Nikolay Semenovich Tikhonov
Encyclopedia
Nikolai Semenovich Tikhonov (December 4, 1896 (Nov. 22 OS)—February 8, 1979) - a Soviet writer, a member of the Serapion Brothers
literary group.
descent, Tikhonov trained as a clerk, graduating from the Petersburg School of Commerce in 1911. He volunteered for the army at the outbreak of World War I
and served in a hussar regiment; he entered the Red Army
in 1918 and was demobilized in 1922. He began writing poetry early; his first collection, Orda (The horde, 1922), "shows startling maturity" and "contains most of the few short poems which have made him famous." After 1922 he devoted himself to traveling and writing, and his later work, both verse (the collection Ten' druga [The shadow of a friend, 1936) and prose (many adventure stories and the novel Voina [War, 1931]) reflects his delight in what he found in his travels, particularly in Georgia
. His cycle of war stories Voennye koni (Military horses, 1927) is "perceptive and well constructed."
He served on the Finnish front in the Winter War
and was in Leningrad for the Siege
. In 1944 he became chair of the Union of Soviet Writers, but was dismissed by Zhdanov
in 1946 for being too tolerant of Zoshchenko and Akhmatova. However, he remained an important figure in Soviet literary circles, and he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize
in 1957.
Some of his well-known ballads are "Ballada o gvozdyakh" (Ballad about nails), "Ballada o sinem pakete" (Ballad of the blue parcel), and "Dezertir" (The deserter).
Tikhonov was the first chairman of the Soviet Peace Committee
, in the years 1949-1979.
Serapion Brothers
The Serapion Brothers was a group of writers formed in Petrograd, Russia in 1921. The group was named after a literary group, Die Serapionsbrüder , to which German romantic author E.T.A. Hoffmann belonged and after which he named a collection of his tales...
literary group.
Biography
Born of parents who were petty tradesmen of serfSERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
descent, Tikhonov trained as a clerk, graduating from the Petersburg School of Commerce in 1911. He volunteered for the army at the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and served in a hussar regiment; he entered 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...
in 1918 and was demobilized in 1922. He began writing poetry early; his first collection, Orda (The horde, 1922), "shows startling maturity" and "contains most of the few short poems which have made him famous." After 1922 he devoted himself to traveling and writing, and his later work, both verse (the collection Ten' druga [The shadow of a friend, 1936) and prose (many adventure stories and the novel Voina [War, 1931]) reflects his delight in what he found in his travels, particularly in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. His cycle of war stories Voennye koni (Military horses, 1927) is "perceptive and well constructed."
He served on the Finnish front in the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
and was in Leningrad for the Siege
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...
. In 1944 he became chair of the Union of Soviet Writers, but was dismissed by Zhdanov
Andrei Zhdanov
Andrei Alexandrovich Zhdanov was a Soviet politician.-Life:Zhdanov enlisted with the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1915 and was promoted through the party ranks, becoming the All-Union Communist Party manager in Leningrad after the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934...
in 1946 for being too tolerant of Zoshchenko and Akhmatova. However, he remained an important figure in Soviet literary circles, and he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize
Lenin Peace Prize
The International Lenin Peace Prize was the Soviet Union's equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize, named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a panel appointed by the Soviet government, to notable individuals whom the panel indicated had "strengthened peace among peoples"...
in 1957.
Some of his well-known ballads are "Ballada o gvozdyakh" (Ballad about nails), "Ballada o sinem pakete" (Ballad of the blue parcel), and "Dezertir" (The deserter).
Tikhonov was the first chairman of the Soviet Peace Committee
Soviet Peace Committee
Soviet Peace Committee was a state-sponsored organization responsible for coordinating peace movements active in the Soviet Union. Soviet Peace Committee was founded in 1949 and existed until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.-History and activities:The Soviet Peace Committee was founded in...
, in the years 1949-1979.