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His Name Belongs to Eternity

On February 21, 1984, the earthly life of the great Russian writer, a Genius of the world literature, ended. The frosty winter day clothed the Don country in mourning. The sad news about the death of Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov wounded the hearts of thousands admirers of his work; the country lost her faithful and devoted son. More than 30 years have passed since that time, but many residents of Vyoshenskaya clearly remember the moments of farewell to the Don Cossack glorifier. It was a dull cold day, and the nature seemed unable to accept the fact that “the Don nightingales stopped singing” for Sholokhov. An endless stream of people went along to the Palace of Culture of Vyoshenskaya: there from the great artist of word and a dear man, a man of great generous heart and People’s Protector, was being seen off on his last journey…And yet, the farewell did not mean parting with the favourite writer, because genius does not die. Mikhail Alexandrovich is still present among us thanks to his work and his immortal books, acts and deeds. And the farewell day became the day of his Memory.

Annually on February days, educational institutions, schools, libraries and museums hold meetings, memorial sessions and exhibitions devoted to the Man and Writer. His contemporaries share their impressions of meeting with him, and readers of all ages open the immortal Sholokhov’s books again.

It is impossible to overestimate what the great man had done for people. P.I.Mayatsky, the former First Secretary of the Vyoshensky District Communist Party Committee, remembered that “thousands of people, old and young, went to Vyoshki, a Cossack stanitsa, to Sholokhov. In his life Sholokhov was easy-going and friendly, strict and demanding, picky and helpful. He could find way to converse with everyone: from little to old, from ordinary soldier to marshal, from worker and peasant to secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee...” The writer’s contemporaries noted his generosity and readiness to help everyone who is in need. This is proved by numerous letters of thanks from different parts of our country. Thousands of letters are carefully kept in the stores of the National M.A.Sholokhov Museum-Reserve.

The heart of Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov stopped beating on the 21 of February 1984, at 1:40 midnight. He was buried in Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya on the steep bank of the Quiet Don, which he celebrated in his works.

Since then, a new generation of admirers of Sholokhov’s works has grown up. And every year, on this February day, hundreds of people come to the tomb of the writer to lay flowers and honour the memory of the man, whose life was devoted to serving the people and our Country, and whose name belongs to the Eternity.

Tatiyana Balak