The exhibition houses the first edition of the novel “They Fought for Their Country” by Mikhail Sholokhov. It was published by the People’s Commissariat of Defense in Moscow as part of the series titled “A Red Army Soldier’s Library”. This copy was hit by a shell fragment. The writer received it from lieutenant Anatoly Konstantinov in 1944. In the accompanying letter, the officer explained that the book had belonged to the heroic fallen soldier Mikhail Kharlamov who had always carried it with him, had read the book many times, and had strived to follow in the footsteps of the novel’s characters Zvyagintsev, Streltsov, and Lopakhin.
The novel “They Fought for Their Country” represented the tragic period of the Great Patriotic War when the Soviet army had to retreat to the Don in the summer of 1942. Sholokhov was one of the first Russian writers to speak up about the difficulties, mistakes, and chaos in frontline deployment.
After publishing the first installments of the novel, Sholokhov realized that he did not want to write in sporadic fragmented pieces, like a reporter from the thick of the action. He made a point of providing a complete picture, with all the origins and causes. This is why he intended to write a trilogy. In his novel, he planned to describe the Spanish Civil War where the Soviet military talents were forged, the period of 1937–1938 when many of them were arrested and shot dead, leaving the Red Army without its most experienced commanders, and finally the Great Patriotic War and the victory in which he strongly believed.
Shortly before his death, the writer burned down the manuscripts for the novel. Only separate chapters were published. Sholokhov’s eldest daughter recalled that her father often received offers from foreign publishers but adamantly refused to publish his work abroad, believing that he should “do it at home first and then abroad.” Sholokhov understood that he would not live until the time when it would be possible to speak the truth about the period of 1937–1938 and the real cost of the victory.
On May 26, 1975, the movie “They Fought for Their Country” directed by Sergei Bondarchuk was released in the Soviet Union. The main characters were portrayed by actors who had had firsthand experience of the war. The director did not even hold auditions and invited such actors as Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Georgi Burkov, Yuri Nikulin, Vasily Shukshin, and others. In the first year, the movie drew an audience of 40 million people. The “Soviet Screen” magazine named it the best movie of the year.
The novel “They Fought for Their Country” represented the tragic period of the Great Patriotic War when the Soviet army had to retreat to the Don in the summer of 1942. Sholokhov was one of the first Russian writers to speak up about the difficulties, mistakes, and chaos in frontline deployment.
After publishing the first installments of the novel, Sholokhov realized that he did not want to write in sporadic fragmented pieces, like a reporter from the thick of the action. He made a point of providing a complete picture, with all the origins and causes. This is why he intended to write a trilogy. In his novel, he planned to describe the Spanish Civil War where the Soviet military talents were forged, the period of 1937–1938 when many of them were arrested and shot dead, leaving the Red Army without its most experienced commanders, and finally the Great Patriotic War and the victory in which he strongly believed.
Shortly before his death, the writer burned down the manuscripts for the novel. Only separate chapters were published. Sholokhov’s eldest daughter recalled that her father often received offers from foreign publishers but adamantly refused to publish his work abroad, believing that he should “do it at home first and then abroad.” Sholokhov understood that he would not live until the time when it would be possible to speak the truth about the period of 1937–1938 and the real cost of the victory.
On May 26, 1975, the movie “They Fought for Their Country” directed by Sergei Bondarchuk was released in the Soviet Union. The main characters were portrayed by actors who had had firsthand experience of the war. The director did not even hold auditions and invited such actors as Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Georgi Burkov, Yuri Nikulin, Vasily Shukshin, and others. In the first year, the movie drew an audience of 40 million people. The “Soviet Screen” magazine named it the best movie of the year.
