Requiem of Wounded Soul
In the
past years he oftentimes said “good-bye” to his Motherland. Departures
haven’t affected their relationships too much – at home his heart suffered
from sadness, while abroad he felt nostalgia. Once there came news from
him – the book “Long Way Home”. A month ago he returned to his homeland
in order to see it for the last time. A few hours before his death he
told his wife: “Today I will leave”. And he left… That’s how all geniuses
leave… That’s how Vasil Bykov left too.
He died on June 22 - the day when the
war began.
The war, which tested the patience of a 17-year old boy, who had no chance to learn what life is like back then.
The war, which badly affected his soul, eradicating happiness and youth optimism.
The war, which never let him breathe freely for a single day of his life, every minute striking him with sad memories.
In an understanding of his genius, everyone
of us followed one and the same path.
We thought that the theme of war was too boring for our sophisticated
minds. However, Bykov professionally described fearlessness and betrayal,
courage and cowardice, sadness and pathos, demonstrating to us a human
being in the midst of the hell of war.
It seemed to us as though he was too pessimistic
and dull. But later we started feeling that the light of valor and purity
is streaming through the travail and sufferings of his heroes.
We wanted him to turn into a leader, bringing us, blind, into a happy
tomorrow, as well as bridling by his words the arrogant regime… And then
we realized that he didn’t have to necessarily speak out to let us know
that he never betrayed his convictions, which he had expressed back in
the past…
It may well be that most of us won’t realize who left us in this cold
summer of 2003. But later, when history finishes writing this page, every
one of us will be able to say: “we lived in one era with him”. And someone,
too young, will envy us then.
Tomorrow we will stand in the mourning procession, bowing down our heads before the great man, who left us. And although we would probably not be able to point the idiotic regime at the coffin to its right place, Bykov’s hero Sotnikov will knock on our hearts’ doors, repeating louder over and over again “Stand up and go!”…
He passed away on Sunday. Then Monday came.
The Monday of new life… Life without Bykov.
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