Yevtushenko Evgeny biography his family. The youngest member of the Writers' Union: biography of the legendary Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Novels by Yevgeny Yevtushenko

TASS DOSSIER. On April 1, 2017, it became known that the Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko had died in the United States.

Evgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko was born on July 18, 1932 at Zima station in the Irkutsk region. His passport indicated a different year of birth - 1933. His father, Alexander Rudolfovich Gangnus (1910 - 1976), was a geologist. Mother - Zinaida Ermolaevna Yevtushenko (1910 - 2002), geologist, actress, Honored Cultural Worker of the RSFSR.

In 1951 he entered the M. Gorky Literary Institute, from where in 1957 he was expelled with the wording “for not attending lectures.” Only in 2001 did he receive a diploma from the institute.

In 1944, Yevgeny Yevtushenko moved to Moscow with his mother. He studied at the poetry studio of the House of Pioneers in the Dzerzhinsky district of the capital. In 1949, his first poem was published in the newspaper "Soviet Sport".

In 1952, the first collection of poems, “Scouts of the Future,” was published. In the same year, Yevgeny Yevtushenko was admitted to the USSR Writers' Union, becoming its youngest member.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko was one of the so-called “sixties” poets. His performances at poetry evenings at the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow invariably attracted large audiences.

In 1961, the Literaturnaya Gazeta published the poem “Babi Yar,” dedicated to the mass executions of Jews during the Great Patriotic War, for which the poet was accused of “political immaturity” and lack of a sense of internationalism. He was accused of not describing other victims of Nazism in his work. Based on the poem, composer Dmitry Shostakovich created his famous 13th symphony. "Babi Yar" has been translated into 72 languages, lines from it are carved in front of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington (USA).

In February 1963, the French weekly Expresso published the Autobiography of Yevgeny Yevtushenko. This event displeased the Soviet authorities, who accused the poet of acting without permission from the Ideological Department of the CPSU Central Committee. His "Autobiography" at the plenum of the board of the Union of Soviet Writers in March of the same year was called slander against the "socialist system."

In 1964, the first film was released, for which Yevgeny Yevtushenko wrote the script (co-authored with Enrique Pineda Barnet) - “I am Cuba” directed by Mikhail Kalatozov.

In the 1960s the poet began writing songs, worked with famous composers Eduard Kolmanovsky, Andrey Eshpai, Yuri Saulsky, Nikita Bogoslovsky, Mikael Tariverdiev, Evgeny Krylatov and others.

He often traveled around the country, including the Russian North and the Arctic. Subsequently, he visited all continents except Antarctica. Impressions from the trips formed the basis of the poems “Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station” (1965), “Kazan University” (1970), “Snow in Tokyo” (1974), “Ivanovo Calico” (1976), “Nepryadva” (1980), etc.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko spoke in defense of “dissident” writers - Andrei Sinyavsky, Yuli Daniel, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Joseph Brodsky and others. In his poems he protested against the entry of Soviet troops into Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the war in Afghanistan (the poem “Tanks are marching in Prague” , "Afghan Ant", etc.).

In 1979, the poet starred in the leading role - Konstantin Tsiolkovsky - in Savva Kulish's film "Take Off". In 1983, based on his own script, “Kindergarten” directed the film of the same name, in which he played one of the roles. Later, in 1990, he acted as a screenwriter and director of the film "Stalin's Funeral".

The first novel, “Berry Places,” by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, was published in 1982, the second novel, “Don’t Die Before You Die,” was published in 1993.

In 1988, he joined the human rights society Memorial. A year later, he was elected co-chairman of the April writers' association. In 1991 he became secretary of the board of the Commonwealth of Writers' Unions.

He was a people's deputy of the USSR (1989-1991).

In 1991 he moved to the USA with his family. He taught a course on Russian poetry at American universities. In the 1990-2000s. published a number of prose and poetic works, published the anthology “A Poet in Russia is More than a Poet. Ten Centuries of Russian Poetry.”

In 2007, the premiere of the rock opera “White Snows Are Falling” by composer Gleb May with lyrics by Yevgeny Yevtushenko took place at the Olimpiysky sports complex.

In 2012, the poet’s collection “Happiness and Retribution” was published, in 2013 - “I Can’t Say Goodbye.”

His works have been translated into more than 70 languages, and over 130 books have been published.

Evgeny Yevtushenko was the editor of many books, wrote articles, hosted creative evenings for poets, compiled radio and television programs, organized recordings, and performed reading poems by Alexander Blok, Nikolai Gumilev and others.

Awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor (1969), the Red Banner of Labor (1983), Friendship of Peoples (1993), and the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (2004).

Laureate of the USSR State Prize (1984; for the poem “Mother and the Neutron Bomb”), the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art (2009), the Tefi Prize for the best educational program “A poet in Russia is more than a poet” (1998) and etc.

Honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts, American Academy of Arts, Academy of Fine Arts in Malaga, full member of the European Academy of Arts and Sciences. Professor Emeritus "Nonoris Causa" of the New School University in New York and King's College in Queens. Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, at the University of Santo Domingo.

Honorary citizen of Petrozavodsk.

Was married four times. Since 1954, he was married to the famous poetess Isabella (Bella) Akhmadulina. The second wife is Galina Sokol-Lukonina (married in 1961), the third is Jen Butler, Irish (since 1978). The fourth is Maria Yevtushenko (Novikova) (since 1978), doctor, philologist. Yevgeny Yevtushenko had five sons: Peter (adopted; 1967 - 2015), Alexander (born 1979), Anton (born 1981), Evgeny (born 1989), Dmitry (born 1990). ).

On July 17, 2010, Evgeny Yevtushenko opened his own museum in Peredelkino, which he bequeathed to the state.

Books, articles, reviews have been written about his life and work, documentaries and television programs have been made. So, in 2013, the documentary film “Will the Clover Field Make a Noise...” directed by Nina Zaretskaya was released.

In 1994, a minor planet of the solar system (4234 Evtushenko) was named after him.

The 47-year-old artist died in a mental hospital in the capital.
A tragedy occurred in the family of Yevgeny Yevtushenko. The 47-year-old son of the famous poet Pyotr Yevtushenko died in one of the Moscow hospitals. Doctors treated him for mental illness for six months, but the artist’s heart suddenly stopped. His body was cremated, but not buried until the arrival of Evgeniy Alexandrovich, who was in the USA at that time.

Pyotr Yevtushenko is the adopted son of the famous poet and Galina Sokol-Lukonina. After their divorce, the boy stayed with his mother, but his father did everything so that the boy did not feel deprived. And in the States he helped him get an education, and made him a separate apartment, and he didn’t deprive him of money. But for some reason, fate often punishes the children of celebrities. So Peter was no exception.
“Galya, or Galla, as she was often called, was an interesting but harsh woman,” said prose writer Alla Rakhmanina. - I loved Yevtushenko all my life, but did not forgive his endless betrayals. She was businesslike, but didn’t work a single day. Her first husband was the writer Mikhail Lukonin. When Galya was married to him, she had an affair with the poet Alexander Mezhirov. Misha was terribly jealous, but could not do anything... Even the writer Vasily Aksenov almost married Gala. Sometimes she said that she regretted leaving Yevgeny Yevtushenko. After her death, Petya started drinking.
To find out about the life together of Galina and Evgeny Yevtushenko (they got married in 1961 - N.M.), we contacted a family friend, Natalya Shmelkova.


Natalya Shmelkova with Pyotr Yevtushenko at the opening of his exhibition of paintings (Photo from the archive of Natalya Shmelkova)
“I’m shocked why I, his mother’s closest friend, was not informed about Petya’s death,” Natalya Alexandrovna said with offense. - Probably because I wrote in my book how the poet Lenya Gubanov once shouted in response to Yevtushenko’s criticism: “You are shit!” You will soon be forgotten, but I am a brilliant poet!” Apparently, Zhenya still can’t forgive...
Which husband did she love more? Galya and I talked about Misha Lukonin, and I assured her: “If you stayed with him, you would be happy!” She always spoke with delight about Lukonin. But did she love him? The gypsy told her that she would live in abundance, but would never love. She married Yevtushenko in a black dress with a pink bow.
Galina was burdened by the fact that, having been married for seven years, she could not give birth.
“He and Zhenya took Petya when he was very young,” recalls Shmelkova. - It was intended for Bella Akhmadulina, Yevtushenko’s first wife. But she chose a girl. Galina Volchek persuaded him to take Petya, and she became his godmother. The boy - a cherub with blue eyes and curls - looked like Yevtushenko himself. Petya grew up as a happy child. Sports boy: swam, dived, ski jumped. He studied at the school at the Tretyakov Gallery.

