Valentin Grigoryevich Rasputin

Valentin Grigoryevich Rasputin was a Russian writer, publicist, and public figure. He was one of the most significant representatives of "village prose". His childhood and youth were spent in the village of Atalanka, located on the bank of the Angara River. After receiving primary education, Valentin had to attend a secondary school located 50 kilometers from home. This experience formed the basis for his story "French Lessons".

 

After finishing school, Rasputin enrolled in the Faculty of Philology at Irkutsk University. While studying, he worked as a freelance correspondent for the university newspaper. After graduating, Rasputin moved to Krasnoyarsk, where he began working as a journalist for a local newspaper. Despite his success in journalism, Rasputin realized that it was not his true calling.

 

His literary career began with his admission to the Union of Writers of the USSR in 1967. The novella "Money for Maria" brought him initial recognition, and the novella "The Last Term", published in 1970, was translated into many languages. For the novella "Live and Remember" he was awarded the State Prize in 1977. Valentin Grigoryevich Rasputin died on March 14, 2015, and was buried on the grounds of the Irkutsk monastery.