Alexander Afinogenov is a famous Soviet playwright who wrote many plays of a propaganda, propaganda nature. Among his most famous works can be noted the productions of “The Eccentric”, “Lies”, “At the Turn” and, of course, the comedy play in three acts “Mashenka”, which was very popular. He was a member of the Union of Writers of the USSR.
Playwright Biography
Alexander Afinogenov was born in 1904. He was born in the small town of Skopin, located in the Ryazan province. His father was a railway employee who later became a writer. He released his works under the pseudonym N. Stepnoy, in reality his name was Nikolai Stepanovich.
The family of Alexander Afinogenov supported the revolution that happened in 1917. The future playwright himself already in 1922, when he was only 18 years old, joined the Communist Party, while at the same time he studied at the journalism department of Moscow University.
The first literary experiments
Alexander Afinogenov began to create at the age of 20. In 1924, he wrote his first play. Three years later, he was appointed to manage the literary part of the first Moscow workers' theater of the Proletkult. Then Afinogenov began to take an active part in the work of the Russian Association of Proletarian Writers that appeared at that time.
In 1934, the hero of our article was elected to the Union of Writers of the USSR. He became a member of the Presidium. The biography of Alexander Afinogenov is indicative of the successful Soviet writer of the second quarter of the XX century, who actively supported the regime, speaking on its side. Afinogenov's literary activity was primarily associated with the writing of plays. Therefore, he became the editor of the journal Theater and Drama.
In disgrace
A lot of black pages in the biography of Alexander Afinogenov. During the political Stalinist repressions, he was repeatedly subjected to harsh criticism and even slander. His plays were prohibited, and in 1937 he was expelled from the Union of Writers of the USSR.
Afinogenov categorically denied all the charges, was going to defend himself in a friendly or real court, although he did not have such an opportunity. But in his personal diary there are records of how the playwright prepared for such a performance. In particular, he was going to insist that they took a peaceful person who did not think of anything else, except to write new plays for the benefit of the party and the country. From this same person, according to him, they are trying to make a shame and a laughing stock.
As a result, the Soviet playwright Alexander Afinogenov was not repressed, he stayed to live in Peredelkino, where he had a summer residence. True, at that time many began to avoid talking to the disgraced playwright, but Boris Pasternak became close friends with him.
Return to the literary family
During this period, he begins to write a novel called "Three Years." And by the beginning of 1938, the attitude towards him was changing, Afinogenov was even being restored in the party.
Afinogenov’s diary dates back to that time, in which he notes that the modern generation is still not able to appreciate all the benefits that the revolution gave him. Many people can forget what they got rid of, pay attention to minor inconveniences, someone's injustice, believing that they still live poorly. But in reality, according to Afinogenov himself, if you imagine your past life with all its horrors and hopelessness, then all the discontent and far-fetched whims would immediately have vanished. Therefore, people would blush with shame for their forgetfulness and selfishness.
During the Great Patriotic War
When the Great Patriotic War began, Alexander Afinogenov headed the literary department at the Soviet Information Bureau. It is interesting that his wife was an American by nationality, so it was assumed that he would go with her to start campaigning there for the opening of a second front.
But he did not have time to leave the ocean. October 29, 1941 Afinogenov died during the bombing. At this time, he was in the building of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b). Fatal for him was a random splinter that cut short the life of the playwright on the eve of this mission.
The writer was 37 years old, he was buried in the capital, at the Novodevichy cemetery.
His wife, whose name was Jenny Merling, alone went to America to carry out an agitation mission for opening a second front. In 1948, she died, returning to the USSR on a ship. A fire started on the ship; she was unable to survive.
Creativity Afinogenova
The work of Alexander Afinogenov is clearly agitational in nature, many literary critics note the influence on him of the aesthetic principles that the Proletcult preached.
One of his first plays, which became successful and famous, was the communist melodrama Raspberry Jam, which was released in 1926. Representatives of the bourgeois class are very negatively depicted in it in hypertrophied form. She did not receive high marks from literary critics.
