Письма семье

October 13–14, 1933, station, Ksenievskaya 1933.Х.13–14. Dear mother, I finally arrived on the night of October 1st at the place, although, perhaps, not final 4. There is a very beautiful area here - on the banks of a river, fast and transparent, among low but numerous mountains or, more precisely, high hills covered with larch. The climate is very healthy - dry, sunny, with good mountain air, sandy soil. In a word, it would be quite possible to set up a resort here. The landscape is reminiscent of the Caucasus, along the Kura River. And because I live near the railway and, in addition, the interests of the road, then all together brings to mind the situation that was at my birth. 5 As it should be, the end coincides with the beginning. – I’m worried about you, how you live and how my houses are arranged. 6 I wrote to you from the road several times, but I don’t know whether the letters arrived. I'm glad I saw you. Tell Kira that Mikhail Vladimirovich prints the Dictionary of Insulating Materials without me, but you can send me proofreading for review, or somehow let him arrange it differently; Let Mikhail Vladimirovich put the article on “The Life of Products” in order as best he can, and send me a copy for correction - I will try to add some general considerations. However, if he wants, let him submit it to print (in Soren) himself. 7 Then let him collect materials on biological factors damaging the nets (insects, rodents, etc.) and, having processed them as best he can, send them to me, but this, I hope, will not be soon. “I just looked at the address and saw that this letter was not intended, in fact, for you, but for Olya. So I’ll write to her here too. I kiss you and everyone. November 23, 1933, Art. Ksenievskaya 1933.XI.23. Dear mom, any day now I’m waiting for my departure to Svobodny, but for now I’m still in Ksenievskaya. As far as I know from various stories, there may be certain conditions for scientific work in Svobodny, but I am not entirely sure of their sufficiency. This makes me want to move as soon as possible, although I do not like changes in the situation. Here, in Ksenievskaya, life is not bad: quite sufficient food, a room that is not too cramped, in which five others live with me, electric lighting, warmth - we heat our own iron stove - more or less comfortable working conditions. This work is not for me at all, because... it is purely engineering or statistical-economic; but on the other hand, I have a cultured and educated boss who treats me well 8 . I received warm clothes - all cotton wool and felt boots, so, despite the local cold, I don’t feel them. However, I don’t have to spend much time outdoors; I mostly sit in the work room at our headquarters. Exits to the street - 4 times a day, to and from the camp. Sometimes I’ll walk a little to get some air and warm up in the sun. It’s wonderful that even in severe frosts the sun warms here, just like in Moscow in the spring. There is generally a lot of sunshine, almost always sunny from early morning until late evening. But the frosts are already severe, up to 40°. November 27, 1933, Art. Ksenievskaya 1933.XI.27. Dear Annulya, I received your letters dated November 8 and 15, as well as letters from Tika, Mika and Olya, the last one dated October 14 (unless Olya was mistaken, a letter from the station in Moscow). The letter dated November 15th was received on the 27th, the letter dated November 8th – November 23rd. As you can see, letters reach all authorities within 7-8 days, and therefore I am not as far from you as it seems. But my letters, apparently, do not reach you. After all, I have already written many times about your doubts and concerns, but in every letter you repeat the same things. I am writing again. I'm the least of your worries. I live in a warm, perhaps even sometimes too warm, room, and I work in good conditions and in warmth. Electric lighting. Food - three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you can have tea at home, whenever you want. I still have bread, despite the fact that it is delicious (semi-wheat), and despite the fact that I always eat a lot of bread. We receive some cookies and sweets twice a month. I am dressed very warmly, in felt boots, cotton trousers and a padded jacket, over which I also put on a cotton short coat, called a pea coat. The food here, in any case, is much more satisfying and nutritious than in Moscow, and even more so here. My boss treats me quite well and kindly, so I wouldn’t want to leave Ksenievskaya because of this. As for the work, it is not according to my qualifications, since it comes down to various kinds of statistical and economic calculations, tables, graphs, etc. But it turned out that I started with small units of the BAMLAG organization and gradually moved to larger ones in order to get to the center. Thus, in a short time, I became familiar with the entire business of railway construction, which was new to me in a short time, and, moreover, in all its branches, including the economy, so that I got a general idea of ​​a state enterprise of enormous size and importance. It seems to give satisfaction to see a large and historical matter in its process, and this is not given so often and not to so many; I remember my father, who worked on similar issues, but on a much smaller scale and not as varied in structure as here, with the complex organization of the whole matter. 9 Details that are not interesting in themselves, such as felt boots or fish, educational programs or the percentage of use of horses, etc., receive their significance and meaning in the overall picture, as necessary components of the whole. Big tasks loom before me regarding the economy of the local region, the study and perhaps the use of permafrost, etc., and I hope that in the future my special knowledge will be used useful for the state. Preliminary acquaintance with the details of economy, life and technology will, of course, be a good school, without which more subtle scientific questions would hang in the air. If it weren’t for my concern for you and the thought that you are suffering in every way, then I would simply be happy with the distance from Moscow and participation in the very thick of historical construction. The only real problem I have, besides you, is the lack of glasses. It’s difficult for me to work without them, I have to bend over backwards, and in general I feel like I’m being overthrown. But I hope that over time this will work out. I did not receive any parcels or money from you. I strongly ask you not to send me anything, especially since parcels are usually very late - sometimes by 6 months, and most likely they will not give me any money. But I receive money here in the form of so-called bonuses. I paid the ITR to the canteen, part of it remained, and I wear it uselessly, since there is nothing to buy here, and there is nothing for it - everything is ready-made. To give you a clearer picture of life, I’ll also tell you about the camp inmates. The overwhelming majority of them, both from the intelligentsia and the grayer ones, are tall, dignified, most are quite plump, all with a magnificent complexion that the townspeople could envy. I don’t know whether this beautiful external appearance depends on the local wonderful climate or on the correct routine of life, or maybe on both, but it would be worth showing our camp inmates to some foreigner, or at least to Gorky 10 . Here you won’t see Moscow, much less Leningrad, pallor and exhaustion. I sent you the powers of attorney 1 1/2 months ago, but, as it turned out, and moreover by accident, they were stuck in Ksenievskaya, and have now been sent to Svobodny. When I’m there, I’ll try to fulfill your request, but you shouldn’t send me away from here, because... I'm afraid there will be delays again. Regarding letters. You can write as much as you want, but the number of my letters is limited. True, out of courtesy, they may be allowed to break the norm (1 letter per month), but this leniency cannot be abused. Therefore, do not worry if you receive my letters relatively rarely. It’s good that you got yourself glasses, but it’s bad that you don’t treat your hand. By the way, rub it with camphor ointment, and in addition, be sure to consult a doctor. A sore hand is not only an obstacle to work, but also the cause of a heavy mood. Try to arrange some kind of light, or at least refill a good kerosene lamp. I kiss you deeply, my dear. Be kind and take care of your health. Please the little ones and especially Tika with something. 1933.XI.28. [To Mom] I just found out about my appointment in Svobodny, I’m going tomorrow - of course, if I can catch the train, and this is not so easy given the congestion of trains here. It is with regret that I part with Ksenievskaya, because... I had already gotten used to people and, to a certain extent, to work. But everyone says that there, in Svobodny, there will be more favorable conditions for scientific work. Your first letters are probably waiting for me there. The climate in Svobodny is milder than here, due to the lower location and proximity, of course relative, to the sea. According to local distances, 1000 km is considered “close”, but since... It takes me 1200 to get to Svobodny, so that’s close. The boys write to me and visit you often. I am very happy about this, both for them and for you. Maybe they will help you with some housework. You don’t tell me anything about how Andrei, Shura and Lilya live, 11 however, you wrote about Andrei, about the birth of his son 12. Congratulate him on my behalf when you write. Here I am enjoying the sun. Every day, from early morning until late evening, the sky is cloudless, the sun shines so that even in the most severe frost it becomes warm under its rays, everything is flooded with light. I always remember Homer’s description of Olympus, where, according to Zhukovsky’s translation, which by the way is very subtle, “the air is poured with azure, and everywhere with the subtlest radiance.” 13 Therefore, I myself feel elevated to the celestials. But they say that in Free there is no less sunshine. As one freeman who lived there for three years assured me, out of 365 days in a year, 360 are sunny. And this is a real stratosphere! Here it is possible to carry out good work on the permafrost of soils and soils that are still almost unstudied, despite the extreme importance of this phenomenon for all areas of the national economy and for the general understanding of the world. Almost half of the Union is in a state of permafrost (47% of the territory), and until now we do not even know exactly the border of the distribution of permafrost, not to mention its causes, dynamics, significance, methods of combating it and its use. I am writing to you about all these things so that you can see the rich opportunities for work in this region. Even at the present moment, although I have not started working, I am imagining some practical consequences of this work, the use of permafrost in the field of the electrical industry, which may. very important in connection with the upcoming electrification of the region. So don't worry about me and, most importantly, take care of your health. I kiss you deeply, dear mother. Kiss Lucy 14 and tell her not to give herself too much work. By the way, here I sometimes meet Caucasians and remember the places where I have been, the sea and the mountains. Together with a view reminiscent of the Caucasus, this provides a particularly vivid memory of childhood. I'm in a hurry to finish the letter in order to hand it in. December 11, 1933, Svobodny 1933.XII.11. Svobodny. Dear Annulya, I haven’t received letters from you for a long time. Maybe they are stuck in Ksenievskaya and will be brought in with some opportunity, but in any case, I don’t know what’s going on with you. The letters sent here, that is, to Svobodny, were here, they were seen, but by my arrival they had disappeared somewhere and I cannot find them. I received your parcel here with olives, crackers, canned goods, sugar and tea. Everything arrived intact. I did not receive another parcel. I didn’t receive any money (50 rubles), but yesterday I received a summons for 15 rubles, which I’ll try to get tomorrow. Why are you sending all this, dear Annulya? After all, I have everything, I am fed, dressed, warm, I carry money without using it, and you are depriving yourself of the latter. After all, it pains me to receive from you when I know that you did not use the necessary things even in my presence, let alone now. The thought of you drills into my heart all the time, especially when I have everything I need. Maybe in the summer it will be possible to arrange your visit here or wherever I will be by then. If it was at the permafrost station, then it would be the best. You would take a walk in the taiga and also pick mushrooms. But we need to make arrangements so that children can come, at least the three youngest ones, because... the elders will probably be on the expedition. Maybe your former Lenochka, now Elena Sergeevna 15, will also come with you, so it will be more convenient and fun for you to travel. In the afternoons I drink tea with your olives and crackers and remember you again. However, I remember constantly. Now I’m sitting and writing, and from below I can hear the sounds of music - some kind of dancing: tomorrow is a day off and most people don’t work. But we have nothing to do in our room, and we come to work on weekends. Fun and excitement are tiring and unpleasant; you want to live more seriously and do more. I have so many different thoughts and topics to explore in all areas that it’s a shame when they fly by without leaving a trace and not being translated into life. You are asking to write about yourself. But I only write about myself. But my life goes on outwardly in a very measured way, especially here in Svobodny, and therefore I have to write the same thing over and over again. I'm healthy and working. Here I meet various more or less acquaintances from Moscow and Leningrad. I sit and work together with Pavel Nikolaevich 16, I also sleep next to each other, we even go to the restroom together. Mikhail Timofeevich 17 was here, but temporarily went on a business trip, he also lives with us. In the evenings, that is, around 12 o’clock at night, we talk a little. I read French poetry, Latin poetry from Horace, but I haven’t come across anything else from poetry yet. I spend about 10 minutes a day reading this, because... there is no more time, and I want to sleep. On technical issues, there is a decent library, but it is random, and therefore there is always no book that is needed at the moment. There is something on other branches of knowledge, but the selection of books is random. There is especially little in physics. Meals three times a day: in the morning some kind of breakfast, both three courses, in the evening a one-course dinner. As you can see, everything is quite enough. There is very little meat here, to my happiness and to the dissatisfaction of others - mostly all porridge or some of them, partly fish, vinaigrette, potatoes, dough, jelly. While here I have gotten better at washing clothes, which is generally difficult due to lack of water - this is in winter, and in summer there is as much water as you want. The Zeya River, very deep and large, is located 3 kilometers from us. I kiss you deeply, my dear. I kiss Tika, Mika, Olya and the elders, to whom I write separately. Bow to grandma 18. Do you visit your mother? How are the children's classes going? Don’t be bored, but live more cheerfully, take care of your children and yourself. I kiss you again. February 18, 1934, Svobodny 1934.II.18. Dear Annulya, after long and cartel gatherings, Pavel Nnikolaevich and I are finally in Skovorodino. Address: st. Skovorodino Ussuriysk railway. d., Experimental Permafrost Station 19 (I made a mistake when I wrote “Zabaikalskaya railway”). Contrary to expectations and fears, we arrived very well, quite like a lord: in a special carriage, freely, without fear for things, in a word, in a way that people don’t travel anymore. We are very pleased with our move (no longer temporary, but permanent). There is a pleasant landscape here - a wavy horizon, hills all around, it seems there is a river. Skovorodino is a small provincial town of about 10 thousand. The permafrost station is a cozy, quiet institution, quite suitable for concentrated scientific work. There are few people here - only 25 people, including workers. The management is cultured, respectable and benevolent, so you can work well with them. The station is at the departure point, there is a field behind it, so you feel like you are in a village or in a country house. There are four of us living together, and our room is separated only by a partition from the laboratory. The laboratory is being organized. There is an experimental site at the station - in a word, everything is convenient. We haven’t met the employees yet; it seems they’re mostly young people. Healthy. Now write letters to the new address. I haven’t heard anything from you for a long time and I’m worried, especially when I live so prosperously. When you can come to me, there will be somewhere to walk around the neighborhood. There are few books here, but there are good ones and some that are hard to get. I hope we can somehow manage with the books. There is more sun here than in Svobodny - the terrain is higher and the air is cleaner. The sky is cloudless, and the sun hits your face and warms you. Right now I’m sitting in the room, and my face is even hot from the sun’s rays. There seem to be no winds here, so despite the more northern position (53° 58' N, 123° 57' E), it feels lighter than in Svobodny. I still don’t know whether you received the money that was sent from Ksenievskaya and from Svobodny, the latter through the savings bank. Let me know. Tomorrow I will send more, now by translation, and hope for faster delivery. I kiss you deeply, dear, and all the children, I bow to grandma. I received a letter from Alexey Ivanovich, 20 which greatly annoyed my companion. Don't forget your dad, live cheerfully. Let Olechka not be upset by her failures, but use this time to work on the book on her own. March 1, 1934 "., Skovorodino 1934.III.1. Skovorodino, compulsory medical insurance. Dear Kirill, last time I didn’t have time to write to you and that’s why I’m writing to you first now, in the morning. Ten days have already passed since we arrived for compulsory medical insurance, i.e. Experimental Permafrost Station, but the time flew by so much that it was not noticed. In the morning, i.e. from 8 o'clock to 12, 12 1/2, 1 o'clock at night I am in the laboratory, leaving it only to have lunch and occasionally to fall asleep for 1/2 hour after lunch. Occasionally we go outside to look at the magnificent ice developing next to the station. The station is a small establishment, consisting of several houses, each of which is 2 times larger than ours, or similar to ours. From the laboratory to the dining room there are 30 steps, 30 steps away is the house where the director lives. It's just a 10 minute walk to the bathhouse, if not less. The room we live in is separated by a partition from the laboratory rooms. As you can see, everything is close and at hand here. I always dreamed of living directly next to the laboratory, in silence and away from the city. But fulfillment of desires comes, one might say, always from an unexpected direction; so in the present case. True, the laboratory is just being organized; there are no instruments or reagents. But for now we are using local resources - frost. In a refrigerated cabinet, a space between two window frames, but specially designed, we freeze water and soils in all sorts of combinations. I observe crystallization processes, make sketches, and much is clarified by these primitive experiments. The smallness and meagerness of the laboratory is perhaps pleasant, at least to my taste. The ice dams that form here, growing day by day, are very interesting. The carpentry shop was already covered with ice to more than half its height. Large and small ice mounds swell. The ice gradually conquers the territory and quickly grows in breadth and height, as if swelling. From the cracks that form on it, gases are ejected and water emerges. When the ice cover is broken up in especially elevated places, a fountain shoots out of the hole, for example, 70 cm. In some places, some kind of mineral solution appears, covering the ice with a fluffy coating, some kind of carbonate, but, contrary to expectation, not calcium. Complex systems of powerful cracks form in the ice mass. Ice threatens the railroad bed and is approaching the workers' canteen. As you can see, a lot of interesting things are happening. The cross-section of the ice mounds, although somewhat blind and too small, can be found in Mushketov’s “Physical Geology”, ed. 3rd. 21 The head of the compulsory medical insurance is N.I. Bykov, 22, a mathematical physicist and engineer who previously worked in the North, in Igarka. He has seen a lot in the permafrost area and tells instructive things. In addition, he draws well, so his stories are accompanied by very interesting sketches, for example, of the northern lights. N.I. He is a cultured person, pleasant to talk to, and you can work with him. Lives here with his family 23. The eldest son works somewhere, the 2nd Kirill looks like Vasya, the 3rd Igor is like you, then comes the girl Ira - like Olya and finally the boy Kolya, who looks like Mika. But they are all a little younger than you, about 3 years, except for the oldest, whom I have not seen. Nikolai Ivanovich and his wife treat us very kindly, pamper us with treats and everything they can: Nikolai Ivanovich gives me his books, paints, drew me ice mounds and aisles made from icy goose bumps, even brought Kolya’s colored pencils. Life here, at least for now, is quiet but intense. You don’t have time to do anything; This partly comes from the lack of organization of the laboratory, and partly from the fact that the tasks are too complex. I kiss you, dear; don't forget, write. After all, I miss you all the time and worry about you. March 2, 1934, Skovorodimo 1934.III.2. Skovorodino. Dear Annulya, when will I hear from you about how you live and whether you are prosperous? When we moved to Skovorodino, the connection was interrupted, but I hope that it will be more reliable here in the future. You already know how I live here from my letter to Kira. I will only add that we are being fed as if for slaughter; I've gotten so fat lately that I feel disgusted. Although we live a stressful life in terms of work, we live very quietly and peacefully. For now, I sit almost exclusively in the laboratory, do experiments, sketch, as best I can, the results of various freezing tests, write, calculate, and often talk on various scientific topics with N.I. Bykov and with others, I discuss setting up experiments with Pavel Nikolaevich, I participate in meetings - scientific, technical (“production”) and others, I give instructions to our assistant. This turned out to be the will of fate P.K. Starikovich 24 from Posad, who studied at a girls’ gymnasium and is several years (in age - 4) older than Vasya. He, Starikovich, remembers Vasya’s last name, but he personally cannot remember him. Vasya will say whether this boy studied with him in one of the senior classes. Not far from Skovorodin was Prof. Suzin, 25 from whom I recently received a bow. Kira probably remembers Suzin from Moscow. In general, it is easier to meet acquaintances here on BAM than in Moscow, and besides, everyone turns out to be more friendly than in Moscow. Upon arrival in Skovorodino, I sent you some money; let me know if you received them. Now I sent by transfer, so I hope for faster and more accurate delivery. It would be a shame if the little I can do to help you did not reach you. I don’t know anything about the fate of the powers of attorney; I sent them a long time ago, from Nanagr. 26 Judging by your letter, I conclude that you finally received these powers of attorney, but I don’t know whether you managed to put them into effect. If it weren’t for the worry for you that never leaves me, and not for the sadness of being separated from you, I would say that I’m very glad to get rid of Moscow and happy with my life here. Work in the absence of the necessary literature and equipment, of course, cannot proceed successfully enough, but I prefer less successful work, as long as there is no hustle and bustle, which has made life in Moscow of late impossible. In these parts, in addition to Muscovites, I meet many Caucasians or who lived in the Caucasus, and I remember with them places that were familiar to them and to me. With one half-Georgian, I’m thinking of refreshing my memory of what I once learned from Georgian, but now I’ve completely forgotten. But I am very afraid for my Russian language. Here everywhere you hear so much either Ukrainian, half-Ukrainian, or half-Belarussian speech that incorrect turns of phrase and non-Russian pronunciation cease to hurt your ears. The subject of my studies and interests is the effect of frost on soil and water. When frozen, beautiful ice crystals and a unique ice structure are obtained; It is joyful to observe these subtle phenomena and make sure that no one understands anything about them. I would like to show the children and you all this, although you yourself are sufficiently equipped with cold to perform the same experiments. My old works in related areas came in handy; However, it’s a shame that there are no materials that have already been produced that could be finalized and put in order. I miss you very much, my dear, especially in the evening, when work ends or when I stay, already around 12 at night, alone in the laboratory. It’s hard for me, among other things, to think how difficult it is for you to cope with all the things and people. True, I have always been a bad helper to you in the housekeeping and organizing household chores, but still sometimes I distracted you a little from thinking about them. That’s why I ask you to try to be more cheerful, knowing that I am still with you, and to take care of your health. Among the positive aspects of Skovorodin, we must also mention the bathhouse. In Svobodny, with a lot of people and a lack of water, getting into the bathhouse is like winning the lottery. There is also a bathhouse for every 7-day stay, and, moreover, a cozy village bathhouse for 2-3 people. I remember a village with it - some Tolpygino or Kutlovy Borki. 27 – I kiss my darling deeply. March 12, 1934, Skovorodino 1934.III.12. Skovorodino, O.M.S. Dear Mom, it seems like two months now that I have not heard from any of you and I am worried about your health and how you are living. I hope that you are still writing, but the interruption occurred due to a change in my address. I wrote to you several times, but I don’t know if my letters reached you. I asked for the boys' address and also received no response. There are rumors that there is a flu epidemic in Moscow, and therefore I am doubly worried. I live here well in every way, and the only thing that worries me is the thought of you all. I work in the laboratory all day, and occasionally I go out into the field to look at something. In the future, I plan to intensify my field observations, but for now I’m preparing for them. The station has a very pleasant administration, life is quiet, you can work attentively, but there are almost no books or instruments. I draw a lot in connection with experiments, write notes on work. There is a scientific circle where we make reports and discuss them. In general, it feels like being in a remote village or on an estate, somewhere infinitely far from the capitals. I sent little money several times, but I still don’t know if it was received. I am completely healthy and well-fed, too well, so I began to get very fat and got scared. It was cold here, but in recent days the sky has been covered with clouds (which has never happened before), and therefore it has become warmer: 8° below zero, and in the local climate this seems like a thaw. I kiss you, dear mother, and all of you. My address is on the back. Tell the boys to please me with a letter, and the younger ones that I collect sugar for them. March 18, 1934, Skovorodit 1934.III.18. 2 am. Skovorodino, compulsory medical insurance. Dear Annulya, if you could feel and understand how much I love you all and how much I suffer for you, then it would be easier for you. But I don’t know how to help you and I don’t even know how to express my love. Just know that you are more precious to me than life, and I would sacrifice everything for you, if only it would be easy and good for you. But I don’t know how and am not used to talking about it, and therefore I don’t have the words to express my feeling. I imagine each of you in my mind many times a day and caress you as best I can, and for each of you my heart hurts in its own way. Tell your children about this as best you can. I can’t write to them, but they are still small, everyone, starting with Vasyushka, will not understand my words - maybe they will understand someday later, when they grow up. I kiss each of you very, very deeply, but I don’t know what I could do to please you. And there is nothing to write about, since I live without events, except for events in crystals and various new phenomena during the freezing of water and soil. It’s hard for me that I live calmly and peacefully when you, my dears, are suffering. During this time I took blows for you, that’s what I wanted and that’s how I asked the Higher Will. But again it’s hard for you, and I can’t make your situation easier. Those trifles of money that I send you, of course, will bring you little benefit, but I want you to know about my concern, since it is possible. I have nowhere to save money, nothing to spend it on, I eat not only enough, but also excessively, so I give part of my food to someone every day. And it was the same at Lubyanka, I distributed food. I especially enjoyed giving to the boys who were hungry and who reminded me of my own. When it comes to saving for the summer, don't think about saving and cut yourself short. Please don't be stingy, spend your money and don't go hungry if possible. Summer will come, and you will do something with your money matters other than what you are getting now. Regarding the books, I have taken some measures, we will see what comes of it. 28 In any case, do not be discouraged. Tell the children that somehow our affairs will work out, let them live more cheerfully and joyfully in the present. March 23–24, 1934, Skovorodino 1934.III.23–24, night. Dear Annulya, Olga Khristoforovna Bykova, wife of the director of the Experimental Permafrost Station, Nikolai Ivanovich, will deliver this letter to you, if she can, personally. 29 She and Nikolai Ivanovich showed to us, i.e. to Pavel Nikolaevich and to me, a lot of attention and participation, all the time they try to make our life as if we were their guests. From Olga Khristoforovna you will learn about me, about life and work. I would like her to see the children and talk to them, especially the boys. Her own children are similar to ours in age and upbringing - a little younger. The eldest, Kirill, with soreness and unevenness resembles Vasya, the second, Igor, resembles our Kira, the girl Ira resembles Olya, and the boy Kolya resembles Mika. I am sometimes pleased to see these children, but also sad, because I remember my own kids especially vividly, starting with Vasyushka. In addition, Kirill is prone to pulmonary disease, nervous, it’s a pity to look at him. In addition to asking about me, ask Olga Khristoforovna also about the living conditions here and ask for help both with regard to arranging a meeting, as well as with regard to books and manuscripts. Nikolai Ivanovich has already taken some steps, but there, in Moscow, it will be much easier to do this. Nikolai Ivanovich himself is a very cultured, well-mannered and benevolent person, so working with him is not only easy, but also very pleasant; I hope it will be fruitful. Tell the boys not to be shy of Olga Khristoforovna, especially since she won’t be with you for long. Show her the museum, 30 if she gets to Zagorsk. Olga Khristoforovna invites me to bring a parcel from you. I explained to her what I needed if she found it convenient. In addition, send me my belts, a comb (about 14 cm long, frequent and rare - on the one hand) and a black shirt for the summer would be nice, but not woolen and not long, because... the long one will stick out from a warm jacket, and because of this I don’t wear my long one. Send me some old watercolor paints and drawing pens if you have them. Tell the kids and mom that I love them very, very much, but I don’t know how to express my love. Both before and now I was ready to give everything for you, but your life with me was sad and not good. I would like it to be joyful and easier, even now, when I am only with you in my thoughts. But I can't do anything. All this time I suffered for you and wanted and asked that it be harder for me, if only you were spared from grief, so that the burden of life would fall on me instead of you. And all the more, I feel bad because I don’t need anything, while you do, and I don’t believe your assurances that you live tolerably. If you could feel how much I love you, it would be easier for you. I bow to Sofya Ivanovna and wish her health. I kiss you all warmly. It’s already morning, I spent the whole night doing urgent work, writing hastily and incoherently. It's already dawn, and you probably just went to bed. Write to me the dates of all household memories (births, name days, deaths), my memory has weakened, and I can’t remember everything, although I try. Do you visit Gosya? 31 Go to her for me. During this year, I was consoled many times by the thought of her departure, but not in the sense that you write about A. Bely 32 . By the way, what you write about him is unfair, I knew him from the best side and the memory of him remains bright and white in me, although we later separated. Take care of yourself and save yourself and the children for me, that’s the only thing I ask of you. Try not to overwork yourself and heal. Everyone has their own grief and their own cross. Therefore, do not complain about yours. During this time, I saw so much grief around me in all kinds and for all sorts of reasons that my own was distracted by this. Bow to Alexei Ivanovich, thank me for his attention to you and for remembering me. Pavel Nikolaevich in a complaint against him for talking about uncles and so on, which was very unpleasant for him. If there is a free copy of “Imaginaries in Geometry” left, then give it to Liga Khristoforovna for her husband. 33 July 2, 1934, Skovorodino Dear mother, I inform you about the safe arrival yesterday, that is, on the 1st morning, of Anna and her children. 34 We arrived relatively easily, we didn’t seem very tired, we were gradually settling down. We are happy with the area. They live in a house on the mountain, among bushes and trees, almost in the forest. Unfortunately, we got into a rainy period and there was quite a bit of mud on our roads. We remember you and all of ours. The children don't look tired. It seems there were no adventures along the way. From Anna's stories I learned that in Moscow there are fables about all sorts of epidemics and so on. here, it’s all complete nonsense. There are many beautiful flowers here. I kiss you, dear mother, thank you and everyone for the parcels and care for me and the children. I'm in a hurry to finish the letter so that it gets to the emergency train. Be healthy, write, bow to Aunt Sonya 35, kiss Lilya and Lucy. How is Sasha 36? Be sure to let me know. I kiss you again. 1934.VII.2. P. Florensky October 13, 1934, Kem 37 1934.Х.13. Kem. Dear Annulya, I’m very worried about you, because I haven’t known anything for 2 months, and besides, you were on the road. I couldn’t write, and there was nothing to write, since I didn’t know anything definite. On August 16 I went to Rukhlovo, from September 17 to 1 I was in a detention center in Svobodny, from September 1 to 12 I went with a special convoy to Medvezhya Mountain, from September 12 to October 12 I was in a detention center on Medvezhya Mountain, and on the 13 I arrived in Kem, where I am now. Upon arrival, he was robbed in the camp during an armed attack and sat under three axes, but as you can see, he escaped, although he lost his things and money; however, some of the things were found. All this time I was hungry and cold. In general, it was much harder and worse than I could have imagined when leaving Skovorodinskaya station. I was supposed to go to Solovki, which would be nice, but I was detained in Kem and was busy writing and filling out registration cards. Everything is getting hopelessly difficult, but there’s no need to write. There was no particular reason for my transfer, and now quite a lot of people are being transferred to the north. I kiss you all warmly, especially the boys whom I have not seen. My things - underwear and so on. - ask Pavel Nikolaevich to send it to you, but not to me, because... I can't mess with them. I now live in a colossal barracks and, moreover, in a huge room with national people, so I can hear conversations in all eastern languages. I can’t send a telegram because I have no money, 2 postcards sold well. Healthy, but of course very emaciated and weak. What a disgusting city it is - complete dirt, grey, dull, joyless, you can’t imagine anything worse. It is absolutely impossible to count on scientific work here, not only serious work, but even any kind of scientific work. – I constantly see you all before me, despite the strong weakening of memory and general dullness. Write to me at the address: Kem, 1st camp of the 9th department of the BBK, me. I'm waiting for your letter, write soon. I kiss you deeply. October 24, 1934, Kremlin, former. Trinity Cathedral 1934.Х.24. Dear Annulya, this is the story of my trip. From August 17 to September 1 in Svobodny, from 1 to 12 the road to Bear Mountain, from September 12. to 12 Oct. on Medvezhya Mountain, on October 12, moving to Kem, from October 12 to October 20 in Kemi, from October 20 to 23 on Morsplav (b. Popova Gora), on October 38, on the 23rd, moving along the White Sea and arriving at Solovki. On the way, I got very seasick, despite the short travel time. Today, after various delays, I finally got to the Solovetsky Kremlin. 39 I don’t know what to write to you. First impressions are very difficult, partly probably from road fatigue, pitching, uncertainty and confusion. The area here is quite beautiful, but I won’t be able to see it. The Kremlin is made of huge unhewn boulders, so the outside is picturesque. The sky is gray, the air is humid, relatively warm, especially with a north wind. There are 243 ponds, or rather lakes, but I saw one pond. I think about you all the time, I worry, not knowing how you got there, how you live, how your health is, and especially your mother’s. I am in a hurry to write a letter, because... Otherwise I’ll miss the deadline and it won’t be possible, I have to pass it now. Keep in mind that you can only write from here once a month, so don't worry about not receiving letters from me. My address: Murmansk railway, st. Kem, post office Popov Island, 8th Solovetsky branch of the BBK, me. I really regret the work I left at BAM: I could have done something useful there. And also about the azure sky of the Far East and dry air. Thus, all useful activity is interrupted, and everything has to start all over again; and will it be necessary? Don't send me things here, because... there is nowhere to put them; You can send no more than 10 rubles. But it is necessary that you write as soon as possible, especially since with the cessation of navigation (probably in the beginning or half of December), letters arrive with great delay. How is my Tikulka living? How's Mick? What is Olya doing? Have the boys arrived and how are they feeling? If only you were all cheerful and joyful, that’s all I want. Now I won’t have time to write to everyone, but tell them all how much I love them and how much I suffer, that I can’t help them in life. Give your mother a kiss for me and be sure to tell her about her health. Shout out to your mother, how is she? “During the move, my memory has become so weak that it’s difficult for me to write this letter and I’m writing at random that I’ll have to.” Check out my things from Pavel Nikolaevich 40 - linen and other household equipment, otherwise I'm afraid they will disappear. – From December to mid-May, navigation to Solovki stops, there is no communication, only postal, but inaccurate. Do the children have any impressions of Skovorodino and the road? Have you brought the princely roots? Have the boys done anything over the summer? It would be nice if Kira did a little research on the minerals I told you about, maybe he’ll find something interesting for himself. How is Vasya? I would like for the boys to be able to work and do something useful and interesting. Is Olechka playing? If she sees Igor, 41 then let her bow to him from me. – As for me, during this time I did nothing and read almost nothing, except for 3-4 novels - there was nothing to read, and the whole situation would not have given me the opportunity to do anything. However, on Morsplav I managed to read the tragedy of Racine, this was the only good impression in two months. I think about you most of all, my Darling, I am afraid that you are despondent, and I am worried about your health. Be joyful and kind, take care of our children. Make sure you eat better - sell what you can. I kiss you and all of you warmly, don’t forget your dad. 1934.