The adopted son looked like YEVTUSHENKO
Suffered from hazing
The marriage of Galina and Evgeny broke up at the insistence of Galya, tired of the poet’s numerous novels.
“After the divorce, she and Zhenya shared for a long time numerous paintings that were donated by artist friends,” says Shmelkova. - But they remained friends. Galya never remarried. Yevtushenko married twice more. Petya always considered Evgeny his dad. Yevtushenko came to the guy’s birthdays and invited him to visit him at his dacha.
After graduating from the Moscow Art Lyceum, Pyotr Yevtushenko was drafted into the army. The service left an indelible mark on his biography. Subsequently, he will write a series of paintings “A Soldier's Diary”.
“Yevtushenko could have made sure that Petya was not drafted into the army,” Shmelkova believes. - But I didn’t bother. Naive and handsome young men like Petya are bullied in the army. We could only guess what happened there, because Petya carried everything inside himself. Galya said that it was after the army that he developed mental problems... I didn’t see a single regular girl with Petya, although he paid attention to the female gender. I remember once we came to the museum. He liked the charming girl guide. So Petya and I licked her legs and skirt all the way.
After returning from the army, the father enrolled his son in an American college near New York. But, as the young artist himself admitted, he was soon expelled due to absences and partying. Petya returned to his homeland under his mother’s wing.

The poet's second wife Galina SOKOL-LUKONINA (YEVTUSHENKO) was unable to give birth to a child
Didn't want to share the inheritance
In recent years, Peter lived alone. His mother bought him an apartment in the Yasenevo district. Then she bought him a house on Kurina Street. He lived modestly: in the room there was only the most necessary things. His nanny Shura came to clean up for the poet’s son. Although Peter did not become a famous artist, one exhibition of his works, thanks to Shmelkova, did take place.
“On the advertising poster we placed a picture of a poodle wearing earflaps near the Kremlin wall,” recalls Natalya Alexandrovna. - Petya drew his dog Pele, named after the great Brazilian football player. When I played the piano, Pele howled, and as soon as I took a bad passage, he hit the keys with his paw.
Peter did not get along very well with his mother, but her death two years ago was a strong blow for the lonely and unsuccessful artist.
“I haven’t seen Galya for the last four years,” says Shmelkova. - At the same time, she called five times a day: either to discuss a book, or something else. I offered to meet, but she kept postponing the meeting with one word: “Later.” I think she didn’t want me to see her growing old. I regret that I didn’t come to her funeral because I couldn’t get out of bed. Yevtushenko also did not come, but wrote in the newspaper about her death: “Petya, don’t forget that you have a father and from the depths of the grave your mother’s eyes are looking at you”... Galya dreamed that I would take her son under my wing. But I understood that there would be an inheritance and I would have to go to court.


Petya was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery next to his mother and grandmother
In recent years he has been drinking. He loved gin, whiskey and other expensive drinks. Once I decided to go on a trip around the world with him, but Petya said: “For this money I will buy so much whiskey that I will dream about this trip.” For the last six months, Petya has been in a psychiatric hospital. I wanted to visit him, but he refused: “I’ll come myself”...
One of Peter’s few friends, artist Konstantin Zvezdochetov, also shared his memories:
- Petya was cremated at the Nikolo-Arkhangelsk cemetery. At the wake they put up a photograph of him, he was 17 years old. About ten people came to say goodbye. Among them is the wife of the son of the writer Konstantin Simonov, Galina... I looked after him because my mother was friends with Elena, Evgeniy Alexandrovich’s sister. He was lonely, and it seemed to me that he didn’t need anyone. There is some kind of fate here: the son of director Georgy Danelia passed away tragically, the composer Nikita Bogoslovsky’s Kirill died from heavy drinking, and now Yevtushenko’s son too. Imagine a boy whose mother was friends with Academician Sakharov’s second wife, dissident Elena Bonner. One time Galina practically accomplished a feat: when the writer Viktor Nekrasov went abroad, she was the only one with Pavel Lungin who went to see him off. Yevtushenko helped Petya all his life, even when Yevgeny Alexandrovich’s leg was amputated...
Yes, fate tossed the guy from side to side. From an orphanage he ended up in a bohemian family, then - harsh morals in the army, after life among complete strangers, dad did not take his son to live with him in America. Although Petya didn’t want to go there, because he didn’t like it there. A monument should be erected to Yevtushenko’s sister Elena Maksimovna. When Petya became especially difficult and offended her, she still helped him. She carried huge packages to the hospital.


