A lovely story that, as near as I can tell, never happened. No part of the story checks out. Pasternak never translated sonnet 30 - he only translated three sonnets (66,73,74). The best-known translations of sonnets in Russian were by S. Marschak (also a tragic figure). Pasternak never spoke during the congress of the Union of Soviet W…
A lovely story that, as near as I can tell, never happened. No part of the story checks out. Pasternak never translated sonnet 30 - he only translated three sonnets (66,73,74). The best-known translations of sonnets in Russian were by S. Marschak (also a tragic figure). Pasternak never spoke during the congress of the Union of Soviet Writers in 1937, and if he did, he certainly would not be allowed to just recite a sonnet. The story makes it sound like members of the writer's union were opposed to Stalin and "big terror" and group recitation of the sonnet was a form of mass protest. The reality is much more tragic: most writers were fully supportive, were only too happy to write false reports to KGB about each other. A public gesture indicating any form of disagreement with the party line was unthinkable. A hint of disagreement was enough for an arrest. Pasternak himself was quite taken with Stalin, devoting several poems to him (whether this were his real feelings or a matter of expediency we will never know). This was in spite of the fact that many writers were arrested and killed (including Mandelshtam, who was Pasternak's friend). In fact, according to the story retold by Pasternak, Stalin once called him inquiring about Mandelshtam. However, Pasternak was so terrified by the phone call, that not only did he not ask for forgiveness for his friend, he pretended that he barely knew him. Stalin, apparently, accused him of being a coward. The moral is that being a great and well-recognized writer (and Pasternak was certainly that), being well schooled in the arts (check), and highly attuned to moral issues (check again) provides no immunity against the oppression of the state and grouptink. Sad but true.
Stalin ran a lunatic asylum disguised as a nation. Everyone was afraid. Amazing from a citizenry that rushed at monsters driving Panzer tanks but didn't think to slit the throats of the monsters who oppressed them.
It started before Stalin and lasted long after him, unfortunately (arguably, to this day). Apparently rushing a tank and being thought of as a hero is easier than reciting a poem and being called a traitor. As for the story itself, just searched Russian-language sites about events surrounding Pasternak in 1937, etc. None of the parts check out. Not even the details like Beria's goons watching over the speakers at the congress. At the time it would have been Ejov's goons (Beria's predecessor as the head of NKVD, Beria did not supplant him until 1938). Moreover, the congress would have been tightly choreographed - all the speeches submitted and approved ahead of time. If Pasternak were expected to speak (as near as I can tell he never was), it would certainly not have been an impromptu affair.
Я тоже стала все ресёчить после этой статьи. Невозможно, думаю, чтобы такое событие прошло незамеченным, а я никогда о не слышала. Нашла тьму всего, но эта история не всплывает никак. Съезд писателей состоялся в 1934-м и потом 20 лет не созывается, хотя в 1937-м были «товарищеские суды» Пильняка и Рудека. Но там Пастернак не фигурирует. Нашла, как Пастернак отказался подписать петицию для наказания военноеачальников как раз в 1937-м году, но там другой сюжет.
One good thing out of it though is that I became so obsessed with this fact checking that my 12 year old asked me, mom what are you doing? And I had a chance to tell her everything, starting from what FreePress it to 1930s in the USSR, briefly who Pasternak was and Malcolm Maggoridge. Tons of historical stuff and questions if morale, all in five minutes. She was like, so you are being a detective now? I was “yeah.. i am.”
And she keeps asking me if I have figured it out yet.. And gee I m still obsessed and I keep scanning various accounts of Pasternak in the 1930s. Something good came out of it for my family but in terms of this publication.. it looks a bit как-то неприятно, что ли. Ну, может еще найду чего подтверждающее этот сюжет.
It's a lovely story, and I didn't want to ruin anyone's day by suggesting that this maybe didn't happen, but I also think it was all made up.
I'm a bit surprised that nobody bothered to get even the simplest details right. I searched and searched, and I am pretty sure that there is no translation of the 30th sonnet by Pasternak. If I was making this up, I would have started with something that existed.