Х.24. Solovki. P. Florensky November 30, 1934, Kremlin, former. Viceroyal Corps 1934.XI.30. Dear Annulya, yesterday I received your letter dated November 18th. It is in vain that you are afraid to write often: you can write as much as you like, and so can children; You can write to me only once a month, and even then I hope for a change in conditions and for a larger number of letters. So write more often, your letters are the only consolation. “I received your parcel, and there are three in total, including the one sent to Kem.” Money, 20 rub. and 10 rubles, they arrived, but I didn’t receive them in my hands, because... the issuance will be made gradually, in parts. From here you see the pointlessness of sending money. And besides, there is nothing to spend money on here, because there are no shops here, and at the kiosk you can get it with cards, which I don’t have yet. - From practical matters, to finish with them: I sold my leather coat to buy myself a sheepskin coat and boots, to replace those stolen from me. Now I've settled down with both. I also have things - bedding and linen, government-issued ones. Therefore, you don't have to worry about anything. For the pillow, I got a cover and a pillowcase, I can fill them with straw, but for now I filled them with various soft things and I can be satisfied with such a pillow. I am writing in such detail about these boring questions because... you keep worrying so that you know about everything. My life is now much more organized than before, but initially it was very difficult. Firstly, from November 15 I got a permanent job, at Iodprom, i.e. for the production of iodine from seaweed. In connection with this, I was transferred to another column and therefore to another cell. Now I live with quite decent roommates, and not with bandits and thieves, and there are not many of us: there were six, now there are five. My work also became much more satisfactory: still in production, although insignificant in volume and still requiring rationalization, but still chemical, and something like a laboratory and small analyzes. It will probably be possible to carry out some research on algae in the future. 1934.XII.3. The workshop where I work is located on the shore of Blagopoluchiya harbor. This small and miserable workshop is equipped with a proud sign on the door “LABORATORY”. 42 But even though this is only a sign, it is still pleasant for me to read it when entering the door. But sometimes I visit a real laboratory, small, but according to Solovki, decent. It is located 2 km from the Kremlin, in a forest, on the shore of a lake (otherwise, Solovki is a continuous lake and everything here is next to some kind of lake). 43 I walk there along a snowy road, there is complete silence in the forest, the snow is deep, fluffy, untouched; perhaps somewhere a path of ermine tracks. I walk along the road and think about you. 44 In winter, the local landscape became similar to Sergievsky. My dears, how I feel sorry for you, how I would like to bring you joy. I think: if I’m ever with you, now I’ll give all my strength only to you. In my time I have worked hard, trying to fulfill my duty. But everything fell apart, I can’t do it again and, most importantly, I don’t want to start my large-scale scientific work, I will live only for you, believing that for the sake of duty I did everything I could. The sun rises late here and stays near the horizon throughout its short day. Only at 11 o'clock today the buildings and treetops were illuminated. I know that it is very beautiful, but my soul is almost deaf to this beauty. The water in the sea and in the lakes is black and black-lead, the snow is white and white, the sky is covered in clouds, dark gray or black, and some things are touched pink by the low sun. From the window of the laboratory-workshop you can see the black White Sea, which turned black in winter, bordered by white shores, and in the afternoon there are mottled sunset clouds above it, and the dawn lasts an unusually long time, unusual for us. 1934.XII.6. Not to forget: due to the cessation of navigation, letters will be delayed (the pen does not write), and therefore do not worry if there may not be a letter from me for a month and a half. 1934. XII.7. I'm worried about Olya's headaches. Do they occur from anemia or from nervous exhaustion? In any case, she should be given phytin or some other phosphorus preparation. Pavel Nikolaevich wrote to me. Unfortunately, I cannot answer him due to the limited number of letters. Explain to him that my silence is not due to inattention, and ask him to write to me without waiting for my answer. – Yes, I forgot to write that I have to limit the volume of letters, so I cannot write to all of you at once. – It hurts that Nick asks for “delicious food”, and you cannot satisfy him, but you send it to me; this is not good. Everything is in you, in you and in my children; Most of all I want you to live cheerfully and calmly. I kiss you deeply, my dear Annulya. Kremlin, former Viceroyal Corps Dear Annulya, I am writing you a few words, I definitely want to send a letter tomorrow, otherwise there may be a big delay. I'll try to write more soon. I received the parcels, but it pains me to think that because of them you are depriving your children and yourself of what they need. Please don't send me expensive treats. Mom writes about the persimmon fruits that she (or you?) sends, but I did not receive them. It's probably some other package. I’m waiting for the winter and am partly glad that parcels will become impossible. I’ll get by somehow, and besides, my structure is gradually improving. By the way, here they gave us herrings, not at all the same as in Moscow, probably from Murmansk, of remarkable quality - I have never seen anything like them before. Try to be cheerful and cheerful, because I love you all very much and my soul is always with you and I live with you. I don’t answer the children - I have no time and nowhere, but tell me that I will write in the next letter. Of course, let Olechka use extracts on art theory, I’m glad that they seem useful to her. Tell Mick and Tika to find on the map all the places where I have passed and where I am now and try to find out something about the geography of these places. I deliberately try to write various details about nature so that they gradually become acquainted with geography, perhaps visually and vitally; I want to fill geographical names with living content so that an idea emerges of what our North is, what the White Sea and Other places are. M.b. My conclusion will at least benefit the children in that they will thus acquire some information and impressions about their homeland. Take care of your health for me and the children. Bow to Sofya Ivanovna and say that I always remember her with warmth, but I cannot write due to the limited number of letters. I kiss you warmly, dear Annulya, be healthy and cheerful. I hope that with Vasya’s arrival your life will become a little easier. 1934.ХII.15. 1935.I.24–25. No. 8. Dear Annulya. I wrote a letter, but I put it somewhere and can’t find it. Therefore, I hastily write something else, because... Tomorrow (or rather today) morning is the deadline for January letters. There was also a letter to Olechka, and also to the children. I'll send it later. Actually, I have nothing to write: life is monotonous, work too. I’m doing a little something in the laboratory, but just something, because... there are no books or conditions for research work. Healthy. In general, fatigue, like everyone else, is probably from the inability to stay with oneself even for a short time, from the lack of in-depth work, from the fast, monotonously passing and broken time. I haven’t heard from you for a long time, I’m worried about how you are living. I think about you constantly; how I would like to help you. My boys are left to their own devices, but they should be getting help now. They probably, if they haven’t forgotten me, will soon forget; after all, life goes on as usual and carries them day after day. I feel sorry for you, my dear: you have had a hard lot with me and no joys either in the past or in the present. You don’t care about your health, you’re depressed, this especially worries me. But what can I do from my isolated island? I’m tossing and turning all day, from morning until late at night, but I don’t know how much use there is from this. Now analytical tests, now lectures, now lessons, now articles for wall newspapers, now work in the library, now meaningless meetings and meetings, now going out to lunch or doing other business. But everything here is somehow empty, as if in a dream, and I’m not even quite sure that it really exists and is not seen as a dream. The day before yesterday I turned 54 years old. 45 Of course, this day was not marked by anything, why should I celebrate it without you? It's time to take stock of life. I don’t know what the court will be like, whether it will recognize anything good in me, but I myself will say that I tried not to do anything bad and evil, and I didn’t consciously do it. Looking through my heart, I can say that I have no anger or malice, let everyone rejoice as best they can. And I kiss you, my dear, sweet Annulya, warmly, finishing this letter, because... It's already very late. Kiss all my children for me. Bow to Minina Katya. 46 Kremlin, would be in. Viceroyal Corps Dear Kirill, I often think about you, especially when I go to bed late at night. I remember with pain that I upset you by not being your age and demanding something that you did not understand. Dear boy, how I would like not to correct the past, which has already passed and is irreparable, but to somehow compensate you for it. I wanted to give you an inheritance of an honest name and the knowledge that your father worked all his life unselfishly, without thinking about the consequences of his work for himself personally. But it is precisely because of this unselfishness that I had to deprive you of the comforts that others enjoy, the pleasures that are natural at your age, and even communication with you. Now I am sad that instead of any benefit for yourself in the present, for all my efforts, you do not get what the majority receive, despite the lives of their parents for their own sake. My only hope for the preservation of everything that is being done: in some way, albeit unknown to me, I hope you will still receive compensation for everything that I deprived you, my dear ones. If it weren’t for you, I would have remained silent: the worst thing in my fate is the interruption of work and the actual destruction of the experience of my whole life, which is now only ripe and could bear true fruits - I would not complain about this if it were not for you. If society does not need the fruits of my life’s work, then even if it remains without them, it is still a question of who is more punished, me or society, by the fact that I will not show what I could show. But I’m sorry that I can’t convey my experience to you, and, most importantly, I can’t caress you as I would like and as I always caress you in my mind. – I wrote to you in January, but I don’t know if my letter arrived. You will learn about how I live from a letter to my grandmother. I kiss you deeply, dear. I have to finish the letter, it’s very late and I’m collapsing with fatigue. 1935.I.22. Solovki No. 8 a. – Ed. Dear Annulya, despite waiting, I still have not received a letter from you; However, I haven’t lost hope yet, because... The first airplanes brought, they say, a lot of mail, and they probably couldn’t handle distributing it here in a short time. But for a long time now I don’t know what’s going on with you. Currently I live in a large room with all the workers and employees of Yodprom. The room is decorated elegantly, but with such a crowd of people it is impossible to study. I am still working on the extraction of iodine, I am thinking and little by little preparing to start work on the use of algae. I don’t know whether this work will take place, but even if it did, it will not replace the research on permafrost and ice that began at BAM. 1935.II.4. I received your letter today and am answering your questions. I received a lot of parcels, but I don’t know how many – I’ve already forgotten. I probably receive Alexey Ivanovich’s postcards carefully, because... got a lot of them. – Don’t worry about Mick making mistakes, it will pass; but on occasion, point out to him what he wrote incorrectly and why. His rudeness will also pass, I’m sure of Mick, so be patient, don’t get irritated and don’t be upset. Try to teach them to play more, let them play with 2, 3, 4 hands, let them fantasize, let them listen to someone else’s game, all this will develop him and arouse interest. On occasion, bow to Vasily Ivanovich 47 and express my regret about the death of Ekaterina Ivanovna. 48 Don’t send me any parcels yet, I still have stocks of what was sent and have nowhere to store them. I don’t need trousers either, I have them. There is a blanket; In general, I have everything I need, except you, and please (nrzb.) about me. I am very sorry about my mother’s illness, bow to her from me, wish her a quick and complete recovery. I would be very glad if you, at least occasionally, went to the theater to see plays that interest you. Children write with errors due to absent-mindedness, which occurs due to the pressure of thoughts. But this is a natural phenomenon of age and growth and there is nothing to worry about. – I don’t know the Bach pieces that the boys listened to at the concert, but I think they should be majestic, like everything by Bach. 49 – I don’t answer Olino’s letter anymore, I have nowhere to go. You need to take care of Olya, she is at an age when she is especially sensitive to all the shocks of life, so try not to be angry with her when she does something wrong. – I think about you all the time, my dear Annulya, and I live by your letters. But I have nothing to write about myself. I tell the children little things, there is nothing more important, I live from day to day, from morning to night and part of the night in some kind of work. I go to bed no earlier than 2 o’clock, sometimes I sleep during the day, but not every day. “There’s a good bathhouse here and it happens often.” It worries me that boys probably rarely go to the bathhouse; This is not good in all respects and they need to get comfortable with this matter, especially Vasyushka. – You write about fluffy trees in the garden. Here, too, they are covered with white fluff, although there are no Moscow frosts. It's warm all the time, it's hard to believe that you are at 67° latitude. – Letters have to be written so fragmentarily that they are probably meaningless. But it’s impossible to write otherwise now; there’s also no time to re-read what’s written, and most importantly, no desire, because... I myself am disgusted by such incoherence. I kiss you deeply, my dear Annulya. Be healthy, try not to overwork yourself, distribute the work among everyone. Thank Alexey Ivanovich for remembering me. - Today they made locks on my suitcase, and a few days ago they repaired it - after Kemi it was completely broken. February 22, 1935, ex. Philippi Desert 1935.II.22. Solovki. No. 9. Dear Annulya. This is already the 6th day that I have been living in a new place 50 . Everything would have been fine if I hadn’t fallen ill here, though not badly, with the flu, so now I’m limp and at times I fall asleep irresistibly. However, I have already recovered significantly. I am working on various chemistry issues, individual preparatory sections of general work on algae, and also finishing some work for the Iodprom workshop. It’s quite warm here again, yesterday there was even something like rain. Blizzards often blow. One day the other day I opened the outer door to a knock, and the person who came did not enter, but jumped into the hallway: there was so much snow outside. I haven't received letters from you for a long time. By the way, I ask you to report the number of my letter that you received, because... I don’t know at all whether all my letters are getting through. II.24. I will describe to you the place where I live now. It is located 2 km from the Kremlin, in a forest, on the shore of a lake. The laboratory is on a hill and in the summer it probably offers a good view. Now everything is covered with snow. In addition to the laboratory, there is another building. There are 6 rooms in the laboratory. 3 are for laboratories, 2 are residential, and 1 is a kitchen and a menagerie at the same time, animals also live in the biological laboratory and in the attic there are rabbits. The whole house is stone, still monastic construction; there was probably something like a dacha here. The whole place is called the Filippovsky monastery, i.e. was called, and is now called Biogarden. 51 In the 16th century. Here lived Philip Kolychev, later Metropolitan of Moscow 52, ​​who was strangled by Malyuta Skuratov. While on Solovki, Philip showed great energy and thrift: he built a system of canals between the countless local lakes, mechanized various enterprises - mills, carts, lifting weights, and was generally engaged in construction and engineering activities. Not far from the laboratory, the hut in which Philip lived, and even an ancient latrine, are preserved. There was also a church here, but it burned to the ground. As you remember, my birthday, January 9, coincided with a number of revolutionary events: the death of Lenin, the story of the workers, the murder of Metropolitan. Philippa 53. That. I found myself, one might say, in my place - the beginning of the activity of this latter. 54 Here I am working hard, and although there is a lot missing for proper work, and most importantly, literature, I still hope to do something. Now I’m doing tests, setting up methods for tests that are either unknown or unknown to me due to the lack of reference books. All this is preparation for the work of using algae. In terms of food, I am now much better equipped than before and am quite well fed, so please do not worry about me. I think about you all the time, how you live and how you cope with difficulties. How I would like to help you, my dear, but I can’t do anything from here. I bow to my mother; I hope she has recovered somewhat now. Every time I reach the deadline for a letter, I still can’t finish it. Now, I have to go to mathematics lectures and hand in the letter, today is the deadline. But I didn’t finish the letter and in a hurry I don’t even know what to write about. I would like to write you something that would console and cheer you up, but I don’t know how, my dear, I can do that. My life is spent in work and the hassle of work, so I see nothing but the laboratory. I'm worried 55 about you, about the children, about mom. But what can I tell you, besides that I love you, I think about you, I live for you. I kiss you deeply, my dear. April 6–7, 1935, ex. Filippova Hermitage 1935.IV.6–7. Solovki. No. 15. Dear mom, I just returned from a meeting at which our “algae team” gave a report on the work for the past month. Over tea I realized what was coming, or rather what had already happened, because... It's 2 o'clock in the morning, your birthday is 56. Congratulations, albeit belatedly. I had been thinking about this day for a long time, but it seemed to me that it was still far away and came unexpectedly. Time passes so quickly at work that week flashes by week and when the day off comes, it seems as if the last day off was just yesterday. 57 All days are similar to one another and differ only in the content of the work done and the receipt of letters from you. IV. 12. I didn’t finish writing this letter because... there was no list with permission for additional letters, and on the other hand, I was still waiting for news from you. But now the list has already been announced, and there is no need to wait for a letter, because... If there is a delay, it may get completely stuck. I'm worried about how you live and how your health is. Today we are crazy, my head hurts, and I remember my childhood - I always had a headache when we lived in Batum, and I didn’t know what to do for a headache. Then it completely went away and I didn’t even know what a headache was, except in cases of intoxication. If you have the opportunity, ask Olya for the page I wrote at BAM describing Batum - it depicts my childhood impressions, forever fixed in my memory. No place left me with so many warm memories as Batum, old Batum of the 80s, when it was still unsettled and miserable. The current Batum, near Nice, has already lost its flavor and originality, and the sea has moved far from the boulevard. I remember well how old Akhmed carried me across the river, how I picked salsaparilla berries. I clearly remember, with complete clarity, how dad planted a garden in Adzharishali at the engineering guardhouse. I remember the carpets of violets and cyclamens that I collected until exhaustion. I remember the smell of ferns, which I always really liked. I remember huge bouquets of azaleas and rhododendrons, which we inserted into the lantern sockets of the phaeton instead of lanterns. I remember swamp forget-me-nots, which were taken with roots, and then laid out at home on dishes with water. About 6 years ago I was in Adzharishali and almost didn’t recognize it. This is a built-up village in which there is very little poetry. All that was left of the gatehouse were ruins. The garden has died down and simply does not exist. The boys, it seems, did not receive any impression from Adzharishali, and I barely persuaded Vasyushka to appear on the grounds of the gatehouse, which was once the subject of my dreams 58 . Everything passes, but everything remains. This is my most cherished feeling, that nothing goes away at all, nothing disappears, but is stored somewhere and somehow. Value remains, although we cease to perceive it. And the exploits, even if everyone has forgotten about them, somehow remain and bear fruit. That’s why, although I feel sorry for the past, there is a living sense of its eternity. I didn’t say goodbye to him forever, but only temporarily. It seems to me that all people, no matter what their beliefs, in fact, deep down in their souls, feel the same way. Without this, life would become meaningless and empty. – Tiflis did not leave me with any joyful impressions. After the Batumi nature, it seemed lifeless to me; the heat oppressed and weakened me. When, several years ago, I again found myself in Tiflis, and in the thick of it, I was extremely surprised how much nicer it was than what I thought about it in childhood, and the pictures of nature, for example, Turtle Lake, seemed majestic and very picturesque. We then went to Turtle Lake with George. 59 By the way, write how Lilya lives with all her offspring and what Georgy does. The botanical garden, although completely rebuilt, enlarged and expanded, has become very interesting and picturesque. But, perhaps, I remember especially vividly our apartment on the slope of Davidovskaya Mountain. I clearly see wooden posts, worn away by worms, I remember the knife sharpener, who frightened me very much, I remember how Lucy and I were inoculated with smallpox, how Aunt Sonya had surgery on her leg and a basin of bloody water was taken out. However, smallpox was obviously vaccinated very thoroughly back then, because I still have traces of the vaccine on my left hand. I remember how Lucy was born and how dad showed her to me for the first time. The gymnasium, as a whole, did not leave me with any joyful memories; it seemed to me a pure waste of precious time, elementary and boring, although of course I owe a lot to it. But, looking back, I will say that I would not want to relive it again: the only content during this time was when I was left with myself, in nature or behind physical devices. I kiss you deeply, my dear mother, take care of yourself and be healthy. April 12, 1935, formerly Filippova Hermitage Dear Annulya, I haven’t heard from you for a long time. The message will probably stop in the next few days and it is unknown when it will be restored. I am very worried, I see difficult dreams that make me feel even more sad. Spring is coming here in spurts, for example today it snowed again, but in general it’s warm outside, not far from the snow melting. Sometimes it rains. I was told that seagulls began to fly to the Kremlin, until they arrived 2-3 days ago, 15. I sit almost entirely in the laboratory, only going to lectures once every 7 days. Now the roads have become unimportant, because... the snow is loose and damp. If it were drier, I would go to breathe the air, but with such dampness, coupled with an abundance of work, I don’t feel like it. In addition to the current work 60 on algae and iodine, we have to prepare material for the exhibition on May 1st. I compose diagrams of a poster nature, trying to fill them with as much content as possible, but at the same time maintaining their readability and artistic composition. One artist draws these diagrams, and I, having composed the diagram, stand over his soul and indicate how and where to place something. This is how a diagram of the iodine cycle was drawn. A diagram of nitrogen cycles is now drawn, mainly from an agronomic point of view. Here are depicted different types of soil sections, in connection with the nitrogen content in these soils, plants - in accordance with the amount of nitrogen absorbed by them from the soil, bacteria involved in the binding of atmospheric nitrogen and in one or another processing of nitrogen compounds into other types (the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, the decomposition of proteins to ammonia, the oxidation of ammonia into nitrous and then into nitric acid, the decomposition of nitric acid to free nitrogen). Then the types of nitrogen fertilizers obtained from various natural processes (manure, composts, saltpeter, etc.) and artificially - by chemical synthesis are depicted. Next, I compiled a diagram of the use of local sphagnum peat, using my previous work on galvanic elements, plastics, synthetic resins, waxes, etc. One of these days we will depict all this on a large table. Next comes the same diagram on the use of algae. But, despite being constantly busy, the disturbing thought about you, my dears, does not leave me, and even work does not distract from it. Things seem to be going well with the algae. Today I made calculations, as a first approximation, how much space and energy is needed to extract iodine, it turns out that the calculation results are quite acceptable. “I think I wrote to you, but I’ll write again about Tikulka.” Try to reassure her about her teaching. Firstly, she is undoubtedly making great progress in writing, as can be seen from her letters. Secondly, I have no doubt it will level out in due time. And thirdly, and this is the main thing, try to make her childhood at least somewhat joyful and clear. I understand that this is very difficult for you to do, but still try, let her have something to remember her childhood years with. Tell her what you have to do. This will give her both development and interest. The joy of life does not come from great things, i.e. seemingly big big, and successfully found trifles - a piece of paper often pleases more than jewelry and inconvenience, but poetic, more pleasant than great conveniences. Let the girl use what she can, if possible. Tell her that dad loves her very much and thinks about her all the time, and that it is very difficult for him to see his powerlessness and inability to give her a little joy. 1935.IV.13. I hoped that today, after the day off, I would receive a letter from you, but they didn’t bring me anything. Today, like yesterday, it snowed in the morning. Now I’m sitting with the artist - I’m giving him instructions on how to color the diagrams, and I’m remembering Anna Semyonovna Golubkina. 61 I have lost so many people in my lifetime - relatives, friends, and acquaintances. I am sorry, and it was and is, that the children did not appreciate the great people with whom I was associated, and did not learn from them what would have enriched them better than books. That’s why I wrote that Vasya and Kira should try to learn something from Vladimir Ivanovich, 62 because such an experience is unlikely to be repeated in life. But you need to be able to take from people what they have and what they can give, and be able to not demand from them what they don’t have and what they cannot give. I am afraid that children often approach people in just the opposite way and therefore receive little or nothing left from communication. This is especially true for Vasyushka. If possible, try to find out if the translation of the book on insulating materials that I once edited has been published. I have not received any letters from Pavel Nikolaevich, although I wrote to him once, a long time ago. If possible, find out how he lives and how he works. I really want to know about you, I wait for news every day, although I realize that they have little value, since they arrive late. Tell Olya, Mika and Tika that I will write to them next time. But I don’t even know if what I write to them is interesting; there’s really nothing interesting to write. Can you understand everything in the letters? Only you, my dears, seem close to me from here, but everything remains infinitely distant and, frankly, completely dead, somehow almost unnecessary. In particular, I remember VEI so vaguely, as if I saw it in a dream, and not at all cheerfully. It’s remarkable that I can’t even remember the names of most of the employees, and I simply don’t remember that they existed. I kiss you deeply, dear, and all of you, I bow to grandma and everyone. Write if you have the slightest opportunity. I kiss you again. Kiss Tiku, Mika and Olya. They are leaving, they have to hand in letters, and there is no more room. April 22–23, 1935, ex. Filippova Hermitage Dear Olechka, I have been in a very anxious state lately; I think this is explained by your illness, which, however, you did not tell me about. You see, dear, I warned you against sitting up at night, and this illness is undoubtedly a consequence of it. Look, take care of yourself in the future and don’t overwork yourself, and most importantly, be sure to get some fresh air. You ask about Goethe's Conversations with Eckermann. 63 Of course, I know this book and not only read it, but also studied it at one time, however, a long time ago, it seems in 1900 or 1901, when you were not in the world. It is very informative and important also because it was reviewed by Goethe himself. 64 There is also an interesting book about Goethe - Medtner, 65 and also Lichtenberger. 66 Lichtenberger gives a translation of Goethe’s natural science and natural philosophy works, and in this regard it is interesting, because no other translations have yet been published (unless a book about color, long promised by one of the publishers, has come out). – I have long been interested in genealogical questions, and in particular about the family ties of writers, as clear evidence of heredity and selection. I collected materials in this direction. And now in Pravda, April 5. 1935 No. 94 (6340), p. 4, there was information about the relationship of the Pushkins with the Gogols and their connection with the Bykovs. I think you will be interested in looking at the genealogical chart made based on this note.... Regarding this diagram, I remember: when Vasyushka was very little, he came to watch how I drew similar ones, looked, looked, and then said: “You, dad, are writing incorrectly.” - Why? - “Because you depict girls as squares, and boys as circles, but it should be the other way around, because girls are gentle, and they should be depicted as circles.” – I advise you to collect genealogical information; When you read or hear somewhere, write down fragmentary information. It is best to write on scraps of paper, but in ink rather than pencil, and fold them first alphabetically. And more coherent information should be immediately translated into diagrams and then gradually completed these diagrams and supplemented with details. This greatly enriches the understanding of life, and in addition, very valuable material is gradually accumulated, which will always be useful. Just in case, I’m telling you, because... I’m not sure about the preservation of my records that my father’s name was Alexander Ivanovich, my grandfather’s name was Ivan Andreevich, my great-grandfather’s name was Andrey Matveevich, my great-great-grandfather’s name was Matvey Ivanovich. 67 My grandfather’s wife, my grandmother, was called Anfisa Uarovna Solovyova, and his second wife was Elizaveta Vladimirovna Ushakova, she had a sister, Alexandra Vladimirovna, married to Gottlieb Fedorovich Pekok. 68 Alexandra Vladimirovna treated my father and his sisters, Ekaterina and Yulia, well. Alexandra Vladimirovna’s daughter, Alexandra Gotlibovna Pekok, was a famous singer who performed in Milan under the stage name Alina Marini. 69 My father had a half-brother Vladimir Ivanovich and sisters Zinaida, Varvara, Lyudmila, and now I can’t remember the name of the fourth (my memory is very weak). 70 My grandfather’s name on my mother’s side was Pavel Gerasimovich, and my grandmother’s name was Sofia, and again now I can’t remember further 71. They all died before I was born, and I never saw either my grandparents in my life, I only dreamed about them as a child. Alexandra Vladimirovna was a surrogate grandmother for us, but I saw her only after entering the University; but she soon died, to my chagrin. But I had aunts, Julia - on my father’s side, who raised me 72 , and my mother’s sisters - Elizaveta, Varvara, Repsimiya and Sofia; Of these, only the last one survived. There was also an uncle - Arshak, 73, but unlike the aunts, whom I loved very much, all of them, and especially Aunt Yulia, as I called her, he was a complete stranger to me and I saw him very little. Aunt Lisa's children died, they were close to me, especially Margarita 74, although much older than me. Aunt Varya's children have disappeared somewhere. Remso's aunt had no children. You know Aunt Sonya's children. 75 Aunt Yulia was not married. I knew Uncle Arshak's children in childhood. But then they all disappeared from my field of vision, leaving only Tamara 76, the daughter of “Arshak-uncle.” Her sister Nina had a wonderful voice, but died soon after graduating from the conservatory (or rather, the Philharmonic). It had a beautiful silvery timbre, very rare 77 . Sonya's aunt's daughters died. My sisters Valya (Olya) 78 and Gosya (Raisa) also died. Our surnames in the 18th century. Florinskys were written and only in the 19th century, incorrectly, Florenskys began to be written, and even earlier it was written by Fliorinskys, so that some branches began to be written Florinskys. I kiss you deeply, dear Olya, get well soon, listen to advice. Bow to your comrades. I kiss you again. April 27–28, 1935, formerly Filippova Hermitage Dear Olya, I recently wrote to you, and now I want to continue the story about heredity in our family. It is very important to know from whom you received what and what exactly you received. Each hereditary line has its own quality or qualities. First of all, along the ascending male line, i.e. along the Florensky-Florinsky line. This family has always been distinguished by its initiative in the field of scientific and scientific-organizational activities. The Florinskys have always been innovators, the founders of entire movements and directions - they opened new areas for study and enlightenment, created new points of view, new approaches to subjects. The Florinskys' interests were varied - history, archeology, natural science, literature. But it was always knowledge in certain waters and the organization of research. I do not know of a single Florinsky with pronounced artistic abilities in any field of art. On the other hand, the Florinskys had a desire for self-education, for spiritual training of themselves. On the female side, I would like to mention, first of all, the Ivanovs, the family of my great-grandmother. This family was distinguished by talent and brilliance; From him, apparently, comes a penchant for painting. By nature, this family was, as far as I know, very disorderly, in contrast to the Florinskys, sweeping, uneconomical, bohemian. From him, by the way, comes the famous Itinerant artist Ivanov 79 . My great-grandmother's name was Ekaterina Afanasyevna. She was married to Uar Efimovich Solovyov, a doctor. The Solovyov family, as far as I know, was very talented and brilliant. Pogodin's notes tell about the brilliant answer given to the university exam at Moscow University by two students, out of the ordinary - Ivan Sergeevich Tugenev and Concordius Uarovich Solovyov. All three brothers of my grandmother, Anfisa Uarovna Solovyova 80, shone in their youth, but they wasted their lives and did nothing worthwhile. The Solovyov family was musical, my grandmother played well, but her close relatives were even stronger musicians - Elizaveta (my grandfather's second wife) and Alexandra Vladimirovna Ushakova, who were completely absorbed in music. A friend of the house was the famous novelist Gurilev, 81 who passed all his works through criticism of the house of the Ushakovs and then the Florenskys. On the part of my mother’s family, and your grandmother’s, heredity is expressed in a vivid sense of matter and the concrete world. The beauty of matter and its positivity is what we inherited from my mother’s family. And also, it seems to me, connected with the first, is musicality and a penchant for painting, or rather, not for painting, but for color, for flavor. V.2. More about the Florinsky-Florensky. All of them (that is, generally speaking) were proactive, inventive, enterprising, and opened up, small or large, new areas for thought. But, a wonderful fate: none of them ever reaped the harvest from the fields he sown and either passed away, or the business moved away from him, and others used the harvest, or no one used it at all, and it perished, at least for its time. As an example: trustee of the Kazan educational district prof. Florinsky, author of “Home Medicine” 82 is now recognized as the founder of eugenics, but only now, i.e. 70 years later. (There is no room for other examples.) But in our family, all generations dreamed of one thing: at least to live quietly in old age, taking care of a small garden - and no one succeeded. (For some reason I remembered how my brother Shura, as a child, was always planting plants, and as soon as they began to sprout and take root, he would pull them out and bring them with joy to show: “Here, it has sprouted, it has taken root!”) Dear Olechka, I am writing to you quite seriously and I demand that you be prudent and take care of your health, everything else is of second priority. You must believe the life experience not only of mine, but of the whole family, clans, because... It was precisely indiscretion in this regard that has more than once been the cause of death and deep wounds in the hearts of loved ones. At your age, flaunting indiscretion seems sublime. But it is not sublime, but is simply explained by ignorance of nature and the inability to calculate what is more and what is less important. V.13. I received the letters and I see how justified my fears are. Try to eat what you have; season it with something, decorate it with some greenery. It’s nothing that you don’t do, as long as you’re healthy. I kiss my dear, dear daughter deeply. Let her be calm, cheerful and cheerful and live in anticipation of the future. I ruined the portrait I sent with ugly varnish. 