Shmelkova shows a poster with a reproduction of Peter’s painting - “Pele the Poodle on Red Square”
“He portrayed himself as a poodle”
“Petya was a talented artist,” says Evgeny Yevtushenko. - There are three large paintings of his in my museum. I especially love my son’s self-portrait: he painted himself in the image of a lonely dog ​​wearing earflaps.
- Evgeniy Alexandrovich, my friends told me that Petya got sick after the army...
- My son went to serve, like everyone else. He took a sip of hazing there, of course. Young people can be cruel, and the children of famous people come under attack. It seems to others that they are freed from many problems. Believe me, the children of famous people are not the happiest. By the way, Petya never used my name. And I never helped Petya just because he is just my son. But he contributed as an artist. The son, although adopted, is the first.
- Did you decide to take the boy from the orphanage?
- Not so much me, but my second wife Galina. Her childhood was difficult: she was brought up in an orphanage, where there were children of “enemies of the people.” It affected her, her views.
- Why wasn't he married?
- A personal tragedy occurred in the USA, where Peter, having received a grant, went to study. He fell in love with a girl on the course and decided to draw her portrait. When he finished work, it was night, but Petya decided to call her and asked her to come to evaluate the portrait. She misunderstood this act. As a result, my son was expelled from college. It was this story with the girl that became the beginning of his illness.
I paid less attention to my son than my mother. But everyone helped him as best they could... He had been taking so many medications lately that he couldn’t even drink strong tea. My heart couldn't stand it. I'm very worried. My sister was waiting for my arrival from America and did not interred her ashes so that I could say goodbye to my son. Petya was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery, where his mother also rests.
Reference
Yevtushenko's first wife in 1954 was the poetess Bella Akhmadulina.
In 1962, Evgeniy Alexandrovich married Bella’s friend, Galina Sokol-Lukonina. Seven years later they adopted a boy, Petya.
In 1978, the poet married his Irish fan, Jen Butler, with whom he had sons Alexander and Anton
Yevtushenko’s fourth wife in 1987 was Maria Novikova, with whom he had two sons - Evgeny and Dmitry.
And there was another case
“In the film “Stalin’s Funeral,” I was lucky enough to meet the brilliant poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, who was the director and screenwriter here,” said actress Inna Vykhodtseva. - We voiced the mass scenes of the leader’s funeral at the Mosfilm film studio. The recording did not work out for a long time, and then Evgeniy Alexandrovich asked the administrator to bring a box of vodka, several loaves of sausage and bread. At first we didn’t understand: why so much food? They thought they would feed us during the break. They poured us half a glass of vodka, and the director commanded: “Drink, and then we’ll work!” Since I don’t drink vodka, I poured myself some water. But Yevtushenko noticed that I didn’t drink in one gulp and asked: “Why don’t you drink?” I had to play. I remember that for one shift we were paid as if for two: he was so pleased with the work.

One of the greatest personalities who lived in the past and in this century, undoubtedly, is Yevgeny Yevtushenko. His multifaceted talent led to the fact that Yevgeny Yevtushenko himself, his biography, personal life, wives, children and photos became of interest to admirers of his work.

The real name of the hero is Evgeniy Gangnus. He was born in 1932 on July 18 in a Siberian village. From early childhood, the boy was haunted by drastic changes. It started with the fact that his mother Zinaida changed the surname she received in marriage to her maiden name and gave it to her son.

Evgeniy Yevtushenko

The surname Gangnus belonged to the child's father. He was a Baltic with German roots. After this, the year of birth of little Zhenya was changed in the children’s metric to 1933. In this way, the child’s mother tried to minimize the difficulties that arose with documents for evacuation to the Second World War.

The boy's fate was determined by his birth into a family of artists. Zhenya’s mother was an honored cultural figure and actress. My father composed poetry at an amateur level. Therefore, the love of reading and history was instilled in the child from childhood. Already at the age of six, the child learned the basics of literacy. The boy's favorite books were not at all for children: Flaubert, Dumas, Cervantes, Guy de Maupassant.

In 1944, Zhenya faced new challenges: his move to Moscow was marked by his father leaving the family for his mistress. Alexander Rudolfovich did not stop taking an active part in the cultural growth of his son. He also tried to give the child more in-depth knowledge in the field of literature.

The great writer and poet Evgeny Yevtushenko

By that time, Yevtushenko was already studying in a poetry club at the House of Pioneers. The father often took the boy to poetry meetings at the Moscow State University. Evgeny had the opportunity to attend creative performances by A. Akhmatova, B. Pasternak, A. Tvardovsky and other masters of words.

People of art also often gathered at Evgeniy’s house. The boy's mother invited actors, poets and writers to visit. V. Sokolov, B. Akhmadulina, E. Vinokurov, M. Roshchin and others visited here.

Such an environment led to the fact that the young talent began to compose himself at an early age. The results of his work were first published in the publication “Soviet Sport” in 1949.

