Александра Крючкова – Ангел-Хранитель. A Guardian Angel. Премия им. Оскара Уайльда. Билингва: Ru-Eng (страница 6)

Alexandra intersects with E.B. Rein three times both in life and in the novel. In March 2012, she attended a course of his poetry seminars at the Booker Laureates’ School in Milan (Italy), and was announced the winner (she was awarded a diploma, the Order of S.A. Yesenin «Golden Autumn» and a publication of her poetry book by the Union of Writers of Russia). Together with a group of seminarians, they travelled to Venice to visit the places of Joseph Brodsky. In autumn 2012, Alexandra performed on TV channel «Culture» («Aloud. Poems about Myself. How to rise above graphomania?» program), with Alexander Kushner and Evgeny Rein on the jury. Kryuchkova was declared the winner of the program. In April 2013, she took another poetry course of E. B. Rein at the Union of Writers of Russia and received a diploma.

A book of her poems with the provocative title «Marina. Anna. Alexandra», repeatedly mentioned in the novel and submitted simultaneously with the book «A Scream to the Unanswered» to the judgment of E.B. Rein, was published by «RIPOL Classic» in 2009. It would seem logical to assume that the link between Rein and Kryuchkova is Anna Akhmatova (Rein knew Akhmatova well and is traditionally, along with Brodsky, considered a pupil of Akhmatova), and in the novel (as in real life) the main character Alice is involved in a fatal car crash on Akhamatova’s birthday. However, in a difficult moment of life and on her own birthday Alice (as the writer) goes to Elabuga, and Marina Tsvetaeva, unlike Anna Akhmatova, appears in almost all novels by Kryuchkova.

The protagonist of «A Guardian Angel» tells us a lot of nuances that make her similar to Marina, and in the next novel, «Confession of a Ghost», periodically repeats the phrase, «I am not Akhmatova». It’s significant, in my opinion, that despite a lot of opportunities, Kryuchkova has never taken part in Akhmatova’s competitions, but she did win in «The Gallery of Selected Poetry» in the nomination of M. Tsvetaeva «Women’s Cosmos» for the poem «1m and 58 sm» (October 2010), and in the competition «Tsvetaeva’s Bonfire» 2013 (getting the first place with the award of a statuette «M. Tsvetaeva» and a certificate for a free book publishing). On several occasions, Alexandra read poetry and hosted literary evenings at the House Museum of M. Tsvetaeva in Borisoglebsky Lane in Moscow, and with the literary foundation «Svetoch» performed at the School-Gymnasium V.P. von Dervis, where M. Tsvetaeva had studied.

Kryuchkova visited Elabuga three times, two trips are described in «A Guardian Angel». By decision of the management of Elabuga State Museum-Reserve of M. Tsvetaeva (EGMZ), she received the right to light the 11^th Tsvetaeva’s Bonfire in Elabuga on October 5, 2013 and open poetry readings. Her speech and interview for regional TV was widely covered by the mass media («Tatmedia», «New Kama», «Evening of Elabuga», «Elabuga without format», «Common Literary Newspaper» and others). In October 2020, Alexandra came to Tsvetaeva’s Bonfire for the second time as the head of the delegation of the Moscow State Organization of the Union of Writers of Russia. She got a diploma signed by the director of the EGMZ and the chairman of the Union of Writers for participation in the Tsvetaeva’ Bonfire and awarded the medal «Tsvetaeva’s Bonfires».

«A Guardian Angel» includes Kryuchkova’s poems as illustrations, adding the final touch to her portrait: yes, she is a master! As the winner of the King of Poets tournament (the Union of Writers of Russia, 2013), she appeared in Dmitry Silkan’s Literary Lounge and Natalia Osipova’s Cultural Layer program on the «Russian World» radio and TV. In 2014, «RIPOL Classic» published her book of poems, «The Queen of Poets», and then Alexandra, one of the few to be awarded the Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia by the Russian Imperial House of Romanovs for the contribution to Russian culture, became a winner of «Heritage» national literary award. Thus, the last page of «A Guardian Angel» is flooded with spotlight from the «Heritage» Award ceremony in the Great Hall of the Central House of Writers.

