Boris Nikolaevich Polevoy, writer: biography, creativity, awards, memory

Not everyone today knows who Boris Nikolayevich Polevoy is. In the old days he was the favorite writer of millions of Soviet citizens, and his "Story of a Real Man" was reprinted many times and was screened.

Childhood writer

The future writer was born and spent the first five years of his life in Moscow. In 1913, young Boris moved with his parents to Tver, where his father received the post of city judge.

Two years later, Boris's father died of tuberculosis, and the mother, in order to feed her family, began working as a doctor in a local hospital.

When Boris was nine, he went to study at Tver school No. 24. After graduation from seven classes, the young man entered the Tver Technical School, where later he was sent to work at the textile factory "Proletarka" as a technologist.

The beginning of the career of a journalist and writer

The profession of the writer Boris Nikolayevich was interested in school. His first article was published in one of the local newspapers, when he was a pupil of the 6th grade. Later the articles and notes of the young man began to appear frequently in the Tver newspapers. The beginning journalist managed to attract the attention of Maxim Gorky himself and he began to patronize the young talent.

Encouraged by the high evaluation of Gorky, in 1927 Boris Nikolaevich published his first book of works of art - "Memoirs of a lousy person". In this collection there were several essays on the life of criminals.

The history of writing "Memoirs ..." is quite exciting. A few months before the writing of the book in Moscow, a certain "bear-bearer" Makhovsky was known. When he was arrested, it turned out that he looked very much like the technologist of Proletarka. To catch the whole gang, with which this criminal worked, the writer was persuaded to work "under cover". Agreeing to this insane and dangerous adventure, Boris Nikolayevich spent some time in a gang of criminals, robbed a bank with them, got into jail and even fled from there.

After the successful completion of the operation on the basis of memories, Boris Nikolaevich wrote a book "Memoirs of a lousy person." This publication was highly appreciated by critics, in particular Maxim Gorky, and soon Boris Nikolayevich left the factory and focused on the work of the journalist and writer.

Literary pseudonym "Field"

The name "Field", which is signed by most of the writer's works, is in fact an alias. The real name of the writer is Kampov.

His youthful articles, as well as the first book, Boris Nikolayevich signed it. However, after the release of "Memoirs ..." by criminals, with whom the writer "collaborated", working "under cover", Boris Nikolayevich was threatened with danger. To hide the name, the publisher asked the writer to use a pseudonym. In Latin, there is the word campus, which means "field", it is consonant with the name Kampov, which prompted the idea to take the pseudonym of the name Polevoy. After the publication of "Memoirs ..." all subsequent works of the writer were signed by Boris Nikolaevich Polevoy.

Successful writer's career and two Stalin Prizes

Starting to work as a journalist since 1928, the writer finds time not only for articles on work, but also for artistic works. So, in 1939 the magazine "October" publishes the first novel of the writer "Hot shop". She brings him recognition in literary circles. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the writer moved to Moscow.

Throughout the war years, Boris Nikolayevich Polevoy was a correspondent of Pravda and was at the front, covering all important events. Notes writer, made at that time, formed the basis of many of his works published after the war. In particular, the book "From Belgorod to the Carpathians", "The Story of a Real Man", "Gold" and others.

After the victory of 1945, Boris Polevoy attended the Nuremberg Trials as a representative of the newspaper Pravda. Based on notes from this process in 1969, he wrote a book "In the end."

True recognition as a writer and all-Union fame came to Polevoy after the publication of his "The Tale of a Real Man" in 1946. For her, the writer was awarded his first Stalin Prize of the second degree. By the time Field was already awarded two Orders of the Patriotic War I degree, as well as the Order of the Red Star. Two years later, the writer was again awarded the Stalin Prize for a collection of short stories "We are Soviet people".

Last years

Having become a recognized writer, Boris Nikolayevich traveled the world a lot, describing his impressions in newspaper articles and books.

