Lev Knyazev () was a Russian writer best known for his novels describing lives of seamen of

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...

, the biggest Russian

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...

on the

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. His most famous novel "Morskoi Protest’ (Sea Protest) was sold 2 million copies in just one year. Though his creative heritage is primarily in prose, he is considered one of the brightest artists of the

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 ...

times, the signer of beautiful people who kept their souls pure in the most challenging times. Lev (in Russian it also means a "lion") was born in the family of two teachers from central Russia, one of five children (he had three brothers and a sister). His family had to move around a lot in search of new jobs – those were the hard times of the rulings 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 ...

and later

Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...

. When he was 16 he finished school with honors – early – and wanted to help his family, and so he came to work to a ship that delivered cargo to and from

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

during

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 worked there for a year. At 17 he was accepted to the university and got a Degree in engineering in less than 4 years. He married young, at 24, to love of his life – Nadezhda, a pretty girl from a poor family who at 18 was working and supporting her ailing mother and younger brother. The two were together for almost 64 years until his death in 2012. The couple had three children. Throughout the famished and poor existence right after World War II and hardships of Communist regime, he kept his spirit high and never lost hope and trust in the people of his home country. His political views developed over time – raised in the family of members of the party, he first trusted the regime, but later realized that he – as millions of his fellow countrymen – was deceived by the propaganda. Throughout the years Lev Knyazev developed friendship with dozens of people – and not only in Russia. He became close friends with American author, historian and activist Jay Higginbotham, who politically advocated a doctrine of American reconciliation between countries such as the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and

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. In 1986, Knyazev and Higginbotham took a trip through Russia and helped create

sister-city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

relationship between Mobile and the Russian city of Rostov. In 1989 Lev Knyazev visited the Southern states making speeches and talking about friendship of two countries and the role of literature and art. He was recognized as an Honorary Citizen of the City of Natchitoches by the mayor in acknowledgement of the effect his visit had on the city life. In 1990s Russia was going through the collapse of the communist ruling and the whole state of life everybody was used to. Already in his 70s, Lev Knyazev was still working, started writing lyrics and poetry, and hosted clubs for young aspiring poets and writers. He was very popular in his home city of Vladivostok, was a long-time

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the Literary Union of Primorye, and was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Vladivostok.

References

External links

Len Knyazev's poetry
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Knyazev, Lev 1926 births 2012 deaths People from Kirov, Kirov Oblast Russian male novelists 20th-century Russian novelists 20th-century Russian male writers