Gennady Shpalikov
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Gennady Shpalikov
OR:
Gennady Shpalikov on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Gennady Fyodorovich Shpalikov (russian: Генна́дий Фёдорович Шпа́ликов; 6 September 1937 – 1 November 1974) was a prominent Soviet Russian poet, screenwriter and film director.


Early years

Born in the town of
Segezha Segezha (russian: Сеге́жа; krl, Segeža; fi, Sekehe) is a town and the administrative center of Segezhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located north of Petrozavodsk on the Segezha River and on the western shore of La ...
,
Karelian ASSR The Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic ( rus, Каре́льская Автоно́мная Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика, r=Karelskaya Avtonomnaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respub ...
into a
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
family of military background. His father Fyodor Grigorievich Shpalikov came from peasants of the
Orenburg Governorate Orenburg Governorate (russian: Оренбургская губерния) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire with the center in the city of Orenburg, Ufa (1802-1865). The governorate was created in 1744 from ...
; he finished the Kuibyshev Military Engineering Academy in Moscow and was assigned to build a pulp and paper enterprise in Segezha. In 1939 his family returned to Moscow. With the start of the
Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sou ...
they were evacuated to the
Kirghiz SSR The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirghiz SSR; ky, Кыргыз Советтик Социалисттик Республикасы, Kyrgyz Sovettik Sotsialisttik Respublikasy, ky, Кыргыз ССР, Kyrgyz SSR, russian: Киргизск ...
along with the Academy and remained there until 1943. Fyodor Shpalikov was sent to the front line; he received an Order of the Red Star in 1944 and was declared missing in action in Western
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
in 1945. Gennady was raised by his mother Ludmila Nikiforovna Perevertkina, also from peasants of the
Voronezh Governorate Voronezh Governorate (russian: Воронежская губерния, ''Voronezhskaya guberniya''; uk, Воронізька губернія) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and th ...
. Her brother was an acclaimed Soviet colonel general Semyon Perevertkin who led the
79th Rifle Corps The 79th Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army in World War II that became part of the Soviet Army during the Cold War. World War II The corps was formed in July 1943 as a headquarters with no troops assigned, and subordinated to th ...
of the
3rd Shock Army The 3rd Shock Army (russian: Третья ударная армия) was a field army of the Red Army formed during the Second World War. The "Shock" armies were created with the specific structure to engage and destroy significant enemy forces ...
during the fight for Reichstag and later served as a Deputy Director of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...
between 1956 and 1960.
Shpalikov's ex-wife: I tried really hard, but wasn't able to fall in love with Gena...
' interview with Natalya Ryazantzeva, April 2015 (in Russian) In 1947 Shpalikov himself was sent to study in the Kiev's military cadet school which he finished in 1955. Same year he published his first poems. He then enrolled to the Moscow Military Commanders Training School, but was discharged after receiving a
meniscus Meniscus may refer to: *Meniscus (anatomy), crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that partly divides a joint cavity *Meniscus (liquid) The meniscus (plural: ''menisci'', from the Greek for "crescent") is the curve in the upper surface ...
injury during the training in 1956.
I'm walking the street of Moscow. Gennady Shpalikov
' documentary by
Russia-1 Russia-1 (russian: Россия-1) is a state-owned Russian television channel, first aired on 14 February 1956 as Programme Two in the Soviet Union. It was relaunched as RTR on 13 May 1991, and is known today as Russia-1. It is the flagship ch ...
, 2008 (in Russian) Shpalikov then successfully applied to the screenwriting faculty of
VGIK The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (russian: Всероссийский государственный институт кинематографии имени С. А. Герасимова, meaning ''All-Russian State Institute of Cinemat ...
which he finished in 1961. During the studies he met Andrei Tarkovsky and
Andrei Konchalovsky Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky (russian: link=no, Андрей Сергеевич Михалков-Кончаловский; born 20 August 1937) is a Russian filmmaker. He has worked in Soviet, Hollywood, and contemporary Russian ...
who became his close friends.Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
'', ''Long Farewells'', ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
''), but they divorced in just three years.


