Biography
"Son of the regiment", "whites Sail Lonely" - in the 70-80s, Soviet schoolchildren read out with these fascinating works, impregnated with the spirit of adventure and children's heroism. However, their author Valentin Petrovich Kataev entered the history of Russian literature not only as a children's writer. His Peru owns numerous novels, stories, stories - in the literary heritage of Kataeva included more than 130 works.Childhood and youth
Biography of Vali Kataeva begins with Odessa of the late XIX-early XX century. In this noisy southern city at the junction of two centuries, January 28, 1897, a future writer was born. Father Peter Vasilyevich Kataev, teacher in the spiritual school, and mother, the general daughter of Eugene Ivanovna Bachi, from early childhood, adopted sons love for books and reading.
Blowing this passion throughout life, both brothers dedicated themselves to literature: the younger brother Katava - Zhenya - became known under the pseudonym Evgeny Petrov as the author of the famous "twelve chairs" novels and the "golden calf" in Tandem with Ilya Ilfom (Finezilberg).
The boys remained early without her mother: she died of inflammation of the lungs shortly after the birth of the fiance. Father, Ovdov, no longer married, with the raising of children began to help sister Evgenia Ivanovna. The aunt was very kind, but my mother could not replace a small shaft. Trauma from the loss forever remained in the soul of the child.
The boy was looking for a boy in creativity. From 9 years, already being a gymnasium, he began to write poems that he read all the home, seeking approval. Becoming older, the young man began to wear written in the editorial office already in search of a professional assessment. And the first success came to him in 1910, when the "Autumn" poem was first printed in the publication "Odessa Vestnik", and then other writings, including stories and feuilleons.
For a long time to enjoy creative success Kataev did not have to. The First World War began (1914-1918), and in 1915, without graduating from the gymnasium, the young man left the volunteer to the front.
War
Katak service began an ordinary artillers. Twice was injured, was poisoned by poisonous gases, which is why his voice remained to the end with a light hoarse. The writer was demobilized in the rank of ensign in the fall of 1917 after severe injured in the thigh. From the Kataev's war, he returned with awards: two St. George Cross and Order of St. Anne.
We did not have time to get ramps of the First World War, as the civilian war flared out in the country. This period of biography Valentina Kataeva is contradictory. In some sources it is said that since 1919 he fought in the ranks of the Red Army, commanded an artillery battery. But there is an alternative version, according to which Kataev joined the "red" later, and at the beginning consisted of a volunteer in the White Army of General Denikin, for which he was subsequently arrested by security officers.
Anyway, the military life of Katas survived in full and described them in the story of the Note of the Civil War (1920), the story "Father" (1928).
Literature
Since 1922, a new stage comes in the life and work of Kataeva: the writer moves from Odessa to Moscow, it works in the newspaper "Human". His circle of communication is many talents of that time: Yuri Olesha, Isaac Babel, Ilya Ilf, Eduard Bagritsky. All of them, after the Kata like, left Odessa to conquer the capital, and a lucky pioneer helped them settle.
Good luck really smiled with a young writer. His talent was finally recognized in the capital. Publication of the story "Rastratchiki" (1926), in which the author in a satirical manner criticizes the social scourge of that time - the assignment of government money, is marked by a great success. Stanislavsky himself suggested Kataev to put on the tales of the story. And soon she passed on the Mchat scene. And the second play "Circle Quadrature" was set on New York Broadway.
Following the elder brother, Kakaev Jr., whom Valentin Petrovich began to engage in the writing environment.
"Every intelligent, competent person can write something," he said.It is noteworthy that, by loving brother, Kataev initiates the writing of an adventurous novel about diamonds hidden during the revolution. The idea is divided with Evgeny and other Ilya Ilfom, inviting them to write a drawing of the novel, who would have improved himself and advanced to the publication.
That from this came out, it is already well known. Ilf and Petrov (Eugene took the pseudonym named Father) brilliantly coped with the task without mentoring. Written novel went to quotations, and in gratitude for the idea was published with the dedication of Valentina Kataev.
