Vasily Aksyonov

Vasily Pavlovich Aksenov (Russian Василий Павлович Аксёнов; born August 20, 1932 in Kazan, † July 6, 2009 in Moscow) was a Russian writer. He began his career in the Soviet Union and later had to emigrate to the United States.

Life

Aksjonows mother was Yevgenia Ginzburg, the time spent in Stalinist camps and in exile 18 years of her life. Her story, she described in her 1967 memoirs krutoi marschrut. From the age of 16 Aksenov lived with their mother in Magadan. Later he studied medicine in Leningrad. In 1958 he moved to Moscow.

From 1956 to 1960 he worked as a doctor, however, had already begun while studying, writing sketches and stories. His first stories he published in the 60s and was soon very popular with young readers. In 1979, he ran for his collaboration in the underground literary almanac Metropol together with Andrei Bitow, Fasil Iskander, Viktor Erofeev and Yevgeny Popov under pressure.

In 1980 he Aksenov the invitation of an American university and took up permanent residence in the United States, where he continued his literary activity. Until 2003, he taught as a professor of Russian at George Mason University in Fairfax ( Virginia). He spent his retirement in France.

Work

First Aksjonows stories published in the journal Junost whose editorial board he belonged.

In his works Aksenov processed the experiences of his family in the Stalin era. The onset of the political and intellectual life of the USSR thaw of the 1960s it allowed him to address this issue.

In the English-speaking West Aksenov was with "The Burn" (Russian: " Ожог ", 1975; German: " Burned ", 1986) and the trilogy "Generations of Winter" (Russian: Московская сага, 1989-1993) are known in which he deals with the taboo subject of the Stalinist persecutions. "Generations of Winter" tells the story of the doctor's family Gradow in the years 1925-1953. The novel was filmed in Russia in 2004 as a more expensive part television series.

For his 2004 release novel " V Arians and Voltarianerinnen " received Aksenov the 15,000 U.S. dollars Literature Prize Booker - Open Russia. Aksjonows books have been translated into several languages. Film adaptations of his books originated in Russia and France. He also wrote plays.

Stories and novels

Swell

• Schkolny biografitscheski slowar, Moscow 2002