Nobel laureates in literature from russia and the ussr. Which of the Russian writers was nominated for the Nobel Prize, but did not become a laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature were philosophers

Nobel Prize for Literature

Are awarded: writers for achievements in literature.

Significance in literature: the most prestigious literary award.

Prize established: at the behest of Alfred Nobel in 1895. Awarded since 1901.

Candidates are nominated: members of the Swedish Academy, other academies, institutions and societies with similar goals and objectives; professors of literature and linguistics; laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature; chairmen of the authors' unions representing literary creation in the respective countries.
The selection of candidates is made by the Nobel Committee on Literature.

Winners are selected: Swedish Academy.

The prize is awarded: once a year.

Laureates are awarded: a medal with the image of the Nobel, a diploma and a monetary prize, the size of which varies.

Award winners and award rationale:

1901 - Sully-Prudhomme, France. For outstanding literary virtues, especially for high idealism, artistic perfection, as well as for the extraordinary combination of soulfulness and talent, as evidenced by his books

1902 - Theodor Mommsen, Germany. One of the outstanding historical writers, whose pen was such a monumental work as "Roman History"

1903 - Bjørnstierne Bjørnson, Norway. For noble, high and versatile poetry, which has always been noted for the freshness of inspiration and the rarest purity of spirit

1904 - Frederic Mistral, France. For the freshness and originality of poetry that truly reflect the spirit of the people

Jose Echegaray y Eizaguirre, Spain. For numerous services in the revival of the traditions of the Spanish drama

1905 - Henryk Sienkiewicz, Poland. For outstanding service in the field of epic

1906 - Giosue Carducci, Italy. Not only for deep knowledge and critical mind, but above all for creative energy, freshness of style and lyrical strength, characteristic of his poetic masterpieces

1907 - Rudyard Kipling, UK. For observation, vivid imagination, maturity of ideas and outstanding talent of the narrator

1908 - Rudolf Eiken, Germany. For a serious search for truth, an all-pervading power of thought, a broad outlook, liveliness and persuasiveness with which he defended and developed an idealistic philosophy

1909 - Selma Lagerlöf, Sweden. As a tribute to the high idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual insight that distinguish all of her works

1910 - Paul Heise, Germany. For artistry, idealism, which he demonstrated throughout his long and productive career as a lyric poet, playwright, novelist, author of world famous short stories

1911 - Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgium. For a multifaceted literary activity, and especially for dramatic works, which are marked by a wealth of imagination and poetic fantasy

1912 - Gerhart Hauptmann, Germany. First of all, a sign of recognition for the fruitful, varied and outstanding work in the field of dramatic art

1913 - Rabindranath Tagore, India. For deeply sensitive, original and beautiful poems, in which his poetic thinking was expressed with exceptional skill, which, in his words, became part of the literature of the West

1915 - Romain Rolland, France. For high idealism works of art, for sympathy and love for the truth with which he describes various human types

1916 - Karl Heidenstam, Sweden. In recognition of his importance as a prominent representative new era in world literature

1917 - Karl Gjellerup, Denmark. For diverse poetry and lofty ideals

Henrik Pontoppidan, Denmark. For an accurate description of modern life in Denmark

1919 - Karl Spitteler, Switzerland. For the incomparable epic "Olympic Spring"

1920 - Knut Hamsun, Norway. For the monumental work "Juices of the Earth" about the life of Norwegian peasants who have retained their age-old attachment to the land and loyalty to patriarchal traditions

1921 - Anatole France, France. For brilliant literary achievements, marked by the refinement of style, deeply suffered humanism and a truly Gallic temperament

1922 - Jacinto Benavente y Martinez, Spain. For the brilliant skill with which he continued the glorious traditions of the Spanish drama

1923 - William Yates, Ireland. For inspired poetry that conveys the national spirit in a highly artistic form

1924 - Vladislav Reymont, Poland. For outstanding national epic - the novel "Men"

1925 - Bernard Shaw, UK. For creativity marked by idealism and humanism, for sparkling satire, which is often combined with exceptional poetic beauty

1926 - Grazia Deledda, Italy. For poetry, in which the life of her native island is described with plastic clarity, as well as for the depth of approach to human problems in general

