Petr Komarov Russian Soviet poet Date of Birth: 25.07.1911

1. Early Life and Education
2. Literary Beginnings and Career
3. World War II and Literary Contributions
4. Literary Activism and Civic Engagement
5. Death and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Pyotr Stepanovich Komarov was born on July 25, 1911, in the village of Boevo, Novgorod Governorate (now Novgorod Oblast). In 1918, his family relocated to Popovka in the Amur Oblast, where he attended the School of Peasant Youth and later the Blagoveshchensk Agricultural Technical School.

Literary Beginnings and Career

Komarov began writing poetry at a young age, with his first publications appearing in 1926. In 1929, he joined the editorial board of the newspaper "Nabat Molodezhi" (later "Molodoy Dalnevostochnik") in Khabarovsk. Throughout the 1930s, he published in newspapers and magazines such as "Tikhookeanskaya Zvezda," "Amurskaya Pravda," and "Na Rubezhe" (later "Dalny Vostok"). His debut poetry collection, "U Beregov Amura," was released in Khabarovsk in 1940.

World War II and Literary Contributions

During World War II, Komarov headed the Khabarovsk branch of TASS and published patriotic poems and satirical feuilletons. His wartime poetry collections included "Time of the Fearless" (1941), "How the Prussian Got Caught Out" (1942), "From East to West" (1943), "Khingansky Rodnik" (1945), and "Golden Prosek" (1945).

As a TASS correspondent, Komarov covered the military operations of the 1st Far Eastern Front in 1945. These experiences inspired three poetry cycles: "Manchurian Notebook," "Mongolian Poems," and "Korean Motifs," which were included in subsequent collections.

Literary Activism and Civic Engagement

Despite his poor health, Komarov was actively involved in literary and public affairs. He led the poetry sector of the Khabarovsk branch of the Writers' Union of the USSR from 1943 to 1946 and became a permanent member of the editorial board of the literary magazine "Dalny Vostok" upon its resumption in Khabarovsk. During these years, he created poetry cycles such as "Green Belt" and "New Transition," as well as children's poems and short stories.

Death and Legacy

Komarov passed away on September 30, 1949, and was buried in the Central Cemetery in Khabarovsk. In 1950, he was posthumously awarded the third degree of the Stalin Prize for his poetry cycles "Manchurian Notebook," "New Transition," and "Green Belt."

Since the mid-1980s, the city of Svobodny has hosted annual Komarov literary readings. In 2012, the government of Khabarovsk Krai and the magazine "Dalny Vostok" established a biennial award in Komarov's name to recognize literary works published in the magazine.