My comrade in the deadly agony.

Eight years ago in Israel, the Delegation of the Russian Committee of Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, headed by the Chairman of the Committee, was attached to the Congress of the participants of the Second World War.

Every morning it started equally: the dialects, his entrvenased and I came to the beach. There we have already been waiting. At first, respectfully looked around, then the most brave approached the Govorov. "Comrade Marshal! - He started with a trembling voice. - Under your leadership, I fought ... ".

Govorov immediately explained that Marshal was his father, and he himself started the younger lieutenant. "So I say that under the guidance of your dad," continued at nothing there was a veteran. And it was already rushing others ...

We showed the house of disabled wars. As a guide, a seaman doctor was performed with an unusually bright alive eyes, he was noticeably laughed, leaning on a heavy metal stick, and nevertheless moved very quickly. We were so delighted with what was seen (one court for the helpless things worth it!) That I decided to give our guys to our guy for goodbye. He thanked and somewhat confusedly said: "I also write, one poem, perhaps you heard. If you allow, I will read it to you, it's short. "

Ion Degen (so called the professor) cleared up, and I heard:

My comrade,
In deadly agony,
Do not call friends.
Give better warming
Palm I.
over smoking blood
yours.
You do not cry, not shame,
You are not small
you are not injured, you just
killed.
Give a memory to take off
With you boots,
We still come
Wait.

Did I know these verses?

Yes, I knew them by heart from the day, as I first heard! And it was at the end of the war. They said that they were found in the bag of tanker killed near Stalingrad.

He was born in Mogilev-Podolsky. In the summer of 1941, the sumizers with refugees were reached through Mogilev, and in the next they were our retreating troops. Degen joined the parts of the infantry division.

The battles were already in the foothills of the Caucasus. At the station Beslan, it turned out that there was an abandoned plant and on it in bulk molasses. Degen and his subordinate Lazutkin went to the plant. When returned back, some woman offered to exchange a molasses on local wine. They agreed, but at this time, accompanied by an automatic machine to them, a man in a half-day coat, chromium boots approached them. "Specify?" Degen hit the civilian, he fell, the coat opened and the amazed fighters saw the Order of Lenin, the deputy icon ...

They were surrounded by car guns, they were trained in a special department basement. Two days spent in the basement Degen. Sometimes someone was taken out into the courtyard, then the salts were heard. On the third day, the guys were freed. "Where is my medal" for courage "?" - asked Degen. "What a hell, a medal! So that you pull out from there, I had to come to the commander! "

In June 1944 he was appointed commander of the company to the second Guards Tank Brigade of the breakthrough.

In October 1944, battles began in Lithuania, Poland, Prussia ...

There is a list of so-called tank Asov, Degen in it is sixteenth. For six months of continuous fighting, he fell on his T-34 and destroyed fifteen tanks.

In the winter of 1945, under Eidkunen (now Nesterov), his tank was bent and caught fire. Degen and Arrows of Private Makarov tried to get out, while Degen was injured again in the head, chest, legs. With Makarov, they were completed to the cemetery and they took place in some crypt, waiting for the Germans to leave. Meanwhile, everyone who was in the tank was buried in one fraternal grave. Including the ion itself, his epaulets discovered on the bottom in the bloody messer.

After many years, Professor Degen with his wife and son spent his grave. The military commander assured that he may not worry, his grave is in excellent condition ...

Victory Day met in the hospital. Then there were one and a half-month vacation, exams on the certificate of maturity, then he was defined in the regiment of the reserve of armored troops (the tankers called him the ICD - a motokostile battalion), where demobilization was waiting.

For the first time in life, Degen was in Moscow and every free day used to learn to see, although it was not easy for crutches. Somehow, leaving the Tretyakov, he read: "The Office of Copyright Protection" and remembered: his front-line comrade Guard Lieutenant Komarnitsky, killed in 1944, put on the music of the poem "On the clearing near the school was tanks for the halt." The song became popular, Her Orchestra Eddie Rader was performed.

He decided to go. In management, he was taken warm. The conversation went about verses: "Read". Listen to Degen escaped all employees. And two days later he called himself a deputy. "Tomorrow take my" Willis "and by 14 o'clock in the Central Union, you will listen to you writers."

In a big room, he was waiting for a man thirty. One he learned right away, it was Konstantin Simonov, and saw others for the first time. "Start," - suggested Simonov. As the situation reads, everything thickened, he immediately felt it. Only one writer with an burnt face every time folded his palms, as if applauding. (Then Degen learned that it was a former tanker of Orlov.) Finally, Simonov was interrupted by Degen: "As you do not intend: the front-line, the executioner - and so silence to our valiant army! Some kind of Cyclip region, no, you are still early in the literary institute. "

When he left ZDL, he decided firmly: his feet would never be in this institution.

He entered the Cherovitsky Med Institute. And when finished, I killed the "case of doctors". Neither a red diploma did not help, nor the fact that he was disabled from the distribution at all. "There are no places for you in Ukraine!" - they told him firmly. He decided to seek protection in Moscow, in the Central Committee of the CPSU - he is a communist, in the Central Committee will understand. There were days, he spent the night at the station, no one wanted to deal with him in the reception center.

Helped the case. Cabebaechnik from security acknowledged in Degen a colleague on the 2nd tank brigade. "Don't worry, I will give you a reception ..."

Reception was short: "Drive in Kiev, the place you will be." Indeed, in Kiev in the Ministry of Health, he was told that he was appointed to the institute of orthopedics. And he just dreamed of it. But when after a month came to pay, it turned out that he was even in the order of enrollment. "Sign up for reception to the director," said the secretary. Degen burst into the office. Order, stripes for injury. "I am a front-line, and you need to kill me!"