Career

In 1960 Shpalikov, still a VGIK student, was offered to write a screenplay for the new film by
Marlen Khutsiev Marlen Martynovich Khutsiev (russian: Марле́н Марты́нович Хуци́ев; 4 October 1925 – 19 March 2019) was a Georgian-born Soviet and Russian filmmaker best known for his cult films from the 1960s, which include '' I Am Twe ...
. Originally titled Ilyich's Gate, the movie was dedicated to the Khrushchev Thaw and the new generation of the
Sixtiers The Sixtiers (Russian: Шестидесятники, romanized: ''Shestidesyatniki'', Ukrainian: Шістдесятники, romanized: ''Shistdesiatnyky''; "people of the 60s") were representatives of а new generation of the Soviet Intelligen ...
, being inspired by the French New Wave. Ryazantzeva, Tarkovsky and Konchalovsky all played small parts in it. A long episode that featured many popular poets of the time was filmed with the support of
Yekaterina Furtseva Yekaterina Alexeyevna Furtseva (russian: Екатерина Алексеевна Фурцева; 7 December 1910 – 24 October 1974) was a Soviet politician and the second woman to be admitted as secretary of the Central Committee of the Comm ...
who suggested to make it a two-part feature and raised the film's budget.Josephine Woll.
Being 20, 40 years later
' Finished by the end of 1962, it was screened in the Moscow Kremlin in March 1963 to a grand scandal.
Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
compared the movie to ideological diversion, criticized it for «ideas and norms of public and private life that are entirely unacceptable and alien to Soviet people» and for showing young people «wandering around the city doing nothing».''
Georgiy Daneliya Georgiy Nikolayevich Daneliya ( ka, გიორგი ნიკოლოზის ძე დანელია; russian: Георгий Николаевич Данелия; 25 August 1930 – 4 April 2019), also known as Giya Daneliya ( ka, გ ...
(2007)''. Chito-Grito. — Moscow: Eksmo, 768 pages. It was suggested to rewrite the screenplay and cut down the movie, although Shpalikov protested and tried to avoid changing his script at every possibility, so the final reedited version of the film was released only in 1965 under the name of ''I Am Twenty'', also to poor reviews. With 8.8 million viewers it became a commercial failure. Nevertheless, it was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 1965
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
. Only in 1988 the restored version was released under its original title, called «a crucial big screen work of art of the early 1960s» by the commission under the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR. In 1962
Georgiy Daneliya Georgiy Nikolayevich Daneliya ( ka, გიორგი ნიკოლოზის ძე დანელია; russian: Георгий Николаевич Данелия; 25 August 1930 – 4 April 2019), also known as Giya Daneliya ( ka, გ ...
invited Shpalikov for a joint effort, and together they wrote a comedy film '' Walking the Streets of Moscow''. Similar to Ilyich's Gate in tone and message, it seemed suspicious to the Artistic Council at first as they saw it as another movie about «young people wandering around the city doing nothing». But after Daneliya assured one of the head officials at the
State Committee for Cinematography Goskino USSR (russian: link=Yes, Госкино СССР) is the abbreviated name for the USSR State Committee for Cinematography (Государственный комитет по кинематографии СССР) in the Soviet Union. It w ...
that they had nothing tricky on their minds, the work became «easy, fast and fun». When the film was ready, the Council was still unsure what to make of it. Daneliya and Shaplikov then came up with a «meaningful» episode (a floor polisher who works at the house of a big writer and criticizes beginning writers on this account). According to Daneliya, the pun was obvious, but the Council «was smarter than we thought and pretended they didn't notice anything». The movie was given a green light and released to a big success, turning into one of the cult films for the Soviet youth, along with the title song composed by Shpalikov as an improvisation during the shooting of the required episode. ''Walking the Streets of Moscow'' was officially selected for the
1964 Cannes Film Festival The 17th Cannes Film Festival was held from 29 April to 14 May 1964. On this occasion, the Palme d’Or was renamed "Grand Prix du Festival International du Film", a name that remained in use through 1974, after which it became the Palme d'Or ag ...
. The term «lyrical comedy» often used to describe Soviet films was coined by the authors during their fight with the Artistic Council who couldn't understand why the comedy didn't make them laugh. The end of the Khrushchev Thaw also marked the start of Spalikov's demise. 1966 saw the release of two movies based on his screenplays: ''I'm from Childhood'' by Viktor Turov and ''A Long Happy Life'' — the only film Shpalikov both wrote and directed. The latter was written with
Inna Gulaya Inna Iosifovna Gulaya (russian: И́нна Ио́сифовна Гула́я; 9 May 1940, Kharkov – 28 May 1990, Moscow) was a Soviet theatre and cinema actress. She was named a Meritorious Artist of the RSFSR in 1976. Early life Gulaya was bor ...
in mind, his second wife since 1962 who eventually played the main part. The film went almost unnoticed by the Soviet viewers and press, although it won the first prize at the Bergamo Film Festival. Same happened to the 1971 drama ''You and Me'' by
Larisa Shepitko Larisa Yefimovna Shepitko (, uk, Лариса Юхимівна Шепітько, translit=Larysa Yukhymivna Shepitko; 6 January 1938 – 2 July 1979) was a Soviet film director, screenwriter and actress. She is considered one of the best fe ...
: it was well received at the
32nd Venice International Film Festival The 32nd annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 25 August to 6 September 1971. There was no jury because from 1969 to 1979 the festival was not competitive. Films premiered * '' The Devils'' by Ken Russell (United Kingdom) * ''La ...
, but failed miserably at the Soviet box office. In addition to screenwriting, Shpalikov was also a prominent poet and songwriter. Few of his poems were published during the lifetime, yet many of them found their way through bard songs and evenings of poetry. Sergey Nikitin wrote melodies for many of his poems.


