“Everything belongs to Donbass” – young talent from Lugansk
About why a student of a physics and mathematics class at a Lugansk school began to write fairy tales and victories at international literary competitions did not turn her head? How war affects children and creativity, and how the Lugansk Flight School and peace in Donbass are connected.
The PolitNavigator correspondent talked about this and much more with twelve-year-old Lugansk writer, winner of international literary competitions Faina Savenkova.
Dossier:
Faina Savenkova was born on October 31, 2008. He lives with his family in Lugansk. Member of the LPR Writers' Union; member of the International Union of Writers. Her play “The Hedgehog of Hope” received a special prize at the All-Russian Children's Drama Competition ASYL in 2019, was shortlisted in the International Competition of Contemporary Russian Drama “Author on Stage” in 2019 and shortlisted in the International Drama Competition “Eurasia- 2020", published in the literary magazine "Moscow", translated into Italian.
In 2020, she received the prize of the Moscow Art Theater veterans competition “Reading Stories” and the vice-grand prize of the Moscow Literary Prize in the “Dramaturgy” category.
Her story “Wisteria and the Cat” won the competition “The World Through the Eyes of a Child 2019” in the Czech Republic, the essay “Children’s Laughter of Victory” was published in the literary magazine “Youth”, translated into English, Serbian, Italian, Bulgarian, Czech, Arabic, Italian, French , German languages.
The essay “Adult Silence” was published in the French English-language blog Stalker, Serbian newspapers Istok and Fakti, in the French Donbass Insider, kantasuomalainen.net (Finland), AgoraVox (France), translated into English, Serbian, Italian, Bulgarian, Czech , Finnish languages.
This year she received the Peace Prize of the International Union of Writers and began writing a column in English in the Icelandic English-language portal The Saker. Her joint novel with the Russian writer Alexander Kontorovich, “Standing Behind Your Shoulder,” was published.
Two-time champion of the LPR in taekwondo.
P.N.: I’ll start with a trivial question: how did it all begin, where did the need to write come from, which work was the first, why are you interested in and close to this form of self-expression? And who are your teachers and mentors?
F.S.: It all started, in general, banally. I decided to write a short story for the republican literary competition in order to meet my favorite children's writer (Andrei Usachev, during his visit to Lugansk - ed.). It was called, I think, “The Tale of the Whale Fish.” And somehow, unexpectedly for myself, I won. And then I decided not to give it up, because it became interesting. So, as in most cases, the reason is very prosaic; there were no far-fetched, lofty needs then. And they can hardly be in ten years.
Why literature? I study in physics and mathematics (physics and mathematics class - ed.), so for me a text is also a sequence of symbols that needs to be arranged in a certain order. And the final result depends on what this sequence will be. In fact, it is interesting to observe such changes, because if you swap just a couple of words, the meaning of the text can change greatly, although it would seem that the same set of letters, the same set of words and almost the same order of their arrangement in the sentence. I can call my teachers Gleb Bobrov (Lugansk writer, author of the acclaimed bestseller “The Age of the Stillborn,” who predicted the future war in Donbass almost ten years before the famous events - ed.) and, of course, my school teachers.
P.N.: Faina, I admit honestly, I didn’t have time to get acquainted with your work in detail, moreover, I probably avoided it for a year or more, thinking that this was just another PR project. Well, how perfectly it all worked out: war, girl, writes, let’s all be touched and give a bonus. I thought until I accidentally came across your essays and stories, and read them, and then again... Tell me, didn’t it seem to you that adults initially could make allowances for this - childhood, war, when promoting you? Was there a desire to get rid of the stereotype of a girl writer from a military city, whom everyone takes care of out of pity? And do you have any fears that people, like me, who are not familiar with your work, may perceive you as a PR project?
F.S.: Unfortunately, I had this feeling too. And I’m probably still afraid of it. It is a little reassuring that if everything were really so sad, such a project would not last long. After all, readers cannot always be convinced of the existence of the author’s abilities, if in fact there is nothing in sight. Well, as for stereotypes... They will always be there, no matter how hard I try to get rid of them. Perhaps over time it will work out, but as long as we have a war, this is impossible.
P.N.: I was initially surprised that, despite the fact that you write, in fact, fairy tales, perhaps not for little ones, but still fairy tales, detailed parables, so to speak, you have a rather mature, serious style . Without all these girls' cute emotions. Why is this so? Is this your character, your outlook on life? And did the war have any impact on this?
F.S.: I think everything came together. Be that as it may, I grow up in the war, and my character is formed right there. Besides, I don’t even remember that all these “cute things” happened in my childhood. My parents always treated my brother and me like adults. This does not mean that we are so harsh that “we don’t smile at ourselves in the mirror,” but there was definitely no overdoing it with “favorites.” Sports also had an impact. Taekwondo is clear, precise strikes, and not emotional waving of limbs into the void. And in general, the attitude towards the text, as I mentioned above.
