Valentin Pikul: biography, family, bibliography, adaptation of works

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

There were many talented people among Soviet writers, however, a special place in the history of literature of this period is given to Valentin Savvich Pikul. This man was able to win the hearts of readers with his works, which combined the complexity of historical data, set out in a simple and easy style. Without exaggeration, this author was and remains one of the most popular writers to this day. This article will tell about the work of Valentin Pikul, as well as his personal life, which was filled with a considerable number of interesting facts.

Young years of the writer

Pikul was born on July 13, 1928 in the city of Leningrad. The parents of the future writer came from peasant families and did not differ much from most people of that time.

Valentin Pikul's family lived in Leningrad. The boy studied diligently, was fond of fine arts and acrobatics. A year before the start of the war, the Pikul family had to leave for the working shipbuilding village of Molotovsk (which today is called Severodvinsk), where Valentin continued to study well and began to attend a circle"Young Sailor" Having passed the exams after the fifth grade, Maria Konstantinovna (Valentin Savvich's mother), taking her son with her, went to Leningrad to visit her relatives, where they found the beginning of the war. They could not return to Molotovsk because of the blockade.

Having survived the most terrible period of the blockade, Valentin Savvich and his mother managed to evacuate only along the "Road of Life", which ran through Lake Ladoga and was well shot by the enemy. After experiencing a hunger strike, lack of vitamins and due to lack of treatment, Pikul began to suffer from scurvy and dystrophy.

After the evacuation to Arkhangelsk, young Valentin Savvich could not sit in the rear for a long time and fled to the cabin boy school on Solovki. They took them there from the age of 15, and a prerequisite was the presence of education in grades 6-8. But Pikul had only 5 completed classes behind him, which made it difficult to enter. The commission had to make an exception and enroll Valentine. This decision was made after the boy laid out his essays on naval topics in front of the members of the selection committee and impressed everyone with his knowledge. The life experience gained at the jung school later formed the basis of the autobiographical work of Valentin Savvich "The Boy with Bows".

By the way, at that moment his father Savva Mikhailovich at that time fought, defending his homeland in the ranks of the marines. Already in 1943, Valentin Savvich graduated from his studies and was sent to serve on the destroyer Grozny. The purpose of this ship was to escort convoys that delivered to Arkhangelsk and Murmansk from the allied countries food, militaryequipment and weapons. On the destroyer Grozny, Pikul rose to the rank of commander of a combat post, and then became a navigational electrician.

When the war ended, Pikul was 17 years old, but even at such a young age the guy managed to distinguish himself. He was characterized as a person capable of risky and rash acts. It is worth noting that it was precisely this wording that was included in the official reference kept in the personal file of the future writer.

There is one surprising fact in the biography of Valentin Pikul - after the victory he was sent to study at the naval school, but already in 1946 he was expelled "for lack of knowledge", in other words - for poor progress. Therefore, the official education of the writer is 5 classes of school, and all other knowledge was obtained by him independently from books. After being expelled, he happily attended the literary circles of Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky, Vera Ketlinskaya and others.

Writer's personal life

Valentin Savvich was married three times. He met his first wife, Zoya Chudakova, when he was standing in line. They met and quickly fell in love with each other. Stormy feelings swept over young people and, despite such a young age (Pikul was then 17 years old), they had to get married, since Zoya became pregnant. So the only daughter of Pikul, Irina Valentinovna Pikul, was born. By the way, this girl inherited her father's passion for maritime affairs and became an engineer in the field of shipbuilding. But, despite the fact that Zoya gave Valentin Savvich a daughter, she was not a key woman in his life.life, and their marriage fell apart very quickly.

