Writer or historian? Researcher or hoaxer? Edward Radzinsky chose the style for writing his books, which at one time brought recognition to the great Alexander Dumas - the style of historical narration. However, unlike Radzinsky, Dumas never claimed the accuracy of a chronicler. He created exclusively works of art, although he invested in them a fair share of the interpretation of the causes of significant historical events. And the books of Edward Radzinsky abound with quotes of historical documents, extracted by the author from dusty archives and repositories.
So what is it? A true story described by living language? Or is it just a successful genre move that brings considerable income? Be that as it may, no one will argue with the fact that under the skilful pen of the writer, historical figures, who, thanks to the comprehensive school curriculum, have been remembered at best by a combination of several dry dates and events, acquire flesh and blood and carry the reader into a maelstrom of real passions and accomplishments.
Becoming a writer
Edward Radzinsky was born in 1936. At the time of his childhood, the height of the Stalinist repressions fell . The future writer was already 17 years old when the great leader died. By that time, Edward was already a mature young man, able to understand and analyze what was happening around. Moreover, he lived in Moscow itself and was brought up in the family of a playwright, which means that from the earliest years he turned in the center of public life.
Soon the young man enters the Moscow Historical and Archival Institute. Probably, even then an insatiable thirst for knowing the events of bygone days began to manifest itself, which has been eating up by the popular author to this day. Many hours were spent in dusty archives by an unknown student.
He was especially captivated by stories about Joseph Vissarionovich. Subsequently, Radzinsky Edward will spend a whole decade on finalizing his biography ("Stalin" is a novel over which, according to the author himself, he had been thinking all his life).
However, the historical strata that the writer raises are by no means limited to just one or two centuries. He is not attached to any geographical area. The books of Edward Radzinsky can carry the reader both during the campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte, and to a concert to Mozart, and to the dark alleys of palaces from the time of the reign of Nicholas II.
Carier start
The writer Edward Radzinsky, whose biography in the literary aspect begins the breakdown of the pen in drama, wrote his first play in 1958. She had some success. The play was dedicated to G. Lebedev, a Russian scientist who studied the history and culture of India. This image was well known to a recent graduate, since his thesis was devoted specifically to G. Lebedev.
Edward Stanislavovich begins to learn how to make practical use of information, which for the majority remains absolutely unclaimed. He understands that with his enthusiasm he can turn boring facts for ordinary people into fascinating stories. And this discovery inspires him.
Confession
However, the real fame comes to the newly made playwright with the production of the work “104 pages about love”.
Soon he tries his hand at working as a screenwriter - in 1968, a black-and-white feature film "Once Again About Love" was released, which is a revision of the play's favorite audience.
Since that time, the playwright, while continuing to work on theatrical works, has not bypassed the film industry. He is the screenwriter of seven television films. At the same time, his plays are gaining popularity not only in the vast expanses of the Soviet Union, but also abroad.
TV shows
In the 1990s, the situation in the country was changing rapidly. It was necessary to look for new sources of income, and this was perfectly understood by Edward Radzinsky, whose films, although they continued to make films, were paid once, and the profit from the plays was rapidly falling, since most people at that time were simply not up to the theater.
And then he takes up the popularization of history from the TV screen. He does not bother with any kind of visual accompaniment, but simply sits in the studio in front of the camera and broadcasts the text in the form of a lecture.
However, these programs are successful. And, despite the fact that Radzinsky, even with a stretch of his nose, cannot be ranked among talented speakers, the information that he presented from the screen captured the viewers so much that the design flaws faded against her background.
The secret of popularity
Edward Radzinsky loves to refer to names that are heard by people - Nero, Socrates, Seneca, Casanova, Mozart, Napoleon, Nikolai Romanov, Stalin. He appeals to the unquenchable interest that these individuals have excited over the centuries. What is the secret of Mozart's genius? Why was Stalin able to stay in power? Why did they allow the brutal murder of the entire royal family?
However, the main ingredient in the success of the historian is not in the questions “why?” and not even in the answers to these questions. The real talent of the writer is that he talks about historical figures as neighbors or close friends. They cease to be shadows from the past and turn into truly living people who want to empathize with.
From TV shows to books
For a long time Radzinsky conducted the program "Mysteries of History", for which he was awarded the Taffy Prize. Realizing that he has found the right course, Edward Radzinsky, whose "Riddles of History" has been gradually exhausted, proceeds to write historical novels.
Soon, his novels became bestsellers and published in many languages by major publishers. However, the attitude towards the works of Radzinsky remains extremely ambiguous. It's funny, but it was precisely what helped him to gain popularity, namely, the ability to vividly depict historical events, that became the main reason for criticism.
Indeed, reading his novels, at some point you involuntarily catch yourself thinking, is this really historical reality or just a successful fiction?
Criticism
It cannot be said that the arguments of the critics are absolutely devastating, but they cannot be called completely groundless either. Here is one example of the inaccuracy that Edward Radzinsky made in his novel (Napoleon: Life After Death "): after a conversation that took place between Bonaparte and Foucher in 1804, the emperor lamented that" Byron and Beethoven refused him the former love. " The fact is that by that time Byron was exactly 16 years old and the opinion of this boy couldn’t excite Napoleon.
Such a discrepancy is undeniably excusable to the writer, but Edward Radzinsky claims to be a historian, and they are already being judged in a completely different way.
Detective Items
Another historical character whom Edward Stanislavovich paid attention to is the last All-Russian Emperor. And in this work of his, another feature of the author, which helped him to conquer such a wide circle of readers, is fully revealed. This is an element inherent in the detective story - the illusion that the reader is slowly unraveling the complicated matter, relying on documents, evidence and available facts, which are provided by Edward Radzinsky as the story narrates.
Nicholas II and his family act here as victims of a cold-blooded murder, and by the end of the novel, the reader gets a full picture of the events that led to the execution of the abdicate and not the slightest resistance from the emperor and his wife, his young daughters and a sick young son.
Bold Theories
Edward Stanislavovich’s approach to the conclusions he draws on the basis of the information received is also interesting. It is clear that any, even the most meticulous historian, is forced to putty the gaps that are invariably present in the historical canvas by some assumptions. However, Radzinsky's theories are very unexpected.
For example, in one of his works, he cites a series of evidence that Tsarevich Aleksey escaped after a bloody night of execution in the Ipatiev House. According to Radzinsky, Aleksey Nikolaevich successfully grew up and became an exemplary Soviet citizen working out the required shifts at the plant. Of course, he had to change his name and kept his origin in secret. But when he was sought, he calmly and without complaints presented evidence that he was really Romanov.
However, the author did not bother to explain how a boy with hemophilia, for whom literally any scratch posed a real danger to life, could survive in the forest wounded by gunshots. He does not talk about how, in general, the crown prince could survive to adulthood. This was unlikely even under the vigilant supervision of the best doctors in the royal family.
Summing up the above, it can be noted that if you are writing serious scientific work on history, it will be somewhat unprofessional to turn to the novels of Edward Radzinsky as an authoritative source. But if you are just interested in the story, it’s worth reading his creations. If you treat them with a share of healthy skepticism, you can learn a lot of interesting things for yourself. So enjoy reading!