Four main passions in the life of Alexander Kuprin - a writer who could not live without Russia. "nobody needs". why Kuprin dreamed of returning to the USSR

On June 1, 1937, in No. 149 of the Pravda newspaper, a message was published: “On May 31, the well-known Russian pre-revolutionary writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, who returned to his homeland, arrived in Moscow. At the Belorussky railway station, A.I. Kuprin was met by representatives of the writers' community and the Soviet press (TASS) ".

On June 5 of the same year, "Literaturnaya Gazeta" published an article "At Kuprin", which cited the words spoken by the author of "Duel", "Moloch", "Pit", "White Poodle" and other brilliant literary works: "I am infinitely happy," says A.I. Kuprin, "that the Soviet government gave me the opportunity to find myself again on native land, in a new for me, Soviet Moscow".

Everything in these notes is correct. Only one thing diverges from reality: Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is not a pre-revolutionary writer.

He is simply an outstanding writer not only of Russian but also of world importance. A writer with a very difficult fate, in which the main and fatal role played the global cataclysm of 1917.

He returned to the "new, Soviet" Moscow from Paris, having lived in exile for almost twenty years. Life there was not very easy, not very well-fed and not very happy. He wrote about this life: "...Everything, everything is becoming more expensive. But writing is becoming cheaper by leaps and bounds. Publishers mercilessly reduce our fees, while the public does not buy books and completely stops reading." He also wrote to his friend, Ilya Efimovich Repin, about his love for Russia: “The farther I move away from my homeland in time, the more painfully I miss it and the more deeply I love ... Do you know what I miss? It’s two or three minutes with sex from Lyubimovsky district, with a Zaraysk cab driver, with a Tula bath attendant, with a Vladimir carpenter, with a Meshchera bricklayer. I am exhausted without the Russian language ... "

The complete works of A.I. Kuprin have been published in this language. Many of his works have been translated into other languages. "Duel", "Pit", " Garnet bracelet", "White Poodle" was filmed more than once. His first story "The Last Debut", published in 1889 in the journal "Russian satirical sheet", is not so widely known. For his first appearance in print, he received a solid scolding from the authorities of the Alexander School He was released from it with the rank of second lieutenant and without much reverence for his " writing start". He served in the 46th Infantry Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk) Regiment, quartered in the miserable town of Proskurov, Podolsk province. He served for four years and during this time acquired a huge literary baggage, having thoroughly studied both the provincial military life and other surrounding life, as they said under the tsar, the Russian hinterland. And, like Lieutenant Romashov in the story "Duel", he submitted a letter of resignation, terribly disappointed in military service, distinguished by thoughtless drill and the impenetrable dullness of everyday life, the vulgarity of officer entertainment and the stupidity of the authorities. He was going to marry a sweet girl, similar in character to Shurochka Nikolaeva from "Duel", but the girl's parents demanded that he not resign, but went to study at the Academy of the General Staff. Kuprin went to St. Petersburg, where he was so hungry that he even ate cat food, which he bought in a shop in one of the alleys of the old Nevsky, near the Nikolaevsky railway station ... After his resignation and a failed marriage, he ended up in Kyiv. He tirelessly worked as a reporter in several publications: "The Kiev Word", "Kyivlyanin", "Volyn". All these publications were distinguished by their increased yellowness and excessive indulgence of the tastes of the Kyiv inhabitants. Wrote many notes, feuilletons, reports, essays. Then he introduced himself, not without sarcasm, in the story "On Order", the hero of which "... writes equally easily about the gold currency and about the symbolists, about trade with China and about zemstvo chiefs, about new drama, about Marxists, about the stock exchange, about prisons, about artesian wells - in a word, about everything that he hears in the air with his subtle, professional instinct.

With this flair, Kuprin entered literature forever. As a realist painter of great talent. A major writer who changed dozens of professions before becoming one. Detailed list these occupations he cited in his autobiography. It becomes uncomfortable when you see how a retired second lieutenant recognized Russian reality, and even in such a variety. It is almost unbelievable that one person in a relatively short period of life has mastered such an "abyss of specialties." He unloaded watermelons and bred "shag-silver" in the Volyn province, was a reporter and manager for the construction of houses, served in an artel for carrying furniture and a stage worker, studied dentistry, was a psalmist and even was going to be tonsured a monk. But it is necessary to single out from all this abyss only the specialty of a reporter. She stayed with Kuprin forever. He mastered it to perfection. Thanks to her, he "gained impressions." All these impressions now had to be "artistically generalized." To which Kuprin devoted himself entirely and without a trace.

