It's easy to wake up and see clearly,
Shake out the verbal trash from the heart
And live without getting clogged in the future,
All this is not a big trick.
(B. Pasternak, 1931)

Mikhail Sholokhov, receiving the Nobel Prize, did not bow to the monarch

Gustav Adolf VI, who presented the prize to the Soviet writer, called him “one of the most outstanding writers our time". Sholokhov did not bow to the king, as prescribed by the rules of etiquette. Some sources claim that he did this intentionally with the words: “We Cossacks do not bow to anyone. In front of the people, please, but I won’t do it in front of the king...”

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was deprived of Soviet citizenship because of the Nobel Prize

October 8, 1970 “for moral strength, drawn from the tradition of great Russian literature,” Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize. This became the reason for persecution of Solzhenitsyn in the USSR. In 1971, all the writer’s manuscripts were confiscated, and in the next 2 years, all his publications were destroyed. In 1974, a Decree was issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which deprived Alexander Solzhenitsyn of Soviet citizenship and deported him from the USSR for systematically committing actions incompatible with belonging to USSR citizenship and causing damage to the USSR.

The writer’s citizenship was returned only in 1990, and in 1994 he and his family returned to Russia and actively became involved in public life.

Nobel Prize winner Joseph Brodsky was convicted of parasitism in Russia

In 1972, Brodsky turned to Secretary General Brezhnev with a request to work in his homeland as a translator, but his request remained unanswered, and he was forced to emigrate. Brodsky first lives in Vienna, London, and then moves to the United States, where he becomes a professor at New York, Michigan and other universities in the country.

On December 10, 1987, Joseph Brosky was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and passion of poetry.” It is worth saying that Brodsky, after Vladimir Nabokov, is the second Russian writer who writes in English language as in native language.

The sea was not visible. In the white haze,
swaddled on all sides, absurd
it was thought that the ship was heading towards land -
if it was a ship at all,
and not a clot of fog, as if poured
who whitened it in milk?
(B. Brodsky, 1972)

Interesting fact
For the Nobel Prize in different time nominated, but never received it, such famous personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Franklin Roosevelt, Nicholas Roerich and Leo Tolstoy.

Literature lovers will definitely be interested in this book, which is written with disappearing ink.

FIVE RUSSIAN WRITERS WHO BECAME NOBEL LAUREATES 1. IVAN BUNIN. On December 10, 1933, King Gustav V of Sweden awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to the writer Ivan Bunin, who became the first Russian writer to receive this high award. In total, the prize, established by the inventor of dynamite Alfred Bernhard Nobel in 1833, was received by 21 people from Russia and the USSR, five of them in the field of literature. True, historically it turned out that for Russian poets and writers the Nobel Prize was fraught with big problems. Ivan Alekseevich Bunin distributed the Nobel Prize to friends. In December 1933, the Parisian press wrote: “Without a doubt, I.A. Bunin, in recent years, has been the most powerful figure in Russian fiction and poetry,” “the king of literature confidently and equally shook hands with the crowned monarch.” The Russian emigration applauded. In Russia, the news that a Russian emigrant received the Nobel Prize was treated very caustically. After all, Bunin reacted negatively to the events of 1917 and emigrated to France. Ivan Alekseevich himself experienced emigration very hard, was actively interested in the fate of his abandoned homeland, and during the Second World War he categorically refused all contacts with the Nazis, moving to the Alpes-Maritimes in 1939, returning from there to Paris only in 1945. It is known that Nobel laureates have the right to decide how to spend the money they receive. Some people invest in the development of science, some in charity, some in their own business. Bunin, a creative person and devoid of “practical ingenuity,” disposed of his bonus, which amounted to 170,331 crowns, completely irrationally. The poet and literary critic Zinaida Shakhovskaya recalled: “Having returned to France, Ivan Alekseevich ... in addition to money, began to organize parties, distribute “benefits” to emigrants, and donate funds to support various societies. Finally, on the advice of well-wishers, he invested the remaining amount in some “win-win business” and was left with nothing.” Ivan Bunin is the first emigrant writer to be published in Russia. True, the first publications of his stories appeared in the 1950s, after the writer’s death. Some of his works, stories and poems, were published in his homeland only in the 1990s. Merciful God, why have you given us passions, thoughts and worries, a thirst for work, glory and pleasures? The cripples and idiots are joyful, The leper is the most joyful of all. (I. Bunin. September, 1917)