The young man began studying at the Literary University in 1951, but was soon expelled due to systematic absences from classes. This was the official version. In fact, Eugene was inclined to publicly express his point of view, which was at odds with the ideology of that era. Already at that time it was clear that as the years passed, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, his biography, personal life, wives and children would become curious to the general public. The hero still received his education document, but this happened much later in 2001.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko in childhood

Despite the lack of education, the young man showed remarkable talent and quickly gained popularity among his community. In 1952, the debut collection of poems entitled “Scouts of the Future” went into print. It consisted of bravura appeals and pathetic poems. Real poetry saw the light a little later in the form of the poems “Wagon” and “Before the Meeting”. After this, the young poet was accepted into the Writers' Union. At twenty years old, he was the youngest member of the community.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko in his youth

Already at such an early age, Evgeniy was honored to read poetry together with Bella Akhmadulina, Bulat Okudzhava and Robert Rozhdestvensky.

At this time, his best creations were:

• "Poems of different years";
• "The Third Snow"
• "Apple".

Yevgeny Yevtushenko in his youth

Other types of creative activity of the poet

The range of areas where Evgeny Yevtushenko’s talents can be used is wide. He showed himself in music, prose, and cinema. Among the works in prose there are many masterpieces that readers immediately fell in love with. The author’s very first such work was “The Fourth Meshchanskaya”. It was published in 1959 on the pages of the regular publication “Youth”. The next story was “The Chicken God.” The first novel, entitled “Berry Places,” was published in 1982. Eleven years passed between the first major works. The second novel is called "Don't Die Before You Die."

Evgeny Yevtushenko on stage

The beginning of the nineties was marked by a move to the United States. At this time, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, his biography, personal life, wives, children and photos were already entertaining information for fans of his talent. In America, the hero gave lectures on Russian poetry. In addition, he released several other works.

In 2012, the work “Happiness and Reckoning” was published, followed by “I Can’t Say Goodbye.” To summarize briefly, he wrote more than thirteen dozen books, many of which were translated into seventy languages.

Evgeny Yevtushenko took part in poetry evenings

Thanks to his talent and hard work, Yevtushenko received a number of awards. The original sign of admiration for the talent of the master Slava was the name of the planet, which she received in honor of Yevgeny Yevtushenko.

Also, the talent of the great man received a lot of symbols of recognition of his activities abroad from foreign organizations.

Yevtushenko's creativity in music and cinema

The work of Evgeniy Alexandrovich has become inspiring for some representatives of other creative professions. Also thanks to them, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, his biography, personal life, wives and children became even more interesting to the public.

On the basis of one of the poems, composer Dmitry Shostakovich created the famous thirteenth symphony. Among the composers with whom the author also collaborated were Yuliy Saulsky, Evgeny Krylatsky, and Eduard Kolmanovsky. Yevtushenko’s poems, set to music, turned into hits: “And it’s snowing,” “Motherland,” “When the bells ring.” It is worth noting that the rock operas “The Execution of Stepan Razin” and “The White Snows Are Coming” were also created based on the author’s poems.

Evgeny Yevtushenko as scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

In tandem with Enrique Pineda, Barnet Yevtushenko wrote the script for the film “I-Cuba”. The film was released in 1964. The hero adorned the film “Take Off” with his performance in the title role. This film was first shown in 1979.

Evgeniy Aleksandrovich’s credits include the film “Kindergarten,” in which he acted as a screenwriter. There he played a supporting role. His directorial experience was working on the film “Stalin's Funeral” in 1990. He wrote the script for this film himself.

Evgeny Yevtushenko with friends on vacation

Wives and children of Yevgeny Yevtushenko

The family life of Evgeniy Alexandrovich was bright and full of events. He was married four times. The first union with Bella Akhmadulina took place in 1954, but did not last long. According to Yevtushenko himself, he and his wife had different views on many issues. Including poetry. The woman, without further ado, pointed out the already accomplished poet’s shortcomings. Evgeniy Aleksandrovich said that in all his marriages, his wives were the harshest and at the same time the author’s main critics of his works. In the case of Akhmadulina, the poet did not remain in debt and also criticized her work.

Evgeny Yevtushenko with his first wife Bella Akhmedulina

The poet's next wife was Galina Sokol-Lukonina. She also harshly assessed her husband's work. But if she liked his poems, then she did not hide it and sincerely demonstrated her feelings with pleasure. The woman gave birth to Yevtushenko’s first child, son Peter.

Evgeny Yevtushenko and Maria Novikova

The hero's last love was Maria Novikova. She is a doctor and philologist by education. The marriage also produced two sons: Dima and Zhenya. All this made the personal life of Yevgeny Yevtushenko, his biography, wives, children and their photos interesting for fans of the poet.

