Gaydar Arkady Petrovich
Arkady Petrovich Gaidar (real name — Golikov) is a Russian Soviet children's writer, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and war correspondent. He participated in the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars. A classic of children's literature, the author of works about friendship and military comradeship.
Biography
Childhood and youth:
Born on January 9 [22], 1904 in Lgov (Kursk province) in the family of teacher Peter Isidorovich Golikov and Natalia Arkadyevna Salkova (from impoverished nobility).
In 1912, the family moved to Arzamas, where Arkady spent six years (until 1918).
At the age of 14 (1918) he joined the Russian Communist Party (b) as a candidate, and at the end of 1918 he volunteered for the Red Army.
Military service in the Civil War:
He served as an aide-de-camp to the Chief of Defense of the Railways, E. I. Yefimov.
He studied at the Moscow and Kiev team courses.
Participated in the battles near Kiev, on the Polish front.
In 1920‑ he became a company commander of the 303rd regiment of the 37th Kuban Division.
He was wounded and shell-shocked, demobilized with a diagnosis of traumatic neurosis.
Literary activity:
He signed his first works ("In the Days of Defeats and Victories", "R. V. S.") with his real name.
The pseudonym "Gaidar" appeared in 1925 in the Perm newspaper Zvezda under the story "Corner House". The origin of the pseudonym is unknown for sure. There are different versions, including from a school friend: "G" is the first letter of the surname Golikov, "AI" is the first and last letters of the name, "D" is French for "from", "AR" is the first letters of the name of his hometown.
He worked as a journalist, wrote essays and feuilletons.
In the 1930s‑ he created his main works.
In 1939, he was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor for his literary work.
The Great Patriotic War and Death:
Since July 1941— he has been a war correspondent for Komsomolskaya Pravda.
After the encirclement of the Southwestern Front‑ he joined a partisan detachment.
He died on October 26, 1941, near the village of Leplyovo (Kanevsky district).
In 1964, he was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.
Personal life:
He was married three times.
From his first marriage with Maria Plaksina, his son Evgeny was born (he died at an early age).
From his second marriage with Leah Solomyanskaya, he has a son, Timur Gaidar (a future journalist and rear admiral).
Creative heritage
The most famous works:
"R. V. S." (1925)
"School" (1930)
"The Fourth Dugout" (1930)
"Distant Lands" (1932)
"Military Secret" (1935)
The Blue Cup (1936)
"The Fate of the Drummer" (1938)
"Chuck and Huck" (1939)
"Timur and his Team" (1940)
"Hot Stone" (1941)
Features of creativity:
Glorification and romanticization of the Civil War, devotion to the ideals of the first years of Soviet power (in the works of the 1930s).
Themes of friendship, camaraderie, civic responsibility, and moral choice.
Simplicity and clarity of language, dynamic plot, vivid images.
The works were included in the school curriculum, were actively filmed, and were translated into many languages of the world.
Influence and memory:
The story "Timur and his team" marked the beginning of the Timur movement — volunteer assistance to veterans and the elderly from the pioneers.
Memorial House Museum in Klin (where the writer lived in 1938-1941 and wrote "Timur and his team").
Monuments to:
The Boy‑Kibalchish (the hero of Gaidar's story) at the Palace of Pioneers on Lenin Hills (Moscow, 1972).
Arkady Gaidar (Moscow, 1974).
Objects named after Gaidar:
The Central Children's City Library of Moscow (Gaidarovka) is the oldest children's library in Russia.
The Palace of Creativity of Children and Youth in Moscow.
The Central Children's Library in Klin.
Streets, schools, children's camps in many cities.
Interesting facts
Gaidar's style was influenced by Gogol, Hoffman, Dickens and Mark Twain (as he himself noted in a letter to R. I. Fraerman).
As a child, he tried to escape to the First World War, but he was detained and returned home.
Despite early demobilization due to injury, during the Great Patriotic War he was sent to the front as a correspondent.
He wrote military essays: "At the ferry", "Bridge", "At the front edge", "Rockets and grenades".