Ehrenburg Ilya Grigoryevich (1891-1967)

Ehrenburg Ilya Grigoryevich (14.01.1891, Kyiv — 31.08.1967, Moscow) — writer, publicist, civic figure. Born into the family of an engineer. He began participating in Bolshevik revolutionary activities at an early age, for which he was expelled from the 6th grade of gymnasium. In 1908, was arrested and emigrated to Paris, then distanced himself from Social Democracy. In 1910 in Paris, published his first collection “Verses,” followed by poetry collections “I Live,” “Dandelions,” “Weekdays,” “Children,” “Verses About Eves,” “Reflections” and others. In 1915–17, was a correspondent for a Russian newspaper (in 1929, gathered the material into the book “Face of War”). In July 1917, returned to Russia, but did not accept the October Revolution, as expressed in articles published in Moscow and Kyiv newspapers and in poems written from November 1917. In 1921–24, lived in Berlin and actively collaborated with the Soviet press. Wrote the novels “The Extraordinary Adventures of Julio Jurenito and His Disciples” (1922) and “The Stormy Life of Lasik Roitschwantz” (1928) — a philosophical-satirical panorama of contemporary life in Europe and Russia. In subsequent books — “The Life and Death of Nikolai Kurbov” (1923), “The Love of Jeanne Ney” (1924) and others — the central theme is the conflict between duty and feeling, the contrast between the individual and society. In “Thirteen Pipes” and “Trust D.E.” (both 1923), his criticism of “bourgeois morality” intensifies. In the early 1930s, returned to the USSR. Dedicated to the builders of the first Five-Year Plan the novel “The Second Day” (1933). In 1936–39, participated in the Spanish Civil War as a correspondent for “Izvestia.” Described the events of the early Second World War in the novel “The Fall of Paris” (1940–41). In 1941–45, almost daily published poems and pamphlets in the Soviet and foreign press. The war is reflected in the novel “The Storm” (1946–47). The title of the novella “The Thaw” (1954), describing the mood of Soviet people in the first year after Stalin's death, became a household word. In 1961–65, published the memoirs “People, Years, Life” (vols. 1–6). Together with V.S. Grossman, was the compiler of the “Black Book” — the book of memory of Jews subjected to genocide during the Second World War (Jerusalem, 1980). From 1950, repeatedly elected a deputy of the USSR Supreme Soviet; was vice-president of the World Peace Council. Laureate of the Stalin Prize (1942, 1948), the International Stalin Prize “For the Strengthening of Peace Among Peoples” (1952); awarded two Orders of Lenin, other orders and medals. In early 1950, was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet from one of the Riga districts. From 1954 to 1962, was twice a deputy of the Supreme Soviet from Daugavpils. Visited Daugavpils on 9–10 March 1954, 9–11 December 1957, 22–24 February 1958, 25–26 July 1960 — met with voters, visited industrial enterprises, collective farms, the theatre, the local newspaper editorial office; spoke at the pedagogical institute and at party actives; contributed to the construction of the synthetic fibre plant and other enterprises. E.'s articles were published in the local press; one chapter of “People, Years, Life” is devoted to Daugavpils. His grandson — Alexander Vadimovich Pantsov (b. 1955, Egorievsk, Moscow Oblast), historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences (1993); from 1979, research fellow at the Institute of International Labour Movement of the USSR Academy of Sciences; author of works on the political history of China in the 1920s–40s.

Works: Collected works in 8 vols. Moscow, 1927–28; War. In 2 vols. Moscow, 1942–44; Collected works in 5 vols. Moscow, 1952–54; Collected works in 9 vols. Moscow, 1962–67; Chronicle of Courage. Moscow, 1974; Collected works in 8 vols. Moscow, 1990. Lit.: Rochko I.I. Ehrenburg in Daugavpils Jews in Daugavpils. Book III, Part 2. Daugavpils, 2001. Pp. 68–82.

I. Rochko

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