2.BORIS PASTERNAK. Boris Pasternak refused the Nobel Prize. Boris Pasternak was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature “for significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the traditions of the great Russian epic novel” every year from 1946 to 1950. In 1958, his candidacy was again proposed by last year's Nobel laureate Albert Camus, and on October 23, Pasternak became the second Russian writer to receive this prize. The writing community in the poet’s homeland took this news extremely negatively and on October 27, Pasternak was unanimously expelled from the Union of Writers of the USSR, at the same time filing a petition to deprive Pasternak of Soviet citizenship. In the USSR, Pasternak's receipt of the prize was associated only with his novel Doctor Zhivago. The literary newspaper wrote: “Pasternak received “thirty pieces of silver,” for which the Nobel Prize was used. He was awarded for agreeing to play the role of bait on the rusty hook of anti-Soviet propaganda... An inglorious end awaits the resurrected Judas, Doctor Zhivago, and its author, whose lot will be popular contempt.” The mass campaign launched against Pasternak forced him to refuse the Nobel Prize. The poet sent a telegram to the Swedish Academy in which he wrote: “Due to the importance that the award awarded to me received in the society to which I belong, I must refuse it. Do not consider my voluntary refusal an insult.” It is worth noting that in the USSR, until 1989, even in the school literature curriculum there was no mention of Pasternak’s work. The first to decide to introduce the Soviet people to Pasternak’s creative work was director Eldar Ryazanov. In his comedy “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” (1976) he included the poem “There will be no one in the house”, transforming it into an urban romance, which was performed by the bard Sergei Nikitin. Later, Ryazanov included in his film “Office Romance” an excerpt from another poem by Pasternak - “Loving others is a heavy cross...” (1931). True, it sounded in a farcical context. But it is worth noting that at that time the very mention of Pasternak’s poems was a very bold step. It’s easy to wake up and see the light, shake out the verbal rubbish from the heart, and live without getting dirty in the future. All this is not a big trick. (B. Pasternak, 1931)

3. MIKHAIL SHOLOKHOV Mikhail Sholokhov, receiving the Nobel Prize, did not bow to the monarch. Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1965 for his novel “Quiet Don” and went down in history as the only Soviet writer to receive this prize with the consent of the Soviet leadership. The laureate's diploma states "in recognition of the artistic strength and honesty that he showed in his Don epic about the historical phases of the life of the Russian people." Gustav Adolf VI, who presented the prize to the Soviet writer, called him “one of the most outstanding writers of our time.” Sholokhov did not bow to the king, as prescribed by the rules of etiquette. Some sources claim that he did this intentionally with the words: “We, Cossacks, do not bow to anyone. In front of the people, please, but I won’t do it in front of the king...”

4. ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN Alexander Solzhenitsyn was deprived of Soviet citizenship because of the Nobel Prize. Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, commander of a sound reconnaissance battery, who rose to the rank of captain during the war years and was awarded two military orders, was arrested by front-line counterintelligence in 1945 for anti-Soviet activity. Sentence: 8 years in camps and lifelong exile. He went through a camp in New Jerusalem near Moscow, the Marfinsky “sharashka” and the Special Ekibastuz camp in Kazakhstan. In 1956, Solzhenitsyn was rehabilitated, and since 1964, Alexander Solzhenitsyn devoted himself to literature. At the same time, he worked on 4 major works at once: “The Gulag Archipelago”, “Cancer Ward”, “The Red Wheel” and “In the First Circle”. In the USSR in 1964 the story “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” was published, and in 1966 the story “Zakhar-Kalita”. On October 8, 1970, “for the moral strength drawn from the tradition of great Russian literature,” Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize. This became the reason for persecution of Solzhenitsyn in the USSR. In 1971, all the writer’s manuscripts were confiscated, and in the next 2 years, all his publications were destroyed. In 1974, a Decree was issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which deprived Alexander Solzhenitsyn of Soviet citizenship and deported him from the USSR for systematically committing actions incompatible with belonging to USSR citizenship and causing damage to the USSR. The writer’s citizenship was returned only in 1990, and in 1994 he and his family returned to Russia and actively became involved in public life.

