It is difficult to find a person who would not hear the song about the Orenburg feather shawl, about the Mamaev Kurgan, about the sailor who is going on a visit ... All of them are written on the verses of the most talented, truly Russian soul poet Viktor Fyodorovich Bokov. Over his 95 years, he experienced a lot, but did not lose interest and love for his native people and language.
Children's years: a short biography
Victor Fedorovich Bokov was born in 1914 into a peasant family in the Moscow region. His childhood passed in the village of Yazvitsy (now it is the Sergiev Posad district). Here, a love for Russian folklore arose in the boy’s soul.
Viktor Fyodorovich Bokov, whose biography is firmly connected with folk art, recalled how he had heard all childhood playing a fun playing the balalaika and harmonica, sincere lyrical songs, he saw real Russian dance. The poet's mother possessed a beautiful voice with a high soprano. And her speech was striking in its imagery and expressiveness even to such writers as Fadeev and Sholokhov. Bokov’s childish interest in folk speech has grown into a passion for life.
“I love the Russian song, the Russian land so much that there are no more words!”, The poet admitted. Already becoming an adult, he comes from many villages in central Russia and will produce magnificent folklore material. That's why all the verses of Viktor Fedorovich are literally permeated with a living Russian word.
Education
The future poet studied first at the factory school of the 1st stage, then - in the seven-year school of Zagorsk. In the same place in 1931 he was admitted to the pedagogical college. From this time begins the biography of Bokov Viktor Fedorovich as a poet. During the years of study at the technical school, the young man participated in the work of the literary association at the Vperyod newspaper, where he met M. Prishvin, A. Kozhevnikov. They advised the guy to enter the Moscow Literary Institute. And the classmates of Bokov (in 1934-1938) were K. Simonov, O. Vysotskaya, M. Matusovsky. After graduation, as suggested by the biography of Viktor Fyodorovich Bokov, he was a consultant at the All-Union House of Folk Art.
The beginning of literary activity
The beginning poet published his first poem in October 1930 in the Vperyod newspaper. And after five years, his works began to appear regularly in "Collective Farm Boys" and "Friendly Boys". In addition, Viktor Fedorovich participated in folklore expeditions, the result of which were publications in magazines that caused a lively response from readers. The creativity of the young man was appreciated by already recognized literary figures M. Bulgakov, A. Platonov, V. Kataev. They supported his candidacy in the Union of Writers of the USSR, where Viktor Fedorovich Bokov was admitted in 1941.
The poet's biography in the forties was not very successful.
War and repression
In 1942, the poet went to the front. However, parting words of L. Leonov (“You have been given a lot”) have not come true. Victor Fedorovich Bokov served only 4 months. His biography changed dramatically in August 1942. The poet was arrested under the then - famous 58th article. The tribunal of the Novosibirsk garrison in March of the following year condemned Bokov “for talking” for five years, which he spent in SibLag. And since 1947, freed, another ten years dodged links.
Creative heritage
In the 1950s, Bokov Viktor Fedorovich, whose biography is given in the article, begins to actively engage in literary activity. First, as a result of the work to collect folklore, the "Russian ditty" appears. Then, in 1958, the first collections of poems "Zastrugi" and "Yar-hops." In the following decades, several more books of the poet were published, among them Alevtina, Three Herbs, Bow of Russia, Day after Day, My Love Russia, etc. The Siberian Seat was also written, published only in the 1990s, the preface to the books of V. Zamyatin, A. Bobrov, "Chastooshkas of the Homeland of Shukshin" and others.
Bokov left Viktor Fedorovich, whose biography is rich in acquaintances with prominent people, amazing memories of M. Tsvetaeva - in 1941, he accompanied her to Yelabuga; about M. Prishvin, who was almost the first to see an original poet in the country boy; about B. Pasternak, who in 1953 turned to the Writers' Union with a request to give his turn to the publication of the book to Viktor Fedorovich; about A. Platonov - for many long years warm friendly relations have linked them. Processing works of poets of different nations is another area of ​​literature that Viktor Fedorovich Bokov was engaged in.
Biography of a songwriter
However, most of the inhabitants of our country Viktor Fedorovich is familiar from the repertoire of L. Zykina. In a creative union with Solovyov-Sedy, Averkin, Ponomarenko and other composers, about 150 songs were written. “Mamaev Kurgan” and “Snow of gray hair,“ I'll call you darling ”and“ Oh, snow, snowball ... ”,“ I went out to the fields ... ”and“ Going for a visit ... ”... But, perhaps, the“ Orenburg downy scarf ”acquired the greatest fame.
The song was born literally in one day in 1958. The poet was invited to the Orenburg region specifically to prepare the repertoire of the created Russian folk choir. As a result of trips around the region V. Bokov and G. Ponomarenko wrote several songs. But the poet still seemed to be missing something. And just before his departure, he saw a local attraction - a surprisingly light and warm goat's shawl . Viktor Fedorovich immediately sent a parcel with a gift to his mother and, without leaving the post office, wrote down the words. On the same day, during the rehearsal, the accordion was selected music. In general, according to the memoirs of the poet’s granddaughter, Bokov Viktor Fedorovich (biography and creative legacy confirm this) he wrote always and everywhere. He could not live a day without writing something new.
And Viktor Fedorovich fervently performed ditties and knew at least a thousand of them. He is also called the initiator of the creation of the television program “Play, accordion”.
Awards and recognition
A brief biography of Viktor Fyodorovich Bokov makes it clear how talented and sincere he was. The poet died in 2009 at the age of 95. He was awarded the medal "For Courage and Love for the Fatherland", seven orders, including "For Services to the Fatherland" for his work for the good of the Fatherland and the people. Viktor Fedorovich has the title of member of the Union of Writers of the USSR, the Presidium of the Writing Organization of Russia, the Academy of Security, Defense and Law and Order. He is an honorary citizen of Sergiev Posad. He received prizes from Lomonosov, Twardowski, Fatyanov, Rozhdestvensky.
However, the main award - the State Prize - was never presented to him. Either because of origin - from the Laponniks, or because of the camps, but every time there was a good reason to give it to someone else. It's a shame. Although, probably, a great reverence for the poet is the love and recognition of numerous fans.