Sanding in the chair, a fat man in an embroidered shirt grinned: "And I have no vacancies and is not foreseen. But these orders, I heard, you can buy at the bazaar in Tashkent. " What followed a minute later, it is not difficult to predict: I already wrote about the character of Degen. Blood flooded "samoyku". But, despite the screams of the director, this case did not have any consequences.

Degen left the institute and entered the 13th hospital, which worked for 21 years.

In 1960, an article on the unique surgery of Degen was appeared in the journal "Surgery". He sewed the right forearm of the Sycerer Uytekhovsky. He managed to substitute his hand under the cutter cutter. The operation of this kind was the first in the Union.

In 1960, Degen defended his dissertation, in 1973 - Doctoral, since 1977 he was in Israel.

But how was the case with his shittomatic poem? In 1961, one of the friends of Degen offered him to send poems in "Youth". Degen refused, then a friend did it himself. Soon, the answer came from the magazine: the author need to work a lot, read Pushkin, Mayakovsky ... And after 17 years, Yevgeny Yevtushenko published "My comrade in mortally agony ..." in the "light". He supplied the publication of the preface: "The poem of a Unnamed author, Mikhail Lukonin conveyed, who considers him Odim from the best written about the war." In Tel Aviv, the magazine handed the ion of his colleague.

A year later, Evtushenko performed in Chernivtsi, I read "My Comrade ...", again, saying that the author is unknown. Dr. Nemirovsky, Single-handler of Ion approached him: "This is not the case, Evgeny Aleksandrovich, the author is known." Almost at the same time a note appeared in the "Questions of Literature", in which V. Baevsky wrote about the author Degene. Lazar Razarev chief editor Lazarus went to Israel. Almost 50 years after writing a poem, it is translated into all European languages, there are countless links on it. Ion published in Russia, Ukraine and in Israel two books of poems and eight prose.

But he never became a member of a single writer union and never tried. He knows how to keep a word - Professor, Doctor of Science, Cavalier of the four Soviet and three combat Polish orders, Tank Ace ion Degen.

These verses will never fall into school textbooks for one simple reason - they are true. And the truth is not incredibly inconvenient for modern "sofa" patriots who write on their cars "1941-1945. If necessary - repeat. " The author of these verses is the 19-year-old lieutenant tanker Ion Degen - wrote them in the distant December 1944.

Having completed the 9th grade, Ion Degen went to work the leader to the pioneer camp in Ukraine. There he caught war. In the military registration and enlistment office, he was refused due to age. Then he thought that literally a few weeks later the war would end, and he would not have time to contribute to the victory.

The ninth grade is over yesterday.
Should I ever be tenth?
Vacation - happy time.
And suddenly - trench, carbine, grenades,
And over the river to the tilt burnt house,
A neighbor on the desk is forever lost.
I confused helplessly in everything,
What is impossible to measure school measurement.

Together with his comrades, he escaped from Echelon, who was in evacuation. They managed to get to the location of the 130 rifle division, who fought on the front, and achieve enrollment into a platoon. So in July 41, Ion was in war.

He passed the month of 31 people from the platoon only two. Ion survived the environment, wandering through the forests, wound and hospital, from which he came out only in January 1942. He again rushed to the front, but before the recruiting age he lacked 1.5 years, and he was sent to the rear in the Caucasus. Ion worked on a tractor in state farm, but in the summer of 1942 war came there. At the age of 17, he again fell to the front and found himself in intelligence. In the fall again severe wound. Its from behind the front line were pulled out comrades in an unconscious state.

On December 31, 1942, he comes out of the hospital, and his, as a tractor driver, is sent to a tank column. Two years of study, and in the spring of 1944, the junior lieutenant Ion Degen was again at the front. This time on the new T-34. His tank epic begins: dozens of battles, tank duels, 8 months at the front. When one after another your comrades die, another attitude to life and to death appears. And in December 1944, he will write the most famous poem in his life, which will be called one of the best poems of war:

My comrade in death agony
Do not call friends.
Give better sogrey palm i
Over swirling your blood.
You do not cry, not shame, you are not small,
You are not injured, you're just killed.
Let me take off the boots from you.
We still have to come.

He fought at the conscience, and for the luck of the Ion even nicknamed. After all, it is not in vain and today, his name can be found at the number of fifty on the list of the best Soviet tankers-Asov: Iona Lazarevich Degen, Guard Lieutenant, 16 wins (including 1 "Tiger", 8 "Panther"), twice is represented by the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded the Order of the Red Banner. For Lieutenant Degen, the commander of the tank company, everything will end in January 1945 in Eastern Prussia.

On January 21, 1945, the tank of the ions were knocked up, and the crew unfastened from the burning tank, the fascists shot. When a 19-year-old guy was taken to the hospital, he was still alive. Seven bullets, four fragmentation wounds, sored legs, open jaw fracture and sepsis. At that time it was a deadly sentence. He was saved by the head doctor who did not regret the dying fighter deficient Penicillin, and God, whose ions were their plans. And the brave tanker survived!

And although in 19 years, life disabilities seemed to be a sentence, our hero was able to achieve incredible heights in his difficult life. In 1951, he graduated with honorstum with honorstellation, became an Orthoped Officer Officer, and in 1958 he became the first surgeon in the world who conducted the replantation of the upper limb. He has a candidate and doctoral scientific job. But very uncomfortable for officials was this little lame and a fearless person who was never afraid to tell the truth.

