********************** Before the court of history **********************
Boris ZAVGORODNY
ABOUT YOURSELF, ABOUT THE "WANDERER", AND ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE NEAR YOU
Until...
I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing else
truth!
* * *
I remember, oh, how well I remember - I was born in St. Petersburg! And don't
Take me at my word... I know - then it was called Leningrad.
I remember how I was kidnapped from my hometown... and together with my parents,
children, grandchildren and a wonderful SF library settled in the distant
Volgograd, which became my second home for many, many years.
noah... Uh, what can I say...
But the time has come, and I returned to my homeland. My homeland accepted -
took it, warmed it up, put it to work, and the rest, she said, should be applied -
tsya. In short - everything is like everyone else.
* * *
- Do you respect me? - asked Stolyarov.
- I respect you! - I answered.
“Then take the Wanderer,” he said.
- No! - I said.
- Are you cowardly!? - asked Stolyarov.
“No,” I said. “I’m not a coward... but I’m afraid.” I'm afraid not
I can handle it!
“We will help you,” Stolyarov promised...
* * *
That's how it all started. Honorary position of responsible
I took over the secretary of “Strannik” from Chertkov. “Fu-u,” said And.
ray, wiping his brow and handing it to me. “It’s a bad start,”I said
smiling. But there was trouble. Dashing. I realized with horror - how much had I read?
from science fiction in the last two years? And for a member of the nomination committee
The “Wanderer” commission is the main thing! What did you read there! I don't
I even knew what, where and when it was published! And the old man bowed
Zavgorodny at the feet of old man Nikolaev - give me the nomination list
Watch "The Bronze Snail". There is a list - but where can I get the books?
We started buying, we started collecting. Thanks to Berezhny, thanks to Si-
Dorovich, thanks to Yutanov, thanks to everyone else: that we were able to - to-
began... read... discussed... And the work began to boil - but this is already
a completely different story.
* * *
People often ask me: “How do you work as a secretary at Stranni-
ka"? And what kind of "Wanderer" is this that you can say
about this?" The question is, of course, interesting, and I answer...
* * *
Having accepted such a responsible position, I began to think.
boko! Okiyan! How to make it so that it doesn’t happen... And vice versa, so that
it was... everything was - or light!
What did I know about The Wanderer by that time? Well, they hand him a long
little-legged girls from the ears, well, our respected science fiction writers accept it,
Well, for some reason the fans are making waves for him... Girls, or something, for the men
didn't like it? So this is a matter of taste!
I think, I think, I think - and I understand: it’s time to work.
First. The regulations on the “Wanderer” need to be improved! What andI spend all my free time from work. In consultation with members of the Ju-
ri, with Chertkov, with other good people.
Second. I am doing archive work, recording everything that happens on
meetings of the nominating commission - proposals, discussions, conclusions.
And I offer myself - what, in my opinion, the “Wanderer” needs. And how
It’s not strange, sometimes I meet mutual understanding. Need advertising "Countries"
Nika", we need as many people as possible to know about him - about
what is it, why is all this started. And for every suggestion I make -
I hear from those around me: yes! Yes!! YES!!! So you do this...
And I understand why this “Wanderer” is so attractive to me - but because...
Why is he so literary, so professional...
Third. I'm starting to collect the Wanderer library. I'm calling from the publisher
tel. Some respond. And some are even generous. I walk around
trays. Selling. The library is growing.
And time goes by - the composition of the nomination committee has changed half
mission, now I need to bring people up to date. However,
no problem: Sidorovich, Kashirin, Pereslegin are all experienced people.
Changes are also taking place in the Jury - Kir Bulychev left (very, very
it’s a pity - there aren’t so many masters working in “Strannik”), Mikhail
Weller entered. One thing is bad - even though it’s a hundred and fifty kilometers, it’s already
such Far Abroad. At least take books to him in a submarine
dke...
Meanwhile, the Krasnoyarsk members of the Jury, living almost
next door - AndreyLazarchuk and Mikhail Uspensky - rocked it even more
One good initiative is the genre awards for The Wanderer. Working
Well done guys - without them these awards probably wouldn’t start soon
would be awarded! And for me it’s a joy - there’s still more work to do! Prin-
The point is: different bonuses are needed! Different bonuses are important! This is mine.
And the second one is from Stolyarov, and is simple to the point of genius: everything there is...
dem! And so, having called BNS, I set up the first meeting with the nominee -
tion Commission "Strannik".
* * *
Of all the varieties life offers me, I choose what
what I like, what my soul strives for, what will bring
benefit of native fiction. And your shakes will shake off...
