Mikhail Isakovsky is a Soviet poet who wrote Russian folk songs. Mikhail Isakovsky

Mikhail Vasilyevich Isakovsky was born on January 7 (19), 1900 in the village of Glotovka, Elninsk district, Smolensk province (now Ugransky district, Smolensk region) into a poor peasant family.

Self-taught, he became literate, learned to read and write. From the autumn of 1911 he was able to go to school and graduated from it in the spring of 1913, having received "5" in all subjects. In 1915 he continued his studies at the gymnasium. The gymnasium had to be abandoned, as the family was in great need. One of the student's poems - "A Soldier's Request" - was published back in 1914 in the all-Russian newspaper "Nov". In 1921-1931 he worked in Smolensk newspapers. In 1931 he moved to Moscow.

Many of Isakovsky's poems have been set to music. The most famous are “Katyusha” and “Enemies burned their own hut” (music by M. I. Blanter), “In the forest near the front”, “Migratory birds are flying”, “Lonely accordion”, “Under the Balkan stars” and others. In the film "Kuban Cossacks" to the music of I. O. Dunayevsky, his songs "As you were, so you remain" and "Oh, viburnum blooms" sounded.

In 1926, M. V. Isakovsky, being the editor of a newspaper, helps his young talented countryman A. T. Tvardovsky.

In 1927, the first collection of poems by the poet, Wires in the Straw, was published, which Maxim Gorky liked. As a result of cooperation with V. G. Zakharov, songs to the words of Isakovsky appear in the repertoire of the Choir. Pyatnitsky. The most famous of them: "Along the village", "Seeing", "And who knows". According to Alexandra Permyakova, the current director of the Choir. Pyatnitsky, these songs made the choir famous. The poem "The Tale of Truth", written in 1945-1946, was published only in 1987.

Back in the thirties, his amazing songs sounded everywhere, in which our time felt so appropriate and comfortable, with all its innovations and premonitions of tomorrow ... And the most famous, Katyusha, fought at the front, our fighters called it the most formidable weapon - jet guards mortars. And finally, its peak, where full will is already given to pain, according to its tragedy, rarely reached even by the strongest poets, is “The enemies burned their own hut”.

In addition to numerous poetry collections, he published the book "On Poetic Mastery". He devoted a lot of time to transcribing and processing old songs and fairy tales, he is known for translations from Ukrainian, Belarusian and other languages. Is it coming?", "The Eternal Song", "To No One", "Over the Ares River", "The Boy and the Pilot" (Yuri Gagarin loved the last poem), Yakub Kolas "Simon the Musician", Arkady Kuleshov "The Banner of the Brigade" (translated by Isakovsky the poem of Kuleshov was translated into Serbian-Croatian by the Montenegrin poet Rodovan Zogovich and it became popular among the Yugoslav partisans), Adam Rusak "Be healthy"; Serbian folk songs. Autobiographical book "On the Yelninskaya land" (1969).

Mikhail Vasilyevich was engaged in parliamentary activities - he was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of four convocations.

Curious facts The song "Be healthy" at one time was considered folk. The composer Isak Loban was listed as the author of the music, the Russian translation was M. Isakovsky. The authorship of Adam Rusak was established at a special meeting of the Union of Belarusian Writers in 1937. In 1941, Mikhail Vasilyevich sent Rusak a letter of apology.

A well-known Russian poet, the author of words for a number of songs popular among the people ("Katyusha", "Migratory birds are flying", "Oh, the viburnum is blooming", etc.) ... Many are familiar with these and other works created by Mikhail Isakovsky. A brief biography of the poet presented in this article will introduce you to the main milestones of his life and work. Mikhail Vasilyevich believed that one should write in a clear, clean, folk language. That is why his creations are perceived by many as folklore.

Origin, childhood

On January 19, 1900, Mikhail Isakovsky was born. A brief biography of the poet will be of particular interest to his countrymen. Isakovsky's homeland is the Smolensk region, the village of Glotovka (Vskhodsky district). The poet came from a poor peasant family. Nevertheless, he studied at the gymnasium for some time. Due to the difficult financial situation, the future poet dropped out of school in the 6th grade to go to work.