In 1977, Ion Lazarevich went to Israel, for many years he worked as a doctor, but never renounced his homeland. Today he is 91 years old, but he is still a young soul. When in 2012, he among veterans military attache in the Russian embassy presented the next anniversary awards, the brush hero read such verses:

The usual molate is spilled speech.
In the mouth of the Okomina from the words of the ELIA.
In the royal to us on the cut shoulders
Added cargo of jubilee medals.
Solemnly, so docto-sweet
Already on the cheeks of the eye flows moisture.
And you think why is our fame?
On Koy ... they are our former courage?
Silently time wisely and tired
With difficulty scares the wounds, but not trouble.
On the jacket in the metal collection
Another medal for the Victory Day.
And there was time, pleased with the cargo
And the pain of losses is precrying bitterly,
Shouted "serve the Soviet Union!",
When screwing the order to the gymnasther.
Now everything is smooth, like the surface of the pests.
Equal within the current morality
And those who played in the far headquarters
And those who burned alive in tanks.
Time of heroes or time of scoundrels -
we ourselves always choose how to live.

The will of destinies and politicians today these people live in different countries, but they all fought for one great victory. And a bright reminder and about unity, and about that victory.

I would not allow the publication, even if this option is better than the original. But without a magnifying glass, you can see that the text is worse. And further. Poems, composed on the front, I left in this form, in which they were born. <…> No need to change anything in my name, nor in what I wrote.

Ion degen. Letter to "New newspaper", 06/27/2005

It is known that in large poetic compilations there are errors to which are treated as an inevitable evil. However, there are cases when errors are not allowed. In particular, when the publisher, for the first time, representing readers of the author unknown by him, especially - an outstanding person, and advertising his published poem as a brilliant, distorts the name of the author and the original of this poem. It was such a case that took place when publishing Evgeny Yevtushenko, the poem of Ion Degen "My comrade ...".

Ion Degen is a great man, a unique surgeon-orthopedist, the Soviet tanker, the poet and writer, the author of the famous poem "", recognized as the best military poems by leading Soviet front poets. Numerous articles about it begin with this poem written by him in December 1944 at the front, 19-year-old tank in. He left a considerable literary inheritance (poems, memories, stories, journalism, books). In the famous 4 Internet publications E.M. Berkovich ("Notes on Jewish History", "7 arts", "Jewish Starina", "workshop") published more than a hundred of his works. He is a doctor and scientist in the field of orthopedics and traumatology, doctor of medical sciences. PhD (1965) and Doctoral (1973) dissertations defended in Moscow. Author of 90 scientific articles and books "Magnetotherapy". In 1959, for the first time in the world, a successful limb replant ("sewed" by the Kyiv Slicer, which he accidentally cut off on the milling machine).

Ion Lazarevich Degen died on April 28, 2017 at the 92nd year of life in the town of Givatami in Israel, where emigrated together with his family in 1977 from Kiev. One of the farewell speeches over his body was the prime minister of Israel Binjamin Netanyagu.

Three photos:

Guard Lieutenant Ion Degen. 1944

Ion degen. Israel

At the beginning of a wonderful and pretty complete essay, Yuri Solodkina "Word about Ion Degen" is given first the version of the Evtushenko poem "My Comrade ...", which in his book "Stanzhas of the Century: Anthology of Russian Poetry" is presented as text of Degen, and then - the original of this poem, written by Ion Degen.

Evtushenko version:

My comrade in death agony.
Frozen. His warming.
Give better sogrey palm i
Over swirling your blood.

What's wrong with you, what with you, my little?
You are not wounded - just killed.
Dai-ka better rent from you the boots.
I still have to fight.

Original ion Degen:

My comrade in death agony
Do not call friends.
Give better sogrey palm i
Over swirling your blood.

You do not cry, not shame, you are not small,
You are not injured, you're just killed.
Let me take off the boots from you.
We still have to come.
December 1944.

I draw attention to the fact that the first string of the poem, according to which the poem is called, in these versions different and differs with a comma after the word "comrade" in the original.

Publications of the Evtushenko version of this poem, as well as the distortion named after Degen in the Anthology of Evtushenko led to a serious confrontation between Degen and Evtushenko, which received some lighting in the literature and is of interest. Consider it and the publication of this poem related to him.

While during the war and after it, this poem went on hand without the author. It was believed - he died. They said that it was as if this poem was found in a field bag extracted from a baked tank.

Many big poets - Frontoviki - Alexander Mezhirov, Boris Slutsky, Yevgeny Vinokurov, Mikhail Dudin, Mikhail Lukonin - called these lines with the best military poem. Vasily Grossman published him in his novel "Life and Fate" as anonymous, since the name of the author was not known to him. But they all reported different options for this poem. Evtushenko wrote about this and conventionally called these options "folk".

One of the versions of this poem, which was close to the original, Evtushenko published in 1988 in the poetic anthology of the magazine "Ogonyok" No. 47 as an anonymous poem, as he did not know who his author. This publication in the "lighting" is merit Evtushenko and is considered to be the first publication of this poem of Degen in the USSR and Russia.

But then Evtushenko chose, as he thinks, the best of the options for this poem from those who went to hand (according to Evtushenko, "it seems the version of Mikhail Luconin"), which is above, and published it in 1995 in his anthology of Russian poetry, which will be Specified below. And since then, under the name of Degen in all editions of the anthology of the Russian poetry, Yevtushenko, this version appears, although amended by him, according to Degen, for the worst party compared with the publication in the "light", and not the author's original of Lazarevich ion.

