The bright and talented prose of Yevgeny Vodolazkin became a real event in the world of modern Russian literature. A unique style, a peculiar sense of humor, an amazing syllable of the author - these are the main reasons for success. Our today's article will be devoted to the biography and work of the writer.
Biography
Vodolazkin Evgeny Germanovich - a recognized connoisseur of ancient Russian literature, who became the author of works included in the short lists of the best literary prizes in our country.
Evgeny Germanovich was born in the Ukrainian capital on February 21, 1964. Almost nothing is known about the childhood of the future writer, since he himself is not particularly willing to share this information.
But it is known that Vodolazkin is very similar to his great-grandfather, who was the director of the St. Petersburg gymnasium. In 1919, he joined the White Army as a volunteer, and sent his family to Kiev to protect him from danger. When the White Guards were defeated, he joined his family, realizing that returning to North Palmyra would be tantamount to a death sentence for him. The fact that after 65 years his grandson managed to come to St. Petersburg, the author himself called "return home".
Evgeni Vodolazkin in 1986 graduated from the philological faculty of Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. And immediately after that she enters graduate school at the Department of Old Russian Literature IRLI (Institute of Russian Literature). In 1990, he was enrolled in the staff of the IRLI Academic Council. In a few years, the writer will become one of the leading researchers of the institute, as well as a lecturer at St. Petersburg and Munich universities.
Of particular interest to Vodolazkin was the literature of Ancient Russia, the study of which he devoted the bulk of his life to. The result of these studies was about a hundred monographs and scientific articles. However, the writer draws a clear line between fiction and scientific work. In his opinion, these are two completely different, albeit interconnected, ways of knowing the world. Science nourishes creativity with new ideas, and creativity helps make science more harmonious. But in no case can you combine these concepts.
Little is known about Yevgeny Germanovich’s personal life: only that he is married. About whether the writer has children, he is silent on the network and on the pages of magazines.
The year 2013 was marked for the philologist and writer by awarding the book prize "Yasnaya Polyana". On October 14 of the same year, he, as one of the leading Russian writers, took the baton of the Olympic flame in the Lev Tolstoy Museum .
Now we turn to the writer's work and get acquainted in more detail with his published books.
Laurel
This novel received the greatest fame of all the works that Yevgeny Vodolazkin wrote. “Laurel”, reviews of which were stormy and approving, became a kind of visiting card of the author.
The writer himself defines the genre of this work as a "living novel." Events unfold in the XV century in Russia. At the center of the story is the life of the herbalist Arseny, who inherited the profession from his grandfather. Even in his youth, he suffers a difficult test - his beloved Ustinha dies during childbirth with the baby. Arseny considers himself guilty of what happened to his wife and decides to devote his life to her memory. To do this, he becomes a wanderer, healing people. He comes to Jerusalem as a pilgrim, where he is tonsured a monk and receives a new name - Laurus.
But the novel is notable not so much in events as in language. Vodolazkin masterfully managed to recreate the Old Russian, Middle Soviet and "early post-Intelligent" speech. His hero in his monologues freely moves from one era of the Russian language to another. Such an author’s style can be called “weaving of words”.
The novel received high marks from critics and in 2013 won two book awards: Yasnaya Polyana and Big Book. Moreover, the work is still listed among the nominees for various literary prizes.
“A completely different time”
The book is a collection of works. Evgeny Vodolazkin included a number of interesting stories and the story “Close Friends”, which tells about a German soldier who reached Stalingrad ten years ago and who again has to overcome this path. The novel “Soloviev and Larionov”, previously published separately, also entered the collection.
“House and island, or Tool of language”
In the “Language Tool” the personality of Yevgeny Vodolazkin was most clearly manifested. The book is a collection of short sketches from the life of colleagues and friends of the author, studies and essays. It is in these stories about people, completely for the reader of strangers, that the author himself, his worldview, life principles and guidelines are revealed.
“A couple of plays” / “Petersburg dramas”
In this book, published under two different names, he manifests himself as a playwright Evgeny Vodolazkin. Criticism reviews, despite the change of role, pleasantly surprised admirers of the writer’s talent. The book includes two plays, the action of which takes place on the banks of the Neva. But if "Parodist" describes the modern Northern Palmyra, then in the drama "Museum" the reader is transferred to Leningrad of the 30s of the XX century.
Vodolazkin is very careful about historical details, not losing sight of either speech, or social realities, or the changing psychology of people. However, despite this, the main conflict of plays does not occur in reality, but on a metaphysical level. However, this does not make the work heavy, less dramatic or boring. And the peculiar humor of Yevgeny Vodolazkin will not let the reader get bored.
"Soloviev and Larionov"
The main characters of the novel are the modern historian Soloviev and the white general Larionov, whose life is surrounded by many secrets. It is for their clue that the scientist is taken. Soloviev explores architecture, searches for eyewitness accounts, meets with the descendants of the general and opens the hunt for his papers. Being carried away, the scientist does not see how research turns into a dangerous adventure. Solovyov’s life is filled with dangers and doubts.
This novel by Evgeny Vodolazkin almost immediately after publication hit the list of nominees for the Andrei Bely literary prize.