“Territory” brought Kuvaeva resounding success, it became the main book, but he did not consider it successful: “It’s so warm…”. And when the book happened and the author was tormented over it, did the second, third, fourth option, he admitted in a letter to a friend: “the Story of a helluva lot of brutal for the reader, because if I get what I want, the reader needs to understand what it is crap”. And he said: “For the true shit is like water off a duck, but are hesitant to help, looking to adopt”.
Yury Lepsky: Roman Kuvaev “Territory” has changed the lives of many people
the Waverers, the doubters, standing on the crossroads of destiny – that this was addressed to “Territory”. Like other novels and stories, from the first student, the second unfinished novel, “Rules of flight” and third, “the Last hunter”, remaining in a brief outline and vague allusions in the correspondence with friends. Many times he repeated the same thing: his book is written “for hundreds of thousands of… my peers, which brought the meaning of life to footage of living space and variety of furniture.”
“the Territory” has put in a number of the best works about the working class, topped the all-Union prize. The book “came to the court,” although the author wasn’t trying and was genuinely surprised at his “popularly”. Explained it this way: “Apparently, I guess some need time, need of human souls and their conscience… something I prosise in the hearts of many, there is a lot of letters, and letters sincere” – not only from grateful geologists, about which the novel had been written.
the Mid-seventies was a time of mass enthusiasm, ahmetovsky songs, labour of taiga desantoV. Many were carrying in backpacks “Territory”, I read it in the Siberian taiga in the light of the evening fire… of Course, Kuvayev was not alone. After a period of “personality cult” and “socialist realism” in literature came new authors have approved the cult of personality in a direct and ordinary sense of the word, that is faith in the ability and duty of each person to independently build their own destiny on the foundations of reason, dignity and conscience.
Everyone is capable of. Maybe you should. But not everyone does it. Why?
This question is the main theme in the work of Oleg Kuvaeva.
the answer he was looking for and grew gradually, not in a hurry to formulate a completely. At first it seemed easy: it is only necessary to understand the rules of simple code of honor, to honor them, and follow them, as do the young romantics-laborers together with wise leaders like the brilliant geologist of the Chink with his fanatical self-righteousness and concrete principle of “do or die”.
What writers do in isolation
That was enough for “Territory” with its synthesis of fiction and authenticity of fiction. For these inventions he violently avenged geologists veterans who did not recognize themselves in prototypes and characters, sends the collective slander in the highest echelons. Kuvaev wearily waved: “Territory” is not Chukotka. This is my imaginary country… Let everyone search for her wishes.”
Time passed, published new stories and novels, the question of “why?” has acquired options were taken away farther from the Mature Luggage youth romance, Patriotic impulses and of spiritual beauty. Had toleratedü “flour creativity”, when the hero is conceived of the plot started to deviate from the prescribed route has reached a dead end and the author had to find some way out of the situation (for example, dismissing a disobedient character “during the memorial North of the disaster”). This is Simon the helmsman of the “Rules of flight”. The hero seems to be a positive, almost a copy of the Chink: confident and energetic, doing important and necessary work. But not winning, and the loser of his game. And remained the same damn question “why”… Why did you lose?
From the letter: “I have a new novel started. “Rules of flight”. About the whips… Oh my gosh, a boundless sea in front of me opened. The vast sea of work. The error of the haste made with the “Territory”, can not be repeated… well formed concept. Triangle: the outcast – people who want to help him – the state. And each side of this triangle your rock, its iron and ruthless destiny.” Already from this it is clear how difficult – very difficult! – the idea of “Rules of flight”.
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In this novel Kuvayev tried to replace the exact calculation of the intuition. Chink it figured out, knew all about him. About Releve – guesses, assumes. With obvious sympathy depicts a striking figure who’s out to get “renegades” from the mud of life, to make these rogue proud and happy, needed and useful to society. The idea is good, but it has little pain – well-hidden greed. “Savior of the people” enjoy their generosity, looks at the saved people from the top down. And it is a sin, because “kindness should be a kindness”… Writer was on crossroads. And believe it, and do not believe in the righteousness of that sinner. And I feel that ennobled the beach looked as a historical driving force, and takes a nuisance when there is not agree to make ends meet. Do not converge. But he does not try to pull them by force!
“Rules of flight” is the concentration of many years of reflection, doubt, conjecture, effort, spirit, stress of conscience – all that was filled and overflowing with the honest nature of the artist who dared to see or hear the answers, and to find your own, the only true… And even the fact that daring this attempt was not crowned with the finished result, even death Kuvaeva – unexpected, like the sudden interruption overused rope, which attracted something huge, even this deeply symbolic.
He left too early and told us everything we wanted. But managed to say the main thing. “Every writer, whether he likes it or not, a preacher. A certain morality, a certain way of life… the Meaning of life I think I understand. We live, unfortunately, one just have to spend the rest of the years in the clarity of the spirit and the attainment of wise values of life… Only if you’re not trembling over their own well-being, you can get a man to mankind.”
Only in case, if you’re not trembling over their own well-being, you can get a man of humanity
Kuvayev has taught us important and needed lesson and your creativity, and destiny. We learned that lesson? Than thanked?
a Memorial plaque in Magadan and the Queen on the facades of the houses where he lived and worked. Nameless mountain in Chukotka named after him. Block headstones delivered by fellow geologists from polar Pevek on the old suburban cemetery, with the inscription in gold, which was almost washed away by rain. The books are occasionally reprinted.
but by And large, on the main account? As ordered by his will? I can simply answer the question: “Where were you, what did you all these years? Dovalny do you?”
As we have ordered his will? I can answer a simply question: where was what you did all these years, are you satisfied with yourself?
somewhere there was once upon a time… slowly moved all together from the romantic seventies through perestroika eighties and nineties in our two-thousand, in a new and yet incomprehensible twenty-first century… Grew up and got old, has received and bought the apartment, roamed Antalya and Courchevel communicated in a noisy feasts, watched on TV game “What? Where? When?”. University challenge, the winning in this tournament, were awarded with books, they were handed a cute white-haired grandmother. Over time, it quietly disappeared from the TV screens, instead of it appeared the smiling bankers, handing out prizes in the form of hundreds and thousands of banknotes… don’t like? Do not switch! On the same channel will show you another intellectual game “Who wants to be a millionaire?” Sports channel will not only watch football but also know how many millions paid to foreign team for talented players. In the popular talk show will tell us who is who, when and how, scandalous motherhood and questionable paternity can prove with DNA… Habitually and carelessly we chew and swallow it all.
And then take a book from the shelf Oleg Kuvaeva. From under the covers he looks us in the eye with the silent reproach: “Well, what are you… how is it…”.
“Territory” is not Chukotka. This is my imaginary country… Let everyone search for her wishes.” Photo: Film Company “Volga”
