Olga Berggolts
Encyclopedia
Olga Fyodorovna Bergholz (also Berggoltz or Berggolts) was a Soviet poet. She is most famous for her work on the Leningrad
radio during the city's blockade
, when she became the symbol of city's strength and determination.
whom she married in 1926. Soon their daughter Irina was born. Boris and Olga entered the Higher State Courses in Fine Arts. Soon Boris left the courses, and Olga began studies at the Leningrad University. In 1930 she graduated from the philological faculty of the university and was sent to Kazakhstan
as a journalist for the newspaper Soviet Steppe. During this period Olga divorced Kornilov and married Nikolay Molchanov.
After returning to Leningrad she started working as a journalist for the newspaper of the electric power plant (Electric Power). Her feelings and thoughts on this period were expressed in such books as The Out-of-the-way Place (1932), Night (1935), Journalists (1934), and Grains (1935). Such works by Berggolts as Poems (1934) and Uglich (1932) were approved of by Maxim Gorky
.
In the late 1930s several tragedies interrupted her happy life. Her daughters Irina and Maya died, and in 1938 they were followed by Boris Kornilov, who was arrested on false charges and subsequently killed as part of the Great Purge
. Olga herself was imprisoned in December, 1938. She spent 7 months in prison where she was beaten during an interrogation, causing the birth of a still-born
child. The motifs of tragedy that appear in her later poetry, then, may in a way be explained by the circumstances of her life (most such poems were published in a collection called The Knot, 1965). She was subsequently released and completely exonerated in 1939.
in Leningrad. She worked at the radio, encouraging hungry and depressed citizens of the city by her speeches and poems. Her thoughts and impressions on this period, on problems of heroism, love, faithfulness can be found in "February diary" (1942), "Leningrad poem" (1942), "In memory of defenders" (1944), "Your way" (1945), and some others. Berggolts also wrote many times about heroic and glorious events in the history of Russia, such as "Pervorossyisk, 1950, (a poem about the Altay commune
organized by the workers of Petrograd), Faithfulness, 1954, (a tragedy about the defence of Sevastopol
in 1941-1942), and They Were Living in Leningrad, 1944, (a play about the blockade of Leningrad). Her memoirs The Day Stars were published in 1959 and filmed in 1968. Olga Berggolts died on 13 November 1975, and was buried at Literatorskie Mostki.
A minor planet
3093 Bergholz
discovered by Soviet
astronomer Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova
in 1971 is named after her. One of the streets in Saint Petersburg
is named after her. A crater on Venus is named after her. A play about the life and works of Olga Berggolts, "Awake in Me," was written by Ivan Fuller in 2009.
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...
radio during the city's blockade
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...
, when she became the symbol of city's strength and determination.
Early life
Berggolts was born in a working suburb of St. Petersburg to the family of a doctor who worked at a plant. Her verses were first published in 1924. In 1925 she joined a youth literature group 'The Shift' where she became acquainted with Boris KornilovBoris Kornilov
Boris Kornilov was a Soviet, communist poet. He is probably best known for penning the words to The Song of the Meeting which was used to open the morning radio broadcast throughout the Soviet Union, even for years after its author perished during the Great Purge...
whom she married in 1926. Soon their daughter Irina was born. Boris and Olga entered the Higher State Courses in Fine Arts. Soon Boris left the courses, and Olga began studies at the Leningrad University. In 1930 she graduated from the philological faculty of the university and was sent to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
as a journalist for the newspaper Soviet Steppe. During this period Olga divorced Kornilov and married Nikolay Molchanov.
After returning to Leningrad she started working as a journalist for the newspaper of the electric power plant (Electric Power). Her feelings and thoughts on this period were expressed in such books as The Out-of-the-way Place (1932), Night (1935), Journalists (1934), and Grains (1935). Such works by Berggolts as Poems (1934) and Uglich (1932) were approved of by Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
.
In the late 1930s several tragedies interrupted her happy life. Her daughters Irina and Maya died, and in 1938 they were followed by Boris Kornilov, who was arrested on false charges and subsequently killed as part of the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
. Olga herself was imprisoned in December, 1938. She spent 7 months in prison where she was beaten during an interrogation, causing the birth of a still-born
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
child. The motifs of tragedy that appear in her later poetry, then, may in a way be explained by the circumstances of her life (most such poems were published in a collection called The Knot, 1965). She was subsequently released and completely exonerated in 1939.
Later life
In 1940 she joined the Communist Party. Olga Berggolts spent all the 900 days of the blockadeSiege 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 Leningrad. She worked at the radio, encouraging hungry and depressed citizens of the city by her speeches and poems. Her thoughts and impressions on this period, on problems of heroism, love, faithfulness can be found in "February diary" (1942), "Leningrad poem" (1942), "In memory of defenders" (1944), "Your way" (1945), and some others. Berggolts also wrote many times about heroic and glorious events in the history of Russia, such as "Pervorossyisk, 1950, (a poem about the Altay commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
organized by the workers of Petrograd), Faithfulness, 1954, (a tragedy about the defence of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
in 1941-1942), and They Were Living in Leningrad, 1944, (a play about the blockade of Leningrad). Her memoirs The Day Stars were published in 1959 and filmed in 1968. Olga Berggolts died on 13 November 1975, and was buried at Literatorskie Mostki.
Honours and legacy
- Stalin Prize, third class (1951) - for the poem "Pervorossiisk" (1950)
- Order of LeninOrder of LeninThe Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
- Order of the Red Banner of LabourOrder of the Red Banner of LabourThe Order of the Red Banner of Labour was an order of the Soviet Union for accomplishments in labour and civil service. It is the labour counterpart of the military Order of the Red Banner. A few institutions and factories, being the pride of Soviet Union, also received the order.-History:The Red...
- Medal for the Defence of LeningradMedal for the Defence of Leningradthumb|200px|right|The Medal for the Defence of LeningradThe Medal for the Defence of Leningrad was established on December 22, 1942, and was awarded to all members of the Soviet Army, Navy, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and civil citizens who took part in the defense of Leningrad during its siege...
(1943) - Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 MedalValiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 MedalThe Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 Medal was a civilian award awarded in the USSR. It was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on 6 June 1945. Its image was designed by the artists IK Andrianov and EM Romanov. There were approximately...
- Honorary citizen of St. Petersburg (1994)
A minor planet
Minor planet
An asteroid group or minor-planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
3093 Bergholz
3093 Bergholz
3093 Bergholz is a main-belt asteroid discovered on June 28, 1971 by Smirnova, T. at Nauchnyj.- External links :*...
discovered by 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....
astronomer Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova
Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova
Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova was a Russian astronomer.From 1966 to 1988 she was a staff member of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy at Leningrad. She co-discovered the periodic comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh, along with Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh. She has also discovered various asteroids...
in 1971 is named after her. One of the streets in Saint 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...
is named after her. A crater on Venus is named after her. A play about the life and works of Olga Berggolts, "Awake in Me," was written by Ivan Fuller in 2009.