83 It can be removed by soaking the portrait in alcohol. But if you don’t really like the color of the portrait, then it’s better not to touch the varnish. May 27, 1935, ex. Filippova Heath 1935.V.27. Solovki. No. 20. Dear Annulya, the other day I sent you a letter. I'm starting something new. I haven't heard from you, I'm very worried. It immediately became like spring. Today the lakes here are without ice, although yesterday there was ice - black and black-dark green. There were only small patches of snow left in the forest. The channels – the communications between the lakes – are full of water – dark brown with peat. The cuckoos have been calling since yesterday. Today I saw my first frog. The ants swarm and line up - each one carries something, some a twig, some a sliver of wood, some a blade of grass or pine needles. Grass is appearing, today I ate several leaves of snitka. Several daisies bloomed near the laboratory. The paths dried out almost suddenly - there was either peat or sand here, and the paths were not poorly constructed. It’s light all day and night, and you can’t decide whether it’s already light or still light. If I'm not mistaken, at 10 1/2 o'clock or later I saw the sunset disc. But I keep thinking about you, my dears. V.30. The weather is most unstable. Yesterday it snowed all day and it was cold; Today there is also snow in the morning. At times the sun shines, and then the sky frowns again. From morning to night (which does not exist) and from night (which does not exist) until morning, a cuckoo cuckoos, right next to the laboratory. There are piles of still unmelted snow. Now, on the eve of the day off (however, now it’s the weekend - drummers) I was sitting on our lake 84 near the gazebo. The sun is still high, although it is a quarter to ten. It's a little cold. The cuckoo doesn't stop talking. I keep thinking about you, my dears, and the more I do, the sadder it becomes. VI. 1. The days are gray, and the nights too, twilight during the day, no darker at night. Yesterday at 11 o'clock at night the setting sun was still gliding between the dark clouds, through the cracks. Here it does not lie down, falling down, but moves almost horizontally. And now, 7 o’clock in the morning, it’s gloomy, heavy snow is falling, it’s cold. In the evening. It snowed all day, very cold, blizzard. By evening, everything turned out to be covered with snow, grass, houses under snow cover, cold streams and snow coming out of all the cracks: Nord-East. Meanwhile, it’s 3 o’clock in the morning, it’s light outside and you can immediately see that it’s not winter. It’s as if we are at the south pole, and not at the north: after all, in the extreme south it is now winter, and here we are in December. The blizzard is such that it is difficult to get out the door. VI.2. Today everything is the same again - blizzard, blizzard, snow; The landscape is completely winter. Only in the evening the snow stopped falling and the road melted slightly, so that it became muddy. I just returned from the Kremlin, I went to receive your package - cigarettes. I just didn’t have any supplies of cigarettes or shag 85 . But when I returned, it started snowing again. “I keep writing to you about the weather, although I’m only thinking about you, but you can’t write that.” I remember the slightest details of the past, about each of you separately. About how I waited for Vasyushka, 3 years before his birth, how I felt that he was already somewhere, although I myself did not know where or how. When he was just born, he looked at me and it was clear that he recognized me. But this was only for a few moments, and then the consciousness of the gaze disappeared. I remember all his first movements and pranks. Do you remember how he lowered a box of business cards into the crack in the floor, card by card, how he tried to do it and was triumphant that he succeeded! I remember how I felt Kirill on the train, when I was going home and talking with one young Ryazan resident. I felt you in the summer of 1905, when I was returning from Tiflis and, having caught the wrong train, drove off to the side, so I had to disembark at a small station and wait the whole day for my train in the fields and meadows. It was August 15th. I felt Olechka as coming, as coming in place of Vali, 86 Mika as coming in place of Misha, 87 and Tikulka as on her own, as my consolation. Do you remember how Kirill loved cats and dressed them up and cried that he didn’t have a tail. A large cat lives here, and when I look at him, I remember Kira’s passion. Do you remember how Olya was offended by me for the amber and said tyntar. Do you remember how Kirill fussed with Olya and kept insisting that she was his own sister. Mick especially comes to mind, maybe. because I write for him. However, I write with everyone in mind, and the features and images of everyone merge, starting with myself in childhood: here are Vasya, and Kira, and Mick. “I remember once I took Vasya for a walk in the evening. We were walking along the fence to Bethany 88 and suddenly I was struck by the feeling that I was not me, but my father, and Vasya was me, and that it was repeating how my dad led me. I feel all of you within me, as a part of myself, and I cannot look at you from the outside. Do you remember how there was a fire in the Lavra, Vasyushka got worried and said that he would stop collecting stamps (his then passion) if the fire stopped. He was probably less than 7 years old at the time. Dear Annulya, the past has not passed, but persists and abides forever, but we forget it and move away from it, and then, under circumstances, it opens up again as the eternal present. As one 17th century poet wrote: Die Rose, den dein auber Auge Sieht Sie ist von Ewigkeit in Gott gebliiht – The rose that your outer eye sees, it has blossomed in God from eternity. 89 VI.4–5. I kiss you deeply, my dear. Today the sun is finally shining. July 21, 1935, ex. Filippova Hermitage 1935.VI.21. Solovki. No. 22. Dear Annulya, on the 18th I received your letter No. 17 dated 7.VI (and also from my mother), and on the 19th No. 18 dated 6.10. I hope Vasyushka has already returned from his trip and will live with you, so that you will have more fun. But first of all, I write about business. It is impossible to send you powers of attorney by letter. But tomorrow I will send them to you through the office, so you will obviously be called to receive them. You can entrust these powers of attorney to someone who can more easily obtain them than you. I could not write a power of attorney addressed to Boris Vasilyevich 90, because... I don’t know his address, and I didn’t want to bother him by getting them. – In the few days that have passed between the last letter and this one, the entire area around us has changed beyond recognition, due to the coming warm days. With 24-hour light, plants here grow at an indescribable speed, literally in hours. Now everything is dressed in lush greenery, tender and rich, everything is in bloom. Endless thickets of blueberries and blueberries cover almost the entire space in the forests and along the roads; Moreover, this year the flowering is unusually strong. Lots of cloudberries, also in bloom. Its flowers are white, large, like strawberry flowers, and its leaves are somewhat reminiscent of mallow leaves. Countless mynikas like ours (two-leafed) have hatched, but have not yet bloomed. Two bird cherry trees were planted near the laboratory's nests; they are in bloom now. In the courtyard and in the former garden, overgrown with grass, around the burnt church, there are many forget-me-nots and daisies. There are marsh buttercups. There are interesting lichens, ferns, and mosses. I couldn’t identify two plants without a identifier; they are new to me, but both are obviously heather plants. There are wild rosemary about to bloom. In the intervals between classes, for 5–10 minutes, I walk several times along the lake or to the lake, both of which are very picturesque. My roommates swim in the lake, 91 but I don’t dare, since the banks of the furnace are covered with sapropel, and from the “pier” it’s deep, they say, 10 meters or more. The water in the lake is clean, but red in color. Intellectually I understand that it is very beautiful here and that our area is better than a good dacha. 92 But the heart still does not lie with her. Sometimes I go for a walk at 2 or 3 am; it's no different from the day, just a little fresher. But it’s warm here during the day, just warm in the sun, not hot. The air is very soft and very clean, resort air. The terrain is uneven - all cut up by eskers, up to 20-30 meters high, perhaps. Everywhere there are large and small boulders - “petrified wolves,” as the ancient Karelian legend says. And everywhere you go, swarms of mosquitoes besiege you, in the forest, on the lake, along the roads and in the yard; They fly into the rooms. I almost forgot to tell you: I received both of your parcels, now I have everything decided, please don’t send anything else until I write to you myself. – To this day I still don’t know if Katya 93 gave birth to anyone; write. I am sending you a cloudberry flower; Probably none of you, except Vasya, know how she grows, so it will be interesting to watch. There is a wonderfully cute shrub plant here, the dwarf birch, Betula nana. Today I picked a twig for you, I’ll send it to you when it dries. It looks like an ordinary birch, that is, in its leaves and earrings, but it is doll-like, with small graceful leaves, finely serrated. Today I learned that one of the plants, unknown to me, is called locally called chernukha. It is probably a heather plant, with thin narrow leaves arranged like the needles of a spruce - a herbaceous plant. It bears black berries that resemble blueberries and last until the end of spring. These berries are considered harmful, but they say that in the old days monks made kvass from them. While I was writing this letter, there was another change in nature: a lot of crow's eyes blossomed. This plant is very elegant. Its flower here is not white, like ours, but slightly touched with pink, especially at the ends of the petals. The species seems new to me - very small plants. The leaves of a fern came out, but I forgot its name: a leaf on a thin, hard stem, as if made of horsehair, and the shape of the leaf was pinnately split, sort of like that of an eagle. – I’m wondering whether you received a letter with a sketch from me; It would be a pity if it disappeared, since it was made by a good artist. 94 The White Nights and I have completely lost our circadian rhythm. After lunch, that is, from 7 o’clock, we usually sleep for 1 – 1 1/2 – 2 hours, and then we get back to work and sit up all night, only going to bed in the morning. It’s as if there were two days in a day, not one. 95 It would be nice to have white nights all year round, but unfortunately, the turn to the opposite will soon begin, that is, to black days. I hope you will write how Vasyushka arrived, so I won’t ask you. Be sure to write about the health of all of you, especially about your own and Olin’s. Have Tika and Mick gotten stronger? Did Maria Veniaminovna give any advice on music? Does Vasyushka continue to hunch over? I still don’t know if I received my linen and other belongings from Pavel Nikolaevich? I really miss you, all of you. – Powers of attorney (two) have been sent to you, but I don’t know whether they will arrive soon. If you get a chance, find out if the book on insulating materials that I edited a long time ago has been published. It would be a shame if a lot of work spent on it was wasted. Mikhail Vladimirovich should know about her fate 96 - Who did Nikita go with Kira as? 97 Let Kira write what exactly he should do to examine the conditions for the development of the disease. 98 I wrote to him something on this topic, that is, in addition to the planned program, but apparently my letter did not reach him. I am very pleased with his work at the Radium Institute. To tell the truth, Vladimir Ivanovich 99 is the only person with whom I could talk about natural philosophical issues without being condescending; all the others do not embrace the world as a whole and know only particulars. I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya. Take care of your health. July 29, 1935, ex. Filippova Hermitage 1935.VI.29. Solovki. No. 23. Dear mom, first of all, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on the upcoming family holiday (July 11), as well as Lucy. 100 Although this is premature, I don’t know if I can write after, so I’m doing it now. I received your letter dated June 7 on June 18 and was surprised to learn that Lily was in Moscow. Nobody told me about this. Kiss her for me. Everything here was covered with greenery and many flowers. Huge thickets of blueberries, blueberries and cloudberries, I have never seen such abundance. But there are absolutely no wild strawberries, strawberries, currants, rosehips, wild raspberries, or, strangely, princesses. There is still no real warmth. You can wear a shirt in the sun, but sometimes it’s cool in the sun. The wind is constant, the air is moist and soft. The views are beautiful, especially of the countless lakes. The colors are delicate. By night, i.e. from 11 o'clock, and in the morning, i.e. from 1 am, the sky and clouds shimmer with all sorts of colors. I saw the sea only from a distance; it is somehow unattractive, despite the rugged coastline and countless islands. 101 It was probably you who sent me tobacco in a parcel. In the evenings, over tea, I treat my labmates to it, and they are very pleased. VII.6. Apparently, each clan has its own law, from which you cannot escape. I have thought about this many times, but through personal experience you come across confirmation of this rule and involuntarily think again. My great-grandfather was cut off from his family and had no family ties. He died young, and his grandfather grew up without a father. My father was also orphaned early, and he also had almost no relatives, except for Aunt Yulia. I saw little of my father; he was always on the road. 102 My children grew up without me all the time, I was only at home on short visits, and now I am completely cut off from them. Here, five generations - and the same fate. It’s the same with books. All generations loved the book, spent every spare penny on it, limited themselves in everything - and for one reason or another lost everything they managed to collect. And one more thing. All generations loved the plant world, everyone dreamed of at least starting a garden in their old age, and no one succeeded. A genus is a whole, not the sum of successive generations. I thought about the common properties of the members of our family, even its distant branches. An excess of initiative and unsystematic education for everyone led to a low efficiency, to a discrepancy between the efforts expended and the results obtained. In all areas they discovered new paths, but those who opened these paths never took advantage of their discovery, because... didn't reach the end. This is probably a consequence of the lack of strong leadership in the family. I kiss you, dear mother, Lucy and Lilya, and congratulate you all. August 15, 1935, former Filippova Hermitage 1935.VHI.15. No. 27. Solovki. Dear Annulya, yesterday August 14, I received your letter dated August 3, No. 27. You write that Vasya is waiting for my letter; but it’s been a long time since I wrote to him, I just don’t remember whether it was to your address or to my mother’s. Hasn't this letter been received? M.b. Is it with mom? It’s good that you at least get to know geography through letters. But children should be taught to use a map, so that they would look for places on it that they hear about and, in addition, would draw out all the paths taken by each. Let everyone have their own color, then the picture of travel will be clear. Therefore, I would like to plant in the garden plants of all the places where the children and you have been or heard about, as a living memory of the places. - Autumn has come here. Dark cold nights, gray weather, rain. Sometimes the moon is visible, not seen for a long time. Mushrooms have appeared, quite numerous, cloudberries have ripened and are already falling off, blueberries and blueberries are ripe. 103 There were a lot of cloudberries, few blueberries at all, and blueberry thickets cover the entire surface of the island, but this year, compared to last year (as they say), there are not many berries. Compared to Posad, there are of course quite a lot of berries; you just need to step out the door and you can pick them right there, at the estate. But still, sometimes we steam cloudberries and get half-jelly, half-jam. Instead of tea, we brew blueberries and partly blueberries, a lot of acids (lactic and citric) and astringents, not to mention the color. Cook the mushrooms. Mostly I came across chanterelles, your favorite, of which there are many here; but in recent days there have been boletuses, aspen boletuses, white boletuses - in very small quantities, honey mushrooms. Today, on the occasion of the birthday of one of the employees, two pies were even baked - with mushrooms and with blueberries. – I was interested in the question of how much waste is produced when cleaning cloudberries. It turned out: once 12.9%, and another 9.1%. – I wrote to you once, but I’m writing again: it is absolutely necessary to teach children to memorize good poems, this develops memory, enriches the language and nourishes them with noble images. Let them learn what they like, but not trifles. Otherwise, due to the lack of good food, trash remains in the memory, meaningless and tasteless. As a gift to you, for our 24th wedding anniversary, I am sending you a portrait. 104 This is the work of a good artist, everyone says there's a great resemblance; but it’s difficult for me to judge him. 105 In any case, you won't get better here. In the background there are seaweeds, as a memory of the work of that time. Have you received dried plants enclosed in letters? It’s good that Mick still went to get some fresh air and refresh his impressions. Apparently you still haven’t received my powers of attorney, and one of them is probably no longer needed. I also don’t know whether you received last year’s powers of attorney, sent in the summer. – I often remember when I was little Andrey, Gosya, Valya, also Shura and Lyusya, especially the first ones. The entire memory dates back to a time 30–40–45 years ago, and even more, but it stands vividly before your eyes, as if it were happening now. I carried Gosya and Andrey in my arms a lot, took them for walks and told them fairy tales. With Andrei, I picked blueberries in Suram, climbing steep slopes, with Andrei on one hand, and on the other a large basket, with which they went to the market for provisions. Probably Andrei forgot how it was, he was small then, from 2 to 4 years old. I remember when he was born; I was finishing my high school course then. He, small, very much resembled his grandfather, Ivan Andreevich, from when he was newborn I made a sketch for this occasion. And then the resemblance completely disappeared. When someone was about to be born, we were gathered in one room and we slept on mattresses laid out on the floor, so it turned out like a picnic. And in the morning a new brother or sister showed up to us, and we surrounded him during his first baths, but were afraid to touch him. The university years are much paler in my memory, like everything later, except for those related to you and the children. It’s as if I had no one and nothing else during this time except you. I kiss you deeply, darling. I hope you don't get bored now, because... the children returned home. September 5–6, 1935, ex. Monastery forge 1935.IX.5–6. Solovki. No. 29. Dear Annulya, I received your letters, without numbers, and a postcard, and No. 28 dated August 23. It is very annoying that my letters arrive late. Let me know if you got the lab view, portrait and dry plants. You ask if you have any mistakes. Yes, there are, but there are no commas at all. I love both, the latter without reservations, and the former with a reservation: everything would be fine, but I’m afraid that your mistakes are due to overwork. Since August 30th I have been living in a new place. 106 This is an old monastery house near the Kremlin. The walls are thick, in the lower floor, with high stone vaults, there was once a monastery forge. My room is on the second floor, with a special entrance along a dilapidated extension (external) staircase, like a dovecote. There are 2 rooms in the room, one is occupied by me and employee b. Laboratories, the other is home to almost always absent technical workers. We cook for ourselves on the stove, which is right there in the room. We eat almost exclusively vegetables, i.e. to my taste. The house is located on the shore of the Holy (now Kremlin) lake. This is a large, largely artificially dug lake, about 1 km long and up to 1 km wide. It is so close to the base of the house that from our second floor the shore is not visible, as if the house rises directly above the water. The lake is blue in clear weather, and salty in gray weather. Lately, no, no, but the sun will come out, though only for a while and mostly shining with liquid northern light. And it doesn’t rain all the time, but at times it rains lightly. From the view from the window you might think that you are in Italy or Switzerland. A loud echo is heard from the stairs, from other buildings: as soon as you cough, sneeze or shout, the repetition returns even louder. I think it would be interesting for children to listen to such an echo. But this home is temporary, even short-term. The transportation and transfer of the laboratory made a grave impression on me: after all, a lot of effort, ingenuity and love were brought into the laboratory. Work, naturally, stopped. The sight of the empty and littered rooms became so painful for me that I was even glad, taking my staff and knapsack, to leave there. Everything reminds us of the perishability of all earthly affairs and teaches us to recognize ourselves “as strangers and strangers.” 107 Currently I am working in the newly formed Design Bureau; 108 is currently mainly busy writing applications for a number of our inventions on the processing of algae and the use of algin and alginate. In addition, you need to write several articles. And then, together with one chemist and under his leadership, we will have to start designing chemical plants. - I received the book you sent. 109 If my things have already turned out, then in the books you will find “Tables of physical constants” and (without binding) the publication seems to be the Academy of Sciences of Orochon or Tunguska texts with a dictionary. 110 These two books (both thin) came to me. Don't send me parcels, except maybe cigarettes. This year I have a lot of onions and, moreover, beautiful ones from here; I would just like to send you from here. In general, I have everything I need, I have nowhere to buy it, and I don’t need it. The only thing I want is for you to feed your children better and tastier. By the way, a tasty dish is made from turnips, cabbage, mushrooms and well-cooked lentils, onions and dill; When cold, this dish is difficult to distinguish from baked eggplants. But it needs to be stewed thoroughly. 09.VIII. I received your letters No. 28 and 7, yesterday, No. 29. I remembered the wedding day, but I was wrong about the number of years. It’s hard for me, dear, that you are still restless, inventing something and torturing yourself in vain. There was no need to bother; it was impossible to come. Obviously, based on my letters, you don’t have the slightest idea about the nature of my life and keep trying to fit it into Panryonin’s; but this is a big mistake, everything is completely wrong, but I can’t explain how, you won’t understand. We cooked for 1/2 of the year ourselves, i.e. in fact, mainly one of the employees received dry rations. Now I moved to the dining room. They gave us flour then. No mention of any reserves. and speeches. Stop talking about coming, I beg you. I kiss you deeply, deeply and remember how difficult it was for you to live with me for 25 years. ex. Monastery forge 1935.IX.24–25. Solovki. No. 31. Dear Annulya, I am writing to you at night and in extreme haste: tomorrow morning is the deadline for writing, and meanwhile I urgently need to move to the Kremlin, pack my things, and pack up. 111 You see how painful it is in my situation to have extra things. 112 But I have library books, some government clothes, a mattress, and I have to think about everything, where to put it and how to carry it. It’s good that it’s not far to carry. Today I received your parcel with onions, olives, cigarettes, notebooks and notepads, and 2 days ago – with apples. Everything arrived quite well, the apples did not spoil, except for a dozen. Although it was nice to receive all this because it was from you, it is painful for me to think how you are depriving yourself of the latter, while I probably have many times more of everything than you. You need to think about the children and yourself. I received your letter (No. 31 from IX, 23). Dear Annulya, I understand that it is difficult, difficult, restless and sad for you. But you still need to try to perceive your surroundings with greater peace of mind, and most importantly, your loved ones. I believe in my children, and various roughnesses will pass in due time. It's a matter of age. And besides, life is not easy for them either. Here Vasyushka, poor man, lived to be 24 years old, but did not see a calm life and joy. If you can rejoice at least for a while, then try to rejoice for him and with him. Others too. Tika, you write, is painfully shy. How clearly I understand her condition: it is both hereditary and acquired, from constant blows. I grew up in different conditions, and even then I can’t cope with the same feeling, I just try to wear a mask, as if there is no shyness. Try to involve her in some activities and games so that she does not feel so lonely, let her develop a little self-confidence. You are mistaken that she has no memory: this is confusion in the world, from constant uncertainty in herself and in the environment. As soon as she feels her strength, the unconsciousness will pass. And for this it is necessary to ensure that she learns at least something small so firmly that there can be no more uncertainty. She definitely needs to help with her homework, at least doing some of it for her. Once she earns 2-3 rewards, she will turn around and then things will go smoothly on their own. Try to pick up on one of her mistakes in arithmetic or spelling and ask her about this topic many times, casually, so that she understands the correct procedure thoroughly, completely firmly. Then take something else. When individual strong points and supports are formed in her consciousness, confidence will appear, and she will then begin to strengthen other weak points herself. And you need to be more active. Try to involve the children in the game - remember German words and phrases, motives, compare, etc., for example, who will remember more words with such and such a letter or with such and such an ending, who will remember and select more motives, etc., if they make mistakes, it doesn’t matter, let them correct each other and even let them remain with the mistakes. The main thing is to develop a habit, the main thing is constant exercise, and this is in any area. You can't do anything with one push. Let Vasya and Kira show the children minerals, name them and characterize them; It is very important to characterize it in terms of application or some striking features. The same goes for plants, etc. And it is imperative to involve Tika here, telling her what may be interesting and accessible to her. I kiss you deeply, my dear, don’t be discouraged. Kremlin, former Nikolsky building 1935.IX.30. Solovki. No. 32. Dear Annulya, I have changed my place of residence again. Now I live in the Kremlin. There are a lot of people in the cell, I don’t even know how many there are. 113 Of course, under such conditions, not only classes, but even writing becomes impossible, especially since there is nothing to write on, i.e. no table. I work in a design office, classes are twice a day, so I come back after evening classes at about 11 something. At least the good thing is that the people in the cell are decent, from the Bureau. X.01. While I was writing this letter, it was time to move again, probably tomorrow. There will be five of us in the cell, or maybe four. Here the approach of winter is now obvious: although the trees are decorated with gold and bronze, sometimes it snows, though it soon melts. Cold, fierce winds blow at times, and then immediately stop. You were interested in my food: I have lunch and breakfast in the ITR canteen, the food there is good and, fortunately for me, meat food, which I had to give to someone, is now rare. In general, I am quite well-fed, and it’s hard for me to think that you are not even provided with the necessary things. It takes me about 8 minutes to get to the service from the Kremlin, the road goes along the embankment of the Holy Lake, and behind it is a beautiful golden forest. The lake is deep, the water level is always different, since water is either let in through sluices from other lakes, or released for the needs of the power station. In the wind, real waves run across the lake, breaking against the stone lining of the embankment. It annoys me that, having almost finished the first song “Oro,” I cannot finish this piece due to migration. In an unfinished form, I read it to an acquaintance, an expert in the Far East and Transbaikalia, and received approval from him. I would like you to read it, as it is written only for you. I recently learned about the high technology of the ancient buildings here: a stone wall, 1–1 1/2 meters thick, has thermal and anti-damp insulation made from a layer of charcoal. Building from the early 16th century. X.03. Today I received a letter from my mother, but I don’t know if she received mine. He reports that Kira still hasn’t arrived. I hope you will tell me otherwise. Yesterday I moved into a new apartment. Now there are four of us there, but there will be a fifth. This room is... for four, quite free. 114 Most of the buildings here are ancient, with thick stone walls. We have wooden beds from the attic; From the inscriptions carved with a knife, it is clear that the beds were made in the first years of the 20th century, of course, homemade, the simplest work, personalized, i.e. with the names of the old owners. However, I don’t know why, in the Kremlin and in the Kremlin premises there is no sense of antiquity at all, there is no poetry of antiquity - everything is soulless and cadaverous. But it would seem that it should be different. Not only does this impression not go away, but it intensifies. I kiss you deeply, darling. No. 38. 1935.XI.21–22. Solovki. Dear Annulya, I finally received your letter, No. 37, dated November 5th. I'll start by answering your questions. I don’t need to send me a magazine: reading one magazine is the same as reading nothing, and there’s nowhere to keep it. I don’t have to follow science anyway; even now I’m hopelessly behind. It is clear to me that my scientific work is finished and that I will never be able to return to it. After all, scientific thought requires constant and persistent work on oneself, and the fruits appear only as a result of life’s accumulation. My accumulation is all scattered, and I consider it to be an unscrupulous and aimless activity to engage in science somehow. You ask about Sergei Alekseevich’s parcel 115. I have recently received 2 parcels, one of cigarettes, the other of canned food, etc., and earlier I received apples (one parcel) and onions and olives (another). I don’t know which one is Sergei Alekseevich. In any case, I thanked him for his attention and memory. The last time the parcel contained beech nuts, they reminded me of my childhood and the Caucasus. Where are they from? And most importantly, why are you depriving your children of the latter and sending me what you would like to pass on to them. I ask again, if you want to take care of me, take care of the children and yourself, this gives me much more joy and support. – If Elena Vladimirovna 116 informs you about her marriage, congratulate me. Regarding reading: I would not like this, because... there are only excerpts, but I have written almost the entire first canto, and it is much longer and more complete than what you have. When I’m completely finished, I’ll rewrite it for you and, if possible, send it to you. 117 With Tika, and with others as well, try to write dictations as often as possible, every day, at least a few lines, and then sort out the mistakes. Literacy will come in a short time if you do this. I am sure that Tiki is not incapable or unconscious, but lacking self-confidence and lack of real school. Music, fine arts, and architecture can become strong elements of education if the works are not just perceived, but also actively thought through. For the unprepared, therefore, it is very useful to discuss together (even if making mistakes), analyzing the thing, finding words to characterize certain moments, mastering terminology and building various schemes of the work as a whole. This applies to all sectors: you need to learn to embrace the whole, and for this you need to learn to characterize it as a whole, in the first approximation, then in the second, etc., detailing and complicating your statement with additional points. Even such primitive answers as “a novel consists of an introduction, exposition and conclusion,” apparently empty, already give something, because they make you think about some kind of division, at least in the very first approximation. 1935.XI.22. I'm glad for you that you are planting in your garden or yard. Since childhood, I have passionately loved plants, talked with them and lived with them as if they were my closest friends. 118 Maybe that’s why I didn’t specifically study plants, it seemed too cold. But there was always a secret thought that someday later, having eliminated everything that I should be doing, I would turn to plants and live closely with them, as in childhood. My father dreamed of the same thing. My grandfather dreamed about the same thing. But no one managed to fulfill this desire. Therefore, I am pleased that you are implementing it, at least partially. The only pity is that in our Moscow climate, most interesting plants either do not acclimatize, or require greater knowledge and even greater effort for acclimatization. – M.b. you are interested in learning about a type of Japanese ceramic technique that you rarely hear about. This is Satsuma, a mosaic on porcelain. It is made up of tiny pieces of something, probably colored glaze, about 1/10 the size of a pin's head, and then fired. It is clear that such products are expensive and are not found often. In general, the high perfection of Chinese and Japanese technology is based mainly on the extreme duration of the technical process and therefore has now been lost by the Chinese and Japanese themselves. The thing was done previously by three or four generations. For example, for the best Chinese porcelain, kaolin mass, kaolin dough with various additives is “rotten”, i.e. aged in cellars with constant care for about a hundred years. The famous Japanese varnishes were applied in thin layers a very large number of times, after each individual layer had completely dried, hardened and matured, and it took many decades to build up any thick varnish film. Satsuma probably also requires microscopic work, and therefore a lot of time. Modern technology is trying to come up with the phrase “not finished” instead of the old slow ones. – Ed. XI.23. Dear Annulya, today I sent you 60 rubles. – accumulated from the so-called bonus reward. Of course, I clearly imagine the insignificance of this amount given your difficult life, but I wanted to send at least something, not as help, but as a sign that I am always thinking about you. XI.24. Today I received a parcel: (nrzb.) pomegranates, butter, bagels and something in bags - I haven’t had time to look yet. Everything arrived well, they weren’t even ripe yet. I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya, be cheerful. Write to me how your hand is and your health in general. I kiss you again. 1936.II.17. Solovki. No. 49. Dear Vasyushka, I just returned from the Kremlin: I went to the laboratory, and most importantly, to look at the northern lights. It probably started at 9 o'clock. I was in the library when I was told about the phenomenon. And it was really worth watching. Imagine that a series of approximately parallel curtains descend from the sky, directed latitudinally and occupying almost the entire northern hemisphere. These curtains seem to be made of the finest fabric, like gas. They fade upward and thicken, thicken towards the lower, sharply limited edge, which seems to be swollen - as if the fabric was folded (hemmed) with a wide border. The curtains are draped in wide folds, forming winding lines at their edges and swaying, so that the folds run across the curtain, and the curtains themselves either move parallel to themselves to the north, retreating, or advancing, to the south. At times they fade and take the form of illuminated blurry clouds, at times the glow intensifies, and then, as they did today, they shine with a bright green light. 5–6 minutes pass between light intensifications. Then the curtains faded, but the northern horizon lit up, and from the blurry glow sharply defined rays of light began to rise, like searchlights, but not entirely straight and only approximately parallel to each other. Near the ray ejected by the blurry radiance, another appears, which becomes increasingly brighter, then both of them weaken, but a third appears at some distance, etc. The length of the rays is approximately 45 degrees, their direction is meridian, the color is bluish-greenish, but not pronounced. After the rays (“pillars”), the radiance began to weaken and only a general vague glow remained. II.21. On the 18th there were northern lights again, they say they were wonderful; I didn't see him. On the 19th, while going to the bathhouse, I observed the northern lights, very beautiful, but completely different from what happened on the 17th. A dark segment appeared in the northern part of the sky, and above it a luminous arc of bluish color. Another arc appeared above it, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, and up to eight. The last arc has already passed the zenith in the southern part of the sky. The whole sky was in wide luminous arcs, outlined quite correctly, but not completely, not geometrically. From the arcs, especially the first ones, pillars of light began to be thrown out, which shifted, sliding their end (root) along the arc. The phenomenon developed very quickly, about 20 minutes. Then the arcs began to move south, losing their shape. After some time, the intermediate arcs disappeared, leaving a glow in the north and long, cloud-like, indefinitely shaped formations in the zenithal part, somewhat to the north of it. These shapes could be mistaken for strange clouds illuminated by a spotlight. Gradually all the lights faded. I forgot to say that all the arcs went in the latitudinal direction. “It was frosty these days, the sky was clear, and the stars could be seen during the northern lights, although they did not shine particularly brightly. – Recently, in bed, I came up with a new apparatus - a thermosiphon extraction apparatus for the extraction of substances that are almost insoluble at normal or low temperatures and have some solubility at elevated temperatures. It is based on extraction with a hot liquid, which, when drained, cools and releases the extracted substance, and after filtration is heated again and sent back to the extractor. This continuous circulation of the liquid is carried out automatically by cooling the descending column of liquid and heating the ascending one, and the difference in hydrostatic pressure arising from the temperature difference (from the temperature change in specific gravity and imputation of concentration) leads to the continuous movement of the liquid flow. It seems that such a device has not yet been proposed. According to calculations, with alcohol and a temperature difference of 70° (80° and 10°), for each meter of height of the cold column of alcohol (at 10°), the excess of its balancing warm column (at 80°) will be 9.6 cm, if we take into account the change in the concentration of some dissolved substance. – How are your classes going? Are you writing anything? I don’t remember if I wrote to you about the book Lobko 119 on the standardization of physical units. There is a list of basic physical quantities (though not complete), which, if completed accordingly, could be the beginning of a book on microphysics, i.e. Based on the list, start thematically selecting a methodology for determining quantities. Try to improve your life in terms of nutrition, sleep, not being overloaded with activities - in order to use your energy and time most rationally. Try not to make unnecessary movements that can be avoided. I kiss you deeply, dear. February 28 – March 1, 1936, Kremlin, former Tannery 1936.II.29.-III.1. Solovki. No. 51. Dear Annulya, I received your letters: No. 6 dated January 26. - February 16, No. 7 from 7.II - 24 February, No. 8 from 13.II - 27.II, as well as 2 letters from Kirill, as is his bad habit - undated. I'm worried about you, especially with the flu raging everywhere. There is probably no point in giving advice; it will come too late. Just in case, I’ll write: as a preventive measure, take 2-3 drops of iodine tincture, preferably in milk, but iodine tincture, and not bromferron, which is now often passed off as iodine; in case of illness, be sure to rest, and not only during the illness itself, but also for 3-4 days after recovery and do less movements; Beware of reasons for catching a cold. – I sent you a recipe for drops for toothache, but I forgot to mention that the tooth must be dried. – I live in a new building, which I already wrote about earlier. This is Yodprom, that is, the Iodine Plant. 120 This is a large two-story building, the right half of which is occupied by design offices, and the left half by the plant, laboratories and dormitory room. Most of the building was built in the 20th century. and is of no interest. But adjacent to the left half is the ancient part, the lower floor of which was built in the 16th century, and the upper - probably at the beginning of the 18th century, if not at the end of the 17th. I live on the second floor of this old building, there are some laboratories nearby. The production laboratory or, more precisely, the workshop is located in a 16th-century building, with a vaulted ceiling on pillars, small windows cut into thick massive walls and a gloomy appearance, like a witches’ kitchen or Faust’s study. There are experimental production installations here: vats, a ball mill, homemade, and therefore medieval, pulleys and wheels, various wooden utensils, in particular boxes, which, in order to save material, were given the appearance of coffins. Steam purrs and swirls, water pours and drips, a ball mill creaks and rattles, and the smells of different types of algae spread. In the middle of the room there is a recess-descent, occupying half the area; water drain made of brick; The floors are stone, made of large square slabs. Nearby in the dryer it is 62°, and behind the door the agar extracts are frozen. 