Yevtushenko was drawn to women from an early age. Many of his lines were dedicated specifically to the weaker sex and their experiences of an erotic nature.

Teachers and cultural figures did not know how to react to the bold statements of a fifteen-year-old boy. And friends advised me to use my amazing imagination and choose a different topic for my works.

Evgeny Yevtushenko with his wife and sons

This behavior of Yevtushenko was not only a protest against hypocrisy, but also a demonstration of a kind of fearlessness. They did not publish him, restricted his movements and tried in every possible way to shame him for his unbridled images. This gave a somewhat scandalous glory to everything connected with Yevgeny Yevtushenko: biography, personal life, wives, children.

The great man passed away in the spring of 2017. His death came to him in one of the American hospitals. He left quietly in his sleep. Doctors did everything possible to prolong the life of the famous poet, but the time for the end of the great journey has already come. Yevtushenko’s last wish was to lie near Pasternak in the Moscow region.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko in the last years of his life

The hero lived a long, eventful life, and to this day the biography of Yevgeny Yevtushenko, his personal life, wives and children attract genuine attention from followers of his work.

Details Created: 09/24/2017 20:49 Updated: 09/27/2017 12:47

Evgeny Yevtushenko is a brilliant man who made a significant contribution to the history of art. His creative career was very eventful, because even at a respectable age he was spinning like a bee, continuing to create and teach. In this article you will learn everything about this talented person.

Many did not like him, some despised him, but most idolized him. He was a multifaceted person and created in different directions. He still has many fans on this earth and a large number of creative works.

Biography

According to sources, the talented child was born on July 18, 1932 in the city of Zima, Irkutsk region (located in the southeastern part of the Siberian Federal District). According to the horoscope, Cancer is a modest, friendly, gallant and helpful man.

The boy's parents were creative people. Pope Alexander was a poet and geologist (he had German and Baltic roots, so he bore the last name Gangnus). Mom Zinaida is a great actress and geologist who kept her maiden name.

During that difficult time, when Zhenya was still little, terrible things happened. After all, you had to carefully monitor your every step and action in order to do everything right and not harm yourself and your loved ones. The mother's heart felt that if she gave her father's surname to the child, disaster might happen. Therefore, she left him her surname Yevtushenko, thus avoiding many problems for the boy in the future.

In such a wonderful family, the boy developed intellectually very quickly. When he was just six years old, he could already read and write quite well. The boy also spent a lot of time reading books, and his dad loved to recite poems to him in the evenings.

In 1944, an unpleasant situation happened in their family. At this time, they moved to live in Moscow and there dad found another woman, leaving him and mom alone. Zhenya was very worried about the divorce, but his father did not forget about his son until his last days and regularly raised him.

From childhood, the kid was in the circle of famous creative people, because either his father took him to various events, or the guests themselves came to their home and organized literary evenings.

After graduating from school he entered Literary Institute named after. Gorky, but he was quickly expelled from there. Rumor has it that Evgeniy did not know how to keep his mouth shut and spoke too loudly in public. At that time this was unacceptable.

Creation

He published his first poem at the age of 17 in a newspaper "Soviet sport". And then he could not be stopped, because he endlessly created in all directions. At the age of 20 he published his first collection - "Scouts of the Future".

In general, Yevgeny Yevtushenko was not only a talented writer, his work was multifaceted. He tried to test himself everywhere and he did it well.

His collection includes over 60 collections of poems. The most interesting: “The Third Snow”, “Apple”, “White Snows Are Falling...”, “Citizens, listen to me”, “My very best” And so on. He also wrote about 20 poems ( "Babi Yar", "Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station", "Mother and the Neutron Bomb" and others) and two novels ( "Don't Die Before You Die", "Berry Places"). Stories, journalism, memoirs and anthologies were also published from his pen.

"White snow is falling..."

Music was written for his poems by various composers and they were heard by millions of people performed by famous singers ( “Even with all my might”, “Spell”, “When the bells ring”, “By the sea” and others).

"This is what's happening to me..."

He also worked in cinematography as an actor ( "Ilyich's Outpost", "Take Off" etc.), as a director ( "Kindergarten", "Stalin's Funeral") and as a screenwriter ( "I am Cuba", "Stalin's Funeral").

Personal life

According to sources, Yevtushenko was married four times throughout his life and only with his last wife did he find peace, mental satisfaction and family happiness.

He first married at the age of 22 to a young poetess Isabella Akhmadulina. It was real youthful love: a sea of ​​flowers, kisses, endless trips to the sea and walks around the capital. It would seem that this happy couple was supposed to live together until old age, but at one point their relationship went wrong and they separated.

