He said that this writer noble heart and strong will. The works of the master of the pen attracted the attention of critics of various orientations, he was often accused of pornography, a break with the Russian literary diaspora, excessive snobbery, and even creative theft.

But it is worth saying that Nabokov's stories were among the most read and reviewed in the literature of the Russian diaspora in the 20-30s. Vladimir Vladimirovich's books are read to this day: critics meticulously discuss his novels, eminent directors make films, and writers seek out new grains in his amazing and multifaceted biography.

Childhood and youth

April 10 (22), 1899 in the city on the Neva was born great writer, who left a mark on the history of both Russian and American literature. The future novelist, along with his brothers and sisters, was brought up in a privileged noble family and did not know what poverty was. Vladimir Nabokov has a rich pedigree: the writer used to say that his grandmother's paternal ancestors can be traced back to the 14th century.

The father of the writer - the son of the Minister of Justice Dmitry Nikolayevich - was called Vladimir. In 1887 he graduated from school with a gold medal. Vladimir Sr. personified courage, integrity and honesty. He worked as a lawyer, was the founder of the Cadets Party, and was also known as a journalist and politician. Honor and dignity were the main components for Vladimir Dmitrievich.

In 1911, a man threw a white glove to the Russian playwright Mikhail Suvorin, who at that time was the editor-in-chief of the Novoye Vremya newspaper. The reason for the competition was the publication of the journalist Nikolai Snessarev, where the provocateur spoke impartially about the Nabokov family, calling this gentleman "a man who married money." However, the fight never took place. It is noteworthy that before this incident, the writer's father spoke unflatteringly about the duel and believed that the cruel tradition was contrary to Russian legislation And common sense.

The writer's mother, Elena Ivanovna, came from a noble family: she was the daughter of a landowner and millionaire Ivan Vasilyevich Rukavishnikov, co-owner of the Lena gold mines.

Vladimir Nabokov spent his childhood in a three-story house on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, which until February Revolution was considered the main fashionable haven for aristocratic ladies and gentlemen. Also, a large family rested in their estate Vyra near Gatchina or traveled abroad - to Italy or Sweden.

Vladimir and Elena tried to give their offspring a decent education: the children read classic literature, and Benois and Dobuzhinsky came to teach them how to draw. Also, young Nabokov did not neglect sports: the boy loved tennis, football, cycling and playing chess. It is known that in the house of the future genius of literature they spoke three languages ​​fluently: Russian, French and English, and the last gifted boy mastered it perfectly.

And here is the Russian alphabet for little Lodi ( childhood nickname Nabokov) was initially difficult, because the child changed everything in the English manner. For example, instead of the word "breakfast" from Vladimir, one could hear "breakfast" ("breakfast" from English - breakfast). After home schooling Nabokov entered the Tenishev School, which the poet graduated from Silver Age, prose writer Nikolai Stanyukovich, publicist Oleg Volkov and other famous literary figures.

Vladimir came to the school by car, accompanied by a driver in livery. By the way, the Nabokov family had three cars, which at that time was considered an unprecedented luxury. During his studies, the young man zealously pored over literature and was fond of entomology, especially future writer loved to collect butterflies. It is noteworthy that these winged insects were found in the works of Vladimir more than 570 times.

Literature

The creative biography of the master of the pen begins in 1916. Then young writer publishes a poetry collection "Poems", which includes 68 works. It is noteworthy that his teacher of Russian literature - Vladimir Gippius - criticized Nabokov's first creative efforts to the nines. He advised the student to forget about high art and direct your forces in a different direction. Fortunately, Lodi did not attach any importance to the words of his teacher, passing his instructions on deaf ears.

