Nobel Prize for Prisoners and Juveniles: What You Didn't Know About the Main Peace Prize. The award that blew up the world Nobel medal in physics
The most prestigious scientific award in the world, which has existed for 111 years, is associated with tragic moments, funny cases, and quite detective stories. Forbes magazine has chosen ten of the most remarkable facts from the history of the Nobel Prize, including quite detective cases and just funny moments. The second week of October has been called the Nobel Prize for 111 years: it is at this time that the Nobel Foundation, in accordance with the terms of the will of the famous Swedish scientist, announces the names of the laureates of the world's most prestigious scientific prize. In 2012, laureates in the field of physiology, medicine and physics have already been named, and the last winners in the field of economics will be named on October 15. It is not so easy to answer the question “How many Nobel Prize winners?”. In total, from 1901 to 2011, 851 laureates received the prize, but in the list of names of people and organizations awarded the award, there are only 844 names and titles - simply because some were laureates twice or even thrice. Most of the laureates - 199 people (including 2012) - received awards for research in the field of physiology and medicine. Physicists are only six people less - 193 (taking into account 2012), one of them - twice. 160 laureates were awarded the Prize in Chemistry (including one - twice), 121 - the Peace Prize (including one - twice, and one - three times), 108 - in Literature, and only 69 - in Economics (introduced in 1969) .
Multiple laureates
Among the rules for awarding Nobel Prizes there is a condition that all prizes, except for the Peace Prize, can be awarded to one person only once. Nevertheless, four Nobel laureates are known who received prizes twice: this is Maria Sklodowska-Curie (pictured; in physics - in 1903, in chemistry - in 1911), Linus Pauling (in chemistry - in 1954, the Peace Prize - in 1962), John Bardeen (in physics in 1956 and 1972) and Frederick Senger (in chemistry in 1958 and 1980). There was only one three-time winner in the history of the Nobel Prize - the International Committee of the Red Cross, which received the Peace Prize (this prize is the only one that allows the nomination of not only individuals, but also organizations) in 1917, 1944 and 1963.Laureates posthumously
In 1974, the Nobel Foundation introduced a rule that the Nobel Prize was not awarded posthumously. Before that, there were only two posthumous awards: in 1931 - to Erik Karlfeldt (for literature), and in 1961 - to Dag Hammarskjöld (peace prize). After the introduction of the rule, it was violated only once, and then by a tragic coincidence. In 2011, the Physiology or Medicine Prize was awarded to Ralph Steinman (pictured), but he died of cancer a few hours before the announcement of the Nobel Committee's decision. Nobel economy
This year, the monetary part of the Nobel Prize is $1.1 million. The amount was reduced by 20% in June 2012 in order to save money. As the Nobel Foundation argued for this step, the innovation will help to avoid a reduction in the organization's capital in the long term, because capital management should be carried out in such a way that "the prize could be awarded indefinitely." Nobel cache
In the entire history of the Nobel Prize, only one case has been recorded when the winners received the same Nobel medals twice for the same discovery. German physicists Max von Laue (1915 laureate) and James Frank (1925 laureate) after the ban on Nobel Prizes introduced in Nazi Germany in 1936, handed over their medals for preservation to Niels Bohr, who led the institute in Copenhagen. In 1940, when the Reich occupied Denmark, Hungarian György de Hevesy (pictured), fearing that the medals might be confiscated, dissolved them in “aqua regia” (a mixture of concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids), and after liberation isolated gold from the stored solution of chloroauric acid and handed it over to the Royal Swedish Academy. There, Nobel medals were again made from it, which were returned to the laureates. By the way, György de Hevesy himself was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944. Nobel long-liver
Italian neuroscientist Rita Levi-Montalcini (pictured) is a long-liver among Nobel laureates and the oldest of them: this year she turned 103 years old. She was awarded the Physiology or Medicine Prize in 1986, when she celebrated her 77th birthday. The oldest laureate at the time of the award was 90-year-old American Leonid Gurvich (Economics Prize - 2007), and the youngest was 25-year-old Australian William Lawrence Bragg (Physics Prize - 1915), who became a laureate together with his father William Henry Bragg. Women of the Nobel
Most big number women laureates - among the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize (15 people) and the Literature Prize (11 people). However, the winners of the literary prize can boast that the first of them was awarded the high title 37 years earlier: in 1909, the Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf (pictured) became the Nobel laureate in literature, and the American Emily Green Bolch was the first woman to win the Peace Prize. in 1946. Nobel co-authors