1927 - Henri Bergson, France. In recognition of his bright and life-affirming ideas, and the exceptional skill with which these ideas were embodied

1928 - Sigrid Undset, Norway. For a memorable description of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

1929 - Thomas Mann, Germany. First of all, for the great novel "Buddenbrooks", which became a classic modern literature, and whose popularity is growing steadily

1930 - Sinclair Lewis, USA. For the powerful and expressive art of storytelling and for the rare ability to create new types and characters with satire and humor

1931 - Eric Karlfeldt, Sweden. For his poetry

1932 - John Galsworthy, UK. For the high art of storytelling, culminating in The Forsyte Saga

1933 - Ivan Bunin. For the strict skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose

1934 - Luigi Pirandello, Italy. Behind creative courage and ingenuity in the revival of dramatic and performing arts

1936 - Eugene O'Neill, USA. For the power of influence, veracity and depth of dramatic works that interpret the genre of tragedy in a new way

1937 - Roger Martin du Gard, France. For artistic strength and truth in the depiction of a person and the most significant aspects of modern life

1938 - Pearl Buck, USA. For a multifaceted, truly epic description of the life of Chinese peasants and for biographical masterpieces

1939 - Frans Sillanpää, Finland. For a deep insight into the life of Finnish peasants and an excellent description of their customs and connection with nature

1944 - Wilhelm Jensen, Denmark. For the rare power and richness of poetic imagination combined with intellectual curiosity and originality of the creative style

1945 - Gabriela Mistral, Chile. For the poetry of true feeling, which made her name a symbol of idealistic aspiration for the whole of Latin America

1946 - Hermann Hesse, Switzerland. For inspirational creativity, in which the classical ideals of humanism are manifested, as well as for brilliant style

1947 - André Gide, France. For deep and artistically significant works in which human problems presented with a fearless love of truth and deep psychological insight

1948 - Thomas Eliot, UK. For outstanding pioneering contributions to contemporary poetry

1949 - William Faulkner, USA. For his significant and artistically unique contribution to the development of the modern American novel

1950 - Bertrand Russell, UK. To one of the most brilliant representatives of rationalism and humanism, a fearless fighter for freedom of speech and freedom of thought

1951 - Per Lagerkvist, Sweden. For the artistic power and absolute independence of the writer's judgments, who was looking for answers to the eternal questions facing humanity

1952 - François Mauriac, France. For deep spiritual insight and artistic power with which he reflected in his novels the drama of human life

1953 - Winston Churchill, UK. For the high skill of works of historical and biographical character, as well as for the brilliant oratory, with the help of which the highest human values \u200b\u200bwere defended

1954 - Ernest Hemingway, USA. For the narrative prowess once again demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea

1955 - Halldor Laxness, Iceland. For the flamboyant epic power that revived Iceland's great narrative art

1956 - Juan Jimenez, Spain. For lyric poetry, an example of high spirit and artistic purity in Spanish poetry

1957 - Albert Camus, France. For his enormous contribution to literature, highlighting the importance of human conscience

1958 - Boris Pasternak, USSR. For significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for the continuation of the traditions of the great Russian epic novel

1959 - Salvatore Quasimodo, Italy. For lyric poetry, which with classical vividness expresses the tragic experience of our time

1960 - Saint-Jon Perce, France. For the sublimity and imagery, which by means of poetry reflect the circumstances of our time

1961 - Ivo Andric, Yugoslavia. For the power of epic talent, which made it possible to fully reveal human destinies and problems associated with the history of his country

1962 - John Steinbeck, USA. For a realistic and poetic gift, combined with gentle humor and a keen social vision

1963 - Yorgos Seferis, Greece. For outstanding lyrical works, full of admiration for the world of the ancient Hellenes
1964 - Jean-Paul Sartre, France. For creativity rich in ideas, permeated with the spirit of freedom and the search for truth, which has had a huge impact on our time

1965 - Mikhail Sholokhov, USSR. For the artistic power and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a crucial time for Russia

1966 - Shmuel Agnon, Israel. For the deeply original art of storytelling, inspired by Jewish folk motives

Nelly Sachs, Sweden. For outstanding lyric and dramatic works exploring the fate of the Jewish people

