With the "small" homeland, the poet Sergei Orlov never parted. Even when he studied at the University of Petrozavodsk and the tank school of Chelyabinsk, even when the diesel of his heavy tank KV roared, fighting for the liberation of all our vast Motherland from the Nazis, the quiet but strict North bloomed in the poet’s soul. Here lived the poet Sergei Orlov. Photo, of course, will not convey all the charm of this region.
Memory of the poet
Moreover, he did not forget his native Belozersk, working in Leningrad and Moscow. He often visited northern forests and lakes, met people who were dear to his heart. It was from here that starry dust flew into his lines the Milky Way, it was here that he was at home.
And the native land will never forget its poet. Sergei Orlov and now with her constantly. Vologda residents not only remember and honor him, but also publish that in our time is not so simple. Both in Vologda and Belozersk the streets are named after the poet. Here, in Belozersk, there is a monument and a memorial museum, among which there are unique exhibits, Sergey Orlov repeatedly held them in his hands: books, manuscripts, drafts.
Defending his country, he nearly burned out in a tank, and then he hid his face disfigured by burns all his life, letting go of his beard. And the Motherland defended the poet as she could. She awarded him prizes, orders and medals. Sergey Orlov would surely die in his deafeningly roaring and already burning tank. The medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" was stopped by a splinter flying into the chest, preventing it from reaching the heart. Maybe poetry also served as a shield. An extraordinary poet is Sergey Orlov, whose biography reads like a legend.
The beginning of the way
The poet was born on August 22, 1921 in the village of Megra, Cherepovets district (now it is the Vologda region, Belozersky district). The village was already large and cultured, with its hut-reading room, with a first-aid post, the steam mill even provided electricity for the villagers. Today Megra is not, in its place - a reservoir.
Father died early, a stepfather appeared, who in the 30s was sent to organize Siberian collective farms. Sergey Orlov also lived for several childhood in Siberia, then returned with his family to his native places. The mother of the poet taught literature and the Russian language in a rural school, from her the desire for artistic literature was transferred to the boy.
First experiences
Sergey Orlov attended a literary studio, where, in addition to children, students of a pedagogical school were present. Sergey Orlov, whose poems were just beginning their journey from the depths of the heart, and there, one might say, shone. The newspaper "Belozersky collective farmer" willingly published schoolboy poems, and then they made their way into the regional periodical.
The fees received were not only pleasing - they were amazed. On them the young poet Orlov Sergey Sergeevich purchased the first costume in his life - with a jacket! That was a success! Although - only the beginning. Because he soon became the winner at the All-Union competition of schoolchildren for the best poem. It was called "Pumpkin and Three Cucumbers." Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky not only warmly responded and cited the full text of the poem on the pages of the newspaper Pravda, but also included a fragment in his book, From Two to Five.
KV-1 fighter battalion and heavy tank
After graduating from ten classes in 1940, Sergey Orlov decided to become a historian and entered Petrozavodsk University, and already in June 1941 he began to fight as part of the people's militia, in a fighter battalion formed by volunteer students.
Two months later, the poet was sent to the Chelyabinsk Tank School, where he published the first collection of his poems entitled "Front" in 1942. Then Sergey Orlov arrived on the Volkhov Front.
The railway station Mga, where the 33rd tank regiment was stationed, and the Ladoga village of Dusyevo, where the heavy KV-1 tank of Sergey Orlov ironed the snow melting under the tracks, became the site of the first battle for the legendary tank poet.
He was buried in a globe of the earth ...
Breaks between battles filled poetry. Army newspaper "Lenin's Way" willingly published them. But on February 17, 1944, liberating Novgorod, fellow soldiers literally miraculously pulled the platoon commander out of the burning tank. The medal did not allow the shard to reach the heart, and the face remained disfigured by burns, which he hid until the end of his life, growing a beard.
After the hospital, the poet was demobilized, and the young lieutenant returned home - to his native Belozersk. He got a job at the Belozersky section of the Volga-Baltic Canal. And he survived one of the most difficult spiritual dramas: the beloved girl refused the poet with a burnt face and an almost inactive hand.
Third speed
The fighter did not give up. He left for Leningrad and entered the university - the second year of the philological faculty this time. He already knew how to create history himself. Front-line poet, brother in all respects, Mikhail Dudin helped the tankman with the publishing house, and in 1946 Sergey Orlov became the author of the book "Third Speed".
There was still a war going on. The name suggests that the memory of the very recently dead battles cannot be erased: it was at the third speed that the tanks went into battle, they did not even go, they flew! The lines of poetry were adequate to the war, topographically accurate, simple and, despite all the severity, intonationally warm.
After the war, it was long believed that literature should write about the war purely in heroic, patriotic colors, certainly with pathos, but without tragedy. It could not be said in any way about the book that Sergey Orlov wrote. Russia lost its best sons in the war, and the poet sang this requiem honestly. So honest that even criticism received the book warmly.
Writers Union
Sergey Orlov did not study philology for a very long time, transferred to the Gorky Literary Institute and finished his studies there, in Moscow, on Tversky Boulevard until 1954.
Then he returned to Leningrad, participated in writers 'congresses, and since 1958 he already entered the board of the Writers' Union. He worked as head of the poetry department of the Neva magazine, in the editorial board of another Leningrad magazine - Aurora.
He managed to make strong friends of Vologda and Leningrad writers, with his assistance Vologda received the regional branch of the Union instead of a literary association.
Creative lift
Sergey Orlov wrote books one after another: in 1948, “The campaign continues,” in 1952, “Rainbow in the steppe,” in 1953, “Gorodok,” and in 1954, “Poems.” Four years later - “The Voice of First Love”, then “Favorites of 1938-1956”. In 1963 - “One Love”, and in 1965 - two books at once: “Constellation” and “Wheel”. In 1966 - "The Lyric", in 1969 - the "Page" ...
Together with Mikhail Dudin , a script was written for the film "The Lark" - about the feat of tankers in German captivity. The poets of the USSR were strong in spirit!
In 1970, Sergei Orlov entered the secretariat of the Union of Writers and moved to Moscow. In 1974, the collection of poems "Fidelity" was awarded the State Prize. Later, the poet himself was elected to the Committee for the awarding of State and Lenin Prizes. The book "Bonfires" - the final one - was published a year after his death, in 1978. He could not see (or rather would say - did not want, was ashamed) and the collection of his works. Although, in his position, he probably could. But we saw. It appeared in the 80s.
main topic
This poet was born of war. She became a key event in life. Sergei Orlov did not limit his poetic horizons to a military theme, but the poet carried this war on his shoulders throughout his career.
It was in the war that his strongest, most secret lines were born, not only powerful in content, but also high in artistic level. Pathetics is characteristic of almost all “lieutenant” works of wartime poets and writers, it is also in Orlov’s poems, but does not dominate, but only supports other, more important features of the sound of his lyre.
Tankers do not like big words, - said Sergey Orlov. That is why it is everyday life that is endowed with the highest meaning in his poetry. The same principles worked in post-war verses, where peaceful life flourished. All the most everyday and seemingly ordinary phenomena are depicted by the poet as events of enormous, one might say, epic significance.
The native land - this is a special thematic series in all of his post-war works, that same Belozersky land - past, present and future, with a staircase to the sky, one that the poet Sergei Orlov so selflessly loved. The photo may not show the very highest poetic connection between nature and man, but nature on it is beautiful. Of course. Perhaps the poet also saw this picture. Only live.