Vsevolod Ovchinnikov is familiar to the older generation of CIS residents not only as a representative of a brilliant galaxy of international journalists conducting one of the Soviet TV’s most beloved television shows, “International Panorama”, but also as the author of the most popular book in its time, the best-selling book “Sakura Branch” would now be said .
The whole country knew them
The most popular presenters were Farid Seyful-Muliukov and Alexander Bovin, Valentin Zorin and Alexander Kaverznev, Henry Borovik and Vsevolod Ovchinnikov. And each of these talented people contributed his own note, his accent to the program, the slogan of which was the words: “Events of the week: chronicle, facts, comments!” Each of them had its own audience. The gentle intelligent smiling Vsevolod Ovchinnikov occupied his own special niche.
An orientalist by education, he wrote several informative and fascinating books about Japan. An interesting fact of the biography is his laying flowers on the grave of Richard Sorge - Vsevolod Vladimirovich the first of the Soviet people had such an opportunity.
Little about him
Born V.V. Ovchinnikov in Leningrad in 1926, November 17. My father was an architect (at one time published poetry by Sasha Cherny and Mayakovsky), and the family lived on Fontanka, where Vsevolod Ovchinnikov spent his childhood and youth. The war found him a graduate of the 7th grade of junior high school No. 264.
The family spent a whole year - from the fall of 1941 to the fall of 1942 - in besieged Leningrad, from where a mother with two children (Vsevolod and his younger brother) was evacuated to the Tyumen region, to the village of Pletnevo, Yurgensky district. There, the boy worked as an accountant and in absentia graduated from grades 8-10 of high school. He passed the exams at the district center - Ovchinnikov’s fate resembled the story of the hero of Rasputin’s short story “French Lessons”.
At the front
Vsevolod Vladimirovich took part in the Great Patriotic War - at the age of 17 he was called to the front. He was the commander of an artillery gun, a 45mm anti-tank gun that supported infantry. According to him, he had few chances to survive, but an order was issued to send all the recruits who had secondary education to higher military educational institutions. After the end of the war, the young man himself wanted to become an engineer of the Navy, but it so happened that Vsevolod Ovchinnikov became a cadet of VIIAK (Military Institute of Foreign Languages of the Red Army) in his native St. Petersburg. This period of life is remarkably described in the chapter "Midshipman on Nevsky" autobiographical book "Kaleidoscope of Life."
Main parade
Even before the end of the war, cadet Ovchinnikov became a participant in the festive parade in Leningrad on Palace Square on May 1, 1945. The Winter Palace was just renovated by captured Germans. Vsevolod Ovchinnikov himself (a photo of him is available in the review), by his own admission, considers this parade one of the main in his life - of course, after the Victory Parade on Red Square.
The first foreign business trips
In 1951, Vsevolod Vladimirovich became a full-time correspondent for the newspaper Pravda, to which he gave 40 years of his life. He is willingly credited to the staff, as he was a certified translator from Chinese and English. In 1953, Vsevolod Ovchinnikov was sent as a correspondent from the newspaper Pravda to China. The trip lasted seven years. And, as Vsevolod Vladimirovich himself admitted, China became his first love. All years, especially after returning to his homeland, Vsevolod Vladimirovich intensively studies the language of the Land of the Rising Sun. And in 1962, he, as a correspondent for the newspaper Pravda, was sent to Japan.
Plot master
Ovchinnikov is associated with this country for six years of work, the result of which were regular reports on the pages of the newspaper that sent him there, and most importantly, several books that Soviet readers loved so much. And why the beloved? Because they were written in a beautiful, accessible language, interesting facts were stated in them, and a great love of a person for the country about which he wrote was felt. “Sakura Branch” is read in one breath - it captures, and this is the difference between Ovchinnikov’s documentary books. So, "Hot Ash" - a serious book about the arms race - is perceived as a detective with twisted intrigue.
Land of the Rising Sun
Vsevolod Ovchinnikov, whose biography is not only associated with the countries of the East, from 1974 to 1978 was a correspondent for the newspaper Pravda in the UK. The result of his stay in Foggy Albion was the book “Oak Roots”. And then the book "Sakura and Oak" appeared, containing comparative characteristics of the Japanese and the British. Having the opportunity to compare countries in which the publicist spent so many years, V.V. Ovchinnikov wrote “Plum Flowers” - a work in which he draws parallels between the cuisines of China and Japan. In general, Vsevolod Vladimirovich has an interesting look at the surrounding reality. He owns a statement in which the Chinese are called the Germans of the East, and the Japanese - the Russians of the East. And what is most interesting - his love for Japan is not annoying, although not everyone loves this country. But, reading the book of Vsevolod Ovchinnikov, you look at Japan through the eyes of the author. The Shadows on the Bridge (about the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and The Man and the Dragon are dedicated to the land of the rising sun.
Interesting autobiography
Journalist V.V. Ovchinnikov went on shorter business trips to other countries: Indonesia and India, the USA, Nicaragua and Mexico. Impressions of these trips are conveyed in the book "Element of the race." About VV Ovchinnikov himself can best be told by his "Kaleidoscope of Life", which contains 80 of the most striking, dramatic and funny stories that happened to the author during 50 years of his wanderings in different corners of the globe. Written in a wonderful, witty language, the book is unusually interesting.
Great publicist
The interview given by the former correspondent on the 100th anniversary of the newspaper Pravda is also curious. It is interesting and says, and writes Vsevolod Ovchinnikov. The reviews of his books from the people who read them are only enthusiastic and grateful, because this talented publicist, erudite person often presents familiar facts from a rather unexpected perspective. Sometimes reviews are so entertaining, for example, the following phrase: "Read, appreciated, loved." The writer V.V. Ovchinnikov has published 17 books. His work was appreciated: in 1986 Vsevolod Vladimirovich was awarded the USSR State Prize. By the way, he did not disown a single line written by him about the Soviet Union, and this is also worth a lot! It can be added that the daughter and grandson of the journalist are also Orientalists.