5. JOSEPH BRODSKY Nobel Prize winner Joseph Brodsky was convicted in Russia of parasitism. Joseph Aleksandrovich Brodsky began writing poetry at the age of 16. Anna Akhmatova predicted a hard life and a glorious creative destiny for him. In 1964, a criminal case was opened against the poet in Leningrad on charges of parasitism. He was arrested and sent into exile in the Arkhangelsk region, where he spent a year. In 1972, Brodsky turned to Secretary General Brezhnev with a request to work in his homeland as a translator, but his request remained unanswered, and he was forced to emigrate. Brodsky first lives in Vienna, London, and then moves to the United States, where he becomes a professor at New York, Michigan and other universities in the country. On December 10, 1987, Joseph Brosky was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and passion of poetry.” It is worth saying that Brodsky, after Vladimir Nabokov, is the second Russian writer who writes in English as his native language. The sea was not visible. In the whitish darkness that shrouded us on all sides, it was absurd to think that the ship was heading towards land - if it was a ship at all, and not a clot of fog, as if someone had poured white into milk. (B. Brodsky, 1972)

INTERESTING FACT Such famous figures as Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Franklin Roosevelt, Nicholas Roerich and Leo Tolstoy were nominated for the Nobel Prize at different times, but never received it.

The Nobel Prize was created by and named after the Swedish industrialist, inventor and chemical engineer, Alfred Nobel. It is considered the most prestigious in the world. The laureates receive gold medal, which depicts A. B. Nobel, a diploma, as well as a check for a large sum. The latter consists of the amount of profits that the Nobel Foundation receives. In 1895 he made a will, according to which his capital was placed in bonds, shares and loans. The income that this money brings is divided equally into five parts every year and becomes a prize for achievements in five areas: chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature, and also for activities to strengthen peace.

The first Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded on December 10, 1901, and has since been awarded annually on that date, which is the anniversary of Nobel's death. The winners are awarded in Stockholm by the Swedish king himself. After receiving the award, Nobel Prize winners in literature must give a lecture on their work within 6 months. This is an indispensable condition for receiving the award.

The decision on who is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature is made by the Swedish Academy, located in Stockholm, as well as Nobel Committee, which announces only the number of applicants without naming their names. The selection procedure itself is secret, which sometimes causes angry reviews from critics and ill-wishers who claim that the award is given for political reasons and not for literary achievements. The main argument that is given as proof is that Nabokov, Tolstoy, Bokhres, Joyce were bypassed by the prize. However, the list of authors who received it still remains impressive. There are five writers from Russia who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more about each of them below.

The 2014 Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded for the 107th time, going to Patrick Modiano and screenwriter. That is, since 1901, 111 writers have received the award (since four times it was awarded to two authors at the same time).

It would take quite a long time to list all the laureates and get to know each of them. The most famous and widely read Nobel Prize winners in literature and their works are brought to your attention.

1. William Golding, 1983

William Golding received the award for his famous novels, of which there are 12 in his oeuvre. The most famous, Lord of the Flies and The Descendants, are among the best-selling books written by Nobel laureates. The novel "Lord of the Flies", published in 1954, brought the writer world fame. Critics often compare it to Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in terms of its significance for the development of literature and modern thought in general.

2. Toni Morrison, 1993

The Nobel Prize winners in literature are not only men, but also women. One of them is Toni Morrison. This American writer was born into a working-class family in Ohio. After attending Howard University, where she studied literature and English, she began writing her own works. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye (1970), was based on a story she wrote for a university literary circle. It is one of Toni Morrison's most popular works. Her other novel, Sula, published in 1975, was nominated for the US National.

3. 1962

Most famous works Steinbeck - "East of Eden", "The Grapes of Wrath", "Of Mice and Men". The Grapes of Wrath became a bestseller in 1939, selling more than 50,000 copies and now selling more than 75 million copies. Until 1962, the writer was nominated for the prize 8 times, and he himself believed that he was unworthy of such an award. And many American critics noted that his later novels were much weaker than his previous ones, and responded negatively to this award. In 2013, when some documents from the Swedish Academy (kept secret for 50 years) were declassified, it became clear that the writer was awarded because he was "the best in bad company" that year.

