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“I, Personally, Owe Serafimovich Greatly ...”

95 years ago, in April 1925, the first meeting of Mikhail Sholokhov and Alexander Serafimovich took place.

In 1925, the publishing house “New Moscow” began preparing for printing the first collection of short stories by Mikhail Sholokhov. The publishing house turned to the famous Don writer Alexander Serafimovich with a request to read the manuscript and express his opinion.

Mikhail Sholokhov recalled: “...I, personally, owe Serafimovich greatly for his being the first to support me at the very beginning of my writing, to say a word of approval, a word of recognition ...

I will never forget the year 1925 when Serafimovich, having read the first collection of my stories, not only wrote a warm introduction to it, but also wanted to see me. Our first meeting took place in the 1st House of Soviets. Serafimovich assured me that I should continue to write, study. He advised to work seriously on everything, not to rush”.

In 1926, the first collection of “Don Stories” by Mikhail Sholokhov went out.

The book was opened by the “Preface” by Alexander Serafimovich: “Like a steppe flower, the stories of Comrade Sholokhov stand up as a living spot. Simply, vividly and you feel the story as if it is seen with your eyes. The language is figurative, that colorful language spoken by the Cossacks. It is compressed, and this contraction is full of life, tension and truth.

In tense moments there is a sense of proportion, and therefore they pierce. There is a great knowledge of what he is talking about. His eye is thin, grasping. There is an ability to choose the most characteristic of many signs.

Everything bears evidence that Comrade Sholokhov is developing into a valuable writer. Only to study, only to work on everything, not to rush”.

With such a parting word from an experienced countryman writer, Mikhail Sholokhov entered the literature.

The first meeting of the two writers would grow into a long-standing friendship. 

Ekaterina Karbysheva