Alexander Prokofyev
Encyclopedia
Alexander Andreyevich Prokofyev ' onMouseout='HidePop("9727")' href="/topics/Leningrad">Leningrad
) was a Soviet
poet. Prokofyev is best recognized for the motifs of Russia
n folklore
found in his works.
fisherman
, Prokofyev was born in the Lake Ladoga
village of Kobona in the Russian Empire
(now in northwestern Leningrad Oblast
) in 1900. Having graduated from a local school in 1913, spending the next four years as a teenage student of a teachers' academy in the Imperial capital of St. Petersburg
.
Prokofyev joined Bolshevik Party in 1919, during Russian Civil War
, and came into the Red Army
the same year, remaining in the Soviet Union's military ranks until 1930. He debuted with his first published poetry in 1927, producing his first book of poems in 1931.
Prokofyev rejoined the Soviet Army as a war correspondent
during the Soviet-Finnish War and World War II
, in which he witnessed the Germans
' Siege of Leningrad
, subsequently becoming an influential figure of the Leningrad branch of the Union of Soviet Writers in the post-war period, heading the Leningrad Writers' Union in 1945-1948 and 1955-1965.
Prokofyev's 1944 patriotic poem "Rossiya" ("Россия") was recognized with the Stalin Prize of 1946. He was awarded the Lenin Prize
in 1961, the honorary title
of Hero of Socialist Labor
in 1970, and was a recipient of the Order of Lenin
four times.
Prokofyev died in Leningrad in 1971 and was buried at the city's Bogoslavsky Cemetery.
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
) was a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
poet. Prokofyev is best recognized for the motifs of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
found in his works.
Biography
The son of a peasantPeasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
, Prokofyev was born in the Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
village of Kobona in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(now in northwestern Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
) in 1900. Having graduated from a local school in 1913, spending the next four years as a teenage student of a teachers' academy in the Imperial capital of St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
.
Prokofyev joined Bolshevik Party in 1919, during Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, and came into the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
the same year, remaining in the Soviet Union's military ranks until 1930. He debuted with his first published poetry in 1927, producing his first book of poems in 1931.
Prokofyev rejoined the Soviet Army as a war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
during the Soviet-Finnish War and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in which he witnessed the Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
' Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
, subsequently becoming an influential figure of the Leningrad branch of the Union of Soviet Writers in the post-war period, heading the Leningrad Writers' Union in 1945-1948 and 1955-1965.
Prokofyev's 1944 patriotic poem "Rossiya" ("Россия") was recognized with the Stalin Prize of 1946. He was awarded the Lenin Prize
Lenin Prize
The Lenin Prize was one of the most prestigious awards of the USSR, presented to individuals for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was created on June 23, 1925 and was awarded until 1934. During the period from 1935 to 1956, the Lenin Prize was...
in 1961, the honorary title
Title of honor
An honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for...
of Hero of Socialist Labor
Hero of Socialist Labor
Hero of Socialist Labour was an honorary title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries. It was the highest degree of distinction for exceptional achievements in national economy and culture...
in 1970, and was a recipient of the Order of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
four times.
Prokofyev died in Leningrad in 1971 and was buried at the city's Bogoslavsky Cemetery.