1967 - Miguel Asturias, Guatemala. For a bright creative achievementbased on an interest in the customs and traditions of the Indians of Latin America

1968 - Yasunari Kawabata, Japan. For a writing skill that conveys the essence of Japanese consciousness

1969 - Samuel Beckett, Ireland. For innovative works in prose and drama, in which tragedy modern man becomes his triumph

1970 - Alexander Solzhenitsyn, USSR. For the moral strength with which he followed the immutable traditions of Russian literature

1971 - Pablo Neruda, Chile. For poetry, which with supernatural power embodied the fate of an entire continent

1972 - Heinrich Böll, Germany. For creativity, which combines a wide coverage of reality with the high art of character creation and which has become a significant contribution to the revival of German literature

1973 - Patrick White, Australia. For the epic and psychological prowess that led to the discovery of a new literary continent

1974 - Eyvind Yunson, Sweden. For narrative art that envisions space and time and serves freedom

Harry Martinson, Sweden. For creativity, which has everything - from a drop of dew to space

1975 - Eugenio Montale, Italy. For outstanding achievements in poetry, marked by tremendous penetration and illumination of a truthful, without illusion, outlook on life

1976 - Saul Bellow, USA. For humanism and subtle analysis modern culture, combined in his work

1977 - Vicente Aleisandre, Spain. For outstanding poetry that reflects the position of man in space and modern society and at the same time is a magnificent testimony to the revival of the traditions of Spanish poetry in the period between the world wars

1978 - Isaac Bashevis-Singer, USA. For the emotional art of storytelling, which, with its roots in Polish-Jewish cultural traditions, raises eternal questions

1979 - Odiseas Elitis, Greece. For poetry, which, in line with the Greek tradition, with sensual power and intellectual insight, depicts the struggle of modern man for freedom and independence

1980 - Czeslaw Milos Poland. For showing with fearless clairvoyance the insecurity of a person in a world torn apart by conflicts

1981 - Elias Canetti, UK. For his enormous contribution to literature, highlighting the importance of human conscience

1982 - Gabriel García Márquez, Colombia. For novels and stories in which fantasy and reality, combined, reflect the life and conflicts of an entire continent

1983 - William Golding, UK. For novels in which he addresses the essence of human nature and the problem of evil, they are all united by the idea of \u200b\u200bthe struggle for survival

1984 - Yaroslav Seifert, Czechoslovakia. For poetry, which is characterized by freshness, sensuality and rich imagination and testifies to the independence of the spirit and versatility of a person

1985 - Claude Simon, France. For the combination of poetic and pictorial principles in his work

1986 - Will Shoyinka, Nigeria. For the creation of a theater of great cultural perspective and poetry

1987 - Joseph Brodsky, USA. For an all-encompassing creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and passion for poetry

1988 - Naguib Mahfouz, Egypt. For the realism and richness of shades of the Arabic story that has meaning for all of humanity

1989 - Camilo Sela, Spain. For expressive and powerful prose that sympathetically and touchingly describes human weaknesses

1990 - Octavio Paz, Mexico. For biased overarching works, marked by sensual intelligence and humanistic integrity

1991 - Nadine Gordimer, South Africa. For the fact that with her magnificent epic she brought great benefit to humanity

1992 - Derek Walcott, St. Lucia. For bright poetic creativity, full of historicism and is the result of devotion to culture in all its diversity

1993 - Toni Morrison, USA. For bringing an important aspect of American reality to life in her novels full of dreams and poetry

1994 - Kenzaburo Oe, Japan. For creating an imaginary world with poetic power in which reality and myth combine to present a disturbing picture of today's human misery

1995 - Seamus Heaney, Ireland. For the lyrical beauty and ethical depth of poetry, which opens before us amazing everyday life and the reviving past

1996 - Wislawa Szymborska, Poland. For poetry that describes historical and biological phenomena with the utmost precision in the context of human reality

1997 - Dario Fo, Italy. For the fact that he, inheriting the medieval jesters, condemns power and authority and defends the dignity of the oppressed

1998 - Jose Saramago, Portugal. For works that, using parables, supported by imagination, compassion and irony, make it possible to understand the illusory reality

