"You can’t throw oars!"

Today it would be 100 years old Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky

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I was not lucky enough to be personally acquaintance with the eldest of the teachers who left on October 12, 1991.

** But it was lucky to grow on the books that they wrote and his brother.

They taught us to walk towards the wind, holding the hands of friends.

To doubt the seemingly immutable truths.

Firmly know that it is impossible to "cow, lie and attack." **

And our souls, the frightened freedoms from the generous source of their books, straightened up, gaining immunity to fear.

“How glorious it was to know that somewhere far, for five thousand kilometers, there is a large and kind teacher who knows, if not answers, then at least questions that everyone should answer in this terrible distorted and distorted world. And that’s all? The hoarse exhale of Lesha Kerzin into the telephone phone: "Arctanych died." And a piercing vacuum piercing through. And the feeling of complete helplessness in a hecticly ruptracting airport, which does not want to understand that you desperately need to fly to distant Moscow on this cooled night ...

How to live on? Where can we swim? And why? I don't know.

But as a testament, the words of the teacher remained to us: "You can’t throw the oars." Let's all think about these words together. ”

On October 13, 1991, after the death of Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky, this will be written by my longtime comrade Vladimir Borisov from Abakan - a bibliographer, translator, literary critic, one of the most qualified and indifferent researchers of the Cheregatsky brothers.

***

Arkady Strugatsky was born on August 28, 1925 in Batumi.

His father, Nathan Strugatsky, the son of a provincial lawyer, joined the Bolshevik party in 1916, during the Civil War he was the commissar of the cavalry brigade, wore two rhombuses at Frenche (at that time), and after demobilization from the Red Army he worked as a Batumi by the newspaper of the newspaper of Labor Adjaristan. Mother, Alexander Litvinchev, was the daughter of small Prasol (a merchant intermediary between peasants and merchants). The younger brother, Boris Strugatsky, was born on April 15, 1933 already in Leningrad, where his father was transferred to party work.

Three times in his life, Arkady Strugatsky was supposed to die.

For the first time - during the Leningrad blockade, when he and his father in the most terrible blockade winter of 1941-1942 were on the verge of starvation from dystrophy. But on January 28, 1942, they managed to go into evacuation with the last party of employees of the public library where Nathan Zalmanovich worked (they believed that the young Boris could not stand the evacuation, and therefore it was decided to share in advance: the father and Arkady would leave, the mother and Boris will remain).

Looking ahead: Arkady Natanovich really did not like to talk about the blockade. Sometimes he only said that it was too scary to talk about it. After the blockade, he lost almost all his teeth, and he released the famous mustache not so much for beauty as in order to disguise the lack of front teeth. However, only relatives knew about it. Arkady Natanovich managed to learn to speak so that rarely seeing him did not know anything ...

For the second time, Arkady Strugatsky was supposed to die during the evacuation, when the car, which was traveling through the Lake Ladoga along the “road of life”, fell into wormwood in a 30-degree frost. Arkady and his father managed to jump out, like other passengers, and then the car still brought them to the other side. Then, during the 8-day journey by train in a warmth to Vologda, they also miraculously survived, but fell ill and got to the hospital, where Nathan Zalmanovich died.

And for the third time, Arkady Strugatsky was supposed to die when in February 1943 he graduated from the Aktobe mortar school, and his fate was - in the summer of the same year to disappear on the Kursk arc, as well as his entire course. But then there was a selection of candidates for Moscow, the Military Institute of Foreign Languages, and Arkady Strugatsky became one of the two most competent selection ...

***

Having become a military translator, Arkady will serve in the army until 1955, and then return to Leningrad, where he will meet with his brother, who had been working in the Pulkovo observatory after the end of the Matmee of Leningrad State University.

It turned out that both were “pulling to write”, and Arkady already had (co -authored with Leo Petrov) the story “Ashes of the Bikini” was printed.

Three years later, the brothers came out the first stories: “From the outside” and “Spontaneous Reflex”, and in 1959 - the story “Country of crimson clouds”.

