Pavel Basinsky: you Have a wide range of genres: you’re a poet, prose writer, publicist. I write short stories and great novels. Fame came to you with the novel “Matisse” in 2006, for which you received the “Russian Booker”. Plot: physicist becomes homeless. Where you have an interest in this topic? You don’t look like a man who may crash.
Alexander Ilichevsky: In fact, bummed – like most students of my generation 1970. Who among us, from other cities, could then acquire their own home? A study in 1993 has ended, but funds for the purchase of apartments was not. Lived communes illegally in a hostel or squat (squatting – unauthorized colonization of abandoned or unoccupied space or building. – Approx. ed.). The center of the capital then massively rebuilt, it was major repairs, but at some point it stopped due to the General chaos. Quite a lot of derelict housing formed on a Color, on Pyatnitskaya. Remember how we chose a room in a former dormitory of the Ministry of interior in a very old hotel-type house where the sagging Foundation of the curving corridors and through the rooms they lived very different personalities. There I met, for example, former bass player of “Civil defense” (rock band, founded in 1984 Egor Letov. – Approx. ed.). Anyway, can I have my case on the feeling of the house when I’m thirteen years he lived in the Dorm, first at boarding school, then College. But this is not important. The main thing is the feeling of homelessness that emerged in the “Matisse” as a symbol time, the symbol of the era. The whole country, deprived of its main myth, which ate almost the entire twentieth century, suddenly became an existential homeless.
Pavel Basinsky: In my view you are a “citizen of the world”. Born in Azerbaijan, lived in Israel and California, at his home in Tarus, now back in Israel… This principle of life, fate or just wearing around the world? Based on the novel “the Drawing of Newton,” you have a lot of countries visited. And somewhere found?
Alexander Ilichevsky: I love Logic, love Moscow, Russia. But it so happened in my biography that I was a traveler. In the broadest sense of the word. I can’t get attached to one place. For example, it was our family house in Azerbaijan. But we lost the era took, and I guess since I can’t find a place. One of my most wistful dreams, which is repeated regularly – I dream of the house on the Absheron Peninsula, abandoned, inhabited by rain, birds, strangers, dreams of the dead garden. This is a very sad dream. Probably, since I do not trust to fate, not rely on it in the sense that it is not obnarujivaesh that will gain ever home, as real in fact as it is inviolable in metaphysical terms.
Paul BA��Inskaya: Remember how you told me one day: today, science has become so complex that two degrees is not enough. The other day I heard on the radio that the Japanese scientists are seeking to ensure that people will be able to communicate with Pets that is will literally be talking to them. But it’s like in Paradise! Is this possible? And physical immortality possible?
Alexander Ilichevsky: I’m a dog person. I have a Labrador Retriever, he’s seven. I definitely can confirm the observations of scientists: my dog intelligence up to four children and knows many words. I dog understand perfectly, but even better, he understands me. About physical immortality – it is quite possible, I think. But I don’t really understand why this is necessary. I have a theory that our consciousness is immortal because it is virtual. It does not matter how it is structurally embodied from silicon or proteins. Consciousness – the totality of the relations, which is not able to localize in space. You never know where is the person sitting on the chair in the room or where she imagines or remembers. And that cannot be localized neither in time nor in space, it is impossible to destroy.
Pavel Basinsky: Stop! As they say, with this point in detail! Do you really think that physical immortality is possible? The same thing I was told by Dmitry Glukhovsky. You guys realize that this is presenting serious? Because it’s an unattainable dream of mankind! Dreamed about it Maxim Gorky. As for the theory of the immortality of the consciousness, it is beautiful from an artistic point of view, but disappointing. So the Czechs said that he was uncomfortable with the idea of Tolstoy dissolution of personality in God. “Why do I have such an uncertain immortality?” – Chekhov said. Do you really agree after the death fluttering in the Universe in the form of one consciousness? Not scary?
Alexander Ilichevsky: the fact of the matter is that scary and seems lonely. My theory is not too comforting, however, is what seems logical to me. Somewhere must be the solution to this problem, I think so. Another thing is that not everything in this world must have a solution. It’s time to get used to humanity that one profound truth may contradict another profound truth. Here Nikolai Fedorov believed that the resurrection of all people – the main task, which should focus on humanity. And requested the Tsiolkovsky to figure out how all those resurrected to settle on the planets, since space for all of the land is not there. So, actually, there was a space. There is some irony and a distinct depth of thought of accomplishing. If really someday, humanity will settle his resurrected on other planets? Honestly, if you really think about justice in the matter of the eternal welllife, the only right decision here: should be resurrected and mind, and flesh. And something tells me that the second part of the task is not so complicated as the first, whereas the mysteries of the brain when they are opened, it will give the solution for the first.