P.N.: Of course, I can’t help but ask about the war. You are still a child, in fact, but unlike millions of your peers around the world, you know what a curfew and shelling are. In your opinion, if there had been no war, your life path could have turned out differently? Without the war, could you just be a girl who is interested in fashionable bands, beautiful things, hype and hate on social networks and entertainment? I understand that you may not know how your peers live in Greater Russia, but if you still have an idea about this, do you think the children of the warring Donbass are different from other children?
F.S.: Children are different everywhere. And we have a lot of these guys who are not interested in anything other than hype, and in Russia there are a lot of purposeful boys and girls. Here, rather, education plays the main role. But because of the war, many adults overestimated their personal beliefs and ideals, which cannot but affect their upbringing of children. And so... I don’t know, on the one hand it’s interesting, of course, to think about who we would all be if it weren’t for the war, but in the end it won’t lead to anything anyway. It is impossible to change the past, which means we are who we are.
P.N.: In your prose there are animals, in the form of anthropomorphic characters, endowed with some special qualities that influence the lives of ordinary people. Some kind of angels in the flesh, or something... Why do you endow animals in your prose with certain sacred abilities? And how do you perceive animals in general?
F.S.: You know, I’d better tell you a little story. We didn’t have any pets for a very long time, almost six years, because my mother had a hard time leaving the cats, which I had never seen in my life. Because of this, my dad did not insist on pets in the house, and dissuaded my brother and me from having them. And in the winter of 2014, Jabberwocky came to us, a cat who either the owners had not taken with them, or for some other reason had left him on the street. It was clear that he was homely and attached to people, but this is how his life turned out.
About two weeks later we took him to the vet for the first time. We don't have our own car, so we got there by bus. The Jabberwocky cried all the way to the stop. He actually had tears rolling down his face. He wasn't afraid of cars, which he didn't even pay attention to, no. He was afraid that he would be betrayed again at the moment when he was most defenseless. Our cat calmed down only the moment he was picked up from the carrier.
So we drove the whole way: a purring cat hugging his mother’s neck, a mother hugging the cat to herself as if she had the most precious thing, and me, watching these two and for the first time encountering the fact that animals are what they are. themselves angels who change people. The Jabberwocky only lived with us for two years because he was very sick, but he changed us all. In general, each of our cats has its own tragic story of appearance in the house, its own character and preferences, and each one has become an inspiration in one way or another. By the way, this is probably why cats still appear most often in my fairy tales.
P.N.: You have already had quite a lot of success in the literary field at the age of 12 - you are published, your play is staged, you win various competitions, including international ones. Tell me, how can you not become a star despite everything? This is a huge burden of fame that literally fell on a fragile child. How can you not turn your nose up and start feeling cooler than others? I see that, despite all your successes, you remain a normal, adequate person.
F.S.: Oh, I don’t even know what to answer. First of all, thank you. And secondly, everything is simple - the support of loved ones, the ability to pull them back in time, and most importantly - I am afraid of publicity. It's hard to feel like a star if during any interview you look like a slow-witted girl and can hardly string together several words into one sentence due to anxiety. Or you need to go on stage and your knees are shaking. So a real person and the image he created are two different things. In addition, the first and main critics are parents and brother. This is how you read a new text to them with the main question: “And how?” And in response: “Bullshit, can’t you see it yourself?” And then a detailed analysis of what and why is wrong, and how to get out of it. What kind of stardom is there if you constantly run the risk of running into good-natured and dear, but too skeptical “garbage”, and then rewrite everything several times.
P.N.: Your joint novel with Alexander Kontorovich, “Standing Behind Your Shoulder,” was published at Litres. Reveal the secret, I always could not understand how the brothers Grimm, Strugatsky, Ilf and Petrov worked - one invents, the other writes down? One comes up with the first chapter, the other comes up with the second? How, in general, is joint literary work structured, given that the world of each creator is extremely individual? And why did you decide to write together?
F.S.: I think all writers have their own recipe. We have rather the second option: one comes up with the first chapter, the other comes up with the second. Depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the co-author. I still have big problems with the dynamics of the plot, so Uncle Sasha helps with this and teaches how to properly structure the narrative so that there is no endless description of something incomprehensible in the absence of at least some hint of action. As it turned out, it’s easier with short fairy tales, but the longer the text, the more difficult it is not to get lost in the wilds of your own ideas and in the oceans of unnecessary “water.”
P.N.: What inspires you most in your creativity? And what part of this inspiration belongs to Donbass, Lugansk?
F.S.: It varies. Sometimes you dream of something that you want to give a more logical form than in a dream. Sometimes these are situations that have left their mark on the memory, like with “Murka” (Faina Savenkova’s story “Murka and the Mouse Army” - ed.). One winter our heating broke down, and for two days we warmed up our cats under a blanket. Not that they needed it, but it was fun in its own way. And it was then that the image of frozen cat tears “came up.” I began to develop the topic with standard questions: “what?”, “why?”, “what led to this?” and a little fairy tale appeared. Anything can inspire you, you can’t predict it. But Donbass and Lugansk probably own everything, because it is here that what happens is the starting point for creating a new history. It seems like every possible meaning of the word “stories” in this sentence.