This is how to recall Arkady Strugatsky about it later:

“Boris and my wife and I walked along Nevsky Prospekt, and just came out of an extremely weak book of one Ukrainian science fiction writer. My brother and I set her back as they could, and my wife walked in the middle, listening to how we sophisticated. Finally, her patience burst: everyone can criticize, ”she said,“ and you yourself, and you won’t write this. ” Of course, we exploded: yes, without getting up from the table ... It seems that they made a bet, as much as they wrote-I don’t remember. The half -pounding - I, half -pounding - Boris, then they enslaved episodes, removed the overlays and carried it to the publishing house. To our surprise - a year later we printed, and we won the bet. But in fact, the win was much more: it turned out that my brother and I could well write together ... "

And here are the memories of Boris Strugatsky:

“If it were not for the fantastic energy of AN, if it were not for his desperate desire to break out, break through, become - there would never have been the Strugatsky brothers. For I was inert in those pores, prone to philosophical and indifferent to the successes of anything other than, perhaps, astronomy, which, however, was also not particularly burning, but was an assertive, incredibly able -handed and hardworking and was not afraid of any work in the world. Probably, after the army, this civilian world seemed to him a container of unlimited freedoms and incredible opportunities. Then all this passed and changed. Anga became indifferent and inert, BN, on the contrary, resigned and exploded, but, firstly, it happened twenty years later, and secondly, even in my best years I did not reach the state of the concentrated energy, in which the Academy of Sciences of the 1955-1965 period ... ”

With all this, as Boris Natanovich told me,

Fate fluttered Arkady without any mercy, especially in the first half of her life - blockade, evacuation, army, homeless life, army everyday life ...

However, according to the BNS, “in his youth, we both with him were pr-raids and rr-revolutionaries with three“ P ”. Fans of the quick movement of history, sharp jumps and fractures. Over the years, the desire for peace comes, you begin to appreciate it and understand the whole uncomfortable of historical troubles. Without changes - nowhere, changes are needed and inevitable - but they should be perceived as an inevitable evil, as a bitter retribution for progress. But we realized this later, and in youth any changes seemed beautiful to us because we promised a new one. “He who was not a radical in his youth does not have a heart who did not become a conservative in old age - has no mind.”

***

Although Arkady Strugatsky sometimes, according to Boris, was “harsh and fierce, if you get under a hot hand”, he was kind and attentive (especially “young talents”). And he was "good not only for people, he was kind to humanity, which means to his future history."

In the last decade of life, he most appreciated peace, stability, stability - that which all his life did not get most of all. And accordingly, he did not like all kinds of troubles, shakes, surprises and disasters. However, quoting BNS, he “appreciated stability, but did not like rot” ...

According to Vladimir Borisov, Arkady Natanovich in the very beginning of the 1980s clearly outlined his attitude to the then clubs of fantasy lovers and supported them in every time.

At the first All -Union meeting of science fiction clubs in Kyiv in March 1988, in his speech, he said: “You are clubs of professional readers, elite readers. Therefore, I had fun when Academician K.M. Sytnik told you what photosynthesis is. He confused: he probably thought that he was speaking to the science fiction writers-they really do not know often ... "

Clubs answered the brothers with Strugatsky reciprocity. And they voluntarily or involuntarily adopted their typical author's receiver:

Writers very often quoted other authors in their works, and fans of science fiction sometimes said “in a stack”, reconnaissing each other in quotes.

“It so happened that at one of the meetings of this meeting, I sat on the presidium next to Arkady Natanovich,” recalls Borisov. - After once again the representative of the Komsomol Central Committee began to teach clubs from the rostrum, what and how they should do, I could not stand it, asked for a word and vigorously explained that the clubs should not for anyone, and the same Komsomol should be grateful to them for the fact that young people read books in clubs, and not rummage through the gateway. Returning to my place, I heard from Arkady Natanovich: “Well, you crashed them, in a worker. Just like Bankei. " And he grinned at his mustache. In these two words, he managed to make a contamination from two different sources at once - he quoted the famous song of Alexander Galich about how Klim Petrovich spoke at the rally in defense of the world, and mentioned the character “Tales of Esitsune”, which was determined by determination and fidelity. And this confidence of Arkady Strugatsky is that he would be correctly understood and “deciphered” by what was said is worth a lot. In any case, I was very grateful to him for this ... "

And another story from the memoirs of Vladimir Borisov-as two desperate fans of science fiction in general and the fiction of the Strugatsky in particular, he and Boris Zavgorod, they wanted to come to Moscow for a long time, at least for a moment to go to Arkady Natanovich, to say how they love him and his brother of the book-and there he suddenly tells them something? Suddenly he will not refuse to sign books, and they are a whole backpack? Suddenly he will not immediately lower the stairs?

