Vladimir Fyodorovich Tendriakov
Vladimir Fyodorovich Tendriakov (1923-1984) was a significant Russian author and journalist whose literary career spanned several decades, particularly during the Soviet era. Born in the Vologda region, he served as a radio operator in the Red Army during World War II before pursuing a career in literature after the war. He studied at the Institute of Cinematography and the Gorky Institute of Literature, graduating in 1951. Tendriakov's writing gained prominence during the Soviet cultural thaw of the mid-1950s, where his short stories critiqued the mismanagement of collective farms and captured the disillusionment of rural life.
His works often reflect themes common in the "village prose" movement, focusing on the unspoiled countryside of northern Russia and Siberia, while also addressing ethical concerns surrounding Soviet education and propaganda. Despite facing criticism for the perceived pessimism in his writing, Tendriakov's novellas and short stories played a crucial role in expanding literary dialogue in the USSR. He was actively involved in the Writers' Union and received several honors for his contributions to literature. Tendriakov's most notable works were published posthumously, solidifying his legacy as a critical voice in Soviet literature.
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Vladimir Fyodorovich Tendriakov
Writer
- Born: December 5, 1923
- Birthplace: Makarovskaia, Vologda, Russia
- Died: August 3, 1984
- Place of death: Moscow, Russia
Biography
Vladimir Fyodorovich Tendriakov was born on December 5, 1923, in Makorovskaia in the Vologda region of Russia to Fyodor Vasilyevich and Tatyana Petrovna Zukova Tendriakov. His father was a district official who sometimes worked as a judge. After attending school in Podosinovets, Tendriakov joined the army in 1941, serving as a radio operator until he was wounded and discharged in 1943. He then worked as a military instructor at his former school in Podosinovets and was secretary of the district committee of the Komsomol, the Communist youth union.
In 1945, Tendriakov moved to Moscow and studied at the Institute of Cinematography. In 1946, he began studies at the Gorky Institute of Literature, graduating in 1951. In 1948, he became a member of the Communist Party, and from 1951 to 1953 he worked as a journalist for the Soviet news agency Tass and for the magazine Ogonek. In 1953 he became a full-time author and in 1958 he became editor of the journal Literaturnaia Moskva.
Although Tendriakov began publishing in 1947, he did not receive wide recognition and readership until the Soviet cultural thaw in the mid-1950’s following the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. During the 1950’s, Tendriakov’s short stories were popular for their criticism of mismanagement at collective farms and the subsequent disheartenment of the peasants.
In June, 1961, Tendriakov married Natalya Grigoryevna Asmolova. They eventually had two children, Tatyana and Mariya. In the early 1960’s, Tendriakov’s works began to include themes found in the Soviet “village prose” writers. These writers focused on the unspoiled countryside, especially in northern Russia and Siberia, where cultural traditions and moral values were preserved. These themes are evident in Tendriakov’s short novel Sud (1961; The Trial, 1978).
During the 1960’s and 1970’s, Tendriakov was an official in the Writers’ Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. He was awarded the Order of Red Banner of Labor, and in 1973 he received the Distinguished Award Badge for his contributions to Soviet literature. From 1973 to 1980, he served on the governing board of the Writers’ Union. During the 1970’s, Tendriakov became concerned with the ethics of Soviet education and propaganda. His novels and short stories reflected these concerns and many are considered gloomy and pessimistic.
Tendriakov died in Moscow on August 3, 1984, and his most outspoken works were published in 1988 in the journal Novyi Mir and collected in Okhota (1991). Although Tendriakov wrote two full-length novels, some science fiction, short stories, plays, screenplays, and essays, he is most well known for his novellas, or short novels. Many of his works are critical of the Soviet bureaucracy and often center on a moral crisis or test. Tendriakov was often criticized in official Soviet circles for the pessimism and negativity of his works, but they served to open new literary discourse during the 1980’s as well as later political changes.