Kuprin left Russia with the White Army. Homesickness did not leave him. In a letter to I.E. Repin, the writer admitted: “... I miss Russia so much ... that I can’t say. I would like with all my heart to live again in my garden ... Never before, when I was abroad, did I feel such a hunger for my homeland.

It seemed to Kuprin that it would be somewhat easier for him where he lived most of Russian emigrants. In the middle of 1920, the Kuprins settled in Paris. The writer successfully engaged in journalism. Edited the magazine "Fatherland"; was the chief editor of the magazine "Illustrated Russia"; wrote journalistic articles and feuilletons in newspapers and magazines about writers and politicians, about the Russian creative intelligentsia, who ended up in exile; created memoir essays (about L.N. Tolstoy, V.I. Lenin); argued with the Soviet press.

In 1927-1930, Kuprin's collections New Tales and Stories, Dome of St. Isaac of Dalmatia", "Elan", "Wheel of Time". During these years he created autobiographical novel"Junkers" (1928-1932), dedicated to the years of his studies at the Alexander Junker School, which is a continuation of the autobiographical story "At the Break" ("Cadets"), Roman Kuprina - a detailed story about spiritual development of a person, about the “ringing” and, as it were, weightless sense of life of youth. Despite the sounds of a military band, music, light, festivities, a magnificent ball, the bright life of the junkers, this is a sad novel about a wonderful, but irrevocable time.

In the works of this period, the writer also refers to the history of Russia, to his own experiences (“The One-Armed Commandant”, “The Tsar's Guest from Narovchat”); again writes on his favorite topics: about the circus (“The Daughter of the Great Barnum”, “Olga Sur”, “Blondel”), about animals (“Zavirayka”, “Yu-yu”, “Ralph”), creates legends (“Blue Star", "Four Beggars"). In his work, the themes of rock, unknown forces appear, before which a person is helpless. With great inner anguish, Kuprin writes about the spiritual loneliness of a person who found himself far from his homeland.

In 1932-1933 A.I. Kuprin creates one of his best novels of the emigrant period - "Janeta". The hero of the novel - a Russian emigrant, an old, lonely professor Simonov - wants to help a little girl, the daughter of a street newspaper lady, understand the beauty of the world. Kuprin describes the professor's touching friendship with Zhaneta. In love for a child who has become attached to an old professor, his unspent mental strength, he realizes: “Oh, what are all the joys, joys and pleasures of the world worth in comparison with this simplest, purest, divine sensation children's trust". However, the story of friendship between the Russian professor and the "princess of four streets" ends tragically for him. Janet is taken away from Paris, Professor Simonov is left alone again. His life is now brightened up only by the visits of the black stray cat Friday.

In the novel, the writer managed to reveal the bitterness of the loneliness of an old man living far from his homeland, and to express the idea that a person’s soul should remain pure, strive for good in any life’s hardships and troubles.

The content and style of Kuprin's works, created in exile, differ from the works created in Russia: they sound melancholy and a sense of doom. “There are, of course, such writers that you can send them even to Madagascar for an eternal settlement - they will write novel after novel there too. And I need everything native, everything - good, bad - only native ... I am ready to go to Moscow on foot, ”he once said. His letters to his homeland are sad and sometimes tragic: “You can work for Russia only there. It is the duty of every sincere patriot to return there.” “I would now give all the hours, days, years left to me to live, and all my posthumous memory, damn it, for the pleasure of listening to the former laid-back conversation of the great pagan Marya, the wife of the forester Yegor at the Trinity cordon, for at least a few minutes,” he reported in another letter.

