Yuri Solomonovich Krymov
Yuri Solomonovich Krymov, born Iurii Solomonovich Beklemishev on January 6, 1908, in St. Petersburg, Russia, was a Russian writer and radio engineer. Coming from a literary family, Krymov adopted his mother’s surname to navigate the prevalent anti-Semitic prejudices of his time. He developed an early love for science and literature, which shaped his later writings. Krymov graduated from Moscow State University in 1930, specializing in radio technology, and began his career as a radio engineer. His literary debut, the novel "Tanker Derbent" (1938), garnered him recognition and depicted the journey of a Communist official who rises to leadership aboard a tanker. Despite his initial success, subsequent works did not achieve the same acclaim. His promising career was tragically cut short when he was killed in 1941 during World War II while serving in the Soviet military, leaving behind a poignant last letter to his wife. Krymov's legacy is marked by his unique narrative style and the exploration of Soviet life through his characters.
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Yuri Solomonovich Krymov
Writer
- Born: January 6, 1908
- Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Russia
- Died: September 20, 1941
- Place of death:
Biography
Yuri Solomonovich Krymov was the pseudonym of Iurii Solomonovich Beklemishev, who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on January 6, 1908. His father was one of the founders of the Shipovnik publishing house, while his mother, Vera Evgen’evna Beklemisheva, was a writer and translator. Because his father was Jewish and anti-Semitic prejudice was common in Russia at the time, young Krymov chose to adopt his mother’s surname so he could present himself as a Russian. Although he was somewhat sickly as a child, he grew up in a lively literary family and made frequent trips to the Crimea, where he learned an appreciation for wildlife, and he collected insects and plant specimens. Krymov took his pseudonym from Krym, the Russian word for Crimea.
His happy family began to fall apart at the beginning of World War I, when his father joined the Russian army and headed for the front. His mother remained in St. Petersburg with him until 1917, at which time they fled to the hinterland, finally settling in Moscow. Although his father later came to Moscow with his publishing business, his parents’ marriage was over. Young Krymov attended an experimental school in Moscow which awakened in him a love for science, particularly physics. He also read widely in Russian literature, and he began to write at an early age, particularly letters to various friends and relatives. His mother gathered many of his letters in a notebook, but it was subsequently lost. He also wrote brief literary sketches of people he met and places he visited.
In 1930, he graduated from Moscow State University, specializing in radio technology, and took a position as a radio engineer. In 1936, he sailed on a tanker in the Caspian Sea, a job that gave him the inspiration for his first novel Tanker “Derbent” (1938; Tanker Derbent, a Tale, 1944), which established his literary reputation. In the novel, he explored the story of an ordinary Communist official who becomes a leader aboard his tanker and inspires his team to work more energetically, rising above mere bureaucratic obstacles. Krymov’s characters are notable for their lack of corporeal presence; he never describes their bodies, except in infirmity.
Krymov sought to follow the success of his first novel with others, but although he tried to portray the various types of Soviet people, his subsequent works were not as well received. His literary career was brought to an abrupt end with the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Called to serve his country, he was shot and killed in 1941 while trying to cover for his retreating comrades. His last letter to his wife was in his pocket as he fell, and it bears the tears of an enemy bayonet and the stains of his own blood.