Uspensky Vladimir Dmitrievich. Russian historian and writer: the mysteries of the sensational novel

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

Vladimir Dmitrievich Uspensky is known to most readers as a writer from whose pen came a novel dedicated to the study of the personality of Joseph Stalin. This book has been in the making for thirty years, consists of 15 parts, and is dedicated to an attempt at objective literary research.

The first part of the novel "Privy Councilor to the Chief" was first published in 1988, although it was written much earlier. And the novel was finished in 2000.

History of Creation

The desire to create a literary work about Stalin arose in the writer back in 1953, when he accidentally got into an archival document that slightly lifted the veil of secrecy over perhaps the most incomprehensible ruler of modern Russia.

Historian by education and military historian by vocation - this is how Uspensky Vladimir Dmitrievich used to say about himself - more than once he helped to create memoirs for famous military leaders. And here is such a case: in the early 70s, a meeting took placewriter with a certain Lukashov Nikolai Alekseevich (not his real name). The latter handed over to Ouspensky a large volume of diary, memoir entries about his service as a secret adviser to Joseph Stalin.

On the advice of Sholokhov, who highly appreciated his novel "Unknown Soldiers", Vladimir Dmitrievich starts work on a novel about the leader of all times and peoples. The main task is objectivity or its attempt, which, as you know, is not torture.

Confession or eyewitness accounts?

So, the writer who has created more than one book about the "fiery revolutionaries" gets two suitcases with manuscripts. These are the notes of a person who enjoys the exclusive confidence of Stalin.

In the novel, he is named Nikolai Alekseevich Lukashov. This is a fictitious name of a real person, according to the legend from the book, a former tsarist officer, who, even during the revolutionary events, turned out to be close to Stalin by chance. The character's real name is never revealed. Lukashov not only became friends with the future leader, but also, thanks to his education and diplomatic skills, became his secret adviser.

One can only guess how, when and why the diary was kept about all the significant events taking place around I. Stalin. It gives the characteristics of the leader's associates, relations with them, records the history of the adoption of certain decisions and the reasons that influenced the events in the country (what preceded them).

The narration is conducted on behalf of Lukashov, and it seems that the Privy Councilor was invisibly presentalways under Stalin. After all, it is impossible, say, to get into the personal conversations of the leader, for example, with Sergo Ordzhonikidze. It is impossible to know what their constant disputes were about, and also about what is more important - the party or its leader. The impression that wiretapping was installed everywhere, everyone was tapped, including Sam recorded all his conversations.

In this case, maybe this is not a memoir at all, but a chronology of events recorded by kilometers of records of all behind-the-scenes, cabinet and public conversations, in which Stalin and his shadow, Privy Councilor Lukashov, were present?

Development of the country or course towards a cult of personality

The chronology of events, the adoption of the most important decisions for the country in the novel are described in sufficient detail and kindly towards Stalin.

It was the benevolent tone of the book, the explanation of behind-the-scenes intrigues and the understanding of the various actions of the leader as the only possible, perhaps not always correct ones, that caused a storm of indignation among the opponents of I. Stalin's policy. Accordingly, the novel was repeatedly criticized, but was at the same time the most read book.

The newspaper "Knizhnoe obozrenie", summing up the reader's interest for 1991, states that Vladimir Uspensky turned out to be the most widely read writer of that time thanks to his latest novel. Library data also informs that in 1995 the book came in second place after Astafiev's novel "Cursed and Killed".

The nineties allowed people to learn the secret, to be interestedunknown, hushed up history, it is not surprising that the book-memoirs about Stalin aroused genuine interest, because it did not suit the times, was not published in connection with the prevailing situation, but quite the opposite - it went against the well-known stereotypes.

It is difficult to say whether the author managed to answer the question: who was Joseph Stalin, but he is an integral part of the country's history. After all, it was not for nothing that Vysotsky wrote: “We pricked (Stalin’s) profiles closer to the heart so that he could hear the beating of the heart” … and it is true that the country sobbed off the deceased leader.

The Novel Phenomenon

Often this book is called a confession novel, without a shadow of lies or falsehood. However, when it comes to confession, the real face of the "Privy Councilor" should be revealed. Using the technique of memoirs, Uspensky Vladimir keeps the true identity of the narrator a secret. There is intrigue, but can the "mask" be trusted?

Indeed, the confessional tone is present in the narrative, the author of the memoirs Lukashov, as it were, explains the origins and results of actions. True, not their own, but the leader. Therefore, here, rather, it is not a confession, but a frank, what is called "without cuts", a retelling of the events that took place, various decisions of the leader, their influence on the fate of the country.

During the action, not only the scale of building communism in Russia changes, but the scale of Stalin's personality also changes. Increasing his authority and Lenin's idea of communism, Joseph Stalin irrevocably loses something deep and universal in himself, he loses friends, wife,children. Is it a lot or a little nationwide? Could Stalin remain the same as he came into the revolution? Probably not, time and power did their job.

However, the phenomenon of the novel is an attempt to remain apolitical regardless of propaganda and politics in the country. The existence outside of politics of the most important instigator of all political movements, the choice of the grain of the novel: Stalin is a man, not the "father of peoples" - this task was completed by the writer Uspensky Vladimir Dmitrievich 100%.

Before the reader there is an image first of all of the person - contradictory, sharp, ideological; an adherent of the revolution and a fan of power. The deep conviction that no one except him knows how to build communism makes Stalin fight for power even harder. He was a loyal Leninist and hoped to put the ideas of the leader of the revolution into practice, no matter what it cost him.

Does the book have a future

In connection with the advent of the novel, the phrase "priest adviser to the leader" began to be used in a figurative sense, referring to the unofficial rulers of certain structures.

It is unlikely that this meaning was put into the phrase by the author of the novel. But the rulers have always had secret advisers and, apparently, they will. The openness of power is desired by the people, but is it always useful.

However, those who read the book will be able to learn not only unknown facts about events in power and in the country, but also get biographical information about many outstanding personalities in the history of the Soviet period. But also to understand how the slightest movement of the eyebrows or mustachesruler-leader, can lead to tragic consequences for the whole country.

Future generations decide whether to read or not. But I think that those who are interested in history should learn to read not only what is written, but also between the lines, revealing the unknown and hidden facts of our rich history.