Veronika Feliksovna Chugunova became Pikul's second wife. She was ten years older than him, and this made her very embarrassed. Valentin Savvich sought Veronika for a long time, but she did not take him seriously. It is worth noting that the friends of Valentin Savvich called his second wife "Iron Feliksovna", since this woman had a strong-willed character and a stern disposition. In the end, she was able to become Pikul's closest, most reliable friend and ally. Veronika Feliksovna had an adult son from her first marriage, but they never had common children with Pikul. She supported her husband and gave him the opportunity to develop and grow creatively. Veronika Feliksovna took upon herself all the domestic hardships and problems. At her insistence, they moved to live from Leningrad to Riga, while they managed to improve their financial condition and change the communal room to a good two-room apartment. It is important to note that Pikul's novel "Word and Deed" is dedicated specifically to Veronika Chugunova.

In 1980, Veronica died. The writer continued to live alone, but it was very difficult for him to cope with everything that had previously been under the strict guidance of Veronika Feliksovna. At that moment, one of the library employees named Antonina took over Valentin Savvich's unspoken patronage. She helped him around the house and was often there at times when the writer needed it. In the end, Pikul proposed to her, which came as a complete surprise to everyone. Antonina Ilyinichna had two children from her first marriage, and when Pikul told her his intentions to marry her,she was unable to make such a decision on her own. To this, Pikul told her that he would take her to the house and wait half an hour below, if she did not come down by the indicated time, he would take this as a refusal. The children of Antonina Ilyinichna were not against their marriage, and she soon moved to live in the house of Valentin Savvich. These relationships matured directly in marriage. They gradually got to know each other and were not too close, often Antonina addressed her husband by name and patronymic. This went on for about two years.

Antonina Ilyinichna was with Valentin Savvich until the end of his life. It is important to note that she became the main biographer of the writer, for which, after his death, she was admitted to the Writers' Union of Russia. Antonina Pikul is considered the main popularizer of her husband's literature. From under her hand came out several books about a talented writer, as well as a creative photo album.

Creative path

The biography of Valentin Pikul is filled with events related to the sea, ships and war. This is what prompted him to write. The first published novel of the writer was "Ocean Patrol". It was published in 1954 by the Young Guard publishing house of the Komsomol Central Committee. After the work was replicated and many learned about it, Pikul was admitted to the Writers' Union of the USSR.

During this period, Valentin Savvich began a friendship with two talented writers who also began their careers - Viktor Konetsky and Viktor Kurochkin. They became so inseparable that many called themThree Musketeers.

Every year, Valentin Savvich's interest in Russian history grew stronger and stronger. He immersed himself in work with his head, read and studied a lot. In 1961, he released the novel "Bayazet", which shocked the public with a story about the times of the Russian-Turkish war. The writer himself claimed that it was this work that became the beginning of his conscious and serious writing activity. In the same year, the writer began work on the work "In the backyard of the Great Empire." Valentin Pikul published more and more often after 1961, and the reader got to know and fell in love with this magnificent author. In 1971, the popular magazine Zvezda published the work "Pen and Sword", which marked the beginning of the author's most successful creative period.

After that, in 1979, Valentin Savvich published the novel "Unclean Power". This work was received by the public in a very unusual way. Many criticized Pikul, but at the same time there were those who were delighted with the work of the author. In the form in which this work can be seen now, it appeared only ten years after the first attempt at publication. The novel "Unclean Power" is a description of the times when the tsarist power in Russia was in its decline, and one of the main characters of political life was the mysterious Grigory Rasputin. Critics began to prove to Pikul that he unreliably described the environment of the imperial family, political figures and the era as a whole. The release of the novel "Unclean Power", according to some historians, called Pikul a lot of trouble. For someAccording to rumors, because of this work, the writer was beaten, and on behalf of the state and party leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Suslov, Valentin Savvich was put under surveillance, because the authorities saw something in the work that did not fit into the framework of generally accepted political judgments and opinions. In the same year, another work of writers is published - the novel “I have the Honor”.

As the writer's friends later said, he himself partly blamed S. Vikulov, editor-in-chief of Nash Sovremennik, for what had happened. At that moment, Valentin Savvich had a severe depression due to his dying wife, he had little understanding of what was happening around him. Just at this ill-fated time, Vikulov arbitrarily decides to publish an unfinished, truncated novel, which, as a result, brought a lot of suffering to Valentin Savvich.

