Pavel Basinsky: In the 70 years I studied at the Saratov University, a philologist, but somehow lived in the dormitory of the faculty of Geology, surrounded by future geologists. And I can attest that a cult book for these guys was “Territory” Oleg Kuvaeva. They and I was “hooked” on this novel. How do you explain his success at that time?
Vasily Avchenko: Other books were not. And the query was. The Geology was prestigious, but “the Story of a real man” or “the Three Musketeers” about geologists nobody has written. We need our own Jack London and Hemingway. “Territory” had all the necessary properties for this: muscular romantic-production affair with apical, heroics and philosophy… all about the fascinating Geology is difficult to write either slide into the pathos of “the last match”, or portray the routine, not interesting to the layman. Kuvayev has managed to mix adventure with hints of exploration of gold placers. That was, in his words, “popularno”. The book was praised by the readers, and literary authorities that the 70’s was unusual: the nomenclature and the masses dispersed, all went to the Big Bang.
the t-shirt reacted to the success of the calm, saying that the country was expecting a new Nikolai Ostrovsky, he gave a “collapsible outline of reinforced concrete and square jaws”. Pure Kuvaev sverdlovelectro to yourself. He and writer albert Miftahutdinov advised: “Answer the compliments mate, or Khan!”
However, some of the Magadan geologists have staged a campaign against “the Territory”: the author was lying, we never said names were not… Here it is, first, offended one of the luminaries of the phrase in the novel: “Basil Theophanic! Shut up!” Second – jealousy: Kolyma geologists were stars, many wrote – a novel about Chukotka gold, which they opened, wrote a Junior researcher without an academic degree with a geological experience just a few years, besides not “goldsmith”, and geophysicist… But now subsided, leaving only Kuvayev and “Territory”. And if it wasn’t anything we hadn’t known about the people of the territory of the sunset of the dalstroi. As we do not know about the opening Bilibin gold Kolyma, and popugaeva for books with tails – Yakut diamonds. If something or someone does not appear very good read of the novel – we can assume that events and man was not.
Kuvaev wrote: “If there’s a Genie offered me a choice: to write at least one really good book bad ending 45 years of age or not to write anything worthwhile, but to live to 80, I would without a moment’s hesitation chose the former”. About and left.
Pavel Basinsky: is it True that Roman Kuvaev “Territory” in the years of Soviet power many young people brought to the Geology? If so, is it possible today? Or Geology is already not a desirable profession for a new generation?
Vasily Avchenko: Is so. Another thing is that “Territory” was released at the end of the Soviet Union, and it was last call. Soon priorities changed diametrically, as if all paramagnetism. I don’t think today many people dream of Geology. Rather warm office location bureaucratic positions… what Oleg Kuvaeva turned up. But someone is in Geology, these people have not gone away and is not going anywhere.
Today, it is difficult to imagine that the book led the people in a particular profession – the literature is not the same power of influence. Dissolve common cultural code – no books or movies who would know all, could communicate identifiable quotations.
And yet our depths of the forever national project and Russia’s karma even in escortladies sense. But the tasks of Geology is much broader than the search for ores. She learns things, bound up with the philosophy of cosmism, which is evident in such figures as academicians Vernadsky and Fersman.
Pavel Basinsky: Kuvaeva called “Russian Jack London”, referring, I think, first of all the American classic series of stories about the prospectors Smoke Bellew and Kid. There is something in common between them and the heroes t-shirt or is it a different social and psychological types?
Vasily Avchenko: Heroes London t-shirt find – with all the differences – the unmistakable human likeness. Andonovska heroes are not only for gold, “the American dream” – remember Harnish nicknamed Time-no-wait, which is important for the struggle as such, or John Messner, rolling in gold in a hole… In the North heroes London t-shirt and find moral code, what is not in the big warm cities. Something like a gleam of Paradise lost. In londonskoy “love of life”, which Krupskaya had read the dying Lenin, one miner to the last drags of gold and dies, the other throws and escapes. This “parallelity” and Shalamov’s “gold death”, and Kuvaev definition of gold as a “stupid metal”, from which “continuous record”… To the North sought the people Kuvaev called “ad hoc”. Not fit for office or factory work, will appreciate the risk… no Wonder in the Magadan region is one of the lakes was given the name of Jack London.
Today gold is mined, large enterprises, although there are “predators” (that’s modern Russian Jack londonopen no one ever wrote!), a draft law on “free prinos”
Pavel Basinsky: How do you feel about the two film adaptations of the novel “Territory” – 1978 Alexander Surin and 2014 Alexander Miller?
Vasily Avchenko: Both films are not masterpieces, but the first is better, honest. There’s even a the real. Surin movie based on script by the t-shirt, the Miller – gag, fantasy mix. Well, some of the young Peter Fedorov tractor uncle Kostya – “man with a past and a bez teeth”? Which of the slender Konstantin Lavronenko Relief – “swollen idol” with “iron person” and “elephantine grace”? From Surin Chink Banionis plays – sniper shot! But in Miller, instead of the Chukotka tundra – the Putorana plateau and the Siberian taiga. Nice, but not that! And caricature-westernly the final with a Golden mountain? It never Kuvaev. On the other hand, any film adaptation add to the popularity of the original source, so I am sincerely grateful to Director Miller. No one Kuvaeva did not remember.