* * *
There were many meetings of the nomination commission during this time -
it’s not difficult to forget some details, miss something, something
mix up. But, thank God, I’m a thorough person, I keep protocols
detailed, and I will tell you about everything - what was, is and will be.
October 18, 1994. First meeting. We are sorting out organizational issues.
I'm giving away books from the list of applicants - read them. We agree,
that for the next meeting all those present will bring their seven
positions in the “Wanderer” genre awards.
December 9, 1994. Second meeting. We are sorting out organizational issues.
We decide on the names of genre awards. We are discussing nomination lists
ki. I distribute books.
December 25, 1994.Third meeting. We approve the nomination
nal lists of genre awards. I distribute books.
January 16, 1995. Session four. First meeting in
New Year. First discussion of the "big" "Wanderer". Almost there -
com we prepare nomination lists (except for artists). Time
I give you books.
February 23, 1995. Fifth meeting. Finally approved
I’m eating the nomination list for “The Wanderer” in all eight categories.
I distribute books.
Between meetings, the work is daily and routine - collecting
books, mail out books, print, seal and send
information letters with the nomination lists of "The Wanderer" - to everyone who
got nominated and other good people - and, of course, blanc -
ki for voting - to the members of the Jury. So that no one leaves offended.
And the three finalists are already approaching - and all over again...
* * *
Well, you say, Komsomol-Party meeting. Masonic lodge,
building walls from bricks of books read. Well, serious!
And you will be wrong. There is always room for a joke in life.
I make an appointment for Sunday - because Kashi is coming -
Rin from Moscow. Stolyarov happily supports me. BNS doubt-
Yes, it's Sunday after all. We persuade him together. Finally,
Strugatsky agrees. Stolyarov does not come. Firstly, because
that he is no longer a member of the nomination committee. Secondly, Sunday,
Holy day, what work?..
We giveworthy of the title of genre awards. Krasnoyarsk residents dream:
I wish every laureate had a real sword. We pick up:
“Moonlight Sword”, “Sword in the Stone”, “Sword of Rumata”... We joke: “The Sword in Rumata-
those", "Sword in a tomato"...
Nikolaev insistently demands that the members of the Jury give accurate
division of genres. We are arguing about criteria. We argue for a long time. One and a half
hours. We come to the obvious: we are the nominating committee, ourselves and
we will determine in each specific case. After all, it’s clear - like two -
wait two three. Then we spend a long time trying to persuade Andrey not to take off the magazine
"Two hundred" from the nomination list for the category "editor/composer"
Vitel" - this is not the "yellow press", as the rude
Stolyarov...
One day I arrive at a meeting before everyone else and joyfully announce
Strugatsky that today he will be given a book of journalistic works by Rybako-
va, which was released by Berezhnoy and Nikolaev as an appendix to
"Two hundred." Strugatsky likes the news. Then Rybakov comes with
Nikolaev and it turns out that I ruined their buzz and sported a sudden
ny surprise. However, this is no longer funny...
This is how, day after day, the years go by, my work as
the most responsible secretary of the "Wanderer", this is how these are written
lines, what, as I already said, I swear, and what I didn’t say
- not a word of lie. What can they confirm, refute or supplement?
participants of our meetings - member of the nomination committee Andrey Ni-
kolaev andindependent witness Sergei Berezhnoy - with his hand on
another number "Two Hundred". Or, failing that, the Bible.
* * *
But seriously, what do I think about “The Wanderer”, its merits
and shortcomings?
The undoubted merit of "The Wanderer" is that our dear science fiction writers have
finally read each other - contrary to the old saying "chuk-
cha not a reader..." And even foreign authors, of which some
which, indeed, deserve attention. We know this - Gibson,
like, goat! In any case, no more... I won’t indicate
finger.
The Founding Fathers conceived the "Strannik" Prize as a Russian
a Russian analogue of the Nebula - even if only a very approximate one. Yes
After all, we don’t live in America. But I don’t remember anything that
the local fans were very offended by the local writers who
suddenly they began to judge and scold their fellow workers. And this is exactly what
There is a second positive quality of the "Wanderer". Professional
the work requires professional assessment. And by this I am by no means
I belittle the opinions of the fans, to which I myself belong. We evaluate according to
to another. More emotional, right?
Yes, “The Wanderer” still lacks a lot - it needs to expand the community
tav Jury. Necessarily! What will be done is already being done.
