The first Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize is Bunin. What work did he get it for? This question is asked by all lovers of domestic literature. It is worth noting that in the wording of the Nobel Committee, as a rule, the name of a particular novel or collection of stories does not appear, the award is given in the aggregate for all the work. Nevertheless, it is possible to determine which work made the greatest impression on the jury.
Writer Bunin
In 1933 he received the Nobel Prize Bunin. For which work, we will tell in this article. In the meantime, let us dwell on the biography of a prose writer.
The writer was born in Voronezh in 1870. He came out of an impoverished noble family. Therefore, he was forced to start an independent life early in order to earn money. He became a journalist, worked in newspapers, moved a lot around Russia.
The first publication of the writer was the poem "Over the Tomb of S. Ya. Nadson", which was published in 1887. Four years later, in Orel, Bunin released his first collection.
Recognition for the writer comes at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1903, he was awarded the Pushkin Prize, as his book "Leaf Fall" and the translation of "Songs of Hiawatha" were noted.
Writer's work
During the Civil War, Bunin left the country. In 1920, he emigrated to France. It was in exile that he created his most significant prose works. First of all, these are novels and short stories.
It is worth highlighting his stories “Antonovskie apples”, “Sukhodol”, “The Lord from San Francisco”, “Easy Breath”, a collection of short stories “Dark Alleys”, the novel “Life of Arsenyev”, diary entries “Cursed Days”.
Bunin died in 1953. He was buried in the famous Paris cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois. He was 83 years old.
Nobel Prize nomination
For the first time in the early 1920s, Bunin was nominated for the Nobel Prize. For what work he received it, we’ll figure it out. In the meantime, we note an important figure that stood at the origins of the Nobel "Russian project." This is the Russian writer Mark Aldanov, who noted in one of the profiles that the most influential domestic writers in exile are Bunin, Merezhkovsky and Kuprin. He suggested that they be put forward jointly, thus raising the prestige of Russian literature as a whole.
With this proposal, he turned to the French classic Romain Rolland. He agreed to support Bunin, but categorically opposed Merezhkovsky's candidacy. Moreover, Rolland admitted that if all Russian writers of that time were to be evaluated, then he would include Maxim Gorky in this list.
As a result, the next trinity was sent to the committee - Bunin, Balmont and Gorky. For each of the candidates questions arose, as a result, the victory in 1923 was won by the Irish poet William Yates.
Despite the failure, Russian emigrant writers did not abandon attempts to nominate Bunin for the Nobel Prize. The same Aldanov in 1930 negotiated this with the classic of German literature Thomas Mann. Mann admitted that it was difficult to make a choice between Bunin and Ivan Shmelev. He also noted that if a German is on the list of candidates, he will give his vote to him.
Prize Award
As a result, Ivan Bunin received the Nobel Prize in 1933. The list of nominees that year included 27 names. Including Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Maxim Gorky, Frenchman Paul Valerie, Spaniard Jose Ortega y Gasset, Czech Karl Chapek.
The first to know this news was his wife Vera Muromtseva. She wrote in her memoirs that a telegram from the Swedish translator was brought to their villa, in which Bunin's nationality was specified. The prose writer answered - "Russian exile." In the afternoon, the husband and wife went to the cinema. Right during the session, they were found by Leonid Zurov, who asked the writer to urgently return home. Muromtseva herself received a call from Stockholm. The connection was very poor, but she was able to make out the main words - "Your husband is a Nobel Prize winner in literature." A journalist and photographers arrived immediately at Bunin. One of their friends recalled that the family at that time was experiencing financial difficulties, so the Bunins could not even pay for the work of couriers who constantly brought congratulatory telegrams.
What is the prize awarded for?
When answering the question about why Bunin received the Nobel Prize, you should turn to the source. This is the official text of the Swedish Academy. It notes that the award was awarded to the writer for strict mastery with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose.
This decision of the Nobel Committee caused mixed assessments. If Rakhmaninov sincerely congratulated the writer, then Tsvetaeva openly stated that Gorky or Merezhkovsky deserved this award more than Bunin.
Then everyone began to wonder what kind of work Bunin received the Nobel Prize for. Among all his diversity of creativity, the majority dwelt on the novel Life of Arsenyev.
The award itself took place in December 1933 in Stockholm. In his Nobel speech, the writer noted that the prize is awarded for the first time to a writer in exile. Bunin received the medal and diploma from the hands of the Swedish king Gustav V. He was also entitled to a check for 715 thousand Swiss francs. He transferred part of this money to those in need. Bunin admitted that in the very first days after receiving the award he received about two thousand letters from people who found themselves in difficult life and financial situations. As a result, he gave them about 120 thousand francs.