Pavel Basinsky: let’s go Back to prose… Ten years ago, we’re on the stage of the Pashkov House received the award “Big book”, I for “Escape from Paradise”, you – for the novel “the Persian”. Your “Persian” delighted! But… Sasha, because this is not a novel. I generally difficult to determine the genre of this book. This is some beautiful and very large reflection to the outside world and at the same time for their own reflection on it. I would compare your look with the eye of a dragonfly, where in many facets reflected the same world, but different.
Alexander Ilichevsky: With the genres I have a problem, then there is a problem with the ability to fit into them. Hence the risk of being misunderstood. But, on the other hand, why not avoid the idea that genres need to evolve? For example, we are witnessing a renewal of principles of the “Poetics” of Aristotle, because it added a visual component from a screen. New genres appear and compete well with the classical forms. For example, the TV series. There are such masterpieces, for example, my favorite The Wire (“the Wire” is one of the most popular U.S. TV series about crime in Baltimore, which some critics have called “literary television”. – Approx. ed.) that, in essence, overturned the classical form of the novel. My concern at the time, when I write to do something new that hasn’t already been. Now I finished a new large text – “Iceland” (so-called very scenic area of Jerusalem, absolutely poor, where my heroes). He, too, like “Persian”, a distinct problem with the genre. And I’m also worried how it will be perceived. While in his intuition regarding this text, I am sure one hundred percent.
Paul Basinsky: the name of your novel “the Drawing of Newton” already claim that you offer some kind of structural thing, a “code” through which it is possible to “decode” the world. Is that so? Explain the meaning of the name.
Alexander Ilichevsky: Newton until the end of his days engaged in the exact year of the temple of Jerusalem, since he was confident that his design lie the secrets of the universe. From the standpoint of the present day, this is about the same as if Einstein in his later years was addicted to astrology. But maybe Newton just knew something more with your intuition? This thought gave me no peace until I suggested that the main intuition of the great scientist was not to have something to calculate, and how to reconcile metaphysics and science. This is a modern example. In the gauge field theory is a mathematical entity called the spirits Fudd��Eva-Popova. This field, the probability to detect which is simply negative. That is, these “spirits” the essence of something actual from the point of view of consciousness, but from the point of view of reality – the reality of them cannot be found. Of metaphysics there can be any number. My hero follows the footsteps of the lost father, trying to continue surveying Newton.
Paul Basinsky: the Theme of the father in the novel seemed to me to be key. She is fictitious, real? What in your understanding means “father”? This is the Central theme of Russian literature.
Alexander Ilichevsky: Figure is as fictional as real. I met a man whose adventures made a powerful impression on me. Having a heroin addiction, he came out of the abyss thanks to the Franciscan monks. The father in my understanding – a biblical figure, a metaphor of God, a metaphor for the shelter a home, finding a stranger in the world, not too different from Heaven. Another thing is that the father in the novel the wanderer. The main character decides to finish the job father, to bring his ideas to real implementation.
Pavel Basinsky: You live in Israel. There exists a serious Russian literary environment? Personally, I only know you and Dean Rubin. I will ask a question easier. You’re not bored, not lonely out there as a writer? It is clear that a writer’s loneliness – the usual thing. But all the same?
Alexander Ilichevsky: of Course, lonely. But what to do? This is mitigated by the fact that I am no longer young, I am turning this year fifty. Literary environment, communication is still the lot of the young writers. For example, when I was thirty, I decided to return to Moscow from California for this reason: for language and for special people who are engaged in the development of this language. Then it was extremely important. But at a certain age the need to communicate is reduced. You more or less already know what the tongue wants from you. Finally there is “Facebook”, thanks to which there is a close circle of readers.
Pavel Basinsky: How did you survive the quarantine? In Russia, it became on the one hand, the madness that changed the consciousness of many people; on the other hand, creative people are found in this good – insulation is akin to Boldino autumn. You have personally been through hard times or Boldin autumn?
Alexander Ilichevsky: I wrote, of course, more than usual. But can not call it downright really a great boon. Quarantine in Israel now broke out with new force – second wave swept the country. And yet to be seen how it would end, the economy is bursting at the seams, growing protests against government decisions. All this cannot but inspire anxiety. I work in the hospital, and this is especially sharpens the perception of the situation – all this is seen as if from the trenches. �� General, the rest we can only dream. Moreover, it completely violated my personal plans – I can’t go to my parents, which I really need to visit. Let’s see how long it will last. One thing is clear: we need a vaccine to combat the epidemic. And all of us today we need courage and patience.
Alexander Ilichevsky was born in 1970 in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. In 1985-1987 he studied at the Physico-mathematical school named after Kolmogorov at Moscow state University. In 1993 he graduated from the Faculty of General and applied physics of Moscow physical-technical Institute on a speciality “theoretical physics”. In 1991-1998 he was engaged in scientific work in Israel and California. In 1998 he returned to Moscow. Since 2013 lives in Israel. 2016 works as a physicist in the radiotherapy Department in Hadassah hospital, Jerusalem.