121 I say that the only thing missing is a stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling. The daily routine corresponds to the situation, that is, equally far from bourgeois comfort. I get up at 8 o’clock and run to the Kremlin for breakfast. Along the way you will meet 30–40–50 people whom you have to bow to and greet. After all, more or less everyone knows each other, and many even know each other. Due to the abundance of bows and greetings, no one takes off their hats anymore, they only do some semblance of honor, like a rudiment of a bow. After breakfast, walk through all the work, discussion, consultation, notes, drawing up reports; so - until 6 o'clock, when again we have to run to the Kremlin for lunch. Since the work is intense, and there is always something missing, there is a rush, excitement, mutual adjustment. I sometimes sleep from 7 o'clock onwards when I can. After all, work is done in shifts, around the clock. From 8 or 9 o'clock there is again the same rush from the top floor to the bottom and back, but it is somewhat quieter in the building, that is, not everyone is working. At this time I calculate something, sometimes I manage to read a little. I usually sit for up to 4–5 hours. But often, when you fall asleep, a shift worker comes in with some misunderstanding. Such a life does not allow you to do anything creative, but it also does not allow you to think about what would lead to despondency. “You receive my answers so late that they lose their meaning.” But just in case, I inform you that if the lubrication with iodine is too strong, as with iodine stains on fabrics, etc., it is necessary to wash with a hyposulfite solution, i.e. photographic fixer, but do not lubricate with oil. Sodium hyposulfite also serves as a remedy for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in a 10% solution; the poisoned person is given 8–20 g of this solution over 24 hours, and in critical cases up to 20 g immediately; signs of poisoning disappear after 6–10 hours, and in serious cases – after 24 hours. This is very important information that must be kept in mind and firmly remembered. – I can’t approve of the name that Vasya and Natasha are planning: it gives a shine like a soap bubble, a lot of noise - and nothing positive in the end, it’s not a full-fledged name at all. – Regarding the work of calculating the mechanical strength of permafrost: Nikolai Ivanovich 123 does not understand my conditions: I have neither books nor time, I am all in production, and there is no time to even think about the direct subjects of my work, everything is in a hurry and boiling in its own juice. If possible, let him print as it is and what is, otherwise these works will be lost, just as countless others have been lost in anticipation of some kind of completeness. While I’m here, there’s nothing to count on me, so tell him that, despite the fact that the permafrost is the only thing that really interests me internally. I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya, be calm. 1936.III.10–11. No. 52. Solovki. Dear Annulya, today I received your No. 9 dated 23.2.1936, a postcard from Alexei Ivanovich and a printed one (Vernadsky’s brochure) from Mick. You're asking about my #46. This letter is like 0 No. 37, 42, 49 - to mom. It’s in vain that you think that your letters irritate me, on the contrary, but it’s painful for me to think about your troubles and lack of joys, and that’s why I’m trying to instill in you the best use of life. My life's work has been destroyed, and I will never be able and, moreover, will not want to resume the work of all 50 years. I don’t want to, because I didn’t work for myself and not for my own benefits, and if humanity, for whose sake I did not know my personal life, considered it possible to completely destroy what was done for it and was waiting only for the final finishing touches, then so much the worse for humanity, let them try to do what they destroyed themselves. No matter how bad it is, some literature is still reaching me, and I see that others are trying to solve problems that I have already worked through, and by me alone, but blindly and gropingly. Of course, piecemeal and gradually what I have done will be done by others, but this requires time, effort, money and - chance. So, by destroying what was done in science and philosophy, people punished themselves, so why should I worry about myself? I'm thinking about you. Of course, I am working, but on something else and something secondary or tertiary: neither the working and living conditions, nor my age, and finally, nor my state of mind make it possible to turn to the primary. I know enough about history and the historical course of development of thought to foresee the time when they will begin to look for individual fragments of what was destroyed. However, this does not make me happy at all, but rather annoys me: the hated human stupidity that lasts from the beginning of history and probably intends to continue to its end. But it will be about yourself, it’s not at all interesting. I don’t like the portrait sent to Kira myself. 124 But, firstly, I didn’t have a better one, and secondly, I believed that Kira could remember his school years in connection with him. However, nothing prevents you from putting this portrait somewhere on the table. – It’s good that you are interested in the meaning and origin of geographical names: using them you can reveal the past of an area and often in this way, i.e. By analyzing the names, they come to very important historical and geographical conclusions. In particular, the French historian Berard wrote a two-volume work “The Phoenicians and the Sources of the Odyssey.” 125 Analyzing the various names of Mediterranean areas, Berard identifies these areas with those described in the Odyssey, proves the amazing accuracy of Homer’s descriptions, their factuality, draws up an accurate map of Odysseus’s wanderings and illustrates it with numerous photographs of the areas. Apparent fiction turns into tangible fact. 1936.III.13–14. Today I finished the first canto “Oro” and started writing notes. Today, on a day off, the artist 126 who sketched me for the first time (what was sent to Olya), according to your wishes, began to draw again. I will send it in one of the subsequent letters, because... I still need to finish and secure the pencil. If you are satisfied with this drawing, take it for yourself; if not, then pass it on to Vasya. Lately there have been sunny days, frosts at night, but not severe, during the day it’s either thawing or somewhat frosty. But there is something spring in the air, despite the snow. Starting tomorrow, I will start a series of lectures on the technology and chemistry of algae at the Iodine Masters courses. The rest goes on as usual, and I have nothing new to say. Except that the agar we receive, according to our tests, turned out to be of good quality and superior to Japanese, and equal in quality to American, if not higher. Tell Kira and Vasya that I am writing to them separately, this letter will not fit, and Kira has a lot to write about his upcoming work. Actually, it would be necessary to write several notebooks, because... These are questions that I have been thinking about for decades. Regarding typing with someone, I believe that this method is the most appropriate for a number of reasons. But what is not enshrined in print inevitably disappears altogether: our century is not the ancient times when manuscripts were preserved, and even then there were “publishing houses” that reproduced manuscripts under dictation. I kiss you deeply, darling. “I’m going to write to Maria Veniaminovna, but there’s still no room; In the meantime, give her my regards and thank her for the memory. I often remember her, although I don’t hear any music. I kiss you again, I always remember, even without porridge and Ryazan soil. 1936.III.23. Solovki. No. 54. Dear Annulya, today I received yours and Miki’s letters, No. 10 dated III. 4. How alarming that you keep getting sick. I think I wrote to you about taking iodine (3-4 drops per day tincture in water or milk) as a preventative against influenza. We had a flu epidemic here, but although I was in a state close to illness, I did not get sick, probably because I took iodine. It is interesting that our workers who are engaged in the sublimation of iodine and therefore inhale water vapor do not get sick with the flu, while those who stand further away from the sublimation do get sick, but not to a severe degree. I just don’t know if you can get iodine (not bromferon!). Yes, besides everything, you should generally take iodine from time to time, especially you. You ask about Kirina’s work. 127 I liked it, as did my chemist friend; but I couldn’t check the results, I don’t have the required reagents. With this letter I am sending a portrait made by the same artist 128 as the one sent to Olen, according to your desire. If you don't want to leave it, that is. portrait, you have it, then give it to Vasya. I would like to send you something colorful and beautiful, but the artist who could do this is partly busy, partly lazy, and it’s inconvenient for me to pester him. However, in the portrait sent, a knowledgeable person could appreciate the sculptural modeling of the form. I'm sitting entirely in seaweed. Experiments on algae, algae production, lectures and reports on the same algae, algae inventions, conversations and excitement - all about the same thing, from morning to night and from night, almost until morning. 129 Life develops as if there was nothing in the world except algae. But it’s precisely about them that I can’t read anything useful—I mean some course in “algology,” i.e. algal science. You get to the bottom of everything with your mind, and then you find out that it has already been done by others. If I were 20 years old, then perhaps such a school would not be bad, I could figure it out with my own mind. But at my age it’s already too late to think about school and prepare for something in the future, and we need to work in the present with the greatest results and the least waste of energy. My big drawback is that while I am working with algae that have already been brought to the plant, I have not observed them being thrown ashore, much less growing in the sea. But maybe in spring and summer this deficiency will be filled. My thinking is structured in such a way that until I come very close to the primary source in nature, I do not feel calm and therefore do not think fruitfully, i.e. from my point of view, for only I can judge or foresee my possibilities. The algae are so unique that you definitely have to feel them thoroughly with your own hands. It was not for nothing that one of the workers asked me whether algae were plants or animals, and when I said that they were plants (although a little bit animals), he was clearly not satisfied: he wanted to hear about the animal nature of algae. – I really regret that I still can’t find a place to write to Maria Veniaminovna, I’m afraid to upset the children if I don’t write to one of them. (I’m writing to Vasya and Kira at the same time, in a letter to my mother that needs to be finished, this is No. 53.) But tell her that I often remember her, I’m glad for her visits and I’m going to write. – III.24. Now I found what you sent me - a rag with beech nuts. These nuts interested me very much in childhood, because of their triangularity. Trihedral, like any triaxial symmetry - cucumbers in cross-section, monocots, in contrast to squareness and roundness, created a sense of mystery in me. And the mystery is as tempting as it is scary. I was very afraid of beech nuts and, although the soil under the beech trees was covered with them, I never dared to bite through them. No one spoke about their edibility then, and then, of course, they were not collected or eaten in the Caucasus. Only later did I learn that beech nuts are edible, but at the same time I understood the benefit of my fear of them: old beech nuts contain a poisonous substance that decomposes when roasted, so you really can’t eat these nuts under a tree. I would like to write down here for you and the children, in connection with what has been said, that all scientific ideas, those that I value, arose in me from a sense of mystery. 130 What does not inspire this feeling does not fall into the field of reflection, but what does inspire lives in thought, and sooner or later becomes a topic for scientific development. That is why I wrote to you several times so that you do not worry about children and that I believe in them: the instinct of scientific thinking must also live in them, based on a sense of the mysterious and fed by this feeling, which is not motivated, but which does not deceive. In each area of ​​reality there are special points, and they serve as centers for the crystallization of thought. But it is impossible to formulate how these points differ from others, and to a person devoid of intuition, even if he is smart, educated and capable, these special points do not seem like entrances to the dungeons of existence. Goethe knew them, Faraday and Pasteur knew them. The majority, apparently, are too smart to surrender to this immediate feeling and highlight special points of the world - and because of this, they are fruitless. This does not mean that they are unable to do anything; no, they will do it and do it, but in what they do there is no special awe, which marks the arrival of a new, creative beginning... The beech nuts led me to the side and took up all the space. I kiss you, I remember you constantly. As you can see, even the paper was pink. – Yesterday I received No. 10 from you, and earlier – No. 8, No. 9 was not received. April 19–20, 1936, ex. Tannery Dear Maria Veniaminovna, 131 I am glad to know that you visit our people and I would like it to happen more often. But it’s sad that you still don’t find yourself and live in broken rhythms. Probably, in me, from old age, the states and moods of my childhood appear more and more clearly, i.e. to be with Mozart and in Mozart. But this is not a far-fetched theory and not just an aesthetic taste, but the most inner feeling that is only in Mozart, both literally and allegorically, i.e. in heavenly childhood - protection from storms. Yes, it is difficult sometimes, but you have to fight for it. It's difficult even technically. So, I’m writing poetry here for Mick, and I feel how the elements of the world are knocking away from the simple and clear and simple to the sharp, broken and muddy. It is much easier to write something that will be considered interesting and not bad by everyone, than something weak and uninteresting, but correct in essence. But I don’t want to allow capriccio, I don’t want Schumann, I don’t want ARBITRITY: in lawfulness there is freedom, in arbitrariness there is necessity. Recently on the radio (even on the radio, which I hate!) I heard an excerpt from a Mozart concerto. And every time I am amazed to recognize again this clarity, the golden paradise lost by humanity. The world is going crazy and frantic in search of something, while the clarity that is needed is in its hands. Bourgeois culture disintegrates because it lacks a clear statement, a clear yes to the world. She is all as if, as if, illusionism is her main vice. When the subject is torn away from the object and opposed to it, everything becomes a convention, everything becomes empty and becomes an illusion. Only in children's self-awareness this is not the case, and that is Mozart. I am very glad that your Hands have recovered and can do their job. Have you read Leontiev's fiction? 132 If not, read it. It contains a statement to the world, and Russian literature rarely does not suffer from the opposite. All the best, stay healthy and be happy. April 27–28, 1936, ex. Tannery Dear Tika, when are you expecting a new doll, a living one? 133 I, too, am waiting and worried. But will you be able to look after her? After all, you didn’t have younger brothers and sisters, and therefore you don’t know how to treat kids. I just can’t fulfill your request - to send you a miniature portrait, because... there is no one to write it; at least I can't find anyone. Perhaps it is best to ask to take a photograph in an appropriately reduced form and use it as a reference. someone will go through the paints; a photograph from a pencil or paint drawing. Mommy writes that you went to Maria Vladimirovna 134 to pose. What is she doing now? Tell mommy that grandma Sonya has my book Raffi, The Story of 7 Melikts; 135 let mom take this book. Did you like the northern lights? It would be interesting for you to look at it not in the drawing, but in the sky. Lately the northern lights have not appeared: the sky is not particularly clear and too light. At 10 o'clock the sky is not yet dark, and at two it is already twilight. The snow has melted in some places, everyone is preparing for spring work, and the algae is already starting. There are almost no frosts, only sometimes there are night frosts and the soil freezes. However, on Solovki there is no real winter or real summer at all. Nowadays the air is a little colder than in summer, and in summer, in June, snow may fall or frost may occur. As if this is not nature, something like a greenhouse with moderate temperatures all year round. Near the Kremlin walls I saw red shoots crawling out of the soil. With spring, you too should recover and turn pink, like shoots and buds, so that in summer you can become completely strong and healthy. Probably our kindergarten will already be in bloom by the time we receive this letter. Write, will the forest plants I planted - lilies of the valley, lilies of the valley, orchids, ferns - germinate? Didn't the primroses die in the ground in winter? When you go for a walk, try to bring at least a few plants with roots from the forest each time to plant them at home. I would like to plant a good thicket of ferns and horsetails. Here in the summer, in the forest, and mainly in the valleys, there are wonderful horsetails and ferns. The horsetails are tall, strong and cover everything, as if green gas is spreading along the ground, and the ferns are light, bright, I sometimes feel sorry for walking among them, I think about how not to crush or break them. For me, bow to your grandmother and Anastasia Fedorovna, 136 and when you see Sofya Ivanovna too. 137 Try to observe how plants come out of the ground, and how they grow, and how they are built. For observations, it is best to make sketches: look at it with a magnifying glass and draw what you see in large size. Probably starting next year you will have to study natural science at school, so you will prepare yourself. Find out the names of plants, the family to which this or that plant belongs, the characteristics of the plant, where it is used, in general, everything that you will hear. It would also be good to remember various legends and stories about each plant - your mother can tell you this. I kiss my dear daughter deeply and kiss her again. Be healthy and cheerful and don't forget your dad. July 20–21, 1936, former Tannery 1936.VII.20–21. Solovki. No. 68. Dear Annulya, I haven’t received letters from you for a long time, and only the other day Olino arrived with the news that worried me about the little one’s illness. 138 Report his condition as soon as possible. From a distance, given the distance and slowness of communication, everything seems alarming and difficult. I live at an accelerated pace, more and more things are accumulating and, of course, they are all in a hurry, so you don’t know which one to grab onto. It’s the way I’m structured that I can’t help but move forward and, therefore, not create new questions. And the old ones, meanwhile, also remain and drag on with a long tail. Now, here again, new work has wedged itself into the old business. On the 18th at night he returned from a 5-day expedition to one of the White Sea archipelagos, 139 where he went for the purpose of geological and mineralogical survey. It was possible to find valuable minerals there: good facing stone - pink gneisses, numerous pegmatite veins - feldspathic and quartz, also containing mica, magnetite and tourmaline, good sand, and from the plant world - large reserves of reindeer moss and moss. Currently busy processing observations, writing memos, analyzes, etc., because This is an industrial scale business. The trip left a strong impression. I had to touch indigenous, primordial rocks, wild, deserted nature, climb rocks, sail on a motor boat from island to island, sleep on rocks and on reindeer moss. The landscape is majestic and unforgettable. Mushroom-shaped caps or like loaves of bread emerge from the sea, bare, ironed, with steep, and in some places completely sheer, banks, going at a large slope into the sea. The upper part of these loaves is gray - from lichens and mosses, while the edging is a beautiful pink color, as if illuminated by the farewell ray of the setting sun. But this is the own tone of the gneiss rocks that make up the islands of the archipelago. Up close you see that they, these rocks, are indeed pink, from pale gray-pink to dark pink. The shape of these stone caps inspires involuntary excitement in anyone who has come into contact with geology: typical sheep’s foreheads, begging for perfection in an atlas or a course of lectures, but the sheep’s foreheads are gigantic, from 1 km to 2 km in diameter. The oldest formations in the world (these gneisses should be considered between one and two billion years old) are in contact, directly transforming into young glacial ones - expressed in the ram-shaped form, in the licking of the surface from which the glacier tore off all the later sediments, in the numerous boulders scattered across many of these islands and in a number of other manifestations. And on the rocks new formations begin: lichens grow, white reindeer moss, and here and there shrubs, but of a strange type: juniper, pine, birch, heather, etc. spread here along the very surface of the rock, like low grass, while the herbaceous plants are unusually low. Everyone is afraid to rise above the rock, apparently for fear of the winds. On primordial rocks, ancient as the world, on these rocky surfaces that cannot be touched by a hammer, a pick, or a chisel, rocks on which hammers squash like wax, rocks that are resistant even to the weather and in no way deteriorate even over thousands of years, new formations appear on them: a thin layer of young peat, signs of swamps on flat peaks, puddles of rainwater stagnant in rocky pits, some rudiments of streams, dripping here and there along the plumbs. Picture of the first day of creation! But life is the strongest of all: plants grow on steep slopes, inaccessible and completely bare, begin to peek out from cracks - gnarled, pressed, twisted, hungry, and yet overcoming the scarcity and severity of conditions, rooting on unknown things, feeding on unknown things. There is nothing stronger than life, and it takes its toll and wins its place everywhere and always. It must be said, however, that this deserted and majestic picture is somewhat disrupted by the southern, steep shores of some of the islands. Here, under a vertical line, among piles of boulders and rocky screes of fragments 1, 2, 3 meters in size, on sandy shallows, already hidden from the northern winds, groups of trees have appeared, bright and elegant flowers are blooming. Here the plants have already abandoned their wretchedness, straightened up to their full height, spread out and, inviolable, invisible to humans, enjoy all-day light and relatively warm and soft air. But these southern green borders of some of the islands only emphasize some of the harshness of the landscape. The amazing colors of the setting and barely setting sun give the sea pink, purple, soft blue tones and it seems as if you are not on earth, but in a fairyland or seeing everything in a dream, it is so different from the usual and well-known. Sometimes everything is shrouded in fog. Thunderstorms are thundering. One thunderstorm was so strong in these places that it damaged the radio antenna and interrupted communication with Solovki. Sometimes, almost suddenly, the winds begin to blow. The sea is covered with whitecaps, sailing on a motor boat becomes impossible, it rocks in all directions, like a nutshell on the water. But just as suddenly the wind dies down, the wave stops, and the sun begins to shine with its pearly, ghostly light. Sea hares splash in the sea and are caught almost without difficulty. Quite a lot of birds. On large islands, where forest cover has already developed somewhat, land hares run around. One of the islands, completely bare, completely treeless, covered only with reindeer moss and multi-colored lichens - greenish, gray, brown-black, orange, with steep banks, turned out to be densely populated by birds. When we approached it, the ledges of the coastal cliffs were strewn with birds. Unfrightened, it did not fly away for a long time, and only because of too much noise did all these eiders, loons, guillemots, and ducks reluctantly move away from their places. Then the air was filled (literally!) with birds, like a swarm of mosquitoes. Then they all flew over to the sea, sat down huddled on the water, and the vast surface of the sea became black, as if sprinkled with poppy seeds. There are countless nests in the crevices between the rocks and in the scree. The bird catchers who were with us collected several bags of chicks of different ages, it seems, to be sent somewhere, perhaps. to Moscow, as rare species of northern birds. I was very sorry that the serene peace of the bird market was being disturbed, but the hunters came on a special mission, and there was no need to protest. VII.23. Upon arrival, the usual consequences in such cases began: reports, drawing maps, writing notes, reports, calculating the expected Booty; compiled a collection to be sent to the Office, of course, in a box made of polished wood. In other words, haste, bustle and running around. The first stage of these troubles got away with it. Now we have entered the stage of more detailed analysis, drawing, etc. for a detailed report. I am helped, by the way, by a student of the Geological Prospecting Institute, with whom we traveled to the archipelago and with whom we remember the trip to Timan and various incidents that happened there. This student is from Alexandropol, now Leninakan. The algae runs its course, i.e. and testing, and small-scale production, and preparation for the construction of an agar shop and, then, a complex plant. I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya. Is it very troublesome for you? Try to distribute household chores evenly among everyone. I kiss you again. I kiss Vasyushka and the little one, I bow to Natasha. July 28–29, 1936, former Tannery 1936.VII.28–29. Solovki. No. 70. Dear Mom, yesterday I received your letter dated July 15, in which you inform me that mine dated May 24 has arrived. You see how slow it is to get news from here. Therefore, do not think that I write carelessly, and by the numbers of my letters you can judge whether everything reaches you. – As I already wrote, it’s very comforting for me to think that you live with all of our people, I’m only afraid whether you’re calm enough. One of my acquaintances told me that you are vigorous and young; It would be good, if only this is not a superficial impression. You half-ask why I return to childhood impressions. First of all, because the inner world crystallizes around them and is significantly determined by them. And then, I think, the past should not be alien to you, even though you try to forget about it. I don't understand this. If life has meaning and value at all, then forgetting the past is ingratitude and foolishness, for everything becomes the past, and then all life in total must turn out to be pure zero. The memory of the past is both a duty and the content of life, and one cannot value the present and use it if it is not rooted in the past. And finally, life, closing in on old age, becomes distorted towards childhood; such is the law, such is the form of integral life. If you don’t have this yet, then this oblivion only testifies to your youth: you have not yet lived to be intimate with something long past. The human personality can be figuratively represented as a mountain composed of various formations: all these formations are preserved in the personality, although only the one on which one stands at a given age clearly appears in the consciousness, the rest are in the subconscious. We live by climbing the mountain of life, then reaching the top of life, and finally descending. But as we ascend, we go through the layers of our personality in one order, and as we descend, we go through the same layers, but in the opposite order. Each stage of growth corresponds to a stage of aging, and then the same interests, the same thoughts, the same mood return, although all this is in a different tone. VIII. 4–5. Congratulations to you, dear mother, on the last holiday of July 24 (11). 141 I live so detached from time that I never know, without proper information, what the date is on a given day, only... (I had to cut off the letter, I don’t remember what I wanted to write). VIII. 6–7. One friend asks me why I don’t write anything about Solovetsky sounds - only about colors and shapes. Because everything here is silent, like in a dream. This is the kingdom of silence. Of course, not literally, there is more than enough annoying noise, and you want to hide somewhere in silence. But you don’t hear the inner sound of nature, you don’t perceive the inner words of people. Everything slides, as in a shadow theater, and sounds are added from the outside, an annoying appendage or noise. It is very difficult to explain why nothing sounds, why there is no music of things and life, I myself will not truly understand, but still there is no music. Only the sea surf (one hears it very rarely) and the howling of the wind do not quite fit into this description of Solovki. Well, external reasons also strengthen this impression: tram bells are not heard, car horns are not honked, carriages are not knocking, trains are not heard - occasionally only a steamship whistle is heard, no songs or laughter burst out of nowhere. The radio broadcast bursts with an alien beginning, which does not enliven, but only tickles the nerves. That’s why it seems to me that the absence of a description of sounds in itself describes Solovki, and much more accurately than if one started talking about sounds. I kiss you, dear mommy, take care of yourself, enjoy the summer, be healthy. August 13, 1936, former Tannery Dear mother, I can imagine how hot it is here, even if here, in the Arctic Circle, it is hot and stuffy. It’s good that you’re not in Moscow and can sit outside. I often rejoice at your stay in Zagorsk, although I am not sure that you are calm enough there. But the heat is probably good for you, because you have recovered from Tiflis. The heat is hot, and summer is clearly ending. The gulls have already grown up, the gulls are flying restlessly over the Kremlin and over the Holy Lake, screaming, apparently preparing to fly away. But autumn can be felt everywhere. The weather became unstable. The first half of the day is steamy, stuffy, hot, in the second half the wind rises and it becomes cold, or vice versa. It's been stormy all night and in the morning and it's quite cold, it's almost autumn. Probably children don’t go to the forest, they don’t have anyone with them, it’s a shame. I’m not talking about you, of course you don’t show yourself outside the fence, but compared to Moscow, the slope of Pionerskaya is nature. 142 I recently came across a volume by Dostoevsky, in which at least a third of the pages have been torn out in various places. About this volume I thought again: how history brings out the worst and the best, champions the dregs and highlights the classics. What seems to contemporaries to be almost equal in proportion, in the process of historical upholding reveals a deep qualitative difference. At first everything seems gray, and then one thing becomes black and the other white. It is a comforting thought that there is a higher court - history. So, in particular, Dostoevsky: well done. You can disagree with the moods and thoughts of the author, object to the subject of his attention, etc., but from any page you can see what was done well: constructed, compositionally, does not present a pile of raw impressions, purposefully. Dostoevsky's style is also suited to his fundamental flaw: complete inattention to nature. You see only the walls, you can’t even feel the Neva. But how a person can live in such a natureless emptiness - I don’t understand, just as city life is generally incomprehensible, outside the landscape, without rocks, water, greenery, soil. Naturally, in such artificial conditions, an illusionistic worldview and a brokenness of all human feelings arises. Someday later, people will think with horror about cities and urban life, as a voluntary prison, with the consequences that arise from this - fictitious tasks of life, pettiness of interests, artificially created passions, clogging the soul with difficulties that dissipate upon contact with nature, artificially maintained by a stuffy atmosphere. I’m blown away that my life was spent almost outside the city and I would like my children to be even further away from it. I kiss you deeply, dear mother. Be healthy, take care of yourself, bow to Lucy. August 18–19, 1936, formerly Tannery 1936.VIII.18–19. No. 72. Solovki. Dear Annulya, yesterday I finally received your letters, dated August 5 and 3 (7), but not to my delight. Lately I have been walking around dazed and depressed, the feeling of something heavy was depressing. And your letters explained the reason for this condition. I love him very much and from afar I feel the little one, as I used to feel Vasyushka and other children. His illness hurt me. True, I explained your long silence precisely by his illness, but still, when I learned from you, I find no place for myself. I can only hope for a miracle, because... It is impossible to endure such a disease at such an age. 143 It is painful to realize that I did not see the little one, that I am not with you at such a moment. It's like your illness when Mick was born. And you have to remain in languid uncertainty, receiving letters, well, if after 10 days. You are writing about a date. I didn’t ask for one and I’m far from sure that they will give it. But even if they did, I don’t want it: this year, so-called personal visits are not allowed, and whoever is given a date, then only a general one, i.e. for 2 hours several times, in the presence of strangers, under conditions that would make dating a torture for both you and me. It's better not to see each other than like this. And finally, you can’t leave your home now—your children, your grandmothers, Vasyushka. Being with them, you are with me, and you seem to forget about it. Regarding Olya’s arrangement, what can I tell you other than repeating your own words: after all, I don’t know the conditions and possibilities, and my desires are too small a matter, because... they are powerless. In any case, I don’t object to foreign language courses, because... knowing languages ​​is absolutely necessary, no matter what Olya ends up doing later. The only question is whether it will be too difficult for her to travel to Moscow three times in 6 days. However, it is too difficult to judge this from here, because I don’t know how well the electric railway has improved and whether the carriages are very crowded. You see, even if we could communicate verbally, I would not know how to answer your questions. I keep thinking, or, more precisely, suffering about the little one, he is in front of my eyes, and the work is falling out of my hands. Be sure to tell Vasya and Kira to take materials and thoughts from my data that may be useful to them in their work; I’m just afraid they won’t be able to figure out what’s needed for what, because... my notes were made in relation to the topics that I kept in my head (there was no time to write them down either), and it is difficult for anyone except me to understand the preparatory material. I received your answers about Pavel Nikolaevich, but only now, in the last letters, before you either wrote nothing, or these letters did not reach me. It is very sad that permafrost activities will not be able to be resumed. Everything that I am doing now is important economically, but essentially much less valuable than what I hoped to give when working on permafrost. And besides, I live here, although in particularly favorable conditions, but nevertheless in a too noisy and crowded factory environment, and there is no way to concentrate on in-depth work: even at night there is no silence at night, factory life goes on continuously and you are not completely left with yourself even at 4 o’clock in the morning, as, for example, now. A watchman walks behind the partition, and from time to time a fireman also comes. Steam purrs below, the pump is pumped, water flows, people walk and talk. Sometimes a worker from the workshop comes to me for something, or I have to go down there myself. In addition to technical issues, there are also purely economic ones. After all, it is necessary, for the benefit of the same workers, to maintain their productivity at a level of more than 200% of the plan - this gives them and the enterprise various advantages. Petty household chores, along with the inability to be alone, consume both strength and attention. Of course, knowledge, skills, and depth are acquired on a number of issues. But still, these questions are not directly related to my tasks and therefore at my age should be considered as a hindrance or as extravagance. Why, for example, should I study the intricacies of chemical analysis techniques when I have no intention of specializing in analytical chemistry? However, it is so impossible to foresee in advance what will be needed for what, that you have to remain silent and assimilate what is sent. VIII.24. This letter had to be interrupted because... I was leaving for a few days on a business trip. Came back yesterday. I was hoping for a letter from you, but I was deceived. It’s difficult to write in such a state of anxiety, but tomorrow morning is the deadline for August letters and I need to finish the letter somehow. I'll write about my trip. 144 I went to the islands, not to the ones I was going to, but to the closest ones, 10 km from the Kremlin. One of them is Yodprom’s business trip to collect discarded algae and dredge algae from the sea. Some algae are burned there and others are dried for complex processing. Wandered around the islands, making geological and algological observations (algology is a branch of botany that deals with algae: algae - algae). I went out on a canoe with dredgers. Moved to a neighboring island. I drove around him. In a word, he lived as boys dream - like Robinson. 145 I went there in a Kawasaki. This is the name of a small flat-bottomed and very stable vessel, a boat, first produced by the Japanese company Kawasaki and then adopted by others. Simply, it is a small flat-bottomed steamer. I rode back on a longboat, partly under a sail made of torn rags, partly under oars. A fragile shell floating on the sea surface, sitting deep in the water, ready to choke at any moment. But sailing is interesting. Everything seems that the longboat is motionless, and only when you lower your hand into the water do you notice its movement, and fast at that, in the streams flowing around your fingers. 10–12 kilometers were covered in 2 hours, including departure and time for disembarkation, checking documents and other delays. This journey made me remember Odysseus, although his ship was larger than ours. “I kiss you deeply, dear Anna-la, and I’m waiting for your letter.” XI.3. Now the number of letters has been reduced; it was not possible to send them in a timely manner. I'm healthy, everything is fine. Traveling around the island. November 22, 1936, ex. Tannery 1936.XI.22. Solovki. No. 81. Dear Annulya. The real Solovetsky autumn has arrived. It will freeze, then melt again. Dirt. Sometimes cold north wind. Suddenly it clears up, and the sky is colored in the most delicate, wonderful tones. Now the time is approaching when “one dawn is in a hurry to give way to another,” 146 just like in the summer, but from the other end. Today at about 9 am I was walking along the road to the Kremlin. The sky was my favorite greenish tone, breaking through the networks of pink clouds, pink-gray, lilac. It's especially sad on days like this. You are remembered. But it seems that the only thing I can do is draw you algae, which I especially liked. In this letter I am sending one, in several types, that is, at different magnifications - a calcareous algae from the coralline family. Unfortunately, I cannot determine its botanical species due to the lack of a determinant. The other day I received a letter from my mother. I answered her, and then I wrote to Kira and Mika. I often remember how I met you in Skovorodino and took you to your apartment, how I helped you wash up from the road. 147 Since then, it’s already the third winter, and I still don’t see you. XI.23–24. But as long as you feel cheerful, healthy and prosperous. But the fact of the matter is that I have no confidence in either one, or the other, or the third. In particular, Kirill is worried - you wrote that he is sad, no one knows why. Your letter also said that he is not working hard enough. Is this true? M.b. He just gets tired during the week and therefore tries to rest on his day off. Regarding Mick, I am sure in my heart that his shirking from serious activities is temporary and that then he will change dramatically. M.b. and it’s better that he gets more air and doesn’t get overtired, since he’s still too nervous and weak. But, nevertheless, I would like Mick to gain more concrete impressions - from nature, art, language. It is very important to begin, subsequently, serious studies, with a baggage of perceptions, and not to build in emptiness and abstractly. Then, if there is this stock of concrete images, colors, smells, sounds, tastes, landscapes, plants, etc., then this stock can easily take shape and provide solid ground for abstract constructions. If it is not there, if the concept is not accompanied by an image, if the distraction is only abstract, then it is devoid of any value and is more harmful than useful for the development of the mind: it becomes a deadening dogma, depresses the spirit, deprives it of freedom and creativity. This will be a system in the bad sense of the word. Systemglaube ist Aberglaube,” said Novalis, “System-belief is Superstition.” 