"Strannik" needs to expand the composition of the jury categories - part -
this work has been done, the proof of which is four genre-specific
missions who are inthe first, but not the last, I hope, once they will be presented -
took place the other day at the Krasnoyarsk Sibcon.
There is a lot that is still needed - but the main thing, the most important thing is that already
done - "The Wanderer" is alive! "Wanderer" is growing! More and more
publishing houses and editorial offices are willing to cooperate with him. It is understood that
noe: “The Wanderer” is a workshop prize. His task is to defend the market, our
market, for our own writers. Their success is the success of the publishers,
success of booksellers.
Well, as for the future, that’s what it will show. I think that
We need some kind of fund. Like the fund of the same notorious "Nebula",
which, as far as I know, exists on shop money -
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association of America.
But our writers are not so rich that from their funny
royalties are also paid for bonuses. That’s why such a fund is possible
created here only with contributions from publishers and booksellers. Those who
thinks about the future. And this is precisely why conventions like
the famous "Interpresscon" - where all parties meet
zheski, on equal terms and can jointly think about this future and
bring him closer.
Sincerely yours -
Executive secretary of the literary professional award
"Wanderer" and hereditary Petersburger
Boris Zavgorodniy
...and after, but before
("SIBCON"-2)
Still an amazing city - rivers, rivers, embankments, canals and
-stones, stones, stones. And they say. You used to go to work, and
poems appear in my head by themselves, so, you know, solemn,
type:
When your heart is heavy,
And it's cold in my chest,
To the steps of the Hermitage
Come at dusk...
And you used to go after work, tired - but where to go.
You come to these very steps and such melancholy falls that
I want to throw everything to hell and go to that same Uryu-
Pinsk and live there happily ever after. But Uryupinsk Uryupinsk, and
It was at such a moment that a trip to Krasnoyarsk, to the Sib-
con". Officially, this event was called: Fanta Festival
sticky notes "Siberia, XXI century". And the eternal St. Petersburg bad weather was forgotten, and
the bad mood and other homelessness went away, and all thoughts took over
questions: where is Krasnoyarsk? is this further from Uryupinsk or closer?
what's the time difference? what's the weather like there? and there they drink vodka-
will we fight or why? But the closer to the meeting, the more
answers, the clearer. Uryupinsk is closer, Krasnoyarsk is further, and this is a fact
geographical. And for the starting point here and in the future you need
take St. Petersburg. This is an axiom! And the time difference is already 4 hours -
sa.Or just? And most importantly, you can only get there by plane! And you-
You can drink beer, but that’s not the main thing, they taught me. And in general the installation
like this - we’re flying to do something - present the genre “Wanderers”. ANDfrom
Seven people are flying to St. Petersburg: I, as the secretary of the “Wanderer”, Andrey
Stolyarov, as a member of the jury of "The Wanderer", and Andrei Chertkov, as a cor-
respondent and representative of the SF magazine "If" - this is the first Petersburg
the wave of landing in Krasnoyarsk. And we fly for several days
more - find out, scout, prepare everything. We took off on the evening of the 17th,
and sat down on the morning of March 18th. How time flies - an hour in two, how
at war! The second wave arrived a little later: Yana Ashmarina, Vyache-
Slav Rybakov and Andrey Izmailov in the role of the most popular writer
for all times and peoples. Well, the main general - Nik Yutanov -
flew in before the presentation of prizes and flew away after the banquet, just like
Moscow book merchant Alex Kashirin - time, you know,
it is money!
And our flight was truly interesting. Lovely girl flight attendants
They fed me a little, then they poured me champagne, then one more -
after I handed them Stolyarov’s autographed books - and for-
That’s why we share our favorite with Chertkov “Okhta” (this is such a St. Petersburg
fruit vodka - cheap, but with a guarantee, I recommend) opened. Ahh
under the wing of the plane the green sea of ta-aiga is singing about something...
So they arrived unnoticed. And there Efanov himself meets us, and there
Lazarchuk himself pours it for us, and there is a meeting place on the banks of the Yeni-
sowing, which, as everyone knows, cannot be changed, and there is no desire to -
The place is really pleasant, pine trees, you know, snow and so on.
That's how we areended up in the very center of Asia, as we were later informed -
Li. I haven’t flown that far yet! At first, the very thought of it
scared me, and then nothing, I got used to it, I remembered that in Siberia, too,
there will be bugs and somehow it’s even more fun, you know.