According to the rules of the Nobel Foundation, no more than three people can receive an award in one area per year for various works- or no more than three authors of one work. The first three were the Americans George Whipple, George Minot and William Murphy (pictured), who were awarded the Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1934. And the last (for 2011) are the Americans Saul Pelmutter and Adam Reiss and the Australian Brian Schmidt (physics), as well as the Liberians Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Leyma Gbowee and the Yemeni citizen Tawakul Karman (Nobel Peace Prize). If the prize is awarded to more than one person or for more than one work, it is divided proportionally: first - by the number of works, then - by the number of authors of each work. If two works are awarded the prize, one of which has two authors, then the author of the first will receive half the amount, and each of the authors of the second - only a quarter. Nobel passes
The rules for awarding the Nobel Prize do not require that it be awarded every year without fail: by decision of the Nobel Committee, if there are no worthy works among those claiming a high award, the prize may not be awarded. In this case, its monetary equivalent is transferred to the Nobel Foundation in whole or in part - in the latter case, from one third to two thirds of the amount can be transferred to the special fund of the profile section. During the three war years - in 1940, 1941 and 1942 - Nobel Prizes were not awarded at all. Given this gap, the Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded most often (18 times), the prize in physiology and medicine - nine times, in chemistry - eight times, in literature - seven times, in physics - six times, and in the awarding of the prize in economics, introduced only in 1969, there was not a single pass. Nobel transformation
The famous physicist Ernest Rutherford was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908. The phrase with which he reacted to this news became winged: the scientist said that "All science is either physics or stamp collecting", and a little later commented on his award even more figuratively, stating that of all the transformations that he witnessed, “Most unexpected was my own transformation from physicist to chemist.” Nobel heirs
Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was the first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his discovery of X-rays. In total, for works directly related to the application of Roentgen's discovery in science, the Nobel Prizes were awarded 12 more times, including in physics (seven times), in physiology and medicine (three times) and in chemistry (twice): in 1914, 1915, 1917, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1936, 1946, 1962, 1964, 1979 and 1981. Image copyright Getty Images
"... and one part will go to the one who has worked the most and best of all to strengthen the brotherhood between peoples, in order to dissolve or reduce the active armies, or to the one who contributed to the peace negotiations ..."
From the will of Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel has always been interested in social issues. In addition, he was well acquainted with Baroness Bertha von Suttner, an Austrian writer and activist in the world pacifist movement. It is believed that she greatly influenced Nobel's attitude towards peace processes.
There is also such a point of view that the special interest of the industrialist and entrepreneur in the world was caused precisely by the fact that dynamite - the invention that made him rich - was most often used on the battlefields and in political assassination attempts. Peace became the fifth and last prize specified by Nobel in his will.
Nobel Peace Prize in numbers
prizes were awarded from 1901 to 2014
2 times the awards were divided between three laureates
16 women became laureates
61 years old: average age laureate on the day of the award
3 people were under arrest on the day of the award
Nobel Committee Norway
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a five-member committee elected by the Norwegian parliament, the Storting.
Why Norway?
The answer is simple: because it is indicated in the will of Alfred Nobel. The real reason why the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo and not in Stockholm will most likely remain unknown.
One version is that Nobel was a great and sincere admirer of the Norwegian writer and humanist Bjornstjerne Bjornson.
The second is that the Storting was the first parliament in the world to vote in favor of a peace movement.
It is also possible that Nobel liked the idea of sharing responsibilities between Sweden and Norway. Given the highly politicized nature of the Nobel Peace Prize, he might well have feared that it would become an instrument of political pressure and cease to be an instrument of peace.
Controversial dove
Image copyright istock Image caption The Nobel Peace Prize has become the most politicized, and its winners are often the most controversialThe Peace Prize has always caused a lot of controversy. And the main objections are related to the fact that the Nobel Prize cannot be withdrawn. Awarded once, it remains forever associated with the name of a particular person.