For forty years the writer worked on the creation of his numerous works. He wrote more than thirty novels and a huge number of miniatures. Valentin Pikul, as the writer's friends said, could work for days on end. According to colleagues, the writer was so inspired that he did not just write, but played scenes from his novels with himself. An amazing fact from the biography of Valentin Pikul - he never started new works on Monday, as he believed that this day was not suitable for starting big things.

In general, the writer approached his work very responsibly. For each individual hero of his novels, Pikul started a certain information card, in which all official and unofficial data were collected. After deathThe writer of such cards had more than a thousand pieces. Before starting new novels, the writer carefully studied all the available information, got acquainted with the memories of eyewitnesses of certain events, tried to look at historical events from the side of not only Russian sources, but also foreign ones. It often happened that the writer could doubt the veracity of the information presented in Soviet literature. For this, he often received threats from the authorities.

During his years of life, Valentin Pikul read an incredibly huge number of books. At the time of moving to Riga, the author's personal library consisted of more than 10 thousand books. All this literature inspired him and helped him find clues to historical mysteries. As Pikul himself believed, the author should not just seat his hero at the table and give him tea to drink. A historical novel should answer all the possible questions of the reader: "Was there a teapot at that time?", "What kind of tea did the hero drink, and how did he brew it?", "Did he put sugar in the cup?" In all these little things there is a story that Pikul tried not just to tell, but to convey to his reader.

The last novel of the writer was "Barbarossa", which tells about the historical events of the Second World War. It was supposed that this work will consist of two volumes. In addition, the writer planned to finish the novel "Dogs of the Lord." Valentin Pikul also wanted to write a work dedicated to the historical events of the eighteenth century, as well as a novel about the famous ballerina Pavlova. However, the plans failed to materialize due to the deathamazing writer.

Bibliography of Valentin Pikul

The following works were published by the writer:

• Ocean Patrol novel;
• historical novel "Paris for three hours";
• novel "Out of the Dead End";
• historical novel Moonsund;
• novel "The Tares";
• novel (especially sensational) "I have the honor";
• historical novel "In the backyard of the Great Empire";
• the novel "Bayazet";
• novel "Battle of the Iron Chancellors"
• autobiographical work "Boys with Bows";
• historical novel Requiem for Caravan PQ-17;
• novel "Pen and Sword";
• novel "Go and sin not";
• novel "Katorga";
• novel "Stars over the Swamp";
• novel "To each his own / Under the rustle of banners";
• historical novel "Word and Deed";
• historical novel (most often mentioned by fans) "Unclean Power";
• historical novel "Favorite";
• The Three Ages of Okini-san novel;
• novel "We alth";
• Cruiser's historical novel.

Unfinished works of the writer are the following:

• "Arakcheevshchina";
• "Fat, dirty and corrupt";
• "Dogs of God";
• "Barbarossa (Square of the Fallen Fighters)".
• "Janissaries".

Screening of Pikul's works

The writer's work has inspired many directors. That allowed people not only to read, but also to see the "revived" heroes of novels fromtheir TV screens. The following beautiful pictures were made based on Pikul's novels:

1. A film by the Soviet director Vladimir Rogovoy "Jung of the Northern Fleet". It is worth noting that this film was based not only on the work of Pikul, but also on the work of the writer Vitaly Guzanov.
2. The film "Moonzund" directed by Alexander Muratov. The plot of the picture is based on the work of the same name by Pikul, which tells about the participation of the Russian fleet in the First World War.
3. The film "Boulevard Romance", directed by Vasily Panin. The film is based on the story of Valentin Savvich, and the film itself tells about the life of Olga Palem, who had an extremely difficult life.
4. Russian television series "Bayazet" directed by Andrei Chernykh and Nikolai Istanbul.
5. Russian television series "We alth" directed by Eldor Urazbaev.
6. Alexander Kott's series "Requiem for the Caravan PQ-17".
7. Russian television series "Favorite", filmed by film director Alexei Karelin.
8. The series "Feather and Sword" directed by Evgeny Ivanov.