Rumor has it that the reason for this was Bella's sudden pregnancy. Probably for every married couple this event should have been a real holiday, but Evgeniy was afraid to take on such responsibility and insisted that his wife get rid of the child. After this, the girl realized the gravity of her act and could not forgive her husband. After some time, he made several attempts to return their love, but everything was unsuccessful, Bella closed herself off from him forever.

Evgeny and Isabella Akhmadulina photo

He married for the second time at the age of 29 to Galina Sokol-Lukonina. She had a very difficult childhood and health problems. But they managed to find a common language to start a life together. Soon in this marriage appeared child - boy Peter. Unfortunately, the small miracle failed to keep the family together.

Evgeny left several times, then returned (they say because his wife attempted suicide), but one day he left forever. Rumor has it that his son Peter was an artist and died at the age of 47 in a mental hospital (in recent years he suffered from mental illness).

Son Peter

The third wife was the complete opposite of the two previous wives. Jen Butler, Irish by birth, was a big fan of Yevtushenko's work and was madly in love with him. She was skilled in martial arts, rode a horse and skillfully drove large cars. He married her at the age of 46.

They built a house together on the shores of the Black Sea and they were born two kids: Sasha and Anton. Rumor has it that the last boy had some kind of congenital disease. This event undermined their family happiness; Jen filed for divorce and took the children to England. Evgeniy always communicated with his boys. Today it is known that son Alexander works on television.

The last fourth wife was Maria Novikova. He married her at a mature age - 55 years old. According to sources, they met in a trivial way: Maria came up to take an autograph from the poet at one of his concerts.

Yevtushenko and his fourth wife Maria

The artist immediately liked her. He found her and after a while he proposed marriage. Despite the fact that the woman is 30 years younger than her husband, they lived happily together for the same amount of time.

Maria gave it to her husband two sons - Evgeniy and Dmitry. As you know, these children currently live and work in America.

Fourth wife and children

Last days

According to sources, in 1991, the poet and his family left for the USA(Tuls, Oklahoma) for permanent residence. Here he taught, often performed on stage with his poems and stories in English, and his wife Maria taught Russian at a local school. Although he lived in America, he never forgot about his homeland and every year he always came home to his dacha in the village of Peredelkino near Moscow.

In recent years he courageously fought against a terrible disease - cancer. Then the illness subsided and he continued to live and create. But at one point she returned and struck with renewed vigor.

He was hospitalized in very serious condition at a clinic in Tulsa. The doctors fought for his life until the last moment, but the poet’s heart still could not stand it and stopped forever. He was 84 years old and died peacefully in his sleep. Evgeny Alexandrovich was brought from America to Russia and buried at the Peredelkinskoye cemetery next to Boris Pasternak, as he wanted.

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The legendary writer Yevgeny Yevtushenko was born in Siberia in 1932, and from his birth his whole life was associated with change. Evgeniy’s mother, Zinaida Ivanovna, changed her husband’s surname to her maiden name and registered her son as Yevtushenko. This is not surprising. The head of the family, Alexander Rudolfovich, was half German, half Baltic and bore the last name Gangnus. A little later, during the evacuation of the Great Patriotic War, in order to avoid problems with documents, the mother had to change the year in Evgeniy’s birth certificate to 1933.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko grew up in a creative family: his father was an amateur poet, and his mother was an actress, who later received the title of Honored Cultural Worker of the RSFSR. From an early age, his parents instilled in him a love of books: they read aloud, retold interesting facts from history, teaching the child to read. So, at the age of six, dad taught little Zhenya to read and write. For his development, little Yevtushenko chose not children's authors at all, reading the works of Cervantes and Flaubert.

In 1944, Evgeniy’s family moved to Moscow, and after a while his father left the family and went to another woman. At the same time, Alexander Rudolfovich continues to engage in the literary development of his son. Evgeniy studied in the poetry studio of the House of Pioneers, attending poetry evenings at Moscow State University with his father. Yevtushenko attended creative evenings by Alexander Tvardovsky. And my mother, being a soloist of the theater named after. , often gathered artists and poets at home. Mikhail Roshchin, Evgeny Vinokurov, Vladimir Sokolov and others came to visit little Zhenya.

Poetry

In such a creative atmosphere, young Zhenya was precocious and tried to imitate adults, also writing poetry. In 1949, Yevtushenko’s poem was published for the first time in one of the issues of the newspaper “Soviet Sport”.

