Summary Compromise Sergey Dovlatov
SD Dovlatov
Compromise
The main character, a journalist, left without work, leafing through his newspaper clippings collected for “ten years of lies and pretense.” It’s the 70’s when he lived in Tallinn. Each newspaper text-compromise is followed by the author’s memories – real conversations, feelings, events.
Having listed in the note those countries from which specialists came to the scientific conference, the author listens to the editor of the accusation of political short-sightedness. It turns out that at the top of the list should go the countries of victorious socialism, then all the rest. The author was paid for the information two rubles. He thought – three will pay…
The tone of the note “Opponents of the wind” about the Tallinn racetrack is festive and sublime. In fact, the author easily agreed with the hero of the note, jockey Ivanov, “paint” the program of races, and they together
In the newspaper “Evening Tallinn”, in the column “Estonian alphabet”, the hero writes cute nursery rhymes in which the beast answers the Russian greeting in Estonian. The author is called by the instructor of the Central Committee: “It turns out that the Estonian is a beast? I, the instructor of the Central Committee of the Party, is a beast?” “Man was born. … A man doomed to happiness! ..” – words from a custom reportage about the birth of a four hundred thousand inhabitant of Tallinn. The hero goes to the hospital. The first newborn, whom he informs the editor on the phone, the son of Estonians and Ethiopians, is “rejected.” The second son of a Jew, too. The editor agrees to receive a report on the birth of the third son of an Estonian and a Russian member of the CPSU. They bring money for the father to call his son Lembit. The author of the
The newspaper Sovetskaya Estonia published a telegram from the Estonian milkmaid Brezhnev with a joyful message about the high milk yields, about her admission to the Party and Brezhnev’s response telegram. The hero remembers how to write the report of the milkmaid he was sent along with the photographer Zhbankov to one of the district party committees. The first secretary was received by the journalists, two young girls were assigned to them, ready to fulfill any of their wishes, and the liquor was poured by the river. Of course, journalists fully “took advantage of the situation.” They only caught a glimpse of the milkmaid – and the telegram was written in a short break of the “cultural program”. Saying goodbye to the district committee, Zhbankov asked “for treatment” at least beer. The secretary was frightened – “in the district committee they can see.” “Well, you chose your job,” Zhbankov sympathized with him.
“The most difficult distance” is an article on a moral theme about an athlete, a member of the Komsomol, then a Communist, a young scientist Tiina Karu. The heroine of the article appeals to the author with a request to help her “liberate” sexually. Act as a teacher. The author refuses. Tiina asks: “Do you have scoundrel friends?” “They prevail,” the journalist agrees. After several candidates, he stops at Osa Chernov. After several unsuccessful attempts, Tiin finally becomes a happy student. As a token of gratitude she hands the author a bottle of whiskey, with which he goes to write an article on a moral theme.
“They prevent us from living” – a note about an employee of the republican press, E. L. Boucher, who got into the sobering-up center. The author remembers the touching story of his acquaintance with the hero of the note. Bush is a talented person, drinking, who can not stand compromises with his superiors, who enjoys the love of beautiful aging women. He interviews the captain of the West German ship Paul Rudy, who turns out to be a traitor to the homeland, a runaway Estonians. KGB officers suggest that Bush give evidence that the captain is a sexual pervert. Bush, resenting, refuses, what causes the Colonel of the KGB unexpected phrase: “You are better than I thought.” Bush is fired, he does not work anywhere, he lives with another beloved woman; they are settled and the hero. On one of the editorial parties invite and Bush – as a freelance writer. At the end of the evening, when everyone is pretty drunk, Bush makes a scandal, striking his foot on the tray with coffee, which is brought in by the wife of the editor-in-chief. To the hero, he explains his act like this: after a lie that was in all speeches and behavior of all present, in another way he could not act. The sixth year living in America, the hero sadly recalls the dissident and handsome, troublemaker, poet and hero of Bush, and does not know what his fate is.
“Tallinn says goodbye to Hubert Ilves”. Reading an obituary about the director of the television studio, Hero of Socialist Labor, the author of the obituary remembers the hypocrisy of all those who attended the funeral of the same hypocritical careerist. The sad humor of these memories is that because of the confusion that occurred in the morgue, the “ordinary” deceased was buried in a privileged cemetery. But the solemn ceremony was brought to an end, hoping to change the coffins at night…
“Memory is a formidable weapon!” – Report from the republican gathering of former prisoners of fascist concentration camps. The hero was sent to the rally together with the same photographer Zhbankov. At the banquet, after a few taken wine glasses, the veterans talk, and it turns out that not everyone was sitting only in Dachau. The “native” names are blinking: Mordovia, Kazakhstan… There are acute national questions – who is a Jew, who is a Chukhon, to whom “Adolf is their best friend.” Discharges the situation drunk Zhbankov, putting a basket of flowers on the sill. “A chic bouquet,” says the hero. “It’s not a bouquet,” answered Zhbankov mournfully, “it’s a wreath! ..”
“On this tragic word, I say farewell to journalism.” That’s enough! ” – the author concludes.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)