The famous writer Andrei Platonovich Platonov was born in the city of Voronezh on August 20, 1899 (traditionally his birthday is celebrated on September 1 in a new style). Platonov is a pseudonym formed on behalf of his father, and the real name of the writer is Klimentov.
Time to test
A difficult childhood and a difficult fate - this is what distinguishes Andrei Platonov from other writers of that period.
His biography cannot consist only of many interesting facts and events for the reason that his life was not happy and his whole life was riddled with troubles and losses. He was lucky enough not to get into the camps, but for this he paid with the life of his own son.
Parent house
Andrei Platonovich was born in the family of a railway locksmith and daughter of a watchmaker. He was the oldest child, after him another 9 brothers and sisters appeared after each other, whom Platonov guarded as best he could. At first, the writer studied at a parish school attached to the church, but at the age of 15 he left everything and got a job, as there were not enough funds in the family and it was very difficult for parents to feed their children. According to the writer himself, he changed many places, starting from the auxiliary worker and ending with a locksmith, as his father did not have enough strength to support his house, wife and 10 children. Platonov considered it his duty to help his parents in every possible way.
Study and civil war
In 1918, Platonov went to study at the Voronezh Railway Polytechnic, where he studied with great pleasure, since he had a craving for mechanisms since childhood. However, due to the revolution, his studies were delayed until 1921. A year after the arrival of Platonov, he volunteers for a civil war, where he fights on the side of the Red Army.
Even in such a difficult war time, Platonov does not leave his creative path and works as a war correspondent. It was during this period that his formation as a real writer began. The first essays, articles in local newspapers and poems appear, the author of which will become a famous writer Andrei Platonov in the future. His biography as a creative person can safely begin from this moment.
Work
After the war, Andrei Platonov returns to his hometown of Voronezh and continues to study at the Polytechnic Institute, and then successfully works as a land reclamator. He combines his writing with constant work, which does not burden him at all.
Wife and son
In 1922, Andrei Platonov married a rural teacher, to whom he devoted two of his works - "Epiphanian Tales" and "Sandy Teacher". In the same year they had a son, Plato. However, fate prepared for the writer a great misfortune.
Andrey Platonov: biography and creativity for the younger generation
Starting from the age of 12, Andrei Platonovich actively writes poems, which indicates his creative nature. When the writer turns 22, his first book, Electrification, consists of essays. In it, he compares this process with the revolution.
The second book is a poetic collection, “Blue Depth”. Despite the many poems written, the name of Andrei Platonov is still associated more with prose works. One of them is the collection of essays "Epiphanian Tales", which contains all previously published newspaper and magazine articles.
Who was Andrei Platonov for contemporaries? The biography indicates that the attitude towards the writer was ambiguous. At first, all the written works of Platonov received approval and support. Even Maxim Gorky noted the great talent of Andrei Platonovich and compared his manner of writing works with Gogol's. He also advised Platonov to focus on comedy. However, from the pen of the writer came only a few works in this genre.
Later, fortune abruptly turns away from Platonov. After Stalin's negative review, censorship rejects all the works of the author. The writer and his family are starving. Only a few loyal friends help them.
One of the most famous works written by this author are the novels “Chevengur” and “Pit”, which during the writer's life did not receive recognition and were published after his death.
The Great Patriotic War
In 1942, Platonov again goes to the front. This is the second war in which he has to participate. There he works as a correspondent for a military newspaper.
Then in 1946 he was demobilized and immersed in writing. During this period, he publishes three of his collections and one of his most famous short stories, The Return. However, criticism again falls upon the writer, and again his works cease to be published.
The last years of his life Platonov spends in a state of extreme poverty. From hopelessness, the writer turns to the publication of Russian and Bashkir folk tales. It helps to somehow make ends meet.
Fate
Andrei Platonov, whose brief biography is evidence of the many trials endured, nevertheless never betrayed himself. Despite the difficult fate and persecution by the authorities, his views remained unchanged. The black period of the writer’s life began from the moment when the novel “For Future” came out from under his pen, in which he exposed the collective farm building. Alexander Fadeev, being the editor-in-chief of Krasnaya Nov magazine, took a risk and published this work. The story fell into the hands of Stalin and caused a negative reaction. Fadeev, realizing what he was facing, quickly changed his point of view and wrote a revealing article in which Andrei Platonov was introduced as an enemy of the people. The biography of the writer is filled with many secrets that began to become clear after his death.