4. Ernest Hemingway, 1954

This writer became one of nine winners of the literature prize, to whom it was awarded not for creativity in general, but for a specific work, namely for the story “The Old Man and the Sea.” The same work, first published in 1952, brought the writer the following year, 1953, another prestigious award - the Pulitzer Prize.

In the same year, the Nobel Committee included Hemingway in the list of candidates, but the winner of the award that time was Winston Churchill, who by that time had already turned 79 years old, and therefore it was decided not to delay the presentation of the award. And Ernest Hemingway became a well-deserved winner of the award the following year, 1954.

5. Marquez, 1982

The winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 included Gabriel García Márquez among their ranks. He became the first writer from Colombia to receive an award from the Swedish Academy. His books, including Chronicle of a Death Proclaimed, The Autumn of the Patriarch, and Love in the Time of Cholera, became the best-selling works written in Spanish in its history. The novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” (1967), which another Nobel Prize laureate, Pablo Neruda, called the greatest creation in Spanish after Cervantes’s “Don Quixote”, has been translated into more than 25 languages ​​​​of the world, and the total circulation of the work was more than 50 millions of copies.

6. Samuel Beckett, 1969

The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Samuel Beckett in 1969. This Irish writer is one of the most famous representatives modernism. It was he who, together with Eugene Ionescu, founded the famous “theater of the absurd”. Samuel Beckett wrote his works in two languages ​​- English and French. The most famous creation of his pen was the play "Waiting for Godot", written in French. The plot of the work is as follows. The main characters throughout the play are waiting for a certain Godot, who should bring some meaning to their existence. However, he never appears, so the reader or viewer has to decide for himself what kind of image it was.

Beckett was fond of playing chess and enjoyed success with women, but led a rather secluded lifestyle. He did not even agree to come to the Nobel Prize ceremony, sending his publisher, Jerome Lindon, in his place.

7. 1949

The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 went to William Faulkner. He also initially refused to go to Stockholm to receive the award, but was eventually persuaded by his daughter. John Kennedy sent him an invitation to a dinner organized in honor of Nobel Prize winners. However, Faulkner, who all his life considered himself “not a writer, but a farmer,” in his own words, refused to accept the invitation, citing old age.

The most famous and popular novels the author's are "The Sound and the Fury" and "As I Lay Dying." However, success did not come to these works immediately, for a long time they hardly sold. The Sound and the Fury, published in 1929, sold only three thousand copies in its first 16 years of publication. However, in 1949, by the time the author received the Nobel Prize, this novel was already an example classical literature America.

In 2012, a special edition of this work was published in the UK, in which the text was printed 14 different colors, which was done at the request of the writer so that the reader could notice different time planes. The limited edition of the novel was only 1,480 copies and sold out immediately after its release. Now the cost of a book of this rare edition is estimated at approximately 115 thousand rubles.

8. Doris Lessing, 2007

The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded in 2007. This British writer and poet received the award at the age of 88, making her the oldest recipient. She also became the eleventh woman (out of 13) to receive the Nobel Prize.

Lessing was not very popular with critics, since she rarely wrote on pressing topics. social issues, she was even often called a propagandist of Sufism, a teaching that preaches renunciation of worldly vanity. However, according to The Times magazine, this writer ranks fifth in the list of 50 greatest authors UK, published after 1945.

The most popular work Doris Lessing's novel "The Golden Notebook", published in 1962, is considered. Some critics classify it as an example of classic feminist prose, but the writer herself categorically disagrees with this opinion.

9. Albert Camus, 1957

The Nobel Prize in Literature was also awarded to French writers. One of them, writer, journalist, essayist of Algerian origin, Albert Camus, is the “conscience of the West.” His most famous work is the story "The Stranger", published in 1942 in France. Made in 1946 English translation, sales began, and within a few years the number of copies sold amounted to more than 3.5 million.

Albert Camus is often classified as a representative of existentialism, but he himself did not agree with this and in every possible way denied such a definition. Thus, in a speech delivered at the presentation of the Nobel Prize, he noted that in his work he sought to “avoid outright lies and resist oppression.”