So, "Sibcon"-2. We deduce and understand - that means there was a "Sib-
con"-1? Yes, I was! And exactly two years ago! And I remember: Zhenya Lukin
I was so eager, so eager, I kept trying, naive, to borrow money from me
ticket. I did better - I bought a guitar with them, wine and arranged
such a microvolgacon! Or maybe not better. But how to accentuate
said one of the main organizers of Sibcon, Andrey Lazarchuk:
"Sibcons" is a purely writers' meeting and there is nothing for the fans to do there -
wow, what could I do then? And now? Now I'm at
positions, but the matter is with me, and I myself am in Krasnoyarsk! Before that,
True, I had to work hard: I called everyone - and more than once,
explain to everyone - and not twice, agree on everything with everyone and with whom
we need to hurry up. And fly to Krasnoyarsk, having in hand
in the chatted envelopes are the results of the voting of the genre "Wanderers".
But there are still a few days before the counting, before the presentation - work, fun,
and I, as always, am ready! In the meantime, since we are the first, we meet the
visiting: Gennady Prashkevich, Mikhail Mirkes, Vladimir Klimenko
and two businessmen-negotiators Pasman and Shuvalov from Novosibirsk
ska, Braider and Chadovich from Minsk, Zhenya Lukin fromVolgograd,
Seryozha Lukyanenko from Almaty, Oleg Pulya and Eduard Gevorkyan
from Moscow, Yulia Burkina and the lovely correspondent Tatyana from
Tomsk, Dima Gromov from Kharkov, Boris Stern and custodian
his body Sasha Nikolaenko from Kyiv... mentioned, uh-uh, I think
everyone. As you can see, it’s quite an international meeting! And as for
other people present, including the lovely local librarians,
shi, who took patronage over us, and local fans, and local bigwigs
big business, and even San Sanych Bushkov himself announced a couple of times -
sya, all sort of quiet, with a sarcastic grin. Yes, sir, rare
guest is now at our meetings - and why would that be? This is the og-
the wounded and temporary contingent gathered on the Krasnoyarsk land
le. What were we doing there, you ask? I will answer: there was a discovery in
regional central library - there, by the way, I first saw
Bushkov, who disappeared from our fan horizon so long ago, were
various performances in libraries, institutes, technical schools, etc.
Andrey Chertkov, for example, went to Atomgrad (or, as it is called
officially - Krasnoyarsk-26), they produce such an expensive one there, but so-
What weapons-grade plutonium is unnecessary now. And I returned from there pleasantly
stricken in both senses. This, he says, is a preserve of socialism
- a city behind barbed wire! I tried to quietly find out from
him, how is the conversion going, are local craftsmen making crafts there,
somea new type of washing machine, the kind that washes
everything and everything and cleaned up, but Chertkov did not admit, or he doesn’t know,
or... And I performed, no matter how strange it seemed to me. And I did
this is something like this: I politely greeted and invited all the girls
after the end of the lecture, we went to the sauna, which was waiting for us at the base.
Usually they didn’t ask me questions after that, and if that didn’t
could, then I had to start talking about my meetings with
H.G. Wells: a well-known writer was, I told the audience,
a most interesting person, though for some reason he didn’t like Lenin, he was all
called him a Mlevsky dreamer. And to prove my words, I
shook the famous book by Stern. Well, I said, this fact is even in
literature is displayed. Sometimes questions from sweet and trusting listeners
lines put me at a dead end, as it happened to me in food technology -
kume, and I answered the question with a question - pointing to the stand, on which
the torus depicted heroes of Russian literature - where is Mumu? This
amazed everyone - Mumu was really absent from the stand - mo-
Maybe she was temporarily away on her dog business? But I hate it
they fell behind, I would even say, with such respect. Particularly sufficient
I was wondering why I’m not a writer, but among writers there are
further. Here we had to take the authority of our brothers to our aid
Strugatsky and tell stories about how hard and difficult it is -
to be a professional reader, regardlessno matter what we're going to
bright and happy... which, unlike my friend Kostya,
specialist of a narrow profile, I am a specialist of a broad profile, that
It’s for this hard work that I now receive money, which... In our
In St. Petersburg we are raising culture, especially SF, to unprecedented heights.
that... And they listened to me, and they clapped for me, no, it was just a holiday
some kind! There was also a sauna, although only once. And we sat there with
Prashkevich on the top shelf, and steamed, they thought that, supposedly,
They, the dolphins, probably also have their own fans, what do they care?
probably, as well as we feel good... and there is one dolphin swimming there with a half-
with a semolina flipper - continued Gennady Martovich, then I couldn’t stand it and
went to drink beer with the simple and unpretentious name “Drink Beer.”
