“The collection was born before my eyes, it was in my presence that Sasha Pelevin and journalist Arthur Khodyrev decided that it was urgent to make such a collection, it was in the Soledar area, when we performed in front of the soldiers of the 200th brigade,” says Marianna Vasilyeva , who, of course, also took with him his violin, a German master of the 19th century, whose sound is completely indistinguishable from the human voice. Books and a violin in the trunk of a car speeding through the DPR: there is a kind of penetrating rhyme in this.
In the compilation of the collection, Alexander Pelevin involved Anna Dolgareva, who in the zone of the Northern Military District also long ago became one of its, if not the main, poets of the avant-garde. A total of 10 poets were selected, with five poems from each of them. In addition to the works of Pelevin and Dolgareva, the collection also includes poems by Dmitry Artis, Vlad Malenko, Maria Vatutina…
“The texts of the book are selected according to the principle of mood. From funny to sad, from irony to pathos, from serious to frivolous,” Alexander Pelevin told RG before his creative journey. “We wanted to express the entire spectrum of humanity’s mood, so that a bored fighter could always find exactly what suited him best at a particular moment.”
Alexander emphasizes that on the front different poems are perceived differently. It is necessary to feel this and simply know it, so that the selected works do not sound empty there: “It seems that you will have fun with a funny poem, but it does not work in this particular situation. And something as dark as possible, on the contrary, inspires the guys to the point of gritting their teeth. Everything is perceived very differently.”
The newspaper “Petersburg Diary” and the foundation “Deadly Russian Speech” helped publish the book; the collection was produced by journalist and director Arthur Khodyrev, who recently completed work on the film “Treble Clef”; tells about one of the trips to the front of Pelevin and Vasilyeva.
Anyone who watches this movie will understand how necessary these collections are. The fighters listen to poetry as if it were a sermon. And at the same time, they seem embarrassed to encounter the purely Russian word. If only two years ago someone had told you, accustomed to the rhythm of projectiles and shooting ranges, that one day between real battles you would need a living poet so much, you would have simply smiled.
But here they are. And they listen. And they cry. And they laugh. And they applaud. And then they thank you. And they ask you to send them collections: “And preferably in a size that you can keep in your pocket.” The books “The Deadly Russian Speech” are in pocket format and the fighters are already carrying them with them to the front. Where else will modern poets find such grateful readers?
Photo: Marianna Vasilyeva, Alexander Pelevin
“For a long time, poetry was a thing in itself, a trivial and silent thing. And now, on the front, it acquires meaning, voice and, most importantly, effectiveness,” says Alexander Pelevin. “At the front, poetry becomes an act. This is the most important thing.”
Let us remember that long before the start of the Northern War, Russian poets and writers brought their poems about their homeland and their love to the trenches of Donbass; for example, Alexei Shorokhov, who eventually volunteered for the front, or the poet Igor Panin. But as of spring 2022, the poetry troupe has recruited many more, and the number of modern authors who responded to the events of the special operation is countless. This phenomenon was first recorded in the Union of Russian Writers; collections of patriotic poetry and prose were and continue to be published there; Its total circulation has already exceeded three hundred thousand copies. These books were also transferred free of charge to new territories and directly to the trenches. In addition to the Writers’ Union, collections are published by volunteers, social activists and even ordinary pensioners. Some authors go to the front and to hospitals at their own risk: no one insures their lives. These are all people of different ages and different literary and political preferences.
There are no exact figures, but, according to the most approximate estimates, in total, since the spring of last year, about half a million collections of front-line poetry have been published in Russia and delivered to the returned territories.
Direct speech
Soslan Fidarov, actor, militiaman, Minister of Culture of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania:
– Today and tomorrow we need to write more patriotic poems and songs, make more patriotic films. Do everything as they did in Soviet times. This is useful propaganda. I know for myself that such poems and films are needed at the front. Young soldiers of twenty years old constantly come up to me and say: “Exiles, we are ready to fight to the death for our country, for our president, but explain to us why we are here and not at home, where is it hot and is there hot soup?” And it is not their fault that this was not explained to them at the time, that while they were children and young people, adults were concerned with other meanings. Now we have to correct the situation: write, film, just read aloud to them. It is true that, fortunately, there are other examples – a large number of guys who do not ask questions. And here we just have to bow deeply to their parents, who were able to raise heroes. But even properly loaded heroes always need the support of “peaceful” ones.
And here is something else that should not be forgotten. The generation that is now being forged on the front line is the future elite of our country. What we invest in them now is what Russia will be after this war. Therefore, I can only welcome all those who take the word to the forefront today. Thanks to them.”
Literal
Poems by Alexander Pelevin
***
What winter and snow
And somewhere there is a new year
And you and me, man,
We go and we go, and here we go.
Rather, in the snow, in a ravine,
Lie down and crawl again,
I am Sotnikov, you are a fisherman,
They won’t find us now.
Damn the hateful darkness
Nights, lanterns, pharmacies,
You are Sotnikov, I am Rybak,
And which of us is human?
what a fool I was
But how holy will I be?
I am Sotnikov, you are Rybak.
A squad is following us.
Step faster, faster.
Increasingly intense snow.
You are Sotnikov, I am Rybak,
And we are one person.
(October 2022)
***
On winding roads
The lilacs bloomed and the grass grew.
Boy in green uniform
I read poems from “Brother-2”.
Whether the truth is powerful or not,
Then the heavens will tell.
He hasn’t been home for eight years.
It takes half an hour to get home.
He is not attracted to the elegance of the capitals,
It’s been here for a year now.
Among the usual rude faces.
His poetry lives on.
Living, beautiful and simple.
(What can you do, he is like that)
an ordinary dream
Come home someday.
The dirty work is in full swing
A terrible job is being done.
It is sewn on the sleeve.
Cheerful Russian cat Shlyopa.
In the direction of the fighting.
It’s been four days
But what can you do? Here are our own people.
What can you do? There are relatives here.
Simple Russian words,
a simple and happy boy
A simple poem from “Brother 2”
What about the road and the forest?
Then the heavens will tell
Then the answer will be discovered.
It takes half an hour to get home.
It takes eight years to get home.
(June 2022)
***
Twitter is canceled
An old friend has become an enemy.
hitler leaves
Of parts, not of letters.
It came to May
We have finally arrived
And we go back to sleep,
And we count sheep
I dream of a gray paw
I dream of an old basement,
The boy dreams of his father,
He was fighting then.
We are deafened by the thunder
The air is foul with smoke.
harry potter snot
Voldemort cleaned it up.
I dream of a silent glanders,
I dream with the light of images.
“Show me, dad,
How Azov surrendered.
“I know nothing”
father will laugh
And I fall asleep again,
And I count sheep.
I fell asleep and I don’t know
Is the world finally ours?
(May 2022)
