Oleg Evgenievich Grigoriev is a poet and artist, a typical representative of the Leningrad underground of the 20th century. He was born in 1943, during the evacuation in the Vologda region. After the war, Oleg Evgenievich, together with his mother and sibling, moved to the city of Leningrad.
Background
The future poet began his creative activity as an artist. Since childhood, Oleg Grigoryev loved to draw and at first he wanted to leave his mark in this particular field of art. Therefore, he went to study at an art school at the Academy of Arts in Leningrad. But subsequently was expelled from there. This happened in 1960, the reason for the expulsion of the student was formulated as “formalism”, in fact, the reason can be called an attempt by the future poet to defend his personality. Also called the reasons that he painted wrong and wrong, was a brawler with a special look, capturing the satirical and tragic side of life, which many did not like.
Having left the Academy and parting with his "artistic" dream, Oleg Grigoriev was engaged in completely different activities, far from creativity. At that time he worked as a watchman, fireman, janitor.
The beginning of the way
Nevertheless, he was a talented person. And his abilities were not limited to drawing. Oleg Grigoryev began to write poetry as early as 16 years old. Composing his works, he completely got accustomed to the role, his infantilism and eccentricity won, and it was with this bias that he always lived and wrote.
In 1961, the poet came up with the quatrains: "I asked the electrician Petrov." This little poem has become a widely known and beloved folk poem.
This man had an amazing skill. The poet Oleg Grigoriev saw adults through the eyes of children and children through the eyes of adults, and this made him popular with both. Miniatures from verses were easily remembered, and the truthfulness of the described absurdity even more attracted the Soviet people.
The main property of Oleg Grigoryev’s poems is irony. In the USSR, to put it mildly, it was not encouraged. But without irony, watching the news on television or reading the Soviet newspapers of that time was simply impossible. With a mocking attitude to modern reality, then everyone was embraced, so this feature of Oleg Grigoryev’s poetry turned out to be popular and memorable.
Edition of the first book of the poet
In 1971, the author’s first book was published. Oleg Grigoriev published poems and stories for children in it. The book was called "Eccentrics" and gained wide fame and popularity among the Russian people. For several creations, even the issues of the popular television journal Yeralash were made from it. Many works from this collection have become part of St. Petersburg city folklore. The irony in this children's book was much milder, the poems here are pretty sweet, funny, sometimes even heart-piercing.
Continuation of the creative path
In the early 1970s, the poet was sentenced to two years "for parasitism." His punishment consisted of forced labor on the construction of a plant in the Vologda Oblast, where he served it directly. But later the poet was released prematurely.
In 1975, Oleg Grigoriev took part in the exhibition, widely known for that time, in the Nevsky Palace of Culture. But even this success did not contribute to the moral exaltation of the author. Anyway, he continued and continued to drink and became more and more a person, not compatible not only with the social life of society, but also with its everyday side.
In 1981, his second book for children, Growth Vitamin, was published. Unfortunately, the verses from it caused misunderstanding and indignation of some important representatives of literary circles, due to which Grigoriev was not then admitted to the Writers' Union.
His next book, Talking Raven, was published already in the new times for the country - during Perestroika, in 1989. In the same year he received the following criminal record - “for a row and resistance to the police,” but for this he was assigned a suspended sentence. Such an easy punishment he got, because many colleagues spoke out in his defense then.
last years of life
Oleg Grigoryev’s life was rather difficult, in recent years he was constantly under the influence of alcohol, as, indeed, throughout his life.
At the end of his life, a significant event for the poet nevertheless happened - six months before his death, he was finally admitted to the Writers' Union.
Oleg Evgenievich Grigoryev died on April 30, 1992. The cause of his early death was the perforation of a stomach ulcer. The funeral of Oleg Grigoriev took place in St. Petersburg, at the Volkovsky cemetery. In honor of the poet, a memorial plaque with his name was opened in the house on 10 Pushkinskaya Street in the Northern capital.
Oleg Grigoriev wrote poems that truly corresponded to the ironic spirit of the Soviet era. To this day, many admire the humor and ease of such poetry. Oleg Grigoriev published books during his life in small numbers, but they have gained fame from the public and are still being published.