By the Right of Memory. Beyond the Distance - Distance

The poem "By Right of Memory" is included in the mandatory reading program for literature in the 11th grade. Alexander Trifonovich Twardowski (1910–1971) is a Russian Soviet poet, writer, and one of the main representatives of domestic literature of the 20th century. "By Right of Memory" is the last poem by Alexander Twardowski. It was originally conceived as an additional chapter to the lyrical poem "Beyond the Distance - Distance," but became an independent work. In the poem, the author not only reflects on the tragic events of the Great Patriotic War, on the losses and suffering it brought to the people, but also describes personal pain. He recalls the sad fate of his father - a dispossessed and exiled peasant-blacksmith and criticizes the harsh repressions. The author insists on the necessity of preserving historical memory, which will help avoid the mistakes of the past. Only a people who remember their past have a future: Those who jealously hide the past, are unlikely to be at peace with the future…