Mikhail Sholokhov

Mikhail Sholokhov
1905-1984
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In 1959 Sholokhov accompanied Nikita Khrushchev in a historical visit to US (it was the hope that it would mark the end of Cold War; the Cold War went on, it remained just a light moment). An American author approached him at a party and confessed that he had read him, but only fragmentary, in a selected works edition. Sholokhov replied that he, too, had read that author only fragmentary. Both started to laugh, as the reason in case of Sholokhov was Soviet censorship. This is kind of a nice story, and of course other stories about Sholokhov are not that nice (to put it mildly). But like it or not, he keeps his place in the gallery of important Soviet authors.

• And Quiet Flows the Don

(Жизнь в Kнигах)