Valery Popov: writer's biography

Outstanding Russian writer Valery Popov from his first works entered the main echelon of the creators of the Soviet Union. His books are distinguished by a combination of grotesque and realistic detailing of the narrative. The writer is based on his life experience, and elements of autobiography are present in all his works.

Childhood and family

December 8, 1938 the boy was born Valery Popov, whose family then lived in Kazan. His father was a biologist-breeder, and none of the relatives had anything to do with art and literature.

When Valery was 6 years old, the family moved to Leningrad, and in this city the personality of the future writer developed. He tells that from an early age he noticed and remembered various sensations, details, images, and from childhood he had a grotesque vision of the world. A mocking view of the world he has preserved for life.

Popov's childhood was quite traditional for that time: he played with the children in the courtyard, went to a lot of circles in the Palace of Pioneers, but interestingly, he was engaged in technical activities - he was not interested in creativity yet.

Finding the way

After school Valery Popov enters the university. He chooses absolutely not a creative path and comes to the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute. But Valeriy did not fail at all, since at that time it was the most free and creative institution of higher education - LETI skittles were famous all over Peter, students constantly joked, competed in wit. Popov says that entering the university was an intuitive, but absolutely correct decision.

It is in the institute that he finds his "guides" in literature and begins to take an active interest in writing, writes poetry. In the early 60's he entered the literary association at the publishing house "Soviet writer", which was located in the house of Singer, and there he finds the first teachers - Mikhail Slonimsky and Gennady Gore. Here the spirit of the St. Petersburg Oberiots reigned - Kharms, the Serapion Brothers. The graft of absurdity, humor, satire was forever received by Valery Popov. In his student years, he approaches the St. Petersburg young writer's bohemia - I. Brodsky, E. Rein, S. Dovlatov, A. Bitov, V. Kushner. He says that this company was the main happiness of his life, among them reigned a spirit of fun, confidence in his own genius and easy competition. This motivated creativity, growth, and search. The writer says that the role of this environment in his destiny was extremely great, she helped him to find his way in life.

Popov graduated from LETI and got a job at the research institute as an engineer, continuing to actively communicate with the writer's party. At this time he met almost all the promising writers of Russia of that time, and many will be bound by friendship for many years.

Popov's first story, "I and the Machine" was published in 1963. The writer goes to the correspondence department of the VGIK for the scenario department, where his writer's opinion is finally formed. Education has not passed without a trace, and it will soon be seen that elements of cinematography are always present in his works.

In 1969 the first collection of short stories was published. In 1970, a new author appeared in the USSR Writers' Union - Valery Popov. His biography will now forever be associated with creativity. Since 2003, Popov becomes the chairman of this creative union of St. Petersburg. Now he is the author of almost thirty books, among which are collections of short stories, a novel, novels and biographical texts. The most famous of his such works as "Life was successful", "To dance to death", "Ink angel", "Third breath", "Mushroom pickers walk with knives".

Literary handwriting

The writer's manner of Valery Popov is always recognizable by the compulsory grotesque in the texts, Bunin's love of small everyday details in descriptions, optimism and lightness. He repeatedly admitted that he wrote with incredible pleasure, and this is felt in his works. Often, his texts are autobiographical - he takes cases from the lives of people he once met, but always brings the situation to such an absolute that they begin to look at the Harms absurdity.

Valery Popov was and remains a St. Petersburg writer and sixties. This manifests itself in the nervousness of prose, in its "disheveled." As the author himself says, social problems and politics do not occupy him-he focuses on the study of human psychology and on the search for an answer to the classical questions of being.

Creative achievements

Valery Popov is not spoiled for rewards - his generation was too rich with geniuses. He was awarded the Order of Friendship, the Order of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the winner of the awards of N. Gogol, A.S. Pushkin, S. Dovlatov, "Golden Ostap" magazine "Banner." Several of his works were included in the short lists of famous literary awards. If there are modest people among the writers, then it's Valery Popov. You can not see the writer's photo in the secular chronicle. He is busy with his own business, as well as with public activities. His main concern is the well-being of St. Petersburg peers.

The private life of the writer

Popov does not like to talk about his personal life, arguing that everything about her tells in the books. Despite the almost confession in the books, no one is able to bypass personal topics like Valery Popov. The writer's family is a closed door. It is known that he has a wife with whom they experienced a tragedy - the loss of a newborn child, which he describes in the book "To Dance to Death."