10. Alice Munro, 2013

In 2013, nominees for the Nobel Prize in Literature included Alice Munro on their list. A representative of Canada, this novelist became famous in the genre short story. She began writing them early, from her teenage years, but the first collection of her works, entitled “Dance of the Happy Shadows,” was published only in 1968, when the author was already 37 years old. In 1971, the next collection, “The Lives of Girls and Women,” appeared, which critics called “an education novel.” Her other literary works include the books: “Who Are You, Exactly?”, “The Fugitive,” and “Too Much Happiness.” One of her collections, “The Hateful Friendship, Courtship, Love, Marriage,” published in 2001, was even made into a Canadian film called “Away From Her,” directed by Sarah Polley. The author's most popular book is " Dear Life", published in 2012.

Munro is often called the "Canadian Chekhov" because the writers' styles are similar. Like the Russian writer, he is characterized by psychological realism and clarity.

Nobel Prize laureates in literature from Russia

To date, five Russian writers have won the prize. The first laureate was I. A. Bunin.

1. Ivan Alekseevich Bunin, 1933

This is a famous Russian writer and poet, an outstanding master of realistic prose, and an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1920, Ivan Alekseevich emigrated to France, and when presenting the award, he noted that the Swedish Academy acted very bravely by awarding the emigrant writer. Among the contenders for this year’s prize was another Russian writer, M. Gorky, however, largely thanks to the publication of the book “The Life of Arsenyev” by that time, the scales nevertheless tipped in the direction of Ivan Alekseevich.

Bunin began writing his first poems at the age of 7-8 years. Later, his famous works were published: the story “The Village”, the collection “Sukhodol”, the books “John the Weeper”, “The Gentleman from San Francisco”, etc. In the 20s he wrote (1924) and “ Sunstroke"(1927). And in 1943, the pinnacle of Ivan Alexandrovich's creativity, a collection of stories, was born" Dark alleys". This book was dedicated to only one topic - love, its “dark” and gloomy sides, as the author wrote in one of his letters.

2. Boris Leonidovich Pasternak, 1958

The Nobel Prize laureates in literature from Russia in 1958 included Boris Leonidovich Pasternak on their list. The poet was awarded the prize at a difficult time. He was forced to abandon it under threat of exile from Russia. However, the Nobel Committee regarded Boris Leonidovich’s refusal as forced, and in 1989 transferred the medal and diploma to his son after the writer’s death. Famous novel"Doctor Zhivago" is Pasternak's true artistic testament. This work was written in 1955. Albert Camus, laureate in 1957, spoke with admiration of this novel.

3. Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov, 1965

In 1965, M. A. Sholokhov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Russia has once again proven to the whole world that it has talented writers. Having started your literary activity as a representative of realism, depicting the deep contradictions of life, Sholokhov, however, in some works finds himself captive of the socialist trend. During the presentation of the Nobel Prize, Mikhail Alexandrovich made a speech in which he noted that in his works he sought to praise “the nation of workers, builders and heroes.”

In 1926 he started his main novel, Quiet Don, and completed it in 1940, long before he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Sholokhov's works were published in parts, including "Quiet Don". In 1928, largely thanks to the assistance of A.S. Serafimovich, a friend of Mikhail Alexandrovich, the first part appeared in print. Already in next year the second volume was published. The third was published in 1932-1933, already with the assistance and support of M. Gorky. The last, fourth, volume was published in 1940. This novel had great importance both for Russian and world literature. It was translated into many languages ​​of the world and became the basis famous opera Ivan Dzerzhinsky, as well as numerous theatrical productions and films.

Some, however, accused Sholokhov of plagiarism (including A. I. Solzhenitsyn), believing that most of the work was copied from the manuscripts of F. D. Kryukov, a Cossack writer. Other researchers confirmed the authorship of Sholokhov.

In addition to this work, in 1932 Sholokhov also created “Virgin Soil Upturned,” a work telling about the history of collectivization among the Cossacks. In 1955, the first chapters of the second volume were published, and at the beginning of 1960 the last ones were completed.

At the end of 1942, the third novel, “They Fought for the Motherland,” was published.

4. Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, 1970

The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 was awarded to A. I. Solzhenitsyn. Alexander Isaevich accepted it, but did not dare to attend the award ceremony because he was afraid of the Soviet government, which regarded the decision of the Nobel Committee as “politically hostile.” Solzhenitsyn was afraid that he would not be able to return to his homeland after this trip, although the 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature that he received increased the prestige of our country. In his work, he touched upon acute socio-political problems and actively fought against communism, its ideas and the policies of the Soviet regime.

The main works of Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn include: “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” (1962), story “ Matrenin Dvor", the novel "In the First Circle" (written from 1955 to 1968), "The Gulag Archipelago" (1964-1970). The first published work was the story "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", which appeared in the magazine " New world". This publication aroused great interest and numerous responses from readers, which inspired the writer to create the Gulag Archipelago. In 1964, Alexander Isaevich’s first story received the Lenin Prize.

However, after a year he loses favor Soviet authorities, and his works are prohibited from being published. His novels “The Gulag Archipelago”, “In the First Circle” and “Cancer Ward” were published abroad, for which the writer was deprived of citizenship in 1974 and he was forced to emigrate. Only 20 years later he managed to return to his homeland. In 2001-2002, Solzhenitsyn’s great work “Two Hundred Years Together” appeared. Alexander Isaevich died in 2008.

5. Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky, 1987

The winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987 joined their ranks with I. A. Brodsky. In 1972, the writer was forced to emigrate to the USA, so world encyclopedia even calls it American. Among all the writers who received the Nobel Prize, he is the youngest. With his lyrics, he comprehended the world as a single cultural and metaphysical whole, and also pointed out the limitations of the perception of man as a subject of knowledge.

Joseph Alexandrovich wrote not only in Russian, but also in English, poetry, essays, literary criticism. Immediately after the publication of his first collection in the West, in 1965, Brodsky came to international fame. TO the best books The author's works include: "Embankment of the Incurable", "Part of Speech", "Landscape with Flood", "The End of a Beautiful Era", "Stop in the Desert" and others.

Only five Russian writers have received the prestigious international Nobel Prize. For three of them, this brought not only worldwide fame, but also widespread persecution, repression and expulsion. Only one of them was approved by the Soviet government, and its last owner was “forgiven” and invited to return to his homeland.

Nobel Prize- one of the most prestigious awards, which is awarded annually for outstanding Scientific research, significant inventions and significant contributions to culture and society. There is one comical, but not accidental story connected with its establishment. It is known that the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel, is also famous for the fact that it was he who invented dynamite (pursuing, however, pacifist goals, since he believed that opponents armed to the teeth would understand the stupidity and senselessness of the war and stop the conflict). When his brother Ludwig Nobel died in 1888, and newspapers erroneously “buried” Alfred Nobel, calling him a “merchant of death,” the latter seriously wondered how society would remember him. As a result of these thoughts, Alfred Nobel changed his will in 1895. And it said the following:

"Everything that is movable and real estate must be converted by my executors into liquid assets, and the capital thus collected placed in a reliable bank. The income from investments should belong to a fund, which will distribute them annually in the form of bonuses to those who, during the previous year, have brought the greatest benefit to humanity... The specified interest must be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: one part - to the one who will do the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; the other - to the one who makes the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; the third - to the one who makes the most important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; fourth - to the one who creates the most outstanding literary work idealistic direction; fifth - to the one who will make the most significant contribution to the unity of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of the strength of existing armies and the promotion of peaceful congresses ... It is my special desire that in the awarding of prizes the nationality of the candidates will not be taken into account ... ".

Medal awarded to a Nobel laureate

After conflicts with Nobel’s “deprived” relatives, the executors of his will - his secretary and lawyer - established the Nobel Foundation, whose responsibilities included organizing the presentation of bequeathed prizes. A separate institution was created to award each of the five prizes. So, Nobel Prize in literature came under the purview of the Swedish Academy. Since then, the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded annually since 1901, except for 1914, 1918, 1935 and 1940-1943. It is interesting that upon delivery Nobel Prize Only the names of the laureates are announced; all other nominations are kept secret for 50 years.