Death

Shpalikov was a heavy drinker according to both of his wives. He had trouble controlling emotions, often disappeared for days and weeks without a trace, even when he was in the middle of an urgent work.
Inna Gulaya Inna Iosifovna Gulaya (russian: И́нна Ио́сифовна Гула́я; 9 May 1940, Kharkov – 28 May 1990, Moscow) was a Soviet theatre and cinema actress. She was named a Meritorious Artist of the RSFSR in 1976. Early life Gulaya was bor ...
and her mother tried to put him into a clinic multiple times, but every time he ran away from there.''Tatiana Bulkina (2011)''. A Bow to the Soviet Cinema. — Moscow: Publishing House Moscovia, 384 pages. By the start of the 1970s he had almost completely lost hope of finding a job, despite much unpublished material on his hands, including screenplays, poems and a big unfinished novel. Depression could be felt in his letters and diaries of that time. Gulaya, being worried for their daughter Daria Shpalikova (born 1963), decided to divorce him after all. In 1974 Gennady committed suicide by hanging in
Peredelkino Peredelkino ( rus, Переде́лкино, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈdʲelkʲɪnə) is a dacha complex situated just to the southwest of Moscow, Russia. History The settlement originated as the estate of Peredeltsy, owned by the Leontievs (maternal rela ...
. The suicide note said: ''«No, it's not cowardice — I just can't live with you anymore. Do not grieve. I'm tired of you. Remember, Dasha. Shpalikov»''. He was buried at the
Vagankovo Cemetery Vagankovo Cemetery (russian: Ваганьковское кладбище, Vagan'kovskoye kladbishche), established in 1771, is located in the Presnya district of Moscow. It started in the aftermath of the Moscow plague riot of 1771 outside the ci ...
. In 2009 a monument was placed at the entrance to the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography showing Gennady Shpalikov, Andrei Tarkovsky and
Vasily Shukshin Vasily Makarovich Shukshin (russian: Василий Макарович Шукшин; 25 July 1929 – 2 October 1974) was a Soviet Russian writer, actor, screenwriter and film director from the Altai region who specialized in rural themes. A ...
together.Photo of the monument
at
Panoramio Panoramio was a geo-located tagging, photo sharing mashup active between 2005 and 2016. Photos uploaded to the site were accessible as a layer in Google Earth and Google Maps. The site's goal was to allow Google Earth users to learn more about ...
 According to Sergei Solovyov, these people defined the face of the national and world cinema during the second half of the 20th century.


Selected filmography


References


External links

*
Russian Film: What Was and What Is
by David Gurevich
To Our Fortune or Misfortune
poem, verse translation
Russian Poetry Translated Into English
by Olga Dumer
Translations of Russian and English Poetry
by Natasha Gotskaya {{DEFAULTSORT:Shpalikov, Gennady 1937 births 1974 suicides Soviet screenwriters Male screenwriters Soviet poets Russian male poets Soviet male writers 20th-century Russian male writers Burials at Vagankovo Cemetery People from the Republic of Karelia 20th-century screenwriters