Aleksandr Bek
Encyclopedia
Alexander Alfredovich Bek , sometimes transliterated
from the Russian Cyrillic as Aleksandr Bek or Anglicized to Alexander Beck, was a Soviet
novelist and writer.
, Bek received an upbringing in his native city of Saratov
, where he attended a Realschule
.
Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the outbreak of the Russian Civil War
between the Red
and White
movements, he joined the Bolsheviks' Red Army
as a sixteen-year old volunteer and began contributing articles to the army's divisional newspaper in 1919. His first novel, Kurako, completed in honor of the outstanding Soviet metallurgical worker Mikhail Kurako and set down following the impressions left on Bek after a visit to the town of Kuznetsk
, was published in 1934. Several other works in the style of socialist realism
were written during the 1930s.
Bek returned for duty in the Soviet Army
during World War II
, in which he witnessed the Soviet defense of Moscow
in 1941 and served as a war correspondent
. He produced one of his life's most famous works, Volokolamsk Highway («Волоколамское шоссе»), in 1944, depicting the heroism of Moscow’s defenders. He witnessed the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II in Berlin
the following year.
The more famous of Bek's 1950s and 1960s works included the Several Days («Несколько дней») and General Panfilov's Reserve («Резерв генерала Панфилова»), both of which appeared in 1960, as well as the 1956 Talent (The Life of Berezhkov) («Талант (Жизнь Бережкова)»), which appeared in English
as Berezhkov - The Story Of An Inventor and was based on the real life of a specialist involved in the Soviet automobile industry.
Bek's 1965 novel The New Appointment was written as a roman à clef
centered around Soviet politician Ivan Tevosyan, who under Joseph Stalin
's period as head of the Soviet Union had been appointed to play a key role in heading the Soviet metallurgical production. Despite the initial announcement of the book's publication in the pages of Novy Mir
, the novel was not published in the Soviet Union until the 1986 –in large part as a result of the protests of Tevosyan's widow, who complained that the work unfairly discussed the more private aspects of her late husband's life. Accordingly, The New Appointment first appeared in Frankfurt am Main in 1972.
Bek died on 2 November 1972 in Moscow.
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
from the Russian Cyrillic as Aleksandr Bek or Anglicized to Alexander Beck, was a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
novelist and writer.
Biography
Alexander Bek was born on 3 January 1903. The son of a physician employed by the Imperial Russian ArmyImperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
, Bek received an upbringing in his native city of Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
, where he attended a Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
.
Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the outbreak of the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
between the Red
Red Guards (Russia)
In the context of the history of Russia and Soviet Union, Red Guards were paramilitary formations consisting of workers and partially of soldiers and sailors formed in the time frame of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
and White
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
movements, he joined the Bolsheviks' Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
as a sixteen-year old volunteer and began contributing articles to the army's divisional newspaper in 1919. His first novel, Kurako, completed in honor of the outstanding Soviet metallurgical worker Mikhail Kurako and set down following the impressions left on Bek after a visit to the town of Kuznetsk
Kuznetsk
Kuznetsk is a town in Penza Oblast, Russia, located east of Penza and west of Samara and the Volga River. Population: -External links:*...
, was published in 1934. Several other works in the style of socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
were written during the 1930s.
Bek returned for duty in the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in which he witnessed the Soviet defense of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1941 and served as a war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
. He produced one of his life's most famous works, Volokolamsk Highway («Волоколамское шоссе»), in 1944, depicting the heroism of Moscow’s defenders. He witnessed the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
the following year.
The more famous of Bek's 1950s and 1960s works included the Several Days («Несколько дней») and General Panfilov's Reserve («Резерв генерала Панфилова»), both of which appeared in 1960, as well as the 1956 Talent (The Life of Berezhkov) («Талант (Жизнь Бережкова)»), which appeared in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as Berezhkov - The Story Of An Inventor and was based on the real life of a specialist involved in the Soviet automobile industry.
Bek's 1965 novel The New Appointment was written as a roman à clef
Roman à clef
Roman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
centered around Soviet politician Ivan Tevosyan, who under Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's period as head of the Soviet Union had been appointed to play a key role in heading the Soviet metallurgical production. Despite the initial announcement of the book's publication in the pages of Novy Mir
Novy Mir
Novy Mir is a Russian language literary magazine that has been published in Moscow since January 1925. It was supposed to be modelled on the popular pre-Soviet literary magazine Mir Bozhy , which was published from 1892 to 1906, and its follow-up, Sovremenny Mir , which was published 1906-1917...
, the novel was not published in the Soviet Union until the 1986 –in large part as a result of the protests of Tevosyan's widow, who complained that the work unfairly discussed the more private aspects of her late husband's life. Accordingly, The New Appointment first appeared in Frankfurt am Main in 1972.
Bek died on 2 November 1972 in Moscow.
English Translations
- And Not to Die: A Novel, SRT Publications, 1949.
- Berezhkov: The Story of an Inventor, Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1958.
External links
- "Aleksandr Bek" at the SovLit Enyclopedia of Soviet Writers.
- "Alexander Bek v. Boris Pasternak" –a recorded chess game played between Alexander Bek and fellow writer Boris PasternakBoris PasternakBoris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language...
in Moscow, 27 October 1947.