| Yuri Polyakov headed Literaturnaya Gazeta The latest issues of Literaturnaya Gazeta were signed for publication by acting. editor-in-chief Anatoly Druzenko. It was clear that editor-in-chief Lev Gushchin was leaving Literaturka. Either because of some self-will, contrary to the interests of investors (the publisher of LG, Metropolis CJSC, is part of AFK Sistema, whose connection with the Moscow mayor is not a secret), or because he could not cope with material difficulties ( permanent non-payment of fees and delays in not very impressive salaries to employees), or offended by stingy investors. Perplexities and guesses about the future of LG employees were resolved on Thursday - Gushchin was relieved of his post at his personal request (but remains a member of the board of directors of Metropolis); the board of directors appoints Yuri Polyakov in his place.
Yuri Polyakov was born in 1954 and is a philologist by training. He has been published in LG since the 70s. In the early 80s, he edited the newspaper “Moscow Literator” and headed the Komsomol organization of the Union of Writers of the USSR. Polyakov's fame was brought to him by pre-perestroika and perestroika stories published in the magazine "Yunost": "Emergency of a regional scale" (unrest in the Komsomol), "One Hundred Days Before the Order" (unrest in the army), "Apothegeus" (tales about the biggest bosses, "disguised "under district functionaries). The stories were distinguished by their permissible boldness (revelations + eroticism), a good familiarity with the “texture” (types of cynical careerists), a lively style and a clear plot, which ensured their great success. The novel “Little Goat in Milk,” which appeared in the new era (exposure of literary morals; aesthetics unchanged), did not cause much resonance. Recently, Polyakov has been engaged not only in literature and journalism, but also in politics - he unsuccessfully ran for the State Duma on the list of Svyatoslav Fedorov and Andrei Nikolaev.
For the first time since the half-forgotten times of Alexander Chakovsky (under him, “Literature” gained popularity; at the expense of whom and what is a separate conversation), “LG” was headed by a writer. Regardless of the reasons that brought Yuri Polyakov to the top (once transcendental, now conditional, but preserving the memory of past greatness), the literary status of the editor-in-chief will have to be taken into account. And to the team (in which worthy critics and journalists have been dragging out a semi-poor existence for many years), and to the literary community (which has long given up on LG), and to the editor himself. Any writer who receives such an ambiguous inheritance can move along three roads. The first is serving “your circle.” The second is the struggle for “revival,” attracting money for publication, and dissimilar and talented authors for publication. The third is to leave everything as it was. Yuri Polyakov is a man with organizational (functional, if you will) acumen, relevant connections and strong ambitions. It is quite possible that he will want to convince the collective, the literary establishment and, out of habit, the reader (there are many of them among the provincial intelligentsia) who expect something from “LG” of his power. Use it. But the rule of the fitter Mechnikov is unchanged: in the morning - money, in the afternoon - chairs. Andrey NEMZER |
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