20 Dec 1967
Born in Moscow Dmitry Bykov. Writer, poet, critic, and publicist. He turns 57.
It is not hope that dies last, but anger.
My father worked as a doctor, and my mother taught Russian language and literature. Her real surname is Zilbertrud.
Back in the late 80s, he joined the poetic association “Order of Courtly Mannerists,” where he was nicknamed “commander.”
In the 90s, he was a school literature teacher and taught at MGIMO. He also began writing for Sobesednik, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Ogonyok, and Novaya Gazeta.
I dreamed of a world war -
Maybe the third, maybe the second,
How can you figure out what's going on in a dream?
In the web of delirium...
I only remember that our victory,
But the victory is not what I need
(1996)
He became famous as a biographer. Pasternak, Okudzhava, Gorky и Mayakovsky. He has lectured in Russia and abroad. He is the author of dozens of novels and books, including "Soviet Literature: A Brief Course," "Justification," "Orthography," "ZhD," "Ostromov, or the Sorcerer's Apprentice," and others.
He was a presenter on federal television channels, in particular on Dozhd.
With Mikhail Efremov published literary video releases as part of the projects "Citizen Poet" and "Good Gentleman".
The whole region, where there is snow and traffic jams, stench and puddles,
Where if someone is not a bastard, then he is an idiot,
But the main thing is the ability to make things worse,
So that I can love all of this later.
The Nazis are waiting, the national minorities are getting ready,
The elections are a mess, the ruble is dead –
But such changes are ahead,
Look, I might even love this.
(Thank You for Being Drunk, 2011)
In 2011 he took part in protests on Swamp for fair elections. He is remembered for his poster, "Don't rock the boat—our rat is sick!" and the aphorism, "History bet on us—and then it fell on them."
In response to Putin's words, who during the "direct line" called the protesters on Bolotnaya Square "Banderlogs," he wrote a poem called "Fresh Law of the Jungle."
A couple of hours before dawn, having gathered a crowd of animals,
On the bald mountain of the Council the great Puu lay down.
— Do you hear, oh my dogs?
— We hear you, oh Puu!
- My Kandelaki, my Tabaki?
— We love you, oh Puu!
We will bark almost for free at all the riff-raff,
Even if you crush us into pieces with one blow!
In 2012, in the elections of the Opposition Coordination Council, he came in second, losing only to To Navalny.
Just now at dinner,
Eating up the scallop,
We thought with Medved -
Stir up something b?
We all did what was there
Amusing the whole country:
Flew the plane
Plunged into the depths
Twitter, sweater, Mac,
Skiing, dancing, all that you want!
(Putin and the Man, 2011)
Condemned Russia's policy in Crimea.
In 2018, he participated in Ksenia Sobchak's presidential campaign.
By claiming that horseradish is no sweeter than radish, am I promoting radish?
In April 2019, he survived poisoning - according to an investigation by The Insider and Bellingcat, it was organized by the same FSB officers who tried to poison Bulk и Kara-Murza.
In the fall of 2021, he left Russia for the United States and teaches at Cornell University.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Justice added him to the register of foreign agent media outlets. Following this, bookstores in Russia suspended sales of Bykov's books, and libraries removed them from their shelves and placed them on a "foreign agent" display.
Since December 2022, he has been writing poetry again for the revived Citizen Poet project (with Efremov's consent, his colleague reads them) Arthur Smolyaninov).
Dark night
Still not for a thousand years,
There is nothing infinite,
Besides the malice of an outcast.
Current has nothing to do with it –
Dawn will come in Ukraine,
And in Russia, dawn is prohibited.
And another will come
(Eerie Night, 2022)