Therefore, even if some politician receives the Peace Prize for peacekeeping activities, and then becomes involved in the conflict, he still remains a Nobel laureate. Which, in turn, creates a fair amount of diplomatic problems.
In 2009, New York Times journalist Randy Cohen, for example, wrote that "the prize should be withdrawn in those extreme cases where a former recipient consistently acts contrary to the values it embodies."
"Secretary of Peace" or what is behind the scenes of the Norwegian Committee
Image copyright AFP Image caption The former chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Geir Lundestad, wrote the book "Secretary of the World" about the work of the committeeThe former secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Geir Lundestad, wrote in his book "Secretary of Peace" that the awarding of the Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama fell short of the committee's hopes.
For which, however, he immediately paid the price: he was accused of violating the code of the Nobel Foundation, requiring him to remain silent about the nominees and the selection process for candidates for 50 years.
Lundestad himself said that he was not going to apologize, that everything that is written in the book is pure truth, although it was not easy for him to choose between obligations to the Nobel Peace Committee and his own conscience as a history professor.
Last year, while still in his former post, Lundestad, when asked by a journalist whether he believes that Barack Obama was rightfully awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, replied: "Then we thought so."
Most controversial laureates
Let's just say, there are a lot of them. Listed below are those laureates whose awarding caused the most controversy. In chronological order:
- Cordell Hull He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 for his work in founding the United Nations. He served as US Secretary of State under President Roosevelt from 1933 to 1944.
In 1939, he was categorically against allowing a ship carrying 950 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany to enter an American port. His reluctance to grant asylum to German Jews was reported in some sources as being based on the fact that they could not be issued a tourist visa because they had no return address.
Many passengers of the St. Louis liner, whose journey was later called the "voyage of the doomed", died during the Holocaust after being forced to return to Europe.
- It is quite possible that Henry Kissinger became the most controversial recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Kissinger served as a political adviser and secretary of state in the administrations of both President Nixon and President Ford.
In 1973, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing about the so-called Paris Agreement, which was supposed to end the Vietnam War.
Kissinger was to share the reward with Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho, who was his North Vietnamese partner in the Paris peace talks.
Kissinger accepted the award, while Le Duc Tho refused, stating that the Paris Agreement did not end the war. Indeed, the war ended only two years later, in 1975. True, both then and now voices were heard asserting that main reason What prompted Le Duc Tho to refuse the Nobel Prize was his unwillingness to share the award with Kissinger.
What happened behind the scenes of the Nobel Peace Committee, we do not know, but after the award of the Prize to Kissinger, two members of the Norwegian Committee resigned in protest.
- Rigoberta Menchu She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.
Ten years earlier, she had published I, Rigoberta Menchu, in which she talked about her life as a native Maya in Guatemala and, most importantly, about the extermination of her people in the 1970s and 1980s. The book received huge international recognition, was translated into 12 languages, and became one of the reasons why Rigoberta became a Nobel laureate.
However, the American anthropologist David Stoll later found out that she somewhat "embellished" the truth so that the book had a greater emotional impact on the reader.
Firstly, Menchu claimed that she had not received any education, which was not true, and secondly, as it turned out later, she did not witness the torture and murder of her brother (this bitter fate befell her mother). And although Stoll generally supported Rigoberta, he argued that the events she described were far from what happened in reality.
- Yasser Arafat. "Who is a terrorist and who is a freedom fighter," wrote the American magazine Time after PLO leader Yasser Arafat shared the Peace Prize with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in 1994.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the trio for concluding the Oslo Accords, which were to "create opportunities for a new development of brotherhood in the Middle East."
Reaction to Arafat's award was the most controversial: Jay Nordlinger, author of They Call It Peace: The Story of the Nobel Peace Prize, called him "the worst person to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize."
While Arafat's supporters compared him to Nelson Mandela. Paul Thomas Chamberlain, professor of history at the University of Kentucky in the US, wrote in a New York Times column that "yesterday's terrorists tend to become tomorrow's peacekeepers."
One of the members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Kare Christiansen, resigned in protest against Arafat being awarded the Peace Prize.
- Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
As well as his nomination, and the fact that he was given the Nobel Prize after all, caused a lot of sharp controversy. The New York Times called the decision "paralyzing with amazement," while numerous politicians and journalists accused the Norwegians of being politically biased.