1999 - Gunther Grass, Germany. Because his playful and dark parables illuminate a forgotten image of history

2000 - Gao Xinjian, France. For works of universal significance, marked by bitterness for the position of man in the modern world

2001 - Vidiadhar Naipaul, UK. For adamant honesty, which forces us to reflect on facts that are usually not discussed

2002 - Imre Kertes, Hungary. For the fact that in his work Kertesh answers the question of how an individual can continue to live and think in an era when society is increasingly subjugating the individual

2003 - John Coetzee, South Africa. For creating countless appearances of amazing situations involving strangers

2004 - Elfriede Jelinek, Austria. For the musical play of voices and echoes in novels and plays that, with extraordinary linguistic zeal, reveal the absurdity of social clichés and their enslaving power

2005 - Harold Pinter, UK. For the fact that in his plays he opens up the abyss lying under the bustle of everyday life and invades the dungeons of oppression

2006 - Orhan Pamuk, Turkey. For looking for a melancholic soul hometown found new symbols for the clash and intertwining of cultures

2007 - Doris Lessing, UK. For the comprehension of the experience of women filled with skepticism, passion and visionary power

2008 - Gustave Leclezio, France, Mauritius. For the fact that Leclezio writes "about new directions, poetic adventures, sensual delights", he is "a researcher of humanity outside the ruling civilization."

2009 - Gertha Müller, Germany. With concentration in poetry and sincerity in prose, he describes the life of the disadvantaged

2010 - Mario Vargas Llosa, Spain. For cartography of the structure of power and vivid images of resistance, rebellion and defeat of the individual

2011 - Tumas Tranströmer, Sweden. For accurate and rich imagery that gave readers a fresh perspective on the real world

2012 - Mo Yan, China. For his mind-blowing realism that unites folk tales with modernity

2013 - Alice Munr, Canada. To the modern short story master

For the entire time of awarding the Nobel Prize russian writers awarded 5 times. Five Russian writers and one Belarusian writer Svetlana Aleksievich, the author of the following works, became Nobel laureates: “ War has not a woman's face», « Zinc boys»And other works written in Russian. The wording for the award was as follows: “ For the polyphonic sounding of her prose and the perpetuation of suffering and courage»

2.1. Ivan Alekseevich Bunin (1870 - 1953) The prize was awarded in 1933 " for the true artistic talent with which he recreated the typical Russian character in the artistic rose, for the strict skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose» ... In his speech at the presentation of the prize, Bunin noted the courage of the Swedish Academy, which honored the emigrant writer (he emigrated to France in 1920).

2.2. Boris Pasternak- Laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1958. Awarded the prize " for outstanding services in modern lyric poetry and in the field of great Russian prose» ... For Pasternak himself, the prize brought nothing but problems and a campaign under the slogan “ I have not read it, but I condemn it!". The writer was forced to refuse the award under the threat of expulsion from the country. The Swedish Academy recognized Pasternak's refusal from the prize as forced and in 1989 presented a diploma and a medal to his son.

Nobel Prize I was lost like a beast in a pen. Somewhere people, freedom, light, And behind me the noise of the chase, I do not go out. A dark forest and the shore of a pond, They ate a dumped log. The path is cut off from everywhere. Whatever happens, it doesn't matter. What have I done for the dirty trick, I am a murderer and a villain I made the whole world cry Above the beauty of my land. But even so, almost at the grave, I believe, the time will come - the Force of meanness and malice Will overcome the spirit of good.
B. Pasternak

2.3. Mikhail Sholokhov... The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded in 1965. The prize was awarded for the artistic power and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a crucial time for Russia». In his speech during the awards ceremony, Sholokhov said that his goal was “ to exalt the nation of workers, builders and heroes».

2.4. Alexander Solzhenitsyn - Laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1970 « for the moral strength gleaned in the tradition of the great Russian literature». Government Soviet Union considered the decision of the Nobel Committee “ politically hostile”, And Solzhenitsyn, fearing that after his trip he would not be able to return to his homeland, accepted the award, but was not present at the award ceremony.

2.5. Joseph Brodsky - Laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1987. Prize awarded « for multifaceted creativity, marked by sharpness of thought and deep poetry». In 1972 he was forced to emigrate from the USSR and lived in the USA.