As Nadezhda Schlesiger, a writer and a fan of Marina Tsvetaeva, wrote about «A Guardian Angel», «Kryuchkova is walking on the edge of genius. Her poems sprout in your soul, striking you with sincerity and depth of thought. Her prose surprises both in form and content, and, of course, the Power of the Spirit. Her Another Reality is the truth of life suffered out…»

However, I’d like to conclude my review about «A Guardian Angel» with the words of Peter Guldedava, the head of the «Fresh Look» literary association, already quoted at the beginning, who, despite his reproach for the excessive heavenliness of the protagonist, continues his review as follows, «But it is in the pure spirituality that the power of the impact of Kryuchkova’s works, the key of her creativity at a high level, is revealed. Whatever she talks about, every word is a word of love, faith and hope, radiating magic charm of talent and beauty. Unfortunately, people have forgotten to appreciate their close contemporaries, because they have two eyes to see, two ears to hear and one mouth that apart of speaking clever words demands their daily bread. It’s difficult for them to bring their level of objectivity to degrees equal to the great gifts of their fellows. Especially if God let them hide their own obtuseness behind an abundance of rhyming quotations of well-known truths and paraphrased statements of acknowledged authorities. Perhaps time must pass and only descendants will be able to discern the true scale of the Master’s greatness from a distance of decades. Following an infectious example and paraphrasing Franz Liszt’s words about Pauline Viardot, I’d like to state with full responsibility, Alexandra Kryuchkova is not simply a Russian literary figure. She is a cultural phenomenon, and one day the turn for the precious wines of her inimitable work will come!»

Boris Mikhin,

poet, member of the Union of Writers of Russia

«Foreing Notes» magazine14 No. 1 (47), 202215

«Venice in the works of Alexandra Kryuchkova» by L. Kuzminskaya

Venice is one of Alexandra Kryuchkova’s favorite cities, as she tells us in her novels in the «Playing Another Reality» series. In particular, Venice is practically a character in the novel «A Guardian Angel». Alexandra has visited Venice many times, both on business trips and for creative performances.

«„I’ve just come back from a business trip there,“ I sighed, still looking at the paintings. „My favorite city. I often go to Venice. On business and on my own. There is something magical about the city that keeps me coming back…16“»

The author’s most important trip to Venice, described in «A Guardian Angel», took place in March 2012. It was a tour from the Booker Laureates’ School in Milan, where Alexandra was taking a poetry seminar of Evgeny Rein (a friend of Joseph Brodsky). Together with E. Rein, the seminarians also visited Brodsky’s grave in the San Michele cemetery17.

«I found myself at the cemetery! Surrounded by tombstones! I came up to one of them and read, „Joseph Brodsky“. „How did I end up in Venice? What am I doing here? Perhaps it’s just a dream.“ Some voices were heard in the distance. They were calling me. I caught up with them and… Suddenly, I remembered joyfully that I was there with a group of writers and poets, at the seminars of E. B. Rein and V. Erofeev! Dmitry Nemelstein, a poet and historian, came up to me, „Alexandra, don’t be sad! You’ll succeed!“ „I’m not sleeping! Yes! Exactly! He addressed me by my earthly name! We were there for a tour of the places of Brodsky!“ My memory returned, I gradually remembered how we had left Milan by bus, got to the pier of San Marco and arrived by boat to the cemetery island of San Michele…18»

Italians have a superstition. You shouldn’t come to Venice with your loved one, otherwise, after the trip, you’ll break up for one reason or another.

«You should go to Venice with your loved one!»

«I thought so, too. But an Italian, the CEO of the factory, with whom we communicate at work, said that Venice was considered in Italy to be an unhappy city for lovers, bringing eternal separation. He gave me some examples from his own life and the lives of his friends. Even engagements had been canceled after such trips, and one girl had even died!19»

Perhaps that’s why Venice appears in Kryuchkova’s poems as a city of ghosts, and in her prose as a theatrical stage with cardboard decorations, where even «the Moon in the sky is cardboard,» and is reflected in «cardboard water».

«Venice, the mystical city to which, according to the Italians, a trip together with the loved one threatens eternal separation, appears in the novel as a sinister black city, mourning ghosts. The description of the cardboard Moon in the sky and its cardboard reflection in the cardboard (!) water make a strong impression – like plunging into madness at the moment when, experiencing the main character’s feelings, you become aware of shifting edges in your own head…20»