From the early 60's until his death, the writer headed the editorial board of the magazine "Youth". In addition, he held a number of other prestigious positions in the Union of Writers of the USSR, the Soviet Peace Fund and the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR Boris Polevoy.

The books of the writer of recent years may not have been as demanded as his earlier works, but they were also qualitatively and interestingly written in the corporate style of Polevoy.

It is interesting that Fidel Castro and David Rockefeller visited the Field at a different time. He also led the acquaintance of Field with many other famous people of his time.

Boris Nikolaevich Polevoy died in June 1981 at the age of seventy-three. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

In memory of the writer his name is carried by a ship, and in Tver a street in his honor is named, where in 2000 a memorial plaque was installed on the house in which Boris Nikolayevich once lived.

Pasternak and Field

Despite an exemplary and dignified life, the biography of Polevoy Boris Nikolayevich was kept and unsightly facts.

All known poet and translator Boris Pasternak, awarded the Nobel Prize, in the USSR most of his life was persecuted. If at first his poems were well received not only by the intelligentsia, but also by Stalin himself, in subsequent years Pasternak was accused of detachment from the life of the socialist people of his works. And after he was awarded the Nobel Prize, he was even required to deprive Soviet citizenship. Among the active persecutors of the great poet was Boris Polevoy.

Today it is difficult to say what caused this attitude from one talent to another. Perhaps, Field really did find the work of his namesake Pasternak contradictory to the needs of socialist society. Perhaps, the writer simply did not want to lose his posts and supported the opinion of the majority. Or maybe he was just jealous because, despite his talent, Boris Nikolayevich was one of many, and Pasternak was considered the best at the time.

The story "Hot shop"

It was this story that helped make the name in the literature to Boris Polevoy. Published in 1939, the first story Polevoy met the requirements of the time - she talked about the daily labor exploits of workers.

The workers of the Kalininsky Carriage Works became the heroes of the "Hot shop". Field, who knew firsthand how difficult it is to work at a large enterprise, managed to realistically convey the atmosphere of the plant during the first five-year plan.

Boris Polevoy "The Story of a Real Man"

It is this work that is considered a "pearl" in the creative legacy of Boris Polevoy. During the war, as a correspondent of Pravda, Boris Polevoy had to visit one of the military airfields. Left there for the night, the writer was sent to sleep in one of the dugouts to the pilots. To the surprise of the correspondent, before going to bed, one of the pilots unfastened the prosthetic feet. The next morning, as if nothing had happened, the brave pilot flew to the task.

Interested in the fate of this man, Field soon found out that the name of the hero Alexei Maresiev. Having lost his legs, he learned to walk on prostheses so well that he could return to the profession and fight further.

Boris Nikolayevich wanted to write about Maresyev, but he was banned from the newspaper, saying that an article about a flightless pilot flying on prosthetics would create the impression that there are not enough military men in the Soviet troops, since they already allow disabled people to fight.

Only after the victory, attending the Nuremberg trial, Polevoy remembered the heroic pilot and wrote "A Tale of a Real Man" in just 19 days (according to the stories of the writer's son - 28).

Published in 1946, the novel Field became instantly popular throughout the USSR and far beyond its borders. Two years after the publication, based on her motives, the same film with Pavel Kadochnikov in the title role was shot.

Perhaps, such a phenomenal success among readers the story deserved due to the deep respect that Boris Polevoy had for his character. "The Story of a Real Man" is literally filled with this feeling. In honor of Maresyev, Boris Nikolaevich called his son Alexei.

The screen version of the works

In addition to "The Tale of a Real Man" based on works by Boris Polevoy, four more films were shot. These are the melodramas "I am a Birch" ("We are Soviet people") and "Doctor Vera", a social drama "On the Wild Breeze" and a military drama "Gold" (the script was written by Boris Polevoy himself).

Today the work of Boris Polevoy is not very much in demand. A few years ago, "The Story of a Real Man" was generally excluded from the school curriculum on literature. However, many cultural figures protested against such a decision, and if they manage to achieve their goal, the schoolchildren of the future will again have the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of Boris Polevoy.