Аккорды нового тысячелетия. Accords for New Millenium - стр. 4
The author’s life bears some symbolism. He was brought up in the International Children’s Home in the city of Ivanovo, graduated from the Indonesian faculty of the MGIMO, served as a Navy officer, worked as a Research fellow at the Institute of Oriental studies and at the Institute of Sociology of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
His poetry and main philosophical works appeared in print rather late. The first book of verse “Demiurge” was published when the author was 59. “The Philosophy of Planetarism” came out at the age of 61. There were serious reasons for this delay.
In the early 1960s the author had a very intensive correspondence and contacts with Soviet progressive literary figures: he had intensive exchange of opinions with such well-known Russian poets as Pavel Antokolsky, Leonid Martynov, Eduardas Mejelaytis, Rasoul Gamzatov. During his army year’s novelist Victor Necrasov came to visit him, they exchanged views on how to use and interrelate innovation and classic elements in writing. In his early years he had close constructive contacts with Valeria D.Prishvina, a learned philologist, arts theoretician and writer. Yuri Rozhdestvensky, a renowned Russian culturologist and semioiogist, was among his closest friends.
A very important role for the practical realization of his poetical talent was played by Vladimir Lakshin, the leading critic of the top Russian literary monthly “Noviy Mir”. Lakshin offered him to publish some poetry in the famous magazine. But – alas! – in spite of Lakshin’s efforts the poems were rejected by the almighty ideological censorship. Lakshin comforted him: “Don’t be very upset! This is a sign for you. Go on, work as hard as before. And with greater concentration and more energy. Cherish your talent. Do not hurry with publications. Later on just produce all at once!”
In 1968 there was another very important meeting… in absentia…with Yuri V. Andropov (the head of the KGB at that time). The poet gave his personal estimation of the Soviet invasion to Czechoslovakia. The poetical cycle named “Invasion” expressed severe criticism of the events and obviously could not be published. It was designed only for the personal diary. Unexpectedly the manuscript had been laid on Andropov table, and with his resolution was dispatched to the authorities of the Institute of Oriental studies.
Andropov himself wrote poetry. Andropov remarks on the margins of Argutinskiy-Dolgorukiy manuscript read as following: “Poems are of great interest. I categorically disagree with their political approach. Don’t apply any extreme penalties to the author!” Signed: Yuri Andropov. Well, it was an effective charter of immunity for poet and philosopher who have chosen the survival of civilization as the supreme value. The poetical cycle “Invasion” was published only in 1996, they were included into the collection “Faces of a Day”. But that was quite a different epoch, which collisions, motives, contradictions and opportunities have been foreseen by the author of “the Philosophy of planetarism”.
In 1998 A.I. Argutinskiy-Dolgorukiy had been nominated by the “New Millennim Foundation” for the Russian state prize.
Bibliography of the author:
Poetry of A.I. Argutinskiy-Dolgorukiy