Аннотация: Molchanov Andrei Alekseevich. Suborbital literary flight. Experimental essay - an attempt of a partial biographical reconstruction.
Molchanov Andrei Alekseevich. Suborbital literary flight. Experimental essay - an attempt of a partial biographical reconstruction.
Once upon a time, a very, very long time ago (1983), 'Yunost' ["Youth", "Юность"] magazine published Andrei Molchanov's novel, "New Year in October" ['Новый год в октябре'; "Юность", 1983, NN 1, 2].
This novel touched some strings. I read it with pleasure, periodically recalled it and sometimes re-read it. This novel stood out among other Soviet works of fiction.
Before my inner gaze was presented an indistinct image of the author of the novel - a mysterious intellectual familiar with some secrets of life. The author of the novel 'New Year in October' is probably familiar with such a mysterious phenomenon when some forces provide assistance to a person. However, this is the truth of any religion ... Theoretically, one could meet David's psalms instead of the magazine 'Yunost' and read them, but at the time the novel 'New Year in October' was published, a difficulties in USSR were concerning acquiring the Bible ...
Several decades passed, a search appeared on the Internet, and I decided to see who Andrei Molchanov was.
And so, I am reading the afterword to Andrei Molchanov's book 'Threads' ['Нити']:
'AFTERWORD
I got lucky. In the nineties of the last century, I, an adviser to the head of the Central RUBOP [The Regional Anti-Organized Crime Directorate], was daily with those who performed an impossible task: to clear society from the dominance of organized crime, which was gaining all-destructive power. (...) ... wholeheartedly engage in a battle with the unbridled, blood-bastard scum, crushing everything under himself, and clearly directed to power. And this fight was won. Hundreds of groups and gangs were dispersed and destroyed. (...)
(...) Those who have acquired significant capital have bought for themselves administrative and political positions, which have long become the most profitable business ...
(...) One way or another, but in the summer of 2001, Regional Anti-Organized Crime Directorates according the highest political decision were abolished - structures of a new type that gained power, skills, and most importantly, independence and a vast information base. The motivation for the abolition was a collection of vague phrases. Most employees - professionals of the highest class, were dismissed from the service without any explanation.
A new era has begun in the country. '
I read these lines many years ago. And if I had read these days, it would have been possible to use a quote in miniatures about the destruction of the intelligentsia - for example, the destruction the service of foresters.
But at that time I didn't write miniatures ...
A new image appeared in front of my inner gaze. A nugget - he is both a writer and, at the same time, an employee of bodies - unjustly offended by another administrative transformation, and now engaged in literary creative work somewhere in the deep areas of Moscow oblast (in an estate, in an abandoned village surrounded by impassable swamps?).
I also had the opportunity to read some works by Andrei Molchanov - except for "New Year in October."
I tried to pull myself up and maintain a (high) bar of respect - but I didn't like anything I read. Probably, in a literary institute such terms are used as "minor themes" and "inability to build a plot."
Nevertheless, Andrei Alekseevich Molchanov remained a certain mystery to me - after all, he was connected with the very pleasant 80s of the 20th century and with the 'Yunost' magazine.
Since then, a lot of water has flowed away. For example, I got acquainted with the books of Iosif Grigulevich and his biography ... It may seem that both Grigulevich and Molchanov at different times served in intelligence ....
In addition, by this time, according the examples of other authors (for example, - Baryshev M. I. Special powers: The story about Vyacheslav Menzhinsky. - M.: Politizdat, 1976. - (Flame revolutionaries). - 446 p., il.) I possessed a point of view on existence of the possibility of writer's activity, when the fee is paid not proportional to the number of books bought, but for the volume of the written text.
The other day, during a pause, I made an attempt to find on Wikipedia an article about Andrei Molchanov. Indeed, there is a biographical material on Wikipedia about Andrei Molchanov.
Before the attempts to find information, I once again tried to read the works by Andrei Molchanov.
This time I started reading the collection "Adventures 1990". This collection presents works by various authors. There is a work of Andrei Molchanov in it.
In the table of contents of the collection is a list of names and surnames.
I open the work of Molchanov: a list of names and surnames ...
Did the compilers of the collection mess up something? Did the program crash? ... Something incorrect in the appearence, in the presentation of the book?
I'm starting to read. I am reading.
The text seems to be ending.