In 1951, Evgeniy entered the Gorky Literary Institute and was soon expelled for not attending lectures, but the real reason lay in public statements that were unacceptable for that time. By the way, Yevtushenko received a diploma of higher education only in 2001.

The lack of higher education did not prevent the young talent from achieving success in creativity. In 1952, the first collection “Scouts of the Future” was published, consisting of praising poems and pretentious slogans. And the poetry “Before the Meeting” and “Wagon” gave the start to the poet’s serious career. In the same year, Yevtushenko was accepted into the Union of Writers of the USSR, and the twenty-year-old boy became the youngest member of the organization.

The real fame of the young poet comes from such works as “The Third Snow”, “Poems of Different Years” and “Apple”. In just a few years, Yevgeny Yevtushenko achieves such recognition that he is called to speak at poetry evenings. The young poet read his poems along with such legends as Bella Akhmadulina.

In addition to poetry, prose that readers loved came from his pen. The first work, “The Fourth Meshchanskaya,” was published in 1959 in the magazine “Youth,” and later the second story, “The Chicken God,” was published. Yevtushenko published his first novel, “Berry Places,” in 1982, and the next, “Don’t Die Before You Die,” eleven years later.

In the early nineties, the writer moved to the United States, but did not stop his creative activity there either: he taught courses in Russian poetry at local universities and even published several works. Evgeny Yevtushenko still publishes his collections. So, in 2012, “Happiness and Reckoning” was released, and a year later - “I Can’t Say Goodbye.”

During his creative life, more than one hundred and thirty books were published, and his works are read in 70 languages ​​of the world.

Evgeniy Alexandrovich not only received recognition among readers, but also earned countless awards. Thus, Yevtushenko was a laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the USSR State Prize and the Tefi Prize. The poet was awarded the “Badge of Honor” and the medal “For Services to the Fatherland” - and this is only a small part of the awards. A small planet in the solar system, which is called 4234 Evtushenko, is named after the writer. Evgeniy Aleksandrovich is also an honorary professor at King's College in Queens, the University of Santo Domingo, the New School University in New York "Honoris Causa" and the University of Pittsburgh.

Music

The poet's poems inspire many musicians to create songs and musical performances. For example, based on Yevtushenko’s poem “Babi Yar,” the composer created the famous thirteenth symphony. This work has gained worldwide recognition: “Babi Yar” is known in seventy-two languages ​​of the world. Evgeny began collaborating with composites back in the sixties, working with such celebrities as Evgeny Krylatsky, Eduard Kolmanovsky and.

Songs based on the poet's poems became real hits. There is probably not a person in the post-Soviet space who does not know the compositions “And It’s Snowing,” “When the Bells Ring” and “Motherland.” The poet also managed to work with musical groups: his poems formed the basis of the rock operas “The Execution of Stepan Razin” and “White Snow is Falling.” The last work was premiered at the Olimpiysky sports complex in Moscow in 2007.

Movies

Yevtushenko managed to prove himself in films. The script for the film “I Am Cuba,” which was released in 1964, was co-written by Yevgeny Yevtushenko and Enrique Pineda Barnet. In Savva Kulish's film "Takeoff" the poet played the main role.

The film was released in 1979. And in 1983, the writer tried himself as a screenwriter and directed the film “Kindergarten”, where he played a small role. In 1990, he wrote the script and directed the film "Funeral".

Personal life

The poet and writer was married four times. Evgeniy first married in 1954 to a poetess. But the creative union did not last long, and in 1961 Yevtushenko led Galina Sokol-Lukonina down the aisle. In this marriage they had a son, Peter.

The writer’s third wife was his admirer from Ireland, Jen Butler, and although the foreigner gave birth to Yevtushenko’s two sons, Anton and Alexander, their marriage also fell apart.

The fourth chosen one was the doctor and philologist Maria Novikova. Yevtushenko has been married to her for 26 years, raising two sons - Dmitry and Evgeny.

Death

April 1, 2017 at the age of 85. The legendary poet died in a US clinic where he was. The writer’s wife, Maria Novikova, said that doctors gave Evgeniy Alexandrovich virtually no chance of recovery, but fought for his life until the last minutes.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko died in his sleep from cardiac arrest, surrounded by family and friends. He also managed to announce his last will - the poet’s dying wish was a request to be buried in the village of Peredelkino near Moscow.

Bibliography

• Scouts of the future
• Highway Enthusiasts
• White snows are falling
• I am Siberian breed
• Compromise Kompromisovich
• Almost at last
• Darling, sleep
• I will break through into the twenty-first century...
• Happiness and retribution
• I don't know how to say goodbye