148 People of modern times, starting from the Renaissance, have become more and more infected with System Belief, the replacement of the sense of reality with abstract formulas, which no longer serve the function of being symbols of reality, but themselves become a surrogate for reality. Thus, humanity plunged into illusionism, into a loss of connection with the world and into emptiness, and hence the necessary consequence - boredom, despondency, corrosive skepticism, and lack of common sense. A scheme, as a scheme, in itself, uncontrolled by the living perception of the world, is not subject to serious verification: any scheme can be good - in the sense of being successfully constructed in itself. But a worldview is not a chess game, not constructing schemes in vain, without support in experience and without a sense of purpose for life. No matter how ingeniously constructed it is in itself, without this foundation and without this goal it is devoid of value. That is why I consider it absolutely necessary to accumulate a concrete worldview at a young age and only formalize it at a more mature age. Of course, I would like to help Mick delve deeper into what he sees with his own eyes, but this is not the main thing, I hope that he will get out on his own in due time. I kiss you deeply, my dear. It’s very uncomfortable now - the wind is blowing, whistling, howling, cold gusts are sweeping through the room. 149 The more strongly I remember you. December 10–11, 1936, ex. Tannery 1936.ХII.10–11. Solovki. No. 83. Dear Annulya, on December 8th I received yours dated November 20–23, No. 32, as well as letters from Vasya, Natasha and Kirill. Today, the 10th, I went on one of my business trips, to the south-eastern part of the island, 150, and when I returned, I’m taking advantage of tomorrow’s day off to write to you. First, I'll tell you about the trip. Our crew was extraordinary: a sled platform on which 3 people could comfortably sit in width and could have taken a fourth, and 1 1/2 times as long in length. The platform is on a trailer attached to a Fordson tractor. Plumes of black and yellow smoke rush from under the tractor, at times a flame flares up under the tractor, a shot is heard and soot spreads. The snow has just fallen, in a thin veil, so that there are strong shocks on the boulders (countable here), in the ruts of the sandy roads and on the roots. The speed is decent, despite the obstacles. We drive along a forest road, in some places along the seashore. You have to be vigilant and bend down so as not to hit the branch protruding onto the narrow road. The platform rushes between the trunks and, touching a medium-sized tree (like the spruce trees in our garden), overturns and breaks it. Daylight hours are now short: it is either sunrise or sunset. But the colors of the sky and clouds are completely unusual. The sky was emerald, the clouds were gray-gray, pink-violet, indigo - all in a noble and restrained palette, without loudness or brightness, but pure in tone. Together with the brown whitish-greenish, and at times almost black-indigo, sea, brown banks of algae, a snow veil and an orange sun, throwing sheaves of rays, as if blazing with long ejected flames, and the ferocious north on the shore, cold, almost capsizing, everything formed into a beautiful and joyless picture. As if humanity and comfort do not yet exist or no longer exist. In addition, the cape on which the business trip is located, jutting out into the sea like a glacial ridge, rocky at the highest points (40 m) and swampy in the lowlands, is almost treeless - only crooked, clumsy, with strongly inclined or even horizontal trunks of Kuzmichev birch trees and branches of crowberry (Empetrum nigrum L.) sticking out from the snow cover can be seen. Knocked off my feet by the wind, I collected various algae from the emissions into a canvas bag, which I carry with me during excursions, got cold and went to the algae-burning furnace. This is a huge oven, like a stove, on which piles of damp, slightly wilted seaweed are placed. Here the lower layers burn and become ashed, and the upper ones manage to dry out during this time due to the heat of combustion of the lower ones and the heat of the furnace. The stove is enclosed in a light building, like a barracks. Clouds of white smoke and steam come from the algae, spreading a strong, but not unpleasant or pungent, smell, very unique, like a mixture of the smell of a burning galosh, burnt scrambled eggs and rich Easter cakes. The stove is hot, you can’t get close to it when the door is open. I dried the gloves, asked the workers about the burnout and about the work in general, and observed the flames. A strange phenomenon: while pine firewood produces the usual golden-yellow and golden-orange flame, the heat produces a clearly green flame, a beautiful golden-green color that goes well with the orange of the heat itself. At first I thought that this color was due to the ash of algae, but they convinced me that the ash does not get into the heat and that the same color of the flame is obtained from the heat in the barracks, where there are no algae at all. A similar color could be caused by the presence of Cu, B, Tl, Ba, but there is no reason to suspect any significant content of these elements in the firewood. The assumption remains that they are contained in local clay, from which bricks for the furnace hearth are made; if so, then the content of the element that gives the flame a green color must be significant, since it was heated for many months, if not several years, continuously, and the vapors under discussion could only be released from the surface layers of the brick. Unfortunately, without a spectroscope it is very difficult to decide which element we are dealing with here. – I now answer your questions and thoughts. You write: “How strange and perhaps difficult it is to watch how our feelings are experienced by others, but to be on the sidelines.” The idea is correct if we talk about “others”. But for the higher human consciousness of “others”, i.e. there is simply no one standing outside of me, opposing me, for I expands to all being and finds itself in everything. This is for higher consciousness. And for our average, children are not “others”, but the same I. In this sense, I don’t understand you. Isn’t Vasyushka a part of us, a continuation and expansion of us? I’m not talking about what should be loved, but about what simply is. Even if I wanted to, I cannot perceive children from the outside. That’s why, when they say “how many children?” or “how many children?”, I don’t know what to answer: after all, many and how many refer to something homogeneous, to units that stand outside each other and outside the one who is counting. And I perceive my children so much from the inside, each as qualitatively different from the other, that I cannot count and cannot say whether there are many or few of them. How many and many arise where units are replaceable (this is their homogeneity). And each of the children is irreplaceable and unique, and therefore there are neither many nor few of them, they are innumerable. – You’re asking about a photographic device. Of course, sell everything you don’t need, why hoard things that are not associated with any special memories and are not used. I think you can sell (if only someone buys) my box device (in black leather). The apparatus for developing in air should also be sold off, but keep in mind that there is a good lens there, perhaps. you should save it. – I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya. Be healthy and cheerful. Ask Mick if it is true that when cooking food, water that has been boiled and then cooled is more difficult to boil when reheated than fresh water. If true, what explains this phenomenon? December 18–19, 1936, formerly Tannery 1936.XII.18–19. No. 84. Solovki. Dear Annulya, I just returned from the parcel office, where I received your parcel. What can I tell you about her? The same as I said before? I would give its contents to the children and myself, how much more joyful it would be for me. Yesterday I was also at the parcel office and sent you my parcel. 151 However, I am afraid that without explanation it will not seem worthy of attention to you. In particular, the algae, superimposed in an ugly mass on top, is very interesting. You can perceive their appearance to a certain extent if you soak the algae or parts of them in water. I couldn’t arrange it more neatly and provide definitions, since there was no space in the box. However, as you send me my drawings, you will find out the name of this or that algae. Eggs - spotted gulls, smooth ones - eiders, eider down from the nest. Place rose quartz on your table in memory of me; This mineral was found on Solovetsky Island, a boulder, large pieces of which were lying with me, and one was on the table in front of me (do you remember Olino’s necklace made of rose quartz?). Mica is from Kuzovy Islands. Crabs and starfish of Solovetsky. Garnets are knocked out of amphibolite boulders; here you can find ones with many red inclusions. Large seaweed - a small specimen of Laminara digitata (they can be over 3m long), hang it on the wall. Iodine, bromine, mint, algin, pectin substances, potassium salts, and algal cellulose are extracted from this algae. A black stick is a “stem”, that is, a leg, the same kelp, but quite large in size, dried out, it was about 3 cm thick. Make at least a handle or something out of it. It is imperative to look at algae and their parts under a microscope, only then will their beauty and interestingness be revealed. Shells and sponges - Solovetsky. White and pink growths and crusts on shells and on some algae are calcareous algae of the Corallinaceae family, subfamily Melobesieae - melobisiaceae. If you want the collection, keep it as it is; if you want, divide it among yourself, just to bring you all a little joy. I’m sending the hat to Vasyushka, and if it doesn’t come in handy, to Kira; however, do as you know. I'm very tired of it - I've been sleeping on it for 3 years, putting it in my makeshift pillow, and it's completely worn out, although I haven't worn it. The seascape is Kuzova, painted by an artist I know based on my sketch; However, he himself was on the Body, but at a different time, greener than me, and that’s why the landscape turned out to be too ordinary, cheerful, earthly, whereas in fact it should be unearthly, majesticly wild, pristine. This impression, unfortunately, is not conveyed in the image. If you share the collection, don’t forget to give something to Natasha and the little one. Yes, also: the feathers are of a seagull, the wing seems to be that of an auk (there are eiders, loons and great auks here - all these are different birds). – Hang the landscape for yourself, remembering that I really liked the image of the place (I wrote to you about them in the summer) – re-read the corresponding letter. I feel very grateful to the management of the department and the censor who allowed me to send you this collection; Of course, the collection is not of scientific interest, but I wanted to materially connect you with the objects of my attention and work, as well as introduce the children to a circle of objects that are new to them. Dear Annulya, from your letters, especially from the last one, I felt extreme fatigue and despondency. I feel your mood coming through between the lines, which scares me. Talking won't help here, but you have to take action. First of all, you are malnourished and sleep deprived; is it really possible to do something to improve these conditions? Try not to spend money on things you can do without, but eat better. Now, I'm afraid Tikin's headaches are not from malnutrition? She and everyone else need to increase the amount of fat, this is a must, no matter what. Same for Mick. M.b., and his irritability is due to insufficient nutrition. As for your moral fatigue, it is of course quite understandable to me. But remember more often that I always think about you, I think more than if I were with you, and I always take care of you internally. Maybe it will be easier for you. Mental fatigue can and should be fought. Be sure to read something good, listen to music, look at paintings and drawings. In general, make your life filled with more worthy objects. You can’t get down and loose, you can’t narrow your horizons to just the little things in life. By the way, after receiving your parcel, I did not receive an explanation for it. For example, it contains a beautiful embroidered towel, but I don’t know who embroidered it. Who sewed the scarves? Olya asked in a letter whether Tika should be graded more leniently or more strictly? Since there is no space left in the letter to Olya, I am writing to you. Of course, we need to encourage Tika as much as possible and instill in her self-confidence. Therefore, we need to help her as much as possible in preparing her lessons, ask her for them many times, not only what has been covered again, but also the old, broken down, by chance, so that the knowledge does not lie in her head like a dead lump. She needs to be given marks more generously in order to create a light and cheerful mood in her, and then things will improve and go on by themselves. You didn’t write to me whether you received poems in No. 80; let me know. I would like to send you more, but there is no room. I kiss you, dear Annulya, take care of yourself and your children and be cheerful, most importantly, try to rest. In this letter I am sending outlines of some characteristic plants of the Subpolar region and a drawing of a calcareous algae with tubes. January 3–4, 1937, ex. Tannery 1937.I.3–4. Solovki. No. 86. Dear Annulya, I wanted to write to you at night, on the first day of the new year, but I was unable to. But I thought especially intensely about you and rejoiced at the thought that you had gathered together at this time. 152 I received your No. 36 dated December 21st, and quickly - on December 30th. I will respond in the order of your letter. You shouldn't like the drawings on wax. After all, these are just copies from a book, and very bad ones at that, because... I don’t have a good pen and, besides, it’s impossible to draw a thin line on the wax. Drawings on paper are from life and, it seems, there are no such drawings at all; In addition, they are accurate, because everything is done according to exact measurements and to scale. I am sending 4 tables on studying the polysiphony algae - Polysiphonia urceolata, forma roseola, the same algae was called Polysiphonia pulvinata by the Gobi. Inconspicuous and small, it has, however, a very remarkable structure (consists of individual siphon tubes, fused together in bundles and enclosed in a common case, the walls of which are covered with red pigment), and most importantly, the great antiquity of its origin: it dates back to Precambrian times, i.e. to the beginning of the origin of life and the formation of the modern earth's crust. 153 In addition, I am sending 2 sketches on the Body with lichens: lichens (black and green - lichens, pink and gray - exposed rock) grow cyclically, in concentric growths, these are obviously their annual rings, when massive sections of the thallus develop in a favorable season. I didn’t have time to sketch, but I observed cases of 7 concentric rings there, although not always complete. I don’t know if such an observation was ever made, but I will say that in other places this cyclicity is given only in a hint and indistinctly, only on the Body I saw, but everywhere there, it is clearly expressed. I don’t know if my drawings are worth anything, but when I do them, I think about you all the time and I do them for you. You ask what alginate is. Brown algae (kelp, fucus and some others) contain in free form and in the form of a calcium salt a special, not found anywhere else, organic acid called alginic, i.e. algae, or simply algin. Salts of this acid are called alginates, with the addition of the name of the metal with which the acid is associated. What chemical algin is has not yet been precisely established, but there is evidence and claims that it is a complication of mannuronic acid. However, this doesn't tell you anything. Algin is insoluble either in water (it swells in it) or in other solvents, but dissolves in a solution of soda or alkalis, chemically transforming into sodium or potassium alginate. When mineral acid is added, alginic acid loses its metal and is released in the form of translucent dumplings - just like a jellyfish. The same thing happens when salts of heavy or alkaline earth (except Mg) metals are introduced into sodium or potassium alginate: insoluble, but swollen, gelatinous alginates are formed. A number of uses of sodium alginate are based on this transformation: it is applied in the form of a solution, and then converted into algin or into insoluble alginate; upon swelling, an elastic, insoluble, transparent film is obtained that does not flare up in the fire. Here, for example, is paper on which ahnfeltia was drawn in the form of a bush or kelp rhizoid - I made it from filter paper by impregnating it with sodium alginate and treating it with acid: the result was a water-insoluble sizing. That's enough for now. You write about little 155 and about my father. It seems to me that, according to some sources, he was always anxious when I was little, and at the end of his life he was in an insurmountable anxiety for my mother and for us, and attempts to calm him caused great irritation. It was a painful state, partly caused by physical illness, but perhaps the latter itself was aggravated by moral anxiety. 156 But let’s not look into the future, unknown to anyone. Let the little one grow up surrounded by love and affection, let him eat culturally and live without knowing care. Our job is to take care and anxiety upon ourselves. And above all, the task of life is not to live without worries, but to live with dignity and not be an empty place and the ballast of your country. If you find yourself in a turbulent period in the historical life of your country and even the whole world, if world problems are being solved, it is of course difficult, it requires effort and suffering, but this is where you need to show yourself as a human being and show your dignity. Well, there were peaceful and calm periods. But did the majority take advantage of these years of calm? Of course not, they were busy with cards, intrigues, idle talk, and did very little worthy of attention. Were you satisfied? No, they languished from boredom, were eager to go somewhere, even committed suicide without permission. Looking back and reviewing my life (and at my age this is especially necessary to do), I do not see in what way I would essentially have to change my life if I had to start it again and under the same conditions. Of course, I know that I have many individual mistakes, mistakes, and hobbies - but they did not deviate me away from the main direction, and I do not blame myself for it. I could give much more than I gave, my strength is not exhausted to this day, but humanity and society are not such that they can take the most valuable from me. I was born at the wrong time, and if we talk about guilt, then this is my fault. M.b. in 150 years my capabilities could be better used. But, given the historical environment of my life, I do not feel remorse for my life in general. Quite the contrary. I repent (although this repentance does not reach the depths) that while I was passionate about my duty, I did not spend enough on myself - by “on myself” I mean you, in whom I feel a part of myself - I did not know how to please and amuse you, I did not give my children everything that I would like to give them. - About Tika. I am sure that her small successes do not come from a lack of abilities, but from confusion, self-doubt and shyness, as well as from insufficient external development. We need to encourage her, help her so that she gets on her feet confidently, talk to her, read to her and force her to read - let her read what she likes, even if it’s not the first grade - as long as she gets used to reading. It is necessary to loosen her knowledge, and to do this, force her to combine it in various and distant comparisons, well, at least through imagination. Let, for example, tell an imaginary journey, solve incidents from different areas. About Mika. He is going through a transitional age, which is always difficult, and especially difficult if he is nervous and gifted. I have no doubt at all that Mick will make you happy that he will straighten out. In the meantime, we must, without letting go of it and treating it with firmness, just wait, wait patiently and with hope. He strives to leave home because... looking for impressions. Try to give him those, let Vasya and Kira teach him to understand the collections, make some observations and experiments, write down, draw, collect material on a subject that more or less interests him, for example, photography. This will be useful to him in the future, and will lead him into the mainstream in the present. Try to establish a habit (at least in separate phrases) of a foreign language in your home, this is the only way to master the language. Let these be, finally, individual words, even if not entirely correct: it is necessary to break down internal resistance and domesticate a language that is perceived not as something used, but only as a school subject. This is the whole problem. Let it be used, even if unskillfully. - Ask the bird to tint for little Nikita 157, for this he needs no more than a quarter of an hour and can be done on the spot. - About you. I wrote not at all about your kitchen and apartment needs (also important, however), but about your need for children, as a source of warmth, love, as about their connection with each other. They all love you very, very much, but according to human custom they treat you carelessly, because they already have it. Where does Elena Vladimirovna come from? 158 There is no need to be annoyed with Natasha; it would be bad if she threw away everything that she received from her mother, whatever she was (I don’t know her and can’t imagine her). But let Natasha see the best, then she will learn. I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya, and kiss you again. December 4, 1937, ex. Tannery XII.4. Dear Mick, it’s good that a pioneer’s house was built in Zagorsk and, moreover, elegantly and entertainingly decorated. But it’s sad that cars, trucks and other sources of air pollution and silence have disappeared. Before my eyes, since 1904, when I first came to the place of our life, quiet, with wonderful surroundings, Posad is gradually degenerating into the noisy Moscow suburb of Zagorsk, 159, and everything sweet for which I held on to Posad is fading into memories. There are no longer the same forests or the old mushrooms. Neither the former lakes (it seems), nor the former unafraid birds and squirrels, nor the former abundance of fish. This change has been especially dramatic since 1914, when troops settled in Posad, drowned out the fish, and scared away the birds. Man is his own enemy, and where he appears, he begins to spoil the conditions of his own existence: litter, pollute, destroy. But unfortunately, this has been the case from time immemorial, and a very high degree of culture is needed to delay this harmfulness of human activity. Look, here: no one wants to close the door behind them, although it will be cold themselves. No one wants to think that by destroying (unnecessarily!) flowers, trees, birds, he himself will lose all these beauties. Nobody cares about cleanliness - they throw papers, cans, glass, rags everywhere - and then it’s sickening to look at it yourself. The same attitude applies to public property and public order. If only now, now, without difficulty, you can snatch what you need and don’t even need, but no one takes into account the consequences. Act in such a way that your behavior can become a rule for everyone. If you consider what would happen if everyone began to act the same as you, you will be convinced that society would begin to collapse and, in general, life would become unbearable for everyone, including you. Therefore, try to behave in such a way that your behavior, repeated by everyone, would give life, if not perfect, then at least tolerable. – I.6 As you can see, dear, this letter was quite delayed: partly due to lack of time, partly because I wanted to send you drawings, but I couldn’t finish everything. I especially remember you this evening, especially since Solovki is now inexpressibly sad and dead. The sea has begun to freeze off the coast, and probably one of these days the last steamer will arrive; winter is real and vigorous has not yet arrived, the temperature fluctuates around zero, sometimes a few degrees lower, sometimes slightly higher; an unpleasant cold wind is blowing, whistling and howling through the poorly sealed windows, sweeping across the room; the rooms are cold; the sun is not visible, the whole sky is gray and unsightly. It’s hard to believe that it’s December now, even January, however, and this is near the Arctic Circle. This winter reminds me of the Black Sea coast, only a few degrees lower than what I have been accustomed to since childhood. However, there winter lasts 1–2 months, and here it lasts until June... The letter was interrupted again: I went to listen to the beginning of a course on vector and transit analysis by a mathematician who had appeared here. I went, but was annoyed. Lecturer 160 reads briskly, like a first student who has learned the lesson by heart. But when you listen to his rapid run through of concepts, the thought arises: what an unnecessary science is mathematics, some kind of sheer arbitrariness, devoid of both motivation and purposefulness. I have struggled with this direction all my life. Mathematics is the most important of the sciences that form the mind, deepening, clarifying, promising, tying the entire worldview into one knot; it educates and develops, it gives a philosophical approach to nature. But here they present it as a useless, dead discipline and scare students away from it. And only students? I suspect that students, although they master the letters of mathematics, do not understand the meaning of this letter - and do not suspect it. I kiss you deeply, dear Mick. Don't forget dad. January 8–9, 1937, ex. Tannery 1937.I.8–9. No. 87. Solovki. Dear Kirill, today we have a day off (ours do not coincide with yours, because we have a 7-day cycle), I decided to sleep off many sleepless nights. But it was a strange dream, perhaps because the sky was clear and there was no wind, perhaps during the day; I fell asleep several times and each time I saw my dear and beloved, however, with anxiety. I saw my mother with the little ones, and the images of my brothers and sisters when they were little merged with yours at the same age. I saw my mother not in her present form, but in the old one, in Batumi, when she was still young. She was considered very beautiful. I remember there was an engineer Orlov in Batum; his wife was considered very beautiful. On the boulevard, where we were taken for a walk, a dispute constantly arose between the nannies about “which lady is more beautiful” - Florenskaya or Orlova. It seems that the primacy remained with my mother, but she had a drawback, she did not like elegance and dressed very modestly, in the spirit of the 70s, and M-te Orlova spent money on toilets and wore everything unusual. One of her attractions (to me) was her hat - completely covered in stuffed hummingbirds. The very word hummingbird brought me into cold delight as a child and evoked sacred awe. After all, it was associated with the idea of ​​​​tropical countries that I raved about, about sea voyages, about the smell of unusual plants. And so, on the head there are solid hummingbirds. However, I really didn’t like Mme Orlova herself for something, I can’t understand why exactly, and I didn’t forgive her for this dislike even for the sake of the hummingbird. “I wanted a hummingbird in our house so much that I pestered my parents to have a hat with at least one hummingbird in the house.” Mom did not agree to this in any way, due to her rigorism and modesty. Aunt Yulia, who spoiled me, decided to give in. We went with her to buy a stuffed animal. It was evening, autumn. They chose, they chose, they finally chose. The seller wrapped the stuffed animal very tenderly in paper and warned him to carry it carefully so as not to crush the bird. Of course, I wanted to carry it myself, the only one interested in it. He carried it by the tip of the bag with two fingers. When we arrive home, it turns out that the package underneath has unraveled and the bird has fallen. So she was never found. I cried a lot, but there was nothing to do, and we didn’t have money for a second bird. “Then I saw my father in a dream today. He was sad and lonely. He said that he lived completely alone, that everyone had moved away from him and forgot about him, that it was difficult for him to cope alone. And somehow, I can’t remember exactly how, these reproaches are directed not so much at us, the children, but at you, the grandchildren. M.b. here, in a dream, my secret thought and sadness flared up that you were growing up without remembering your grandfather, and how he would love you and how happy he would be with you. It’s very bad, both for him and for yourself. Both grandmothers do not like to talk about our fathers, because it saddens them to remember the past. Your mother doesn’t speak because she didn’t know them herself and she probably has nothing to say. But the point of your activity is to restore specific touches from everyone little by little in order to make your grandfathers close to you and vividly imagine them and remember them more often. This is both your duty and your calculation, because living with the emptiness of the past is boring and uncultured. I didn’t know my mother’s father, Mikhail Fedorovich, but I think he is very pleasant and good-natured. 161 When they buried Uncle Misha, 162 they dug a grave for him so close to his father’s that the side of the coffin was exposed. I went down to the grave, kissed the coffin and took a sliver from it as a souvenir. But you must collect for yourself, while you can, as best you can, more stories about him and about the past from my grandmother, and from my mother - about my father. Also ask Aunt Lucy, Lilya, if she comes, and everyone. Baba Sonya could tell a lot, but it seems she is not in Moscow. 1937. Ι .11–12. Apparently, my thoughts are only with you. Today I saw you again in a dream, unusually vividly, and again as small children, and again your images merged with the images of my brothers and sisters when they were small. I feel that nothing in itself interests me anymore, and that it is only by somehow relating it to you that my thoughts move. I study algae with some passion; however, it only warms up the opportunity to share with you – at least with the help of a drawing. I read, or, more precisely, re-read Walter Scott’s Antiquary, which I read in early childhood. Naive, somewhat provincial, no characters, pictures of nature and everyday details are mechanically inserted; and yet it’s good - the scope of life, richness, action. This naivety remains in the mind and heart much stronger than the latest literature with all its tricks and desire to amaze and stun. However, “Antique” made me depressed and indifferent to my surroundings, and only you all became even more alive. But this oppression is somehow still interesting. But I got a fit of disgust from reading Evgeniev-Maksimov’s book “A Contemporary in the 40s and 50s” 163 . Squabbles, dirt, deceit, insincerity, penny calculations. And in addition, I learn about Nekrasov’s articles (a laudatory one at that, that’s the horror!) “On Russian minor poets,” namely, in one row: about Tyutchev, Venevitinov, Fet and Botkin (published in Sovremennik in 1849). 164 I also learned from there that Pushkin allegedly puts Balzac in connection with Janin and Sue, but I can’t believe it, could Pushkin really say such bad taste. This is how you live, getting hit first from one side, then from the other. I kiss you deeply, dear. Let me know about your work and if I can help you with anything. – I am sending you 5 cards for studying algae (there are 7 pictures on them). 1937.I.15. January 16–17, 1937, formerly Tannery 1937.I.16–17. No. 88 Dear Annulya, I take this opportunity to drop you a few words. Lately I have often seen you and my mother in my dreams; probably (I hope!) this indicates that I think about you more and more constantly than I am aware of, and my thoughts manifest themselves in dreams. But they are so alive and real that after waking up, I remain under their impression. Hence the duality of mood. Personal life is depressing, but the thought of the greatness of historical events taking place in the world is uplifting. Our descendants will envy us why they did not get to witness the rapid (on a historical scale) transformation of the picture of the world. We have found ourselves in the rapids of history, at a turning point in the course of historical events. In every branch of life there is a restructuring at the very roots, but we are too close to this grandiose picture to embrace and understand it as a whole. Decades will pass, and only then will its general significance become perceptible in its true significance. – I often think about little things. I’m sorry that I don’t see his growth, but I’m happy for you - little one next to you. He is not aware of this, but impressions cut into him and, unconsciously for him, will later make themselves felt. I live more or less as before, i.e. in work and in running from the top floor to the bottom and back. I feel that you are having a hard time financially. At your request, I have accumulated a trifling sum; if possible, I will send it to you, but not right away. This can be done, it will be necessary to go through the appropriate permits and registrations. I kiss you deeply, dear, children, little one; bow to grandma. I'm waiting for a letter; I haven't received one for a long time. January 17–18, 1937, formerly Tannery 1937.I.17–18. No. 88. Solovki. Dear mom, sometimes I haven’t remembered you as often and persistently as in recent times. And there seem to be no external reasons for this. I often see you in my dreams. Moreover, the same as I remember from childhood. At the same time, I usually see you with children, whose images merge with the images of my brothers and sisters, but when they were still small. I don't know if you received my letters. Just in case, keep in mind that every month, in the second half of it, I definitely write to you. They haven't heard from you from home for a long time. Apparently, Anna is very tired and busy, so she can’t come to you, check on you and let me know. The boys who, I hope, visit you, rarely write to me. We have now established airmail (this year, due to the late end of navigation, the interruption in communication was short) and I will count on faster correspondence than before. I live more or less as before, i.e. in work and in memories, but mostly long-ago years are remembered, while closer ones are pushed out of memory, with the exception of individual pictures and moments, if not always joyful, then nevertheless always close to the heart. I have to read a little - both because of the difficulty of getting books that are attractive enough and because of the lack of time both for getting them and for reading - although the latter takes me more time than the first. Of course, most often you have to re-read what you have already read, and moreover, a very, very long time ago. And, although I already know this phenomenon, every time I encounter it as surprising. In the books I read in early childhood and very young years, I do not find anything that would force me to change my attitude towards them and my assessment of them. Children's impressions and children's judgments are confirmed every time. Obviously, this phenomenon must be interpreted either as stupidity, unable to refine further over the course of 50 years, or as the infallibility of impressions, remaining unchanged simply because they were correct from the very beginning. Having no criterion for choosing one of these explanations, I certainly prefer the latter. – I see and read newspapers occasionally and by chance. I am consoled by the abundance of articles about Pushkin (the very fact of abundance); 165 the consequence of this propaganda of Pushkin will be to attract attention to him and get to know him, ennobling and sobering. After all, when I meet many young people, I am constantly convinced with bitterness of their complete ignorance of literature, both Russian and foreign, and this also applies to people who consider themselves educated. But it made me so happy once (this was a year ago and had nothing to do with Pushkin’s anniversary) when I was in the workshop, in the carpentry shop, and saw on the wall a sheet of paper with a clean copy of autumn (from Eugene Onegin), 166 the sheet was hung up for the sake of decorating the workshop by one of the carpenters. In general, I have thought more than once that the modern celebration of the anniversaries of great people, done widely and noisily, should have a very beneficial cultural effect, forcing people to recognize and at least get a little acquainted with names that most probably did not even suspect before (Firdousi, Shota Rustaveli, etc.). Of course, such names should be known to everyone even without an anniversary. But the anniversary provides a successful pretext or reason to strike a cultural blow at a given place in world history, and probably such a blow does not remain without a trace. As you can see, dear mother, I firmly adhere to my conviction that there is no culture where there is no memory of the past, gratitude to the past and accumulation of values, that is, on the thought of humanity as a single whole not only in space, but also in time. A living culture combines opposing and at the same time mutually supporting aspirations: to preserve the old and create the new, a connection with humanity and greater flexibility in one’s own approach to life. And only if these two aspirations are present can there be an understanding of the new and goodwill towards everything that deserves goodwill, against the backdrop of world culture, and not from the point of view of a random, provincial and limited understanding. I'm sitting above the seaweed. For me, the immediate production and technological tasks appear against the general background of the problems of natural science and are associated with the general picture of the world. Generalizing thoughts wander around, but I don’t record them and hope that over time they will find their own formulation. However, taking into account the shortness of its time, and therefore the possibility that this process of formulation and generalization will not be completed and will not have time to be expressed. But what can I do, I don’t value thoughts just because they are thoughts and new; it must be TRUE, and truth is not given by schematic constructions, no matter how convincing they may seem to others, not by fashion and noise, but by deep understanding of the world, persistent testing and organic growth. Each thought has its own time of development and maturation, and it is impossible to artificially speed up this process for external reasons, that is, it is impossible in the sense that it should not, and not impossible. That’s why I bury myself in specific work for specific reasons, thinking in my heart that if a thought really grows, then its growth comes by itself. Along with my work, I devote myself to feelings for you and thoughts about you. I kiss you deeply, dear mother. Let us know about yourself. I kiss Lyusya and Shura. If you write to Lila and Andrey, then kiss them for me. February 13, 1937, ex. Tannery 1937.II.13. No. 91. Solovki. Dear Annulya, again I don’t receive a letter from you, but I did receive one from my mother. Of course, I worry, but pointlessly, because... My anxiety is of little use to you. Still, it’s difficult to maintain an unperturbed state of mind when you don’t know for a long time how you’re living. Now we have windless and even sunny days. But until the 10th or 11th, you can’t even imagine the strength of the wind. A passing one makes you run, but a side one knocks you off the road, knocks you off your feet and carries you to the side. It was even interesting to remember in this regard that on Wrangel Island in winter you cannot move from room to room without grabbing the rope stretched between them - otherwise the wind breaks it and carries it away, so that the one who is carried away cannot return back, and he dies from frost and hunger. We didn’t get to this point, but there is no doubt that it would have been impossible to stay on the icy surface. 167 – In this letter I am sending 6 drawings – three Orphyra laciniata, one Monostrom blitti and two Polijides rotundus; I didn’t have time to take a macroscopic image of the last algae, I’ll try to send it next time. – A newspaper filled with Pushkin was received. You can feel satisfaction when you see at least the very fact of attention to Pushkin. What is important for a country is not what is said about it, but what is said at all; further Pushkin will speak for himself and say everything necessary. But with this satisfaction is associated bitterness, irrational bitterness about the fate of Pushkin himself. I can't get rid of her. But I call it unreasonable, because in Pushkin only the world law of stoning prophets and building tombs for them is manifested when the prophets have already been beaten. Pushkin is not the first and not the last: the destiny of greatness is suffering, suffering from the external world and internal suffering, from oneself. So it was, so it is and so it will be. Why this is so is quite clear; this is a lag in phase: of society from greatness and of oneself from one’s own greatness, unequal, inappropriate growth, and greatness is a difference from the average characteristics of society and one’s own organization, since it belongs to society. But we are not satisfied with answering the question “why?” and we want an answer to the question “why?”, “for what?”