In 1937 Kuprin returned to Russia. Moscow welcomed the writer solemnly. It seemed to Kuprin that returning to his homeland would give him strength for a new life. However, the miracle did not happen. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin died in Leningrad on August 25
1938 and was buried at the Volkova cemetery.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on August 26, 1870 in a poor noble family. He graduated from Alexander military school in Moscow and in 1890-1894 he served in a regiment located in the Podolsk province, on the borders Russian Empire. He devoted himself entirely to literature after his retirement. Literary success came to Kuprin after the appearance of the story Moloch in 1896. The publication of the poetic story Olesya (1898) made Kuprin's name known to all reading Russia. His fame was strengthened by the first volume of Stories (1903) and especially the story The Duel (1905).

After the outbreak of the First World War, Kuprin opened a military hospital in his house. In November 1914 he was mobilized into the army and sent to Finland as an infantry company commander. Demobilized in July 1915 for health reasons. The writer accepted the abdication of Nicholas II with enthusiasm. Kuprin became the editor of newspapers " Free Russia”, “Liberty”, “Petrograd leaflet”, sympathized with the Socialist-Revolutionaries. Kuprin's attitude to the Bolshevik coup was ambivalent and contradictory, but he tried to cooperate with new government- discussed with Lenin the project of publishing a newspaper for the peasants, which was never implemented.

On October 16, 1919, Gatchina was occupied by Yudenich's troops advancing on Petrograd. Kuprin entered the rank of lieutenant in the North-Western Army, was appointed editor of the army newspaper "Prinevsky Territory", which was headed by General P. N. Krasnov. Already on November 3, Gatchina was liberated. Together with the retreating White Guards, Kuprin also left his homeland.

2 Helsinki

In November 1919, Alexander Kuprin and his family ended up in Revel. Then, having received a Finnish visa, the Kuprins moved to Helsinki. Finland, which until recently was Russian, has already become a foreign country, and the difference between the past and the present was striking.

“In Helsinki, as usual, we stayed at the Fenya Hotel - the best, and only climbing its marble stairs, seeing footmen and coquettish maids in starched aprons, we realized how ragged and unattractive we were. And in general, our funds did not allow us to live in such a hotel,” recalled the writer’s daughter, Ksenia Kuprina, in her book “Kuprin is my father.” The Kuprins rented rooms, first from private individuals, then in a boarding house.

Kuprin lived in Helsinki for about six months. He actively collaborated with the émigré press. But in 1920, circumstances developed in such a way that further stay in Finland became difficult. “It is not my will that fate itself fills the sails of our ship with wind and drives it to Europe. The newspaper will be out soon. I have a Finnish passport until June 1, and after this period they will only be allowed to live on homeopathic doses. There are three roads: Berlin, Paris and Prague ... But I, a Russian illiterate knight, do not understand well, turn my head and scratch my head, ”Kuprin wrote to Repin. Bunin's letter from Paris played a decisive role in the choice.

3 Paris

Kuprin arrived in Paris with his wife and daughter on July 4, 1920. “We were met by acquaintances - I don’t remember who exactly - and they took us to a very mediocre hotel not far from the Grand Boulevards ... On the very first evening, we decided with the whole family to take a walk along the famous boulevards. We decided to have dinner at the first restaurant we liked. The owner himself served, mustachioed, bloodshot ... a little tipsy ... Father took over the explanations, vainly choosing refined formulas of politeness, which completely disappeared from everyday life after the war. The owner did not understand for a long time what we wanted, then he suddenly became furious, tore the tablecloth off the table and showed us to the door. First, but not last time I heard: "Dirty foreigners, go home!" ... We left the restaurant in disgrace ... ”, recalled Ksenia Kuprina.

Gradually, the life of the Kuprins went into a rut. But the nostalgia didn't go away. “You live in a beautiful country, among smart and good people, among the monuments greatest culture... But everything is just for fun, as if the film of cinematography is unfolding. And all the silent, dull grief that you no longer cry in your sleep and see in your dream neither Znamenskaya Square, nor Arbat, nor Povarskaya, nor Moscow, nor Russia, but only a black hole, ”Kuprin wrote in the essay“ Motherland.

Kuprin did not want to live in the city. He rented a dacha near Paris, but it turned out that even nature did not please him: “Alien environment, alien land and alien plants on it began to cause my father bitter longing for distant Russia. Nothing pleased him. Even the smells of earth and flowers. He said that lilac smells like kerosene. Very soon, he stopped digging in the flower beds and beds, ”wrote the writer’s daughter. In the end, the Kuprins returned to Paris and settled for ten years on the Boulevard Montmorency, not far from the Bois de Boulogne.