The Committee actually agreed that it awarded Obama, so to speak, in advance, recognizing his "efforts to achieve world harmony" and not specific achievements.
- In 2012, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to European Union.
The decision was motivated as follows: "for six decades of contribution to the promotion of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe." All this happened, however, against the backdrop of protests that swept Greece, Portugal and Spain after the onset of the economic crisis. The Associated Press even noted that the EU won the Peace Prize "at a time of the most acute internal crisis."
At the same time, even critics recognized the fact that the EU served as a unifying factor in Europe after the Second World War. No one has denied the humanitarian role that the European Union has played and continues to play in the world.
Was there a Nobel Peace Prize that everyone would agree on?
Image copyright AFP Image caption Nelson Mandela and Frederic Le Clerc with the Nobel Peace PrizeYes. Nelson Mandela became its laureate in 1993.
And who deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, but did not receive it?
Image copyright Hulton Archive Image caption But Mahatma Gandhi did not receive the Nobel Peace PrizeAmong the most famous names is called Mahatma Gandhi.
Another committee - another medal
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Medal awarded to Nobel Peace Prize laureatesThe medal, which is awarded to the laureates of the Peace Prize, is somewhat different from all the others.
Firstly, on the obverse Alfred Nobel is depicted in a slightly different pose.
Secondly, the Latin inscription engraved on the reverse reads: "Pro pace et fraternitate gentium", which can be translated as: "For peace and brotherhood among people." Along the edge of the medal are engraved the name of the laureate and the year the award was received.
The Nobel Peace Prize medal was created by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland.
The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious scientific award in the world. It is dreamed of by scientists from various fields. Everyone should know about the latest achievements of mankind marked by this award. educated person. How did it appear and in what areas of science can it be obtained?
What it is?
The annual award is named after the Swedish engineer, industrialist and inventor. Alfred Bernhard Nobel was its founder. In addition, he owns a fund from which money is allocated for holding. The history of the Nobel Prize begins in the twentieth century. Since 1901, a special commission determines the winners in such categories as physics, medicine and physiology, chemistry, literature and peace protection. In 1969, a new science was added to the list. Since then, the commission also recognizes the best specialist in the field of economics. Perhaps in the future there will be new categories, but at the moment there is no discussion of such an event.
How did the award come about?
The history of the Nobel Prize is very interesting. It is connected with a very dark incident in the life of its founder. As you know, Alfred Nobel was When in 1889 his brother Ludwig died, a journalist from one of the newspapers mixed up and indicated in Alfred's obituary. The text called him a merchant of death. Alfred Nobel was horrified at the prospect of remaining in the memory of mankind in such a capacity. He began to think about what he could leave behind, and composed a special will. With his help, he hoped to fix the situation with dynamite.
Testament of Alfred Nobel
The landmark text was coined and signed in 1895 in Paris. According to the will, the executors must exchange all the property remaining after him for securities, on the basis of which the fund will be created. Interest from the resulting capital will go to awards for scientists who have brought humanity maximum benefit. They must be divided into five parts: one for the one who discovered or invented something new in the field of physics, the other for the most talented chemist, the third is for the best doctor, the fourth for the creator of the main literary work of the year dedicated to human ideals, and the fifth - for someone who can help bring peace to the planet, fighting for the reduction of armies, the destruction of slavery and the friendship of peoples. According to the will, Nobel Prize winners in the first two categories are determined by the Swedish Sciences. In medicine, the choice is made by the Royal Karolinska Institute, the literary one is chosen by the Swedish Academy, and the last one is chosen by a committee of five people. They are elected by the Norwegian Storting.
Award sizes
Since the premium is determined by the percentage of the capital invested by the Nobil, its size varies. Initially, it was provided in crowns, the first amount was 150 thousand. Now the size of the Nobel Prize has grown significantly and is issued in US dollars. IN last years it is about a million. As soon as the money in the fund runs out, the bonus will also disappear. The Nobel prize was originally almost 32 million Swedish crowns, so, taking into account successful investments, it has only increased over the years. However, in recent years, interest has prevented a positive budget - the cost of the prize, the ceremony and the maintenance of the administration are too high. A few years ago, it was decided to reduce the size of the Nobel Prize in order to ensure the stability of the fund in the long term. The administration is doing everything possible to support it as long as possible.
family scandal
If history had gone differently, this award might never have been born. The Nobel sum turned out to be so large that the relatives could not come to terms with its loss. After the death of the inventor, one of the others began litigation, in which attempts were made to challenge the will. Nobel owned a mansion in Nice and a house in Paris, laboratories in Russia, Finland, Italy, Germany and England, many workshops and factories. All the heirs wanted to share among themselves. However, the Storting decided to recognize the will. Solicitors of the deceased sold his property, the time and size of the Nobel Prize were approved. Relatives got the amount of two million.
Foundation establishment
The Nobel Prize, the history of which began with a scandal, was first awarded only to the Royal Council held a meeting on June 29, 1900, at which all the details were considered and the official fund was approved. Part of the money was used to purchase the building in which it is located. In December 1901, the first presentation event was held. The size of the Nobel Prize of one hundred and fifty thousand was the first and most modest. In 1968, the Swedish Bank offered to nominate specialists in the field of economics. for this area are selected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It was first awarded in 1969.
Ceremony Rules
The will indicated only the size of the Nobel Prize and science, for achievements in which scientists should be noted. The rules for conducting and choosing had to be drawn up by the administration of the fund. They were developed at the beginning of the twentieth century and have remained virtually unchanged since then. According to the rules, the award can be awarded to several people, but there cannot be more than three. If the applicant died at the time of the December ceremony, but was alive at the announcement of the nominations in October, he will receive the amount posthumously. The Nobel Foundation does not award prizes, entrusting it to special committees for each direction. Their members can seek help from scientists from different scientific fields. The award in the field of literature is given by the best specialists in linguistics. The laureate in the nomination of the world is chosen with the advice of scientists in the field of philosophy, jurisprudence, political science, history, and is invited for discussion. Sometimes a specialist can personally suggest a candidate. This right belongs to the laureates of previous years and a member of the Swedish Academies of Sciences. All nominations are approved by February 1 of the year in which the award will be held. Until September, each proposal is evaluated and discussed. Thousands of specialists can participate in the process. When the preparation is over, the committees send the approved nominations to the official bodies where the Nobel Prize scientists work, who will make the final decision. In the field of physics, chemistry and economic sciences, the main groups are representatives of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, each of which has twenty-five people. Fifty participants from the Karolinska Institute practice medicine. Literature - eighteen scientists from the Swedish Academy. The Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. In October, the final statement is adopted and announced at a press conference in Stockholm to the world, accompanied by comments on the reasons for each decision. By December 10, laureates and members of their families are invited to the solemn ceremony.
120 years ago, on November 27, 1895, a Swedish scientist AlfredNobel signed a will, according to which most of his fortune - about 31 million Swedish marks - was to go to the establishment of prizes in five areas.
Since 1901, when the winners were first announced, 360 Americans and 364 Europeans have received the prize. How many citizens of Russia and the Soviet Union were on the honorary list? Only 23…
Is it fair? Is there a political order here, eternal hostility towards our country? These questions will surely drown in the indignant hum.
Rejection of Leo Tolstoy
Let's turn to the history of the Nobel Prize. Not to all the nominees and winners, but only in the field of literature.
For the first time in the list of applicants from Russia in 1902 he got Lev Tolstoy. Surprisingly, the great writer was accompanied by a well-known lawyer Anatoly Koni who dabbled in his spare time with a pen.
The award, however, went to the German historian Theodor Mommsen, specialist in Roman history.
Tolstoy was nominated for the award four more times. But the classic did not receive the award. But only because he didn't want to. Quirks of a genius? Only partly. The arguments of Lev Nikolaevich looked quite reasonable. “Firstly,” he wrote to the Finnish writer Arvid Ernefeld- this saved me from a great difficulty - to dispose of this money, which, like any money, in my opinion, can only bring evil; and secondly, it gave me the honor and great pleasure to receive expressions of sympathy from so many persons, although not familiar to me, but nevertheless deeply respected by me.