In 1917, when Russian Empire the first seeds were "planted" October revolution, the Nabokov family was forced to flee to the Crimea. There, the beginning writer gained popularity: his works were published in the Yalta Voice newspaper, and were also used by theater troupes. At the beginning of his work, Nabokov preferred poetry: in 1918, Nabokov published the almanac "Two Ways", where he published poetic works Vladimir and his classmate Andrei Balashov. Among other things, the writer gets acquainted with rhythmic theory, which he tries to embody in his writings.

Bolshevik coup dealt a blow to many families, and the Nabokovs are no exception. Therefore, the writer moves to Berlin with his parents - largest center Russian emigration of those years. While the family lives in the capital of Germany, Vladimir receives higher education at the University of Cambridge, later teaches English and also translates American literature.

In 1926, Nabokov's debut novel, Mashenka, was published. This book is covered from cover to cover philosophical thought and reasoning about the role of love on earth. It is worth noting that the plot of the work revolves around emigration, because main character Ganin moves from Russia to an unfamiliar country. The protagonist learns that the wife of his friend Alferov - Masha - is going to visit her husband. Seeing the photo of the girl, Ganin sees his ex love with whom he broke up at a young age. Therefore already forgotten feeling the main character again begins to fill his heart, and Mashenka lives in memories, remaining behind the scenes in reality.

In general, Nabokov's first book is the apogee of Bunin's influence: Vladimir Vladimirovich tried to follow the beaten path of this writer. So in 1926, a student sends a copy of the first novel to his mentor with the caption: "Don't judge me too harshly, please." Ivan Alekseevich did not even bother to answer the novice novelist, making notes on one of the pages of the book: “Oh, how bad!”. The fact is that Bunin judged the writer's talent by his elegance in literature, putting the author's reasoning in the background.

Also in Berlin, Nabokov wrote the novels The Gift (1935–1937), Invitation to Execution (1935–1936), Despair (1934), etc. Most of the manuscripts were published in the journal Sovremennye Zapiski, and Vladimir was recognized under the pseudonym Sirin.

In 1936, when he came to power, Nabokov's wife was fired because of the xenophobia that was progressing in the country. From Berlin, the road lay to France, and from there the writer left for America, where from 1940 to 1958 he worked as a teacher at American universities. Vladimir Nabokov's lectures on literature were popular with students, because the master was one of those few teachers who could make any listener absorb knowledge like a sponge.

Becoming a writer, Sirin invented own style: his works were characterized by a bright and unique style, which was later borrowed by some authors, for example, Sokolov or Bitov. Nabokov, like meticulously analyzed state of mind the main characters and "mixed" all the synesthesia sensations and memories with an unpredictable climax and denouement. Also, the master adored the play on words and a scrupulous description of even the most insignificant details.

In 1955, the Parisian publishing house "Olympia Press" published the novel by Vladimir Vladimirovich "Lolita" - the most famous philosophical work a writer with a touch of frustration and erotica. In the 1960s, Nabokov translated the work into Russian. By the way, "Lolita" is not the only work based on the love of an adult for a teenager. Prior to this, the writer published a book with a similar theme - "Camera Obscura" (1932).

Lolita is considered a worldwide bestseller, but at the beginning, for obvious reasons, the book was waiting for the same fate as Joyce's novel Ulysses. Publishing houses considered Nabokov's plot to be pornographic, and in some countries the work was tabooed. And this is not surprising, because the master described the passionate feelings of an adult man for the 12-year-old nymphet Dolores.

However, Sirin himself was frightened by such thoughts, so at one time he wanted, like, to burn his manuscript, which was written thanks to the influence of the English sexologist Havelock Ellis. It was because of this eccentric novel that Sirin did not dare to give the well-deserved Nobel Prize on literature. Also, the story of a frivolous girl and her adult admirer was filmed twice: in 1962 (the script was written by Sirin himself), and in 1997, the director was Adrian Line.

