One of the main and last punks of this world turns 80 today. When, in the last year of Grandfather’s life, we started filming a documentary about him, somehow it didn’t even occur to me to call him that, I thought more and more: the great Russian writer, incurable revolutionary, provocateur and man-art.
For the first time in my presence, Limonov's punk, it seems, was called by his French friend, the colorful writer-boxer Thierry Marignac, with whom they became friends almost in the very first month when Edward moved from the USA to live in Paris.
And now, yes, you understand - and punk too.
Not in that primitive sense, of course, about vomit and mohawk, but specifically about his outspoken and truly unprecedented nonconformism, fanned by an insane and therefore truly sincere belief in what is sometimes called the Big Dream.
I did not know Grandfather for so long, unlike his fellow party members, who - with the exception of the lawyer Belyak (Limonov considered him almost the only friend) - made up a limited circle of his contacts.
However, this short time was enough to understand that Limonov really was one of the most genuine romantics, perhaps not only of his generation.
Romantics, ready to put everything at stake, including the most valuable - life and destiny.
This is usually characteristic of mythological characters, which, by the way, at the moment, Limonov, in fact, already is.
And I consider it incredible and purely human luck that I managed to observe his life for a while.
In the last year, we traveled with Grandfather to different countries.
They talked a lot - about history, about literature (in fact, it seemed to me that he didn’t really like to talk about literature - I’m not sure, people who know him better will probably correct it), about Russia, about humanity in principle, about war and wars , about death, about women, about beauty, about religion and scriptures, about adventurism, about wives and mothers-in-law, about rich and poor, about painting and cinema, about cannibalism and vegetarianism, about Ukraine, about emigrants, about rifles and wine.
For each, in general, Limonov's topic was extremely curious and very often non-trivial thoughts.
And today, when I was driving with an old friend from the philological faculty along a snow-covered highway, for some reason I remembered precisely this feature of him - to produce thoughts.
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Grandpa was never bored on the road.
When we flew on an airplane, spent a long time in a train or in a car, he did not sleep, did not use his smartphone, did not listen to music, did not watch movies with serials, did not solve crossword puzzles, did not play cards or board games, and, of course, didn't read the books.
It seemed strange to me, and at some point I asked: “Eduard Veniaminovich, how do you keep yourself busy on the road - are you really not tired of the monotony of the road?”
"I'm thinking.
Believe me, there is nothing more entertaining than thinking, ”the old man replied.
And remembering this, I suddenly now understand in hindsight who he considered himself to be - a thinker.
Yes, a thinker is already a rare, slightly grandiloquent, but very, very accurate Russian word.
In relation to Limonov - no doubt.
He believed (and talked about it) that the future of writing is not in the endless storylines and behavioral formulas of the characters, but in the competition of non-trivial, innovative ideas.
In other words, thoughts.
He saw the future of literature in essays.
Well, that's it, for general information.
Let's go back to the word "thinker".
Limonov, in my opinion, in addition to being a great and categorical Russian writer, who literally scratched his name on the glassy surface of Russian literature with his own talent (and this is recognized even by those who hate him), is also one of the most underestimated Russian thinkers.
Great thinker.
Today, his ideas materialize in an incredible way and stick out in front of a respected public, stuck with merciless blades into the decaying body of reality.
I am convinced that we have yet to appreciate its philosophical brilliance.
Happy birthday, the first and so far the last punk thinker!
Limonov forever!
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors
.