But in reality, for the first time, this poem was published Anonymously Vasily Grossman in his novel "Life and Fate" first in 1980 in Switzerland, and then in the USSR in 1988 in the October magazine (No. 2, pp. 68):

My comrade in death agony
Do not call you are to help people.
Give better sogrey palm i
Over swirling your blood.
And you do not cry from fear as small,
You are not injured, you're just killed.
Give a better rent from you boots,
To me yet fight Wait.

This publication you. Grossman is much closer to the original of Degen than the above version of Eudoshenko. In this text you. Grossman in bold fonts highlighted words with which it differs from the original.

The closest to the option you. Grossman is the publication of this poem in the collection "Soviet poets who fell on the Great Patriotic War" // Sost. MA Benin. E.P. Semenova (St. Petersburg - Publishing House "Academic Project", 1995. - 576 p.) In the section "Unknown poets":

My comrade in diezer Agony
Do not call people to help people.
Give better sogrey palm i
Over swirling your blood.
And you do not cry from fear as small.
You are not injured - you only killed.
I am in memory rent from you boots,
I still have to fight

In this text, the words differ from those specified in the option are highlighted in this text. Grossman. And this publication of 1995, which is stated in the entry "from the editorial office" E. Berkovich and V. Kagan Kagniga Ion Degen "Black and White Kaleidoscope" (Hannover: Publishing House "Society of Fans of Jewish Starny", 2009), much closer to The original than the Evtushenko version, published in the same 1995 in the first edition of its "anthology of Russian poetry".

There are three editions of the fat and heavy book "Stanfish of the Century. Anthology of Russian poetry "/ Compiler Evgeny Yevtushenko, Scientific editor Evgeny Vitkovsky: editions of 1995 and 1997. (Minsk-Moscow: Polyphak) and edition 1999 (Moscow: Polyphak). In all three publications, the exact same identical information about Degen and the same texts of His only published in these publications of the poem "My comrade ..." in the later version of the Evtushenko compared with the "Spark" published in 1988 in all three editions of 1056 p. , Help about the author and poem "My comrade ..." - on s. 701, Help on the name of the author in the name index - on with. 1006.

"Degen Iona (Name. Name - Joseph Lazarevich)".

But this is not just a rough mistake - it looks like a strange writing of his "pseudonym" and "real name": not ion, and Ion and real name - Ion Lazarevich, not Joseph.

Where did the name of the ion originate here? Maybe, by analogy with Comandarm Ion Emmanuilovich Yakir? Many confuse, thinking that Ion and Ion are the same names. But these are different names, albeit close. The name of the ion comes from the Old Testament prophet ions. It is often used by Christians (Inok Ion, Bishop Ion, Saint Ion, Metropolitan Ion).

It is curious that in 2015, when Evtushenko had already known exactly that the name of Degen - Ion, and when he was known for the original poem "My Comrade ...", nevertheless, a collection of "Poetry Victory" was published / Evgeny Yevtushenko (ed "EXMO"), in which the author of the poem "My comrade ..." again named the non-existent Ion of Degen (and not ion) and the version of the Eudoshenko of this poem was published again.

On the attitude of the EDTushenko to the problem of choosing one of two versions of this poem (Version of Evtushenko, or the original Degen) and about its confrontation between Degeneh, you can learn from two Yevtushenko texts on his two meetings with Ion Degen, respectively. Consider these texts.

The first meeting of Evgenia Yevtushenko with Ion Degendescribed in the Evtushenko article "At the victory, the face is intact" in the "New Gazette" of 12.05.2005, No. 33, in a fragment dedicated to Degene:

I first managed to ( pooh "My Comrade" - V.Zh.) Include in a light-risk version of the anthology of the "Strafs of the Century". The publication was anonymous. And suddenly a letter came from Ukraine, from Chernivtsi, from Dr. D.E. Nemerovsky. It turned out that the author is JosephDegen. I lost a volunteer to the front. I managed to escape from the flaming tank. Awarded with many combat orders and medals. He graduated from Chernivtsi Medical Institute. He worked in Kiev or orthopedist. Friend with Viktor Nekrasov. It remains strange why Negrasov did not tell anyone about it. The fact that he could not hear the poems of Degen is excluded, they were found everywhere where there are pishmashshki. But maybe, Degen had grounds to hide the authorship of this poem? ".

There was also published version of the Evtushenko of this poem, the author of which is indicated Joseph Degen. Evtushenko beat this "name" of the author, but extremely unsuccessful, because in the names of Degen, the emphasis was put on the first syllable, and not on the second, which Evtushenko did not know:

What made the verse of Joseph Degen?
He cut the sharper autogen
all what is called war,
drake, dirty, blood and native.
EVG. Evtushenko

But Degen was called not Joseph and not Ion, but And he. And this, if do not chele, it would be easy to find out by contacting the department of personnel of the Medical Institute in Chernivtsi, who graduated from Ion Lazarevich, or to the personnel department of the organization, where he worked, or in Moscow - in HAK, who approved him in the scientific degree of the candidate, and then doctors of medical science Then I would not have to come up with a ridiculous rhyme "Degen - autogen".

I will note that in all his speeches, Evtushenko reads not the original Degen, but only his version of the poem "My comrade ...". Thus, at the conference in the National News Service (NSN) - May 19, 2016, Evtushenko read his version of this poem.

