Alexander Ageev. Hunger 30

Hunger 30
Practical gastroenterology reading

Alexander Ageev

Publication date: May 14, 2001

A year and a half ago, the magazine "October" published a small novel by Nikolai Klimontovich " The Last Newspaper " - a funny text with a biographical background: about how the Writer (naturally, Klimontovich himself) worked for several years in the Newspaper (who doesn’t know that Klimontovich did not work in some kind of “Soviet Russia”, or in “Kommersant” itself?).

Klimontovich turned out to be a funny physiological-sociological-satirical essay with an obvious moral: don’t go for a walk, children (writers, that is), to Africa. Don’t covet a long bourgeois ruble, because it will only result in humiliation and mental annoyance. And in fact there is no Newspaper (it was a phantasmagoric ending attached to an honest production pamphlet), and its entire circulation immediately goes under the knife.

But here I remembered Klimontovich and his novel the year before last, not because of its exceptional artistic merits, but for what reason. There is a certain character parallel to the main character named Kolya Kulikov (also a writer), who under the sonorous pseudonym “Sandro” writes gossip columns in the newspaper. This Kolya Kulikov is characterized as follows:

“ It seems that he was a completely mediocre writer, however, for the sake of objectivity, it must be said that in the early uncensored years he wrote several quick stories one after another... with descriptions of the life and customs of the Soviet Komsomol... These ethnographic descriptions of his in the short times of all sorts revelations were received with a bang: scenes with Komsomol goddesses in Finnish baths, machinations of Komsomol cooperatives and similar fictionalized journalism, layered with autobiographical, probably of a sexual nature, plots. He earned himself a reputation as a liberal whistleblower, on which, I think, although indecent counting other people's money - he made good money: all these stories were filmed at the same time ."

Many have already recognized the prototype. The hero of the novel was extremely amazed:

“ The main thing that caused me amazement, as soon as I found Kolya Kulikov in the Gazeta sitting next to me in the culture department , was his, as they say, ideological reputation in recent years, when past victories had dried up. I’m not too versed in ideological shades, but Kolya, in the later years of the reforms , I heard out of the corner of my ear, what is called left-wing , was not, of course, an avowed communist, but was among the public of a nationalistic hue, which, generally speaking, was not at all surprising; this is quite typical for any writer whose creations, so to speak, have ceased to be converted and are no longer translated into European languages ​​- and why then, in fact, should they continue to go around as Westerners. In addition, he was, after all, a Soviet writer, “who did not graduate from universities,” and what did he do? in a department staffed entirely by liberal intellectuals cultural scientists , was a decisive mystery ."

Well, now, I hope, everyone has already understood that Kolya Kulikov is almost one to one Yuri Polyakov, the author of “Regional Emergency”, “Apothegea” and other “nimble stories”. And it’s clear why I suddenly remembered him - also in connection with the Newspaper, but different. The day after tomorrow, Wednesday, the first issue of Literaturnaya Gazeta should be published, signed by its new editor-in-chief - that very nimble Kolya Kulikov, that is, ugh, of course - Yuri Polyakov.

My venerable colleagues - both Slava Kuritsyn and Andrei Nemzer - reacted to this strange appointment calmly, with some condescending irony and even, one might say, hope (at least that the nimble Polyakov would feed the long-hungry team). “ However, a writer, ” Nemzer titled his note (in the sense that it had been a long time since writers headed the Literary Newspaper). Although, probably, the point is not even in the writers, but in the fact that in recent years “Literature”, as they say, “lies”, is absolutely of no interest to anyone, and this has been going on for so long that it seems that it is no longer a pity to give it away into any hands.

It is, of course, true.

But I’ll quote Klimontovich a little more. Kolya Kulikov in his novel acts in some way as an “explaining gentleman” - to the naive and unobservant hero, he, demonstrating wisdom and cynical insight, tells how the Newspaper works, what kind of cool money circulates in it and how it is earned. The hero, naturally, expresses doubt - how can this be “taken” from the culture department? And Kolya readily explains:

" Here the matter is a little more subtle. He and his team, if you noticed, serve a certain circle of “their” composers and musicians. And they scold everyone else... They explain this, of course, with aesthetic preferences... And just imagine: he unfolds what some oligarch The newspaper on a warm day on the veranda of his villa in Barvikha. He has earned money a long time ago, and he wants to be cultured. Of course, he does not understand the musicological nonsense that some Nastya Med is talking about, but he says that such and such in the world of music - prestigious and first-rank figures. If you repeat this to him week after week, and then come and ask to sponsor some festival, then - who the hell is he not kidding - he'll probably fork out the cash. And the musician, in turn, , on occasion, puts in a good word for her honey critic, and now she is already accredited at a festival in Vienna or Dusseldorf or gives a course of lectures on modern Russian avant-garde music at the Sorbonne.This is how the fate of art, and at the same time the employees of the cultural department, is decided. You should adopt their methods,” he said in an unpleasant tone, “select publishing houses that make sense to patronize, not offend authors who may be useful... But you’re behaving bravely, you’re not afraid of anything, you’re telling the truth—” womb, while smart people take advantage of their position... ".

