Igor Mozheiko (Kir Bulychev): biography, creativity

Fans of the fantasy genre are well known to the writer Kira Bulychev, because it was on the motives of his book that the series "A guest from the future" was created, which was a huge success in the mid-1980s. The same author wrote the script for the animated series "The Mystery of the Third Planet" and for the science fiction film "Through the thorns to the stars". The writer gained fame outside the USSR, but even many Russian readers do not know that the scientist, Orientalist and historian Igor Vsevolodovich Mozheiko, who hid from fame behind the name of Kir Bulychev.

Family writer

Vsevolod Nikolayevich Mozhejko - the father of the writer - was of noble origin. At a young age, leaving his home, he began to work in the factory. Later moved to Petrograd and, after working there for a while as a fitter, began his studies in the preparatory department of the university. Then he entered the law faculty, while working in the union. While conducting an inspection of the pencil factory, Mozheiko got acquainted with Maria Bulycheva, who worked there, with whom she later married.

The writer's mother studied at the institute for noble maidens - this institution was the first in Russia to initiate women's education. Father Bulychevoy was an officer, and also taught fencing in the Cadet Corps. After acquiring a working specialty, Maria Mihailovna studied at a road institute. Later, she was in the airborne school for the post of chief, and also occupied the place of commandant in the Shlisselburg fortress. When the father left the family, the mother remarried Yakov Bokinik, who later died at the front.

Education and work

Igor Vsevolodovich Mozheiko was born in Moscow in 1934. After graduation, he was educated at the Moscow State Linguistic University. Then he went to Burma, where for several years he worked as an interpreter and journalist for the Soviet news agency, and then returned home. Mozheiko graduated from the graduate school and started working at the Institute of Oriental Studies. He often sent geographic and historical essays to journals, which were usually accepted for publication. Considering the theme of Buddhism in Burma, Igor Mozheiko defended his Ph.D. and doctoral dissertations. In the scientific community, he gained fame due to his work on the history of Southeast Asia.

Aliases by Igor Mozheiko

The first published story of the writer "Maung Joe will live" described the training of Myanmar's local population on the work of modern technology. Igor Mozheiko did not reveal his identity, and the story "The duty of hospitality" was published as a translation of the work of the Burmese author. The writer kept his real name secret for a long time, afraid of possible dismissal from work, since writing fiction was not considered a serious matter.

Later the pseudonyms of Igor Mozheiko changed more than once, but most of his books were published under the authorship of Kirill Bulychev. This combination arose from the generalization of the girl's maiden name of the writer's mother and the name of his wife. Over time, the publishers began to reduce the author's pseudonym to Cyrus. Bulychev, and then removed even the point, and so appeared all familiar now, Kir Bulychev.

The writer used many names. Lev Khristoforovich Mintz, Igor Vsevolodovich Vsevolodov, Nikolai Lozhkin - this is only a part of the pseudonyms concealing Igor Mozheyko.

The Adventures of Alice

Alisa Selezneva is a schoolgirl of the 21st century, who received her name in honor of Kira Bulychev's daughter. A girl from the future is often compared to her namesake from Lewis Carroll's books "Alice in the Looking Glass", as both of them explore new worlds without any fear and notice what adults do not see.

Alice happens in many different places, but adventures find her everywhere: it's the cosmos, the ocean floor, the mysterious planets, the modern 21st century Earth. Once in the past with the help of a time machine, the girl travels through the Legendary era, in which there is magic and living characters of fairy tales.

The very first stories about the little Alice were written on behalf of her father - Igor Seleznev, who is studying cosmobiology and is looking for new species of animals. In subsequent books, the adventures of an adult schoolgirl and her friends are submitted from a third party. This is the study of new planets, interesting excursions of modern schoolchildren and real friendship. All this happens on another Earth, which readers need to get used to: they are house robots, unprecedented animals, schoolchildren, who make new discoveries and conquer the cosmos.

Books about Alice Seleznev

"The Journey of Alice" is one of the most popular novels by Kira Bulychev from the series of books about a girl from the future. This work was translated into different languages, on its motives was created a cartoon, computer game and even a comic. The book describes the space expedition of Professor Seleznev with a team to search for rare alien animals. Captain Poloskov, flight mechanic Green and Alisa and her father explore the most diverse planets, find animals and plants that are unprecedented on Earth, and also fight with the real space pirates.

In the book "The Journey of Alice" the expedition gets acquainted with the history of the Three Captains - these are the great heroes who have shrouded the whole cosmos. They found a way to create super-powerful fuel for ships, but because of this knowledge they began to pursue. The first Captain is captured by the pirates, and the Second has to barricade himself on his own ship, so as not to fall into their hands. Only thanks to the efforts of members of the expedition from Earth, the enemies were defeated, and the Three Captains finally met.

