They did not give a chance

For the sixteenth time, the winners of the Literary Prize "Big Book" announced for the sixteenth time

The ceremony was rapidly: either due to the pandemic of coronavirus, it was decided to reduce the number of people going on the stage, or for some other reasons. There were no presenters, long speeches - too, and the hosts of the evening was the artificial intelligence of Dostoevsky - in honor of the beloved by all the writer, who turned 200 years old this year. Therefore, orders, instructions, quotes or just funny jokes appeared on the screen. The results of the "Big Book" are discussed by the chief editor of "Liters" Ekaterina Pisareva.

The winners of the 16th season were Leonid Yuzefovich, who received the main prize for the novel “Philelin” (499 points), Maya Kucheskaya-2nd place for the book “Leskov: the Wrong Genius” (497 points) and Victor Remizov, who took 3rd place with the novel “Eternal Merzlot” (473 points).

Passed the prizes of reader sympathies. The first place, according to the results of the popular vote on the Livelib portal, was awarded to Narine Abgaryan and her touching novel about the deceased mason “Simon”. The second place was taken by Alexei Polyarinov with the “reef”, and the third went to Marina Stepnova and her “garden”.

Dmitry Buck, representing the State Museum of the History of Russian Literature named after V.I. Dalya (this year he is 100 years old), and the Litblog Award is Ivan Rodionov, the author of the Banging Blog.

From the interesting thing: Viktor Remizov, who went on stage, said a few words in support of the Krasnoyarsk Memorial, declared by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation “Ino -Agent”. And Leonid Yuzefovich promised to give part of the premium money to preserve two houses in Yakutia, where in February 1923, the Red Army Ivan Strek defended themselves from the combatants of General Anatoly Pepelyaev (this place was described in the documentary novel by Yuzefovich - “Winter Road”).

In total, 13 strong applicants fought for the victory in the final. Among them - the lion's share of those who had already been awarded the prize in the past or was put forward: Narine Abgaryan, Mikhail Gigolashvili, Yuri Buid, Evgeny Vodolazkin (by the way, received 448 points and was in fourth fourth place, as it was already in 2019 with Brisben).

From the bottom of heart, one could be happy for Maya Kucheskaya, the rewarding of which did not cause any questions.

But there were no other unexpected, bold, vivid solutions for which everyone was very hoped for - neither the “wounds” of Oksana Vasyakina (381 points), neither the “RIFA” Alexei Polyarinov among the winners, according to the Literary Academy, was not. Of course, it was not necessary to seriously count on the fact that the provocative, hybrid, daring, daring, disrupting calmness of Vasyakina would not have to be in the three winners - I wanted to believe in this as a miracle, as in the opportunity to give a chance (or an advance?) Young literature. One way or another, the “wound” Vasyakina from this will not become less noticeable - she can rightfully be called the most discussed by the Russian book of the year: about death and life, about bodily and love.

But Reef, Alexei Polyarinov, seemed to have good chances of victory - a classic honest talented novel about the eternal war of generations, about sects and religious cults, and mythology. But, surprisingly, according to the results of the Voting, “RIFA” was given only 368 points, which means the last place.

In general, from the "Big Book" of this year there was a painful sense of predictability and hopelessness, some constant running in a circle. Especially if you remember that the mission of the “Big Book”, according to the chairman of the Council of the “Center for Supporting Russian Literature” by Vladimir Grigoryev, “open new names”.

But uneasy in order for any changes to occur, does not need to change something?