One of the leading trends in the art of the Soviet Union and a number of other socialist countries was socialist realism. This is an artistic method, the purpose of which is to depict a person’s life in a socialist society, his struggle for certain ideas and ideals. The main principles of this direction are nationality, ideologicality and concreteness.
In the genre of socialist realism, many Soviet writers created. One of them is Alexander Nikolaevich Stepanov. The most famous of his works are the novels “Port Arthur” and “The Zvonarev family”.
Biography and photo of Alexander Nikolaevich Stepanov. early years
The future writer was born on February 2 (January 21 according to the old style) in 1892 in the Kherson province, the city of Odessa. Father of Alexander Nikolaevich Stepanov was an officer.
At the age of 9-11 years, the boy studied in the cadet corps. When Stepanov was 11, he moved with her to Port Arthur, which at that time was the Chinese port city on the Yellow Sea. Today, where Port Arthur used to be, one of the districts of Dalian is located.
Port Arthur Defense
July 30, 1904 began the longest battle of the Russo-Japanese War, which later became known as the defense of Port Arthur. 12-year-old Alexander took part in repelling the attacks of Japanese troops as a liaison with his father-officer. Got a concussion and seriously injured both legs, almost losing them. The treatment of Alexander Stepanov was carried out by the famous Soviet surgeon Roman Sergeyevich Mirotoretsev, then a young doctor who volunteered to help soldiers and officers.
Stepanov often found himself in the very center of the battle, as he delivered water to the forefront. Every detail of the battle was clearly imprinted in the boy's memory. It was this fact in the biography of Alexander Nikolaevich Stepanov that subsequently influenced his work: the most famous novel by the writer “Port Arthur” was written on the basis of memories of those events.
Subsequent years
Alexander Stepanov received higher education at the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology, which he graduated in 1913.
Soon after the First World War, and 22-year-old Stepanov was drafted to the front. Throughout the war until the victory of the Entente, he was on the battlefield, never having received serious injury.
As during the defense of Port Arthur, during these battles Alexander Nikolayevich Stepanov did not lose his watchfulness. Remembering in detail all the events he saw, he later recorded them in diaries, the habit of which had been developed since childhood. These impressions have also become valuable materials for fiction.
Stepanov took part in the Civil War. March 17, 1921 an accident occurred with him - Alexander Nikolaevich fell through the ice of the Gulf of Finland, after which he became seriously ill. It was decided to evacuate him to the southern city of Krasnodar.
In 1932, the writer was bedridden. The cause of this was an infectious disease called brucellosis. Being unable to do practically anything, Alexander Nikolayevich Stepanov was plunged into his own thoughts. It was then that he had the idea to write a novel about the defense of Port Arthur.
The first publication took place in 1938. The debut book of Alexander Nikolayevich Stepanov received many responses among readers. Later, a sequel to the novel was written.
In the future, Stepanov created several more short stories: “Steel Workers' Squad”, “Notes of the Guardsman”, “Gunners”.
The writer died on October 30, 1965 at the age of 73.
Alternative Biography Facts
The information given in some sources diverges from the official biography of Alexander Stepanov. For example, the real date of birth of the writer is September 2, 1892.
It is also said that, in fact, the writer and his father never took part in the defense of Port Arthur from attacks by Japanese troops and were never even in this city.
It is also possible that Stepanov did not study at the St. Petersburg Technological Institute, but was a career officer in the Life Guard. For participation in the First World War, the writer was awarded six military orders and St. George's weapons.
Creation. Novel "Port Arthur"
Port Arthur is rightfully considered one of the best historical novels written in the Soviet Union.
Before starting to create this book, the writer Alexander Nikolayevich Stepanov studied many sources containing information about the defense of Port Arthur. Despite the fact that, as a 12-year-old boy, the author saw the battle with his own eyes, this was not enough: there were not enough historical facts, names and other accurate data.
Significantly helped the writer's father’s records, which he kept throughout the months that the battle lasted. Officer Stepanov was the commander of the Battery of the Electric Cliff, and later of the Suvorov Mortar Battery on the Tiger Peninsula.
However, these diaries were not enough. Alexander Stepanov tried to learn as much as possible about the defense of Port Arthur and the Russo-Japanese War in general: he read all the books on this subject that he could get in Krasnodar, where he lived then; I ordered books from Moscow and other large cities of Russia, which was quite difficult in wartime.
Ultimately, it took two volumes to present all the information gathered.
After publication, the writer Alexander Nikolayevich Stepanov received hundreds of letters in which readers shared their own memories of the battle and the impression of the book.
“Port Arthur” is a story about the courage and fearlessness of the city’s defenders, who did not spare their lives in the fight against the invaders.
"The Zvonarev family"
20 years after the first publication of Port Arthur, Alexander Stepanov decided to write a sequel to his famous novel.
The book was called "The Zvonarev Family." Its first chapters appeared in 1959. In them, the writer tells about what events took place in Russia after the victory of Japan in the Russo-Japanese War.
The novel "The Zvonarev family" covers 11 years of Russian history - from 1905 to 1916, until the beginning of the February Revolution. On its pages are all the same heroes familiar to the reader in the first part - Zvonarev, Blokhin, Enzheevsky, Boreyko and others.
The author talks in detail about the difficult life in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century: the First World War, the unrest of the working class, Bolshevism, strikes and other problems.
Writer Awards
In 1946, for the novel about the defense of Port Arthur, Alexander Stepanov was awarded the Stalin Prize of the first degree, which was issued to Soviet citizens for special achievements in science, literature and art.
In 1952, the author was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. After 10 years, the writer also received the Order of the Badge of Honor.
In addition, Alexander Stepanov is the owner of several medals.