Writers and Leaders: M. A. Sholokhov to J. V. Stalin (1931-1950)

Author: (Russian) Mikhail Sholokhov
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2000-08-01
Features: Surrounding the works of Sholokhov, there has been considerable controversy in Russia and many other countries around the world, despite the fact that he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for "And Quiet Flows the Don." These controversies have never subsided before or after the award. As a historical figure, Sholokhov himself has also been subject to diverse evaluations, especially after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, where the divisions have become even greater: some accuse him of actually justifying many erroneous policies during key historical stages, while others defend him, claiming he was a visionary and courageous hero who opposed wrong policies from the 1920s and 1930s onwards. Fortunately, in recent years, many important historical archives from the Soviet era have been declassified, and archival documents related to Sholokhov have also been continuously discovered. Yuri Murin, a historian, has long been engaged in archival research. From Stalin's personal archives, he uncovered several letters exchanged between Sholokhov and Stalin. In 1997, he compiled these letters along with other relevant archival materials and presented them comprehensively for the first time. The book is titled "The Writer and the Leader," featuring twenty-four archival documents, including correspondence between the two from 1931 to 1950 over two decades.