"... The garage was warm, dry, smelled of oil and paint. "Pobeda" [a car of story teller] was enveloped with a fair layer of dust - like a car is arrived only from the moon. Meeting with the past. The strangeness of recognizing his familiar essence in the novelty and uncertainty of the present. I suddenly keenly and for the first time to the end realized: I came back! '
Next is the surname: Marina Osipova. Well, I didn't intend to read work by Marina Osipova and I'm not going to...
And what ... Not so bad ... Psychological short story. It's probably could be named 'A Return' ["A coming back"].
I look at the beginning of the text: Molchanov ... Egorov ...
These "Adventures of 1990" are very interesting, curious...
Finally, after a few returns to the text, an assumption comes - is this something like an inept imitation of 'In August of 1944'? There many chapters are named after the heroes. But the ranks, positions (some other information) are indicated there. Obviously, these are not authors of texts. Plus a numbering. In the text in front of me - there are a pure surnames. And no a numbering.
Bad thoughts began to appear - about the existence of writers who wrote for royalties calculated for the volume of the text ... We will not, of course, be too strict ... Let us think favorably about other people ...
I began to read "Chain Reaction" ["Цепная реакция"] But now not from the beginning, but from the end.
The chapters are not numbered. But if you look at the table of contents, the final chapter is 'Major Atanesyan'.
I had read, at last. I think it's interesting. There is, even, the truth of life .... But what's the point of all this?...
It seems then I went over to Wikipedia.
Wikipedia has a lot of interesting things.
But the most interesting thing is the title. The title, rank. "Major general".
Could this title have been obtained after the liquidation of 'structures of a new type that have gained power, skilles, and most importantly - independence and a vast information base ...? The majority of employees - professionals of the highest class, were dismissed from the service without any explanation. '
Apparently were dismissed, but not all. Not all. Nevertheless, a person who (potentially) was able to write (as proved by the publication in the 'Yunost') was attracting attention ... Moreover, he was not just a 'person' who attracted attention, but an 'employee' [of state bodies] - for the most part they are very busy, even not everyone has the time to test a pen [the own the writer's skills] ... And a diploma of the Literary Institute is a useful, in general, thing ...
However, one must not forget that "A new era has begun in the country."
These were not those partly kind and partly good-natured grandfathers and uncles who were sitting in the Central Committee of the CPSU and in other warm places.
New people are able to find keys for any individual. For someone a beautiful words were important, for someone - money, for someone - a solving of a real estate issues, for someone - a rank, for someone - a placing someone in some university ...
Try to rise to the rank of general. Grigulevich, for example, if you read Wikipedia, it is unclear in what rank he completed his service. And the artist Abel (Fisher)?
In general, only one who lived between years 1991 - 2000 - 2020, only he knows the sweetness of life ...
And if you have an experience of touching this sweetness, then literature may be not such an important thing.
"And this fight was won."
Yes, Iosif Grigulevich wrote several (many) very high-quality books, he can rightfully be called a writer, but he does not seem to have become a general ...
The uncles from the Central Committee, from the Academy of Sciences and from the Writer's Union were not as sophisticated in a finding keys as modern figures ... Yes, and the time was calmer - keys were not always required ... And not for everyone ... Another thing is now ... Troublesome time ... And in troublesome times you need to be able to correctly direct events ...
Yandex found some photos. I don't know how a mysterious intellectual should be presented, - intellectual familiar with the secrets of life ... Will he look like an employee of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Trade? ..
But what about "New Year in October"? Yes, this novel was published in the "Yunost" magazine.
'In minute of farewell, Tvardovsky said:
- And Konstantin Aleksandrovich is right: your manuscript is an interesting work ... But there is a lot of rubbish there. Let's transferr your work to an experienced editor, to work as it should ...
... Gabbe was considered a non-staff editor, now it was needed give the work for viewing and, perhaps, for revision to the staff [new, next] editor of Novy Mir [magazine]. " (Yuri Trifonov, 'Notes by a Neighbor' [Ю.В. Трифонов 'Записки соседа']).
Well ... Let's not deny the merits of the novel 'New Year in October' ... We will be happy to recall the 80s, the 'Yunost' magazine ...
July 6, 2020 13:05
Translation from Russian into English: July 7, 2020 05:13.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Молчанов Андрей Алексеевич. Суборбитальный литературный полет. Опыт частичной биографической реконструкции'.