How Kuprin lived in exile can be seen from his letters to Lydia, the daughter of his first wife. “We live—I tell you frankly—badly. We live in two dirty little rooms, where neither in the morning, nor in the evening, nor in summer, nor in winter does the sun look ... The worst thing is that we live on credit, that is, we constantly owe it to the grocery, dairy, meat, bakery shops; we think about winter with a shudder: a new burden hangs - debts for coal.

The material conditions of the life of the Kuprin family, like many other Russian emigrants, were getting worse. When Xenia became seriously ill and had to be sent to Switzerland for treatment, she had to arrange a charity evening, and even borrow money. Then the doctors advised the girl to live in the south - they arranged a lottery, at which they sold family heirlooms.

In 1926, the Kuprins opened a bookbinding workshop, but things did not go well, then they set up a bookstore, but there was no success here either. In 1934 the store was turned into a Russian library. In the 30s, Ksenia worked as a fashion model, and then she began acting in films and gained some popularity as an actress. But Xenia's success in this field could not ensure the well-being of her family. Almost all the money she earned went to the purchase of toilets, without which it was impossible to stay in the profession, then still unprofitable.

Kuprin respected French culture and French traditions, and, comparing them with the Russians, did not always give preference to the latter. “We Russians, in the rebellious breadth of our souls, considered even the most modest thrift to be a contemptible vice. At the beginning of our Parisian sitting, we almost unanimously dubbed the French "centimists", but damn it! “In seven years we have not seen the light and have not become convinced, with late repentance, that those countries are infinitely happy where universal austerity has become more than a law, a habit,” he wrote in the cycle of essays “Paris at Home”. But, of course, with all due respect to the French customs, Kuprin felt them as strangers.

Alexander Kuprin was an attentive listener, and now, in exile, the numerous stories he once heard in Russia from “experienced” people came to life on the pages of his works. But by the end of the 20s - the beginning of the 30s, the stock of life impressions taken out by Kuprin from Russia, in to a large extent dried up, and in the mid-30s Kuprin actually stopped literary activity. Last significant work The writer was the story "Janeta", completed in 1933.

Daughter Ksenia wrote in her memoirs that Kuprin was not interested in politics and quickly moved away from the emigrant press. But a large number of the journalistic articles written by him contradict her words. Probably low demand fiction did not give the opportunity to leave journalism. True, the writer himself assessed this activity critically, and never even tried to collect his journalistic works in one book.

Kuprin's health began to deteriorate. The writer suffered from cerebrovascular accident, his eyesight was weakening. The circle of friends and acquaintances began to shrink considerably.

4 Return

Increasingly, the writer thought about returning to his homeland. But he was sure that the Soviet government would not allow him to return home. When the artist Ivan Bilibin, before leaving for the USSR in 1936, invited the Kuprins to his place, the writer told him that he also wanted to return. Bilibin undertook to talk with Soviet ambassador about the return of Kuprin to his homeland, and the writer was invited to the Soviet embassy. The return, which seemed like a pipe dream, has become a reality.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin and his wife Elizaveta Moritsovna returned to their homeland in the spring of 1937. Daughter Xenia remained in France. After returning, Kuprin lived a little over a year. Inner world at that time it was tightly hidden from prying eyes. It is almost impossible to judge how much he was aware of what was happening, whether he was pleased or repented. Soviet propaganda, of course, tried to create the image of a repentant writer who returned to sing happy life in the USSR. But Kuprin was weak, sick and unable to work.

Kuprin died on the night of August 25, 1938 from cancer of the esophagus. He was buried in Leningrad on the Literary bridges of the Volkovsky cemetery.

Square

Plump, but rather fast in his movements, a man with slanted Tatar eyes and passionate eyes is the author of the famous stories “Olesya”, “Garnet Bracelet”, “Duel”, known to everyone from school. Some contemporaries claimed that they had not met such a cruel person for a long time, while others were amazed at his gentleness. Why such different opinions can be found about Alexander Ivanovich? Interesting facts from the life of Kuprin will help answer any questions.

Before the literary field, Kuprin managed to prove himself in the top ten interesting professions- a circus wrestler, teacher, actor, surveyor, advertising agent, salesman, organ grinder and even a fireman!