Work and social activities

The later years of Mikhail Vasilyevich's life were marked by the fact that he was a teacher, and also took part in the activities of the Council of Peasants' Deputies. Mikhail Isakovsky joined the RCP(b) in 1918. During the October Revolution, he actively participated in public life. The future poet was the secretary of the Volost Council, and then, from 1919, he took the post of editor of the Yelnya newspaper. In the period from 1921 to 1930, Mikhail Vasilyevich lived in Smolensk, where he worked in the newspaper "Working Way". Being already a well-known poet, in 1931 Isakovsky moved to the capital. Here for some time he was the editor of the Kolkhoznik magazine.

First works

Isakovsky, whose biography and work deserve careful study, began writing poetry as a child. His first work was published when he was 14 years old ("A soldier's request" in the newspaper "Nov"). However, Isakovsky himself believed that the beginning of his literary activity dates back to a later period, when ten years later such poems as "Native", "Podpaski", etc. were published. In Moscow in 1927, the book "Wires in the Straw" was published. (author - Isakovsky). A brief biography of the poet since that time has been marked by the creation of many famous works. It must be said that M. Gorky himself highly appreciated the book "Wires in the Straw".

Poems of the Moscow period

The following collections of poems by Mikhail Vasilyevich belong to the period of his life in Moscow: "Province" (published in 1930), "Masters of the Earth" (in 1931) and "Four Desires" (published in 1936). These collections contain poems devoted mainly to the Soviet village. It was she who inspired at that time such a poet as Isakovsky. A brief biography of Mikhail Vasilyevich, however, also testifies to his interest in military topics. No wonder, because 1941-45. - an important page in the history of our country. Therefore, at this time, works dedicated to the Great Patriotic War occupied a significant place in the work of Isakovsky. The war years were spent in evacuation in the city of Chistopol Isakovsky Mikhail Vasilyevich. The biography summarized in this article assumes an acquaintance with the creative heritage of the poet. We will talk about it now.

Creative heritage of Isakovsky

For half a century of creative activity, he created about 250 poems. The poetry of this author continues the folklore tradition, as well as the line of Nekrasov, Koltsov, Oreshin, Nikitin. Mikhail Isakovsky, in letters addressed to young writers, urged them to write in a clear, pure, folk language. It must be said that the poet himself created poems and songs not only in his native Russian language. Also engaged in translations from Belarusian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Hungarian, Latvian, Polish, Tatar, Ossetian and Italian Isakovsky Mikhail Vasilyevich. The biography (briefly stated) does not imply a detailed acquaintance with his translation activity, although it must be said that it is part of his creative heritage.

Mikhail Isakovsky is one of the most famous and revered of the time. "A Word to Comrade Stalin" is a work by this author, which many Soviet schoolchildren read and learned by heart. Mikhail Isakovsky's poem "Cherry" was also known to all Soviet children.

Nevertheless, M. Isakovsky, whose biography is still of interest to many in our time, entered the history of Soviet literature primarily as a talented songwriter. His poems were first set to music, which was one of the leaders of the choir. Pyatnitsky. In addition to him, such composers as Matvey Blanter, Isaac Dunayevsky, Vasily Solovyov-Sedoy, Boris Mokrousov and others worked with the texts of Mikhail Isakovsky.

"Katyusha"

"Katyusha" is, of course, the most famous song of the author of interest to us. It was for her that Isakovsky received the State Prize of the USSR. At present, "Katyusha" has become a truly folk song. There are more than 100 folklore adaptations and sequels of it. The heroine in them is both a fighter and a soldier's girlfriend who is waiting for him to return home, and a front-line nurse.

Wrote the music for this song. He is also the author of music for the following poems by the author of interest to us: "Golden Wheat", "Better there is no other world", "In the forest near the front", "Goodbye, cities and huts."

It is believed that combat vehicles of the BM series were named in honor of the Katyusha. Like the girl who "started the song", these machines went to combat positions and also sang their "songs".

The premiere of "Katyusha" took place in November 1938 at the House of the Unions. Valentina Batishcheva became the first performer of this song. Soon "Katyusha" became very popular. Other performers began to sing it - Lidia Ruslanova, Georgy Vinogradov, Vera Krasovitskaya, as well as amateur and professional choirs. "Katyusha" was included in the repertoire of many army ensembles. This song was sung in cities and villages, at festivities and demonstrations, as well as at the festive table, in the home circle.