This, of course, is artistic prose, so to speak, and not a single biography of Polyakov says that he worked in Kommersant (in Sobesednik - yes, and in Moskovsky Komsomolets, too, and edited Moskovsky Literator) ). But here I am, having never seen Polyakov in person and having only once read two or three of his “nimble stories,” for some reason I immediately believe Klimontovich: he! The spitting image of Polyakov! This line of thinking is absolutely impossible for a not very talented fiction writer (no matter how he disguises himself with the desire to “tear off all and every mask”). All the scoundrels exposed will certainly turn out to be the most likable characters, which will give the author away.

Klimontovich, however, demonizes his Sandro a little: he turns out to be not just cynical, but also wise in his own way. Although everything is resolved simply: having drunk to the point of glazing, Kolya Kulikov gives out his “credo”, mixed with teenage complexes:

" - What do you understand about romance? You think that knowledge, creativity - what else - are the fundamental properties of man, you are fausts for the poor. Aggression, healthy aggression - this is the basis of a human being. This is the basis of the romance of a contract with evil itself.. .
-Who is it - you ? - I asked.
- All of you, with your liberal newspapers and highbrow nonsense, are democrats... - He apparently forgot that he himself has been serving in the most liberal newspaper in the country for three years now. “We heroes need flying banners, torchlight processions, unity and loud marches.” We are people of unbending will... "

And here’s what the real, unnovel Polyakov recently said in an interview with the Day of Literature newspaper :

“I think, just as in its time Russia crushed Bolshevism and adapted it to its historical traditional model of development, so now we are witnesses to an interesting experiment, how Russia is grinding the individualism and wild capitalism imposed on it. I hear the cracking of these bones, the process has begun... Why history chose Putin? A man with an imperial past and, judging by many details, with imperial self-awareness in the best sense of the word. What is this - the will of Yeltsin, half crazy from alcohol and stress that his brain was unable to digest? Of course , no. This is the most difficult choice of the collective state will. The arrow of political roulette spun for a long time, then slowing down at Nemtsov - is it really this? - no, it went further and ran into Putin. Why? This is a sign of a mystical volitional decision. And literature captures this mysticism first of all It is unclear how the writer defines breakthroughs into the future. And Prokhanov. And Yuri Kuznetsov... I’ll even say about myself. In 1993, I published the story “Demgorodok”, where Admiral Ryk comes to power. They call him I.O. Fatherland. And we had an acting president. He introduces symbolism: a double-headed eagle holding a hammer and sickle in its paws. And so on. After all, this is the path the country has taken. Synthesis of the Soviet and pre-revolutionary."

This is exactly what it is, as in the novel - “ flying banners, torchlight processions, unity and loud marches . ” The funniest thing in this situation is that Polyakov becomes the editor of Literaturka by the will of the owner of the newspaper - generated by the very hated "wild capitalism" of AFK Sistema... " A mystical volitional decision ", so to speak...

Here Slava Kuritsyn asks and answers himself:

“ What will the appointment of a singer a hundred days before the order give to the public, that is, to you and me? Will Litgazeta become high-quality, solid and relevant (which, despite its hurricane marginalization, it makes sense to wait until the bitter end, because the brand is painfully good)? It’s unlikely: I don’t think Polyakov is enough for this .”

It's hard to disagree. But then Slava says: “ So everything is in order: Polyakov’s task is not to let “LG” die . ” Well, Slava is a well-known optimist. I found, you know, a kind man from Szechwan! Crisis director. Yes, if Polyakov were just a cynic and a scoundrel without ideological ambitions and damaged writer’s pride! But at least read the interview, follow the link: Polyakov has his own pathos, and even recently fashionable. Just listen:

“ Of course, my idea of ​​the world, of evil and good, was formed under Soviet rule. In this sense, I will die a Soviet man, a Soviet writer. And no one will ever be able to explain to me that our time is when a teacher stands in front of boards and at home, still working on notebooks, does not know how to feed his children; an engineer creating a new rocket is begging for pay somewhere, and some rogue who pocketed billions from the state, privatized for pennies through family ties in the former party nomenklatura a factory or an oil field is bathed in unimaginable luxury - that such a time is our entrance into the civilized world and that such a way of life has the right to continue to exist. I am an anti-bourgeois person in my worldview. But we have already said that all world classical art is anti-bourgeois. Even By the standards of Western intellectual life, it is a writer with a Soviet mentality who has the opportunity to create a major work of art. I believe that the best books that remain from us will be written by people with the moral principles of a Soviet person ".

With such ambitions they do not support “good brands”, with such ambitions they squeeze out everything that is still left in them for their own needs.

Sorry for Literaturka. There were all kinds of it, in recent years - none at all, but it was not at all indecent. What “people with the moral principles of a Soviet man” will make of her - God knows. That is, it is approximately clear - a kind of softened, without anti-Semitism, version of the “Day of Literature”.

It's a shame. Somehow Russia has no luck in having an efficient literary press. “Literary Russia” itself, even in its best years, did not shine with its literary component, but it was at least “respectable,” as Slava writes, and did not suffer from provincialism, which “Literary Russia” has suffered from its birth to this day. Have you heard anything about her for a long time? But go there and immediately feel the difference.

“Ex libris NG” and “Book Review” are not bad newspapers, but, alas, they are not “literary”, but “bookish”, that is, “departmental” in their own way.

But now “LG” will go “under the authority of Polyakov.” In fact, it’s an emergency, and not on a regional scale...