Once in a restaurant, Kuprin met a random visitor to the establishment, it turned out he was a famous thief. Without hesitation, the writer decided to try this dubious profession on himself, but he still didn’t have the audacity to take things out of someone else’s apartment!

inspired by the sea

Despite the fact that Kuprin spent his childhood and youth in central Russia, for him the most reverent and pacifying moment was a trip to the sea, it was in the Crimea that the writer met Chekhov, Bunin, Gorky. In 1904, the writer purchased a house in . Kuprin said that he was madly in love with walking along the coast of Balaklava in the fall, talking with local Greek fishermen (read the essay “Cape Huron”).

Later, Kuprin will witness the Black Sea uprising of the sailors of the cruiser Ochakov. The writer sent information to the Moscow editorial office about how sailors were burned alive, and those who survived at sea were shot from the shore. Kuprin was deeply struck by the bloody "black water".

Winemaker and farmer

Here was the farm plot of Kuprin, Balaklava

Kuprin not only spent time in the Crimean house, but actively engaged in agriculture. Planted luxurious vineyards and orchards.

On one of the streets of the Kolomna Kremlin, passing through the Cathedral Square and the Pyatnitsky Gates, is the house of Kuprin.

Attitude towards politics

The writer often visited Odessa and once brought to the editorial office of the local newspaper the essay "Dreams" about the lawlessness reigning in Russia. Later, the stories “Killers”, “Delirium”, “Resentment” come out on the same topic. Kuprin believed in the bright future of the coming revolution and glorified it in every possible way. The writer was sure that order and humanism would replace the bloody madness - but again "resentment" and "nonsense", only now in the face of the Soviet government.

Eccentricity of the writer

Those who knew Kuprin were not surprised by his frequent “walking in the clouds”. As a child, the writer composed fairy tales about heroes, heroes who, with their nobility, defeated cruel robbers. With age, Kuprin continues to believe that nobility and sincerity are given to a person from birth, and then people deteriorate under the influence of society and politics.

To understand the amazing nature of Kuprin, be sure to read the story "Duel", the writer's friends claim that Kuprin wrote the image of the hero Romashov from himself.

closed nature

Kuprin had many friends, acquaintances, but everyone claims his secrecy. Even in candid conversation the writer concealed something from those around him, did not allow them to penetrate into the secluded corners of the heart.

Verzhbitsky recalls how, on one of the incredibly beautiful white nights of St. Petersburg, friends were walking along Nevsky Prospekt and reached the Stroganov Palace. Verzhbitsky said something about the revolutionary demonstrations of 1905, did not see Kuprin's interest and fell silent. But Alexander Ivanovich approached the palace, took off his hat, touched the facade with his hand, and stood silently. The friends continued on their way, when suddenly Kuprin heard the end of his thought, which hovered somewhere in the expanses of consciousness:

- ... crushed with hooves, whipped with whips and fired live ammunition ... Isn't it?

lazy man of letters

Actually, literary career Kuprin - in some part the merit of his first wife Maria. The writer was more fond of spending time in taverns, but walking along Nevsky Prospekt. But the wife was unhappy with this outcome and drove her husband out of the house to the hotel with the requirement not to return until he wrote a new chapter. It was in this way that the work “Duel” was written, which made Kuprin a world writer!

Not only a writer, but also a poet

Many well-known prose writers at times went into writing poems and poetic works. In fact, Kuprin first began to write poetry, and then became interested in prose. But the writer tried not to show his rhymed creations to anyone, as he considered them weak and unworthy of fame. You can find Kuprin's poetic attempts on the Internet.

Pushkinist

A.I. Kuprin admired the work of A.S. Pushkin from childhood, therefore, with such triumph, he accepted the offer from the Brockhaus and Efron publishing house to write an introductory article for the encyclopedia before the collection of Pushkin's letters. Kuprin for several months went into the study of Pushkin's biography and work, looking for more and more interesting facts about the poet's letters. From 1912, Kuprin began lecturing on Pushkin.

Surprisingly, Alexander Ivanovich studied Pushkin's work until old age:

- Now, when I see and hear poorly, he replaces everything for me, - Alexander Ivanovich said. - After all, Pushkin is all life.