"Praskovya"

Another fruit of the joint work of Matvey Blanter and Mikhail Isakovsky was the song "Praskovya", which is also known as "Enemies burned their own hut". It tells about the return of a Russian soldier from the war to his native village. The song "Praskovya" was written in 1945. It should be noted that at first it was severely criticized by the party for its tragic sound. "Praskovya" was actually banned for 15 years. The first who dared to include this song in his repertoire was It happened in 1960. "Praskovya" immediately received recognition from the Soviet people. It has become, perhaps, one of the most tragic songs dedicated to the Patriotic War.

Other songs by Isakovsky

Many poems were created by the poet Isakovsky. His biography is interesting in that a number of his works have become texts for songs. Many of them are probably familiar to you. In addition to those already mentioned, the following songs based on the verses of Mikhail Vasilyevich received great fame: "Seeing", "Farewell", "Oh, my fogs ...", "In the forest near the front", "Spark", "Lonely Accordion" and many others. Compositions from the film "Kuban Cossacks", released in 1949, were very popular. Among them, "Oh, the viburnum is blooming" gained particular fame. Another very popular song from this tape is "What you were, remained so" (M. V. Isakovsky). A brief biography of the poet is marked by collaboration with several composers. For example, Isaac Dunayevsky set music to the verses from this film. These songs immediately became popular, the author of the texts for which is M. Isakovsky. The biography of the poet was marked by national fame already during his lifetime. To this day, Isakovsky's songs are performed at solemn events and feasts.

last years of life

The last years of Mikhail Isakovsky's life were marked by his social activities as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR (4 convocations). In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Mikhail Vasilyevich traveled abroad several times. He visited Italy twice, visited France and Czechoslovakia, saw Warsaw and Vienna. In a word, Isakovsky led an active, businesslike lifestyle.

Mikhail Vasilyevich's illness worsened in 1964 (pneumonia, heart attack). In 1970, the poet was forced to meet in the sanatorium named after Herzen, located near Moscow. Central television in January was preparing a program dedicated to the poet's seventieth birthday. Isakovsky himself took part in the filming. His biography ends on July 20, 1973. It was then that the poet died in Moscow.

Poet Mikhail Isakovsky, author of the lyrics to the songs "Oh, the viburnum is blooming", "What you were, remained so", "Everything froze again until dawn", "And who knows", "Migratory birds are flying" and the immortal "Katyusha", believed that it was necessary to write in a clean, clear, folk language. His songs both now and many years ago are perceived as folklore. Today marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of one of the most revered Soviet poets.

Isakovsky was one of the most widely read and revered Soviet poets. His “Word to Comrade Stalin (“It came without waiting for a call, / It came of its own accord - and you can’t hold it back ... / Let me tell you this word, / A simple word of my heart ...”) entered the mandatory circle of anthology reading and memorization Soviet schoolchildren.Also, all Soviet children knew his poem "Cherry":

On a clear afternoon, at the end of summer,
An old man was walking along a road in the field;
Dug a young cherry somewhere
And, satisfied, carried her home.

He looked with cheerful eyes
To the fields, to the far boundary
And I thought: “Let me remember
I will plant cherries by the road ... ".

Nevertheless, Mikhail Isakovsky entered the history of Soviet literature primarily as a songwriter. For the first time, his poems were set to music by one of the leaders of the choir. Pyatnitsky Vladimir Zakharov. Composers Matvey Blanter, Nikita Bogoslovsky, Vasily Solovyov-Sedoy, Isaak Dunayevsky, Boris Mokrousov and others also worked with Isakovsky's texts.

Song as a weapon

Isakovsky's most famous song is, of course, Katyusha, for which he was awarded the USSR State Prize. The song has become truly popular, it has more than a hundred folklore alterations and continuations. Whoever the heroine of the song was in them: both a fighter with a machine gun in her hands, and a faithful girlfriend of a soldier, waiting for his return with a victory, and a front-line nurse, according to the website muzruk.ru. During the war, they also sang about Katyusha the partisan, "passing through the forests and villages along the partisan narrow path with the same cheerful song that she once sang over the river."

The composer is Matvey Blanter, who also became the author of songs on Isakovsky's poems "Goodbye, cities and huts", "In the forest near the front", "Better there is no other world", "Golden wheat".

It is believed that the song about Katyusha gave the name to the rocket artillery combat vehicles of the BM series. Allegedly, just as Katyusha "came out and started a song," so did the guards' vehicles go into position and sing peculiar "songs." Soon, new couplets were composed about these "Katyushas" among the people:

There were battles at sea and on land,
Shots rumbled all around -
Singing songs "Katyusha"
Near Kaluga, Tula and Orel.

The premiere of the song took place in the Hall of Columns in the House of the Unions in November 1938, for the first time "Katyusha" was performed by Valentina Batishcheva, accompanied by the State Jazz Orchestra. According to Blanter's memoirs, "when, after our entire program, this girl came on stage and sang a song, there was a groan of applause in the hall," his magazine "School of Life" quotes him. The singer had to sing this song three times before the audience let her off the stage.

Soon other singers and singers began to sing the song - Georgy Vinogradov, Lidia Ruslanova, Vera Krasovitskaya, and after them professional and amateur choirs, army ensembles. It was sung in villages and cities, at demonstrations and festivities, or even just in the home circle, at the festive table. Now fans sing "Katyusha" during matches of the Russian national football team.

tragic sound

Another fruit of the co-creation of the poet Mikhail Isakovsky and the composer Matvey Blanter was the song "Praskovya", better known as "Enemies burned their own hut". The song about the return of a soldier from the war to his village was written in 1945. But after the performance, she was subjected to the most severe party criticism - for the tragic sound, according to Krugosvet. For 15 years, the song was actually banned. In 1960, Mark Bernes first ventured to include it in his repertoire:

Enemies burned their own hut,
They killed his entire family.
Where should the soldier go now?
To whom to bear their sorrow?

Went a soldier in deep sorrow
At the crossroads of three roads.
Found a soldier in a wide field
Grass overgrown hillock ...

The song immediately received national recognition and became, perhaps, one of the most tragic songs of the Patriotic War.

Also, such songs based on Isakovsky's verses as "Farewell", "Seeing", "And who knows (what he blinks)", "On the mountain - white-white", "Goodbye, cities and huts", " In the forest near the front", "Oh, my fogs...", "Spark" ("A girl escorted the fighter to the position..."), "Better not have that color", "Hear me, good one", "Migratory birds are flying", "Lone accordion " ("Everything froze again until dawn"), the author's version of the song "The blue ball is spinning, spinning" and many others.

The Soviet people enthusiastically accepted his songs from the tape "Kuban Cossacks" (1949), especially "Oh, the viburnum is blooming", "What you were, you remained like that." The music to the verses of Mikhail Isakovsky was put by the wonderful composer Isaac Dunayevsky. These songs instantly received the status of folk and are still an indispensable attribute of feasts.

As Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes, since the beginning of the 1950s, Isakovsky writes less and less of Mikhail, more and more sadness in his poems.

Not talents, not geniuses, -
Still longing to shine
So that the grass of oblivion
Their way was not covered;

To get a little stronger,
At least for a few years...
Everyone wants immortality
But immortality is not.

The Soviet poet, who wrote a dozen songs that many today perceive as Russian folk, died in Moscow on July 20, 1973.

The material was prepared by the editors of rian.ru based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Isakovsky Mikhail Vasilyevich [b. 7 (19) 1.1900, village of Glotovka, Elninsky district, now Smolensk region], Russian Soviet poet, Hero of Socialist Labor (1970). Member of the CPSU since 1918. Born into a poor peasant family. Even as a child, Isakovsky began to write poetry (in 1914, the poem “A Soldier’s Request” was published in the Moscow newspaper Nov’). In 1921, three small books of poetry by Isakovsky were published in Smolensk. However, the poet considers 1924 to be the beginning of his literary activity, when the poems "Podpaski", "Native" and others were published. In 1927, the book Wires in the Straw was published in Moscow, warmly received by M. Gorky. Then came the collections "Province" (1930), "Masters of the Earth" (1931), "Four Desires" (1936) and others. The first steps of socialism in the countryside, the development of culture and socialist consciousness among the peasantry - these are the themes of many of Isakovsky's poems. Collectivization, the historical revolutionary turning point in the countryside, is dedicated to the "Poem of Departure" (1930) and others. The new man of the Soviet village with his deeds, thoughts and feelings is the main character of his poetry. But Isakovsky is not only a "peasant poet." “Mikhail Isakovsky,” Gorky wrote, “is not a village man, but that new person who knows that the city and the countryside are two forces that cannot exist separately from one another, and knows that the time has come for them to merge into one invincible creative force...” (Uncollected literary-critical articles, 1941, pp. 117-18).