. It is clear that the light is designed in such a way that one can give to the world only by paying for it with suffering and persecution. The more selfless the gift, the harsher the persecution and the more severe the suffering. This is the law of life, its main axiom. You are internally aware of its immutability and universality, but when confronted with reality, in each particular case, you are struck as by something unexpected and new. And at the same time, you know that you are wrong in your desire to reject this law and put in its place the serene aspiration of a person who brings a gift to humanity, a gift that cannot be paid for either with monuments, or with laudatory speeches after death, or with honors or money during life. For your gift to greatness, on the contrary, you have to pay with your blood. Society is making every effort to prevent these gifts from being brought. And not a single great person could ever give everything he was capable of - everything, everything around him successfully prevented him from doing this. And if they fail to prevent it through violence and persecution, then they sneak in with flattery and handouts, trying to corrupt and seduce. Which of the Russian poets, any significant, was successful? Except maybe Zhukovsky, and even then intrigues are now opening up against him, including accusations of leading the Russian revolution. Philosophers are in the same position (by philosophers I mean not those who talk about philosophers, but who themselves think philosophically), i.e. persecuted, surrounded by interference, gagged. The fate of scientists is somewhat more cheerful, but only so far they are mediocre. Lomonosov, Mendeleev, Lobachevsky, not to mention the many innovators of thought whom society did not allow to develop (Yablochkov, Kulibin, Petrov, etc.) - not one of them walked a smooth road, with support, not with hindrances, they were all hindered and, as much as they could, delayed their movement. It was always the mediocrities who flourished, the thieves of the alien, the seekers of the great - they flourished because they remade and counterfeited the great to suit the tastes and selfish calculations of society. – Recently I envied Edison. How he used his time and energy - thanks to the presence of all material things and, most importantly, independence. But with us, time is wasted, dissipated in trifles, despite the enormous expenditure of effort - because you cannot arrange anything as you see fit. I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya, I kiss you again. February 20, 1937, ex. Tannery 1937.II.20. Solovki. No. 92. Dear Mom, I received your letter dated January 22 on February 10. I live in the atmosphere of planned changes in the fate of our plant, and therefore work. This situation is of course not very conducive to performance. But I try to stick to my line, that is, no matter what, achieve something useful every day and, if possible, not waste time. 168 Due to the unprofitability of production from algal ash that has become clear throughout the Union, we are switching entirely to agar. It is necessary to improve the quality of our products, which suffered from equipment defects, and to greatly increase the quantity of our products. We are now intensively working on both, and I hope that the final result will be positive. In parallel with these purely practical issues, I am studying algae from the biological and biochemical side. This area has been little explored, despite its significant importance for general natural science and practice. I don’t know whether it’s because of the solitude of our position or something else, but all the time I see unusually vivid dreams, so that when I wake up, I can’t be sure of their ghostly nature for a long time. In these dreams, fragments of the past are intertwined with the present and, it is true, fantastic constructions, but very vivid ones. The impressions here are monotonous, but extremely varied, so you come across people from very different parts of the Union, and with many there are some points of contact in the form of memories of localities, foods, customs, words of one language or another. You listen to many stories, each of which would be suitable for a novel rich in plot, where the touching is intertwined with the terrible, the deep with the funny or amusing. For a novelist, there is no better material, but I am not a novelist and therefore these stories are of no use to me. Therefore, you will listen to the story, and the next day you will forget it, especially since my memory, like everyone else here, is very weakened and what is happening evaporates from it without a trace. But the distant past comes to life in memory much more vividly than before. You asked if newspapers are available here. They turn out, and usually very quickly, almost the next day, from Leningrad. But personally, I don’t systematically monitor them; I don’t have time for that. However, I looked through Pushkin’s issues, but did not find much that was interesting for myself. The articles do not show a thorough acquaintance with Pushkin, nor do they report new facts. Not a single author has provided an in-depth analysis or any new illumination of Pushkin, either as a poet or as a person. I didn’t even find any bright, albeit essentially unacceptable, thoughts. Everything is leveled and not specific. It's a pity, I had hopes of meeting something bright and amazing. It is strange that nothing fresh is said about poetry, while the taste for poetry and the sense of speech among many is growing and becoming more refined. Of course, I compare the present not with the golden age of Russian literature, but with the 60–70–80s, a time of particular decline in poetry and especially verse. The beginning of the 20th century was a turning point in this regard, and since then the increase has begun. One can hope that the future will adhere to the traditions of Pushkin and Tyutchev - (I am writing to you so badly because the paper is bad, the pen is bad and the ink is bad; I’m afraid you won’t understand anything because of this and the thought doesn’t go, but stumbles at every phrase). – I learned about Olya’s arrival from our people, from home. But I don’t know anything about Lily’s granddaughter. 170 I am very interested in the younger generation, the children of Andrei and Lilina, but I know very little about all of them. I kiss you deeply, dear mommy, take care of yourself and be healthy. I’m in a hurry to take the letter so that it can be sent further tomorrow. March 23, 1937, ex. Tannery 1937.III.23. Solovki. No. 96. Dear mom, I received your letter on March 20 (it was dated February 16). This duration of transmission increases the feeling of distance, although my thoughts are always with you. Lately I’ve been living at a frantic production pace, we can’t keep up with anything, although we strain all our strength so much that sometimes it seems like we’re suddenly exhausted. 171 As you can see, even a secluded island does not save you from the whirlwind of historical life. 172 The division of time into days and nights has long been lost, and all life goes on, albeit rapidly to the point of dizziness, but monotonously. It's like being on a train flying across the endless plains of Siberia. Time drags on monotonously to the point of nausea, and you fly thousands of kilometers. Naturally, in such an environment there is not a minute to think about or even realize reality. More quickly and more, more and more quickly – that’s the only thing on my mind. You write about recording thoughts. There’s no time, mommy, and there’s nothing for it. I write down, but not thoughts, but factual information, something that takes a long time to collect and, if you hit something, you won’t find it again another time. In addition, for me, for myself, facts speak more than theories, and all sorts of living data from biology, physics, chemistry, geology, etc. seem more significant than generalizations - maybe. because I always have a lot of generalizations. I would like to teach what I can to children, but my own activities do not attract me, and I would prefer to remain with my thoughts in solitude. I’m not even sure what the future would perceive, because... the future, when it comes to the same thing, will have its own language and its own way of approach. In the end, there is little joy in the thought that when the future comes to the same conclusion from the other end, they will say: “It turns out that in 1937 such and such NN already expressed the same thoughts, but in a language that is old-fashioned for us. It’s amazing how they could think of our thoughts back then.” And perhaps they will also organize an anniversary or a wake, which I will only enjoy. All these commemorations after 100 years are surprisingly arrogant. People of every time imagine only themselves as humans, and the entire past as an animal-like state; and when they discover in the past something similar to their own thoughts and feelings, which are only considered real, they will arrogantly praise: “Such brutes, they also thought something similar to ours.” My point of view is completely different: Man has always and everywhere been a man, and only our arrogance gives him, in the past or in the distant past, an ape-like appearance. I don’t see a change in man essentially; there is only a change in the external forms of life. On the contrary, the man of the past, the distant past, was more humane and subtler than the later one, and most importantly, much more noble. – I’m reading Hume, History of England in French translation. Do you know? Although it was written by an arch-skeptic and an arch-analyst in philosophy, it is artistic and reads like a Shakespearean chronicle. It’s a pity I don’t have time to read at any fast pace. The morals seemed to be rigid, but people probably adapted and became accustomed to rigid morals: people easily adapt to any form. I kiss you deeply, dear mother. I kiss Lyusya and Shura if he is in Moscow. Bow to your aunt, whom you probably don’t see. May 11, 1937, ex. Tannery 1937.V.11. Solovki. No. 99. Dear Annulya, after a long break, I finally received your letters, on May 9 and 10 - dated March 30 and March 6. I don't need to explain my concern to you. Spring is here, spring here has, of course, arrived, that is. The snow melted, dust appeared, and navigation resumed yesterday, and therefore the usual unrest of Solovki residents with the resumption of navigation. Two days ago I saw a dandelion near the wall, red shoots of grass coming out of the ground. On the lake near our plant, muskrats, ducks, and gulls swim, but different from the Kremlin ones, smaller and black-tailed, they scream and fight among themselves. Lately I have become addicted to seaweed, which I eat a lot: I chop it, wash it, boil it with a little vinegar and then season it with porridge, vinaigrette, lentils, or whatever else I have. For food I take Laminaria saccharina as it is more tender. The taste of seaweed is somewhat reminiscent of stewed cabbage, but it is more substantial and, to my taste, more pleasant; perhaps they have a vague resemblance to asparagus. The special property of algae is to give a feeling of fullness, and apparently this is not only subjective, but also corresponds to the content of protein substances in algae. You ask what kind of snow is best to fill the cellar with. Of course, the spring one was compacted; the winter one was too loose. Regarding the sabers, of course, ask Pavel Nikolaevich; the worst thing that will happen is if he gets lazy or forgets about the assignment. It seems to me that now it was possible to raise the question of continuing work on permafrost to Nikolai Ivanovich, of course, if he himself considers it necessary at all. Regarding the portrait with the fox, the matter is hopeless, and I cannot search. Our algae epic is coming to an end one of these days, 174 I don’t know what I’ll do next, maybe. forest, i.e. I would like to apply mathematical analysis in this area. The end of work on algae is natural: after all, in my life it is always like this, once I have mastered a subject, I have to give it up for reasons beyond my control and start a new business, again from the foundations, in order to pave paths that are not for me to walk. There is probably some deep meaning here if this is repeated throughout life - the science of selflessness. But it's still tiring. If I were going to live another 100 years, then such a fate for all my work would only be useful, but given the shortness of life, it is only purifying, not useful. However, the Koran says: “Nothing happens to a person that is not written in heaven.” Obviously, it is written about me to always be a pioneer, but nothing more. And we must come to terms with this. I am writing about this not so much for myself as for the children: the lessons of the family must be learned and realized in order to use one’s life, adapting to the expected and the most probable. My thought and concern are entirely with you, and I want to convey to you the experience of life and reflection. –1937.V.13. While I was writing this letter, changes took place in my life: I am now moving to the Kremlin 175 and, probably, in this regard, I will be able to devote more time to the Museum and the study of its objects. The museum has now been updated, put in order, and many new and interesting things have been removed from storerooms and warehouses. 176 I kiss you deeply, dear Annulya. Rest over the summer, try to go out more often, if not into the forest, at least into the field, because it’s so close. Especially walk in the evening, when the sun is low, and remember me. 177 13 small 1937, ex. Tannery 1937.V.13. Solovki. Dear Kirill, I came across an article in the newspaper about the establishment of a section on algae technology at the Academy of Sciences, and my mother writes about Pavel Nikolaevich’s lectures on permafrost. So, what always leaves me is what I worked on, what I achieved results in, and what I spent a lot of work preparing for. Mentally reviewing my life (it’s time to take stock), I see a number of areas and issues that I started and which everyone then took up..., i.e. very many, but I either had to leave the business, or I left it myself, because... It’s disgusting to deal with issues that are being approached from all sides and taken over. You might. A list of the most important ones would be interesting. In mathematics. 1. Mathematical concepts as constitutive elements of philosophy (discontinuity, functions, etc.). 2. Set theory and theory of functions of a real variable. 3. Geometric imaginaries. 4. Individuality of numbers (number - form). 5. Study of curves in concrete. 6. Methodology for studying form. In philosophy and history of philosophy. 1. Cult roots of the beginnings of philosophy. 2. Cult and artistic basis of the categories. 3. Antinomies of reason. 4. Historical, philological and linguistic study of terminology. 5. Material foundations of anthropodicy. 6. The reality of space and time. In art history. 1. Methodology for describing and dating objects of ancient Russian art (carvings, jewelry, paintings). 2. Spatiality in works of art, especially fine art. In electrical engineering. 1. Study of electric fields. 2. Methods for studying electrical materials - the basis of electrical materials science. 3. The significance of the structures of electrical materials. 4. Promotion of synthetic resins. 5. Use of various waste materials for plastics. 6. Propaganda and development of elements of air depolarization. 7. Classification and standardization of materials, elements, etc. 8. Study of carbonaceous minerals as one group. 9. Study of a number of rocks. 10. Systematic study of mica and discovery of its structure. 11. Study of soils and soils. Etc. They stand separately. Physics of permafrost. Use of algae. I wanted to write to you about this in detail, but after moving to the Kremlin, I lost my thoughts, but I remember that I had to write a lot. I would like one thing - for you to take advantage of my works to some extent, put them in order and make them your own, a lot of work and thought have been put into them, and I know that from each work you can make a book. One more thing: observations and experiments only gain meaning when they are formalized mathematically. And this does not always require great subtlety of analysis; it is often possible to obtain good results using primitive means. Therefore, get used to formulating the results of your work, at least simply with curves and their equations. I kiss you deeply, dear Kira. June 4, 1937, Kremlin, former. Chobotnaya Chamber 1937.VI.4. Solovki. No. 101. Dear Annulya. You are probably surprised that you rarely receive letters from me. But this happens because, having the opportunity to write only 2 letters a month, I wait for yours to answer you and therefore delay writing mine. But I don’t receive it from you, that is. I receive it rarely and very late. I live in the Kremlin, that is. I don’t live, but eke out an existence, because... There is no way to work under my conditions. Besides, it’s very cold here and there’s no need to be outside in the yard. I had a mild flu, and now I started treating my back with physiotherapeutic means - ultraviolet rays, insolation. In general, everything is gone (everything and everything). In recent days, he has been assigned to guard the products we produced at night in the former Yodprom. It would be possible to study here (now I’m writing a letter, for example), but the desperate cold in the dead factory, the empty walls and the raging wind rushing through the broken glass of the windows, is not conducive to studying, and, you see from the handwriting, you can’t even write a letter with numb fingers. But I think about you all the more, but I worry. Life has come to a standstill, and we now feel cut off from the mainland more than ever. It’s already June, and there are no signs of summer, it’s more like November. Now fog, now light rain, now wind. Even when the rare sun shines through, it does not become warm. Meanwhile, this year spring was very early and jumped ahead by about 2 weeks. I live in a relatively bearable environment - with our former workers, who for me are Vasya, Misha, Fedya, etc., but of course not all of them. In any case, such a society is incomparably better than another in which it would be easy to find oneself. But too much of a good thing becomes difficult to bear, and we have about 40 people. However, this also has its advantage, because with 40 people you feel more private than with 4-6. – I go to the Museum - I give some advice and carry exhibits, mostly collections I have collected and all sorts of things in the form of diagrams, frames, utensils from the former Yodprom. The museum is in the process of revitalization, but for how long? Our Solovetsky white nights have arrived: and at midnight it is quite light, like ours in the evening, right after sunset. After all, we are so close to the Arctic Circle that on the shortest nights, the sun, when it is not obscured by clouds at all, illuminates the clumps of trees without stopping. Moreover, in our latitudes it moves along a line almost parallel to the horizon and therefore goes under it very close. – The riddle of Miku 178 is solved by the name Kjeldahl; he is a chemist who proposed a simple and convenient method for determining nitrogen in organic compounds, with the help of which the amount of proteins is determined. But don’t tell Mika right away, let him try to find out himself. The second question is about chlorophyll; chlorophyll is white, and its green color is given by the green pigment present in it. The third question: under Ivan the Terrible, who for this purpose wooed Queen Elizabeth of England, but was refused - fortunately for himself, because. Elizabeth was such a witch that she could have finished off even Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible. Fourth question: Benedict is the Latin translation of the Hebrew Baruch, so Benedict Spinoza and Baruch Spinoza are one and the same person. It's already 6 o'clock. morning. Snow falls on the stream, and a furious wind swirls snow whirlwinds. Broken windows slam across the empty rooms, and the wind howls from the intrusion. The alarming cries of seagulls can be heard. And with all my being I feel the insignificance of man, his deeds, his efforts. – I received your letter No. 13 dated April 28 on the 5th or 4th. I already wrote to you that I am satisfied with Olya’s activities in the garden. But it is necessary to take measures against her weight loss, i.e. so that she doesn’t do extra work and eats more and more nutritiously. I kiss you deeply, darling. Today the sun came out and it became warmer. June 18, 1937, Kremlin, former. Chobotnaya Chamber 1937.VI.18. No. 103. Dear Annulya, I recently received a whole bunch of letters from you, April and May, the last one dated May 31st (Nos. 15, 16, 17), and also from my mother. I hope the children have finished their exams and can now rest. But how can you arrange it so that you can rest at least a little? Your overwork worries me very much. In addition, you definitely need to see a doctor and get your back and legs treated. After all, overwork itself is largely created not by work, but by a painful condition, in which even a small effort is painful and tiring. I rejoice with you little one, but there is no need to talk about the sadness that I don’t see him. Our life has changed dramatically; We are sitting hopelessly in the Kremlin, and because... There is almost no work, there is always a crowd in the yard. It’s not possible to exercise under such conditions, despite the efforts I make in this regard, and the mood of uncertainty prevents me from concentrating on anything that requires effort and attention, and most importantly, lifting. The only good thing is that lately it has often not been cold and the sun is shining. You can judge how bright it is from the fact that many people sunbathe. The day lasts, of course, around the clock, because... and at midnight it is completely light. In recent days I have found a more secluded corner with a beautiful view of the sea and distant islands, so that even though it is from the window, I can see nature. This corner represents a glass veranda on the third floor, on the wall and belongs to the Museum. 179 Now I visit the Museum almost every day, partly to do mathematics, partly for advice on the exhibition, dating of ancient objects and generally various consultations. There are no special antiquities, only a small number from the end of the 15th century, the rest are from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, but there are things of good writing and beautiful ones. If I have to leave here, I will feel sorry for the sea, even though I can see it now from afar. Since childhood, impressions of the sea have become the closest to me, and without seeing the sea, I feel deprived, even when I don’t think about the reason for this feeling. 180 You often write to me about the garden, and I am glad that you live close to greenery and flowers. This is especially important for you and your little one, because... you don't go into the forest. I mentally monitor all our plants, according to your letters. Somehow the other day I dreamed that I arrived in Skovorodino, but that I found ruin and disorder there, which upset me. I’m afraid of change, and a sure sign for me is some kind of habituation to a certain place and reconciliation with it. Now I have entered the Solovetsky nature, and therefore it begins to seem that the situation must change, but not in the direction that would be desirable, i.e. not to the Far East. – Now I’m sitting on the veranda in front of the window and, from time to time, I look at the spreading distance with its bays, peninsulas and islands. The blue sea is steel. Countless bursts of light sparkle on the nearby bay, and I understand why they appear dead in photographs and paintings: each burst is not a point, but an arrow of light flying out of the sea. These light lines, instantly appearing and disappearing, intersect with each other in all possible directions and form a living grid. VI.20. Today I remember with one of those who visited Posad, 181 Posad. Some of the glass on the veranda is colored, and through the dark pink glass the sea appears dark purple, elegant and solemn, which suits my memories. How I want the children to gain good impressions and joy! Do you go out of town? Be sure to go out more often, at least along the narrow lane (I forgot what it’s called) to the cornfields, to listen to the larks and look at the ears of corn. After all, it is so close and requires no more than 1/2 hour of time. I kiss you warmly, dear Annulya, take care of your health, vigor and rest. Bow to Sofya Ivanovna. 3/k P. A. Florensky reports the arrival at the Ksenievskaya station of the Ussuriysk railway. (near Pavel - Transbaikal - this is a mistake), where the 7th branch of the OGPU BAMLAG was located. P. A. Florensky was born on January 9 (22 n.st.), 1882, near the town of Yevlakh, Elisavetpol province (now Azerbaijan). Here is how he writes about it in his “Autobiography”: “My father, a railway engineer, the son of a doctor, built a section of the Caucasian railway, and the whole family lived in freight cars of the railway at the site of the future station.” Yulia Alexandrovna: “Dear Pavel! Finally, I have the opportunity to write you a few words about the whole family. You, of course, understand that my silence is still caused by worries about my mother and the fear of leaving her without sufficient worries. We went through a lot, and among all the grief of these days, your departure was, it seems to me, the most sensitive blow. She experienced this event very painfully and transferred her love for you to her children, especially to Vasya, whom she tries to take care of to the best of her ability. Mom, of course, has aged and become smaller, but much friendlier than she was before. In contrast to her previous inactivity, now she is always doing something, either preparing invented new dishes, cleaning, darning, sewing, knitting - in a word, she does not remain idle for a single minute, she says that this makes her feel better and makes her less sad. Her friends visit her, mainly Vasya; if he doesn’t happen 2 times a week, then mom starts to worry; prepares special dishes and doesn’t want to eat without Vasya. Unfortunately, Vasyushka cannot understand that his visits keep his grandmother cheerful; he is clearly embarrassed to come often, that is, every day, and eat at his grandmother’s. Meanwhile, Anya says that he doesn’t eat anything except his grandmother anywhere, because... avoids canteens. Our persuasion does not always help, and the other day, for example, a whole drama came out. Vasya wanted to pour soup from the plate, grandmother deliberately removed the pan; then Vasya got angry, refused to eat and ran away. After this incident, both were depressed and both apparently considered their relationship to be irreparably damaged. Shura had to take charge of calming Vasya, and I had to take on my mother. A day later, Vasya finally came to see us, and the incident was over. Don’t be surprised that I’m writing these little things to you - they will allow you to come closer to our life. Olechka has matured beyond her age – all this time she has amazed us with her endurance and energy. She helped her mother and was a true friend to her, calmed her brothers down, carried things and food on herself; her period of severe melancholy was resolved by activity, she is very persistent, but I am afraid that sometimes she is too straightforward - maybe childish and this can give the impression of defiant behavior for those who do not think about her state of mind. I think that meeting you will bring peace to her soul. She studies seriously and persistently, and does not stop her work, despite all her worries and contrary to advice. Unfortunately, we see each other little, because... She comes to Moscow, although quite often, but she is always on the run, always on business. Kira is cheerful, he amazes everyone with his great intelligence, his unexpected talent; He works very hard, but still manages to come and see us, and go for a walk with his friends, and go home. Of course, as before, they try to blame all the responsible and unpleasant matters on him, as the more stable one, and he bears them without complaint. Both Vasya and Kira, as you know, probably from Anya’s letters, were published in a wall newspaper for their differences, and Kira even had a portrait. In the service they are apparently considered and respected. They work, however, too much, sometimes it even seems that Vasya is not able to do it - he tries to bring as much money as possible into the family and takes on all sorts of additional work. Anya struggles with this, but Vasya is stubborn and stubborn in his decisions. Tika was very pale and confused at first, but lately her cheeks turned pink; She persistently learns counting, solves problems and tries to honor her title as a schoolgirl. He maintains his authority with some external harshness in relation to the environment - he shouts and demands; Anya is upset, calling these manifestations rudeness, but it seems to me that she is simply concentrating her feelings both in relation to you and in relation to the account. – In a word, it masks difficulties that it does not want to reveal. Mika is very gentle with everyone, he amazes with his kindness, responsiveness and nobility. Even when we were playing fleas, he tries to protect his old aunt and give in to his fleas. All the children stick to their family and are full of love for each other, they all support their mother as best they can. Vasya, of course, is the most nervous - he painfully experiences every rough edge of life; This state of the nervous system is, of course, promoted by malaria, which plagues and poisons it quite cruelly. ...There is no need to write to you that we all live constantly thinking about you. Now there is more tension than before, the closeness of the whole family and the mutual desire to help each other are felt. Anya became especially dear to us. By the way, she has lost weight and become so prettier and younger that she seems like a sister to her sons. Her meekness and love for others seems limitless - she has enough heart for everyone. She is very energetic and does not give up in the fight for her children. Your house is the same, and in general Anya tries to keep everything in perfect order. I kiss you, my dear Pavel. If you only knew how much we all love you and are ready to drink from our common grief. Don't worry about your family's financial situation. Everything is there. Comrade Lucy." The article on “Life of Products” has not been published. Mikhail Vladimirovich - unidentified person. "SORENA" is the magazine "Socialist Revolution and Science", which published articles by P.A. Florensky The boss is V. Utz, a historian and ethnographer, he supplied Fr. Pavel Florensky upon moving to the city of Svobodny with a letter of recommendation, with a request to provide him with the best possible conditions for work and life. Father P.A. Florensky, Alexander Ivanovich Florensky (1850–1908), - travel engineer, built the military Batumi-Akhaltsykh road. L. M. Gorbky visited Solovki in 1933 and published an enthusiastic description of this camp: the essays “The Truth of Socialism” and “First Experience” in the book: “The White Sea-Baltic Canal named after Stalin. History of construction". M., 1934 Florensky Andrey Aleksandrovich (1899–1961) – younger brother of P.A. Florensky, specialist in ship and coastal guns, winner of the Stalin Prize. Florensky Alexander Alexandrovich (1888–1938) – the middle brother of P.A. Florensky. Geologist, archaeologist, ethnographer. Died in a concentration camp in the village. Susuman Magadan region. Konieva (Florenskaya) Elizaveta Alexandrovna (1886–1959) – sister of P.A. Florensky, artist, teacher. In the letters - Lilya. Florensky Leonid Andreevich (born 08/18/1933) – nephew of P.A. Florensky, son of Andrei Alexandrovich Florensky. Florensky inaccurately quotes the lines of the 6th canto of the Odyssey: “...where winter does not raise blizzards, where the cloudless air is poured with light azure and permeated with the sweetest radiance...” - translated by B.A. Zhukovsky. Florenskaya Yulia Alexandrovna (1884–1947) – elder sister of P.A. Florensky, doctor, psychiatrist-speech therapist. In the letters - Lucy. Kaptereva Elena Sergeevna is the wife of Pavel Nikolaevich Kapterev. Kapterev Pavel Nikolaevich (1889–1955) - son of professor of the Moscow Theological Academy Nikolai Fedorovich Kapterev (1847–1917), together with Fr. Pavel Florensky - one of the organizers of the Commission for the Protection of Monuments of Art and Antiquity of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (1918–1922). Arrested along with Fr. Pavel in 1933. Exiled to the Far East, where they will work at the Experimental Permafrost Station in Skovorodina. Co-author, together with N.I. Bykov, works “Permafrost and work on it” (M., 1940). In letters - P.N. Mikhail Timofeevich - an unidentified person, apparently an acquaintance of Fr. Pavel in Moscow. Giatsintova Nadezhda Petrovna (1862–1940) – mother-in-law of P.A. Florensky, lived with his family in Zagorsk The Skovorodinsk Experimental Permafrost Station (OMS) became the place of work of Fr. Paul for six months (from February 10 to August 10, 1934). Here he will devote himself entirely to the study of permafrost and will make a number of discoveries in this area. Compulsory medical insurance will be the last place where Fr. Pavel was provided with normal conditions for scientific work on a problem that interested him; in the future, on Solovki, he would more than once remember Skovorodino and regret the unfinished work, which promised the most interesting scientific prospects. Arkhangelsky Alexey Ivanovich – student of Fr. Paul at the Moscow Theological Academy, wrote to him during the years of exile. A.M. Florenskaya writes to her husband about him: “Al. Iv. worries about you and us all the time - he’s the only one, and your colleagues have all forgotten about us...” (letter dated 1934.III.04). In letters - A.I. or A.Iv. Mushketov Ivan Vasilievich (1850–1902) - Russian geologist, researcher of Central Asia, the Urals, and the Caucasus. Author of “Physical Geology” (parts 1–2, 1888–1891). Bykov Nikolai Ivanovich (1855–1939) – head of the Skovorodinsk Experimental Permafrost Station on BAMLAG, between the island. Pavel and N.I. Bykov developed friendly relations, as well as fruitful cooperation in the study of permafrost. For Fr. Pavel was of particular interest in his genealogy; in his family there were representatives of the Pushkin and Gogol families. Florensky became close to the entire family of N.I. Bykov. Living with him on compulsory medical insurance were his wife Olga Khristoforovna, children: Kirill, Igor, Irina and Nikolai. The eldest son lived separately, Fr. Paul does not mention him in his letters. Starikovnch P.K., a resident of Sergiev Posad, who studied at one of the schools, a former girls’ gymnasium. Suzin Alexander Vladimirovich – teacher of paleontology at MGRI, Moscow acquaintance of Fr. Pavel. Imyaslavets, repressed in the case of the “True Orthodox Church” together with D.F. Egorov, A.F. Losev, V.N. Shchelkachev. Nanagry is a settlement on the stage to the camp. The village of Tolpygino is associated with the memory of a close friend P.A. Florensky Sergei Semenovich Troitsky (1881–1910), a fellow student at the Moscow Theological Academy, with whom Florensky lived in the same room since 1905; he is the prototype of the “friend” to whom the letters that make up the book “The Pillar and Ground of Truth” are addressed. He was the son of a priest of the Church of the Resurrection of the Word in the village. Tolpygino of the Nerekhta district of the Kostroma province, where Florensky visited in September 1905, collected folklore material, on the basis of which he would write the book “Collection of ditties of the Kostroma province of the Nerekhta district” (published in 1905 in Kostroma). The village of Kutlovy Borki, Ryazan province. memorable about. Pavel, because there, on August 25, 1910, his wedding took place with Anna Mikhailovna Giatsintova. Library o. Pavla - both in Moscow and Zagorsk - was confiscated, and no efforts or attempts to return at least part of the books were successful. The family took the loss of the books very hard. A.M. Florenskaya wrote to her husband: “Your and our beloved books were taken away from us. It’s very hard to watch strangers fiddle with their favorite things, but what can you do, you have to endure everything. Mika spent the whole day today, poor fellow, crying about books. We get wounded in the most painful places all the time” (letter dated March 4, 1934). To the request to leave Pushkin “to study at school”, the answer was received: “Well, to study Pushkin at school - he is prohibited - I myself was expelled from the institute for Pushkin.” The letter, indeed, was delivered by Olga Khristoforovna Bakov to Fr. Pavel, and another - to his mother. Kirill wrote about receiving the letter (April 1934): “The day before yesterday, April 7, Saturday, I was supposed to go do my chemistry, but I really didn’t want to. Halfway there I turned and went to my grandmother. Near Zubovskaya Square I met Aunt Lilya, who was walking with a telegram in her hand in order to send her to us to call my mother to Olga Khristoforovna. In addition, it turned out that on this grandmother’s birthday, Baba Sonya was there and everyone was very cheerful from the news they received about you. I went home that evening, soon Vasya arrived and we celebrated Easter at home, and even with such a gift as the news about you and that permission to meet with you had been received. I saw your photo, daddy, I couldn’t get enough of it! Miki-Tiki is healthy here, Tinka is a very desperate girl and spoils her with all her might. Olya studies a lot, but she is angry. Mom blossoms at the thought of meeting you. Vasya and Mick are still confused about her concepts. I kiss you deeply, dear daddy, darling. Yours, Kira. P.S. Yesterday I was at the metro construction cleanup, working. This makes me want to sleep today.” The museum in Zagorsk is the State Sergievsky Historical and Art Museum. Museum director – V.D. Derviz, scientific supervisor – Yu.A. Olsufiev. The Derviz and Olsufiev families were close to the Florensky family. Directly connected with the activities of the museum was the Commission for the Protection of Monuments of Antiquity and Art of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in which Fr. Paul. Thanks to the museum and the Commission, many priceless treasures of the Lavra were preserved. Florensky talks about visiting the grave of his younger sister, Raisa Alexandrovna, who died on September 5, 1932 from tuberculous meningitis in Zagorsk, and was buried at the Kokuevskoye cemetery. R.A. Florenskaya (b. 1894) is an artist, studied at VKhUTEMAS, where Florensky lectured on art history, and was a member of the literary and artistic association “Makovets,” which included Florensky. See: Raisa Aleksandrovna Florenskaya, Pavel Aleksandrovich Florensky in VKHUTEMAS and “Makovets”: Exhibition Catalog. M., 1989. Andrei Bely (literary pseudonym of Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev, 1880–1934) – symbolist poet, was friends with P.A. Florensky during his student years, will write about him in his memoirs (chapter III. discord. “Ajaxes”: Bely Andrey. Beginning of the century. M., 1990, pp. 298–304). P.A. Florensky considered A. Bely a significant figure in Russian culture at the turn of the century, closely followed his work and literary research, and repeatedly speaks about him in letters from exile. Father B.N. Bugaev - Nikolai Vasilievich Bugaev (1837–1903), mathematician, professor at Moscow University, was one of Florensky’s favorite teachers when he was a student at Moscow University. We are talking about the book: Florensky P.A. Imaginaries in geometry: Expansion in the field of two-dimensional images of geometry (experience in the interpretation of imaginaries). M., 1922. Father Pavel asks to give the book to Olga Khristoforovna Bykova, who was supposed to visit Zagorsk, for her husband - N.I. Bykova. The book was transferred, this copy is in the collections of the Regional Library named after N.N. Muravyov-Amursky, Blagoveshchensk. Father Pavel announces the arrival of his wife and younger children - Olga, Mikhail and Maria-Tinatin - in Skovorodino, where they will live until August 16. This will be the last meeting with A.M.’s family. Florenskaya describes her stay in Skovorodino as follows: “He (Fr. Pavel - Ed.) comes to us for dinner, and then at 10-10 1/2 o'clock to spend the night. Leaves at 7 am. There is little need to talk, because... here he is as busy as he was in Moscow. But they have done a lot and interesting things. I regret that I didn’t take enough canned food. He's tired of everything fresh... Dad is still the same moderate and eats very little. After lunch, he studies with Igor and Olya (Igor is the son of N.I. Bykov, the head of the Panryanskaya compulsory medical insurance. - Ed.). Olya got a job playing the piano and leaves in the morning, and then is at home almost the whole day doing lessons. She and Igor got along and are studying physics, German and mathematics together. Tinochka is also working out. Mick alone is walking and enjoying doing nothing. I think with horror about returning” (letter from N.P. Giatsintova dated 01.VII. 1934). At this time, hopes arose for an improvement in Fr. Pavel, even the possibility of his release and return to Moscow was assumed. This is exactly how his family perceived his sending to Svobodny on August 10th. But this was followed by a transfer to the Solovetsky camp, into much more difficult conditions. For Fr. For Pavel, this also resulted in a complete cessation of work on the study of permafrost, despite the successes achieved in this area and the most interesting prospects for further research in this direction that opened up during the period of work at OMS. Karamyan (Saparova) Sofia Pavlovna (1866–1938) – aunt of P.A. Florensky on her mother’s side, lived in Moscow. Alexander Andreevich Florensky (1926–1957) – nephew of P.A. Florensky, the eldest son of Andrei Alexandrovich Florensky. The first letter after a long break - after sending Florensky’s film from Skovorodin. The Office of the White Sea-Baltic forced labor camp of the OPTU was located in Kemi. On the outskirts of Kem, on the shores of the White Sea, there was the village of Popova Gora (Popov Island), where a transit prison was located - the Kemsky transit point. Before the revolution, there was a courtyard of the Solovetsky Monastery. This is how R.N. describes the circumstances of the move to the Solovetsky camp in August 1934. Litvinov: “...During the time that has passed since I got into the camp, so many changes have happened to me that it’s even difficult to describe. The first days in Kemi were hard, then it was very good, almost cozy, and I wanted to stay there. But it happened that they transferred me to a sea raft, and after 3 days I found myself in Solovki. Of course, I was robbed again - this is almost inevitable in the local camp system, when, when leaving for work, you leave things in place, near your bed, there is no security, or almost no, and the known (word missing - Ed.) population of the camp consists of criminals." Litvinov Roman Nikolaevich – s/k, employee of Fr. Pavel Florensky, co-author of patents. With Litvinov O. Pavel met while still in exile in Nizhny Novgorod, in 1928. On Solovki, Fr. Pavel constantly found himself next to Litvinov, despite constant transfers. “Litvinov Roman Nikolaevich, born 1890, Russian, gr. USSR, level Warsaw (Poland), from the nobility, employee, arr. higher education, chemical technologist. The manager worked department in Gorky. Convicted by the Kogpu on 06/01/34 under Art. 58–8-10 and 11 of the Criminal Code for 10 years of ITL.” Sentenced to VMN 10.11 and executed on the same night as Fr. Pavel Florensky December 8, 1934 It's about things about. Pavel Florensky, who remained in Skovorodino, which he asks to be discharged through P.N. Kaptereva. The items, including manuscripts and letters, were returned through the efforts of A.M. Florenskaya have been preserved. Bykov Igor Nikolaevich - son of N.I. Bykova. The laboratory on the shore of Blagopoluchiya Bay is a small brick building. Its old images have been preserved; now in its place there are only the remains of the foundation. The central laboratory of Yodprom was located in the former Philippi Hermitage, named after St. Philippa. The same road was also described by R.N. Litvinov: “You walk through a fabulous spruce grove, along a snowy road, the snow is completely untouched (moving away from the road) - not a trace of a bird, an animal, or a person. You are already walking in the dark, but the darkness is such that you can see everything. Why, I don’t know exactly” (letter dated 1934.