Personal life

According to rumors, as a child, Nabokov was extremely amorous: when he was 15, he fell in love with a peasant daughter, Polya, and at the age of 16, he experienced feelings for a plump girl of small stature, Valentina Shulgina. According to the writer's memoirs, it was love at first sight. Young people secretly met and hid from the eyes of their parents. At the end of the gymnasium, Nabokov promised to marry Tamara (as the writer called his passion), but after moving to the Crimea, their connection was cut off. Shulgina became the prototype of Mashenka in novel of the same name.

In 1922, Nabokov met with Svetlana Sievert, but their union was not successful: the parents of the beloved were against Vladimir, because they believed that the writer at that time did not have permanent job.

In 1925, the writer marries a girl Jewish origin- Vera Solonim, who became the guardian of his literary heritage. For example, after the death of her husband, she translated Nabokov's novel "Pale Fire" ("Pale Fire"). This beautiful black-eyed woman not only shared the master's love for creativity, but also engaged with him in his favorite pastime - catching butterflies. On May 10, 1934, a son, Dmitry, was born in the Nabokov family, who later became an American translator (including translating his father's works) and an opera singer.

Death

In the last years of his life, Vladimir lives in a picturesque city in the west of Switzerland - Motre - and is engaged in literary activity. Notable novels written by Nabokov during this period include Pale Fire (1961) and Hell (1969).

In the summer of 1977, Vladimir Nabokov died of a severe bronchial infection. The body of the genius of literature was cremated and buried in the Claran cemetery. The novelist's grave bears the inscription: "Vladimir Nabokov, writer."

"Laura and her original" - the last and unfinished novel writer, published posthumously. The master left a will for the manuscript to be destroyed, but the writer's widow disobeyed her husband's last wish and, shortly before her death, asked Dmitry to fulfill his father's will. But in 2008, Dmitry Vladimirovich decided that the writer's unfinished novel should be published.

Quotes

• “Loneliness, as a situation, is available for correction, but as a condition, it is an incurable disease.”
• "Three-syllable formula human life: the irreversibility of the past, the insatiability of the present and the unpredictability of the future.
• "Professors of literature tend to come up with problems like, 'What was the author aiming for?' or even worse: “What does the book want to say?” But I belong to those writers who, having conceived a book, have no other goal than to get rid of it.
• “Life is a big surprise. Perhaps death will be an even bigger surprise.”

Bibliography

• "Mashenka" (1926)
• "King, Queen, Jack" (1928)
• "Protection of Luzhin" (1930)
• "Feat" (1932)
• "Camera Obscura" (1932)
• "Despair" (1934)
• "Invitation to Execution" (1936)
• "The Gift" (1938)
• "The Real Life of Sebastian Knight" (1941)
• "Under the sign of the illegitimate" (1947)
• "Lolita" (Eng. Lolita) (1955)
• "Pnin" (English Pnin) (1957)
• "Pale Fire" (1962)
• "Ada, or the Joys of Passion: A Family Chronicle" (1969)
• Laura and Her Original (1975-1977, published posthumously in 2009)

Vladimir Nabokov - eminent writer. In addition, he was a poet, literary critic, entomologist, translator and teacher. Vladimir Nabokov is the only one domestic authors who created works on foreign language(English), as well as in their native language. Nabokov's biography is detailed in this article.

His style is very juicy, varied, unique and bright. Most famous works Nabokov - the novel "Lolita", which has already been filmed several times, as well as "Protection of Luzhin", "Mashenka", "Gift", "Invitation to Execution". All these works are interesting in their own way.

Nabokov's circle of interests

It should be said that the range of interests of this writer was very wide. Vladimir Nabokov made a great contribution to lepidopterology (by this compound word called the branch of entomology that studies Lepidoptera). Twenty species of butterflies were discovered by Nabokov. The biography, summarized, does not imply a detailed acquaintance with this passion of his, because Vladimir Vladimirovich interests us, first of all, as a writer. However, it must be said that Vladimir Nabokov is the author of eighteen scientific articles. It has 4324 copies. He gave her Zoological Museum belonging to the University of Lausanne.