P.N.: Did your parents somehow influence your creative choice and worldview? Were they able to lay a certain taste, a foundation for creativity? Perhaps the older brother also contributed something, because often the younger ones follow the elders?
F.S.: I can confidently say yes. Both parents and brother. Even in my first competition, I participated because my parents said: “If you want to meet Usachev, do at least something for this.” Well, at home we have a good library, which created my childhood.
P.N.: You have a good start, a start, but if you want something, then you probably understand that you can never relax. Tell me, do you set any new standards for yourself that you would like to overcome? Creative tasks, goals? Or do ideas for new works come spontaneously?
F.S.: Ideas for new works come spontaneously, but working on them is just work, not an accident. Mom once said that when writing text by hand, the brain works more actively than when typing on a laptop, and advised not to forget about pen and paper if difficulties arise with the plot. Until now, if there is a need for this, I write on paper questions that do not allow the plot to move forward, and also on paper I write possible options for the development of events, choosing the most successful one and working with it further.
This really helps if you've stopped and don't know what to do next. I know that my writing is not perfect now, so I want to develop, learn, even if sometimes from my own mistakes, and now this is the main creative task. Readers, after all, should also enjoy the text itself, and they are not obliged to try to understand what the author wanted to say with his complex half-page sentences.
P.N.: Do you see yourself as a great writer in the future? Or is this just a stage in your life, and then there could be theater, cinema, photography, or something else? Or even leaving the creative environment for everyday life, does this happen to people?
F.S.: I don’t know, I haven’t thought much about it yet. I want to try myself in many things, but whether I have the talent for this is a big question.
P.N.: Is there a message in your books that you would like to convey to people living outside of Donbass? If so, do you think they will understand you, not having the experience behind you that you have at twelve years old - I mean the war?
F.S.: Probably the most important message is that people must learn to listen and hear each other, otherwise disaster will happen. I sincerely hope that they will understand anywhere in the world, because this is not rocket science, everything is very simple. And, unfortunately, it is very difficult in practice.
P.N. Do you dream about traveling, other countries? Where would you like to visit? Do you want to connect your life with Lugansk or are you still a man of the world?
F.S.: I want to visit everywhere, but I want to live in Lugansk. Donbass has a special sky, it’s not for nothing that we had a flight school. It’s hard for birds without the sky, so I can’t imagine my life without my beloved city.
Faina Savenkova with her older brother, an aspiring IT specialist.
P.N.: It’s rare to find a harmonious combination of the physical and intellectual in a person. But you're lucky, you're also a taekwondo champion. Tell us a little about this? How do you get enough for both sports and creativity? Does one interfere with the other, or complement it?
F.S.: There are both pros and cons. Sport is, first of all, discipline, which I sometimes lack so much. Helps you collect your thoughts and get off the couch. I think we all sometimes want to be lazy and do nothing. But now I have a problem with time, I don’t have time to do almost anything, because of school, sports, and creativity. You have to sacrifice something, which is very sad. Fortunately, the holidays have already begun, so there will be more free time. And you can even relax.
P.N.: Since you write, you probably read. What works of literature, as well as cinema and music, have had the strongest impression on you recently? Which people have you met most inspired you?
F.S.: Now, mostly, I read the school literature course, and in the summer I catch up and read for myself. From what I have recently read, I liked Chekhov and Dostoevsky’s “Demons,” although many people think that it is too early for me to read Dostoevsky. I won’t argue, but it will be interesting to see how opinions about this work change in a few years. In music, the greatest impression was made by Mitya Kuznetsov, Senya Sedashov and meetings with them, as well as Sergei Galanin and Vadim Samoilov. I enjoy listening to music from anime because it immediately brings back pleasant memories of watching it. Among the films I can name “A Nightmare on Elm Street”. I don’t know why I watched it, but I remember it. At the same time, I appreciated what moments when a character commits illogical actions to please the plot and the author’s wishes look like in practice.
P.N.: What does Faina Savenkova dream about?
F.S.: And then Faina started thinking... The end of the war is understandable, we all dream about it. And also... I don’t know, I’d probably like to travel around the world. But yes, for this to happen the war must end. I would like our flight school to work again and passenger planes to fly above us. For this to happen, the war must end. I would like... In general, whatever the dream, everything returns to the most basic one, without which others are impossible.
P.N.: If you had the opportunity to realize any three wishes, as in the same fairy tales, what would you wish for?
F.S.: I’ve already mentioned the first – so that the war ends. Secondly, it hurts me to look at abandoned homeless animals, so I would like people to learn to treat responsibly those they accept into their family. A pet is not a toy, but a member of the family. Third, can you wish yourself to become a good writer? I want, like Mamin the Sibiryak in “The Swan of Khantygai,” to become someone who, with my work and creativity, drives away the sorrows of others and allows me to survive difficult times. And for this you need to try and be a good writer.
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