Pavel Basinsky: I like the way Oleg Kuvaev has defined the meaning of his novel. “This is a story about people for whom work has become a religion”. Do not you think that it is generally a trend of late Soviet literature and cinema, which is now lost? “Territory”, “Nine days of one year”… a Science, a profession – as a religion, and not just “self-realization” and even more way of earnings.
Vasily Avchenko: All the way. Soviet society was atheistic only. It was built on faith, despite the mantra of basis. The last time a sincere faith – sixties, where he grew up and Kuva, here you can find Parallels with Shpalikov… Then society “was secularizations”. But even in the 1970s, Kuvayev with his idealism, asceticism, antipatriotism no longer fit, and then you can draw another parallel with Vampilov. Is it a coincidence they went for each other: in 1972 Vampilov, in 1974 – Shukshin and Shpalikov, in 1975 the t – shirt? In our book, my wonderful co-author of Nizhny Novgorod, doctor of philological Sciences Alexey Korovushka addressed in the best of these relationships, causes, consequences.
I would Venture to say that Kuvayev, not to join the party and released from the Komsomol, and was a real Communist. Unlike the late Soviet members of the Communist party that the Communist is it: “Wake up, citizens, and learn the truth that the person in rags and a bottle of Cologne in his pocket as a man, like a square face retinova coat in disgust encircling it. This is taught by Christ. This, if anything, taught Lenin. And let the words: “Who was nothing will become everything”. Remember the hymn, the former anthem of the state, citizens with apartments and politimi…”
Paul Basinsky: the Theme that I would like to get around, but… Oleg Kuvayev drank a lot. Like his favorite writer Yury Kazakov. As Vladimir Vysotsky… As Oleg Dal played the role of Zilov in “Duck hunt” on Vampilova. What was the reason? It is not only the work of a geologist or an actor?
Vasily Avchenko: of Course not. Kazakov, Vladimir Vysotsky, Dal, same Shpalikov geologists were not, and not all geologists are alcoholics! Attempts to establish a simple causal relationship – Fadeev de felt sins, Vysotsky was worried that the writers ‘ Union did not take, Dalia choked “b��spremanje” – I seem naive. Drink (drink) and that’s it. The poor, the rich, the winners, the losers, happy, unhappy – no difference. The act I referred to this matter in “And in the morning they woke up…”, Jack London – in allowtopicview “John Barley Corn,” Kuva – in “Rules of flight”, his second and latest novel, which I love.
Pavel Basinsky: What’s happening in kuvaevskaya the promised land Chukotka? What’s going on with the Russian North and the Russian Geology?
Vasily Avchenko: the Topic is huge and sad. The state has withdrawn from exploration, left the Site and only now seems to be beginning to return. The outflow of population continues. In the Magadan region in 1990, lived nearly 400 thousand people (excluding Chukotka), today there are 140!
still, life goes on. Was recently visiting miners in Bodaybo (Rechka Vacha Vysotsky) and the Kolyma. Best people – northerners. The harsher the conditions, the stronger the mutual support. The less people – the more valuable each person.
do Not want, so we switched to a rotational basis. In the Territory to live. Necessary to the development of the new town, although today it sounds, to put it mildly, naive. I understand why we’re leaving. But should appear and other vectors.
It is Russia – no Canada was not around – has accumulated a huge experience of survival, construction, development in the far North, it is impossible to lose. Remember the heyday of the North in the 60s and 70s. was a real Nordic style and even chauvinism, northerners feel elite in all senses, from physical to cultural. Not that in Magadan – Seimchan and in Ust-Omchug brewed an excellent beer, was very famous in the Kolyma. What was the Magadan book publishing house!
North prooposal, but remain mineral wealth, borders,… the Northern sea route of Russia will truly aware of itself as a Northern country and ocean, to understand that the far vast frozen land and waters – not the ballast, Sever – not badland curse and an opportunity, salvation, blessing.
Oleg Kuvaev (1934-1975) – Russian Soviet writer, a geophysicist. He was born at the railway station Ponazyrevo (Kostroma oblast now). Graduated from the geophysical Department of the Russian state geological prospecting University Ordzhonikidze. Over the years of his studies, he went on expeditions to the Tien Shan in Kyrgyzstan, in the upper reaches of the Amur river. In 1956, wrote the first story “Behind the goats”, published in the magazine “Hunting and hunting farm”. In 1960 he was transferred to Magadan in North-Eastern geological control on the position of senior engineer of group of geophysical monitoring. In 1961, realized that a managerial position “was not suited – homesick and unexpectedly went to Moscow”, in holiday with the subsequent dismissal. From that moment he becomes PRfreeskier overseeing writer.
