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boys clothing: Soviet children's literature -- authors Vladislav Krapivin
Soviet Children's Literature Authors: Alexander Ivanovich Vvedensky (1904-41)
Figure 1.--Alexander Ivanovich Vvedensky (1904–41) was a Russian poet and dramatist. He was ctive in raducal literary ciurcles in Lenningrad. Until 1991, hoeever, Russians knew him as an author of children's books. He was involved in children's books because he could not get his poems and other books punblished. The NKVD arrested him, charged him with belonging to a faction of anti-Soviet children's writers. He was exiled to Kursk (!932). This was a slap on the wrist in Soviet jurisprudence. He was soon able to return to Leningrad. During World War II, he died in NKVD custody. Here we have some illustration by Kuznetsov Konstantin Vasilievich (1886-1943), one of the early Soviet illustrators. They come from a short children's story published y Vvedensky in (1935). The images follow the Soviet guideline promoting a simple life for children. Boys in the country are headed to a swimming hole. Put uour cursor on the image to see the swiming hole and some of the text.
Alexander Ivanovich Vvedensky is today known as a poet and dramatist in Russia, but in Soviet times was known orimary as an author of children's literature. Alexander was born in St. Petersburg before the Revolution (1904). We know very littler about his childhood. We know rhat took an interest in poetry at a very young age. It should be understood os a much more popular henre in Russia than America. And not within august literary circles, but with the rading public. It was poetry that captured Vvedensky's immagination. He admired thework of Velemir Khlebnikov. Hev attemoed to gain apprenticeships with writers connected to Russian Futurism. Russia in the early years after the Revolution considerable diversity of thought in non-political venues. Vvedensky tudied with well-known avant-garde artists with Futurist mindsets, including Matiushin, Tufanov, and Terentiev at the new GInHuK state arts school headed by Kazimir Malevich. Vvedenskywas part of the OBERIU group of non-conformist authors. He was seen seen as the most radical poet of the OBERIU group which sattracted NKVD attention. As Stalin gaind control of the Soviet state the space for literary experimentation narrowed. Vvedensky was unable to get his poetry published. Ti earn a living he began to write childrrn's books. This is how he was known to the general public. Vvedensky was able to retrn to Leningrad. He contunued to write children's books. One of his books was illustrated by Konstantin Vasilyevich Kuznetsov (1886-1943), a prolific illustrator of early Soviet children's books. We note a children's story authored by vedensky (1935). The images follow the standard Soviet guidelines of a simple life for children. His work in children's literature is much admired. He wrote short pieces for children's magazines, translated children's books, and wrote his several of his own children's books. Interestingly because children's literatures often deals with fantasy, authors were able to short around the oppressive censorship more successfully than other literary genres. The NKVD was arrested Vvedensky (1931). He was charged with belonging to a faction of anti-Soviet children's writers. His intrrogators accused him of encoding anti-Soviet messages in 'zaum' or sound poetry. The NKVD exiled him to Kursk for a time. In the Soiviet Union as the Purges unfolded resulting in summary executions or years of slave lanor in the Gulag, all on a massive massive scale--ending or ruining the lives of untold millions. Vvedensky's exile was a slap on the wrist. We are unsure why the NKVD was so lenient. After the short exile in Kursk, he returned to Leningrad. He moved to Kharko (mid-1930s). This was where he was when the Germans invaded (June 1941). Hhe was unable get on the crowded evacuation trains and was separated grom his family. He was arrested by the NKVD for 'counter-revolutionary agitation' (September 1941). He was evacuated in prisoner ttransports in boxcars to Kazan on Centarl Asians. The conditions on these prisinr transporyts were deplorable. He died of pleuritis before reaching Kazan. The bodies of those who died were probaly just tossed incerimonously from the train. Vvedensky's adult works, includung his novel (Murderers, You Are Fools) has been lost. Thus was not only because of the chaos of the NAZI invasion, but because of fear of the NKVD. People did not want to be caught with manuscripts associated with authors in trouble with the NKVD--it could be used as incriminating evidence. Most of what survived was in the private archive of fellow poet Daniil Kharms in Leningrad. Yakov Druskin palyed a vital role--a couragerous step. Lenningrad was cut off by advancing German armies (September 1941). The population faced a terriuble winter without food and fuel. The NKVD arrested Kharms. Druskin was a close friend of Vvedensky and Kharms. Druskin in the middle of the deadly winter and NKVD investigations broke into Kharms apartment which had been sealed off by the NKVD and removed Vvedensky manuscripts. He secretly preserved therm for years. Vvedensky's poetry was largely unknown outside of a small circle not only during his lifetime but thriughout the Soviet era. A two-volume collected works was finally published in America. The first poujblication occurred iun Moscow as the Soviet Union was imploding (1991). He is now a recoignized poet od some importance.
