Marina Antonovna Denikina: biography, books, photo

Denikina Marina Antonovna, whose biography is presented in the article as a TV presenter and writer, met with Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, was friendly with Mark Chagall. But the main interest for Russians is due to the tremendous activities for the rehabilitation of the name of his father - General Denikin, who headed the White movement during the Civil War.

The General's daughter

Anton Ivanovich Denikin was more flesh and blood of his people than those who considered him an enemy. His father came from serfs (Saratov province), dedicated his life to the army. On his way, went and Anton Ivanovich, who showed himself heroically in the Russian-Japanese and First World War. Rising to the rank of general and covering his name with fame, he married late, supporting the whole life of a seriously ill mother. His chosen one was a young Xenia Vasilyevna Chizh, who saw in him a writer's talent and remarkable mind.

Denikina Marina Antonovna, whose photo is presented in the article, was born on February 20, 1919, when her father was already 46. Her birthplace is a military hospital in Yekaterinodar, where a year later her mother took her out on a foreign ship to Constantinople. There was the Civil War, from the beginning of which Anton Ivanovich headed the resistance movement to the Bolsheviks in the south of Russia. The combat officer was never a politician, but the oath and his own understanding of military honor forced him to speak out against an illegitimate government that came to power illegally. Adherent of the constitutional monarchy, he turned out to be leftist in the White movement, and in 1920 under the pressure of the right forces he officially handed over the command to Baron Wrangel.

"The Golden Emigration"

The family reunited in Constantinople, where, waiting for her husband, Xenia lived with her little daughter in the embassy building. Heavy years began, full of wandering and household disorder. Mass emigration during the Civil War went down in history as "golden", but this does not mean that the Russian elite once lived at the expense of the support of European states. Anton Ivanovich, who has a talent in the field of literature, was previously printed under the pseudonym Nochin, now he was forced to support his wife and daughter at the expense of literary work. The family wandered through Europe (Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Hungary), while in 1926 did not settle in France. Denikina Marina Antonovna, whose life was "overboard" of her country, it is her who considers her second homeland.

Father introduced his daughter to the Russian language and literature, teaching literacy in the works of M. Yu. Lermontov. But she always reached out to her French friends, not taking family conversations about Russia and the war. From the money of the Russian government, settled in the banks of France and England, Denikin was allocated a small pension, which seriously helped the family, especially during the war with fascism. But this was not enough for a comfortable life, so at 17, after graduation, the girl had to go to the UK, where for two years she taught the English family the Russian language. Returning to France, Marina Antonovna Denikina began to work as a radio presenter, and then - on television.

Personal life

The daughter of General Denikin was married three times, and all her husbands are French. After the death of her second wife, she brought up a son named Michel Boudet, without thinking about the new relationship. Working as a host on television, she got acquainted with the historian Jean-François Chiapp, who had his own historical television programs. He had noble roots, being a real count. She was frightened by the difference in age, because she was older than the chosen one for 13 years. A decisive role in accepting the proposal of marriage was played by a son, admired by the mind of a young scientist. For more than forty years, the couple lived in Versailles, an old mansion, in the windows of which you can see the royal palace. Marina Antonovna Denikina was happy in her third marriage, having survived her husband for several years.

The son lives near Paris, having connected his life with television. Followed in his footsteps and the eldest daughter, who installs reports and documentaries. Externally similar to his grandfather Michelle maintains a connection with Russia, keeping family relics and being proud of his origin.

Literary Creativity

To write under the pseudonym Marina Gray, the daughter of the general began while working on television. She fully transferred the talent of her father, because a small novel based on ten years of experience on the radio in the program for women brought her some success. But to the full extent the literary activity of Denikin Marina Antonovna, whose books are now popular in France and Russia, began to study after leaving television. This happened after the victory in the election of Georges Pompidou in 1969, who did not forgive her acquaintance with her political opponent. The first book "White armies" Marina Gray wrote to order and was so carried away by history that it was followed by the "Ice Campaign" and several books about French history, for the benefit of her husband was a professional in this field.

In total, she wrote more than twenty works, including art novels. The most fascinating for Russians: "My father - General Denikin", "Rasputin", "Paul I", "The investigation of the murder of the Romanovs" and "The General dies at midnight". Memories of the father, of the greatest interest, were published in France as far back as 1985, but appeared in Russia only in the 2000s. They include articles and excerpts from the diaries of Anton Ivanovich himself, revealing his patriotism and tragic fate of a man deprived of his beloved homeland.

In exile, he did not engage in political activities and was not part of an organization dreaming of a rematch. A supporter of the idea of a great and indivisible Russia, he did not accept the ideology of Bolshevism, but unlike General Krasnov, he took an anti-fascist position with the outbreak of World War II. He spent it in the south of France, and then he and his wife emigrated to the United States. The fact is known that the German officer, having authority, offered him a move to Germany and a comfortable life, but Denikin did not consider this to be possible for himself.

Attitude towards Russia

Marina Antonovna Denikina remembers that her father never learned French, remaining in the soul of a completely Russian person. She herself was really imbued with Russia after the death of Anton Ivanovich (1947) and work with his archives. Books on the history of the White Movement so enthralled her that after 40 years she felt a real Russian roots. Realizing that there could be no winners in the Civil War, she wanted to "return" her father to his historical homeland. She told me that on the eve of his death from a heart attack, Denikin most of all dreamed of saving Russia and believed that to his descendants he left the main thing - his impeccable name.

Ksenia Vasilievna, survived her husband for 26 years, devoted years to the formation of the archives of her husband, transferring it to Columbia University. The daughter deemed it necessary to hand over the materials she collected to Russia. She was fortunate at the reception of the Russian ambassador in Paris to get to know Putin, to whom she conveyed her father's wish to see the great and indivisible Russia. And if the country is no longer able to become indivisible, then it is in the power of the president to make it great. In the 2000s she took part in the campaign to return the ashes of the Denikin family to their historical homeland.

Return of the remains

In the summer of 2005, Marina Antonovna Denikina became a Russian citizen, and in autumn, along with her son and elder granddaughter, participated in the reburial of his father's ashes in the Donskoy Monastery. He was transported from the Russian cemetery in New Jersey (USA). Nearby - the grave of Xenia Vasilyevna, who died in France, but after years reunited with his beloved husband. At a meeting with the president of the Russian Federation, the daughter of the general handed him the battle-piece, which his father received in 1915. She felt that a valuable family heirloom must belong to a country whose loyalty Anton Ivanovich Denikin had proved all his life.

Afterword

Denikin Marina Antonovna died a month after she fulfilled her father's will - to find peace in his native land. She left at the age of 86, the day before she finished recording about the main trip to Russia. Shortly before, when giving an interview to the newspaper Izvestia, the daughter of a general speaking in her native language with a slight accent expressed her satisfaction that she would leave this world as a citizen of the country in which she was born at the turn of two eras. She is a slender, elegant owner of living blue eyes, she will remain in her memory as the real daughter of her father, who gave her love for her historical homeland.