Anatoly Pristavkin
Encyclopedia
Anatoly Ignatovich Pristavkin (17 October 1931, Lyubertsy
— 11 July 2008, Moscow) was a Russian writer.
His mother died when he was nine and his father died in World War II, leaving Anatoly orphan. Anatoly Pristavkin had to start working from the age of 14 onwards, and had various jobs. Nevertheless, he started a career as a writer in 1961 and later became a lecturer at a university. Pristavkin became famous in the USSR for his novel «Ночевала тучка золотая…» translated into English as “The Inseparable Twins”, which describes the miserable conditions of orphans' life in an orphanage near Moscow during the years of World War II and the re-settlement to Chechnya in 1944, as Chechens had been deported. The book became part of school curriculum in the Perestroika
-era USSR.
Pristavkin took part in Soviet opposition movement. In 1988 Pristavkin joined the writers association Aprel («Апрель»), a pro-Perestroika organization of Russian writers. On 4 November 1989 he took part in the Alexanderplatz demonstration
in East Berlin against the regime in East Germany. In 1991 he supported Latvia
n independence movement, stood at barricades in Riga
and appealed to Soviet soldiers via regional television, urging them not to shoot at civilians. In 1995 and 1996 he visited Chechnya
and encountered assaults on civilian population and later criticised Russia's Chechnya policies in media.
In 1990s, Anatoly Pristavkin headed the Pardon Commission of the Russian Federation. In 1993, he signed the Letter of Forty-Two
.
Lyubertsy
Lyubertsy is a city and the administrative center of Lyuberetsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. Population: Lyubertsy was founded in 1623, and it became a city in 1925.-Notable people:*Sergei Abeltsev, LDPR politician...
— 11 July 2008, Moscow) was a Russian writer.
His mother died when he was nine and his father died in World War II, leaving Anatoly orphan. Anatoly Pristavkin had to start working from the age of 14 onwards, and had various jobs. Nevertheless, he started a career as a writer in 1961 and later became a lecturer at a university. Pristavkin became famous in the USSR for his novel «Ночевала тучка золотая…» translated into English as “The Inseparable Twins”, which describes the miserable conditions of orphans' life in an orphanage near Moscow during the years of World War II and the re-settlement to Chechnya in 1944, as Chechens had been deported. The book became part of school curriculum in the Perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
-era USSR.
Pristavkin took part in Soviet opposition movement. In 1988 Pristavkin joined the writers association Aprel («Апрель»), a pro-Perestroika organization of Russian writers. On 4 November 1989 he took part in the Alexanderplatz demonstration
Alexanderplatz demonstration
The Alexanderplatz demonstration was a demonstration for political reforms and against the government of the German Democratic Republic on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin on 4 November 1989...
in East Berlin against the regime in East Germany. In 1991 he supported Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n independence movement, stood at barricades in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and appealed to Soviet soldiers via regional television, urging them not to shoot at civilians. In 1995 and 1996 he visited Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
and encountered assaults on civilian population and later criticised Russia's Chechnya policies in media.
In 1990s, Anatoly Pristavkin headed the Pardon Commission of the Russian Federation. In 1993, he signed the Letter of Forty-Two
Letter of Forty-Two
The Letter of Forty-Two was an open letter signed by forty-two well-known Russian literati, aimed at Russian society, the president and government, in reaction to the events of September – October 1993...
.
Sources
- http://www.penrussia.org/n-z/an-prs.htm
- http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/20/europe/obits.php