In addition, the teaching of domestic and world literature marked such a writer as Vladimir Nabokov, biography. He owns translations into English of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" and "Eugene Onegin". Also, this writer was fond of chess, in which he was a fairly strong player. He published several interesting chess problems.

Origin of Nabokov

Nabokov's biography begins on April 10, 1899 - that's when he was born. He came from an aristocratic family. The father of the future writer was Nabokov Vladimir Dmitrievich, a well-known politician. The family used three languages: native Russian, as well as French and English. Thus, Vladimir Vladimirovich young years fluent in these languages. According to him own words, Nabokov learned to read English before he could read Russian.

Childhood, training at the Tenishevsky School

The early childhood of the future writer passed in prosperity and comfort in the house of his parents, located in St. Petersburg, on Bolshaya Morskaya. The family also visited a country estate located near Gatchina (its photo is presented above).

Vladimir Nabokov began his studies at the St. Petersburg Tenishevsky School. In this educational institution, shortly before him, Osip Mandelstam received his education. Entomology and literature became the main hobbies of Vladimir Vladimirovich. At his own expense, shortly before the revolution, he published a collection of his own poems.

Emigration, studying in Cambridge

After the 1917 revolution, the Nabokov family moved to the Crimea, and somewhat later, in 1919, the Nabokovs decided to emigrate. They managed to take away some jewelry with them, and the family lived on this money in Berlin. At this time, Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov continued his studies at Cambridge. His biography of these years is marked by the fact that he continued to write poetry in Russian, and also translated the work of L. Carroll "Alice in Wonderland" into his own native language.

Death of Nabokov's father

In March 1922, a tragedy occurred in the Nabokov family. The head of the family, Vladimir Dmitrievich, was killed. This tragic event happened during the lecture "America and the Restoration of Russia" by P. N. Milyukov, which took place in the writer's father tried to prevent the radical who shot at Milyukov, but was killed by his partner.

Marriage, first stories and first novel

Vladimir Nabokov since 1922 became a member of the Russian diaspora living in Berlin. He earned his living by teaching English. Nabokov's stories began to appear in the Berlin publishing houses and newspapers organized by emigrants from the USSR. An important event in the personal life of the writer happened in 1925 - he got married. Vera Slonim became his chosen one. Vladimir Vladimirovich met this woman at a costume ball. One of the most important reasons for his development as a writer is his happy family life. Nabokov's first novel, Masha, appeared shortly after the author's marriage.

Works in Russian

Until 1937, Vladimir Nabokov wrote eight more novels in Russian. His author's style became more and more complicated, the writer made more and more bold experiments with the form. IN Soviet Russia Nabokov's novels were not published, but they were a success with Western emigration. In our time, these works are considered masterpieces and classics of Russian literature, especially such novels as "The Gift", "Luzhin's Defense" and "Invitation to Execution".

Emigration to the USA, novels in English

In the late 1930s, the policy pursued by the Nazi authorities in Germany led to the disappearance of the Russian diaspora in Berlin. Since then, Nabokov's life with his Jewish wife in this country has become impossible, so he moved to Paris. Later, when the Second World War, the writer emigrated to the United States. After the Russian diaspora ceased to exist in Europe, Vladimir Vladimirovich finally lost his Russian-speaking readers. For Nabokov, the only way out was to start writing in English. He wrote the first novel written in this language while still in Europe, before leaving the United States. It's called The Real Life of Sebastian Knight. And from 1937 until the end of his life, Vladimir Vladimirovich did not write a single novel in Russian. He only translated "Lolita" into his native language, and also wrote an autobiography in it ("Other Shores").

Between 1940 and 1958, Vladimir Nabokov, while in America, earns his living by lecturing at American universities. These lectures are devoted to domestic and world literature.

Interesting facts about Nabokov the teacher

The writer Nabokov was distinguished by considerable originality. His biography is also marked by many interesting facts. But as a teacher, Nabokov is no less interesting. It is known that he was distinguished by an unusual manner of lecturing. Vladimir Nabokov asked students to always sit in the same places. He strictly forbade them to engage in extraneous matters during the lecture. Vladimir Vladimirovich did not allow me to go to the exam. This could be done only by presenting a certificate from a doctor. Nabokov carefully prepared for all his lectures. The biography and work of this or that author was studied by him in great detail. The writer thought carefully about what he would talk about. Nevertheless, the students had the feeling that the teacher was improvising a lot. Vladimir Vladimirovich had his own opinion about everything, while it could radically differ from the generally accepted one. In particular, this refers to his view of the work of Sholokhov, Chekhov, Dostoevsky and others. Nabokov, all his life, he had an aversion to everything petty-bourgeois, vulgar and banal.

First English language novels, "Lolita"

Nabokov's first English-language novels were True Life..., already mentioned above, and Under the Sign of the Illegitimate. These works, despite all their artistic merit, were not commercially successful.

During these years, Vladimir Vladimirovich became close friends with some other literary critics. He continues to work in entomology for professional level. Traveling around the United States during the holidays, the author, V. Nabokov, is working on the creation of the novel "Lolita". The biography and work of this writer are of interest to many precisely because he is the creator of this work. Its theme is the story of a grown man who fell in love with a 12-year-old girl. For its time, this topic was unthinkable, which is why the writer had practically no hope even that the novel would be published, not to mention its recognition. Nevertheless, success was not long in coming. First, "Lolita" was published in Europe, and after a while - in America. This novel immediately brought the writer financial well-being and world fame. It is curious that the original work, which Nabokov himself noted, appeared in Olympia, a very odious publishing house. This publishing house, as the author of "Lolita" realized after its text was published, mainly specialized in "semi-pornographic" novels and works close to them.

Return to Europe, recent works

Nabokov's biography is further marked by his return to Europe. Writer since 1960 lives in Here appear his latest novels, among which the most famous are "Ada" and "Pale Fire". Nabokov's biography ends in 1977. It was then that the writer died, having lived to 78 years. Laura and Her Original is Nabokov's last novel to be left unfinished. It was published in November 2009 on English language. In the same year, the Azbuka publishing house published a Russian translation of this work.

Soviet literature

Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov

Biography

Russian American writer, literary critic. Born on May 5 (according to the old style - April 22) [according to the Big Soviet encyclopedia- April 24 (according to the old style - April 12)] 1899 in St. Petersburg. Son of a hereditary nobleman statesman, member I State Duma from the Cadet Party, later the Manager of the Provisional Government, Nabokov Vladimir Dmitrievich. Grew up in one of richest families Russia. Got excellent home education, “having learned to read English earlier than Russian,” he became seriously interested in entomology, chess, and sports. In 1910 he entered the Tenishevsky Commercial School, one of the best educational institutions Petersburg. In 1916 he published his first collection of poems. Since 1919, Nabokov has been in exile: in Great Britain (1919 - 1922), Germany (1922 - 1937), France (1937 - 1940), the USA (since 1940), Switzerland (since 1960). In 1922 he graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied Romance and Slavic languages and literature. For the first few years of his life in Germany, he lived in poverty, earning a living by compiling chess compositions for newspapers and giving tennis and swimming lessons, occasionally starring in german cinema. In 1925 he married V. Slonim, who became his faithful assistant and friend. In 1926, after the publication of the novel Mashenka in Berlin (under the pseudonym V. Sirin), he gained literary fame. In 1937, Nabokov left Nazi Germany, fearing for the life of his wife and son, first to Paris, and in 1940 to America. At first, after moving to the United States, Nabokov traveled almost the entire country in search of work. A few years later he began to teach at American universities. Since 1945 - a US citizen. Since 1940, he began to write works in English, which he was fluent in from childhood. First English language novel true life Sebastian Knight". In 1959 Nabokov returned to Europe. Since 1919 he has not had his own home. He lived in boarding houses, rented apartments, occupied professorial cottages, and, finally, the luxurious Palace Hotel in Montreux (Switzerland) became his last refuge. Nabokov died on July 12, 1977, in Vevey, and was buried in Clarens, near Montreux, Switzerland. In 1986, Nabokov's first publication in the USSR appeared (the novel "Luzhin's Defense" in the magazines "64" and "Moscow").

