Aleksandr Ignat'evich Tarasov-Rodionov
Aleksandr Ignat'evich Tarasov-Rodionov was a significant figure in early Soviet literature and politics, born in 1885. A devoted member of the Communist Party since 1905, he played an active role in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and commanded Red Army divisions during the subsequent civil war. Following his military service, he served as an examining magistrate for the Supreme Tribunal of the Soviet Union from 1921 to 1924. Tarasov-Rodionov was a passionate advocate for proletarian literature and co-founded the October literary group, which aimed to produce works that supported the working class and the ideals of communism. His literary contributions include the controversial novel "Shokolad," which faced criticism for its portrayal of Soviet society. As he expressed doubts about the party's direction in works like "Trava i krov," he increasingly attracted scrutiny from the government. His literary career effectively ended with the publication of "Fevral," which led to his arrest, and he ultimately disappeared under uncertain circumstances. Despite the controversies surrounding his work and life, Tarasov-Rodionov's establishment of the October Literary Group remains a notable achievement in the context of Soviet literature.
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Aleksandr Ignat'evich Tarasov-Rodionov
Writer
- Born: October 7, 1885
- Birthplace: Astrakhan, Russia
- Died: September 3, 1938
- Place of death:
Biography
Aleksandr Tarasov-Rodionov was born in 1885. In 1905, he joined the Communist Party, devoting himself to its principles and quickly becoming a willing supporter and member. Tarasov- Rodionov was an active participant in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Proving himself a loyal Communist after the revolution, he gained good standing within the party and was given command of the Red Army divisions during the civil war. After his military career ended, Tarasov-Rodionov served as an examining magistrate for the Supreme Tribunal of the Soviet Union from 1921 to 1924.
During his time as examining magistrate, Tarasov-Rodionov became interested in writing as a method of promoting the cause of the proletariat. He and like minded party members and writers, including Yuri Libedinsky, formed the October literary group toward the end of 1922. The group was made up entirely of communist party members and strove to create and promote pure proletarian literature which would further the goals of communism and the proletariat. In its manifesto, the October group called for literature that inspired and supported the psychology and consciousness of the working class, and in doing so, promoted the proletariat as the reorganizer of the modern world and defender of communist societies. The group opposed any form of bourgeois literature emphatically.
In 1922, Tarasov-Rodionov published Shokolad (chocolate), which is the story of a local chairman of a small Cheka who is arrested under false charges. The chairman is accused of bribery, corruption, and having an affair with a ballerina turned counterrevolutionary spy. Although a tribunal finds him innocent of all charges, he is publicly shot to death to set an example for the masses to follow. The novel was met with great controversy. It was said to depict a false reality and was accused of possessing fundamental ideological errors.
Tarasov-Rodionov, like many Bolsheviks, began to question the direction in which their party was going and disagree with certain decisions that were being made. Tarasov-Rodionov was able to bravely, although dangerously, express these concerns and doubts through his novel Trava i krov (blood and grass), in 1924. The novel raised suspicions about Tarasov-Rodionov loyalties and objections.
In 1928, Tarasov-Rodionov published Fevral (February), which was written as the first volume in what would have been a series of autobiographical historic novels about the Bolshevik revolution, which was to be titled Tyazheliye shagi (heavy steps). With this latest publication, however, the government accused Tarasov-Rodionov of misrepresenting the Party and its role during the revolution, marking the end of his literary career. He was labeled a “graphomaniac Trotskyite,” despite having published an article in 1919, in which he called for a more powerful and efficient Soviet Army and leadership, and for which Trotsky called him “idle-minded.” Tarasov- Rodionov was arrested shortly after the publication of Fevral and never heard from again. It was rumored he had been “rehabilitated” and released, while others believed he was executed.
Tarasov-Rodionov’s founding of the October Literary Group was his greatest contribution to literature.