2.6. In 2015, the award was sensationally received by a Belarusian writer and journalist Svetlana Alexievich... She wrote such works as "War has no woman's face", "Zinc Boys", "Charmed by Death", "Chernobyl Prayer", "Second Hand Time" and others. Quite rare for last years the event when the award was given to a person who writes in Russian.

3. Nominees for the Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize in Literature is the most prestigious award that has been awarded annually by the Nobel Foundation for achievements in the field of literature since 1901. The award-winning writer appears in the eyes of millions of people as an incomparable talent or genius who, with his work, managed to win the hearts of readers from all over the world.

However, there are a number of famous writers whose Nobel Prize for different reasons bypassed, but they were worthy of it no less than their fellow laureates, and sometimes even more. Who are they?

Half a century later, the Nobel Committee reveals its secrets, so today it is known not only who received awards in the first half of the 20th century, but also who did not receive them, remaining among the nominees.

The first hit in the number of nominees for the literary " Nobel”Of Russians refers to 1901 - then Leo Tolstoy was nominated for the award among other nominees, but he did not become the owner of the prestigious award for several years. Leo Tolstoy will be present in the nominations annually until 1906, and the only reason why the author “ War and Peace"Did not become the first Russian laureate" Nobel”, Became his own decisive refusal of the award, as well as a request not to award it.

M. Gorky was nominated in 1918, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1933 (5 times)

Constantin Balmont was nominated in 1923,

Dmitry Merezhkovsky -1914, 1915, 1930, 1931 - 1937 (10 times)

Shmelev - 1928, 1932

Mark Aldanov - 1934, 1938, 1939, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 - 1956,1957 (12 times)

Leonid Leonov -1949.1950.

Konstantin Paustovsky -1965, 1967

And how many geniuses of Russian literature were not even declared among the nominees Bulgakov, Akhmatov, Tsvetaeva, Mandelstam, Evgeny Yevtushenko ... Everyone can continue this brilliant row with the names of their favorite writers and poets.

Why did Russian writers and poets so rarely find themselves among the laureates?

It's no secret that the prize is often awarded for political reasons. - says Philip Nobel, a descendant of Alfred Nobel. “But there is one more important reason. In 1896, Alfred left in his will a condition: the capital of the Nobel Fund must be invested in shares of strong companies that give good profits. In the 20-30s of the last century, the fund's money was invested primarily in American corporations. Since then, the Nobel Committee and the United States have had very close ties. ”

Anna Akhmatova could have received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966, but she. died on March 5, 1966, so her name was not later considered. According to the rules of the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Prize can only be awarded to living writers. The prize was awarded only to those writers who quarreled with the Soviet regime: Joseph Brodsky, Ivan Bunin, Boris Pasternak, Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

The Swedish Academy of Sciences did not favor Russian literature: at the beginning of the 20th century, it rejected L.N. Tolstoy and did not notice the genius A.P. Chekhov, passed by no less weighty writers and poets of the twentieth century: M. Gorky, V. Mayakovsky, M. Bulgakov and others. It should also be noted that I. Bunin, like other Nobel laureates later (B. Pasternak, A. Solzhenitsyn , I. Brodsky) was in a state of acute conflict with the Soviet regime.

Be that as it may, great writers and poets, Nobel laureates, whose creative way was thorny, with their ingenious creations they built a pedestal for themselves. The personality of these great sons of Russia is enormous not only in Russian, but also in the world literary process. And they will remain in people's memory for as long as humanity will live and create.

« Exploded heart»… This is how we can characterize the state of mind of our compatriot writers who have become Nobel Prize winners. They are our pride! And our pain and shame for what we did to I.A. Bunin and B.L. Pasternak, A.I. Solzhenitsyn and I.A. Brodsky by the official authorities, for their forced loneliness and exile. In St. Petersburg there is a monument to the Nobel on the Petrovskaya embankment. True, this monument is a sculptural composition “ Blown up tree».