ХП.8). P.A. Florensky was born on January 9/22, 1882. Mikina Katya was the name of S.I. in the family. Ognev. Lisev Vasily Ivanovich – employee of Fr. Pavel Florensky at the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute (VEI). In 1920 he invited Fr. Pavel to work at the Moscow Karbolit plant. Father Pavel lived with V.I. Lisev, on Spasskaya Street in Moscow in the 20s. Liseva Ekaterina Ivanovna - mother of V.I. Liseva. Bach Johann Sebastian (1685–1750) was a great German composer and organist. In his “Memoirs,” speaking about the role that music played for him in childhood, Fr. Pavel also writes about his first impression of Bach’s music: “I was always full of sounds and played out in my imagination complex orchestral things in a symphonic manner, and streams of sounds asked to enter my soul incessantly, day and night, and as soon as I was left without a very pronounced interest in another area, my orchestras began to delight me, and I conducted them... When many years later, having already graduated from the University and the Academy, I touched Bach, I I understood what I was looking for in childhood and in what direction it seemed necessary for me to take another step in musical development. In Bach I recognized approximately what had been ringing in my being throughout my entire childhood—approximately that, but still not quite. Perhaps that ecstatic music cannot be expressed at all by the sounds of instruments and the overly rationalized rhythms of our culture” (“My Children,” pp. 80–81). This is the Central Laboratory of Yodprom, where prisoner Florensky was settled on February 16, 1935. The place where the Central Laboratory of Yodprom was located, the former Phillipov Hermitage, was called the Biosad from 1925, and in 1927 it was transformed into the “Nursery of Fur Animals” and the Biological Station, but the former name remained in use. Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow (1507–1569, in the world Feodor Stepanovich Kolychev) - came from the ancient boyar family of the Kolychevs, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, abandoning his court career, he retired to the Solovetsky Monastery, where in 1538 he was tonsured a monk with the name Philip, 10 years later he became abbot of the monastery, in 1566, already at the height of the oprichnina, he was appointed metropolitan, having defended the “right of sorrow” (the opportunity to stand up for those unjustly offended) before the tsar. He denounced Ivan the Terrible for injustice, persecution and murder of innocent people, which aroused the wrath of the tsar - he was expelled from the priesthood by the will of Ivan the Terrible, imprisoned, exiled to the Tverskaya Otroch Monastery, where he was kept in the most difficult conditions. He was strangled by Malyuta Skuratov on the orders of Ivan the Terrible on January 9, 1569. In 1652 he was canonized. Indeed, these events: “the story with the workers” - the shooting of a workers’ demonstration in St. Petersburg, the so-called. "Bloody Sunday", which marked the beginning of the first Russian revolution of 1905–1907, murder set. Philip fell on January 9 this year. With. - birthday of Fr. Pavel Florensky. Only the date of death of V.I. is inaccurately named. Lenin (1924), who died on the evening of January 21 - January 8 according to the old style, but this was also announced on January 22. The beginning of Metropolitan Philip’s activity was his stay on Solovki, first as a simple monk, then as abbot. Around this time, a denunciation was received against the laboratory workers, the author of which, s/s with the pseudonym “Karelin”, is one of the residents of the Filippov Hermitage. O.P. Florenskaya was born on March 25/04/7, 1859. R.N. also writes about the transience of time. Litvinov in a letter dated 1935.III.13: “...Our work is gradually moving forward. An electrochemical installation, assembled in parts from all over the island, is already in operation. The results are not yet final, but they are promising. There is so much work that even the reading of English novels suffers in the most decisive way, and this, as you understand, is a serious sign. Day and evening seem to be not enough. I almost never visit the Kremlin. It would be necessary to essentially go to the library, then go to the column for social work (this is our administrative unit) because I am the authorized representative of the workshop. But there is no time. I even sat down to write a letter to you at such an indecent hour that I don’t want to look at my watch. Indeed, the hands point to the third hour, and the audience is not sleeping. Some write, some tinker with chemicals. I need to go to bed, there are still no lists for additional letters, and I still can’t send letters tomorrow...” Descriptions of trips to Adjaris-Tskali occupy a special place in the memoirs (“To My Children,” her. 95–114). Let us quote several fragments of Florensky’s memories concerning the realities of travel, which he recalls in a letter: “We (the children. - Ed.) firmly consider Adjaris-Tskali to be our estate, much more ours than the Batumi apartment... on the hill there was a stone two-story engineering guardhouse to stop travelers. On the lower floor lived the watchman Akhmet, who was extremely devoted to dad, like all his subordinates, and on the upper floor there were two or three rooms separated by a corridor. We considered this lodge our own home, i.e. not my father’s, but ours, the children’s, and one room was mine, the other was Lyusina’s. Having arrived, we settled down in these rooms much more freely than at home: after all, at home it was necessary to maintain order, not to stir up dirt, but here, in almost empty rooms, it was possible to do almost anything... I clearly felt like a sovereign prince of the Adjara Mountains...” Florensky describes those rare, exotic plants that his father planted and speaks of his love for plants and flowers: “I had a conviction, the conviction of my heart, that flowers - my flowers, loved by me - love me, bloom just for me, and that my inattention to their beauty would be an insult, rather a wound, to their ardent feelings for me... I considered it my duty, the duty of reciprocal love, to pick off all the flowers, and even more so - violets. But in front of me there were clearings densely covered with flowers, the same violets, and beyond the clearings there were others, and all, as in the best flower garden, completely covered with flowers. No matter how hard I tried, my work, even in the nearest places, was not at all visible: after all, a heap of flowers could be picked there without leaving the spot... The day is getting closer to evening, dad calls us to get ready home. I say “now” and continue to tear; then they call again: “Daddy, wait a little,” and again I tear, this time convulsively, and I cry with pity, kiss the flowers, pouring tears over them, asking for forgiveness, I promise to come very soon and then I’ll probably pick them... All these bouquets, brooms, branches, wreaths, pieces of turf, whole plants, and finally, just armfuls of flowers with great difficulty and the combined efforts of everyone, from dad to Akhmet, are placed in phaetons literally from all sides, so that we ourselves can barely squeeze in... A flower basket is rolling along the highway...” Florensky is probably recalling a trip to the Caucasus in 1925. Koniev (Koniashvili) Georgiy Georgievich (1883–1967) – husband of P.A.’s sister. Florensky - Elizaveta Alexandrovna. The living conditions of the laboratory workers are described in detail in his letter dated 1935.III.23 R.N. Litvinov, there he first speaks in detail about Fr. Pavle: “In our laboratory we have taken a big problematic topic about the complex use of algae and are working on it from morning until late at night. I am mainly involved in the design and construction of laboratory equipment and electrochemical processes. You have to make everything out of nothing, which is unpleasant, but when you succeed, it becomes good. Society. I already wrote to you that I became very friendly with a Moscow scientist. Do you remember, perhaps, how many years ago, in Nizhny, I told you that I would not mind setting him up in my apartment, and you said that he hardly needed it, and that some things and psychological states cannot be taught. Well, regarding the apartment, things were successful, though not as comfortable as it could have been done in Nizhny, and we live in the same room, but this makes the conversations more frequent and interesting. Indeed, this is a good compensation for many troubles. He knew very closely those literary luminaries with whom we were once fascinated, and he tells very interesting details about them. In addition, he often talks to me about scientific topics from the field of exact science, in which he is deeply versed, and sometimes touches on non-exact science. In general, this gives me many times more in terms of scientific communication than I received from my comrades during my entire time at the university. Someday I will write to you the most interesting thing that he told about the Moscow group of writers. In regards to poetry, our tastes coincide absolutely, although regarding Fet we did not make a deal. He feels in him currents akin to Heine's blood, which I have never felt. He is a great mathematician, and I use this when attending his lectures in the I.T.R. circle. Thus, you see that this is not bad in terms of the company either. Everything is fine with food, clothing, apartment, heating, lighting (electricity). In any case, if it weren’t for the family and Tara, I would have felt great in this cozy and calm place. It must be said that after all the adventures in Gorky, the crazy stage winding of Nizhny - Bologoye - Polotsk - Vitebsk - Kem - Morsplav - Solovki, the most pleasant thing is, of course, Solovki. I don’t know whether one can have hopes for a near change in the situation, but so far, of all the evils, Solovki are, perhaps, a good thing.” Golubkina Anna Semenovna (1864–1927) – sculptor, friend of Fr. Pavel Florensky at VKHUTEMAS. Vernadsky Vladimir Ivanovich (1863–1945) – natural scientist, academician, corresponded with Fr. Paul during his exile, Fr. Pavel valued him very much as a scientist; Vernadsky’s student was Florensky’s son, Kirill. “Conversations between Goethe and Eckermann” - memoirs of Johann Peter Eckermann (1792–1854), personal secretary of I.V. Goethe. Goethe Johann Wolfgang (1749–1832) was a great German poet, writer, thinker and natural scientist. His worldview from childhood was close to Fr. Pavel Florensky, this is his father’s favorite writer and thinker: “...from childhood, almost from the time I learned to read, I had in my hands “Goethe and Goethe Without End” - that is, of course, not Dubois Reymond’s pamphlet, but Goethe himself. He was my mental food. Intellectually, I understood it little, but I definitely felt that this is the very thing that is close to me” (“My Children,” p. 158). We are talking about the book: Medtner E.K. Reflections on Goethe. M., 1914 That's right - Lichtenstadt: Lichtenstadt Vladimir Osipovich (1882–1919) - Narodnaya Volya member, translator I.V. Goethe. In 1920, a collection of Goethe’s works on natural science, compiled by him, was published, in his translation – Goethe I.V. The struggle for a realistic worldview: quests and achievements in the field of studying nature and the theory of knowledge. Pg., 1920. The translation was made during imprisonment in the Shlisselburg fortress. Florensky Ivan Andreevich (1815–1866) – grandfather of Fr. Pavel Florensky on his father's side, doctor, chief physician of the infirmary in Grozny during the Caucasian War, died of cholera, buried in Mozdok. Great-grandfather, Andrei Matveevich Florensky, - about him Fr. Pavel writes: “My great-grandfather Andrei Matveevich Florensky was a sexton at the Nativity Church in the village of Borisoglebsky, Kostroma province, Makaryevsky district, not far from Yuryevets, 10 versts away. past, 19th century” (“To my children”, p. 286). The estimated years of his life are 1790–1829. Great-great-grandfather Matvey Afanasyevich (Ivanovich - a typo by Father Paul) - also served as a deacon in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Kostroma province. Information about this “Kostroma branch” of his family Fr. Paul found in the clergy register of 1795 “Genealogy of the clergy of the church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Prechistensky churchyard of the Kostroma diocese." Solovyova Anfisa Uarovna (18?–1850) – the first wife of I.A. Florensky, grandmother P.A. Florensky. About her o. Pavel writes: “...in his father’s family, musical heredity undoubtedly extended from his father’s mother, Anfisa Uarovna Solovyova, who was a good musician. On both her father's and mother's sides she had to be musical and moved in musical circles; by the way, both Gurilevs, father and son, were very close to her parents’ house” (“To my children,” p. 81, see note 3 to the next letter). Florensky also writes that the birth of her son Alexander - his father - “cost her life.” Florenskaya (nee Ushakova) Elizaveta Vladimirovna (1830–1911) – second wife of I.A. Florensky. Pavel Florensky constantly communicated with the Pekok family in Moscow when he was a student at the University. Alexandra Gotlibovna Pekok is an opera singer who performed under the pseudonym Alina Marini. Florensky writes about her: “...Aunt Alina, as we called her, was for us a semi-mythical creature, known to us from the stories of Aunt Yulia... The name of this aunt stretched threads from us to Moscow, to Milan, and in general to Italy, and even to the opera stage. In addition, Aunt Alina’s personality was shrouded in mystery, they mysteriously could not really find out anything about her, and one felt that this was not without reason” (“To My Children,” p. 79). Fourth half-sister A.I. Florensky - Lidia Ivanovna. Florensky devotes several pages to one of the sisters, Lyudmila Ivanovna, married to Strukovskaya, in his notes on the history of the family; she was a paramedic, a public figure, and served in a resettlement organization (“To my children,” pp. 349–354). Saparov Pavel Gerasimovich (1820–1878) – grandfather of Fr. Pavel Florensky on the maternal side. Florensky collected extensive material about the ancient Armenian family of the Saparovs. He notes the “sense of superiority inherent in the family,” its wealth, and high culture. About Pavel Gerasimovich himself he writes: “One of the first rich people in the Caucasus, a dandy and a trendsetter, a lover of beautiful things, my grandfather Pavel Gerasimovich Saparov was not at all an opponent of cultures other than the patriarchal Armenian... In his house, oriental customs were combined with sympathy for Russian statehood and European luxury” (“To my children” p. 25–26), - on business he constantly visited France (from where, together with Lyon silk, he brought tuberculosis into the house, which became the scourge of the Saparov family - many family members died from this disease). Nevertheless, it was precisely the fact that his daughter, Florensky’s mother, who was going to marry a Russian that became the cause of the family conflict; the father never gave his blessing to this marriage. As a result of this conflict, the mother did not like to talk about her family; it was a taboo topic. “Mother recognized herself as having been cut off from her family...” Florensky writes in his memoirs. Out of delicacy, so as not to hurt his wife’s feelings, Florensky’s father also spoke little about his family. Therefore, the family lived in isolation from its roots - even its closest ancestors: “Both in space and time we were a “new race”, a new generation - on our own. We children hardly knew the past of our family, not to mention our kind... I grew up without a past.” Florensky was very sad about this and spent his entire adult life filling this generation gap, collecting everything down to the smallest detail about his family. Saparova (Paatova) Sofia Grigorievna (?–1866) – grandmother of Fr. Pavel Florensky on the maternal side, wife of P.G. Saparova. The family’s “pedigree lists” also contain information about Florensky’s more distant ancestors along this line – Gerasim Saparov, Grigory Paatov and his wife Kalinka and others (“To my children,” p. 471, section “Pedigree Lists”). Yulia Ivanovna Florenskaya (1848–1894) – younger sister of A.I. Florensky, Pavel Florensky’s beloved aunt, he writes about her in his memoirs: “She was my friend, comrade, and teacher; I shared my sorrows and joys with her, received reprimands and punishments from her (although there were very few of these), in general, she had everything human. She did not overwhelm me with her detachment from the little things in life; I could chat with her about elegant dresses, lace, bows and hats, which I was a big fan of; with it you could pick flowers and make bouquets; In general, one could live with her” (“For My Children,” p. 38). Pavel Florensky's maternal aunts: Elizaveta Pavlovna Melik-Begliarova (1854–1919), Varvara Pavlovna Chrelayeva (1861–1891), Repsimiya Pavlovna Konovalova (1865–1930 (?)), Sofia Pavlovna Karamyan (1866–1939). Uncle - Arkady Pavlovich (1859-before 1921). Aunt Lisa's children are Melik-Beglyarov David Sergeevich (1875–1913) and Oganesyan (Melik-Beglyarova) Margarita Sergeevna (1872–1920 (?)). Near the birthplace of Fr. Pavel - Evlakh, there was the Melik-Beglyarov estate “Karachinar”, one of the owners of which was Sergei Teymurazovich Melik-Beglyarov - the husband of Elizaveta Pavlovna, the Florenskys often visited this estate. Aunt Varya’s children are Sofia Stepanovna Chrelaeva, Alexander Stepanovich Chrelaev, Vasily Shioevich. Children of Aunt Sonya: Karamyan Khamayak Nikolaevich (1891–1939) – repressed, died in a camp. Daughters - Greta Nikolaevna Karamyan (1896-1916) and Elza Nikolaevna Karamyan (1894-1920) - died of tuberculosis. Armand Tamara Arkadyevna (1880–1960) - cousin of Pavel Florensky, was married to Lev Armand, brother of Inessa Armand's husband. Other children are Elena, Nina, Pavel, Ekaterina and Maria. Alikhanova (Saparova) Nina Arkadyevna - Florensky mentions “...cousin Nina Saparova, who studied in Moscow, who amazed everyone with the absolutely exceptional, unearthly crystalline quality of her voice and died after the first or second performance” (“To My Children,” p. 81). She died from the Saparov family disease - tuberculosis Olga Alexandrovna (Florenskaya) Troitskaya (1892–1914) – Florensky’s third sister, miniature artist, poetess. In 1909 she married S.S. Troitsky, a friend of Florensky, and was close to D.S.’s circle. Merezhkovsky and Z.N. Gippius, was in correspondence with them. She left them under the influence of Pavel Florensky. Ivanov Sergei Vasilyevich (1864–1910) - Russian painter and graphic artist, wanderer, member of the Union of Russian Artists, author of many works on themes of peasant life. About him o. Pavel Florensky recorded the story of the artist M.V. Nesterov (see “To My Children,” pp. 368–370). What exactly S.V. Ivanov, a descendant of the Ivanov family, from which Florensky’s great-grandmother comes, is Florensky’s assumption, not confirmed by facts. Pogodin’s “Notes” mentions another brother, Nikolai Uarovich, who, indeed, brilliantly entered the University in 1832 together with I.S. Turgenev, his former comrade. Concordius Uarovich also entered Moscow University in 1834, but as an “outside listener,” and later became a doctor. The third brother is Dmitry Uarovich, a doctor. Gurilev Alexander Lvovich (1803–1858) – composer, pianist, author of popular romances and songs. A collection of Gurilev's romances has been preserved, carefully bound into one book: Romances and Songs. Music by A. Gurilev. Tt. 1, 2. Moscow. Edition by A. Gutheil, autographed: “...From the books of priest Pavel Florensky. 1915.12–1916.1.” The table of contents is written by Fr. Pavel. In his memoirs, he says that Gurilev visited the house of his paternal grandmother, Anfisa Uarovna Solovyova, together with his father, also a musician - L.S. Gurilev. We are talking about the book by Vasily Markovich Florinsky “Home Medicine” (9th ed. St. Petersburg, 1908). The author of the portrait is Dmitry Iosifovich Ivanov (1880–1938), before his arrest he worked in Leningrad as a graphics teacher in various educational institutions. He was arrested in 1932. The portrait dates from April 1935. In 1938 D.I. Ivanov was sentenced to capital punishment and executed on February 20, 1938. See portrait on p. 166. Oz (geol.) – a ridge in the form of narrow winding ridges with a wavy ridge line. Here is a letter from R.N. Litvinov of the same time, which talks about the life of the laboratory staff and talks about Fr. Pavle (1935.IV.21): “Every month it becomes more difficult to write letters, since, in essence, there are no new impressions, and the unusual that caught the eye becomes familiar and there is no point in writing about it. I have been on the Island for “only” 9 months, i.e. almost a beginner... My aesthetic needs are fully satisfied by the course of higher mathematics, which takes place in the Kremlin three days later on the fourth (lecturer on the courses - s/c Pavel Florensky - Ed.) and landscapes. Our conversations very rarely concern topical island topics, as if we were not islanders. Unless they tell you some local joke or the latest news. Sometimes - but this happens when we are not very tired, i.e. quite rarely, at night, already in bed (you can’t write - on the sofas, as it really is), my roommate and I talk quietly for some time. About anything, starting with philosophical topics, moving on to poetry and the theory of style, then to thermodynamics or organic chemistry. It must be said that I have rarely met such an educated person and at the same time such a deep one. At the same time, he is very helpless in such simple matters as, for example, driving a nail, he gets confused in arithmetic operations and is also infinitely delicate, so that even when stupid things are done, he pretends that this is apparently the way it should be. In general, everything has its compensation. He is a great consolation for me. It seems my company is not unpleasant for him either. He writes home in very small handwriting, even cleaner than mine, and since he has a large family, the letter is written in such a way that it can be cut into strips and given to each addressee. So little by little time passes in innocent inventions. And it flies amazingly fast, probably because there are no milestones for engagement.” Two days later - 1935.IV.23 - R.N. Litvinov devotes almost half of the letter to Florensky: “The work is moving forward. Here we are looking for a solution to a practical problem, but for now we had to stumble upon and cope with a theoretical problem. It was a lot of fun. The title of the problem is silver concentration chain potentials, silver nitrate, silver halides and silver as a function of temperature and concentration. The tests are excellent by the local scale, I don’t remember exactly which ones, they are so essentially insignificant... My roommate, whom I talked to you about in Nizhny, is a very nice person and belongs to people of the first order. He is extremely educated - from Assyrian cuneiform to physical chemistry - from metrics and rhythm to super-higher mathematics. Extremely helpless in economic matters. Delicate to the limit. Judgments and tastes of the literary order coincide with mine 100%. In experimental work I am stronger, in theoretical work he is stronger. Although, as luck would have it, he used to work a lot experimentally, but due to absent-mindedness he will definitely... mix up something. In general, we became great friends, although he probably gives me more interesting ideas than I give him. He knows you in absentia and asked me to convey his regards. Which is what I do. He told very interesting things about both A. Bely and V. Bryusov. He was on personal friendship with the first of them, but not at all with the second. He talks a lot about Rozanov and V. Ivanov, who were close friends of his. Generally speaking, that approach to questions of the transcendental order, which you and I once talked about (if you haven’t forgotten), quite unexpectedly turned out to be very real. To the extent that he applies, much is completely acceptable to me. Unfortunately, there is absolutely little time for conversations that are of no interest to the other inhabitants of our monastery. It must be said that in the absence of real obstacles to this matter, we indulge in versification. I resumed this activity in the basement on M. Pokrovka (because I had nothing to do), and he was at BAM. Thus, at night he reads me excerpts from his poem (about permafrost), and I give him more condensed things and praise each other. As you can see, there is consolation in everything. Of course it would be better if we didn’t have to console ourselves. But we have to...” This letter is a vivid example of allegory. It is clear that the interlocutors were talking about religion, and it was dangerous to talk about it: “there is absolutely little time,” “there is interference everywhere,” and the conversations “are of no interest to others.” The words “the approach to issues of a transcendental order, which you and I once talked about (if you haven’t forgotten), quite unexpectedly turned out to be very real” can be understood as an indication that Florensky could secretly perform divine services. “Excerpts from a poem about permafrost” - fragments of the poem “Oro”. That was the name of P. Florensky’s sister Olga in the family. Giatsintov Mikhail Mikhailovich (?–1915) – brother of A.M. Florenskoy, priest. Bethany - monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Quote from the book of the German poet Angelus Silesius (pseudonym of Johann Scheffler; 1624–1677) “The Cherubic Wanderer” (1674). See: SilesiusAngelus. Cherubinischer Wandersmann. Herausgegeben von Georg Ellinger. Halle, 1895. S. 29; Silesius A. This is probably Boris Vasilievich Maksorov, an employee of P.A. Florensky in VEI, with whom many articles on materials science were co-authored. Florensky sent powers of attorney in his name from his Far Eastern exile. About this - R.N. Litvinov (1935.VI.21): “...The sun almost never sets and birds sing all day and night. I don’t know if they are on duty, but the singing goes on without interruption. Night differs from day mainly in temperature. During the day it is almost hot, at night it is cooler. The water in the lake has warmed up so much that in the morning, instead of washing, I go to the lake in my underwear, dive into the depths from the raft, swim, then go out onto the raft, wash myself and swim again, washing off the remaining soap. Before lunch, at about five o’clock, we go with a whole company - our laboratory, almost in full strength, and then there is already a thorough swimming and diving...” R.N. Litvinov writes about living conditions in the laboratory “1935.V.23”: “...The living conditions here are absolutely exceptional. Nowhere and never, of course, can this ancient and well-preserved house on a hill near a lake in the forest, surrounded by raspberry trees, cozy rooms with electric lighting, a magnificent view of the distant Kremlin and the sea, be repeated. The air is excellent, completely dust-free: therefore, it is not surprising that physically I have recovered.” Katya - Giatsintova Ekaterina Alexandrovna (1910–1991), niece of A.M. Florenskaya. Film artist Ivanov D.I. This is how R.N. writes about the routine of life in the laboratory. Litvinov (1935.V.19): “...What were the events this month? None. I sometimes went to the Kremlin for lectures on higher mathematics, and since I sleep with the lecturer in the same room, I go with him, having conversations along the way on non-mathematical topics, in particular, most of all about poetry. You'd probably really like him. He is a very educated and interesting person. A prominent mathematician, physicist, philosopher, philologist and even chemist. No practical skills. Helpless in everyday life. Myopic. Very smart, sensitive and kind. It's clear that we don't quarrel with him. In general, so as not to jinx it, we are doing well in this regard - we have never had a single collision in all this time. And when people live in close and constant communication, conflict is almost inevitable. With us, why are you meek, and even then... The bosses and the other two members of our commune sometimes, very rarely, still arrange a small-scale family spiel among themselves, but my roommate and I did not get involved. We rarely see our neighbors (we have a small house nearby where four Siberians live) and are always very kind. There are almost no connections in the “city”, but there are plenty of business acquaintances. It is impossible to list how many acquaintances appeared during this time, to the great detriment of the headdress. There are many curious specimens, but in general an unimaginable vinaigrette, which is not worth writing about. Our work is progressing gradually, I am equipping the laboratory in a new way. Already now it is impossible to recognize it in comparison, well, with its neighbor. The electrochemical department is fully equipped by me, and you can make all the determinations that are necessary with complete accuracy. Much is missing, of course, but this is completely understandable. In the end, our way of life, in particular mine, is quite pleasant. Having gotten up from sleep, we have some tea. It comes with White Sea herring and jacket potatoes. Then light and pleasant physical education - firewood, an activity in which I acquired almost professional skills. Cleaning – which I also love to do – is in your honor and memory. Then the laboratory. I've had to do a lot of drawing and calculations lately. It's nice. Before lunch, you will go out onto the hill and look at the distant Kremlin and the sea. You will see a white strip of ice and here and there free blue water of the sea. Two course lunch. Soup with or without meat. For the second course, porridge, or peas, or lentils. Then tea. It goes with bread or flatbreads made from barley flour, sweet and salty. After lunch – a fairly long half hour, in a horizontal state. Alas, no one bothers, no one will sit down for “five minutes”, no one needs to tell a fairy tale about a bull. You get up and go to the laboratory. Sometimes you read a little - but just a little...” We are talking about the “Dictionary of Insulating Materials”, which was edited by Fr. Pavel Florensky. Favorsky Nikita Vladimirovich - a talented engraver, son of V.A. Favorsky (1886–1964) - artist, friend of Fr. Pavel Florensky and V.I. Vernadsky. The Favorsky family lived in Zagorsk in 1920–1939, V.A. Favorsky collaborated with Fr. Pavel in VKHUTEMAS. Kirill recommended Nikita V.I. Vernadsky as part of the expedition. During expeditions to Transbaikalia, K.P. Florensky, under the leadership of A.M. Simorin, and then independently, over the course of two field seasons, collected samples of soils, plants, and fauna to solve the riddle of the Urov disease, a severe endemic disease. The study of this special biogeochemical province essentially marked the beginning of the practical application of a new science - biogeochemistry. In scientific periodicals we were able to find references to the participation of K.P. Florensky in collecting material and studying the chemical composition of soils, waters and rocks in Eastern Transbaikalia, see: Vinogradov A.P. Geochemical studies in the area of ​​​​the spread of the level epidemic // DAN USSR. 1939. T.23, p. 64–67. V.I. Vernadsky was the organizer and first director of the Radiev Institute, where Florensky’s son, Kirill, was supposed to work, but this plan did not come true. July 11 (July 24 n.s.) – St. equal to Princess Olga - mother's name day Fr. Pavel Florensky and his eldest daughter. In addition, July 1 is the birthday of Yulia Alexandrovna Florenskaya (Lucy), sister of Fr. Pavel. Read more about this from R.N. Litvinova: “I have already written to you about the amazing tenderness and transparency of the colors of the clouds and sky. No, no, but you will admire them. If you climb a hillock 30 steps from our door or simply climb onto the roof, you can see the sea, with small rocky islands and a pale horizon. As seductive as the Black Sea is, the White Sea is just as harsh and inhospitable... This is how the song of the Varangian guest and Roerich’s paintings come to mind. But one cannot say that it is ugly, only lifeless...” Florensky’s paternal grandfather, who came from a family of hereditary clergy (see note to the letter dated April 22–23, 1935, p. 108), was transferred from the seminary to the medical department of Moscow University, became a military doctor, and died of cholera. In this avoidance of serving the altar, Fr. Paul saw the mistake that weighed on their entire family; he connected the early deaths of men in their family with this and considered it necessary for his family to return to priestly service (see “Testament”). Having collected information about the most diverse, sometimes distant branches of his family, Florensky will write to V.V. Rozanov (1915.X.26): “... the Kostroma sextons alone completely attract my attention, and my heart is with them” (“To my children,” p. 282). R.N. Litvinov, 1935.VII.22: “I picked mushrooms three times, Florensky and I, early honey fungus, and cooked them in a large three-liter saucepan. Boletuses appeared, but in very small numbers. Oddly enough, I am also becoming an experienced mushroom picker when it comes to mushrooms. The mountain ash, of which there is a lot here, has already faded. Lilacs and – what’s nicer – raspberries are blooming under the window. It was nice to see continuous meadows of lingonberry color. Last year there were an abundance of blueberries and blueberries, but there won't be many this year. But lingonberries! And cloudberries! The cloudberries are already full, in our area there are as many of them as in gardening strawberries in the beds. I have never tried it, but since my dad praised it very much, I think that, by analogy with other flavors, cloudberry will be pleasant to me. This is our forest news..." And a little later - also about the daily life of the laboratory staff (1935.VIII.17). · "...My friend and I took baskets and went to wander around the house. In an hour and a half we collected 11 kg of mushrooms, of which 2 kg were white mushrooms, and the rest were birch and aspen mushrooms. It is clear from the fact that we cook mushrooms in the morning, at lunch and in the evening... Since we have 5 trousers for 4 people, two of us dry the unspeakably wet ones over the stove, while they themselves walk around without them. I gave my cloth trousers to be repaired by a friend, about whom I already wrote, and he is mending them, at the same time talking about the difference in worldview between Tyutchev and Goethe...” P.A. Florensky married Anna Mikhailovna Giatsintova on August 25, 1910. They were married by Anna Mikhailovna’s brother, priest Mikhail Giatsintov. In 1935, it was the 25th anniversary of the wedding - the silver wedding. About an error in a letter (24 years old) Fr. Anna Mikhailovna will write to Pavel. He will be very worried about her. This mistake is one of the few evidence of the real situation in the camp and the condition of Fr. Pavel, always so attentive to dates and family events, as well as confirmation of his feeling, repeatedly mentioned in his letters, about the loss of the sense of time on Solovki. Watercolor portrait by Pakshin Pyotr Nilovich - film-maker, artist, worked as a decorator in a theater on Solovki. At the end of August, laboratory staff, incl. R.N. Litvinov and N.Ya. Bryantsev, were relocated to the village, to the blacksmith building. Bryantsev Nikolay Yakovlevich – film director, co-author Fr. Pavel Florensky according to the application for inventions: “Born in 1889, ur. Warsaw, arr. higher, worked in Novosibirsk in Kraiplan as an engineer.” Sentenced to military service on 10/09/1937. Shot on 10/27/11/1–4/1937 near Medvezhyegorsk. Denunciations immediately followed from the new location of Z/K Florensky: Top Secret WORKING REPORT No. 39. SPO group of the III part of the 8th Solovetsky department of the BBK-NKVD AS OF OCTOBER 7, 1935 Z/K’S RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT DECISION OF SEPTEMBER 14 AND 22 – 35 1. On September 25 this year, in the premises of the Forge building, FLORENSKY Pavel Aleksandrovich (Article 58–10–11 for a term of 10 years), talking with BRYANTSEV Nikolai Yakovlevich and LITVINOV Roman Nikolaevich on the topic of the introduction of personal military ranks Beginning. composition of the Red Army, expressed: “In this resolution there is a tendency to show similarities with bourgeois armies, in particular with the French. In general, the introduction of ranks in our army is still not entirely clear. After all, before, these ranks that were introduced, for example, colonel and others, were simply dirty words. It turns out that what we fought against before, now we are returning to it again,” s/s “Hapaneli” 23/IX – 35 PC N39 SPO 8 dept. Addition to the report: Z/k Florensky is a participant in the SPO as ASE. His surveillance continues. (Archive of the KGB of Moscow and the Moscow region, archive N212727, vol. 2, l. 680). From the letters and from the group of authors of the patents it follows that four people lived in the chamber in the forge building: R.N. Litvinov, P.A. Florensky, N.Ya. Bryantsev and Yu.E. Stanilovich. S/s is calculated using the elimination method. This is how the situation in mid-September 1935 is described by a s/s - a secret employee who bore the nickname “Hapaneli” - that was the name of the model of Finnish skis produced in Solovki. BVG 24.