Grigory Baklanov
Encyclopedia
Grigory Yakovlevich Baklanov (Russian
: Григо́рий Я́ковлевич Бакла́нов) (September 11, 1923 – December 23, 2009) was a Russia
n novelist and editor, well known for his novels about World War II
and as the editor of the literary monthly Znamya
during the time of Mikhail Gorbachev
's reforms.
. From 1941, during the Second World War, he served in the Red Army
and was seriously wounded. He was demobilized as an artillery
lieutenant in Austria
. The war made a lasting impression on him and influenced much of his later literary work. For his war effort, Baklanov was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Great Patriotic War, first class.
After demobilization, he attended the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute
, from which he graduated in 1951. His first story was published in Krest'yanka, a women's monthly, in the same year.
Baklanov's rise to international fame dates from 1959, with the publication of his novel An Inch of Land (translated as The Foothold, 1962), describing the fate of an ordinary soldier at a bridgehead on the Dnestr in the summer of 1944.
In 1979, his novel, Forever Nineteen, a tribute to his former classmates who died in the war, was published. The success of this novel earned him the USSR State Prize
.
In the meantime he had written more novels dealing with the war: The Dead Shouldn't be Shamed (1961) and July 1941 (1964), in which he dealt with the question of the responsibility for the early defeats of the Red Army in 1941.
From 1986 to 1993, during the period of Glasnost
, Baklanov was the main editor of the literary magazine Znamya
, which published a number of literary works that before had been censored under Stalinism. Baklanov held pro-reform, liberal and pro-Western views. In 1993, Znamya was transformed into a fund.
In 1993, Baklanov was one of the signers of the Letter of Forty-Two
, commenting on the events of October 1993 and supporting a ban on communist and nationalist movements.
In 1997, he received the State Prize of the Russian Federation for his novel I togda prikhodyat marodyory (And then came the marauders).
He also wrote the scenarios for a number of films: Poznavaya bely svet (Getting to know the wide world) by Kira Muratova
in 1979 and Byl mesyats mai (It was the month of May) by Marlen Khutsiev
in 1970.
He died in Moscow on December 23, 2009.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Григо́рий Я́ковлевич Бакла́нов) (September 11, 1923 – December 23, 2009) was a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n novelist and editor, well known for his novels about 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...
and as the editor of the literary monthly Znamya
Znamya
Znamya is a Russian monthly magazine, which was established in Moscow in 1931. In 1931-1932, the magazine was published under the name of Lokaf...
during the time of Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
's reforms.
Biography
Baklanov was born Grigory Yakovlevich Friedman in VoronezhVoronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
. From 1941, during the Second World War, he served in the 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...
and was seriously wounded. He was demobilized as an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
lieutenant in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The war made a lasting impression on him and influenced much of his later literary work. For his war effort, Baklanov was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Great Patriotic War, first class.
After demobilization, he attended the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute
Maxim Gorky Literature Institute
The Maxim Gorky Literature Institute is a higher education institute in Moscow. It is located at 25 Tver Bulvar in Central Moscow.It was founded in 1933 on the initiative of Maxim Gorky, and received its current name at Gorky's death in 1936....
, from which he graduated in 1951. His first story was published in Krest'yanka, a women's monthly, in the same year.
Baklanov's rise to international fame dates from 1959, with the publication of his novel An Inch of Land (translated as The Foothold, 1962), describing the fate of an ordinary soldier at a bridgehead on the Dnestr in the summer of 1944.
In 1979, his novel, Forever Nineteen, a tribute to his former classmates who died in the war, was published. The success of this novel earned him the USSR State Prize
USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
.
In the meantime he had written more novels dealing with the war: The Dead Shouldn't be Shamed (1961) and July 1941 (1964), in which he dealt with the question of the responsibility for the early defeats of the Red Army in 1941.
From 1986 to 1993, during the period of Glasnost
Glasnost
Glasnost was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s...
, Baklanov was the main editor of the literary magazine Znamya
Znamya
Znamya is a Russian monthly magazine, which was established in Moscow in 1931. In 1931-1932, the magazine was published under the name of Lokaf...
, which published a number of literary works that before had been censored under Stalinism. Baklanov held pro-reform, liberal and pro-Western views. In 1993, Znamya was transformed into a fund.
In 1993, Baklanov was one of the signers of the Letter of Forty-Two
Letter of Forty-Two
The Letter of Forty-Two was an open letter signed by forty-two well-known Russian literati, aimed at Russian society, the president and government, in reaction to the events of September – October 1993...
, commenting on the events of October 1993 and supporting a ban on communist and nationalist movements.
In 1997, he received the State Prize of the Russian Federation for his novel I togda prikhodyat marodyory (And then came the marauders).
He also wrote the scenarios for a number of films: Poznavaya bely svet (Getting to know the wide world) by Kira Muratova
Kira Muratova
Kira Muratova is a Soviet and Ukrainian film director, screenwriter and actress. She was born in 1934 in Soroca, Bessarabia, Romania . She was born to a Romanian mother and a Russian father. Muratova is known for her unusual and original directorial style...
in 1979 and Byl mesyats mai (It was the month of May) by Marlen Khutsiev
Marlen Khutsiev
Marlen Martynovich Khutsiev is a Georgian-born Soviet and Russian filmmaker best known for his cult films from the 1960s, which include I Am Twenty and July Rain. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1986.-Biography:...
in 1970.
He died in Moscow on December 23, 2009.
English Translations
- The Foothold, Chapman and Hall, 1962.
- South of the Main Offensive, Dufour Editions, 1963.
- Forever Nineteen, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1989.
- The Moment Between the Past and the Future, Faber and Faber, 1994.