Pawel Jefimowitsch Kassatkin (russian: link=no, Павел Ефимович Касаткин) - 19 May 1987) was a Soviet poet.

Early life

Pawel Jefimowitsch Kassatkin was born on in the village of Semyon-Alexandrovka, which is in the Bobrowsky District of

Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast (russian: Воронежская область, Voronezhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Voronezh. Its population was 2,308,792 as of the 2021 Census. Geography V ...

. He was the 6th child. Childhood was characterized by poverty and a rural life. He lost his mother early in life and as a consequence was cared for by his step-mother. He completed his schooling at the agricultural school in Bobow. Soon after, he moved to

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

for further studies. In 1936 Kassatkin was awarded his Doctors Degree, from the Leningrad Medical Technical School. Immediately after this, he was transferred and served in the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

, where he remained until his retirement in

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

(1948). Pawel Kassatkin worked at the front in the Japanese-Soviet War as a field doctor in the rank of

feldsher According to the World Health Organization, a feldsher (german: Feldscher, pl, Felczer, cs, Felčar, russian: фельдшер, sv, Fältskär, Finnish: ''Välskäri'') is a health care professional who provides various medical services limit ...

. As a participant in the Japanese-Soviet conflict, he rescued soldiers from both conflict parties. During this time, in 1938, he wrote his first poems. Parts of his first works were printed in

Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and mn, Эрхүү, ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 617,473 as of the 2010 Census, Irkutsk is ...

in 1942 and

Ulan-Ude Ulan-Ude (; bua, Улаан-Үдэ, , ; russian: Улан-Удэ, p=ʊˈlan ʊˈdɛ; mn, Улаан-Үд, , ) is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence wi ...

in 1947. Later, they were published throughout the USSR.
After his departure from the army in 1948 he moved to Voronezh. He worked there until 1950 as a head doctor of the medical point in Bobrow. Following this period, he started working as a journalist for various local newspapers. In 1953 his first book "Rodnaja Step" appeared with his own works. Subsequently, more books and poems followed. In 1958 he finished the party university of the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspaper ...

(C.P.S.U.). In 1960, Kassatkin was appointed to the Writers' Union of the USSR after personal invitation from the board leader and in 1975 he was awarded with the Order of the Badge of Honour (Russian: Орден "Знак Почёта") for his merits for local and Soviet literature. On 19 May 1987, Kassatkin died of Cancer in his hometown of

Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...

Personal life

While studying together, Kassatkin met his future wife Antonina Magazinskaja (1919–2014) and they married on 13 October 1938. They remained married until his death in 1987.
In 1939 his first child, Edward Pavlovich, was born in

.
His second child, Tamara Pavlovna, was born in Voronezh in 1951.

Works

From his journalistic activity and his travels through native territories, Kassatkin drew on his creative inspiration.
Therefore, he was also described by critics as "singer of the homeland" (Russian "Певец родной край").
His works were compared with the works of the local writer and poet

Aleksey Koltsov Aleksey Vasilievich Koltsov (russian: link=no, Алексе́й Васи́льевич Кольцо́в; October 15, 1809 – October 29, 1842) was a Russian poet who has been called a Russian Burns. His poems, frequently placed in the mouth of wom ...

(1809–1842).

Awards

Military Awards

* 1945

Medal "For the Victory over Japan" The Medal "For the Victory over Japan" (russian: Медаль «За победу над Японией») was a campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on September 30, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet ...

(Russian: Медаль «За победу над Японией») * 1945

Medal for Battle Merit A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

(Russian: Медаль «За Воееьне Заслуги») * 1948 Mongolian Medal "For the Victory over Japan" (Mongolian: «бугд найрамдах монгол ард улс. Японыг Ялсны Тфлфф Медал») * 1981 Merit medal for the battle at Chalchin Gol (Mongolian: «Халхын Голын Яалат Медалийн Унзмлзх») * 1985

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...

(Russian: «Орден Отечественной войны»)

Civil Awards

* 1972 Badge for Excellent student of cultural patronage of the USSR (Russian: Знак «Отличник культурного шефства над вооруженными силами СССР») * 1975

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour (russian: орден «Знак Почёта», orden "Znak Pochyota") was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding ...

(Russian: Орден «Знак Почёта»)

Books

* ''Rodnaja Step'', The Voronezh Book Publishing House, Voronezh, 1953 * ''Pridonje'', The Voronezh Book Publishing House, Voronezh, 1959 * ''Salatoi Liwin'', The Voronezh Book Publishing House, Voronezh, 1961 * ''Woroneschki Pluessi'', The Voronezh Book Publishing House, Voronezh, 1963 * ''Simnaja Skaska'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1965 * ''Semla Kolzowa'', Books publishers <>, Moskau, 1965 * ''Stepnaja Raduga'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1967 * ''Monolog Wisnij'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1970 * ''Solowje'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1973 * ''Na Lugu'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1975 * ''Moe Pole'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1979, Library of Congress-Class.: PG3482.5.S29 M6 * ''Swoei Tropinkoi'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1984, Library of Congress-Class.: MLCS 84/13319 (P) * ''Sapawednaja Strana'', Central-Chernozem books publishers, Voronezh, 1987

Music

* ''Balalaika'' Russian "Балалайка» * ''Peznja o Woronesche'' Russian "Песня о Воронеже» * ''Peznja o Manukowzach'' Russian "Песня о мануковцах»

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kassatkin, Pawel Jefimowitsch 1915 births 1987 deaths Soviet poets