Х.35 S/S “Hapaneli” Prin. beginning 3 hours Akimov 1935 10/IX in the room of the blacksmith building where Professor P.A. FLORENSKY, LITVINOV and BRYANTSEV live, a conversation was held on the following topic: BRYANTSEV says that he heard on the radio where it was broadcast that in Austria they gave one 1 1/2 years for anti-state crimes, another - 10 months and a third - 9 months - hard labor. He further explains that if we had committed such a crime in the USSR, we would probably have been given a “tower” or, at best, 10 years through the tower. FLORENSKY says that “yes, indeed, in the USSR there ... they punish for nothing.” Then the conversation turns to the topic of how who sat in the Lubyanka and who was interrogated. FLORENSKY says that the investigator interrogated me all about naming a whole series of names with whom I allegedly conducted counter-revolutionary conversations that did not actually exist. But after my stubborn denial, the investigator told me that “they say we know that you are not a member of any organizations and do not conduct any anti-Soviet agitation, but if something happens, hostile owls can focus on you. people in power that you will not resist if you are asked to oppose the Sov. authorities. That is why, FLORENSKY further says, they give such long prison terms, i.e. A preventative policy is being implemented in advance. They prevent crimes that cannot even happen. The investigator further told me (says FLORENSKY) that we cannot act as the Tsarist Government acted, which pointed out the crimes that had been committed, no, we must prevent it, otherwise how can it be, wait until someone commits a crime, then punish him, no, it won’t go that far, we must nip the crime in the bud, then the case will be stronger. After this, LITVINOV says that with such a policy, the entire USSR will end up in camps. BRYANTSEV - and it’s really true because even party members harbor negative thoughts from the preventive policy. When I was in Kuzbass, in Kemerovo, I was well acquainted with the head of the heat and power plant, Sokolovsky, an old party member who enjoyed great influence in high circles, since once in 1932 he invited me to visit him and, over a glass of vodka, as he said “to take my soul away,” he expressed such opinions against politics that if he had not been a party member, I would have thought that he was the most complete counter-revolutionary (Bryantsev did not say that Sokolovsky spoke). Then the Secretary of the District Committee (he named someone), when I was leaving (obviously from Kemerovo, since Bryantsev worked freely in these parts), this secretary sent me so many gifts for the road, and at the same time said, “oh, now I should talk in the shower to relieve my soul, in good faith.” As you can see, even members of the Party have a different mindset in their hearts. Then the conversation turned to the topic of the internal Soviet situation and the international situation. BRYANTSEV said that the internal party situation is such that there is even no peace for the members of the Party. FLORENSKY: “Yes, there are a lot of prominent old Bolsheviks now sitting in detention centers.” LITVINOV – agrees with Florensky In terms of the international situation, most people talked about the Italo-Abyssinian conflict. FLORENSKY says that it is unlikely that Italy will be able to subjugate Abyssinia under its influence, because England is very interested in Abyssinia and obviously will not offend Abyssinia. FLORENSKY and BRYANTSEV talk about Germany, about Hitler’s policy, that Hitler’s policy is very similar to the policy of the USSR BRYANTSEV). True, this policy is very rude, but quite accurate (FLORENSKY). KOPANIN 11/K-35 A certain TREGER, who had arrived with a new stage, came into the stall, after buying the goods, I asked him where he came from, he replied that from Moscow, he arrived recently, he was located at the checkpoint, but I still wanted to see Professor FLORENSKY, but I don’t know where he lives, I told him that FLORENSKY lives in the Forge building, then he asks, “Are you familiar with him,” having received an affirmative answer, he called his last name “TRAEGER” and said that he was well acquainted with FLORENSKY. When asked what the situation was outside, TRAEGER replied that outwardly there seemed to be nothing there, but large arrests were taking place, especially in the spring of 1935.” At this point the conversation was interrupted. KOPANIN p.p. 1833 II gr. SPO transfer the package to gr. The SPO signature is illegible (Archives of the KGB of Moscow and the Moscow Region, archive No. 212727, vol. 2, pp. 681, 686). S/S “Hapaneli” 23/IX-35 Pr. beginning 3 parts Akimov r.6 No. 51 part 8 dept. On September 13 this year, in the premises of the blacksmith building, prisoner FLORENSKY Pavel Aleksandrovich talked with prisoner Roman Nikolaevich LITVINOV (58-8B10 part 11 term 10 years), on the topic of camp life, and both of them told each other why they were sent to Solovki. During the conversation, s/c LITVINOV said: “By the end of the second five-year plan, half of the USSR will be in camps, as they are grabbing everyone at random.” Continuing the same conversation, s/c FLORENSKY said: “Our life after the camps will be all crumpled, and if, after our liberation, any phenomenon of an abnormal nature arises in the country, then we will immediately be the first to be imprisoned again.” Continuing the conversation, prisoner LITVIN0V said: “During the preliminary investigation, there was one person sitting with me (he did not give his last name), who received three years for shooting at Kalinin’s portrait while drunk. To this, s/c FLORENSKY replied: “Is KALININ really rated so highly?” The defendants are under intelligence surveillance. On the report there is a resolution: “T. Akimov, On these zz. pay special attention. They work at VNIILOBOLOTORIYA” (ArchivUKB of Moscow and the Moscow Region, archive N0212727, vol. 2, l, 682). Documents are presented preserving the original spelling features. Paraphrased quotation from the Old Testament: 1 Chron. 15, 29 This refers to the Design and Estimation Bureau. Since laboratory work on the extraction of iodine from algae was completed and the need arose to establish industrial production, the laboratory workers were transferred to the Design Bureau. This special institution was staffed by highly qualified specialists who were brought from all over Russia in order to design the huge construction projects of the White Sea-Baltay camp and industrial plants of the North. The Design Bureau was preparing for the opening of the industrial site of Yodprom, in which former employees of the chemical laboratory were also employed. Florensky and Litvinov were assigned to temporary work at the Design Bureau. Perhaps the book is meant: Lobko I.A. Standardization of physical and mathematical units and quantities. Terms, designations and definitions. M; L., 1935. What book did Fr. Pavel, it’s not clear exactly. Obviously, she was needed to work on the poem “Oro”. We are talking about another move, this time to the Nikolsky building of the Kremlin, which is associated with a new tightening of the regime. About this - R.N. Litvinov (1935.VI.4): “...I really regret that I took so many things with me. Firstly, it was hard, secondly, they were stolen, and thirdly, I, in essence, don’t use them. The most significant thing turned out to be the book that I use for letters. There is an acute shortage of paper here, so from the book I supply it to my roommate, who is sitting without paper (indeed, P.A. Florensky’s letters from this time were written on lined sheets from a barn book. - Ed.). If you were mathematically inclined, you could calculate how long it would last. But there are so many unforeseen possibilities that the calculations will probably not come true. Yes, among other entertainments there is also a printed newspaper (its own printing house). In it I recently published an article about the possibilities of organizing the chemical industry on our island. In addition, high authorities came and my roommate and I were called at 12 o’clock at night (it was quite light, and the sunset turned into dawn), and we talked with them for three hours about the possibility of creating new industries. Personal benefits from this cannot yet be expected. And if I actually have to stage these productions, then I will have to go solo. Will the relatively calm lifestyle and peaceful work in the laboratory have to be replaced by design? Construction, installation, commissioning and operation. And here? Unfortunately, there are no people suitable for this...except me. But since this business requires quite significant capital investments, you don’t have to worry for now. Yes, you know that I’m not very prone to worries...” Florensky describes the common cell on the third floor of the Nikolsky building of the Kremlin. Another move from a general cell on the third floor to a cell for 4–5 people on the second floor of the Nikolsky building. Algae production was then transferred to the village, to the building of a former tannery. R.N. also writes about these moves. Litvinov (1935.X.7): “...you already know that we left the Biosad, which I remember as a pleasant and unreal dream. Then we lived outside the Kremlin in the blacksmith building. Below there was an ancient monastery forge. The building is in the style I love - huge vaults, like in paintings depicting the Middle Ages and alchemists, and at the top there are monastic cells in which blacksmith monks lived. I lived in one of them with two engineers. All this stood on the bank of b. Holy Lake, very large and beautiful. The Kremlin also stands on its shore. But one sad and rainy evening the order came to move to the Kremlin. The next day after work, we dragged ourselves into a cell for 32 people, furnished in the style of a III class carriage. The society there was absolutely decent. Exclusively employees of the design bureau where I work. However, living here was not long either. Five days later I made the transition to a lower floor, already to a cell where there were 4 of us. The first of them is your husband, whom you wouldn’t recognize, he has such a long beard, the second is my roommate at the Biogarden, a mathematician and philosopher. And two more engineers. One of them is very interesting. He lived in America for a long time - about ten years, lived in Australia, sailed for ninety days on a sailing ship, saw a lot and knows how to talk about it. At the same time, it must be said that, of course, we had mutual acquaintances, whom I had lost track of for a very long time. Thus, I learned a lot about the fate of people whom I considered to have completely disappeared from my horizon. Therefore, you try to agree with each new acquaintance to see if there are any mutual acquaintances. In the morning I have to go to work by 9 o'clock. Then lunch (I forgot to say that in the morning before work there is a two-course breakfast). By 5 o'clock after lunch you will have a rest, and then back to the office. Working in an office is quite interesting. We are currently designing a brick factory. The project is interesting, but difficult, since there are very few materials. Overall, I'm pleased with the work. There I am something like a small boss. I receive about 40 rubles a month. Now you can even spend this money. There is a buffet in the office. The buffet has a small selection, but it is there. Yogurt - 20 k. glass. A round bun the size of a fist – 43 kopecks, a gingerbread measuring 6x12x4 centimeters (approximately), layered with lingonberry jam – 30 kopecks. A lot of melons were brought to the stall. They sell for 75 k. kilos. We bought and devoured 3 pieces. Very good...” 3/k, who lived in America and Australia, probably – Gendlin Evgeniy Isaakovich (1890-?), traveler, member of the RSDLP since 1904, graduated from Harvard University in the USA, after the revolution he worked there at the USSR Embassy, ​​returned to his homeland and worked at the State Publishing House. In 1931 he was arrested and convicted under Article 58–7 (sabotage). After serving his sentence, he was released in 1941 and worked in Karelia. Golovanenko Sergey Alekseevich – student of Fr. Pavel Florensky at the Moscow Theological Academy. Before his arrest, he visited the family of Fr. Pavel in Zagorsk. Derviz Elena Vladimirovna (1890–1973) – pianist, sister of Maria Vladimirovna Favorskaya (1890–1959), wife of the artist V.A. Favorsky. B memories of. Paul writes: “... the flower kingdom as a whole - I loved to the point of self-forgetfulness and believed that I could not help but love it, even if my surname, as I thought then, comes from flora, the goddess of flowers” ​​(“To My Children,” p. 113). Lobko I.A. Standardization of physical and mathematical units and quantities. Terms, designations and definitions. M.-L., 1935. Father Pavel Florensky describes his new place of residence at the Yodprom plant. The industrial production of iodine, algin and agar from seaweed was located in the building of the ancient tannery of the monastery, to which a vast two-story building was added. All the specialists involved in organizing the new production were relocated there. Father Pavel moved to a new place of residence on February 20, 1936. Florensky and Litvinov again moved into the same room. The windows of the room faced north, towards Lake Bath. R.N. also writes about this new place of residence. Litvinov (1936. II.23): “...Upstairs in a large room, next to the laboratory, “we” live. There are five of us. Of these, one is my constant companion (Florensky - Ed.), the rest are new roommates. We live quietly. The steam heating is perhaps too energetic, so it is hot to sleep under two blankets. It’s hard to sleep without a blanket. Other joys include a stove that can be heated whenever you want, a steam boiler so you can drink tea whenever you want, and pleasant views from the windows. I brought some furniture here, so I made myself comfortable. A lot of work. I’m spinning like a top – and still I don’t have time to do even half of what I need to do...” Agar (agar-agar) is a substance contained in the cell walls of red algae, widely used in the confectionery industry. R.N. writes about the work on obtaining agar-agar. Litvinov (1935. XII.16): “...What are we doing now? I must say that I am fiddling with algae. Yesterday we received the so-called agar-agar from an algae called Anfelcia plicata and, when semi-dried, feels like your hair to the touch. From it we boiled down a substance that is added to the marmalade to harden it. In general, I tinker with algae a lot. They have a pleasant smell - marine and a little heavy, and we use them to make all sorts of things - glue, varnishes, glue paper, make tracing paper and paints, etc. We are setting up production, small at first, with the idea that if it goes well, we will expand it to a grandiose scale. If it succeeds, a completely new industry will be created; if it fails, there will be valuable experience that will be useful to share. Over the past year we have written several articles that should be published. If they print it, I will try to send you a copy, if, of course, this is possible...” Thus, the first agar-agar was received on December 15 or 16, 1935. This refers to the choice of name for the expected child of Vasily and Natalia Florensky. It was not possible to find out what name was being discussed in this case. Bykov IM. We are talking about the continuation of work on the study of permafrost, which began while in exile in the Far East. The author of the portrait has not been identified. See portrait on p. 359. This refers to the book: Berard V. Les Pheniciens et L Odyyssee. T. 1, 2 – Paris, 1902–1903. This is work to determine the vanadium content. See: O.A. Zilbermints., K.P. Florensky. Field determination of vanadium // Tr. Lomonosov Institute of Geochemistry, Crystallography and Mineralogy of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1936. Issue. 7. pp. 355–361. 3/k Ivanov D.M. Portrait published: Priest Paul the Korean. Works in 4 volumes. T. 4. M., 1998, p. 417. About the same thing - R.N. Litvinov (1936.III.24): “..Things at the factory are going well, there’s a lot of work, there’s no time to read. You spin from morning to night, in a day it’s as if you haven’t done anything, but in a month you can feel the change and results. It’s curious to introduce new technology on an almost uninhabited island, creating from God knows what kind of rubbish. There are no pumps - you make a steam pumping apparatus from a boiler thrown out by the monks, the most modern fans are made from pieces of wood. Completely cured of radiotism. Our broadcast is so disgusting that when our loudspeaker was stolen, this fact was greeted with more joy than grief. I sometimes look through the Radio Front magazine, but with displeasure. Nothing interesting. I must add that we have a bit of trouble with newspapers. They happen relatively rarely, and therefore you kind of get used to them. The day keeps coming and coming. At eight o'clock in the evening the sun stands high above the frozen sea. There is no such thing as cloudless weather, and the clouds are painted in the most magnificent and delicate colors. There is a steady frost and very little frost. Spring cold northeastern winds begin. There was a day when it was quite difficult to walk. You skip along with the wind, and barely crawl against the wind. In an evaporation boiler, instead of going to the exhaust hood, the steam goes into the workshop, so that you cannot recognize a person two steps away. Our life has not changed. The same dining room, the same home, the same people, the same bathhouse. But it should be noted that with each move I move closer and closer to her. Last year the distance was about 3 kilometers, in the fall and winter it was about 15 minutes, but now it has reached three minutes...” In the memories of Fr. Paul writes about his childhood sense of mystery: “... the most worthy of attention and the most attractive for me was the clearly irrational - that which I really did not understand and that stood before me as a mysterious hieroglyph of a mysterious world” (“To My Children,” p. 83). Yudina Maria Veniaminovna (1899–1970) – pianist, professor at the Moscow Conservatory, close friend of the Florensky family. She did not interrupt communication with her family after Fr.’s arrest and exile. Pavel. Leontyev Konstantin Nikolaevich (monk Clement in secret tonsure; 1831–1891) - Russian thinker, writer, publicist. Father Pavel Florensky most likely means his most famous works of fiction - “oriental stories” and the novel “Odysseus Polychroniades”, published in 1876 in a three-volume set entitled “From the Life of Christians in Turkey.” In the book “The Pillar and Ground of Truth” (1914) Fr. Pavel mentions Leontyev. Already at that time he was familiar with many friends, Leontiev’s students and those around him in the last months of his life in Sergiev Posad: Fr. Joseph Fudel, poet and philologist A.A. Alexandrov, writer, philosopher and publicist V.V. Rozanov (a pen pal of Konstantin Nikolaevich in the last year of his life), future metropolitans Trifon (Turkestanov), Anthony (Khrapovitsky) (in the year of Leontyev’s death he was rector of the MDA) and others. In the close circle of Fr. Pavel included admirers and researchers of Leontiev’s work, in particular S.N. Durylin, who wrote a number of works about Leontiev in 1920–30, which remained unpublished, and in 1935 who published his notes “My Literary Destiny” with detailed comments. Letter about. Pavel to his wife dated 02/10/1936 testifies that he was familiar with Leontiev’s manuscripts. In the magazine “Theological Bulletin” published by the Moscow Academy of Arts in the 1910s (including during the time of the editorship of Father Paul), many letters and several works of Leontyev were first published. This refers to the expected child of Vasily and Natalia Florensky. Probably, this refers to the work of the Armenian writer Raffi, which is discussed in a letter to Florensky from the inspector of the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages ​​K. Kostanyanets dated June 5, 1916: “There is a work of the Armenian writer Raffi in the Armenian language, the so-called “Khamsay Melikutunisrep?”, i.e. description of the five Melikutyun clans...” (“To My Children,” p. 389). This is a response to a request about. Pavel, who was interested in the book as a source of information on the history of his mother’s family. Anastasia Fedorovna Khlebnikova, a dentist, a friend of the family, lived in the Florenskys’ house. Indeed, the grandson of Fr. Pavel became seriously ill (see note to the letter dated August 18–19, 1936, p. 194). Florensky describes his longest and most memorable trip - to the Kuzovsky Islands. This is the small White Sea archipelago of Kuzova, located 35 km west of Solovki. Members of the expedition visited Russian and German Kuzovs, the islands of Sredniy, Verkhniy, Varyazhny, Zhiloy, Setnoy and Lodeyny. This is Karonyan Korson Akopovich, born in 1903, executed in 1937 Florensky congratulates his mother on her last name day - St. equal to Princess Olga, which is celebrated on July 11 (24). Pionerskaya (formerly Dvoryanskaya) is a street in Zagorsk where the Florensky family lived. Grandson Fr. Pavel developed sepsis, which moved to the peritoneum and posed a serious threat to life. According to family legend, the grandson’s recovery was a miracle that happened through the prayers of Fr. Paul and the intercession of St. Seraphim of Sarov: Yu.A. Florenskaya anointed the baby with oil from the relics of St. Seraphim. This means a trip to the islands of Big and Small Muksalma. Robinson is also remembered by R.N. Litvinov, but on a different occasion: “...Here we have to remember the great islander Robinson. Due to the lack of utensils, I was forced to open a pottery workshop, due to the lack of pumps, to invent steam pulse monitors, due to the lack of bevel gears, to invent a friction transmission, etc.” (1936.IV.21). Quote from the “Introduction” to the poem by A.S. Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman”: “And not letting the darkness of the night/Into the golden skies,//One dawn replaces another//Hurries, giving the night half an hour.” Father Pavel recalls the arrival of his wife and younger children in Skovorodino in the summer of 1934 (see note to the letter dated July 2, 1934, p. 67). Inaccurate quote from V.G. Wackenroder: “Aberglaube ist besser, als Systemglaube” - “Superstition is always better than System belief” (Wackenroder V.G. About art and artists. M., 1914, p. 65). Here is what Litvinov wrote around the same time (1936.X.22): “...The weather here has also deteriorated - also because I am listening to weather reports on the broadcast. Last night I had to walk to and from the Kremlin. Cold wind, deep mud on the road, blind puddles and surf of the sea. Very creepy and uncomfortable. The lighthouse on Pesya Luda is blinking on the sea. And today the weather has improved again. Light frost, the air is so clear that the islands 35 kilometers away from us seem as close as steamships on the Volga from the escarpment. The sunset is bright crimson, and the sea is intensely blue, like the enamel on a porcelain cup. All this is so bright that it is more scary than beautiful. Tomorrow is a day off, and if there are no complications, I’ll go look for cranberries. About two weeks ago, for the first time in my life, I saw cranberries growing naturally in a moss swamp. At first I thought it was some kind of unfamiliar, perhaps poisonous, berry, but then it turned out that it was an ordinary cranberry. I have already written to you about non-perishable rowan jam, which has not had time to spoil. I'm thinking about making a second batch this evening. Something needs to be invented for consolation. I've been working on ventilation for now. Our building is very strange. The left wing is very old fashioned. Lower 16th century. This is a huge room with a stone pillar in the middle. The vaults rest on it. The second floor was built on this floor, already in the 18th century, reminiscent of the buildings of the monastery in Pechory. The right wing was built already in camp times from brick, but it is amazingly lousy both in style and in carelessness of construction. There will be no conversation about him. And in the ceiling of the ancient vaulted chamber, at one of the highest points, there was a hole. We lived and worked here for a whole year, but it never occurred to anyone to take an interest in this hole. From time to time I glanced at her. Finally, yesterday I looked at it decisively, ordered a ladder to be placed, and, taking a stick in his hands, the mason climbed to this hole to determine its depth. The stick went all the way without reaching the bottom. They took the gas pipe, and it also went away completely. Finally, they found a pole about six meters, which was buried in something. It was the floor of the attic. The duct went through the wall of the second floor, and previously there was apparently a removed exhaust pipe. I restored it, and things went well. The air became completely different. Previously, there was always steam and a bad smell. And now it's great. In addition, we managed to find another relief. In the evaporation boiler, the hood acted in the opposite way, i.e. Instead of cleaning, the steam took in cold air and threw it into the plant with steam. With the help of three old bags we managed to turn the rod. Now the air in the workshop is as clear as in April. But the end of October makes you feel very bad outside. The wind is cold and harsh. We had to seal the windows and start letting steam into the heating little by little and check the main steam paths into our radiators. As a result, the room became very warm, but there was no real warmth in other rooms. I’ll take care of this after the weekend...” This refers to a trip to Cape Pechak, the southernmost tip of the Big Solovetsky Island. Parcel sent by Fr. Pavel, it arrived, and some of the items in it are still kept in the Florensky family, and the box itself is in the museum of P.A. Florensky in Moscow The New Year was also celebrated on Solovki. This is how Yu.I describes it. Chirkov (“And it was all like this...” M., Politizdat, 1991, pp. 133–134): “We celebrated the New Year, 1937, in the library, and the day before there was a wonderful New Year’s concert - the last in the history of the Solovetsky theater. All the performers, anticipating this, played as they would before their death, giving all their strength and inspiration to the audience. How Privalov sang, how Vygodsky performed Brahms and Rachmaninov (2nd concert)! Everyone was touched and fascinated. (By the way, Rachmaninov, as a White emigrant, was banned from performing, and he was presented as Tchaikovsky). What New Year miniatures were performed by pop comedians and operetta artists! Entertainer Andreev made the audience laugh to tears, including the camp leadership, who was sitting in the “government” box. Andreev's impromptu statements were very bold and sharp. For example, he relayed a conversation between two gulls, the Solovetsky gull, which flew to the south of Europe for the winter, and the French one. The Solovetsky gull praised Solovki so much that the French gull wanted to fly there in the spring. The Solovki woman felt sorry for the French woman: “Ah! You’re sick, and you’re a foreigner, but they won’t kill you (suspicion of espionage) and you’ll lead us under the monastery (they shot us under the monastery), you won’t have to fly over the monastery. And who to look at – there are no monks – there are monks.” The Frenchwoman was upset and chirped: “Well, your Solovki to the monk.” The authorities weren't laughing here. The next day, Andreev received three days in a punishment cell. On January 2, the head of the column came and announced that all residents of the library were moving to the column. I again got the 11th cell in the second column, which was swarming with 80 people.” R.N. writes about Florensky’s economic affairs and passion for algae. Litvinov 1937.I.9: “...It must be said that essentially there is enough food here, and cooking and deep interest in this process must be caused simply by the desire to create something personal, to create your own household, something like a hearth. I personally am too lazy to do these things, and most importantly, I really don’t like washing dishes, and I don’t have enough time at all. But perhaps I can agree on this matter. My friend, with whom we run elements of the farm together, i.e. we get bread together, go to lunch together and from whom I eat meat dishes (Fr. Pavel, in fact, did not eat meat. - Ed.), and in return I give him a vinaigrette, he has long been persuading me to switch to self-cooking. But I am afraid, because he is an absent-minded person, and when he starts, for example, drying his bread for rye crackers, which he loves very much, he will definitely burn them. He is interested in the botany of algae. He looks through the microscope and sometimes shows it to me. Beautiful, but not interesting. Somehow I’m not drawn to botany.” Rhizoids are thread-like formations in algae that perform the functions of a root. So oh. Pavel names his grandson Pavel. In his memoirs, Fr. Paul writes a lot about his father, about how he wanted to create a paradise out of family life: “I said the word “paradise,” because this is exactly how I understand my father - to grow a paradise in the open field of family life, which would not be afraid of external bad weather, nor the cold and dirt of social relations, nor, it seems, death itself... The father bore all the hardships of life, but did not want to bring them into the family; and, unable to bear the burden of bearing labor alone, and grief, and the troubles of life, in order for the family to be spared them, he broke down and, when he saw the unfulfillment of his life, he lost his balance, both physical and spiritual... the family was his idol, his god, and he was its priest and victim” (“To My Children,” p. 25). The reasons for this lack of implementation. Pavel saw that “...their (parents. - Ed.) worldview, which was an attempt by the family to overcome the nihilism that surrounded them in the days of their youth, itself harbored the “poisons of nihilism”” (p. 26), since the family was built precisely “in an open field”, without connections with the past, with ancestors, with faith. Restoring this connection will be the conscious work of Fr. Pavel. Sergiev Posad, where the Florensky family lived since 1910, and P.A. himself. Florensky settled in 1904, after entering the Moscow Theological Academy, in 1930 it was renamed Zagorsk, in honor of the revolutionary V.M. Zagorsky (present, last name – Lubotsky, 1883–1919). This is probably Zelikman Viktor Grigorievich, mathematician, b. 1911, shot in 1937 Anna Mikhailovna Florenskaya's father is Giatsintov Mikhail Fedorovich (1850–1893). We are talking about the book: V.E. Evgeniev-Maximov. "Contemporary" in the 40s and 50s. L., 1934. This refers to the article by N. A. Nekrasov “Russian minor poets of 55–56.” Father Pavel was outraged in Nekrasov’s article by the fact that, along with D.V. Venevitinov (1805–1827; romantic poet, Schellingian) and V.P. Botkin (1811/12–1869; poet, writer, critic) included his favorite lyricist Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev (1803–1873) and Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet (Shenshin) (1820–1892) among the minor poets. In 1937, the centenary of the death of A. S. Pushkin was celebrated (January 29/February 11, 1837), so newspapers and magazines were filled with publications about the life and work of the poet. Stanzas XL-XLII of the fourth chapter of the novel in verse by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin". The Solovetsky winds were described in his memoirs by Yu.I. Chirkov: “Kotlyarevsky said that once on a stormy day at the beginning of winter, when wet snow was falling thickly in large flakes, he met Florensky and Litvinov on the way to the Kremlin. The learned men trudged heavily towards the wind, leaning on long sticks. Their hats, beards, and faces were covered with snow. They stopped, wiped their glasses and moved on, still talking. Several times, under the pressure of a storm, they fell on ice covered with snow. Kotlyarevsky helped them get up, and Pavel Aleksandrovich joked and talked about the prospects of using wind energy” (Chirkov Yu.I. And it was all like that... M., 1991). This wasn't just a joke. See: Florensky P.A. World energy reserves. // “Electrification”, 1925, N1, p. 10–16, which says that the energy of the future is the energy of the sun, thermal and wind. After 1933, these ideas were propagated by A.I. Ioffe. G.P. Kotlyarevsky - s/k, Ukrainian philologist, died in 1937. P.A. Florensky reassures loved ones. R.N. At the same time, Litvinov quickly notes (1937.I.23): “...Things with the plant have become so-so: it is being liquidated. Thus, the good streak seems to end. There will be a liquidation period for some time, and then there will be an unpleasant time, because there will be nowhere to work. And in this case, life is unimportant both in terms of housing and food. It was very good here. Living was spacious and calm. And the food is decent. But I don’t want to move to the Kremlin at all. That's all the news... This could essentially be the end of the letter, but I don't want to leave so much empty paper. Our weather has finally cooled down. The frosts have begun, although not so severe, in any case, there is no need to lower the headphones. There are few clouds. At night, the moon dims the northern lights; but at night I sit at home more, since I have nowhere to go. What kind of trips – to see friends? I don’t want to go to the Kremlin, I don’t go to the theater, except maybe once a week you go to classes and leave from there at 10 o’clock, but I believe that the courses will stop, and, in the absence of it, I won’t have to go to the Iodprom. But what will happen is a dark matter; one should not look ahead. If anything happens, I will describe it in a timely manner. But in case of unemployment, the number of letters per month decreases, even to one... Today was a very confused day. Everyone was very worried about the liquidation of our Iodine Industry. But now it has become clear that the liquidation will take quite a long time, and there is no reason to look into the distant future. Not everything, in fact, is necessarily done for the worse. Essentially, we would be healthy and well-fed, and the rest would somehow work out...” Oleg Georgievna Koniashvili (1913–1994) – niece of Fr. Pavel Florensky, daughter of his sister Elizaveta Alexandrovna. In 1962, Olga Georgievna handed over to P.V. Florensky letters to P.A. Florensky in Tiflis and many other family documents. This began the systematic preparation for printing the manuscripts of Fr. Pavel. Then this was done in great secrecy. Makharadze Irina Didimovna (b. 1931) – granddaughter of Fr.’s elder sister. Pavel Florensky, Elizaveta Alexandrovna. Daughter of Olga Georgievna Koniashvili and Didim Varlamovich Makharadze. About this - Litvinov (1937.II.22): “We installed a new pipe, a new boiler, we put more and more new units into the plant, we improve the quality, and all the time you come across something new. All this is very interesting, but all the time there is an involuntary feeling of dissatisfaction, because you know that by the summer everything will be over and abandoned. It’s hard to imagine what will happen to me. There are tons of possibilities. If I stay here, I’ll probably be able to get a job in the laboratory, if it’s still there. They can take it out. But the mainland is large and there are very remote places, some of which are not very pleasant. Therefore, even the possibility of export is not essentially very tempting. But all this is in the uncertain future, and for now there is no need to think about the prospects, especially since there will probably be exactly what you don’t expect.” It is interesting that the chapter “Early Childhood” of his memoirs about. Paul called it a “Secluded Island,” referring to life in his father’s house, taking place away from the life around him: “... our life was life on a secluded island, for we did not particularly like people and tried to stay aloof. People would have been the thieves of the purity, equanimity and rigor of this island paradise, and therefore they were only patient, and only for the time being” (“To My Children,” p. 25). The stay on Solovki - everything is colored by memories of childhood, family, in the last letters of Fr. Pavel tells dreams where he dreams of his mother, father, sisters and brothers, his children - against this background, the appearance of the image of a “solitary island”, of course, is not accidental, despite all the “remoteness” of this island from the “island” of memories. N.I. Bykov returned to Moscow in 1937 due to illness. In May 1937, the Yodprom plant was closed, and iodine production was transferred to Zhizhigin Island, not far from the Solovetsky archipelago. This was due to the transformation of the Solovetsky camp into the Solovetsky Special Purpose Prison (STON), and the regime for keeping prisoners was tightened. R.N. Litvinov - about the closure of the plant (1937.V.5): “The work of the plant is coming to an end. We have already started sorting the goods, we are already packing, finishing the last tanks, handing over equipment that is no longer needed, in general a form of complete demobilization. And the weather is getting better, there are no clouds, and this year they are waiting for the ship... and even earlier than usual 15–20, 10 days earlier. I wrote a report on the production of iodine, made diagrams and drawings and now I am waiting for the last ... hours of the plant. What will happen next is a dark matter. Many expected ... that a lot of people would be taken away this year, but there seemed to be no evidence of real order. In any case, we can definitely say that it’s bad to live without work, but there are no prospects for it yet. And this means worse food and no income. Previously, this had another disadvantage - the lack of credits, but now it doesn’t matter, because there are none anyway. On the island, job prospects are more than vague. It is possible that I may have to leave. So everything is still very uncertain and I hope that the situation will be clearer in the coming letters. Although, if in particular much is unclear, then in general everything is certain. In some way, one way or another, but I have to sit, and this does not mean that I have lost heart. In the days when I was preparing to leave Gorky, Graz told me that in 1937 we could count on the end of the misadventures. I somehow thought that this would be the case. But now it looks like he miscalculated. But what will happen ahead is still unknown, and let’s hope for the best.” On May 13, prisoner Florensky was transferred to the Kremlin in prison conditions. First about. Pavel was placed in the same cell with former Yodprom employees, probably in the Chobotnaya ward. The last cell in which Fr. lived. Pavel, according to the oral testimony of Yu.I. Chirkova, was located on the second floor of the Viceroyal Cell Building, at the Herring Gate. In his memoirs, Yu.I. Chirkov writes: “In the cell where Florensky lived, on the bedside table there were photographs of his loved ones. Before going to bed, after prayer, he looked at these photographs for several minutes, as if wishing his family good night” (Yu. I. Chirkov. Prisoner at fifteen years old. - Veteran, N 11 (115) from 12–18.III. 1990). The museum was created by prisoners based on materials from the monastery and local history collections; The Solovetsky Society of Local History worked at the museum. The museum was located in the gateway church of the Annunciation, on the section of the gallery from the church to the north to the spinning tower, as well as in the Transfiguration Cathedral. Opened in 1925, closed due to the liquidation of the camp and prison. Fr. especially loved this hour. Pavel, this is also the hour of his birth. “And so, in the middle of the steppe, in the wilderness, I was born on January 9, 1882, in the evening, around seven o’clock - at the hour that has always been my favorite. This evening hour between six and seven has always been my hour, and to this day there is nothing sweeter, sweeter and more mystical for me, in a good way, than this hour of transparency, peace and the coming coolness. Evening star that lights up, fire at dusk” (“To My Children,” p. 30). Miku’s riddles are in the same letter: “Dear Miku, here’s a riddle for you: what is the name of one scientist written with three soft signs? Another question: what color is chlorophyll? Third question: when was Russia going to annex England? Once a former student (alas!) approached me with a question and asked: “There were two Spinozas, one Baruch, the other Benedict. Which of the two was especially remarkable? I felt ashamed, why? You don’t have to write me answers, but tell them to mommy.” The glazed veranda on the third floor - the choir in the Church of the Annunciation - is located above the holy gates, in the northern wing: its window overlooks Blagopoluchiya Bay. Entire pages of memories of Fr. are dedicated to the sea. Pavel. “I spent my childhood and adolescence in constant and insatiable, and never insatiable, contemplation of the sea... I remember my childhood impressions and I am not mistaken in them: on the seashore I felt face to face with my dear, lonely, mysterious and endless Eternity, from which everything flows and into which everything returns. She called me, and I was with her... I loved the sea for its mystery. There was an inner closeness between him and me” (“To My Children,” pp. 45–61). It is interesting that at first the sea around Solovki o. Pavel perceived him aloofly, considered him lifeless, uninteresting, and rarely speaks about him. But in recent letters descriptions of the sea appear, incl. reminiscent of a sea of ​​childhood memories (the description of the play of light on the sea in the same letter is very close to the description of the sea in the chapter “Pier”, [pp. 52–53], where the image of a “living grid” also appears - the play of light on the surface of the sea), although in the memories of Fr. Paul will write: “I can no longer see that sea, the blissful sea of ​​blissful childhood—except in myself. It probably went where time goes - into the realm of noumena. But this noumenon was once truly seen, smelled, and heard by me. And I know more firmly than I know everything else that I learned later, that my knowledge is truer and deeper, although it has left me, gone, but still with me” (p. 50). Exactly who does Fr. mean? Pavel, not established. These could be Istomin Pyotr Vladimirovich, Meshchersky Ivan Sergeevich or Durnovo Nikolai Nikolaevich (the largest linguist), who were serving exile in Solovki at that time. You might be interested in: