Marina Moskvina is known not only for her writing talent and numerous books for adults and children. For almost 10 years, she met with listeners on Radio Russia in her author’s program “In the Company of Marina Moskvina”, entertaining and philosophical at the same time. And someone was a student of her master classes, which she also taught for 10 years, being a teacher at the Institute of Contemporary Art, on the development of creative abilities, and also teaching the art of writing.
About a girl ready for a miracle
Moskvina Marina Lvovna was born in Moscow in 1954. The daughter of a television journalist and historian, she was an incredible fantasy from childhood. Adventure books gave birth to her dream of traveling all over the earth to go through “fire, water and copper pipes”, meet different people, and become a real adventurer. And all this in order that someday an old woman with a captain’s pipe in her mouth and a glass of grog in her hand would tell her grandchildren about her such an interesting life, in which there were heroic deeds in which it was impossible to believe.
One of the most significant childhood events, Marina Moskvina herself considers her fifth birthday. It was on this day that she first rode a tricycle herself with the help of Yuri Vizbor.
But in the soul of the girl lived dreams. She saw herself as an actress or a successful fashion designer. But they remained so. Moreover, small growth did not allow her to enter the theater school.
But she still went on a trip. And whoever she had to be! Cook in exploration expeditions with which I saw the Far East and the Arctic, and this is 17 years old. At that time, when I was a student in the evening department of Moscow State University (journalism department), I had to work as a guide in the corner of Durov, even as editor of the Progress publishing house.
First experience
For many years, her main teacher will be Yu. Sotnik, a teacher of the literary seminar Y. Akim, where Marina studied since 1987. Her friend was a children's writer and poet Yu. Koval.
Her first tale, “What Happened to the Crocodile, ” neither Akim nor Koval was initially accepted. Only a great cartoon, shot by director A. Gorlinko, made severe critics change their minds. And yet, they taught their student another lesson. Mentors taught her that writing about some distant crocodile that had hatched an egg is far from the best way to talk with your reader. It is much more important if she writes about what she herself has experienced, thus putting her soul into her stories.
And then Marina brought to the mentors' court the story of “Little” about the little turtle, who actually lived in their house in her childhood. The pet disappeared somewhere, and her mother, not wanting to injure the baby, came up with the story of how she gave the turtle to a geologist to take her home to the desert, because she was very bored. Marina told this story. And it was a fairy tale in which Kroha, the turtle’s name was so, sent a telegram from the Karakum to her little mistress with greetings.
Tales have become the favorite genre of the writer. By the way, for some of them cartoons were shot.
M. Moskvina and Murzilka
A certain segment of her professional activity is connected with the magazine Murzilka. Here she led a sports column and informed the kids the most interesting facts about sports. And then the Adventures of Olympionics appeared, a book with stories, riddles, questions, pictures with explanations. Marina herself in her acts as a cheerful storyteller.
The sports column was just the beginning. That Marina belongs to the idea of creating other equally interesting sections. Such as the heading “Suitcase” about aliens and traces of civilizations that have long disappeared, from the materials of which there was a book “Outside the window - UFO, or While the sacred lit up”, or the novel “Days of Awe”, or “The Adventures of Murzilka” - a comic book, her and writer S. Sedov joint project.
In all Moskvina’s works, funny and serious things are nearby: funny stories ending sadly, and sad ones with a funny ending. And often a book, according to the laws of the genre, must be a drama, causes laughter among readers.
Life-affirming work of Moskvina
What principle does Marina Moskvina adhere to in her books? The stories of this writer are written according to one iron rule: a fairy tale should always end well. On the pages of her books she arranges a “circus”, in which grief is hidden, and a carnival game appears to replace it, well hiding what is under the mask. So the writer talks about serious contemporary problems. Her characters never lose heart, and they can’t sit around doing nothing, they often go to hell, wherever they should, but they surely help everyone who needs help.
The fact that Marina Moskvina, whose biography is presented to your attention in the article, loves her heroes, is also indicated by the fact that they appear in one or the other story. Among the most beloved: Shishkin Lenka, Antonov Andryukha, his parents and the dog Kit, just about him the story “Bloch Ness Monster”.
And yet, the main thing in her works is people, and more often children, regardless of genre. Among her books there is a detective story "Do not step on the bug." It seems at first glance that this is a fun story from the life of a boarding school for children, but the problems are not raised at all comic. Lenka, a little girl who dreams of becoming a detective, comes to grips with bastards who steal dogs and make hats out of them. So, almost jokingly, in a parody, the writer tries to convince people that the person in the world is not the most important thing, that we need to protect our smaller brothers. And Lenka is a sincere child with an ironic adult outlook on life.
And she successfully demonstrates these qualities in another story, “May everyone be happy”, helping lovers to connect.
In the role of critic
Her articles as a critic of children's literature are not at all like analysis. Her critical articles are warm, vivid memories filled with humor and peculiarly filed. Her teachers, Sotnik and Kovaly, were especially lucky.
Memoirs about Yuri Koval “Water with closed eyes” is a solid answer-reflection on the only question about what could have happened if this writer had not been so dear. And about Yuri Sotnik - an almost personal story, telling how his books taught her that you need to write about your own life, about what you know and understand.
Commandments for yourself
This children's writer, traveler and storyteller, in love with life and people, in her life adheres firmly to those commandments that she once accepted for herself as the norm of life and creativity:
- Love your job.
- Do not consider yourself smarter than children.
- Must have a sense of humor.
- Do not imagine.
- Do not complain if you are not accepted into the Writers Union.
- Do not get old.
Marina Moskvina, whose books are filled with love for life and for people, has long been a favorite among readers. Let's talk about some of her books.
Marina Moskvina, “My dog loves jazz”
This book of short stories brought the writer the title of laureate of the Artiada of Russia art festival, in 1989 she became the owner of Andersen's international diploma, to which she traveled to India, and later dedicated the story “Heavenly Tameh” to him (travel).
Sometimes, almost meaningless stories on behalf of ten-year-old Andrei still resonate in the souls of children and adults. This book is able to save from a disgusting mood, a real antistress, like any story about this boy.
Marina Moskvina, “Romance with the Moon”
Just a good book. Bright. Upbeat. And it surprises how so naive cranks manage to survive in the metropolis, and happy the happy ending of the story. Because it’s wonderful when everything ends so well.