Also the most readable stories about Alice's adventures are such as "Lilac sphere", "Reserve of fairy tales", "End of Atlantis" and "Rusty Field Marshal".

Criticism of works of the writer

A series of books about Alice Selezneva became the most popular and ambiguous. Critics noted that the author's early works about the adventures of a schoolgirl from the future were much stronger than all the subsequent ones. In the new stories, storylines are often repeated, the "seriality" of works appears, as if the writer is now more interested in the number of the cycle, rather than its quality. Igor Mozheiko, whose books were criticized, often said in interviews that he was tired of telling about the same heroes in forty years, and, perhaps, it influenced the level of writing. Kir Bulychev continued to create stories about Alice, regularly returning to this hero.

The series "Guest from the future"

In 1985, the movie "Guest from the Future" came out, which instantly won the hearts of both children and adolescents. A screen version of the story "One Hundred Years Onwards" showed the adventures of the Soviet schoolboy Kolya in the 21st century, where he could get by using the time machine. For a day he manages to visit the Cosmodrome, build a real house, see fantastic animals and save an important device from theft. By chance, he carries the myelophone in his time, where Alice Selezneva is also taken. She must find valuable equipment and return to the future, but her search is difficult, because she is looking for someone she has not even seen. She comes to Kolya's class as a new student, but can not understand who he is, because there are as many as three boys with that name in the class. Also, the search for Alice is hampered by the interference of space pirates who also managed to penetrate the past.

Natasha Guseva, starred in the title role, became adored by thousands of boys across the country. Soviet writer-fiction writer Kir Bulychev, who created the script for the film "Guest from the future," was pleased to tell the children's audience of readers about his acquaintance with the actress and about the large number of messages coming to him. Boys from all over the country wrote to the author, admiring his work and asking them to give them the address of Natasha Guseva.

The cycle of the books "The Great Guslar"

In the town invented by the author with the name Guslyar there are many strange events, it is inhabited by the most unusual people, aliens arrive there. But ordinary residents there, too, and they solve the problems that arise due to the peculiarities in their environment, and even in difficult situations remain people. The cycle books are written with humor, they are easy to read, despite the serious questions that are periodically addressed in the work.

Once the author saw a road sign warning about repair, and it seemed to him that the worker had as many as three legs. This is how the first story of "Personal Relations" appeared, which was published in the Bulgarian magazine. The fictional town grew, and Igor Mozheiko continued to describe it.

The cycle includes about seventy works. Seven of them are novels, and all the rest are stories. These works were created during a long period, so the book has many heroes, one-day, and the characters often leave the city forever, but still come back.

Andrew Bruce

The main character of the works is Cosmoflot agent Andrey Bruce. He performs tasks on behalf of the space agency and during his adventures falls into a situation where he has to show courage and courage. The first novel "Agent KF" tells of a conspiracy on the planet Pe-U, which faces the main character. The second book, The Witch Dungeon, is devoted to the consequences of experiments conducted by representatives of another civilization. These were attempts to accelerate the social development of people, as well as the evolution of flora and fauna. Both novels consider serious moral and social issues and are written in a very authentic manner.

The screen version of the author's books

Cinematographers singled out the works of Kira Bulychev from all the works of Russian and Soviet science fiction writers. So, according to his books, more than 20 films have been shot, serials and episodes have been created for television performances. For most of his screen versions, Igor Mozheiko himself wrote scripts.

The most popular were such full-length pictures: "The Witch's Dungeon" and "Through the thorns to the stars", the television science fiction series "Guest from the Future", animated films "Alisa's Birthday" and "The Secret of the Third Planet."

Facts from biography

In 1982, the writer received the State Prize of the USSR for his scripts. It was then that the secret of his pseudonym opened, people knew who Kir Bulychev was. Igor Mozheiko expected dismissal from work, but this did not happen. His colleagues were indignant that a serious researcher was engaged in "frivolous scribbling," but the director took it calmly, knowing that the plan was being carried out by the employee without grudging.

Bulychev not only wrote his books, but also translated translations of fantastic works by foreign authors. While still at university, he and his friend undertook the translation of "Alice in Wonderland", not knowing that the book had already been translated. Also, Kir Bulychev edited several science fiction magazines. The writer drew well, often making cartoons on famous people of art.

Wife writer - Kira Alexeevna Soshinskaya - wrote science fiction and illustrated books. Daughter - Alisa Lyutomskaya - an architect by education, she has a son Timothy.

Igor Mozheiko died in 2003 after a severe oncological disease. The writer was 68 years old.

Books by Kira Bulychev were translated into different languages and published in huge editions. And his works about Alice from the 21st century are read with pleasure by all new generations of schoolchildren.