Swedish Academy building

Despite the apparent disinterest Nobel Prize, dictated by the philanthropic instructions of Nobel himself, many “left” political forces still see obvious politicization and some Western cultural chauvinism in the awarding of the prize. It is difficult not to notice that the vast majority of Nobel laureates come from the USA and European countries (more than 700 laureates), while the number of laureates from the USSR and Russia is much smaller. Moreover, there is a point of view that most Soviet laureates The prize was awarded only for criticism of the USSR.

Nevertheless, these five Russian writers are laureates Nobel Prize on literature:

Ivan Alekseevich Bunin- laureate of 1933. The prize was awarded “for the strict skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose" Bunin received the prize while in exile.

Boris Leonidovich Pasternak- laureate of 1958. The prize was awarded “for significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the traditions of the great Russian epic novel.” This prize is associated with the anti-Soviet novel “Doctor Zhivago”, therefore, in conditions of severe persecution, Pasternak is forced to refuse it. The medal and diploma were awarded to the writer’s son Evgeniy only in 1988 (the writer died in 1960). It is interesting that in 1958 this was the seventh attempt to present Pasternak with the prestigious prize.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov- laureate of 1965. The prize was awarded “For the artistic strength and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia.” This award has a long history. Back in 1958, a delegation of the USSR Writers' Union visiting Sweden contrasted the European popularity of Pasternak with the international popularity of Sholokhov, and in a telegram Soviet ambassador in Sweden on April 7, 1958 it was said:

“It would be desirable to make it clear to the Swedish public through cultural figures close to us that the Soviet Union would highly appreciate the award Nobel Prize Sholokhov... It is also important to make it clear that Pasternak as a writer is not recognized by Soviet writers and progressive writers of other countries.”

Contrary to this recommendation, Nobel Prize in 1958, it was nevertheless awarded to Pasternak, which resulted in severe disapproval from the Soviet government. But in 1964 from Nobel Prize Jean-Paul Sartre refused, explaining, among other things, his personal regret that Sholokhov was not awarded the prize. It was this gesture of Sartre that predetermined the choice of the laureate in 1965. Thus, Mikhail Sholokhov became the only Soviet writer who received Nobel Prize with the consent of the top leadership of the USSR.

Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn- laureate of 1970. The prize was awarded “for the moral strength with which he followed the immutable traditions of Russian literature.” From start creative path Solzhenitsyn only 7 years passed before the prize was awarded - this is the only similar case in the history of the Nobel Committee. Solzhenitsyn himself spoke about the political aspect of awarding him the prize, but the Nobel Committee denied this. However, after Solzhenitsyn received the prize, a propaganda campaign was organized against him in the USSR, and in 1971, an attempt at physical destruction was made when he was injected with a toxic substance, after which the writer survived, but was ill for a long time.

Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky- laureate of 1987. The prize was awarded “for comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and passion of poetry.” Awarding the prize to Brodsky no longer caused such controversy as many other decisions of the Nobel Committee, since Brodsky by that time was known in many countries. In his first interview after he was awarded the prize, he himself said: “It was received by Russian literature, and it was received by an American citizen.” And even the weakened Soviet government, shaken by perestroika, began to establish contacts with the famous exile.

RUSSIAN HISTORY

“Prix Nobel? Oui, ma belle". This is what Brodsky joked long before receiving the Nobel Prize, which is the most important award for almost any writer. Despite the generous scattering of Russian literary geniuses, only five of them managed to receive the highest award. However, many, if not all, of them, having received it, suffered enormous losses in their lives.

Nobel Prize 1933 "For the truthful artistic talent with which he recreated in prose the typical Russian character."

Bunin became the first Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize. This event was given a special resonance by the fact that Bunin had not appeared in Russia for 13 years, even as a tourist. Therefore, when he was notified of a call from Stockholm, Bunin could not believe what had happened. In Paris, the news spread instantly. Every Russian, regardless of financial status and position, squandered their last pennies in a tavern, rejoicing that their compatriot turned out to be the best.

Once in the Swedish capital, Bunin was almost the most popular Russian person in the world; people stared at him for a long time, looked around, and whispered. He was surprised, comparing his fame and honor with the glory of the famous tenor.