Fantasy about the Nobel. There is no need to dream of a Nobel, After all, it is handed over by chance, And someone, alien to the highest standards, Keeps joyless secrets. I have not been to distant Sweden, As in the dreams of snowy Nepal, And Brodsky wanders around Venice And silently looks into the canals. He was an outcast, who did not know love, He slept in a hurry and ate hard, But, having changed, plus or minus, He married an aristocrat.

Sitting in Venetian bars And talking with counts, He mixed cognac with resentment, Antiquity with the age of the Internet. Rhymes were born from the surf, They had the strength to write them down. But what about poetry? They are empty, Again Nobel came out of the grave. I asked: - Let the genius - Brodsky. Let him shine in a pair of tailcoats, But Paustovsky lived somewhere, Not Sholokhov in pairs of cognacs. Zabolotsky lived, fell into the abyss, And rose again, and became great. Simonov lived, gray-haired and sober, he counted ditches in Tashkent. Well, what about Tvardovsky? Nice sidekick, That's who sculpts lines perfectly! Where are you, Uncle Nobel, looking? Mendel.

1933, Ivan Alekseevich Bunin

Bunin was the first Russian writer to receive such a high award - the Nobel Prize for Literature. This happened in 1933, when Bunin had been living in exile in Paris for several years. The prize was awarded to Ivan Bunin "for the strict skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose." It was about the largest work of the writer - the novel "Life of Arseniev".

Accepting the award, Ivan Alekseevich said that he was the first exile to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Together with the diploma, Bunin received a check for 715 thousand French francs. With Nobel money, he could live comfortably until the end of his days. But they quickly ended. Bunin spent them very lightly, generously distributing them to his fellow immigrants in need. He invested a part in the business, which, as the "well-wishers" promised him, would be a win-win, and went bankrupt.

It was after receiving the Nobel Prize that Bunin's all-Russian fame grew into worldwide fame. Every Russian in Paris, even those who have not yet read a single line of this writer, took it as a personal holiday.

1958, Boris Leonidovich Pasternak

For Pasternak, this high award and recognition turned into a real persecution at home.

Boris Pasternak was nominated for the Nobel Prize more than once - from 1946 to 1950. And in October 1958 he was awarded this award. This happened just after the publication of his novel Doctor Zhivago. The prize was awarded to Pasternak "for significant achievements in contemporary lyric poetry, as well as for the continuation of the traditions of the great Russian epic novel."

Immediately after receiving the telegram from the Swedish Academy, Pasternak replied "extremely grateful, touched and proud, amazed and confused." But after it became known that he had been awarded the prize, the newspapers Pravda and Literaturnaya Gazeta attacked the poet with indignant articles, rewarding him with the epithets “traitor”, “slanderer”, “Judas”. Pasternak was expelled from the Writers' Union and forced to refuse the award. And in his second letter to Stockholm, he wrote: “Due to the importance that the award given to me received in the society to which I belong, I must refuse it. Do not consider my voluntary refusal to be an insult. "

Boris Pasternak's Nobel Prize was awarded to his son 31 years later. In 1989, the permanent secretary of the academy, Professor Store Allen, read both telegrams sent by Pasternak on October 23 and 29, 1958, and said that the Swedish Academy had recognized Pasternak's refusal from the prize as forced and, after thirty-one years, was presenting his medal to his son, regretting that the laureate is no longer alive.

1965, Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov

Mikhail Sholokhov was the only Soviet writer to receive the Nobel Prize with the consent of the USSR leadership. Back in 1958, when a delegation of the USSR Writers' Union visited Sweden and learned that the names of Pasternak and Shokholov were named among those nominated for the prize, a telegram sent to the Soviet ambassador in Sweden said: “It would be desirable through cultural workers close to us to give to understand the Swedish public that the Soviet Union would have highly appreciated the award of the Nobel Prize to Sholokhov. " But then the award was given to Boris Pasternak. Sholokhov received it in 1965 - "for the artistic power and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a crucial time for Russia." By this time, his famous "Quiet Don" had already been released.

