“People who have been to Donbass are returning there”

Last time, MK talked about the poet and playwright Dmitry Artis, who, on New Year’s Eve, went as a volunteer to the NWO area. But before the ink had dried, as they say, in our publication, it became known that the poet and volunteer Alexei Shorokhov, a graduate of the Gorky Literary Institute, a member of the Union of Writers of Russia, had gone to the front. Prior to this, Shorokhov made several trips to the DPR as part of the Loaf project for Donbass. The fighters of the People’s Militia of the Republic were then delivered five UAZs (colloquially “Loaf”) with humanitarian cargo and uniforms (that is, the cars themselves and things needed by the military). But the Donetsk region, as it turned out, is “dragging” – after talking with its defenders, Shorokhov realized that this assistance was not enough, that he could do more. I thought how striking the contrast with the metropolitan “Z-poets”, storming the wine-glasses and seeing the fighting only on TV.

About why Aleksey changed civilian clothes to a military uniform, why so many authors “nailed” to the Donetsk topic, his friend, project colleague, poet and publicist Igor Panin told our publication.

– What were Shorokhov’s internal reasons for going to the front, did he share his plans with you? When did it become clear that he would make such a decision?

Everyone has their own motivations. Alexey has been volunteering since 2015. And I, of course, knew that he was going to go there as a fighter, for me this did not come as a surprise. But, for obvious reasons, I did not disclose this information for the time being. In general, together with Alexei, our common Voronezh friend, who managed to fight in the Donbass in different years, also went to the front. He also thought and thought, and then he took it and got ready. I can say that people who have visited the Donbass usually return there. Some as a volunteer, some as a fighter. So none of us is immune from such a decision (laughs).

– And what can you say about Alexei as a poet: does he have poems in the spirit of Simonov or Yulia Drunina?

– Last year he published a book of poems, which is called: “War”. It includes his selected poems from the early 90s. So, as you can see, this topic has been worrying him for a long time. (This is the answer to the question where the Russian poets “were eight years”, – B.S.):

Dreams began to be vivid

Children’s prophetic dreams.

Somewhere the lightning is burning

Close by blood war.

Somewhere it becomes summer

The guy burned in the armor.

But that’s not what I’m talking about

I’m not talking about that at all … Not …

He only dreams of peace and, probably, this is good.

– Now there is a lot of talk about the fact that Moscow “remote” poets are openly promoting themselves on the topic of the NWO. Even before reaching Donetsk, they compose jingoistic verses, are included in various anthologies, and tour the country. But often only along the “mainland” part of it, and not where the shells are exploding. Have you and Alexey ever caught yourself thinking that you are “PR” in your own way?

“Our goal is to help the front. This is what we were doing. In the Donbass, we met a couple of times in libraries and universities with local writers, the intelligentsia, well, yes, we read some of our poetic texts, but mostly answered questions, discussed, and told something. These were just meetings with people, not poetry evenings. Once, they briefly spoke to the tankmen of the People’s Militia of the DPR, and even then at the request of the locals, and not because they asked for it. The last time in the Donetsk library, when I was offered to read my own, I read a poem by the Israeli poet and parodist Yevgeny Minin, which he specially wrote in support of the people of Donetsk. What kind of PR can be here? And why, exactly?

– Not so long ago you launched a curious term – “Tashkent Poetry Front” among the people. Why Tashkent? Did you make many enemies after that publication in Literaturka?

– In Soviet times, the “Tashkent Front” was called the supply, deviationists and various crooks, who, by hook or by crook, got a respite from mobilization, evacuated, and then received orders and pretended to be front-line soldiers.

I have no idea how many enemies I have made. I used to have decently enough of them, so I lost count a long time ago. A bunch more, a bunch less – it doesn’t matter. And by the way, I did not say that a person is obliged to go to the Donbass in order to have the right to write about him, as some understand it. I believe that a real poet, even without having been there, will still compose strong poems about battles and courage. But here are some Russian individuals who have not even learned to write properly, and at the same time almost impersonate front-line poets, really do not evoke good emotions. This is the same contingent. And if we judge by the Hamburg account, then only a few of the entire current writing fraternity will remain in literature. And they will definitely not be “Tashkent”.

– As I understand it, with Shorokhov, who has just left, communication has not yet been established, and it is difficult to understand what is happening to him. Do you plan to keep in touch with a friend while he is there?

– Of course. As far as it will be possible. He didn’t go on vacation anyway. We agreed that Aleksey himself would periodically write and call, send photos, reports, poems. And I will try to place it in the media, etc. So there will be new things to talk about. And I have to continue the project. I am a hard-working person, and the age is already such when you can hardly get involved in any undertakings. But here I joined in full. So everything will go on. I’ll pick up a temporary partner for myself, I’ll continue to carry “Loaves” with him until Alexei returns. And what will happen next, I do not undertake to guess.