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Хибинский литературный музей В. Ерофеева
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About the writer
“Irretrievably gone in past those times when I did not exist”.
Venedikt Yerofeev was born in Kandalaksha on 24th of October 1938. As his parents lived in Chupa that time, it is considered that his place of birth is a small Karelian station.
The family settle down on Khibiny station in July 1941, but the Yerofeevs is already evacuated in August. At the end of 1943 they go back to Khibiny, live for a short time in Zasheek village. In 1947 move to Kirovsk that becomes hometown for the writer. At this place his best years have passed. Venedikt finished a secondary school №1 with a gold medal in 1955.
Despite he left Kirovsk, he never forget it. He often visited his favorite town, wrote letters to his sister Tamara and asked her to write about the Kola Peninsula and Kirovsk more often.
There are many sketches of places connected with Kirovsk in youthful work of Yerofeev called “Notes by psychopath” written in a diary form. He recalls his friends and acquaintances. One can find in a book the realities of life that familiar every citizen of Kirovsk such as the movie house «Bolshevik», the mining and chemical technical college, the library of M. Gorky, Kirovskiy rabochiy newspaper …
On 11th of May 2005 there was the 15th death day of Venedikt Yerofeev and the 35th anniversary of writing of “Moscow – Petushki” celebrated in Kirovsk. There was celebration that start from the laying of flowers to the commemorative plaque near the building of secondary school №1, that the writer finished with a gold medal. There were sister of the writer Tamara Gushchina, teachers and students of the school, cultural workers and admirers of Yerofeev’s works on the ceremony. Head of the Culture Department Galina Rostova told about Venedikt Yerofeev’s role in life of our town. Members of literary association “Alash” (from the Sami language – “Hearth”) Alexander Bondarev, Galina Gladkih, Valentina Petrova recited their recent poems devoted to Venedikt Yerofeev. Afterwards there was a lottery hold. There were 52 tickets (51 with V. Yerofeev’s aphorisms, expressions, sayings in the container and one with a prize). The number 51 was chosen not coincidentally, but according to the number of years the writer lived. Aphorisms were read instantly out loud.There were so many people gathered that tickets weren’t enough for everybody. One of students of the school won the prize: a book of Venedikt Yerofeev “Moscow – Petushki”.
Most of the admirers of Yerofeev cannot lay flowers on his grave in a the Kuntsevo Cemetery in Moscow. But a solution was found. It was decided to attach two carnations to balloons and send it to him in the sky. Soaring balloons were caught by a gust of wind and soon they were hidden behind the roof. The balloons were provided by a toy shop “Karapuz” free of charge for the literary occasion. Afterwards all participants visited the literary museum of Venedikt Yerofeev in the library of M. Gorky.
There's always a great demand for Venedikt Yerofeev’s works among citizens of Kirovsk. People take his works in libraries. All participants eagerly took part in the jubilee. It is a great pleasure for us. We realized once again that Venedikt Vasilevich was right when he wrote: “Irretrievably gone in past those times when I did not exist”.
History of foundation of the Khibiny Literary museum of Venedikt Yerofeev
Name of Venedikt Yerofeev has become widely known on his motherland only at the end of 1980s when his poem “Moscow-Petushki” (MOSCOW STATIONS in translation of Stephen Mulrine) was published in The Sobriety and Culture journal (1988-1989). Earlier it was only available in samizdat and was published abroad. Now “Moscow-Petushki” has been translated into 30 foreign languages. It is considered as encyclopedia of Russian life of 1960s. There was a great boom of publications: lots of pieces of work of Venedikt Yerofeev was published (except majority of notebooks and missed works). Moreover literature about the author was twice bigger body of work of Venedikt Yerofeev. Based on works of the writer, thesis were defended and “Moscow-Petushki” was included in the school program on literature in some regions of Russia. Plays such as “Walpurgis Night...” and “Moscow-Petushki” were set in about 30 theatres of the former Soviet Republics and other foreign countries. There was a sculpture composition devoted to characters of “Moscow-Petushki” in Borba Square set up in Moscow. Venedikt Yerofeev has been rewarded with Andrey Sinyavsky Literature Prize.
The writer has independence of judgement, ability to tell the truth flat out, he override authority. He suffered facing with inhumanity, unkindness.
V. Yerofeev’s fate is closely linked with Kirovsk. At this place future writer lived and attended school. Central Town Library of M. Gorky has been collecting materials about talented compatriot for many years. Every year, from 1999, literary events devoted to Venedikt Yerofeev were co-hosted by Murmansk Department of the Union of Russian Writers. As writer Boris Blinov said, “holding such events not only honor the memory of outstanding compatriot, but serve to revitalize cultural traditions and enhance the value of Kola land in common-literary space of Russia.
11th of May, the day of the death of V. Yerofeev, admirers of the talent of the writer gather to lay some flowers to the commemorative plaque on the building of school №1.
Heads of department of culture and library system came up with an idea to establish the Literary Museum of Venedikt Yerofeev as a part of a library.
There is a museum exposition was opened in Central Town Library of M. Gorky on 24th of October 2001. It is consisted of following sections such as “Venedikt Yerofeev is in Khibiny”, “The years of study”, “On Vladimir land”, “MOSCOW-PETUSHKI is encyclopedia of Russian Life of the 1960s”, “Friend’s of Venedikt Yerofeev”, “Gone to immortal”, and “Pieces of work of V. Yerofeev in the theatres of the world”.
On the opening of the exposition a son of Venedikt Yerofeev with his wife Galina and the staff member of the publishing house “Vagrius” arrived. The honer of the opening of the exposition was presented to a sister of Yerofeev Tamara Gushchina and a head of deligation of Murmansk writers Boris Blinov.
Creative design of the exposition is due a talented artist Dmitry Novitsky. Above the enter door there is a map of “Moscow-Petushki” route with all way-stations.
The room brings a visitor from the present to 30 years back in the past, to the beginning of Brezhnev period. The excursion is accompanied by a record of voice of Venedikt Yerofeev reading his poem “Moscow – Petushki” – brilliant satire on the Soviet regime.
The most valuable exhibits one can considered original manuscript of Venedikt Yerofeev keeping the touch of his hands and the warmth of his heart, copies of personal diaries, photographs made by the author himself, a certified copy of the birth certificate on Russian and Karelian language, that was get from the registry office of Louhi town, the gold medal that was presented to Yerofeev after finishing of the school, the copy of the case file that was started in Pedagogical Institute of Lebedev-Polyanskiy in Vladimir, a sculpture image of Andrey Sinyavsky, books with autographs and commemorative inscription, edition of “Moscow-Petushki” that was presented to Venedikt Yerofeev’s friend Lev Kobyakov two weeks before the writer's death, the photographs of the destroyed at the moment house in Myshlino village Petushinky district where Venedikt Yerofeev lived for a long time with his wife and son. All of this was generously donated to the opening museum.
The museum of Venedikt Yerofeev is a monument to the talent of the writer, memory of people and events connected with him. He does not just focus our attention on the history, but invites us to reflect on the eternal question: the meaning of life, the clutter of the modern world, love and happiness.