1970, Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Solzhenitsyn became the fourth Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970 "for the moral strength with which he followed the immutable traditions of Russian literature." By this time, such outstanding works of Solzhenitsyn as "Cancer Ward" and "In the First Circle" had already been written. Upon learning of the award, the writer said that he intends to receive the award "personally, on the set date." But after the announcement of the award, the persecution of the writer in his homeland gained full force. The Soviet government considered the decision of the Nobel Committee "politically hostile". Therefore, the writer was afraid to go to Sweden to receive the award. He accepted it with gratitude, but did not participate in the award ceremony. Solzhenitsyn received his diploma only four years later - in 1974, when he was exiled from the USSR to the Federal Republic of Germany.

The wife of the writer Natalya Solzhenitsyn is still confident that the Nobel Prize saved her husband's life and made it possible to write. She noted that if he had published The Gulag Archipelago, without being a Nobel Prize winner, he would have been killed. Incidentally, Solzhenitsyn was the only winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature who had only eight years from the first publication to the award.

1987, Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky

Joseph Brodsky became the fifth Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize. It happened in 1987, at the same time his large book of poems, Urania, was published. But Brodsky received the award not as a Soviet, but as an American citizen who had lived in the United States for a long time. The Nobel Prize was awarded to him "for an all-encompassing creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity." Receiving the award in his speech, Joseph Brodsky said: “For a private person and this particular person, he has preferred any public role all his life, for a person who has gone in preference to this rather far - and in particular from his homeland, for it is better to be the last loser in democracy than a martyr or a ruler of thoughts in despotism - to suddenly appear on this platform is a great awkwardness and test. "

Note that after Brodsky was awarded the Nobel Prize, and this event just happened during the beginning of perestroika in the USSR, his poems and essays began to be actively published in his homeland.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is an award for achievements in the field of literature, awarded annually by the Nobel Committee in Stockholm. Contents 1 Requirements for nominating candidates 2 List of laureates 2.1 1900s ... Wikipedia

Medal awarded to the Nobel Prize laureate The Nobel Prize (Swedish Nobelpriset, English Nobel Prize) is one of the most prestigious international prizes awarded annually for outstanding scientific research, revolutionary inventions or ... ... Wikipedia

Medal of the laureate of the State Prize of the USSR The State Prize of the USSR (1966 1991) is one of the most important awards in the USSR, along with Lenin (1925 1935, 1957 1991). Established in 1966 as the successor to the Stalin Prize, awarded in 1941 1954; laureates ... ... Wikipedia

Swedish Academy Building Nobel Prize in Literature is an award for achievements in literature, awarded annually by the Nobel Committee in Stockholm. Contents ... Wikipedia

Books

According to the will. Notes on the Nobel Prize Laureates in Literature, A. Ilyukovich. The publication is based on biographical sketches about all the Nobel Prize Laureates in Literature for 90 years, from the moment of its first award in 1901 to 1991, supplemented by ...

Image copyright Getty Images

"... and one more part will go to the one who creates the most outstanding work in the field of literature in an idealistic direction ..."

From the will of Alfred Nobel

The Nobel Prize in Literature is chosen by the Swedish Academy. It was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III to "study and organize the Swedish language and literature".

Nobel Prize for Literature in Numbers

prizes in literature from 1901 to 2014

13 women became laureates

4 times the prize was split between two candidates

42 years old was the youngest laureate

64 years old average age of the laureate on the day of the announcement of the award

Nobel committee

The statute of the Nobel Committee states that "literature is not only fiction, but also other works that, in form or style, are of literary value."

The requirements for works submitted for the Nobel Prize have been somewhat relaxed recently. And now not only works written in the last year can be considered, but also earlier works of the same author, if "their significance has not been assessed until recently."

What did Alfred Nobel mean?

If physics, chemistry and medicine are more or less clear, then literature, firstly, is not a science, and secondly, it is difficult to drive it into the rigid framework of objective criteria.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption For a long time, the Swedish Academy could not decide what Alfred Nobel meant by "idealism"

The Swedish Academy in its choice is bound not only by the general framework of the charter of the Nobel Foundation (the work presented for the prize should bring maximum benefits to all mankind), but also by Nobel's separate remark that a literary work should provide this benefit in an "idealistic direction."

Both criteria are rather vague, especially the second, which caused a lot of controversy. What exactly did Nobel mean by idealism? It is very difficult to trace the history of how the interpretation of the Nobel's will by the Swedish Academy changed, because, according to the charter of the foundation, all documentation and correspondence must be kept secret for 50 years.

