Who doesn't like secret stories? Surely every person is attracted by mystery and intrigue. Especially when it comes to historical facts. The books of the writer Andrei Valentinov reflect the real history of mankind, in which magical forces, powerful warriors and incredible assumptions are woven intertwined.
Childhood and school
Andrei Valentinovich Shmalko was born (Andrei Valentinov is the writer's pseudonym) on March 18, 1958 in the city of Kharkov, in a family of teachers. At 7, he went to school. According to the author, he decided that he would not be different at school - he would be neither the last nor the first. He visited a circle of rocket modeling in the Palace of Pioneers, was fond of swimming and skiing. He loved literature and chemistry. Andrei wrote his first essay in the fourth grade; in the eighth, he wrote a science fiction novel. Composed poems that liked his few readers.
A literature teacher, noting a literary talent in the boy, advised Andrei to enter the Faculty of Philology. But a special place was occupied by history. He dreamed of going on an archaeological expedition. Once during a vacation in the Crimea, Valentinov Andrey found an expedition in Khersones. He walked around, looked at how archaeologists work. And in the soul of a teenager a dream arose - to get on a real expedition. So the goal was outlined - to study on historical or archaeological.
Student years
Immediately after school, he enters Kharkov University. In the first year I chose the Department of the Ancient World and Archeology. The theme of the course work was chosen by Ancient Rome. After the first course I went on an expedition to the city of Zmiev, where in 1180 Prince Igor founded several hillforts. After 2 years, also near Kharkov, burial mounds of the Royal Scythians were dug. After 3 courses, museum practice began. From the outside, this may seem like a rather boring task, but actually the students went on expeditions.
It was interesting to study, excellent teachers advised their students to read literature in German and English, Spanish and Italian. And after graduation, students inexplicably "gained" the ability to languages. In an interview, writer Andrei Valentinov said that he was very lucky to learn from talented teachers. They knew their business to the finer points, truly loved it and taught it to their students.
In 1980, Andrei graduated from the university with honors and, according to the distribution, went to his first job in life - to school. As the author recalls, he “lasted” there for only a year and a half and decided to study further. And in January 1982, the writer Valentinov Andrey was already in graduate school. He again plunged into science, and the years spent in graduate school, he remembered as the most interesting in life. In 1985 he defended his Ph.D., after which he taught at the Institute of Arts.
The beginning of the creative path
In his free time he wrote stories and poems. From the written light, only one story saw - “The Resurrection of Latunin”. Despite the circumstances, Andrei went on an expedition every year, kept diaries and drafted reports that formed the basis of the books “The Constellation of the Dog” and “The Orb”. There was enough material for a number of scientific articles. In 1991, Valentinov wrote the novel Phlegeton, and in 1992 - The Eye of Strength. In 1995, the novel The Crimes was published.
Over the course of two years (1996-1997), almost all of the author’s books that had lain for many years were published. Andrei Valentinov says that from this moment began a real literary life. He attends conventions, receives literary awards, among which the Start is most appreciated - the award for the Eye of Power trilogy.
The work of Andrei Valentinov
The writer, explaining the term "crypto-history", says that he did not actually create a new genre or method. And did not try. He does not argue with history, but clarifies how everything happened, and follows logic and fantasy, since it is full of “white spots”. A wonderful historian, he surprises the reader with unusual facts of the past, throws incredible assumptions and facts.
But not only cunning and intricate intrigues are the books of Andrei Valentinov. Unusual images of real historical figures, conspiracy theories, many secrets drag readers. The author raises difficult human problems. Mysticism and history are so intertwined that it is rather difficult to understand. Plots of novels are woven into intricate patterns, replete with "tasty" episodes and captivate the reader.
The Eye of Strength Series
In a stunning, seemingly fantastic epic, the 20th century is reinterpreted. The events of the novel frighten with their realism, make you think: “Perhaps the author is right? Perhaps the madness that gripped the people during the Civil War and the Stalinist repressions lies not only in sociological problems? Maybe there really was an experiment on an entire nation? ” This monumental cycle is a secret, hidden history of the 20th century: 1920 - the class struggle and revolution, 1937 - the death that reigns in the country, 1991 - the tragic events near the walls of the White House, 1923 - the Leader’s disease and the expectation of change.
Spartak cycle
Almost documentary, the first book "Spartak" evenly and impassively reveals historical facts to the reader. And it gives the opportunity to "feel" every statement by the author. The story is full of speculation. In the second book of the series "Angel of Spartacus," she develops into a fascinating story. The author leads the reader from episode to episode of the biography of the protagonist, and inevitably admire the leader of the slaves.
The Mycenaean cycle conveys the mystery and beauty of ancient Greece. The heroes of myths and fairy tales appear before the reader as people with a fate that they did not want. But they were able to resist her. The cycle "Oriya" tells about the bloody struggle in the era of the Great Migration of Peoples. Andrei Valentinov’s books are a magnificent example of historical fiction, heavily involved in real events.