The sixties of the XX century. The country has recovered from the effects of a devastating war. The Khrushchev thaw slightly warmed and inspired the people. But the Soviet people, still feeling heavy ice, were longing for a breath of fresh wind. And then it happened ...
Waiting for a miracle
At the end of the 60s, what happened was what the people craved, who enthusiastically wrote political jokes even in times mortally dangerous for such creativity. Satire among the people has always been a favorite genre.
People wanted "bread and circuses." But for lack of such, revel in reading. Creative natures subtly feel the atmosphere around. They clearly heard this silent reader request. But since writing satire under his own name in those days was fraught with very unpleasant consequences, the writers “turned to the spirit” of Kozma Prutkov.
Second coming
And reincarnation happened. A new writer, Yevgeny Sazonov, was born in the Literary Newspaper. The “father” of the writer is called the director and playwright, Mark Rozovsky. But in fact, Eugene had several “fathers”.
Mark Grigorievich "gave birth" to the writer. They “educated” him by the whole team of the Club “12 Chairs”, the Literary Newspaper.
After the novel became popular, the “fathers” wrote a biography of a fictional writer.
The life of a non-living writer
In 1936, joyful news was brought to the old cadre auxiliary worker from the city of Baraniy Rog. His second grandson was born. Named in honor of the artist's brother, Zhenya. Eugene does not happen much.
He did not yet know that he had become the grandfather of a famous writer, but the joy of this did not diminish.
In 1954, after graduating from high school, Zhenya was forced to leave his native city and move to Moscow. Since childhood, dreamed of becoming a writer. He began to write in three and a half years, with a poem:
“There is a pot on the window. A flower blossomed in it. Eugene is also like a flower. And Zhenya has a pot. ”
Despite such talents, the Literary Institute “stormed” four times, but it turned out to be impregnable. The future writer, although he was upset, did not want to give up. On the contrary, he gathered his strength and set to work. In two weeks he wrote the famous novel of the century. Labor was rewarded. The work turned out so successful that our writer received the Nobel Prize for it.
He loved to travel. He visited Luxembourg, where he met with the local count and presented him with his work, Stormy Stream. I met Ernest Hemingway himself, who was so impressed with the meeting with the famous Soviet writer that he wrote the essay "The Sazonov and the Sea." Famous Soviet artists and writers were also no less impressed by Eugene and wrote about their meetings with him.
About the prototype
Kozma Prutkov, who is considered the prototype of our hero, was the figment of the imagination of four writers in the mid-19th century. - brothers Vladimir, Alexander and Alexei Zhemchuzhnikov and Alexei Tolstoy.
Kozma was very sharp on the word and a master of aphorisms. Under his name, fables, satirical poems, and prose were published. Famous expressions are attributed to him:
- "See the root";
- "Live and learn";
- “No one embraces the immense”;
- and etc.
About Literary Newspaper
The newspaper was founded in 1929. M. Gorky was the ideological inspirer.
After 13 years, combined with the newspaper "Soviet Art", it was published under the title "Literature and Art". However, this did not last long, and after 2 years the previous name returned.
In 1967, the newspaper was transformed. It became the first “thick” newspaper in the country - 16 pages. The theme also has become much broader. It was very difficult to publish a newspaper of this format three times a week, and it began to be published weekly.
The logo was decorated with the profile of A.S. Pushkin. Later, an image of the founder, M. Gorky, was added to it.
The newspaper acquired a high status, and it was prestigious to publish in it. All major writers of the Union and some foreign authors published their articles in it.
One of the “highlights” of the newspaper was the heading “Club“ 12 Chairs ”and the novel“ Stormy Stream ”. The Golden Calf Prize, established in 1970, was awarded for the best works published in this section.
In the early 90's, becoming an independent publication, the newspaper declared itself the successor of the same name newspaper M.S. Pushkin, published since 1830. The image of M. Gorky from the logo disappeared for 14 years. In 2004, it was returned to its original place.
About the novel
The Stormy Stream novel became the hallmark of the newspaper. He brought the collective nation-wide fame and love. Excerpts of the novel were printed in each issue. In the process of Yevgeny Sazonov’s creativity, well-meaning jokes and aphorisms were born, which later appeared on everyone’s lips, and still loved and relevant. Here are just a few of them:
- “Years passed. It was getting dark ... ";
- “Life is a bad thing. They die from her ”;
- “An editor is a specialist who, poorly knowing what is good, knows well what is bad.”
The novel "Stormy Stream" has become a jewel in the crown of the heading "Club" 12 chairs ". This was a special phenomenon, the only outlet in times of universal censorship. A crooked mirror, looking into which, you could laugh at yourself. Sazonov Eugene and the Literary Newspaper became for the people a symbol of self-irony and freedom of speech, which they so desired. To the best of sharp jokes and apt aphorisms among the people dispersed, like hot cakes, and became truly popular. The work and its author fell in love with everything from the very beginning and are still remembered.