Nobel Prize ceremony.
I. A. Bunin is in the first row, far right.
Stockholm, 1933

Nobel Prize 1958 "For significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the tradition of the great Russian epic novel"

Pasternak's candidacy for the Nobel Prize was discussed by the Nobel Committee every year, from 1946 to 1950. After a personal telegram from the head of the committee and Pasternak’s notification of the award, the writer responded with the following words: “Grateful, glad, proud, embarrassed.” But after some time, after the planned public persecution of the writer and his friends, public persecution, sowing an impartial and even hostile image among the masses, Pasternak refused the prize, writing a letter of more voluminous content.

After the award of the prize, Pasternak bore the full burden of the “persecuted poet” firsthand. Moreover, he carried this burden not at all for his poems (although it was for them, for the most part, that he was awarded the Nobel Prize), but for the “anti-conscience” novel “Doctor Zhivago”. Nes, even refusing such an honorable prize and a substantial sum of 250,000 crowns. According to the writer himself, he still would not have taken this money, having sent it to another, more useful place than your own pocket.

On December 9, 1989, in Stockholm, Boris Pasternak's son, Evgeniy, was awarded a diploma and the Nobel Medal to Boris Pasternak at a gala reception dedicated to the Nobel Prize laureates of that year.



Pasternak Evgeniy Borisovich

Nobel Prize 1965 “for the artistic strength and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia”.

Sholokhov, like Pasternak, repeatedly appeared in the field of view of the Nobel Committee. Moreover, their paths, like their offspring, involuntarily, and also voluntarily, crossed more than once. Their novels, without the participation of the authors themselves, “prevented” each other from winning the main award. It makes no sense to choose the better of two brilliant ones, but such different works. Moreover, the Nobel Prize was (and is) given in both cases not for individual works, but for the overall contribution as a whole, for a special component of all creativity. Once, in 1954, the Nobel Committee did not award Sholokhov only because the letter of recommendation from Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Sergeev-Tsensky arrived a couple of days later, and the committee did not have enough time to consider Sholokhov’s candidacy. It is believed that the novel (“Quiet Don”) at that time was not politically beneficial to Sweden, but artistic value always played a secondary role for the committee. In 1958, when Sholokhov’s figure looked like an iceberg in the Baltic Sea, the prize went to Pasternak. Already gray-haired, sixty-year-old Sholokhov was awarded his well-deserved Nobel Prize in Stockholm, after which the writer read a speech as pure and honest as all his work.



Mikhail Alexandrovich in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall
before the start of the Nobel Prize presentation.

Nobel Prize 1970 "For the moral strength gleaned from the tradition of great Russian literature."

Solzhenitsyn learned about this prize while still in the camps. And in his heart he strived to become its laureate. In 1970, after he was awarded the Nobel Prize, Solzhenitsyn replied that he would come “personally, on the appointed day” to receive the award. However, as twelve years earlier, when Pasternak was also threatened with deprivation of citizenship, Solzhenitsyn canceled his trip to Stockholm. It's hard to say that he regretted it too much. Reading the program for the gala evening, he kept coming across pompous details: what and how to say, a tuxedo or tailcoat to wear at this or that banquet. “...Why does it have to be a white bow tie,” he thought, “but not in a camp padded jacket?” “And how can we talk about the main task of our whole life at the “feast table”, when the tables are laden with dishes and everyone is drinking, eating, talking...”

Nobel Prize 1987 "For a comprehensive literary activity distinguished by clarity of thought and poetic intensity."

Of course, it was much “easier” for Brodsky to receive the Nobel Prize than for Pasternak or Solzhenitsyn. At that time, he was already a persecuted emigrant, deprived of citizenship and the right to enter Russia. The news of the Nobel Prize found Brodsky having lunch at a Chinese restaurant near London. The news practically did not change the expression on the writer’s face. He only joked to the first reporters that now he would have to wag his tongue for a whole year. One journalist asked Brodsky who he considers himself to be: Russian or American? “I am a Jew, a Russian poet and an English essayist,” Brodsky replied.

Known for his indecisive character, Brodsky took two versions of the Nobel lecture to Stockholm: in Russian and in English. Until the last moment, no one knew in what language the writer would read the text. Brodsky settled on Russian.



On December 10, 1987, Russian poet Joseph Brodsky was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity.”