Among Nabokov's works are novels, novellas, short stories, short stories, essays, essays, poems: "A Man from the USSR" (1927), "Luzhin's Defense" (1929 - 1930, story), "The Return of Chorba" (1930; a collection of stories and poems ), Camera Obscura (1932 - 1933, novel), Despair (1934, novel), Invitation to Execution (1935 - 1936; dystopian novel), The Gift (1937, separate ed. - 1952; a novel about N. G. Chernyshevsky), The Spy (1938), The True Life of Sebastian Knight, Under the Sign of the Illegitimate, Conclusive evidence (1951; Russian translation Other Shores, 1954; memoirs), "Lolita" (1955; was written by him both in Russian and in English), "Pnin" (1957), "Ada" (1969), translations into English of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin (1964; Nabokov himself considered his translation unsuccessful), "A Hero of Our Time" by M. Yu. Lermontov, lyric poems Pushkin, Lermontov, Tyutchev.

Vladimir Nabokov is a Russian-American writer, literary critic, born May 5, 1899 in St. Petersburg. In many sources, the date of birth of the writer is fixed in different ways. According to the old style, he was born on April 22. His family is from a kind of nobleman, and Vladimir Nabokov is the hereditary son of a nobleman and statesman. He spent his childhood in Russia, lived in full prosperity. His family was considered quite wealthy at the time.

He studied at home, began to read in English earlier than in Russian. He took entomology, chess and sports seriously. Later, in 1910, he studied at the Tenishevsky Commercial School. After 6 years, the world saw his first collection of poems. In 1922 he graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge.

When living in Germany, the first years were quite difficult for him, he was constantly in poverty. From time to time he tried to earn his living by composing chess compositions for newspapers, giving tennis and swimming lessons, and even starring in German films. Already in 1926, the novel "Mashenka" came out into the world, which brought him great success and fame in literature.

After the writer moved with his family to the United States, from 1940 he began to write in English. This language was given to him from childhood with ease, so there were no difficulties in writing new works. The first such novel was The True Life of Sebastian Knight. Nabokov's work is quite diverse, he resorted to many genres. This is a novel, short story, short story, essays, poems: "A Man from the USSR" (1927), "Despair" (1934, novel), "Spy" (1938) and many others.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov is a Russian and American writer, poet, translator, literary critic and entomologist.

Nabokov about himself:
I am an American writer, born in Russia, educated in England, where I studied French literature before moving to Germany for fifteen years. … My head speaks English, my heart speaks Russian, and my ear speaks French.

Born into an aristocratic family of the famous Russian politician Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov. Three languages ​​were used in everyday life of the Nabokov family: Russian, English, and French - thus, the future writer was fluent in three languages ​​with early childhood. In his own words, he learned to read English before he could read Russian. The first years of Nabokov's life were spent in comfort and prosperity in the Nabokovs' house on Bolshaya Morskaya in St. Petersburg and in their country estate Batovo (near Gatchina).

He began his education at the Tenishevsky School in St. Petersburg, where Osip Mandelstam had studied shortly before. Literature and entomology become Nabokov's two main hobbies. Shortly before the revolution, Nabokov published a collection of his poems with his own money.