But the reason for the writer's refusal of the award could be different. Of course, Tolstoy was aware of the place he occupies in world literature. And, perhaps, he was unpleasantly surprised that the first Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to a French poet and essayist. Rene Francois Armand Prudhomme. He was a capable, subtle poet, but nothing more.
Then the aforementioned Momsen became the laureate. This man may have been worthy of respect for his historical writings. But what about the Nobel Prize?
Therefore, Tolstoy could hold a grudge. Not only for myself, but also for my colleagues. Moreover, the classic was so offended that he no longer wanted to get involved with the Nobel Committee.
Gorky's futile efforts
The next nominee from Russia - after a long time, in 1914, was Dmitry Merezhkovsky. But the award was not awarded to anyone, because it was not up to her - burst World War. The Russian writer claimed the award the following year, but he was beaten by the French Romain Rolland.
In 1918, he was included in the list of applicants Maksim Gorky. But this time, the prize was not awarded to anyone. Either it was not up to her again, or there was no worthy candidate ...
Five years later, Gorky is again in the nominations, this time in the company of two compatriots - Ivan Bunin And Konstantin Balmont. But their hopes were in vain - the Irish poet rejoiced William Yeats. Not a bad poet, but really the best at that time?
Among the contenders for the 1926 award was ... the White Guard general Petr Krasnov. What he wrote? Memories "On the Home Front", "Great Don Army", several novels, stories. A very prolific writer, not without abilities, however ... In general, did they give the award - or did they give it away? - Italian writer Graces Deledde. Whoever heard of her, raise your hand!
In 1928, Gorky was again included in the application. But the award is again awarded to a Norwegian woman Sigrid Unset. And this name can give food for thought only to meticulous philologists.
Two years later, two Russians, Bunin and Merezhkovsky, are among the nominees. But the laurels go to the American Sinclair Lewis. He is awarded the Nobel Prize "for the powerful and expressive art of storytelling and for the rare ability to create new types and characters with satire and humor."
In 1931-1932, a Russian trio entered the fight for the award, consisting of veteran nominees Bunin and Merezhkovsky and a new contender - Ivan Shmelev. But the luminaries of Russian literature were rejected. The 1931 prize was given to the Swede Eric Karlfeldt with the simple wording "for his poetry", then the Englishman, the author of the Forsyte Saga, became the owner of the award John Galsworthy.
Came out with Karlfeldt interesting story. For many years he was a member of the Nobel Committee and he was offered several times - well, how not to please your own little man! - an award. However, the conscientious Karlfeldt invariably refused, citing his position and the fact that he was little known outside of Sweden. But in 1931 the poet passed away and the prize was awarded posthumously.
Triumph of Ivan Bunin
In 1933, an epochal event takes place - the Nobel Prize is finally awarded to a writer from Russia, Ivan Bunin! This happened more than thirty (!) years after the founding of the award.
It is appropriate to recall that in his will Nobel wrote that the first part of the prize is intended for "the one who did the most important discovery or an invention in the field of physics, the second - in the field of chemistry, the third - in the field of physiology or medicine, the fourth - who created the most significant literary work reflecting human ideals ... "
I deliberately highlighted the final part of the phrase. Has the covenant of the founder of the award always been fulfilled? An answer to this question is not required. Writers from Russia, and then the Soviet Union, were often included in the number of nominees only for the sake of appearances, but then they were invariably rejected.
And only in 1933 did the great Bunin receive the prize. And that is largely because he was an immigrant.
But besides Bunin, many worthy names can be named. This - Alexander Blok, Andrey Bely, Vladimir Nabokov(he was added to the list of nominees later), Alexander Kuprin, Evgeny Zamyatin, Isaac Babel, Boris Pilnyak, Marina Tsvetaeva, Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelstam, Vladislav Khodasevich. However, neither they nor other talented Russian writers were stubbornly noticed by the Nobel Prize winners. In fairness, it should be noted that such “discrimination” was also manifested in relation to well-known writers from other countries. Lost Nobel Prize H. G. Wells, Federico Garcia Lorca, Mark Twain, Karel Capek, Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, James Joyce…
In 1933, Gorky and Merezhkovsky competed with Bunin. The first was never again among the nominees, while the second was included in the application list for several more years. But every time he was disappointed.
