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KUZNETSOV Anatole (1829–1979) • Correspondence between the e…
See original version (French)
161
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KUZNETSOV Anatole (1829–1979) • Correspondence between the e…
See original version (French)
Estimate €700 - €1,000
Voluntary lot
Description
KUZNETSOV Anatole (1829–1979)
• Correspondence between the exiled writer Anatole Kuznetsov (pseudonym: Anatole) and Sergei Neresovich Krikoryan in Geneva, 1969–1971. LAS, signed typewritten letters with fragments of handwritten text, CAS. A total of 44 pages, various formats, envelopes. Friendly correspondence regarding the writer’s problems and his rejection of his own surname: ‘Well, whether it’s childishness or a debt – I’ll try to repay it with the rest of my life. A pseudonym is not a crime. ‘Kuznetsov’ – it repulses me. (…) No, he was a bastard, and to hell with him, that dog. ’ They discuss the USSR and the struggle against the regime ‘I sincerely believe that even the noblest and most heroic struggle within the framework of Soviet power is, ultimately, an illusion. For if a liberal in the USSR is not shot, is not in prison, or is not at least caught in a vice from all sides like Solzhenitsyn, it is because he has made compromises. And in any case, he remained in the shadows whilst his comrades were being crucified and shot.” “You’re putting me on the spot with a simple question: how can one fight outside the framework of Soviet reality? Should everyone flee to London? And I remain silent. I don’t know. Yes, I myself, the bastard, I fled.”
• Copy of an open letter from Andrei Amalrik to Anatoly Kuznetsov; collection of articles published in the West following Anatole Kuznetsov’s refusal to return to the USSR.
KUZNETSOV Anatoli Vasilievich (1929–1979) – exiled Soviet writer (nevozvrashenets). Author of the autobiographical novel ‘Babi Yar’, which recounts life in occupied Kiev, as well as several works included in the Soviet literary curriculum. In 1969, he travelled to London on the pretext of preparing a book on the Second Congress of the RSDLP; upon his arrival, he announced that he refused to return and sought asylum. Kuznetsov’s claim that, in order to obtain permission to travel to England (so that he could flee), he had been forced, six months earlier, to become a KGB agent and to denounce certain writers he knew, caused a great stir in the West. The dissident Andrei Amalrik condemned him for these actions in his ‘Open Letter’. In exile, he worked as a journalist and continued to publish.
Russian Art
KUZNETSOV Anatoly (1829–1979)
• Correspondence between the writer and non-returnee Anatoly Kuznetsov (pseudonym Anatol) and Sergei Neresovich Krikorian in Geneva, 1969–1971. Autograph letters, typewritten letters with signatures and fragments of handwritten text, index cards. A total of 44 pages, envelopes. A friendly exchange of letters concerning the writer’s problems and his decision to abandon his own surname: ‘All right, let it be childishness, let it be a promissory note – I’ll try to pay it off with the rest of my life. A pseudonym is no crime. “Kuznetsov” – I find it repulsive. (…) No, he was a scoundrel, and let him die, the dog.” They discuss the USSR and the struggle against the regime “I truly believe that even the most noble and heroic struggle within the framework of Soviet power is, ultimately, an illusion. If a liberal in the USSR wasn’t shot, wasn’t in prison, or at least wasn’t besieged on all sides like Solzhenitsyn, then he had made compromises. And in any case, he was hiding in the bushes while his comrades were being crucified and shot.” “You’ve got me cornered with a simple question: how can one fight outside the framework of Soviet reality—should we all flee to London? And I remain silent. I don’t know. Yes, I myself, the scoundrel, fled.”
• A copy of Andrei Amalrik’s open letter to Anatoly Kuznetsov; a selection of articles published in the West following Anatoly Kuznetsov’s refusal to return to the USSR.
KUZNETSOV Anatoly Vasilyevich (1929–1979) – Soviet writer who did not return to the USSR. Author of the autobiographical novel ‘Babi Yar’ about life in occupied Kyiv and a number of seminal works. In 1969, he travelled to London on the pretext of preparing a book on the Second Congress of the RSDLP; upon arrival, he announced that he refused to return and sought asylum. Kuznetsov’s statement caused quite a stir in the West: he claimed that in order to obtain permission to travel to England (and make his escape), he had been forced, six months earlier, to become a KGB agent and inform on some of his writer friends. Dissident Andrei Amalrik condemned him for such activities in his ‘Open Letter’. In exile, he worked as a journalist and continued to publish.
See original version (French)
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