Writer Awards

Valentin Savvich was a recognized writer. Who was loved by readers and recognized by the state. However, Valentin Pikul received his awards not only for creativity, but also for participation in the Great Patriotic War. Over the years of his life he received:

1. Two Orders of the Red Banner of Labor.
2. Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad".
3. Order of the Patriotic War II degree.
4. Order of Friendship of Peoples.
5. Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945".
6. Medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic".

Valentin Savvich Pikul received cash bonuses from the state. He donated the first to the victims of the earthquake in Armenia, and the second to the fund of the hospital of the B altic military district. The writer received the third prize for the novel "Unclean Power" posthumously.

Criticism of creativity

Pikul's books were often criticized during the author's lifetime and continue to be criticized even today. Most often, Valentin Savvich is reproached for the inaccuracy of historical facts and the excessive simplicity of their presentation to the reader. In addition, many consider his novels to be too vulgar in style of presentation. Some of the adherents of the left parties and even some researchers to this day say that the works of Valentin Savvich Pikul are opportunistic and were created only to please the Soviet authorities.

Pikul especially got for the novel "Unclean Power". From all sides accusations rained down on the author that he distorted the historical data and the moral character of the imperial family. Critic, literary critic and publicist Valentin Dmitrievich Oskotsky said that "Unclean Power" is a stream of plot gossip. And the son of Pyotr Stolypin wrote that Pikul should answer for such base slander not to literary critics, but to the state court.

Discussions about the works of Valentin Savvich do not subside to this day. It can be concluded that this man left his mark on the history of Soviet literature. His ambiguous, resonant and somewhere andthe controversial works of some admired, others infuriated, and still others completely followed the author and suspected him of deeds harmful to the state. But only one thing can be said for sure - Pikul's works did not leave anyone indifferent.

Death of a writer

Valentin Savvich Pikul died on July 16, 1990. The cause of his sudden death was a heart attack.

The writer was buried in the city of Riga. An amazing fact is that after the funeral, the widow of Valentin Savvich, Antonina Ilyinichna, sorting through his things, found a book with an inscription on the flyleaf indicating the day of death, which Pikul himself predicted. He was wrong by only three days. The inscription from the book is shown below.

When I die - someone will get this book, and he will think why I was interested in such subjects? The fact of the matter is that, thanks to the versatility of interests, I became a writer. Although during my lifetime I never called myself that, preferring a more modest word - "writer". I had an education of only 5 classes, and fought from the age of 14, and everything that I acquired later, I acquired from a passionate, almost fantastic love of knowledge. Now I am 31 years old, I have two novels written, four more are planned. This was written by Pikul Valentin Savvich, Russian, born July 13, 1928, died July 13, 19…

Memory of Pikul

Whatever critics say, this writer has become a people's favorite. He received recognition from a huge number of readers. To this day, even representatives of the new generation admire the work of ValentinPikul.

The memory of this writer is stored not only in the hearts of readers, it is immortalized in monuments, courts bearing the name of the writer, alleys, libraries and more.

Even the minor planet Pikulia is named after the writer. In 2004, the Valentin Pikul Prize was also established.

Conclusion

To this day, many home libraries of ordinary people keep the works of Valentin Savvich Pikul. He was a man not with the simplest fate, but at the same time he is an example of how a person loved his work and completely found himself in it. From an early age, he was passionate about naval affairs, well versed in the courts and quickly learned to manage them. All this is well felt in Pikul's books. He wrote very simply about those things that may be completely incomprehensible to people who do not encounter war or naval affairs in their usual life.

Having learned the biography of Valentin Pikul, we can conclude that he was true to himself, seriously approached the matter and was not afraid of difficulties. This man was a nugget and was able to independently grow a personality in himself. Which contemporaries are proud of.

During his years of life, Valentin Pikul wrote a huge number of works, around which there are many disputes to this day. This is what indicates that he was able to touch a nerve, and that no one can remain indifferent after reading his works. The novel "I have the honor" especially touches the heart. Maybe you should check it out too?