Unhappy Aldanov
Twice - in 1938 and 1939 - a Russian was among the applicants Mark Aldanov. But first the award was given to an American Pearl Buck- "for a multifaceted, truly epic description of the life of Chinese peasants and for biographical masterpieces", and then to Finn Frans Sillanpää. He was awarded the prize "for his deep insight into the life of Finnish peasants and his excellent description of their customs and connection with nature." No comments…
In total, Aldanov claimed the Nobel Prize eleven (!) times, until his death! But the reward eluded him every time. Like a philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev. In 1946, a representative of the USSR appeared for the first time in the lists of applicants - Boris Pasternak, followed by the nominee Mikhail Sholokhov. And he and the other, in the end, became the owners of the Nobel Prize ...
And here Leonid Leonov in 1950 this failed. He lost the victory to the American William Faulkner. Was it legitimate? The question is, as they say, debatable.
Another question is puzzling. How he got into the number of contenders for the 1955 award Semyon Guzenko? He is not a writer, but ... a former cryptographer at the USSR Embassy in Canada. Having seized more than a hundred secret documents, he became a defector. After settling in Toronto, Gouzenko wrote several memoirs, including The Fall of Titan. And for this they wanted to give him the Nobel Prize?!
Later, emigrants from Russia and the USSR claimed the prize - one of the last representatives of the Silver Age, writer Boris Zaitsev and linguist Roman Jacobson. And both failed. As, however, the Soviet poet Evgeny Yevtushenko.
Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, Brodsky
In 1958, the Nobel Prize was awarded for the first time to a representative of the USSR. Boris Pasternak was awarded "for significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the traditions of the great Russian epic novel." Alas, the award brought Boris Leonidovich continuous trouble. Colleagues spoke out against him, a stormy campaign began in the press. Power fell upon Pasternak with all his might - the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU adopted a resolution "On the slanderous novel of B. Pasternak" (we are talking about "Doctor Zhivago" - V.B.), in which the decision of the Nobel Committee was called another attempt to be drawn into cold war.
“You can shoot me, send me out, do whatever you want,” Pasternak wrote. “I forgive you in advance. But take your time. It will not add to your happiness or glory. And remember, anyway, in a few years you will have to rehabilitate me ... "
However, Pasternak still had to refuse the award. Soon the experiences brought him to the grave.
1965 was a triumph for Sholokhov, who received an award from the hands of the king Gustavus Adolf VI. The writer received the award "in recognition of the artistic strength and honesty that he showed in his Don epic about the historical phases of the life of the Russian people." This meant the novel Quiet Flows the Don, which Mikhail Alexandrovich completed back in 1940.
Sholokhov became the only writer whose award was favorably received by the leadership of the USSR. “Of course, I am pleased with the Nobel Prize being awarded to me, but please understand me correctly: this is not the complacency of an individual, a professional writer who has received a high international assessment of his work,” the writer said in an interview with Pravda. “The feeling of joy prevails here because I, at least to some extent, contribute to the glorification of my Motherland and the party, in whose ranks I have been for more than half of my life, and, of course, my native Soviet literature.”
Five years later, in 1970, the Nobel Prize is awarded to Alexander Solzhenitsyn- "for the moral force with which he followed the immutable traditions of Russian literature." He was a fierce opponent of the Soviet system, a persecuted and outcast writer. It is clear that the decision of the Nobel Committee was largely political ...
Solzhenitsyn could not take part in the award ceremony. If he left the country, he would not be allowed back. The writer was able to receive the award only in December 1974, when he was expelled from the USSR to Germany and deprived of Soviet citizenship.
The next and last recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature from Russia was in 1987 the poet Joseph Brodsky. He was awarded "for a comprehensive work, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity." In these lines, cunning is hidden - it is known that Brodsky had disagreements with the existing system. In the end, he left the Soviet Union. No one has ever denied Brodsky's talent, but he would hardly have won the Nobel Prize if he had developed normal relations with the authorities ...
Not objective and unfair
So, among the winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature - five representatives of Russia - Ivan Bunin, Boris Pasternak, Mikhail Sholokhov, Solzhenitsyn, Joseph Brodsky. Only five in 115 years!
This is incomparable with the great contribution of Russian writers and poets to the treasury of world literature. This is not objective and unfair.