"He came to me in Tel Aviv - Vice-President of the Council of Veterans, a sutured, but the sculpturally broad-widespread, a slightly humorous little man. "Spark" with its own publication (Evtushenko redesters: not with his own, and with an anonymous publication of Evtushenko, to which Degen had nothing to do— V.Zh.) I saw and did not mind my choice of this particular version of all that went hand. "

And here Evtushenko redesters: "I did not objection" does not mean that I agreed - Degen just silent.

When it was (in which year, approximate date),Evtushenko does not indicate. But from the description of his second meeting with Degen, which will be said below, it follows that the first Evtushenko meeting with Degen in Israel took place in 1995, i.e., a year, when the first publication was published by the book "Stores of the Century. Anthology of Russian poetry. "

Consequently, in 1995, when he met Degen, Evtushenko knew that he was not Joseph and not an ion, but in the following editions of his anthology (1997 and 1999), a false certificate was preserved that the real name of Degen - Joseph, and the name In his pseudonym - ion. This confirms Ion Degen in writing. Lesinsky: "In the" anthology of Russian poetry "Evtushenko, knowing me personally, for some reason called Joseph" (Mikhail Lesinsky. "Ion Degen and Evgeny Yevtushenko".

Meanwhile, it is a pity that Evtushenko did not know that in Russia for another 5 years before this article in the "New Gazette" and 5 years before the release of the first edition of his "Anthology of Russian Poetry" was published the original poem "My comrade in the deadly Agony ", called his author - Degen, although with a mistake in the name - ion, not an ion, but not Joseph, and his brief biography is printed indicating that the author lives and works in Israel. This was published in the magazine "Literature Questions" 1990 No. 3 in the article of the Literary Russian article of Professor Vadim Solomonovich Baevsky "Poem and its author."

In the same article in the New Gazette, Evtushenko talks about post-war unpleasant history, which happened to Degen, after which he decided to throw poems:

"Immediately after the war he was invited to the evening of Frontovikov poets, it seems, in the recently liberated Kharkov."

Here, "it seems", Evtushenko "subsided" the story of Degen: the evening was carried out not in Kharkov, and in Moscow in the central office of writers (TsDL) in the summer of 1945 and was organized specifically for listening to Degen at the request of the copyright protection committee. Strange forgetfulness. The chairman of the evening was Konstantin Simonov, who, after reading by Degen, the poem "My comrade, in mortal agony ..." sharply collapsed on Degen, accusing him in the apology of the looting. According to Evtushenko, this is explained by the fact that Simonov reinsured, fearing provocations.

This story is described by Degen himself (Ion Degen. Briefly about himself. - "Notes on Jewish History", 2006, No. 10 (71):

« Evgeny Yevtushenko somehow told me that I am in vain hiding on Simonov Dogs. "He saved to you," said Yevtushenko. Pray, they say, it follows it. In one of my poems there is a string "recognize ingenious commander." Someone reported to where it was necessary that I raised my hand to Comrade Stalin. And Simonov, defending me, explained that for a tanker, even the brigade commander is already a commander. So it was in reality».

Nowadays the late Felix Berezin, a doctor of medical sciences, a close institute friend of Jona Lazarevich, who called Yani, who called Yani, who called Yani, was written in more detail. On this site F. Berezin, who had long known this story and was in correspondence with Degen, outlined this story partially on published materials, partly according to Degen's stories and partly on recorded materials in 2013 in the Museum of Jewish Culture and the Center for Tolerance in Moscow, On which F. Berezin was present Berezin FB. "One life through four eras: 800. Ion Degen and the last meeting. 5 ", Berezin FB "801. Ion Degen and the last meeting. 6. In section 801 F. Berezin, in particular, leads such words of ion Degen:

"Evtushenko said that at the House of the writers of Simonov could not behave differently, that he knew that at least five people were sitting in the hall, which, if he behaves differently, tomorrow they would receive" where he should " Degen made ideologically vicious verses, and he, Simonov, and not presets. "

"I myself well understood that the initial indignation in the word" commander "was due to the fact that this word was mainly applied towards the Supreme Commander. All others were "military leaders".

Evtushenko considers it possible to explain to Degen, why K. Simonov gave him the defeat in 1945. Is it not strange that Evtushenko, in 1945, a thirteen-year-old student of an incomplete high school, I am sure that it can approximately 60 years after this evening confidently, almost as an eyewitness, to present his explanation for the long life, a long life, a bit and beautifully aware of Degen? In my opinion, this is a bust by Evtushenko. After all, he has only guesses, considerations and post-war "bikes". In fact, other stories coming from Simonov, which retells Degen himself (see section 801 F. Berezina):

"Remembering this episode, Simonon later told:" Stalin said to me: "So for this tanker Kombrig - a commander?" And on my affirmative gesture answered a condescending smile: "He, sitting in his tank, probably, and General Live did not see."

And the suspicious remark of Evtushenko about why Victor Nekrasov did not talk about his friendship with Degen? It only indicates that Evtushenko did not know the facts. Victor Nekrasov and Ion Degen became friends when Degen became a Kievan. Remove the memories of Ion Degen "Viktor Platonovich Nekrasov".

Very interesting. Here is the text from these memories of Degen:

« It seemed, Victor knew everything about me. But I have never told him that, in addition to the stories of diseases and scientific articles, occasionally wrote something that was not directly related to medicine. Shy. It was possible, of course, show front-line poems. But Victor once said that he did not like poetry (Highlighting me - V.Zh.) .

For many years, I had the opportunity to doubt the veracity of this approval. But then I, as they say, believed on the floor.

