Я догоню вас на небесах

Pisatel Radii Pogodin perejil v jizni mnogoe — umiral v blokadnom Leningrade, voeval (nagrajden ordenami — dvumia Slavie i dvumia Krasnoi Zvezdie), v boiah doshel do Berlina (ego blokadniee i voenniee vpechatleniia legli v osnovu avtobiograficheskogo romana «Ia dogonu vas na nebesah», odnoi iz luchshih knig v nashei literature o voine i Leningradskoi blokade), posle voinie popal vo «vragi naroda» i otmotal srok v lagere po pechalno izvestnoi state UK… Vot takoi biel u nego «bogatiei» jiznenniei opiet. V literaturu Pogodin prishel v 1950-h. Nachinal s knig dlia detei: «Kirpichniee ostrova», «Rasskazie o veselieh ludiah i horoshei pogode», «Tren-bren»… Pozje, v 1970–1980-e, v ego proizvedeniiah, daje v detskih, vse chashe i vse otchetlivee zvuchit tema voinie, i dlia pisatelia s ego biografiei eto ochen poniatno — proshloe vozvrashaetsia, uje v knigah. No chto vajno: nesmotria na perejitoe, knigi Pogodina napolnenie tepliem svetom i dobrotoi. A eshe on umeet podbirat i rasstavliat slova tak, chto proishodit chudo — to obieknovennoe chudo, kogda slova v knige nachinaut igrat, svetitsia vsemi kraskami jizni, otzievaias v serdce chitatelia. Krome romana «Ia dogonu vas na nebesah», odnoi iz vershin v tvorchestve pisatelia, v nastoiashii tom polnostu voshel cikl polurealisticheskih-polufantasticheskih povestei i rasskazov o Vasilii Egorove, hudojnike i soldate («Reka»), i drugie luchshie obrazcie pogodinskoi prozie. V avguste 2025 goda otmechalos stoletie so dnia rojdeniia mastera, i eta kniga — nasha dan pamiati zamechatelnomu pisatelu, hudojniku, cheloveku.

The writer Radiy Pogodin went through a lot in his life — he died in besieged Leningrad, fought (he was awarded two Orders of Glory and two Red Stars), and reached Berlin in battle (his blockade and military impressions formed the basis of the autobiographical novel "I will Catch up with You in heaven," one of the best books in our literature about war and During the Leningrad blockade), after the war he fell into the "enemies of the people" and served time in the camp under the infamous article of the Criminal Code… That was his "rich" life experience. Pogodin entered literature in the 1950s. He started with books for children: "Brick Islands", "Stories about funny people and good weather", "Tren-bren" ... Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, in his works, even in children's, the theme of war sounds more and more clearly, and for a writer with his biography it is very understandable — the past is coming back, already in the books. But what is important is that, despite his experiences, Pogodin's books are filled with warm light and kindness. He also knows how to choose and arrange words in such a way that a miracle happens, an ordinary miracle, when the words in a book begin to play, glow with all the colors of life, responding to the reader's heart. In addition to the novel "I'll Catch up with you in heaven," one of the peaks in the writer's work, this volume completely includes a cycle of semi-realistic and semi-fantastic novels and stories about Vasily Egorov, an artist and a soldier ("The River"), and other best examples of Pogodin's prose. In August 2025, the centenary of the master's birth was celebrated, and this book is our tribute to the memory of a wonderful writer, artist, and person.