Trip to Donbass

To write the story "Moloch", the writer went to the Donbass and spent several days studying the way of life of the workers of the metallurgical plant. In the story and "production" essays, the author raised the topic of growing capitalism, of course, this was not necessary for the Soviet government, the editors asked Kuprin to remove unpleasant hints, to make the story softer.

Duel with Bunin and Chekhov

A.I. Kuprin, A.M. Fedorov, I.A. Bunin, A.P. Chekhov, S.Ya. Elpatyevsky

A.I. Kuprin amazingly defined smells using colorful metaphors. The writer Teffi jokingly said that Kuprin sniffed every person in order to understand the essence. But only Kuprin had a serious rival in exposing the smell into words - Ivan Bunin. One day, the writers gathered in a small but talented company: Kuprin, Chekhov, Bunin - and argued who would describe the smell of a woman more vividly. Chekhov assured that the woman smelled of creamy ice cream, Bunin insisted on the aroma of withered linden flowers, but the writers admitted their defeat after Kuprin said:

“Young girls smell like watermelon and fresh milk. And the old women, here in the south, - bitter wormwood, chamomile, dry cornflowers and - incense "

2 loves in Kuprin's life

With Maria

The writer loved two charming beauties in his life - Maria Davydova and her friend Lisa Rotoni. It so happened that the first marriage ended without a "happy ending". Maria Davydovna was known socialite and dreamed of making her husband a fashionable writer in a suit of curry, but Alexander Ivanovich was alien to such a way of life because of his proud disposition and impatience with flattery.

Once, during the illness of her daughter Lyulusha, Maria invited her friend Elizabeth to look after the child for a small fee.

With Elizabeth

Over time, Kuprin fell passionately in love with Lisa Rotoni, but the woman proudly left her friend's house so as not to destroy the family. Only now Kuprin did not accept such a fate, broke up with Maria and fell into drunkenness.

After some time, Elizabeth still gave up and also confessed her feelings for the writer, so the lovers lived all their lives.

Brief interesting facts from the life of Kuprin

With wife Elizabeth and daughter Xenia

• In his youth, the writer sang in the church choir.
• Contemporaries considered Kuprin gentle and soft, but at the same time fierce in Tatar.
• The writer called vodka a “quick drink”, Kuprin had only one glass to arrange a full house!
• different big love to alcoholic beverages. Being already well-known, headlines about the rowdy drunken writer often appeared in the newspapers: Kuprin poured hot coffee on someone, then threw him into the pool, then stuck a fork in his flabby stomach, then had fun with a gypsy camp for three days and much, much more.
• The writer died due to cancer of the esophagus.
• Favorite flowers of A.I. Kuprin - daffodils.
• Kuprin's wife Elizaveta died during the siege of Leningrad 5 years after the death of the writer.
• Daughter Xenia worked in France as a fashion model.

After the First World War, Kuprin took his family to France with the hope of a brighter future. But abroad, the writer's work was not successful, earnings were negligible, out of desperation, Kuprin more and more often fell into drunkenness.

The family returned to Russia only after 20 years, but in home country the writer, emaciated from cancer, could not live even a year, died on August 25, 1938 in Leningrad, and was buried near the grave of Turgenev.

The pinnacle of the work of the outstanding Russian writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin (1870-1938) is rightly considered the story "Duel", published in 1905. But only "Motherland" managed to find out that in 1920 the writer himself received a challenge to a duel...

In Alexander Kuprin's story "Duel" and the film of the same name directed by Vladimir Petrov (1957), it was impossible to cancel the duel. Photo: Frame from the film / RIA Novosti

"Ak" accuses "accomplices of Bolshevism"

On May 30, 1920, the central Soviet newspapers published A.A. Brusilov and other generals to former officers Russian army - with a call to forget old grievances and join the Red Army to protect Russia from the offensive of the Poles. It made a splash in the country and beyond. The Appeal was discussed, praised, cursed, and someone could not hold back tears 1 - after all, for more than two years, officers in Soviet Russia were in the position of outcasts.