Once, returned from Moscow, Nekrasov asked me:

— What are you crapped by Zhtushenko? I uncertainly shrugged.

— You see, I dinner in the Central Committee, I approached Zhenya to me and said:« For some reason, your Kiev friends do not like me. And here I will open this number in a couple of days that you are ahnet» . And, as you can see, broken.

Nekrasov meant appeared on the eve of« Literary newspaper« poem« Babi Yar.« . It was not going to discuss the literary advantages of this poem. But I did not really like it that a person wrote a poem, to split the number.

After a joint trip to Paris, Victor responded well about Andrei Voznesensky. He considered him a decent person. But I never had a word about the verses of Voznesensky.

No, I did not have reason not to believe Nekrasov when he said that he did not like poetry» .

It comes out, I did not understand Evgeny Alexandrovich with Viktor Nekrasov.

Professor Leon Aronovich Koval in the article "Who likes some poems", writes about the article under consideration by Artework "At the victory, the face is intact" ("New Gazette" from 12.05.2005, No. 33) as follows:

"The poet of Evtushenko, alas, in a patronage, disrespectful form tells about the history of the poem and quotes it in his own negligence."

The Degeneh ion reaction was placed on the New Gazette Forum:

"... read and broke up to white crown. Evtushenko in his repertoire. First, I have never been Joseph. Secondly, he absolutely confused my text. Thirdly, I never gave, I do not give and I will not give him permission to confuse what was born at me at the front. I do not consider it fair to edit myself - Frontovik. Fourth<…>. Fifth, Victor Nekrasov did not know at all that I, besides medicine, do some other activities. Sorry, I do not know Evtushenko's addresses. And however, well. Because I would answer him<…> I never opposed in any Kharkov. He performed in Moscow, in the Central Committee. For the first time in his book, the poem included Vasily Grosman. But why is the truth? This is Evtushenko. "Lightly seats." I would like to warm up slightly ... ".

And yet a lot later, Ion Lazarevich said (I do not exclude that diplomatically) about his conflict with Evtushenko in an interview with Mary Dubinsk ( "My comrade in mortal agony ...": "War and the world of Ion Degen". - Moscow windows, "07.12.2016): "And although the situation was, insults I do not hold on a wonderful poet."

The second meeting of Evgenia Yevtushenko with Ion Degendescribed in the material Evtushenko "Tankist, who wanted to become a doctor" ("New Izvestia", 11/23/2007).

In this material, Evtushenko writes:

"I trusted the first heard version and used to it. It was him and included in one of the publications in the "lights" from the future anthology "Strafs of the Century". And suddenly he received a letter from Ukraine from a person who personally knew the author. My correspondent reported that the author is alive and his name is Ion Degen. I met him twelve years ago in Israel(i.e. in 1995 - V.Zh.)But, unfortunately, somehow on the go, between performances. The main thing for me was then to make sure that he actually exists and that the poems really belong to him. But on the meticulous reconciliation of time options. "

"We met on November 17, 2007 in an Israeli town Givaym (there is no such town in Israel, the right name - Givatim; I note that such an error is invalid for the anthology— V.Zh.)not far from the anticipating filling Tel Aviv stadium. " Evtushenko was limited in time, since he came to football between Israel and Russia, fulfilling the socio-political function - to support the Russian team. I do not exclude that the name of the town of Givatime appeared in the Evtushenko for the Association with the Football Term "Time".

Evtushenko notes there as "Degen responded about the" folk version "in his samizdatovskaya book to the inspiring sharply. But did I not explode sometimes if I was "improved without me? We all, poets, painfully proud, when they rule us. " Here, Evtushenko demagogically opposes the original Degen's version as "folk". And he writes: "Campering at me, you walked in vain on the co-authorship of the" People's People's Homemade "."

But Degen is not painfully proud, but just principled: he calmly outlined his position in his letter to a "new newspaper", which will be given below.

In his answers, Evtushenko "Dear Ion" is trying to protect his version of the poem, but his arguments are very weak and not fundamental. One of the arguments of Eudoshenko in defense of his versa of poem: " used to it" He writes objectivity for the sake of: "I bring both options today - the so-called" folk "and author." However, by placing both options in this material, Evtushenko as a Madreman leaves its own option for its attorney.

As Evtushenko recognized the authorship of Degen, he cannot have no reasons for not publishing the original poem belonging to Degen. Moreover, in the book of Ion, Degen "Poems from the tablet Guard lieutenant of Ion Degen" (with the preface Mordechai Tver). - Ramat-Gan, Israel, 1991, in which the original poem "My comrade, in deadly agony" published, published: " All rights belong to I. Degene" This book is in Moscow in the Russian State Library (RGB), the former library them. Lenin. And it was published four years before the first edition of the book E. Evtushenko "Stores of the Century. Anthology of Russian poetry, "1995.

Compare instructions named by the author of this poem in the texts of Evtushenko, dedicated to its two meetings described above with Degen. In the first text, Evtushenko writes that he received a letter from Dr. Nemerovsky, who reported that the author of the poem is Joseph Degen. And in the second text it is reported that the author is ion Degen. This is essentially correcting the error specified by Degen in its protest in the "new newspaper". However, in the publications of the Anthology of Evtushenko 1997 and 1999, this error is not corrected.

In the text about the second meeting with Degen Evtushenko, a considerable place is given to the artistic representation of the image of Degen, the Russian football match with Israel, even coach Gus Hiddink and in general a kind of "entertainment".

