Вітер зустрічний

by Petro Hryhorenko, Петро Григоренко, Дмитро Кислиця (Translator)

Книга спогадів колишнього радянського генерала, незламного в'язня совісті, що пройшов шлях від невдалої спроби створення підпільного "Союзу боротьби за відродження ленінізму" до беззастережного неприйняття режиму та правозахисної діяльності, за що його було позбавлено військового звання і на довгі роки запроторено на примусове психіатричне лікування, яке КДБ застосовував у боротьбі з інакодумством. Зрештою його позбавлено і радянського громадянства.

До уваги широкого загалу пропонується найцікавіший, на наш погляд, етап життя відомого поборника прав людини, одного із співзасновників Гельсінського руху в СРСР.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Russia

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Gremrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fat book of General Петро Григоренко’s memoirs. Loved it! Loved the personality of the general. I really do not understand why he is so little known among regular people. He was a beautiful and highly significant personality, especially for us, Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. Although I think that Crimean Tatars remember, love, and respect him much more that we, Ukrainians.

However, he was an extremely important figure for all dissident and anti-Soviet movements whatsoever.

The memoirs are very interesting and detailed — he was also a really good writer that makes the atmosphere of any place and time he witnessed very lively and full of colors. I have already read part of the memoirs (about his dissident life in the later years) as they were repeated in the previous book “Генерал Петро Григоренко: Спогади, статті, матеріали” (2008). However, this book contains much more memoirs, starting from his early childhood.

Everything — including his childhood, his education, his participation in the war, his later pre-dissident life — is VERY interesting. I do recommend reading this book — it’s not only a good chance to learn about this amazing personality but also just a good memoir book, full of interesting personal and socially important stuff.

As I understand, it was originally written and published in Russian, but I have read a Ukrainian translation in paper. I have not seen such a full single book of Петро Григоренко’s memoirs in Russian, but I suppose that they are more or less covered by “В подполье можно встретить только крыс” — only watch for the edition that starts from his childhood (“Родился я 16 октября 1907 года на Украине – село Борисовка, Приморского района Запорожской области. Ребенком я себя не помню” etc.), not a shorter version that is only about his dissident activities.

I am very happy that I now have these two thick books about Петро Григоренко on my bookshelves!

[Jukka]

Grigorenko Memoirs - Petro Grigorenko.
Brilliant man, amazing story. He just couldn't do anything other than tell the straight out truth. A man of will and strength.