For comparison, there are 15 representatives of France, 11 of Great Britain, 9 of the USA, 8 of Germany and 7 of Sweden on the honorary list.
Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. The award of his name blew up the world. In the history of the Nobel Prize, you can find a lot of paradoxes, absurdities and oddities. Who just was not nominated for it and who just did not receive it!
But in the history, grateful memory of people, only a few remained.
The site found out how much the medal of the Nobel laureate costs and why billionaire Usmanov bought it
The Nobel Prize winners are announced in Stockholm in October. The names of prominent scientists are now being announced, and the award ceremony will traditionally take place on December 10, the day Alfred Nobel died. This year's prize is 9 million Swedish kronor, which is approximately one million US dollars. The portal site has collected some interesting facts about the Nobel Prize.
Medal price
American physicist Leon Max Lederman, who received the Nobel Prize exactly 30 years ago for his participation in the discovery of the muon neutrino, was forced to auction the medal in 2015 to cover the costs of his treatment. The award fetched $765,000. Thanks to this, Lederman is still alive and celebrated his 96th birthday in July.
Usmanov bought a medal, but did not take it from the laureate
History knows another story of the sale of the Nobel medal. Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov Bought an award from a biologist for $4.7 million James Watson, famous for his achievements in deciphering the DNA double helix. Meanwhile, Usmanov did not take the medal from the laureate. According to him, this relic should remain with the winner, and the money he paid for it should be used for further research.
Increased control
Nobel Laureate in Physics 2011 Brian Schmidt once told a funny story related to the transportation of the Nobel medal by air. It all happened when he tried to fly away from the city of Fargo in the US state of North Dakota. Schmidt went through the X-ray machine with the medal in his bag, after which he was interrogated. The fact is that on x-rays, the medal, which is a decent-sized gold disc, turns out to be completely black. Control officers had never seen anything like this before, and therefore asked the passenger to show them the contents of the bag. When the astrophysicist told them that this was a prize given to him in Stockholm by the King of Sweden, they asked one single question: “How did you get into Fargo?”
Age of laureates
The average age of Nobel Prize winners in all categories is 59 years. At the same time, the oldest laureate was 90-year-old Leonid Gurvich, who received the Economics Prize in 2007. The youngest laureate is a human rights activist Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, who almost died at the hands of the militants, against whose tyranny she spoke out in her blog. When the girl was announced the winner of the Peace Prize in 2014, she was only 17 years old.
Award to prisoners
Three people were announced as Nobel Peace Prize winners while behind bars. This is a German pacifist and journalist Carl von Ossicki(1935), politician Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma (1991) and a Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo(2010).
Where's the money, Zin?
Adolf Hitler once banned three German scientists from accepting the Nobel Prize. This Richard Kuhn, 1938 Chemistry Prize Winner, Adolf Butenandt- another chemist who should have been awarded the award in 1939, and Gerhard Domagk, honored in 1939 for achievements in physiology and medicine. Later, they nevertheless received diplomas and medals, but they did not get any cash prizes.
Greedy Nobel family
The Swedish chemist and outstanding inventor Alfred Nobel in November 1885 wrote a will, according to which a significant part of his capital was to go to the creation of a special fund to reward outstanding scientists, writers and fighters for peace. When the will was announced, his relatives felt left out and began to challenge the last will of the deceased. Due to litigation, the first Nobel Prize was awarded only in 1901.
The man said - the man did
In 1956, a physicist from the USA John Bardeen received the Nobel Prize for his participation in the study of the theory of superconductivity. He took only one of his three children to the award ceremony, deciding not to interrupt the other two from their studies. When the king of Sweden Gustav chided him for this, Bardeen said that next time he would definitely bring the whole family to the award ceremony. The scientist kept his promise and, again becoming the laureate of the prize in 1972, he came for her already with three children. By the way, he became the third person in history to receive two Nobel medals.
Receiving the award posthumously
Prior to 1970, Nobel Prizes were twice awarded to people who had already died. Then the Nobel Foundation decided that it would not do that again. Nevertheless, the late Ralph Steinman. The fact is that he died just three days before the announcement of the names of the laureates and the Foundation did not know about it. The Fund did not cancel its decision, and the scientist's relatives received the award.