But the greatest interest is, in my opinion, the letter of Ion Lazarevich Degen to the editorial office of the Novaya Gazeta against the renaming of the ion in Joseph Degen and against the alteration of the original of his poem "My comrade, ...". In a letter to the Israeli journalist Mikhail Lesinsky, to whom he sent his letter to the "new newspaper", Degen writes:

« Mortuary Mikhail!

IN« Anthology of Russian poetry« Evtushenko, knowing me personally, for some reason called Joseph. And then repeated this name in a large article dedicated to me and published in« New newspaper« . I was forced to answer. Through a newspaper» .

"Without my opuctions, literature will not menounce"

"Dear editors, the publication of Evgenia Yevtushenko reached me, in which he for some reason calls me Joseph. Now, when I know the meaning of my name Ion in Hebrew - dove, I may have agreed to become Joseph. I do not like pigeons in no way or in politics. But my parents wrote me the ion. I was meant in the passport, which managed to get three weeks before the start of war and five weeks before my first fight. I was meant in the Komsomolsk ticket and in the party, handed over to me at the front. I was recorded in a certificate of the end of the tank column and in the Order of the Book. I was named with a doctor's diploma, in the diplomas of the candidate and doctor of medical sciences issued to me by Vaku. And even in Israel, despite the dislike for this name, I continue to be called an ion.

In 1988, Evgeny Yevtushenko published my poem "My comrade, in mortal agony ..." in such a form, in which it was composed, replacing only two words - "death" instead of "deadly" (more precisely) and "fight "Instead of" compete ". But the option in the current publication E. Evtushenko has nothing to do with my text. In the same way, nothing to do with the truth has no statement by E. Evtushenko, that I allowed him to publish a poem in this form.

I would not allow the publication, even if this option is better than the original. But without a magnifying glass, you can see that the text is worse. And further. Poems, composed on the front, I left in this form, in which they were born. For example, about the poem "from the intelligence", Lev Anninsky wrote that the first two lines - Shakespeare, and the two following - a commentary to Shakespeare, in the last line - terrible banality. Regarding the two first rows, a prominent critic turned out to be excessively generous. Regarding the rest - accurate. Now I could improve the last string, which would justify the penultimate. But why? I do not want to change anything and seem better and smarter than I was at that time. Without my opuses, literature will not appease. I'm a doctor, not a writer.

No need to change anything in my name, nor in what I wrote.

Sincerely, Ion Degen.

The answer did not follow.

So, Evtushenko refused to publish the original poem "My comrade, ..." in his anthology. Sorry. It is extremely unpleasant. But not scary.

On the numerous Russian-speaking sites published the original poem of Ion Degen "My comrade, in the deadly agony". In particular, it is published in the Internet magazine "Notes on Jewish History", which is read on all continents (see the selection of I. Degen "from military poems. In war and after the war" in "Notes on Jewish History" No. 5 (66 ), May 2006.

It is curious that the authors are, who, leading in their articles the original of this poem, mistakenly write that he published Evtushenko in his "anthology of Russian poetry". This is Mikhail Degtyar, the Russian film director who has withdrawn with Yulia Melamed's documentary "Degen" ("look into the eyes of death so that she takes his eyes." - "Komsomolskaya Pravda", 06.06.2015), Israeli journalists - Mikhail Lesinsky (" Ion Degen and Evgeny Yevtushenko "), and Vladimir Bader (" Life between two poems ", 04/28/2017). Apparently, this happened because they themselves did not read this huge anthology, published in the form of a very heavy book of a large format, but heard that Evtushenko published the poem "My Comrade" poem, and did not suspect that it was not the original Degen, and the Evtushenko version of this poem.

It is very important that the original of this poem 9 and 7 years ago appeared in Russian printed publications. So, he entered the encyclopedic collection "Poems and Songs about the Great Patriotic War", Preface A.M. Turkova, compiler L.V. Polikovskaya, - M.: The world of the Encyclopedia of Avanta +, 2008, p. 80 (volume 447 p.) And in the poetic collection "Scars on the heart", the compiler N.V. Lydinen, - M.: ID "Red Star", 2010, p. 136 (volume 408 p.). I hope that the number of publications of the original poem "My comrade, in death agony" will increase and that Evtushenko's version under the name Degen will not be published more.

Note

In all three editions of the book "Stores of the century. Anthology of Russian poetry "/ Compiler E. Evtushenko in the certificate of Degen (on p. 701) Surname Nemersky is fixed on Nemirovsky. - V.Zh.

Original: http://7i.7iskusstv.com/2017-nomer11-zhuk/

On April 28, 2017, Ion Degen - Poet and Writer, author of the famous poem "My comrade, in deadly agony ...", legendary tank speech, doctor and scientist in the field of orthopedics and traumatology died. The funeral of the Degen's funeral will be held on Sunday, April 30, in the Kiryat-Shaul cemetery (Tel Aviv), at 11:45. Ion Degen was born on June 4, 1925 in the city of Mogilev-Podolsky (Ukraine) in the Feldscher family. Mother worked as a nurse in the hospital. At twelve years began to work as an assistant to the blacksmith. He was fond of literature, as well as zoology and botany. In July 1941, Degen did a volunteer to the front of the Fighter Battalion, consisting of students of the ninth and ten classes. Fought consisting of the 130th Rifle Division. Was injured. He graduated from the 1st Kharkov Tank School. He was one of the Soviet tank ASOs: during the participation of hostilities in the 2nd separate Guards Tank Brigade, 16 German tanks were destroyed by the crew of Degen.