The modern interpretation of the testament nevertheless adheres to the point of view that by idealism Nobel meant not an idealistic direction in literature, but rather the ideal execution, language and style of the work that make it outstanding.

From European Idealism to World Literature

At the first stage of the existence of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1901-1914), the main attention was paid to idealism as a literary movement. Therefore, the British Redyard Kipling and the German Paul Heise became the Nobel laureates, but not Lev Tolstoy.

Image copyright Hulton Archive Image caption Due to difficulties in interpreting the will of Alfred Nobel, Rudyard Kipling became a Nobel Prize winner, but Lev Tolstoy did not.

In the 1920s, the Academy moved away from the narrow definition of idealism, and moved on to works and authors who were distinguished by the ideas of "broad humanism". On this wave, Anatole France and Bernard Shaw became Nobel laureates.

In the 30s, preference began to be given to writers who, in accordance with "the good for all mankind," described the life of modern society with all the pluses and minuses. So Sinclair Lewis became the first Nobel laureate in literature.

After the Second World War, another change of direction took place, and candidates who "blazed new paths" in literature gained particular popularity. Such pioneers were, for example, Hermann Hesse and Samuel Beckett.

Image copyright Istock Image caption The Swedish Academy aims to move away from European authors and make the award truly global

In recent years, the Swedish Academy has begun to pay attention to unfamiliar authors from around the world in order to make the Nobel Prize for Literature as universal as possible.

Voluntarily and under duress

In the entire history of the existence of the Nobel Prize in Literature, it was refused only twice.

Image copyright Hulton Archive Image caption Boris Pasternak had to refuse the Nobel Prize

The first in 1958, Boris Pasternak, first agreed to accept it, but then refused due to pressure from the Soviet authorities.

The second to reject the Nobel Prize in 1964 was Jean-Paul Sartre, who throughout his life consistently rejected any official recognition.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is the only one in which no candidate has received it twice.

Is language important?

Image copyright istock Image caption How important is it for the Nobel Prize that a work is written in a widely spoken language?

Alfred Nobel drew particular attention to the fact that candidates for a literary prize should not be chosen exclusively from the Scandinavian countries or Europe.

Imagine the scale of the work that fell on the members of the Swedish Academy, who somehow had to get acquainted with literary works around the world?

The Nobel Prize for Literature has been repeatedly criticized for being too "European". But in 1984, the Swedish Academy announced that it would do its utmost to ensure that the award truly reached writers around the world.

English leads by a wide margin

Image copyright istock Image caption Most of the works of Nobel laureates are written in English

English-speaking writers (27) are in first place among the laureates of the literary prize, followed by the French (14), Germans (13) and Spaniards (11).

Russia is in seventh place with five Nobel laureates.

Prize and genres

Among literary genres the absolute leader is prose (77), followed by poetry (33), drama (14), literary and philosophical essays (3) and historical works (2).

Image copyright istock Image caption Winston Churchill received the Nobel Prize in Literature for outstanding oratory and historical writing

The Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature just for historical writing became British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1953. The rationale for the award was literally the following: "for mastery in historical and biographical descriptions, as well as for brilliant oratory, defending noble human values."

The best of the best

Image copyright Hulton Archive Image caption Mikhail Sholokhov received the Nobel Prize for "Quiet Don"

Although the Swedish Academy still strives to evaluate all the works of authors, in nine cases a specific literary work awarded the Nobel Prize was indicated.

In this list, Mikhail Sholokhov with " Quiet Don", John Galsworthy with The Forsyte Saga, Thomas Mann with The Buddenbrooks and Ernest Hemingway with The Old Man and the Sea.

Literary medal

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Nobel Prize Medal for Literature

All Nobel medals have an image of Alfred Nobel minted on the obverse, and an allegory of the relevant science or art on the reverse.

The medal for literature depicts a young man sitting under a laurel tree. He listens with inspiration and writes down what the muse tells him.

The Latin inscription reads: "Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes". This line is taken from Virgil's poem "Aeneid" and roughly translated reads something like this: "And those who improved life on Earth with their newfound skill."

The medal was created by the Swedish sculptor Erik Lindberg.