The émigré newspaper Novaya Russkaya Zhizn, published in Helsingfors (now Helsinki), also responded to the propaganda initiative of the Bolsheviks. On June 10, the note "Two Appeals" appeared in it, signed with the pseudonym "Ak" 2 . The author did not leave a stone unturned from the "converted accomplices and comrades-in-arms of Bolshevism" 3 . The corrosive "Ak" was perplexed why the name of the chairman of the Special Conference under the commander-in-chief Brusilov was under the appeal, but there was no signature of the commander-in-chief himself; noted that the signatories did not even mention the hostage-taking system; snarled: "Can all eight Soviet generals vouch for the state of mind in which Zinoviev and Trotsky will wake up tomorrow, having long ridiculed and spit on stupid concepts: honesty, loyalty to the word, compassion, conscience, duty" 4 .

And, finally, "Ak" went personal:

“Is there any faith in all of them, if we conditionally set aside Brusilov and Polivanov? Does Parsky, who saved his life at the cost of Riga, and his position by servility to the Soviet government, arouse confidence? by the tail, before the war he received the nickname "soap maker", and during the war - "confectioner", during the period of difficult Dukhonin's days, who showed such flexibility in relations with Krylenko? , such noisy monarchists that the most right-wing bison blushed for them with shame? Finally, isn't it Akimov - the value is completely unknown? five

Ak's reproaches were largely justified. Today it is known that the original handwritten text of the appeal has been preserved in Brusilov's personal archive. And it differed from the published 6 . Party censors needed to win officers over to the side of the Bolsheviks, and not to revive pre-revolutionary slogans.

Be that as it may, the son of Klembovsky mentioned in the biting article challenged the anonymous author of New Russian Life.

"Please tell me the name of the author..."

The sharpest epithets "Aka" went to close friend Brusilov to the former infantry general Vladislav Napoleonovich Klembovsky (1860-1921). The double change of religion obviously meant his service to the emperor, the Provisional Government, and then the Bolsheviks.

But Klembovsky can hardly be classified as a careerist. And here "Ak" is unfair and biased. Knight of St. George and a talented military scientist, during the revolution Klembovsky tried to resist the collapse of the army and the fall of discipline. In the summer of 1917, the general testified that he received "quite a number of anonymous letters with my photographs cut out of magazines, with pierced eyes and corresponding threats" 7 . Having remained in Soviet Russia, Klembovsky diligently evaded participation in civil war: was a member of the military-legislative council, chaired the commission on the description of the war of 1914-1918 ...

The article "Aka" would have gone unnoticed, but it caught the eye of Klembovsky's son, who, by coincidence, also ended up in Finland. Georgy Klembovsky (1887-1952) - hero of the First World War, military pilot, lieutenant colonel, joined the whites. From the end of 1918 he served in the North, after the defeat of the Whites in the Murmansk region, he retreated to Finland. In the Lahti-Khennala internment camp, I learned about the newspaper article.

The son, who found himself on opposite sides of the barricades with his father, was nevertheless beside himself with indignation. The very next day after publication, he prepared a pack of letters. He began with an appeal to the chairman of the Interim Committee for Refugees of the Northern Region in Norway and Finland, S.N. Gorodetsky:

“I am addressing you as a representative of the authorities with the most humble request.

In the newspaper "New Russian Life" in issue 123 of June 10, s/g, lies and libels are placed on my father.

If the aforementioned newspaper is received by someone living in your camp, then do not refuse to tell the contents of the two letters enclosed with this and my report.

This was followed by a letter to the editor of the newspaper Yu.A. Grigorkov:

“I ask you not to refuse to tell approximately in what years he (Klembovsky. - Auth.) changed religion twice and what goal he pursued (in more detail), so as not to exhaust everything with the words “in the interests of a career.”

I also ask you to provide the name, patronymic, surname, title and address of the author of the article, who signed "Ak", so that I can get more detailed information from him about the data he has, which I do not know.

I could ask you to write in your newspaper an answer to the article by Mr. "Ak", but for reasons understandable to any developed and smart person, - must refuse.

I am sure that Bolshevism in Russia will come to soon end, and future true story Renewed Russia will be able to pay tribute to my father."

"I declare that you are a 'liar and scoundrel'..."
"M[merciful] Mr[sir], Mr[n] "Ak"

Being like an employee former army Northern region interned in the Lahte-Khennala camp, cannot personally meet in given time with you, but for the lie you wrote in the newspaper "New Russian Life" N 123 against my father V.N. Klembovsky I declare to you that you are "a liar and a scoundrel."