Ion Degen Pavel Worthanth / Tas

In January 1945, during the East Prussian offensive operation, he received a serious injury. He was twice with the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. The first idea is for the fight, during which his platoon destroyed 18 Panther, the second - for heroism, manifested during battles on the approaches to Königsberg. In the interview with NewSru.co.il in 2014, Degen told about the war so: "Of course, I was scared, but even more I was afraid that someone would think that the Jew was a coward that the Jew was afraid. Therefore, I always lez first .. . "In 1977, Ion Degen repatriated to Israel, where more than twenty years continued to work as a orthopedist doctor. He believed that his post-war destiny, the intention to become a doctor predetermined the front experience. "The fact is that in the hospital, seeing the work of doctors, I decided that I myself would become a doctor. I used to work thoroughly. Now you see the hand no longer listening. But I was an orthoped surgeon, I sewed an amputated hand in global practice. . This is not in itself came, "Degen told.

The poem "My comrade, in mortal agony ..." was written by Degen in December 1944. For a long time it corresponded and passed orally as folk. On the authorship of Degen became known only in the late 80s.

My comrade in death agony
Do not call friends.
Give better sogrey palm i
Over swirling your blood.
You do not cry, not shame, you are not small,
You are not injured, you're just killed.
Let me take off the boots from you.
We still have to come.

December 1944

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My comrade in death agony
Do not call friends.
Give better sogrey palm i
Over swirling your blood.

You do not cry, you are not going, my little.
You are not injured, you're just killed.
Dai-ka better rent from you the boots.
We still have to come.

This piercing lines wrote in 1944 a 19-year-old Tankist Ion Degen .. In July 1941, after the 9th grade, voluntarily went to the front. Red Army. Scout. Cadet. Commander Tank. Commander of the tank platoon. Commander Tank Rota. Three times wounded. As a result of the last injury, severe disabilities. Degen got wound in the head. While it was chosen from the tank, seven bullets whipped him hand, and when he fell, four fragments killed him legs. He understood that if the Germans will now find him, they will burn alive. And I decided to shoot, but the terrible pain did not even even remove parabelum from the guard. He lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital.
Awarded orders - the Red Banner, the "Patriotic War" of the 1st degree, the two - "Patriotic War" of the 2nd degree, the medal "for courage", Polish orders, medals. Tenth in the list of Soviet tank ASOs !!!
In the summer of forty-fifth year, when barely walked on crutches, it was unexpectedly invited to the house of writers to read poetry with other front-line poets. Chaired Konstantin Simonov, who was then at the peak of Glory. Mikhail Dudin was there, Sergey Orlov, also a tanker ... other Degen did not remember the names. When he read "my comrade, in mortal agony ...", everything seemed to belonelli. And then it began. Remembers Ion Degen: "" Not just ledali and star. In dust, rubbed. How is the communist, the officer could become such an apologist of cowardice, looting, could slander the valiant Red Army? Some kind of kiplip. And further. And further".
After the war, the orthopedist. In 1977 he went to Israel, where the doctor worked for another twenty years. Now he is retired, he is 83 years old.

* *
At the front you will not be crazy hardly
Without learning to immediately forget.
We are baked tanks
All that in the grave can be buried.
The Combrigs overtook the chin on the nip.
I hid the tears. Enough. Stop doing that.

And in the evening the driver taught me
How to dance the padEspan.
Summer 1944.

* *
Random raid on enemy rear.
Only input solved the fate of the battle.
But the Order will not get to us.
Thank you, even at least than oblivion.

For our random crazy battle
Recognize ingenious commander.
But the main thing - we survived with you.
And the truth is what? After all, it is done.
September 1944.

* * *
Gaps in thick frontal armor
Hole. The armor passed through the Dwarf.
We are accustomed to everything in war.
And yet near the frozen tank
I pray fate:
When will order into battle,
When the rocket takes off, the death of Swach,
Not to see even thoughts over yourself
From this hole of the fucking fear.
November 1944.

Sources of information: Wikipedia, Evgeny Yevtushenko

Reviews

Read. And poem and consequences for the author. Total disturbed. So not humanly to your front-rate comrade! To warm about the dying hand and paint with still living hard-fledged boots! Mrauderism and even in relation to a living serious friend! It is clear that the war is cruel, but the author himself remained alone because as a result of multiple injuries, "terrible pain did not even remove with Parabelum's fuse." And he was picked up, carried out, delivered to the hospital. So I understand why a regular reaction on his verse was shock and indignation. Ion Degen What, did not assume this? I decided that now "the war everything will write" (c) yes, in war there are forced atrocities, but they never wrote verses in which it would not be condemned. Here, my memory gave me half of the phrase from the poem: "... Sinitsin's redflower shot his dusty friend." But there from compassion, because there was nothing to help, so that a friend does not suffer. It would be such a friend near the hard wounded Ion Degen, and his corpse would stay next to his baked tank. And so here was alive.
I remembered from "and dawns here quiet." There, Starin took off his boots with a killed girl and ordered them to shore the one who left her boots in the swamp. But removed not from the lively seriously edged! I believe that besides the ability to write, you need to take care of writing as it should.
Remembered the passage from Mayakovsky
....................................
I want to equate the pen to the pin
With cast iron so that and smelting steel
About the work of poems on the Politburo
Did reports Stalin.
......................................

About the atrocities in the war are probably not rally. About the depreciation of life - too. Although, if not a Vlm, then look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003d-PZLR1IRPQG "Victor Astafiev: Such a" victory "you are proud of the bastard."
I regret that there was no one who would have given their lives to kill the convoluted commander.