Fans decided on a desperate act in 1983. We got the phone and address. Though worried, they called from the station: we are such and such, your fans, is it possible to go in any day, at any hour for one hour? We are specially for you. One is from Volgograd, the other is from Abakan ...

- Of course guys, come. When is it convenient for you?

Fans bought a gift for a long time. They knew that the master loved good cognac. We bought the most expensive. Arrived. In the entrance, not daring to call the doorbell, smoked two cigarettes in a row.

The door was opened by a very tall person in home worn slippers, in old training pants and a checkered shirt.

- Hello, Arkady Natanovich! We called you in the morning! This is from a pure heart! - And a bottle of branded cognac in front of itself, instead of passing.

- Well, what are you guys! Take your own bottle, it will come in handy for you. While you went from the station for so long, I went to the store, I prepared some food, again I bought cognac, put a kettle on the stove. Come in, undress, now sit, talk ... You are not very in a hurry?

***

Here's what Arkady Natanovich answered questions asked by different people in different years:

- How were you at the age of sixteen?

-1941. Leningrad. Eve of war. I have strict parents. That is, no: good and strict. Highly passionate about astronomy, mathematics. At sixteen, I am in love. I am categorical: I knew everything, I knew everything, I understood the existing situation best. I was just surprised why others did not understand ...

- Why, as a rule, in your works, there are no women on the main roles?

- Tolstoy said that you can invent everything except psychology. And I refuse to understand the motives of female acts. I do not know how to write about what I do not understand. And in general, women for me as they were and remain the most mysterious creatures on Earth: they know something that we do not know, people ...

- Do you think you and your brother are progressors?

- The progressor in the understanding of the word that we give him, every writer must be. And not only the writer. Any school teacher, if it teaches good, concepts of honor and justice, is a kind of progressor. Although, of course, “regressors” are also found ...

- Are there any cases when you do not know how the book will end?

- Never before in the history of our activity with the brother of activity the book has never ended as we planned. We always know what we are writing about - and are always mistaken. Moreover, this is not found at the end, but in the middle of the book ...

***

In my book about the Strugatsky brothers, the double star (the first edition was published in 2003, the second in 2013, the third in 2022) was presented by Mikhail Dubrovsky in the early 90s “Brief comic biography of Arkady Strugatsky” (with the comments of Boris Strugatsky).

Here are a few excerpts from it:

Question from the audience:

- Tell me, how do you feel about the resolution of the party and the government to strengthen the struggle against drunkenness and alcoholism?

A.N. Strugatsky begins to mutter something slurred, which, of course, is the case, correct ... Then, sighing:

-Actually, the question is not at the address. I am a consumer of this muck ...

One of the daughters of Arkady Natanovich - Natalia - studied at the Moscow Institute of Asian and Africa. Once she walked along the corridor of Isaa and heard a whisper behind her:

- Guys, look: the daughter of the Strugatsky brothers goes!

Boris Strugatsky’s comment: apparently, this is absolutely reliable. Exactly the same thing happened in the Gagra Creativity House - my wife heard about herself out of the corner of her ear: “Here is the wife of the Strugatsky brothers.”

The beginning of the 60s. Already written the “country of crimson clouds”, “from the outside”, “the path to Amaltea”, “Olders”, “Half, the XXII century”, “The distant rainbow”. Strugatsky is one of the leaders of Soviet science fiction. But Arkady Natanovich is not satisfied. He says to one of his friends:

-Scientific and technical science fiction is not interesting to me. She is like a dog on a chain. I bark a lot, but you can’t bite.

- What then are you interested in?

- I am interested in a wild dog!

When in the seventies the Strugatsky did not want to print in their homeland, the editors in the publishers spoke to their defense that they and even their authorities would have done it with joy, but the CPSU Central Committee does not recommend.

Hearing this version once again, Arkady Natanovich went to see the then Minister of Culture Demichev. And he asked a question directly.

“Well, what are you, Arkady Natanovich,” he heard in response. - In the Central Committee you have no enemies. Look for enemies in other places.

And Arkady Natanovich believed. Whoever tells him after this visit that the leaders of publishers never solve such issues on their own, but are guided by the “opinion” of the Central Committee of the Party, Arkady Natanovich always answered:

- Not true. Demichev told me that I have no enemies in the Central Committee.

