Biography Publication Library

The administrator of the Academy News, the library news, each intelligent person in his life read or plans to read at least one book from the series “Life of wonderful people”, which is unique in its own way. She has neither temporary nor geographical frames, a person who acted in any field, without professional restrictions, can become her hero. Along with the biographies of monarchs, commanders, writers and athletes, astronauts and scientists, a biography of a simple woman, the mother of nine sons who died on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War may be released in it.

Given the interest and special popularity of the Books of the ZhZL series, as well as the anniversary of the famous book series, the Department of the fiction subscription 2 Corps, the 1st floor of the Academy library prepared an exposition with the name: “People, Fate, Times”. The exhibition presents books about the life and work of writers, poets, writers.

At the stand you can also get acquainted with the biographies of prominent philosophers and scientists, architects and artists, commanders and astronauts. The publications of the Book Collection "ZhZL" occupy a worthy place in the Academy Library Fund and actively participate in various exhibitions and events. And on the pages of this publication, we will tell you, dear readers, about the interesting history of the emergence of the famous ZhZL series.

The ZhZL series occupies a very special place in the domestic book publishing. Along with the Great Theater, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, it is a genuine national treasure. Over the years of the series, more names of books of the series have been published, the total circulation of which exceeded millions of copies. The words of Dmitry Likhachev are perfectly characterized by a book popular biographical series: “The meaning of the“ ZhZL ”series is that through history and personality it reveals all the wealth, the diversity of the culture of the past.

The biographies of people who served the progress of mankind are of great educational value. ” The name “Life of wonderful people”, known today, is based on the title “Vie des Hommes Illustres”, under which the French translation of “comparative biographies” of Plutarch was published in the 19th century. This book was read out in the youth of Florenty Pavlenkov, which borrowed its name for his biographical series.

The first copy was dispersed, like all subsequent copies of the series, and there were about two hundred of them.

Demand gave birth to the low cost of books, 25 kopecks available to different classes. Any more or less competent person in the Russian Empire could buy books by the famous series. The series continued its literary life up to a year, and since the year only reprints of the previously published books have been carried out. After the death of the founder of the ZhZL, his business was declining in the year, and with the outbreak of World War II, the release of the series generally ceased.

Books of the ZhZL series did not publish, and years. In the year, Maxim Gorky decided to continue the biographical series of F. however, the events of the year and the civil war prevented this plan. In January, the first issues of the GZZL series, published by the “Journal and Gazetary Association”, again fell on the table. In the year, the series was submitted to the Publishing House of the Young Guard, and since then the publication has not been interrupted.

Books were published and did not stop printing even during the Great Patriotic War. The series came out under the names "Great People of the Russian People". The overall circulation of the issues of the war years was the thousand. These books raised a patriotic spirit, brought the long -awaited victory. Since the year, the biographical series began to be published again under its old name "The Life of wonderful people." Yes, there are books and bridges, cars and artists canvases remain, but something leaves anyway!

This is the law of ruthless game. Not people die, but worlds. We remember people, sinful and earthly. And what did we know, in essence, about them? Yevtushenko, “There are no people uninteresting in the world ...”, these lines of a very popular poet once explain interest in the books of the series: it was not enough to learn about the genius, it was necessary to see in him a person who could be compared with himself - and admire his grandeur.

If the first Soviet books from the ZhZL series were written in the form of dry biographical essays, then over time, the artistic biography of famous people became a special genre, and many venerable writers considered it an honor to create a full -fledged book about the life of a famous person. To do this, they plunged into archives, collected materials in the hero’s homeland.

After the war, in this series, the books of world -famous writers - S. Zweig, A. Morua, J. Heroes, characters of publications are “outstanding, exceptional in their dignity”, and not necessarily “with a plus sign”. For example, there are biographies of Mazepa, Shamil, False Dmitry, Marina Mnishek, Grigory Rasputin and some other personalities outstanding.In Soviet times, they preferred to talk only about the people with whom it was possible to “make life” ...

As a rule, the publication is dedicated to one person, but there are several books with common names, for example: “commanders and military leaders of the Great Patriotic War”, “Moscow inhabitants” and others. It is interesting that from the end of the 10ths to the present time the books of the ZhZL series have a typical gray cover. This cover was made by Yuri Vladimirovich Arndt, who won the competition held by the art editor A.

Stepanova in the year. The first book of the series in the new design was the biography of Jack London “Sailor in the saddle” Irving Stone, G. Books of the series are dressed in this cover to this day. In the year, it was 60 years old to design books of this biographical series, with a torch and a memorable layout. Since the year, the publishing house began to release a new series "The biography continues ...".

The first honor of this honor was the Governor of the Moscow Region Boris Gromov. In October last year, the most complete catalog of the biographical series “The Life of Wonderful People” was published by the Flight of the Publishing House. You can continue endlessly! The books of this popular series simply need to be contacted to obtain objective historical and scientific knowledge, and also this is a fascinating intellectual reading.

Each of the Jeselov’s books is an interesting meeting with a person without whom our world would be slightly different. Make a meeting with wonderful people - read their biography by contacting the exhibition regiments of the library of the Academy!