Mikhail Arkadyevich Svetlov | |
|---|---|
 Mikhail Svetlov in 1928 | |
| Born | Mikhail Arkadyevich Scheinkman (1903-06-17)17 June 1903 Yekaterinoslav, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 28 September 1964(1964-09-28) (aged 61) Moscow, USSR |
| Occupation | poet, playwright, journalist |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Genre | socialist realism |
| Notable works | Grenada |
| Children | 1 |
| Signature | |
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Mikhail Arkadyevich Svetlov (Russian:Михаил Аркадьевич Светлов), bornScheinkman[1] (Russian:Шейнкман) (June 17 [O.S. June 4] 1903 – 28 September 1964) was aRussian poet and playwright.[2][3] Posthumous laureate of theLenin Prize 1967.
Figures of speech and constructions of his works sometimes resemble those ofHeinrich Heine, for which he was nicknamedRed Heine, as evidenced, in particular, byVladimir Mayakovsky's satirical poem “To the Proletarian Poets ” (Message to the Proletarian Poets, 1926).[4]
Svetlov was born into a poorJewish family.[5][6] He has been published since 1917. A member ofKomsomol since 1919, Svetlov was sent to the First Congress of Proletarian Writers inMoscow in 1920 and took part in theRussian Civil War as a volunteerrifleman in the same year. Two years later, Svetlov published his first collection of poems,Rails. The main theme of his works in the 1920s was theRussian Civil War. Probably the best known poem written by Svetlov, isGrenada, published in 1926. Between 1927 and 1928 he studied at theMoscow State University.
One of Svetlov's most significant works from the 1930s was theSong ofKakhovka (1935, composerIsaak Dunayevsky), which became extremely popular among Soviet soldiers during theSecond World War.[7][8] After 1935 Svetlov turned todramaturgy, publishing several plays prior to 1940 and after the war.
Between 1941 and 1945, Svetlov was a special correspondent of theRed Star at theLeningrad Front, and also worked for other Soviet front newspapers. The most notable work of that period was a monologue-style poemItalian Cross (1943), full of dreams of peace and the fraternity of nations.
After a gap of about 14 years, during which Svetlov was writing only plays, he published several collections of poems, including theHorizon (1959) and theShooting Box (1964). He also wrote songs for the 1958 animated filmBeloved Beauty (Краса ненаглядная). In 1967 he was awarded theLenin Prize posthumously for the bookVerses of the Last Years.
Aminor planet3483 Svetlov, discovered bySoviet astronomerLyudmila Ivanovna Chernykh in 1976, is named after him.[9]
In the Soviet-era film comedyThe Diamond Arm, the male lead takes a vacation abroad (a very rare occurrence under Communist rule) on an ocean liner named in honor of Svetlov.
In December 2022 the Mikhail Svetlov street inKyiv,Ukraine was renamed to (part of the so-calledExecuted Renaissance)Oleksandr Doroshkevich [uk;ru] street.[10]