The main novel of Bunin
Answering the question about the work for which Bunin won the Nobel Prize, most are inclined to his novel "The Life of Arseniev". This work is written in five books. Mostly in 1929. At the same time, individual chapters were published back in 1927 in the Rossiya newspaper, which was published in France. A separate edition of the novel was released in 1930.
After presenting the Nobel Prize to Ivan Bunin, the majority decided that this recognition was primarily associated with this novel.
Creating a novel
Bunin began writing this novel in Grasse in 1927. Galina Kuznetsova, who helped him work on drafts, recalls that he literally killed himself on this text. Repeatedly rewriting each chapter, polishing everything to perfection.
The novel turned out to be a lot of autobiographical. For example, discussing an episode in which the protagonist, as a teenager, falls in love with a girl named Anhen, the writer began to recall his neighbor Sasha Rezvaya, because of which he had not slept for about a month in his youth.
The fourth part of the novel was completed in the summer of 1929. Bunin’s publishers were ready to print the work even in unfinished form, they rated it so highly. But Bunin did not agree. Work on the fifth final part was hard. Bunin wrote for 12 hours in a row. He was completely immersed in memories and, according to Kuznetsova, at these moments was like a yoga or a hermit.
Plot of the novel
Bunin is a Nobel Prize winner in literature, primarily for the novel "Arsenyev's Life". The narration is conducted on behalf of Alexei Arsenyev, who recalls his childhood and youth.
Arsenyev was born in a small farm Kamenka, which was located in central Russia. His first memories are connected with endless snow fields and the smell of summer grass. He had older brothers and sisters.
Over time, the boy appears teacher Baskakov. He is preparing Alexei for admission to the gymnasium. But Baskakov does not show much zeal, having taught the boy to write and read, he considers his mission accomplished. Instead of preparing Arsenyev for exams, he tells him about his life, reads about Don Quixote and Robinson Crusoe.
But still, the talented Alexei enters the gymnasium without any problems. Studying is easy for him, which cannot be said about moving to another city and living away from family. Alone, he wanders around the city for hours, begins to write poetry.
A big shock for him is the arrest of his brother George, who joined the Volunteers. He was sent from the capital for three years to the estate in Baturino, where all the Arsenyevs had moved by then. Alexei arrives there too, nevertheless leaving the gymnasium.
Creative success
The first creative successes to young Arsenyev come at the age of 15. His poems appear in newspapers. After that begins a difficult period of his life, which Alexey himself describes as years of wandering and homelessness.
He leaves to wander all over the country. Lives in Kharkov, Crimea, Kiev, Kursk. Everywhere not for long, delayed only in Orel. The editorial board of the local newspaper Golos Arseniev gets acquainted with Lika and receives a proposal for long-term cooperation along with an advance payment.
Lika conquers Arseniev. The girl is interested in theater, plays musical instruments. True, her father immediately warns the young man that she has a changeable character. But their first winter together is serene.
Then, nevertheless, separation sets in, which Alexei experiences very hard. He is again drawn to wander. He moves to Petersburg, then to Vitebsk, Smolensk. Having decided to return to Oryol, she sends Lika a telegram, she meets him on the platform.
Idyll of lovers
Between lovers again comes the idyll. They leave for a small town in Little Russia. Arseniev gets a profitable place, but he often has to go on business trips. But he constantly meets interesting people. The main character constantly needs Lika’s love, but at the same time seeks to maintain independence and freedom.
Over time, the girl begins to feel that Arsenyev is gradually moving away from her more and more. Then she leaves him a farewell note and disappears from his life. In the first few days after her departure, the young man is between life and death, ready to lay his hands on himself. Does not leave the house, quits work. All attempts to find Lika are unsuccessful. Her father reports that his daughter strictly forbade anyone from talking about her whereabouts.
In a depressed state, Arseniev returns to his relatives in Baturino. He waits all winter for at least some news from Lika, and in the spring he learns that she died from pneumonia. Her last will was a request not to inform Arseniev of her death as long as possible.
The meaning of the novel
For what work Ivan Bunin received the Nobel Prize, it is now obvious. The novel "The Life of Arsenyev" is called by many a journey of the soul of a hero and a poet who acutely perceived the world around him. Hypersensitivity to life is one of the main distinguishing features of the protagonist.
At the same time, literary scholars note that in the novel you can trace not only the process of growing up a hero, but also the formation of the author. Speaking about the main female character - Lika, critics noted in her not so much the woman who had an influence on Arsenyev as his muse.
Now that we know why Bunin was given the Nobel Prize, it is worth reading this novel to everyone who has not yet done so.