If you consider these modest epithets to yourself undeserved, then I am ready to give you satisfaction with a weapon.

Lest the foregoing remain between us, I have sent certified copies of this letter to:

1) Colonel Feng

2) To the editor of the newspaper "New Russian Life"

3) Mr. Gorodetsky - to the Norwegian camp

4) and several other persons" 10 .

He crowned everything with a report to the chairman of the staff officers' court of honor: "I ask for my report to be sent to the Russian representative in Finland, Colonel Fen, and I also ask you to petition for my name, patronymic, surname, rank and address of the author of the article "Two Appeals" under the pseudonym "Ak" eleven .

The search for George Klembovsky was crowned with success. Behind the pseudonym "Ak", as it turned out, was hiding the outstanding Russian writer Alexander Kuprin.

And he didn't accept the challenge.

"I can not recognize the possibility of permission with weapons ..."

"Your Majesty,
Article in N 123 "N.R.Zh." I wrote, A.I. Kuprin.
You accuse me of lying, but not a single fact that refutes my political and official assessment of Gen. Klembovsky, you do not bring.
Also, you could not offend me with your scolding. Do not show me to you an account of the evil that the generals who signed the appeal inflicted on Russia. These are the days of history.
I understand that criticism of the actions of General Klembovsky will always hurt your filial feelings, but I can neither change my views on this issue, nor recognize that it is possible to resolve it with weapons.
A. Kuprin" 12 .

Kuprin did not know that on June 30, 1920, in Rostov-on-Don, upon arrival at a new duty station, the former General Klembovsky was arrested right in the car. On July 5, he was taken to Moscow. Former general was in Butyrka prison. He was accused of relations with foreign military organizations. The first interrogation took place only in October - it seems that after the arrest, the former general was not particularly interested in the investigators. In prison, Klembovsky's health deteriorated. In the summer of 1921, the general went on a hunger strike, to which no one responded.

On July 19, 1921, Vladislav Napoleonovich Klembovsky died after two weeks of a hunger strike. And a year after the publication, which his son tried to challenge according to the laws of officer honor.

1937 parade

Writer Alexander Kuprin, two weeks after being challenged to a duel, on June 26, 1920, left Finland for Paris, where he lived for 17 years. This was not an escape from the fight, the departure happened for material reasons. But even in Paris, Kuprin barely made ends meet, became addicted to alcohol, sank into debt, and was seriously ill. the only way out was the adoption of Soviet citizenship. In 1937 the writer returned to his homeland. And in the midst" Great terror"once worst enemy Soviet power stood next to the creators of terror among the honored guests of the parade on Red Square on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the revolution.

A few months later, Kuprin was gone.

The irony of the story is bizarre. The former general, unjustly accused by the writer of treason, died of starvation in a Soviet prison. The famous writer and fighter against communism, having changed his views, ended his days in the USSR and in high esteem.

And the son of a general, ready to die for the honor of his father in a duel, spent the rest of his life in a foreign land and died in Austrian Innsbruck in 1952.

In the newsreel frame - the rostrum of the Mausoleum on November 7, 1937. Behind the scenes, among the guests of honor - Alexander Kuprin, who returned to his homeland that year.

1. GA RF. F. R-5972. Op. 3. D. 170. L. 3.
2. Ak. Two Appeals // New Russian Life (Helsingfors). 1920. No. 123. 10.06. P. 2-3 (for the publication, see: Kuprin A.I. Voice from there: 1919-1934. M., 1999. S.261-265; Kuprin A.I. We, Russian refugees in Finland ... Journalism (1919 -1921), St. Petersburg, 2001, pp. 238-242).
3. Ak. Two appeals ... S. 2.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. GA RF. F. R-5972. Op. 3. D. 170.
7. Eideman R., Melikov V. Army in 1917. M.; L., 1927. S. 80.
8. GA RF. F. R-5867. Op. 1. D. 94. L. 1.
9. Ibid. L. 2.
10. Ibid. L. 2 about.
11. Ibid. L. 3.
12. Ibid. L. 5.
13. Kuprin A.I. We, Russian refugees in Finland... S. 17.