Viktor Nekrasov Russian writer Date of Birth: 17.06.1911 Country: France

1. Biography of Viktor Nekrasov
2. Theatrical Career and World War II
3. Literary Career and Controversies
4. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Viktor Nekrasov

Viktor Nekrasov was a Russian writer who was born on June 4, 1911 (June 17, according to the Gregorian calendar), in Kiev, Ukraine. He was born into a family of doctors. After finishing secondary school, Nekrasov enrolled in the architectural faculty of the Kiev Construction Institute, from which he graduated in 1936.

Theatrical Career and World War II

During his time at university, Nekrasov also studied at the theater studio of the Russian Drama Theater. He worked as an actor and theater artist in theaters in Kiev, Vladivostok, Kirov, and Rostov-on-Don. However, with the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War (World War II), Nekrasov abandoned his theater career. He voluntarily joined the military and fought on the front lines, making his way from Rostov to Stalingrad. He served as an engineer in the sapper troops and eventually commanded a battalion.

Literary Career and Controversies

After the war, in 1947, Nekrasov's work "In the Trenches of Stalingrad" was published in the magazine "Znamya." This work received the Stalin Prize, and Nekrasov donated the prize money to provide wheelchairs for war veterans.

Nekrasov was not initially known as a writer but as a soldier who had experienced the realities of war and wanted to convey the truth about it. Critics wrote about him, saying, "V. Nekrasov came into literature not as a writer, but as a soldier who had witnessed the everyday life of war and sought only to tell the truth about it." This statement held true when his novella "In his Hometown" was published in 1954 and was met with harsh criticism from the party, leading to the dismissal of the chief editor of "Znamya," Vsevolod Vishnevsky.

In 1959, Nekrasov wrote another novella, "Kira Georgievna," and published a series of articles in the "Literaturnaya Gazeta" advocating for the need to commemorate the Soviet people who were executed by the Nazis in 1941 in Babi Yar. Nekrasov was accused of organizing "mass Zionist gatherings," but his efforts ultimately led to the establishment of a monument in Babi Yar.

Later Years and Legacy

During the 1960s, Nekrasov traveled to Italy, America, and France, and his impressions from these trips were described in his essays: "First Encounter," "On Both Sides of the Ocean," and "A Month in France." For Nekrasov, the most important thing was to "be oneself, not lie, not pretend, not flatter."

However, his outspokenness drew criticism from Nikita Khrushchev, and articles accusing Nekrasov of "groveling before the West" began to appear in the press. A search was conducted at Nekrasov's apartment in Kiev, and all printed materials, magazines, and photographs were confiscated. Nekrasov was interrogated for six days.

In 1974, the writer emigrated to Paris. While living abroad, he wrote for newspapers, magazines, and radio, and gave lectures on Russian literature. He continued his creative work, writing the novel "Stalingrad" in 1981 and "How I Became a Chevalier" in 1986.

Nekrasov's last work was "A Little Sad Novella." He passed away on September 3, 1987, in Paris.