In 1928, Afinogenov wrote the play "Eccentric", which was distinguished by psychological sophistication, as well as high realism. The playwright in satirical form depicts bureaucracy, anti-Semitism and protectionism.
In 1931, the playwright, to whom this article is devoted, writes his first critical work, “Fear,” which is subjected to serious criticism. Its first version was banned by censorship, but when Afinogenov redid it and rewrote it, the play became popular due to the fact that it highlighted the problems of incorporating the old intelligentsia into the new system.
The "lie" of Afinogenov
In 1933, the playwright wrote one of the most critical plays in his creative biography. Afinogenov publishes a work entitled "False", in which he demonstrates the negative consequences for the entire Soviet system of the lies of the lower party workers. The play never saw the light of day. It is known that her censor was Stalin, who nevertheless banned her shortly after the official production.
In 1935, Afinogenov raises the theme of labor and death in the name of socialism in the play "Far". Events in it develop in a remote and invisible to those around the corner of the Soviet Union.
The play "Mashenka"
Afinogenov's most famous work is called "Mashenka". It is known that Boris Pasternak loved her very much. It tells about how humanity develops in man himself.
The work had a significant impact on many Soviet playwrights of a later period. Athenogenes uses typical signs of classical drama. The action develops in the family circle, events take place in a closed and extremely tight space, an indirect dialogue is actively used, which continues the tradition of Anton Chekhov's plays.
This play became especially popular in the 60-70s, when it was played on the stages of various theaters for a total of more than three thousand times, a film of the same name was staged based on it.
The plot of "Masha"
This play is dedicated to the relationship of two people. This is an elderly academician Okayemov and his 15-year-old granddaughter named Masha. The work begins with the fact that the girl comes to the famous paleographer after the death of her father. Her mother is trying to create a new family, so the teenager has no place in the house.
Okayemov used to live alone, so he feels uncomfortable next to Masha. In addition, geologist Kareev bursts into his life, who, together with his friend Nina Alexandrovna, who works as a singing teacher, finds Masha’s talent and decides to teach her vocals.
The girl quickly enough finds friends in a new place. Okayemov, a sprained leg, is visited by a Tumansky doctor. The doctor’s son falls in love with Mashenka, seeks recognition in response, demanding that the girl write to him about her love.
At this time, Tumansky himself begins to care for Nina, being in a relationship with another woman. Kareev, learning about this, abandons the dream of conquering her and avoids the woman.
In the life of Masha, a tragedy, she found out that Victor sought to write him a letter about his love just to laugh at her in front of the whole class.
Okayemov sells several rare books to buy Masha a fur coat. The girl persuades her singing teacher to help her earn money to return the grandfather's books. Victor, under the influence of his father, apologizes to Masha, and she admits to him that she wrote the letter solely out of pity for him.
Okayemov increasingly consoles a girl who is faced with unhappy love and betrayal. The final act of the play takes place in the spring. Masha, to make money, performs at a city concert. The professor warns her of the danger of being overlooked by the public and becoming intoxicated with success.
At this time, Kareev informs his friends that he and Nina had a daughter, who was also called Mashenka. Masha’s mother, Vera Mikhailovna, is returning, whose new personal life never happened. She takes her daughter from her grandfather, leaving him alone.
Masha's school comrades suggest that Okayemov write an article in the Komsomol newspaper, which accuses Vera Mikhailovna of the incorrect education of her daughter. In turn, she accuses the professor that it was he who was to blame for the discord in her family. Tumansky points out to her that now, perhaps, she is making exactly the same mistake.
Okayemov hesitates to write to the newspaper, sending a personal letter to Masha, in which she forces her to stay with her mother. But the girl herself returns to her grandfather, reminding him of the imminent start of the planned lecture. Okayemov does not know what to say, so at the last moment he devotes his speech to the important art of being parents.
Features of creativity
In his work, Afinogenov constantly contrasts his psychological and realistic dramas to the plays of Pogodin and Vishnevsky. The latter advocated the creation of a new type of drama, which could be divided into several scenes with a large number of characters.
They called for abandoning the image of private destinies for the sake of portraying large-scale social phenomena.