Russian Novelist Becomes Officer of France's Legion of Honour

Itar Tass ^ | 11/28/2014 | Itar Tass

[goldstategop]

MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. Prominent Russian writer Lyudmila Ulitskaya has been named an officer of the French Legion of Honour, the country’s highest honor.

Ulitskaya is expected to be awarded the medal, which traces its roots to Napoleon Bonaparte, at a formal ceremony to be attended by French Ambassador to Russia Jean-Maurice Ripert later on Friday.

“France pays homage to the spirit of freedom, openness and tolerance, which interfuse all her writings,” said Madeleine Courant, a press counsellor of the French Embassy in Russia.

Ulitskaya is the author of Kukotsky's Case novel, which was awarded Russian Booker Prize in 2001, Daniel Stein, Interpreter, and many others. Her works have been translated into over 30 languages. In 1994, France named Ulitskaya's first novella, Sonechka, the best translated book of the year.

[goldstategop]

This is the most esteemed in France, instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Lyudmilla Ulitskaya is much beloved in Russia for her novella "Sonechka."

According to Wikipedia:

"The novella Sonechka tells the life story of a Russian booklover. Sonechka spends her youth immersed in the world of Russian literature, living her life vicariously through the characters in books. One day, when Sonechka is working at the local library, a man named Robert Vitorovich inquires about an ensemble of French books. The 50-year-old man, who is a member of the intelligentsia, returns to the library 3 days later and abruptly proposes to Sonechka. She accepts and embarks on a new life with her husband. She lives a fulfilling life as she moves around Russia with her husband and her daughter Tanya. Eventually, the family settles in the Montmartre of Moscow. Sonechka’s husband gets a studio to work on his paintings and Tanya tumbles around in her studies and distances herself from her mother. However, when Tanya enters afternoon classes, a new girl, Jasia, enters the life of the family. Jasia, a beautiful Polish girl, charms Tanya and Robert. One Christmas Jasia and Robert start an affair. Despite this, Sonechka views the girl as a fragile individual, who becomes the daughter Sonechka always dreamed of having. Suddenly, Robert has a heart attack and dies, leaving Sonechka and Jasia alone. Sonechka prepares for the funeral and takes care of Jasia. By the end of the story, Sonechka rediscovers her love of literature while Tanya relocates to St. Petersburg and Jasia marries a European aristocrat.

About the main character:

Sonechka – the protagonist is an introverted, book-loving librarian who meets her future husband, Robert, in the job. Once married she transforms into a domestic women who showers her family with limitless love, patience, and understanding. Sonechka, Sonya or Sofia means wisdom.

Literary Significance:

Ludmila Ulitskaya gives a novel that is distinctly Russian and a part of the growing literary tradition in Russia of works somewhere between pop culture and intellectual literature. The novella was well-received just shortly after its initial release. Sonechka was nominated for the Russian Booker Prize in 2005. Sonechka is in line with other Sonechkas from Russian literature – such as Dostoyevsky's characters – in kindness and magnanimity. The English translation was shortlisted for the Rossica Translation Prize in 2007."

Her award is well deserved. This is modern Russian literature at its best.

[Krosan]

Dear goldstategop. Weren’t you a Putinista cheering on Russian invasion of Ukraine?

You are now bringing forth someone who is certainly a cultural hero of Russia, but who has opposed Putin from past till now.

I don’t think you can keep your integrity while supporting the ‘vatniks’ of Putin while cursing Ulitskaya to hell. Those keeping the Russian culture alive and adding to it are 98% not Putinistas.

Now honored Ulitskaya would stomp on your weak lies of “Ukrainain Nazis”.

Perhaps you should repent.