The 1917 revolution forced the Nabokovs to move to the Crimea, and then, in 1919, to emigrate from Russia. Some of the family jewels were taken away with them, and with this money the Nabokov family lived in Berlin, while Vladimir was educated in Cambridge, where he continues to write Russian poetry and translate L. Carroll's Alice in Wonderland into Russian.

In March 1922, Vladimir Nabokov's father, Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov, was killed. This happened at a lecture by P. N. Milyukov "America and the Restoration of Russia" in the building of the Berlin Philharmonic. V. D. Nabokov tried to neutralize the radical who shot at Milyukov, but was shot dead by his partner.

Since 1922, Nabokov has been part of the Russian diaspora in Berlin, earning a living by teaching English. Nabokov's stories are published in Berlin newspapers and publishing houses organized by Russian emigrants. In 1927, Nabokov married Vera Slonim and completed his first novel, Mashenka. After that, until 1937, he created 8 novels in Russian, continuously complicating his author's style and experimenting more and more boldly with form. Nabokov's novels, which were not published in Soviet Russia, were successful with Western emigration, and are now considered masterpieces of Russian literature (especially Luzhin's Defense, The Gift, Invitation to Execution).

The policy of the Nazi authorities in Germany in the late 30s put an end to the Russian diaspora in Berlin. Nabokov's life with his Jewish wife in Germany became impossible, and the Nabokov family moved to Paris, and with the outbreak of World War II, emigrated to the United States. With the disappearance of the Russian diaspora in Europe, Nabokov finally lost his Russian-speaking reader, and the only way to continue his work was to switch to English. Nabokov wrote his first novel in English (“The Real Life of Sebastian Knight”) in Europe, shortly before leaving for the United States, from 1937 until the end of his days, Nabokov did not write a single novel in Russian (except for his autobiography “Other Shore" and the author's translation of "Lolita" into Russian).

In America, from 1940 to 1958, Nabokov made his living by lecturing on Russian and world literature at American universities. His first English-language novels (The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Bend Sinister, Pnin), despite their artistic merit, were not commercially successful. During this period, Nabokov closely converged with E. Wilson and other literary critics, continued to professionally engage in entomology. Traveling during his holidays in the United States, Nabokov is working on the novel Lolita, the theme of which (the story of an adult man who is passionately carried away by a twelve-year-old girl) was unthinkable for his time, as a result of which even the writer had little hope of publishing the novel. However, the novel was published (first in Europe, then in America) and quickly brought its author worldwide fame and financial well-being. It is interesting that initially the novel, as Nabokov himself described, was published by the odious Olympia publishing house, which, as he realized after publication, mainly produced “semi-pornographic” and similar novels.

Nabokov returned to Europe and since 1960 has lived in Montreux, Switzerland, where he writes his last novels, the most famous of which are Pale Fire and Ada.

In 1967, Nabokov received the first letter from Soviet Union. It was sent by 25-year-old Alexander Goryanin to a New York publishing house and struck the writer. It was a READER's letter - about the "Gift" ... Several letters were later forwarded by Radio Liberty. Since 1969, Elena Vladimirovna, Nabokov's sister, went to Leningrad as a tourist. In 1977, Bella Akhmadulina met Nabokov. Sergey Ilyin, Goryanin, Mikhail Meilakh translated his novels from English without hope of publishing.

1974 - the peak of Nabokov's political activity. In May 1974, he published an appeal in defense of Vladimir Bukovsky. In December, at the request of Karl Proffer, he sends a telegram to the Leningrad branch of the Writers' Union in defense of Vladimir Maramzin. In the fall, he meets for the first time with Viktor Nekrasov and Vladimir Maksimov, who left the Soviet Union. On October 6 of the same year, due to a misunderstanding, his historical "non-meeting" with Solzhenitsyn, who in 1972 applied to the Nobel Committee with a request to consider Nabokov's candidacy, took place.

Throughout the 1970s, the Nabokovs systematically sent money to dissidents and their families through the Proffers. Especially poignant last letter Vera Nabokova, offering the Proffers to take her late husband's clothes for dissidents...