A lovely story that, as near as I can tell, never happened. No part of the story checks out. Pasternak never translated sonnet 30 - he only translated three sonnets (66,73,74). The best-known translations of sonnets in Russian were by S. Marschak (also a tragic figure). Pasternak never spoke during the congress of the Union of Soviet Writers in 1937, and if he did, he certainly would not be allowed to just recite a sonnet. The story makes it sound like members of the writer's union were opposed to Stalin and "big terror" and group recitation of the sonnet was a form of mass protest. The reality is much more tragic: most writers were fully supportive, were only too happy to write false reports to KGB about each other. A public gesture indicating any form of disagreement with the party line was unthinkable. A hint of disagreement was enough for an arrest. Pasternak himself was quite taken with Stalin, devoting several poems to him (whether this were his real feelings or a matter of expediency we will never know). This was in spite of the fact that many writers were arrested and killed (including Mandelshtam, who was Pasternak's friend). In fact, according to the story retold by Pasternak, Stalin once called him inquiring about Mandelshtam. However, Pasternak was so terrified by the phone call, that not only did he not ask for forgiveness for his friend, he pretended that he barely knew him. Stalin, apparently, accused him of being a coward. The moral is that being a great and well-recognized writer (and Pasternak was certainly that), being well schooled in the arts (check), and highly attuned to moral issues (check again) provides no immunity against the oppression of the state and grouptink. Sad but true.
You were the first one:) yes, the story is beautiful but has never happened
I hope you are mistaken but I fear you are not.
Stalin ran a lunatic asylum disguised as a nation. Everyone was afraid. Amazing from a citizenry that rushed at monsters driving Panzer tanks but didn't think to slit the throats of the monsters who oppressed them.
It started before Stalin and lasted long after him, unfortunately (arguably, to this day). Apparently rushing a tank and being thought of as a hero is easier than reciting a poem and being called a traitor. As for the story itself, just searched Russian-language sites about events surrounding Pasternak in 1937, etc. None of the parts check out. Not even the details like Beria's goons watching over the speakers at the congress. At the time it would have been Ejov's goons (Beria's predecessor as the head of NKVD, Beria did not supplant him until 1938). Moreover, the congress would have been tightly choreographed - all the speeches submitted and approved ahead of time. If Pasternak were expected to speak (as near as I can tell he never was), it would certainly not have been an impromptu affair.
Я тоже стала все ресёчить после этой статьи. Невозможно, думаю, чтобы такое событие прошло незамеченным, а я никогда о не слышала. Нашла тьму всего, но эта история не всплывает никак. Съезд писателей состоялся в 1934-м и потом 20 лет не созывается, хотя в 1937-м были «товарищеские суды» Пильняка и Рудека. Но там Пастернак не фигурирует. Нашла, как Пастернак отказался подписать петицию для наказания военноеачальников как раз в 1937-м году, но там другой сюжет.
One good thing out of it though is that I became so obsessed with this fact checking that my 12 year old asked me, mom what are you doing? And I had a chance to tell her everything, starting from what FreePress it to 1930s in the USSR, briefly who Pasternak was and Malcolm Maggoridge. Tons of historical stuff and questions if morale, all in five minutes. She was like, so you are being a detective now? I was “yeah.. i am.”
And she keeps asking me if I have figured it out yet.. And gee I m still obsessed and I keep scanning various accounts of Pasternak in the 1930s. Something good came out of it for my family but in terms of this publication.. it looks a bit как-то неприятно, что ли. Ну, может еще найду чего подтверждающее этот сюжет.
This is what I did too, checked russian sites, double-checked that he did not translate sonet #30... this story is too good to be true.
It's a lovely story, and I didn't want to ruin anyone's day by suggesting that this maybe didn't happen, but I also think it was all made up.
I'm a bit surprised that nobody bothered to get even the simplest details right. I searched and searched, and I am pretty sure that there is no translation of the 30th sonnet by Pasternak. If I was making this up, I would have started with something that existed.