Grigory Baklanov
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Grigory Yakovlevich Baklanov () (11 September 1923 – 23 December 2009) was a Soviet and Russian writer, well known for his novels about
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, and as the editor of the literary magazine ''
Znamya ''Znamya'' ( rus, Знамя, p=ˈznamʲə, a=Ru-знамя.ogg, lit. "The Banner") is a Russian monthly literary magazine, which was established in Moscow in 1931. In 1931–1932, the magazine was published under the name of ''Lokaf'' ("Лок ...
.'' Becoming the editor in 1986, during
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
's reforms, Baklanov published the works that were previously banned by Soviet censors; his drive for
glasnost ''Glasnost'' ( ; , ) is a concept relating to openness and transparency. It has several general and specific meanings, including a policy of maximum openness in the activities of state institutions and freedom of information and the inadmissi ...
boosted the magazine's circulation to 1 million copies.


Biography

Baklanov was born Grigory Yakovlevich Friedman in
Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...
. In 1941, when the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, Baklanov was 17. He volunteered for the front, becoming the youngest soldier in his regiment. Later, as an artillery lieutenant, Baklanov commanded a platoon that fought in
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,
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,
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, Romania, and Austria. In 1943, he was badly injured and left partly disabled. Despite this, Baklanov rejoined his regiment and fought at the front until the end of the war. He was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Great Patriotic War, first class. Baklanov's early (unpublished) fiction related his
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
experiences. In 1951, he graduated from the
Gorky Literary Institute The Maxim Gorky Literature Institute () is an institution of higher education in Moscow, Russia. It is located at 25 Tverskoy Boulevard in central Moscow. History The institute was founded in 1933 on the initiative of Maxim Gorky, a writer, foun ...
in Moscow. His first published novel about the war, ''South of the Main Offensive'' (1957), describes fierce battles in which he had participated in
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
. It was dedicated to the memory of his two older brothers, who were killed in the war. According to Baklanov, his true literary debut was in 1959, with publication of his second novel, ''The Foothold'' (in Russian––''Pyadʹ zemli'', or Five Inches of Land). It was relentlessly criticized at home, but brought international fame to the writer: ''The Foothold'' was published in 36 countries. Soviet critics attacked Baklanov for describing events from an ordinary soldier's perspective, a depiction that conflicted with the propagandist official version of the war.Grigory Baklanov, ''Sobranie sochinenij v pyati tomah'', Moscow, 2003. Vol. 5, ''Ot avtora.'' In his 1964 novel ''July 1941'', Baklanov was among the first to reveal that
Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
’s purge of the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
during the 1930s was responsible for Soviet unpreparedness for war, which resulted in millions dying and being captured. The purge destroyed the army’s command and was chiefly responsible for the disproportionately high Soviet losses in 1941. Upon publication, ''July 1941'' was banned in the USSR for 12 years. In 2003, the writer elucidated on his message in the novel: "I wrote about the people’s tragedy, and about the greatest crime, which caused the year 1941, with millions killed, millions captured prisoner, of whom the main criminal
Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
had said: 'We have no prisoners, we have only traitors.'" Baklanov wrote novels, short stories, non-fiction, memoirs, plays, and screenplays. Eight feature films, based on his fiction, were produced. The most popular among them is the 1970 television film ''Byl mesyats mai'' (It was in May), directed by
Marlen Khutsiev Marlen Martynovich Khutsiev (4 October 192519 March 2019) was 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 US ...
. It won a prize at the 1971 Golden Prague International Television Festival. In 1975,
Yuri Lyubimov Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov (; 5 October 2014) was a Soviet and Russian stage actor and director associated with the internationally renowned Taganka Theatre, which he founded in 1964. He was one of the leading names in the Russian theatre world. ...
of
Taganka Theater Taganka Theatre (, Театр драмы и комедии на Таганке, "Таганка") is a theater located in the Art Nouveau building on Taganka Square in Moscow. History The Drama and Comedy Theater was founded in 1946. The head di ...
in Moscow staged Baklanov’s play ''Pristegnite remni!'' (Fasten your belts!). Baklanov’s novel, ''Forever Nineteen'' (1979), is a tribute to his generation, which was almost wiped out by
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In the foreword to the 1989 American edition, Baklanov wrote: “I was seventeen and finishing high school when the war broke out. We had twenty boys and twenty girls in our class. Almost all the boys went to the front, but I was the only one to return alive… I wanted people living now to care about them as friends, as family, as brothers.” Translated into English by Antonina Bouis, ''Forever Nineteen'' was described in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' as a “piercing account of a Russian soldier’s experiences during World War II,” which “belongs on a shelf next to, say …
Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque (; ; born Erich Paul Remark; 22 June 1898 – 25 September 1970) was a German novelist. His landmark novel '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1928), based on his experience in the Imperial German Army during World War ...
’s ''All Quiet on the Western Front''.” ''Forever Nineteen'' was translated into scores of languages and earned Baklanov the
USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize () was one of the Soviet Union’s highest civilian honours, awarded from its establishment in September 1966 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It recognised outstanding contributions in the fields of science, mathem ...
. The novel ''The Moment Between the Past and the Future'' (Russian title––''Svoi chelovek'', 1990), translated into English by
Catherine Porter Catherine Porter (born 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is a former member of The Brian May Band and has appeared in several musicals and films. To date, Porter has released one album of solo material, '' Something ...
, portrays the end of
Leonid Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (19 December 190610 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, his death in 1982 as w ...
’s stagnation era, which preceded
Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Commu ...
’s
perestroika ''Perestroika'' ( ; rus, перестройка, r=perestrojka, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg, links=no) was a political reform movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s, widely associ ...
. It is also a story of a successful playwright, Usvatov, who leads a pampered life of the Soviet cultural elite. By becoming part of the corrupt apparatus of power, Usvatov has betrayed the values of his idealistic generation. During Mikhail
Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Commu ...
’s reforms, Baklanov attained prominence as the editor of ''
Znamya ''Znamya'' ( rus, Знамя, p=ˈznamʲə, a=Ru-знамя.ogg, lit. "The Banner") is a Russian monthly literary magazine, which was established in Moscow in 1931. In 1931–1932, the magazine was published under the name of ''Lokaf'' ("Лок ...
'' literary magazine. Under his editorship, the magazine’s circulation rose to 1 million copies. It published a number of previously suppressed works, such as
Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( ; rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright. His novel ''The M ...
’s novella ''Heart of a Dog'',
Alexander Tvardovsky Aleksandr Trifonovich Tvardovsky ( rus, links=no, Александр Трифонович Твардовский, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr ˈtrʲifənəvʲɪtɕ tvɐrˈdofskʲɪj; – 18 December 1971) was a Soviet poet and writer and chief editor of ' ...
’s poem ''By Right of Memory'',
Vasily Grossman Vasily Semyonovich Grossman (; 12 December (29 November, Julian calendar) 1905 – 14 September 1964) was a Soviet writer and journalist. Born to a Jewish family in Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire, Grossman trained as a chemical engine ...
’s travel account ''An Armenian Sketchbook'', Georgi Vladimov’s novel ''Faithful Ruslan'', etc. Baklanov edited ''
Znamya ''Znamya'' ( rus, Знамя, p=ˈznamʲə, a=Ru-знамя.ogg, lit. "The Banner") is a Russian monthly literary magazine, which was established in Moscow in 1931. In 1931–1932, the magazine was published under the name of ''Lokaf'' ("Лок ...
'' from 1986 to 1993. In July 1988, during
Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Commu ...
’s 19th Party Conference, Baklanov addressed an audience of 5,000 delegates, predominantly Party and Soviet functionaries, whom he urged not to obstruct freedom of the press: “The one, who struggles today against
glasnost ''Glasnost'' ( ; , ) is a concept relating to openness and transparency. It has several general and specific meanings, including a policy of maximum openness in the activities of state institutions and freedom of information and the inadmissi ...
, is only struggling to become enslaved.” The conference took place during the withdrawal of Soviet troops from
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
. Baklanov referred to this war as a “political adventure” (it was then officially described as a Soviet international mission) and demanded to call those responsible to account. Baklanov's speech was broadcast on national TV, which is why he received a flood of response. Notably, supportive letters came from Afghan War veterans. One of the letters contained 1,418 signatures, the number of days
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
was fought on the Eastern Front (from 22 June 1941 till 9 May 1945). In 1994, Baklanov appealed to President
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
in an article in ''
Izvestia ''Izvestia'' ( rus, Известия, r=Izvestiya, p=ɪzˈvʲesʲtʲɪjə, "The News") is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Russia. Founded in February 1917, ''Izvestia'', which covered foreign relations, was the organ of the Supreme Soviet of th ...
'', urging him to use diplomacy to prevent Russia's war with
Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...
. From 1989 to 2001, Baklanov helped oversee programs of
George Soros George Soros (born György Schwartz; August 12, 1930) is an American investor and philanthropist. , he has a net worth of US$7.2 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundat ...
’ Foundation in Moscow ("Cultural Initiative" and "Open Society"), which funded education, culture, and science in post-Soviet Russia. In 1993, Baklanov signed the
Letter of Forty-Two The Letter of Forty-Two () was an open letter signed by forty-two Russian literati, aimed at Russian society, the president and government, in reaction to the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis. It was published in the newspaper ''Izvestia'' on 5 O ...
, an appeal by prominent intellectuals to President
Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
and the Russian government whom they urged to ban propaganda of communism, ultra-nationalism and racism. This was in response to the events of October 1993. In 1997, Baklanov was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation for his novella (And then come the pillagers). The novella depicts Russia's lawlessness and corruption of the 1990s as an outcome of Stalinism, which had never been uprooted in the country. The novella ends symbolically: a gang of Russian neo-fascists attacks and kills the main protagonist, a veteran of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In October 2008, one year before he died, the writer said in an interview for the TV channel Kultura: “Of all the human deeds I know (I have neither experienced a ghetto or a concentration camp), war is the most terrible and inhumane deed.” Baklanov died in Moscow on 23 December 2009, at age 86.


External links


English Translations

*''The Foothold'', London: Chapman and Hall, 1962. *''South of the Main Offensive'', London: Chapman and Hall, 1963. *''Forever Nineteen'', New York: J.B. Lippincott, 1989. *''The Moment Between the Past and the Future'', London & Boston: Faber and Faber, 1994.


Honours and awards

* Order For Merit to the Fatherland 3rd class *
Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...
* Order of the Patriotic War 1st class *
Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...
*
Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...
*
Order of Friendship of Peoples The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...
*
Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation" A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...
*
Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" The Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on 9 June 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to satisfy the petition of the People's Commissariat for Def ...
*
Medal "For the Capture of Vienna" The Medal "For the Capture of Vienna" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on June 9, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to satisfy the petition of the People's Commissariat for Defe ...
*
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established on May 9, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote military partici ...
*
State Prize of the USSR The USSR State Prize () was one of the Soviet Union’s highest civilian honours, awarded from its establishment in September 1966 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It recognised outstanding contributions in the fields of science, mathem ...
*
State Prize of the Russian Federation The State Prize of the Russian Federation, officially translated in Russia as Russian Federation National Award, is a state honorary prize established in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2004 the rules for selection of laureates ...
Baklanov was an Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (since 1995), a member of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art (1996––2001), and a council member of
Memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...
, Russia's historical and civil rights society, founded in 1989 to commemorate victims of
Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
’s repressions.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baklanov, Grigory 1923 births 2009 deaths 20th-century Russian male writers 20th-century Russian short story writers Writers from Voronezh Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Recipients of the USSR State Prize State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates Socialist realism writers Russian Jews Russian male novelists Soviet novelists Soviet male writers Soviet military personnel of World War II Soviet Jews in the military Soviet short story writers Russian male short story writers Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery Maxim Gorky Literature Institute alumni