Vladimir Nabokov was born on April 22, 1899 Petersburg in a family that belonged to the highest circle of the metropolitan aristocracy. The Nabokov family began its chronology from the Russified Tatar prince Nabok Murza. The writer's grandfather Dmitry Nabokov, a kind of Karenin LN Tolstoy, was the Minister of Justice in 1878-1885. Father V. D. Nabokov is one of the leaders of the People's Freedom party, constitutional democrats (they were then called "cadets"), a friend of the leading liberal ministers of the Provisional Government P. N. Milyukov, A. I. Shingarev. On the line of the mother of E. I. Rukavishnikova, the future writer belonged to the richest merchant family of the Rukavishnikovs, Siberian gold miners.
Most happy Days childhood and youth were spent in the Rozhdestvensky manor not far from St. Petersburg. Throughout his life, Nabokov's father collected a unique library. Encyclopedic educated person He instilled in his children a love of reading. From early childhood, Vladimir spoke three languages ​​fluently. “At the age of three, I spoke English better than Russian. I started learning French at the age of six, ”the writer recalled.
Another passion of his father passed to his son - hunting for butterflies in order to create scientific collections. All later life Wherever he lived, Vladimir Nabokov, along with literature, was engaged in entomology, i.e. the study of butterflies; he owns the discovery of one of its rare species.
At the age of eleven, Vladimir was enrolled in the 2nd grade of the Tenishevsky School. Teaching was easy for him. In addition, he was a great sportsman. But those around him - both students and teachers - often accused Vladimir of individualism, of unwillingness to participate in the life of the team. Eighteen-year-old Vladimir graduated from the school in the winter of 1917, passing a month before official deadline final exams.
At the time of the revolution, the Nabokov family moved to the Crimea, where his father was a member of the white Crimean government. From there, young Nabokov, who retained some material values, family heirlooms, ended up in London, in Cambridge university where he studied French literature and entomology.
In 1922, his father was killed in Berlin. But Nabokov the writer was immediately supported by his father's associates, former cadets, Socialist-Revolutionaries (and "brothers" in mighty Masonic Lodge) like the publisher of the Berlin newspaper "Rul" V. I. Gessen. Friends of the father, and then publishers close to P. N. Milyukov, the Slonim family, timber merchants (Nabokov's wife Vera Slonim from their family) made the creative debut of Nabokov, a poet and prose writer, very noticeable, significant. Thanks to these same connections, Nabokov (like M. A. Aldanov), in fact, filled the pages of " Modern notes» - the leading emigration magazine.
In 1923, he published two books of poetry - "Bunch" and "Mountain Way". In 1926, the novel Mashenka appeared, in 1929 - Luzhin's Defense, in 1936 - Invitation to the Execution, in 1938 - The Gift. He published these and other works - "Camera Obscura", (1933), "Despair" (1934), many stories - under the pseudonym "V. Sirin. In the mythology of the Middle Ages, Sirin is a bird of paradise with a female head and chest. She enchants people with heavenly singing and serves as a symbol of a homeless, persecuted soul.
In 1940 Nabokov left Nazi Germany and settled in France: under Hitler, his wife Vera Sloim was threatened with moving to a Jewish ghetto or concentration camp. In 1940, the writer emigrates to the USA and long years works as a teacher in American colleges and universities. He writes most of his new works in English, including the popular novel Lolita (1955), which had millions of copies, a bestseller about erotic fuss, the complexes of an elderly hero with an empty soul, associated with affection for a 12-year-old very vulgar heroine.
Last years Nabokov lived his life in Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva, in a hotel in the town of Montreux. In English, Nabokov wrote two novels known in America, Pale Fire and Ada, or Passion.
The writer died of lung disease in 1977. On his grave near Montreux there is an inscription in French: “Vladimir Nabokov. Writer. 1899 - 1977".