Alexander Vampilov: Irkutsk Story

Vasily Avchenko — prose writer, journalist; lives and works in Vladivostok, author of the books “Far East: Hieroglyph of Space”, “Red Sky”, “Crystal in a Transparent Frame” and others.

Alexei Korovashko — prose writer, literary critic, lives and works in Nizhny Novgorod; author of the books “Mikhail Bakhtin”, “Oleg Kuvaev” (co-authored with V. Avchenko) and others.

“What is success and failure, by what criteria should we assess the success of an artist's fate?
Despite the tragedy of his early death and subjective dissatisfaction with his fate, caused by the fact that he did not live to see his true glory (and the productions of "Duck Hunting" and "Chulimsk"), Vampilov's life — is incredibly successful.
Stubborn Siberian, ambitious provincial, he managed to bend life to his will, impose himself on the world. Vampilov's story is a story of success.
If you will, the American dream, Soviet style: an orphaned boy from a remote Siberian backwoods becomes a fashionable playwright.
More than fashionable — the main one”.