A large place in the work of Isakovsky is occupied by patriotic poems about the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, about the heroism of Soviet people at the front and in the rear (“Russian Woman”, “Word about Russia” and others). Many of Isakovsky's poems, set to music, have become popular folk songs, they are sung all over the world: "Katyusha", "And who knows", "In the forest near the front", "Spark", "Oh, my fogs ...", “Enemies burned their own hut”, “Everything froze again until dawn”, “Migratory birds are flying” and others. Isakovsky's translations from Belarusian and Ukrainian poets, folk Hungarian ballads and songs are known. Isakovsky's articles and letters on poetry are collected in the book On Poets, Poems, and Songs (1968, 2nd edition, 1972).

The strength of Isakovsky's poetry is in its realism and nationality. The poet always writes from a deep spiritual need. Therefore, political themes are expressed in his poems lyrically, excitedly. In the words of A. Tvardovsky, Isakovsky "... found lyrical, sincere means of expression for a vital political, often directly agitational topic, disposing the heart to what is being discussed in the work" (Sobr. soch., vol. 4, 1969, pp. 368-69). Artistic expressiveness, song and musicality are combined in Isakovsky's poetry with clarity and simplicity of language and style. Creativity Isakovsky develops the traditions of Russian classics, especially N. A. Nekrasov, it is also associated with folk lyrical songs, with ditty.

In recent years, Isakovsky has been working on autobiographical notes "On the Elninskaya Land".

State Prizes of the USSR for the lyrics: "A border guard was leaving the service", "Seeing", "And who knows", "Katyusha" and others (1943) and for the collection "Poems and Songs" (1949). He was awarded 4 orders of Lenin, 2 other orders, as well as medals.

A. G. Dementiev. Great Soviet Encyclopedia. M., 1969-1981

Mikhail Isakovsky was born on January 19, 1900 in the Smolensk province in a poor peasant family of Vasily Isakovsky. The village priest taught him to read and write, and later Mikhail studied at the gymnasium for two years. At the age of fourteen, he published his first poem, "A Soldier's Request", in the Moscow newspaper Nov'. This was the beginning of his creative poetic biography.

In 1924, Isakovsky wrote already quite professional works "Podpaski", "Native", and in 1927 the first collection of his poems was published. Since the creative manner of Mikhail Isakovsky is characterized by the simplicity of the plot, the ease of rhyme, many of his poems have become songs loved by the people. It is enough to list only a few of them: "Katyusha", "", "In the forest near the front", "Oh my fogs", "Spark", "".

These songs supported the Russian people both in the years of trials and on the days of great holidays, they went with them into battle and to great labor feats. Many of them are performed today, and they are perceived, most often as folk, which is the highest recognition for the author. However, even during his lifetime, the poet was loved by the people and favored by the authorities, being a laureate of several Stalin and Lenin Prizes and a holder of various government awards.

Mikhail Vasilyevich Isakovsky not only created poetic works, he also did a lot of successful translation work. There are many publications of his translations of poems by Ukrainian and Belarusian poets, as well as Hungarian folk songs and ballads. Already a venerable poet, Isakovsky taught at the Literary Institute, preaching the principles of proximity to the origins of Russian folk culture and creativity for the people and in the name of the people.

The author of many song texts beloved by the people died on July 20, 1973 and was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery. The fate of the poet Isakovsky is one of the few examples when, in an era of global upheavals, a person was prosperous, probably, he was not devoid of conformism, however, despite this, the songs on his poems do not cease to be truly great, and will be sung by more than one generation of Russians .