Many readers believe that the first lines of the famous “Book about a Soldier” by A. Twardowski appeared in 1942 and the image of the main character was caused solely by the events of the Great Patriotic War. Meanwhile, everything is somewhat different, and the first mention of the brave Vasya Terkin dates back to the period of the Russian-Finnish war. Recall, based on the testimony of the author himself, what is the story of the creation of the poem.
"Vasily Terkin" - the beginning
In 1939, when the campaign with the Finns began, A. Twardowski worked in the newspaper “Guard the Homeland”. At this time, it occurs to the creative team of the publishing house to come up with the image of a certain entertaining character - a conditional, daring and cheerful fighter who would appear on the pages of the publication, accompanied by poetic signatures. The name of the hero did not appear immediately: they went through several options until they settled on the simple and warm Vasya - as he was called at that time. Thus began the story of the creation of "Vasily Terkin", known to almost every Soviet reader.
Random match
By the way, in his memoirs, Twardowski talks about how once, already during the war years, he received a letter, the author of which wondered why the main character - the glorious warrior of the Soviet army - bears the name of another literary character. As it turned out, notes Alexander Trifonovich, even earlier, a novel by P. Boborykin with the same name appeared. Only Vasily Terkin in him is a dishonest merchant, a rogue and a hypocrite. The poet admits that, having received the letter, he found and without much pleasure read the specified work, but decided not to change the name of his hero. More precisely, he did not attach any significance to such a coincidence — all the more so since the story of the creation of the poem “Vasily Terkin” really had nothing to do with the novel — and continued to work in the same way.
But back to the "Book of the Fighter."
Idea development
The poet remembered the brave hero, already beloved by the reader on the newspaper "Guard the Homeland", in the 40th year. It so happened that in the 39th, writers, as intended, wrote one or two feuilleton, and then engaged in other work. Only A. Shcherbakov for a long time turned to this image, which few people attached serious importance. Now Twardowski was pondering how to combine in his work of art - and it was supposed to be a poem - that hero of feuilletons with the seriousness that realities required. And he began to sort through everything that was connected with the Finnish war, including eyewitness accounts, went to Vyborg, re-read printed articles, etc. However, writing the work, as planned, by the 41st did not work, and then the war started. As a result, the story of the creation of "Vasily Terkin" for some time will be limited only to pondering the composition, plot, image of the protagonist.
1942 year
From the first days of the war, Twardowski was sent to the front as a correspondent. In the first months, the most cruel and hottest, it was not up to the poem. So long ago the idea that had arisen in my head was postponed until the summer of 42, when the story of the creation of the poem by A. Twardowski "Vasily Terkin" gets its continuation. But now it was supposed to be a work about another war - Soviet people against fascist invaders. And the hero from Vasya turned into Vasily, personifying the Russian cultivator, a working, indefatigable worker who rose to defend the Fatherland.
The first chapters of the new work of Alexander Trifonovich appeared in one of the front-line newspapers in September. Then the poem was printed in parts in many publications, available to both warring soldiers and those who remained in the rear. One she helped to survive the hardships of front-line life, the other - to expect relatives from this terrible war. The book about the fighter was liked by all readers, and everyone was looking forward to new chapters, the hero of which was a soldier with a simple Russian name - it was A. Tvardovsky, Vasily Terkin, who created the new image.
The story of the creation of the poem during the war
The work was written until the 45th year, although as far back as the 43rd, after being wounded, successfully cured and the hero returned to duty, the author thought that he had reached the finale. Readers intervened, demanding a continuation of the poem, with which it was dishonest to argue, as Twardowski noted. Vasily Terkin, whose history is being further developed, walked again through the pages of newspapers and magazines.
The work reflected the main stages of the war: the tragic retreat in its first months, the battles that became crucial, the victorious march to the west. There was even a desire to send the hero to the rear to the Germans, but Twardowski soon abandoned such a plan, deciding that this would violate the general plan of the work and make the soldier’s story private.
The author received many letters over the years of the war, from which it follows that readers are very interested in the story of the creation of "Vasily Terkin", in particular, whether the person described in the poem really exists. And although the hero had many namesakes - one of them, Viktor Vasilievich Terkin, even asked to change his name to his own - the poet's answer was always categorical: Vasily Terkin is a completely invented character and does not have a real prototype. It consisted of personal observations of the author and embodied the best features of the Russian defender.
Farewell to the hero
The story of the creation of "Vasily Terkin" ends in the victorious spring of the 45th. In May, Twardowski publishes the final chapter, “From the Author,” in which he says that he says goodbye to the soldier. And despite the fact that he was again convinced of the need to continue the work, he was unshakable: Terkin’s time passed. In his opinion, now, in peacetime, you need a different character.
Such is the story of the creation of “Vasily Terkin”, which is briefly described on the basis of an article by A. Twardowski “How“ Vasily Terkin (response to readers) ”was written.
Instead of an afterword
Already in the post-war years, knowing the incredible popularity of the poem and its main character, many unscrupulous writers created “continuation” of the hero’s adventures and even “imitation” of a famous book. The answer to them was that the poem - this was repeatedly emphasized by Tvardovsky - “Vasily Terkin”, the history of which was described by the author himself, is unambiguously finished and is not expected to return to it in the future.