And time passed, sparkling with flashes of mine and two of Nikolaenkov’s
cameras. And the climax was approaching, that is, the happy time
knitting. Having invited Eduard Vachaganovich as co-chairman of the counting committee
mission, appointing Andrei Chertkov to perform the duties of a human-
computer at the counting commission, and obliged Sasha Nikolaenko to be
at the same time as a silent witness, forcing him to give
terrible Armenian oath to Gevorkyan, we retired and began
count. And the results immediately appeared. The results are of interest -
worthy, but for the time being we kept them in our
hearts. However, it’s already the day of the presentation - time flies, time
how it fliesoh my god - in the regional library, one of the sponsors
Sibcon's ditch, by the way! For now, we're warming up
beer, smoking, chatting, and then Sashka Nikolaenko discovers
house next to the sign of the Krasnoyarsk FSK and proposes to perpetuate
me against her background - a sort of Zavgar with a badik in one hand and a bottle -
some beer in the other. Said - done - flash - moment immortalized,
and from the direction of the library a messenger is already flying: - Boris Alexandro -
Vich, call for you,” and quietly adds: Urgently! And in the voice of pa-
Nick. Slowly, finishing my beer, I limp towards the library, to the phone: -
Hello? - And in response: - Boris Alexandrovich, we are here, you know, in a sweat
faces, and you here, you know, are some kind of circus! Not serious! - And long
beep. Everything is clear. Everyone has their own job. I go out and explain to the guys -
there, we laugh, we are surprised, we look at that same building and notice
its facade has two cameras, which, as you know, always look out into the world.
Well, then it’s time to wander under the spotlights of local television, fortunately
I'm not the only one, it would be interesting to see it in real life, and it begins
what we all came together for. The hall is filled with ordinary readers,
there are almost no fans, it’s somehow even unusual, but on the podium everyone is a pro,
pro, pro...Various performances, congratulations, surprises. First
- Krasnoyarsk residents like the writer Andrei Izmailov most to their taste and from now on -
not forever and ever, for which he is immediately awarded a million! Millionaire
- rustles around the hall. Izmailov is happy for now.By the time he leaves home he's already
demoted - half certain. We are happy too, but it’s strange: he
our joy is not joy. Prizes are brought onto the stage. Real swords
- sharp, sparkling with steel and gilding, in a sheath upholstered in leather -
Well, it's just brilliant! And Gennady Prashkevich announces the laureates: “Sword
Rumata" goes to Sergei Lukyanenko for the novel "Knights of the Forty Ost-
drov"! A sort of Japanese katana - naked, shown to the audience - whistling -
titus the air cut by the blade - the audience is in retreat, the sword is put away, and
The happy laureate, pressing the sword to his chest, sits down. "Sword
in the mirror" - Vyacheslav Rybakov on stage, the presentation takes place under
sign "a reward has found a hero" - receives a two-handed sword for the best
alternative SF - the novel "Gravilet "Tsarevich". "Moon Sword"
goes to Andrey Lazarchuk for the story "The Mummy", written in
re horror, and finally the last prize, "The Sword in the Stone", for the best
fantasy - Mikhail Uspensky receives it for his novel “Where We Are
no." Uspensky's happy wife runs out of the hall to cry,
re-smoke this news. Hold on, Nellya, I tell her, maybe you won’t get married...
bit, most importantly, don’t anger him!
That's how it was. So quickly the moment of celebration passed, to
which took two years to prepare! However, there is a second holiday ahead -
Interpresscon! And we all load onto buses, go to the sanatorium
riya, to the banquet is a sacred thing! I’m trying to take a couple with me
girls - I popularly explain in whatthey happened to get into the company,
what prospects they had and they already completely understood... but...
fir and fire... Cool banquet, speeches, congratulations, songs, poems and again
speech, speech, speech. During smoke breaks, having gathered whoever I could, I burn the forms of the holo-
poking, for which a little later Yutanov blames me with regret - not
Well, that’s not how you should have burned them! Well, I’m young and green, I’ll still learn,
I would like to! Along the way, like an ant, I drag it to my room,
God sent from the banquet table - I am caring, for many tomorrow morning -
It’s time to leave - I need to get better, with this thought I fall asleep and wake up -
I’m worrying, and, alas, I don’t see almost anyone. We see off the residents of Novosibirsk and the remaining
Only we, St. Petersburg residents and the owners, eat. And the next day we fly away
- Everyone is tired, we’d rather go home. It is, as we know, our homeland, and
Africa Motherland!
These are the pies, as one of my friends said
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