From the revelations of contemporaries, it is clear that it was Fadeev who was the man who derailed Platonov's whole life. It was he who missed an article with similar incriminating content in print. In addition, Fadeev emphasized all the places that could subsequently entail Stalin’s wrath, allegedly so that they would be removed from the printing house. However, everything turned out quite the opposite. When printing the magazine, all underlined thoughts were highlighted in bold and in this form laid on the table to Stalin. The reaction followed immediately. Fadeev managed to stay in his place, but for the printed editions writer Andrei Platonov ceased to exist. A brief biography tells that the writer himself was not touched, but was sent to the camps of his only and beloved son for anti-Soviet agitation. Freed only with the help of some influential friends of the family, Plato finally returned home, unfortunately, already terminally ill with tuberculosis. He died in the arms of his father.
It is believed that it was from his son Platonov that he contracted a deadly lung disease. This happened because the writer, as if in some delirium, kissed the boy on the lips.
In 1951, Andrei Platonov died in Moscow. For a long time after the death of the writer, his beloved wife tried with all her might to preserve the legacy left by him during his lifetime. Thanks to her, some works became available to us. After the death of the wife, all the cares fell on the shoulders of the daughter of Platonov, Maria. She adequately coped with her difficult task and preserved all the priceless works of the author.
The writer, his wife, son and daughter, who died in 2005, lie very close, under one monument.
Andrey Platonov: biography (brief summary) and style features
In literature lessons in a modern school, an average of one lesson is given to the study of the writer's biography. Nevertheless, in order to embrace and feel all the material about Platonov’s life, not a week is enough. On the one hand, an infinitely loving father and husband, and on the other, a down-to-earth man who really sees the whole truth of life — this is what writer Andrei Platonov was like. His biography deserves special attention, this is important for a more detailed understanding and insight into the very essence inherent in his works. The Platonic style is well characterized by the inherent roughness of vocabulary, the special atmosphere of daily, sometimes exhausting, but such necessary work, the life of a working man in continuous interaction with technology and nature.
Interesting from the life of a writer
Platonov, whose education was quite far from writing, nevertheless actively combined both of these inclinations. He went to work every day with great pleasure, since he believed that work was vital for every person, at the same time not forgetting about his creative mission.
What kind of person was the writer Andrei Platonov, biography, interesting facts about his life - today any reader who is really interested in his work can find out all this. It is a pity that the situation in Soviet times was completely different.
Studying the writer's work at school
Acquaintance with the work of Andrei Platonov begins in the third grade with the study of his life and work. It is at this stage of their education that children first hear the name of this writer. Andrei Platonov’s biography for grade 3 is well laid out in all general educational textbooks of literature, and it’s not difficult for students to learn it.
In the fifth grade, students begin to read Russian folk tales in the retelling of Platonov. All children love this genre, therefore they continue to study his work with great pleasure. Before releasing his collection, Platonov personally meets with the narrators themselves, as a result of which the narrative is conducted with special love and attention to the word.
The next stage of acquaintance is reading the work “The Magic Ring”. This is his author's tale.
Before the eyes of the students, a completely different Andrei Platonov appears. A brief biography for children is written without covering the whole cruel truth of his life. He appears not in the guise of a denouncer of gray reality, but in the guise of a good storyteller.
In the sixth grade, children get acquainted with the story of Andrei Platonov “Cow”. It has a deeply philosophical and moral meaning, which is difficult for a sixth grader to understand without the help of a teacher. Therefore, the lesson on this work takes place in several stages, which allows the student to discover new unknown facets of the writer's work.
Pupils of the seventh grade face an even more difficult task - to understand and feel the story of Andrei Platonov “Yushka”. In this work, the writer reveals his soul and heart. The main idea of the story is the significance of love and human good.
Only at the beginning of the 10th grade, students have the opportunity to evaluate in an adult way who Andrei Platonov is. The biography for children of this age is set out exactly in the form in which it really exists. A senior citizen appears before high school students. Children at this age are already practically formed personalities, so they can understand who Andrei Platonov was, what kind of persecution he was subjected to, and for what reason.