Valentina Petrovich was destined to pass three wars. In the years of World War I, he again put on a military uniform and went to the forefront. He worked as a front correspondent, wrote essays, articles, photographed. The story "Son Regiment" (1945) became a famous work of that time: the image of the main character of Vanya Solntsev personifies the tragic fates of many children during the war years.
The children's theme of Kataev appeals in the pre-war years, when he writes the story "White Sail Lonely", in which the author is immersed in the atmosphere of his native Odessa. In the heroes, Pet and Pavlik, which are involved in an adventure cycle against the background of the city destroyed by the revolution, are guessed by the features of Katheva himself and his brother Zhenya.
The story "White Sail Lonely" (1936) opens the tetralogy "Black Sea waves", in which the novels of "Catacombs" (1951) entered the novels (1956) and "Winter Wind" (1960-1961).
If the "sail" can only be called the autobiographical, then the novel "Diamond MY Crown" critics openly called memoirs. The writer himself did not agree with such a interpretation and even refused the genre definition of the novel.
"This is a free flight of my fantasy, based on true incidents," he said.Kataev works on the book in 1975-77, and the events described include the reader into the world of literary bohemia of the 20s.
The originality of the work is that with a real basis of the plot of heroes, and these are famous writers and poets - the author's contemporaries, veiled by pseudonym masks. And novelty is that Kataev first wrote in an unusual style, genre and direction.
Personal life
The first mention of the writer's personal life is associated with the name of Irina Aleksinskaya. Tender feelings for a girl living in the neighborhood, became the first love of the young man. Nothing is known about the first marriage of Katava, but the second marriage turned out to be happy. With Esther Brenner, they got married in 1931. The bride was only 18 years old, Kataev - 34.
Valentin Petrovich Laskovo called the wife of the Esta. In 1936, the pair was born daughter Eugene, and in 1938, the son of Pavlik. Daughter Valentin Petrovich adored. Little Zhenya became the prototype of the heroine fairy tales "Tsvetik-Semizvestik", "Dudge and pitcher". Eugene's daughter gave parents the first and only granddaughter Valentina.
Death
Already being deep elderly, Kataev suffered a complex operation to remove the cancer tumor. But the cause of death was not oncology. The writer died 12 years later from a stroke, in the 90th year of life, April 12, 1986.
Esther Davydovna survived her husband for 23 years. They lived in a happy marriage of 55 years. Spouses are buried in one grave at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Quotes
"I have already suspected that the most precious quality of the artist is a complete, absolute, fearless independence of its judgments" ("Grass of oblivion"). "Among people often come across. But only conscious and passionate love of the Motherland can do from the Hero's brave "(" Son Regiment ")." Summer is dying. Autumn dies. Winter - death itself. And spring is constant. She lives endlessly in the depths of the ever-changing matter, only changes its forms "(" Diamond MY MOY ")." Favorable marriage for love - this happens not often "(" Cube ").Bibliography
- 1920 - "In the besieged city"
- 1925 - "Erendorf Island"
- 1926 - "Rasters"
- 1927 - "Circle Quadrature"
- 1928 - "Department Store"
- 1931 - "Million Tensions"
- 1931 - "Avangard"
- 1932 - "Time, Forward!"
- 1936 - "White Sail Lonely"
- 1940 - "Flower-seven-family"
- 1940 - "Dudge and pitcher"
- 1940 - "Rest Day"
- 1943 - "Blue Wrap"
- 1944 - "Father's House"
- 1945 - "Son Regiment"
- 1956 - "Hortook in the steppe"
- 1956 - "Case with genius"
- 1961 - "Winter Wind"
- 1961 - "Catacombs"
- 1978 - "Diamond Moen"
More than 40 prose works, including fairy tales and scenarios, were shielded. The most famous - "White Sail Lonely" (1937), "Black Sea Waves (1975)," Son Regiment "(1981).