Good acquaintance A.N. Strugatsky - Alexander Gorodnitsky - conceived to introduce Arkady Natanovich with another friend - poet Alexander Kushner. But dating did not work. Kushner did not find anything better than say at the beginning of his acquaintance that he could not stand science fiction. Arkady Natanovich did not remain in debt - he said in response that he was completely indifferent to poetry. After that, Gorodnitsky tried to reconcile them several times, but no matter how he explained Gorodnitsky Arkady Natanovich that Kushner is good, Arkady Natanovich did not want to put up with Kushner.

Mid-70s. Neither Arkady Strugatsky has money - he and his brother are not printed at all, nor his friend, a translator from Vietnamese Mariana Tkachev, - he is printed very, very rarely. Nevertheless, it is always, when Marian Tkachev leaves Moscow, Arkady Natanovich calls his wife and asks:

- Inna, tell me honestly: there is still money or are it already over?

And it was necessary not to answer that there was money, but to answer without hesitation. Otherwise, Arkady Natanovich could bring the latter, and returning to the whole city on foot - there could not be trifles on the way back.

The question of a new suit arose about a month before the premiere of Stalker in the Moscow Cinema House. Arkady Natanovich refused to categorically refused to go from the campaign in the Little Fund. Then he bought a cut and found a private tailor who agreed to come to take a measurement at home. "Only without any examples!" - set the condition Strugatsky.

This is probably the most amazing client in the life of the tailor. He did not want to stand still. He raised his hands without demand, then lowered them. When the tailor was attached to the centimeter, Arkady Natanovich then touched to take the book from the shelf, then go to the phone, then began to look for cigarettes. The tailor was swearing, but measured.

Premiere. The appearance of Arkady Natanovich in a new suit was no less event than the Stalker himself. If it was impossible to look at his old suit without tears, then at a new one - without laughter. One leg was shorter than the other, the lapels are different, the sleeves too. As a result, he put it on for the first and last time in his life. And there were a rag from the new suit in the hallway of his apartment on Vernadsky Avenue in Moscow and a song from the television film "Sorcerer" according to the Strugatsky script "The main thing is that the suit was sitting."

***

Arkady Natanovich - like Boris Natanovich - did not like forecasts.

But how much they predicted!

• “If the authorities are displeased with any scientist, you declare yourself an enemy of science in general. Если начальство недовольно каким-нибудь иностранцем, вы готовы объявить войну всему, что за кордоном».

• «Нет ничего более гибкого и уступчивого, нежели юридические рамки».

• «Мне объяснили, что правда — это то, что сейчас во благо королю. Все остальное ложь и преступление».

• «Страны, которые нравились господину президенту, вели справедливые войны во имя своих наций и демократии. Страны, которые господину президенту почему-либо не нравились, вели войны захватнические и даже, собственно, не войны вели, а попросту производили бандитские, злодейские нападения».

• «Если во имя идеала человеку приходится делать подлости, то цена этому идеалу — дерьмо».

• «До каких же пор вас нужно будет спасать? Вы когда-нибудь научитесь спасать себя сами? Почему вы вечно слушаете попов, фашиствующих демагогов, дураков? Почему вы не желаете утруждать свой мозг? Почему вы так не хотите думать?»

• «Либералы были в общем против башен и против Неизвестных Отцов. Однако больше всего они боялись гражданской войны. Это были национальные патриоты, чрезвычайно пекущиеся о славе и мощи государства и опасающиеся, что уничтожение башен приведет к хаосу, всеобщему оплеванию святынь и безвозвратному распаду нации. В подполье они сидели потому, что все как один были сторонниками парламентских форм правления».

• «Мир совсем не плох, цены на хлеб падают, цены на латы растут, заговоры раскрываются вовремя, колдунов и подозрительных книгочеев сажают на кол, король, по обыкновению, велик и светел, а дон Рэба безгранично умен и всегда начеку».

• «Горожане перестали распевать куплеты политического содержания, стали очень серьезными и совершенно точно знали, что необходимо для блага государства».

• «Хоть бы одна сволочь спросила, что она должна делать. Так нет же, каждая сволочь спрашивает только, что с ней будут делать».

• И последнее, дающее надежду.

• «Ветер богов поднимает бурю, но он же раздувает паруса».

Фотографии Геннадия Шакина (предоставлены им в распоряжение автора), 1974–1977 годы.

* The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation has introduced "foreign agents" to the register.